foxnews--2020-02-28--Coronavirus fears sparks global run on face masks - even though most people who aren't sick don't ne

Coronavirus fears sparks global run on face masks - even though most people who aren't sick don't need them

Fear of the spreading coronavirus has led to a global run on sales of face masks despite evidence that most people who are n't sick do n't need to wear them .
Many businesses are sold out , while others are limiting how many a customer can buy .
Amazon is policing its site , trying to make sure sellers do n't gouge panicked buyers .
In South Korea , hundreds lined up to buy masks from a discount store .
Rumors that toilet paper and napkins could be used as masks have emptied store shelves in Asia of paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civilians trying to protect themselves from the outbreak and medical centers alike are facing shortages .
Some industry officials are attributing the shortages not just to high demand but to disruptions in supply : An outsize share of the world ’ s surgical masks are made in China — 50 % , by its own estimate .
But even factories there that have ramped up demand say they are hard pressed to meet local demand .
The government has taken over manufacturers , and exports have plunged .
“ Before the outbreak of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600,000-700,000 surgical masks a month , but now the amount is zero , '' David Peng , manager of Ningbo Buy Best International Trading Co. in Ningbo , south of Shanghai , said .
The company 's dozen or so suppliers in Hubei , near the center of the outbreak , have been ordered to prioritize government orders .
Apart from shortages of workers , manufacturers say they are struggling to get enough raw materials to make the masks .
SISSY GOFF : CORONAVIRUS ANXIETY - HERE 'S HOW TO TALK TO YOUR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we only receive inquiries from abroad and are trying to negotiate with overseas customers to see whether it is possible to deliver a few months later , '' said Tony Zhou , sales manager for Suzhou Sanical Protective Products Manufacturing Co .
In the U.S. , Walgreens , Home Depot , Lowe ’ s and True Value Hardware are reporting a sharp uptick in sales of masks over the past several weeks and say they are scrambling to get more from suppliers .
Home Depot , the nation ’ s largest home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ N95 respirators to 10 per person .
They have a close facial fit and more filtration material than general surgical masks , enabling them to keep out at least 95 % of particles .
Marc Jaconksi , owner of Stanley ’ s True Value Hardware and Rental store in Philadelphia , said he saw a surge in demand for masks , particularly the N95 , two weeks ago .
But since Tuesday , when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the virus will almost certainly spread in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We would be crazy busy with snow , but we are not getting snow , ’ ’ he said .
‘ ’ We ’ re crazy busy with respirators.
’ ’ SWITZERLAND BANS ALL EVENTS OVER 1,000 PEOPLE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS , 15 CONFIRMED CASES IN COUNTRY Jaconski said his store has sold 1,000 masks of all kinds in the past two weeks .
He has ordered more N95s , but customers are so desperate they are picking up lightweight dust masks or buying heavy-duty respirators used for asbestos cleanup that sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s usually the oldest folks who get a little crazed , ” he said .
‘ ’ This time , it is everybody.
’ ’ The virus has sickened more than 82,000 people worldwide and killed more than 2,800 , according to international health authorities .
Still , the CDC does n't recommend that people wear masks to protect themselves from the virus .
The CDC says people infected — or those showing symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath — should wear masks to avoid spreading it to others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the agency says .
Mike Gania of the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists said some hospital pharmacies are saying that they have only a one- to two-week supply of masks and that the major wholesalers are unable to fill orders .
Within hospitals , surgical masks are worn by operating room teams — doctors , nurses , anesthesiologists — and frequently by pharmacists .
Staff members caring for patients with dangerous infections wear the N95 masks .
US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES MONITORING WORLDWIDE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS , CONCERNS IN INDIA , IRAN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgical oncologist and author in Toronto , uses 10 to 15 surgical masks per week in her practice .
She switched to a less comfortable brand when her usual supplier ran out .
“ I 've spoken to a lot of people who are worried that we 're going to lose supply or not be able to get them , ” she said .
Boston sees a lot of people wearing them incorrectly — over their mouths but not their noses , for example — and said they should understand that other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand-washing .
Companies that make masks are struggling to keep up .
Medicom Group , a Montreal medical supply company , usually makes 150 million masks per year at its factory near Angers , France .
At the beginning of February , the factory had orders for 500 million masks .
Orders have only grown since then , the company said , and it has hired new workers and increased capacity at its plants , including two in Shanghai and one in Augusta , Georgia .
3M , the Minnesota-based manufacturer , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its facilities in the U.S. , Europe , Asia and Latin America .
Many people in Asia routinely wear masks against allergies , colds and smog , and soaring demand has prompted other manufacturers to retool to begin making masks .
Taiwan manufacturer Foxconn , a major supplier of electronics to Apple , said it has begun making about 1 million masks a day for its own factories .
DOG TESTS 'WEAK POSITIVE ' FOR CORONAVIRUS IN HONG KONG , FIRST POSSIBLE INFECTION IN PET Dealmed , a New York company that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it expects to sell out of face masks next week .
It temporarily stopped taking orders from new customers a month ago and ended sales on Amazon and Walmart.com .
It now is selling only to buyers that need them most , such as hospitals , doctors ’ offices or government agencies .
Sales of gloves , gowns and other items jumped as much as 300 % in February from the year before , said Michael Einhorn , Dealmed ’ s president .
Sales of face masks are so astronomical , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to calculate them .
In Italy , the site of Europe 's biggest cluster of cases , the government met with the country ’ s business lobby to work out a centralized distribution system to get masks to hard-hit areas .
Italy ’ s financial police announced they busted 20 people based in Turin for selling masks that were falsely said to offer complete protection against the disease .
They were selling for as much as 5,000 euro apiece , or about $ 5,500 .
On Amazon , the best-selling item in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pack of three cotton masks for $ 19.99 .
Ten-packs of 3M masks were sold out .
And a listing for 100 disposable masks said it would arrive at shoppers ’ doorsteps sometime in April or May .
Prices varied wildly on Amazon .
Some sellers were charging $ 98.50 or more for 50 disposable surgical masks ; others were charging $ 33 for a similar set .
Hand sanitizers were also hard to find on the site , with some bottles of Purell and Amazon 's own brand sold out .
Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman of the Austin , Texas-based nonprofit Mainstream Mental Health , said retailers need to do a better job of allaying customers ' fears and sharing the CDC 's advice .
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP '' It ’ s the fear of the unknown , ’ ’ Huber said .
“ Once we understand something , we tend not to be so fearful .
”

Fear of the spreading coronavirus has led to a global run on sales of face masks despite evidence that most people who aren't sick don't need to wear them.
Many businesses are sold out, while others are limiting how many a customer can buy. Amazon is policing its site, trying to make sure sellers don't gouge panicked buyers.
In South Korea, hundreds lined up to buy masks from a discount store. Rumors that toilet paper and napkins could be used as masks have emptied store shelves in Asia of paper goods over the past few weeks.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Civilians trying to protect themselves from the outbreak and medical centers alike are facing shortages.
Some industry officials are attributing the shortages not just to high demand but to disruptions in supply: An outsize share of the world’s surgical masks are made in China — 50%, by its own estimate. But even factories there that have ramped up demand say they are hard pressed to meet local demand. The government has taken over manufacturers, and exports have plunged.
“Before the outbreak of the epidemic, we used to export 600,000-700,000 surgical masks a month, but now the amount is zero," David Peng, manager of Ningbo Buy Best International Trading Co. in Ningbo, south of Shanghai, said. The company's dozen or so suppliers in Hubei, near the center of the outbreak, have been ordered to prioritize government orders.
Apart from shortages of workers, manufacturers say they are struggling to get enough raw materials to make the masks.
SISSY GOFF: CORONAVIRUS ANXIETY - HERE'S HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT THE OUTBREAK
“At present, we only receive inquiries from abroad and are trying to negotiate with overseas customers to see whether it is possible to deliver a few months later," said Tony Zhou, sales manager for Suzhou Sanical Protective Products Manufacturing Co.
In the U.S., Walgreens, Home Depot, Lowe’s and True Value Hardware are reporting a sharp uptick in sales of masks over the past several weeks and say they are scrambling to get more from suppliers.
Home Depot, the nation’s largest home improvement chain, has limited sales of N95 respirators to 10 per person. They have a close facial fit and more filtration material than general surgical masks, enabling them to keep out at least 95% of particles.
Marc Jaconksi, owner of Stanley’s True Value Hardware and Rental store in Philadelphia, said he saw a surge in demand for masks, particularly the N95, two weeks ago. But since Tuesday, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the virus will almost certainly spread in the U.S., sales went through the roof.
“We would be crazy busy with snow, but we are not getting snow,’’ he said. ‘’We’re crazy busy with respirators.’’
SWITZERLAND BANS ALL EVENTS OVER 1,000 PEOPLE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS, 15 CONFIRMED CASES IN COUNTRY
Jaconski said his store has sold 1,000 masks of all kinds in the past two weeks. He has ordered more N95s, but customers are so desperate they are picking up lightweight dust masks or buying heavy-duty respirators used for asbestos cleanup that sell for up to $60.
“It’s usually the oldest folks who get a little crazed,” he said. ‘’This time, it is everybody.’’
The virus has sickened more than 82,000 people worldwide and killed more than 2,800, according to international health authorities.
Still, the CDC doesn't recommend that people wear masks to protect themselves from the virus. The CDC says people infected — or those showing symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath — should wear masks to avoid spreading it to others. Health care workers also need masks, the agency says.
Mike Gania of the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists said some hospital pharmacies are saying that they have only a one- to two-week supply of masks and that the major wholesalers are unable to fill orders.
Within hospitals, surgical masks are worn by operating room teams — doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists — and frequently by pharmacists. Staff members caring for patients with dangerous infections wear the N95 masks.
US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES MONITORING WORLDWIDE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS, CONCERNS IN INDIA, IRAN: REPORT
Dr. Sarah Boston, a veterinary surgical oncologist and author in Toronto, uses 10 to 15 surgical masks per week in her practice. She switched to a less comfortable brand when her usual supplier ran out.
“I've spoken to a lot of people who are worried that we're going to lose supply or not be able to get them,” she said.
Boston sees a lot of people wearing them incorrectly — over their mouths but not their noses, for example — and said they should understand that other things would be more effective, like frequent hand-washing.
Companies that make masks are struggling to keep up.
Medicom Group, a Montreal medical supply company, usually makes 150 million masks per year at its factory near Angers, France. At the beginning of February, the factory had orders for 500 million masks. Orders have only grown since then, the company said, and it has hired new workers and increased capacity at its plants, including two in Shanghai and one in Augusta, Georgia.
3M, the Minnesota-based manufacturer, said it has ramped up production of respirators at its facilities in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Many people in Asia routinely wear masks against allergies, colds and smog, and soaring demand has prompted other manufacturers to retool to begin making masks.
Taiwan manufacturer Foxconn, a major supplier of electronics to Apple, said it has begun making about 1 million masks a day for its own factories.
DOG TESTS 'WEAK POSITIVE' FOR CORONAVIRUS IN HONG KONG, FIRST POSSIBLE INFECTION IN PET
Dealmed, a New York company that makes and sells medical supplies, said it expects to sell out of face masks next week. It temporarily stopped taking orders from new customers a month ago and ended sales on Amazon and Walmart.com. It now is selling only to buyers that need them most, such as hospitals, doctors’ offices or government agencies.
Sales of gloves, gowns and other items jumped as much as 300% in February from the year before, said Michael Einhorn, Dealmed’s president. Sales of face masks are so astronomical, he said, he hasn’t been able to calculate them.
In Italy, the site of Europe's biggest cluster of cases, the government met with the country’s business lobby to work out a centralized distribution system to get masks to hard-hit areas.
Italy’s financial police announced they busted 20 people based in Turin for selling masks that were falsely said to offer complete protection against the disease. They were selling for as much as 5,000 euro apiece, or about $5,500.
On Amazon, the best-selling item in its health and household section Thursday was a pack of three cotton masks for $19.99. Ten-packs of 3M masks were sold out. And a listing for 100 disposable masks said it would arrive at shoppers’ doorsteps sometime in April or May.
Prices varied wildly on Amazon. Some sellers were charging $98.50 or more for 50 disposable surgical masks; others were charging $33 for a similar set. Hand sanitizers were also hard to find on the site, with some bottles of Purell and Amazon's own brand sold out.
Dr. John Huber, a clinical psychologist and chairman of the Austin, Texas-based nonprofit Mainstream Mental Health, said retailers need to do a better job of allaying customers' fears and sharing the CDC's advice.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
"It’s the fear of the unknown,’’ Huber said. “Once we understand something, we tend not to be so fearful.”


foxnews--2020-02-28--HHS secretary Azar defends White House coronavirus response: 'For the average American, nothing has

HHS secretary Azar defends White House coronavirus response: 'For the average American, nothing has changed'

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Fox News Friday that the coronavirus outbreak should not devolve into a political controversy .
“ This is a time , as the president said , that we all need to be standing together and working together .
It ’ s not a time to be scoring political points , ” Azar told “ Bill Hemmer Reports.
” Azar added that the Trump administration has been “ transparent ” with information , but `` we also don ’ t want to hyperventilate because for the average American , nothing has changed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been very transparent from day one that the risk to Americans at the present time is low , that that could change rapidly and that we must be prepared , '' the secretary said .
`` That ’ s been our message throughout , and that we think we ’ ll see more cases in the United States .
We ’ re not downplaying .
We think the American people can be leveled with.
” Azar 's comments came after a series of late-night tweets marked the latest exchange between the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with each side simultaneously urging the other not to politicize the potential crisis yet also taking shots at press conferences and on social media -- complicating efforts to work together .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , released a joint statement Thursday on what they want to see in a funding bill to help fight the coronavirus that also included what appeared to be a swipe at Trump .
The coronavirus has not yet hit the U.S. as hard as it has hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently confirmed the first American coronavirus case that had no link to international travel in California .
Other areas of the country are also currently testing suspected cases .
`` We , your government are taking this seriously , we are working with Congress , we are preparing across the federal , state and local levels , but for the everyday American , the risk to them is low and it does not result in a change to their daily lifestyle right now , '' Azar said .
`` But that can change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re transparent about that . ''
Fox News ’ Adam Shaw and Matt Leach contributed to this report .

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Fox News Friday that the coronavirus outbreak should not devolve into a political controversy.
“This is a time, as the president said, that we all need to be standing together and working together. It’s not a time to be scoring political points,” Azar told “Bill Hemmer Reports.”
Azar added that the Trump administration has been “transparent” with information, but "we also don’t want to hyperventilate because for the average American, nothing has changed in their life."
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FORMS NEW CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COMMITTEE
"We have been very transparent from day one that the risk to Americans at the present time is low, that that could change rapidly and that we must be prepared," the secretary said. "That’s been our message throughout, and that we think we’ll see more cases in the United States. We’re not downplaying. We think the American people can be leveled with.”
Azar's comments came after a series of late-night tweets marked the latest exchange between the White House and congressional Democrats over the outbreak, with each side simultaneously urging the other not to politicize the potential crisis yet also taking shots at press conferences and on social media -- complicating efforts to work together.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., released a joint statement Thursday on what they want to see in a funding bill to help fight the coronavirus that also included what appeared to be a swipe at Trump.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
The coronavirus has not yet hit the U.S. as hard as it has hit many Asian countries, though U.S. authorities recently confirmed the first American coronavirus case that had no link to international travel in California. Other areas of the country are also currently testing suspected cases.
"We, your government are taking this seriously, we are working with Congress, we are preparing across the federal, state and local levels, but for the everyday American, the risk to them is low and it does not result in a change to their daily lifestyle right now," Azar said. "But that can change, and we want to make sure we’re transparent about that."
Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Matt Leach contributed to this report.


foxnews--2020-02-28--Don Jr. rep blasts MSNBC anchor, says Dem lawmaker Garamendi 'better suited to represent Antifa' aft

Don Jr. rep blasts MSNBC anchor, says Dem lawmaker Garamendi 'better suited to represent Antifa' after threat

A spokesman for Donald Trump Jr. ripped Rep. John Garamendi , D-Calif. , and MSNBC anchor Hallie Jackson Friday after the lawmaker said he would get into a `` serious altercation '' with the president 's eldest son after he defended the administration 's response to the coronavirus threat .
`` The outrageous remarks from Congressman Garamendi were beyond the pale and should be universally condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike , '' spokesman Andy Surabian , told Fox News on Friday .
`` Almost as outrageous as the Congressman ’ s comments was the lack of pushback or condemnation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silence about political violence aimed towards a member of the first family , was truly deafening . ''
In Surabian 's statement to Fox News , he added that Garamendi was better suited to represent `` Antifa , '' the violent left-wing organization that repeatedly protests the president .
HOUSE DEM THREATENS TRUMP JR. WITH 'SERIOUS ALTERCATION ' AFTER COMMENTS ON CORONAVIRUS '' By threatening Don Jr. with physical violence on national TV , Congressman Garamendi made clear to everyone watching that he is better suited to represent Antifa than the people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Surabian said .
`` He should apologize immediately . ''
Garamendi appeared to threaten Trump Jr. earlier Friday while discussing the coronavirus outbreak on MSNBC .
Jackson had asked the congressman about Trump Jr. 's remark on `` Fox & Friends '' that Democrats apparently hope that the virus `` comes here , and kills millions of people so they can end Donald Trump 's streak of winning . ''
`` He should not be near me when he says that , '' Garamendi responded .
`` There would be a serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is totally outrageous . ''
`` I can assure you that there is not a Democrat or Republican in Congress that wants anybody to be sick , '' the lawmaker added , before saying he was concerned about the administration 's response to the virus .
Later in his interview , Garamendi again warned that `` Don Jr. better not get anyplace close to me .
It would not be a healthy situation . ''
NBC Universal did not immediately respond to Fox News ' request for comment .
CLICK HERE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement provided to Fox News , Garamendi said his `` sole focus is on the health and safety of my constituents and all Americans . ''
He added : `` Donald Trump Jr. made the outrageous statement that Democrats want people to die for political purposes .
If he wants to come to my office to explain his comments , my door is open .
There is no threat of physical violence — but he can expect a strong verbal altercation .
I will continue working to ensure our communities have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address the Coronavirus crisis .
I hope Donald Trump Jr. and the President will join me in this effort .
”

A spokesman for Donald Trump Jr. ripped Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., and MSNBC anchor Hallie Jackson Friday after the lawmaker said he would get into a "serious altercation" with the president's eldest son after he defended the administration's response to the coronavirus threat.
"The outrageous remarks from Congressman Garamendi were beyond the pale and should be universally condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike," spokesman Andy Surabian, told Fox News on Friday.
"Almost as outrageous as the Congressman’s comments was the lack of pushback or condemnation from MSNBC host Hallie Jackson, whose silence about political violence aimed towards a member of the first family, was truly deafening."
In Surabian's statement to Fox News, he added that Garamendi was better suited to represent "Antifa," the violent left-wing organization that repeatedly protests the president.
HOUSE DEM THREATENS TRUMP JR. WITH 'SERIOUS ALTERCATION' AFTER COMMENTS ON CORONAVIRUS
"By threatening Don Jr. with physical violence on national TV, Congressman Garamendi made clear to everyone watching that he is better suited to represent Antifa than the people of California’s 3rd Congressional district," Surabian said. "He should apologize immediately."
Garamendi appeared to threaten Trump Jr. earlier Friday while discussing the coronavirus outbreak on MSNBC. Jackson had asked the congressman about Trump Jr.'s remark on "Fox & Friends" that Democrats apparently hope that the virus "comes here, and kills millions of people so they can end Donald Trump's streak of winning."
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
"He should not be near me when he says that," Garamendi responded. "There would be a serious altercation. That is just totally outrageous. That is totally outrageous."
"I can assure you that there is not a Democrat or Republican in Congress that wants anybody to be sick," the lawmaker added, before saying he was concerned about the administration's response to the virus. Later in his interview, Garamendi again warned that "Don Jr. better not get anyplace close to me. It would not be a healthy situation."
NBC Universal did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In a statement provided to Fox News, Garamendi said his "sole focus is on the health and safety of my constituents and all Americans."
He added: "Donald Trump Jr. made the outrageous statement that Democrats want people to die for political purposes. If he wants to come to my office to explain his comments, my door is open. There is no threat of physical violence — but he can expect a strong verbal altercation. I will continue working to ensure our communities have the testing kits and resources necessary to successfully address the Coronavirus crisis. I hope Donald Trump Jr. and the President will join me in this effort.”


foxnews--2020-02-28--Exclusive: Pence says risk of coronavirus spread in US 'low' thanks to Trump; Biden probe in Ukraine

Good morning and welcome to Fox News First .
Here 's what you need to know as you start your day ... Fox News Exclusive : Pence tells 'Hannity ' risk of coronavirus spread in US 'remains low ' thanks to Trump 's 'decisive action' Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News ' Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview Thursday that `` the risk of the spread of coronavirus in the United States of America remains low '' and credited what he called `` decisive action '' by President Trump earlier this year .
`` We continue to prepare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that because of the actions that President Trump took ... literally , you know , ending travel , closing our borders to people coming in from China , establishing a quarantine process , setting up a task force , '' Pence said .
`` I mean if the president hadn ’ t taken those unprecedented steps we ’ d be in a very different place today , Sean . ''
At a news conference Wednesday , Trump announced that Pence was in charge of coordinating the federal government 's response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared the coronavirus to be a public health emergency .
`` When we first received word of the outbreak of the coronavirus shortly after the first of the year , the health team came in , '' Pence recounted .
`` I was there in the Oval Office , and they said to the president , 'Look ... what we ought to do is , we ought to end air travel , we ought to close our border and we ought to establish a quarantining process for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in . '
`` And they said , 'No president has ever done this before , but we ’ re recommending out of an abundance of caution that you do it . '
And President Trump didn ’ t hesitate for one second .
He said , 'Do it . '
... Our health experts told me again yesterday when we huddled right after that [ Wednesday ] press briefing for the first time -- they said we would be in a very different place today if President Trump hadn ’ t taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` And today , we haven ’ t had a new case for the last two weeks until the word that reached the public in the last 24 hours , '' Pence added .
`` We ’ ve had 15 cases in this country .
People are being treated and -- and doing well . ''
Pence also said the White House is hopeful that Republicans and Democrats will put politics aside to deal with the outbreak .
Click here for more on our top story .
Other developments in the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to handle possible coronavirus patients without gear , training - Dog tests 'weak positive ' for coronavirus in Hong Kong , first possible infection in pet - Stock futures continue correction plunge - Did Dean Koontz novel predict coronavirus ?
| Full coverage Joe Biden under probe in Ukraine for alleged link to top prosecutor ’ s 2016 ouster : report Investigators in Ukraine have launched a probe into former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden over allegations that he pressured Ukrainian officials to fire the country ’ s top prosecutor in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probe was launched in response to a court order , after the ousted prosecutor , Viktor Shokin , made an appeal for action in the matter , Shokin ’ s attorney , Oleksandr Teleshetsky , told The Washington Post .
“ They need to investigate this .
They have no other alternative , ” Teleshetsky told the Post .
“ They are required to do this by the decision of the court .
If they do n't , then they violate a whole string of procedural norms.
” Ukraine ’ s State Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Post reported .
Click here for more .
Other developments in the 2020 presidential campaign : - Iowa Dems finally release recount numbers after multiple requests - Klobuchar , at Fox News town hall , dings Trump on coronavirus , rips cost of Sanders ’ proposals - Bloomberg pressures Sanders to release full medical records LA deputies shared graphic photos of Kobe Bryant crash scene , new report says Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies shared graphic images of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant , his 13-year-old daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles Times reported Thursday .
Two days after the Jan. 26 crash , first responders were talking about how images of victims ’ remains and the debris field were being shared , a source told the newspaper .
The source said they saw one of the photos on the phone of another official in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation .
It ’ s not clear if deputies actually snapped the images at the scene or received them from someone else .
It ’ s also unclear how widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was involved .
- The New York Post .
Click here for more .
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Tyler Perry orders second autopsy for nephew that died in prison .
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South Carolina utility sued over billions in 'nuclear fraud ' : Securities officials .
Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # TheFlashback : CLICK HERE to find out what happened on `` This Day in History . ''
SOME PARTING WORDS Sean Hannity accuses Democrats of `` weaponizing '' coronavirus to score `` cheap , repulsive '' political points against President Trump .
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Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know as you start your day ...
Fox News Exclusive: Pence tells 'Hannity' risk of coronavirus spread in US 'remains low' thanks to Trump's 'decisive action'
Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview Thursday that "the risk of the spread of coronavirus in the United States of America remains low" and credited what he called "decisive action" by President Trump earlier this year.
"We continue to prepare for whatever may come, but the reality is that because of the actions that President Trump took ... literally, you know, ending travel, closing our borders to people coming in from China, establishing a quarantine process, setting up a task force," Pence said. "I mean if the president hadn’t taken those unprecedented steps we’d be in a very different place today, Sean."
At a news conference Wednesday, Trump announced that Pence was in charge of coordinating the federal government's response to the outbreak, nearly one month after Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared the coronavirus to be a public health emergency.
"When we first received word of the outbreak of the coronavirus shortly after the first of the year, the health team came in," Pence recounted. "I was there in the Oval Office, and they said to the president, 'Look ... what we ought to do is, we ought to end air travel, we ought to close our border and we ought to establish a quarantining process for any American citizens that we allow back in.'
"And they said, 'No president has ever done this before, but we’re recommending out of an abundance of caution that you do it.' And President Trump didn’t hesitate for one second. He said, 'Do it.' ... Our health experts told me again yesterday when we huddled right after that [Wednesday] press briefing for the first time -- they said we would be in a very different place today if President Trump hadn’t taken the decisive action that we had.
"And today, we haven’t had a new case for the last two weeks until the word that reached the public in the last 24 hours," Pence added. "We’ve had 15 cases in this country. People are being treated and -- and doing well."
Pence also said the White House is hopeful that Republicans and Democrats will put politics aside to deal with the outbreak. Click here for more on our top story.
Other developments in the coronavirus outbreak:
- Whistleblower says HHS sent workers to handle possible coronavirus patients without gear, training
- Dog tests 'weak positive' for coronavirus in Hong Kong, first possible infection in pet
- Stock futures continue correction plunge
- Did Dean Koontz novel predict coronavirus? | Full coverage
Joe Biden under probe in Ukraine for alleged link to top prosecutor’s 2016 ouster: report
Investigators in Ukraine have launched a probe into former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden over allegations that he pressured Ukrainian officials to fire the country’s top prosecutor in 2016, according to a report.
The Ukrainian probe was launched in response to a court order, after the ousted prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, made an appeal for action in the matter, Shokin’s attorney, Oleksandr Teleshetsky, told The Washington Post.
“They need to investigate this. They have no other alternative,” Teleshetsky told the Post. “They are required to do this by the decision of the court. If they don't, then they violate a whole string of procedural norms.”
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations confirmed a probe was underway, the Post reported. Click here for more.
Other developments in the 2020 presidential campaign:
- Iowa Dems finally release recount numbers after multiple requests
- Klobuchar, at Fox News town hall, dings Trump on coronavirus, rips cost of Sanders’ proposals
- Bloomberg pressures Sanders to release full medical records
LA deputies shared graphic photos of Kobe Bryant crash scene, new report says
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shared graphic images of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and seven others, The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
Two days after the Jan. 26 crash, first responders were talking about how images of victims’ remains and the debris field were being shared, a source told the newspaper. The source said they saw one of the photos on the phone of another official in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation.
It’s not clear if deputies actually snapped the images at the scene or received them from someone else. It’s also unclear how widely the photos were shared or who exactly was involved. - The New York Post. Click here for more.
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'FBI Lovebirds' Strzok-Page performance brings down the house at CPAC.
Tyler Perry orders second autopsy for nephew that died in prison.
Blast similar to ‘big bang’ detected far, far away, study says.
THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS
Coronavirus to close Tokyo Disneyland through mid-March.
South Carolina utility sued over billions in 'nuclear fraud': Securities officials.
Walmart developing Amazon Prime competitor, Walmart+.
#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Sean Hannity accuses Democrats of "weaponizing" coronavirus to score "cheap, repulsive" political points against President Trump.
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Click here to find out what's on Fox News and Fox News Radio today! Tune in to "Fox News Sunday" this weekend for Chris Wallace's interview with former Vice President Joe Biden.
Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Enjoy your day and weekend! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Monday morning.


foxnews--2020-02-28--Tucker Carlson: US is vulnerable to coronavirus because libs care more about identity politics than

Tucker Carlson: US is vulnerable to coronavirus because libs care more about identity politics than your life

Other nations are watching an exponential increase in coronavirus infections .
South Korea reported 505 new cases in a single day .
Japan has closed all schools nationwide for the month of March .
In Iran , the Vice President has coronavirus , so do several Members of Parliament .
Saudi Arabia has shut down pilgrimages to Mecca .
Here in the U.S. , we have our first coronavirus case of unknown origin ; it 's not linked to travel .
That 's an ominous sign .
We will certainly have many more .
Currently , California is monitoring 8,400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The world is panicking over this , and there 's a reason for that .
In China , the virus has already killed more than 2,500 people -- but that 's only if you trust China 's numbers , which no sober person does .
The actual number is likely much higher than that .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER But that 's just the beginning of what we do n't know .
We 're not really sure how coronavirus spreads .
We do n't know what the mortality rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services become overstretched -- and they will .
At this state , we 're not even sure where it came from .
But there is something we do know and it 's this : A lot of the people who should have been preparing to defend us from this have not been doing that .
The CDC , which is America 's main line of defense against infectious diseases seem to be caught off guard by it .
The Center bungled the testing rollout for coronavirus .
That means that still only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screened for it .
So what was the CDC doing instead ?
Well , it was doing a lot of things .
According to information from openthebooks.com , two years ago , CDC gave Georgia State University three-quarters of a million dollars to study social determinants of health in a diverse neighborhood in Georgia .
What did they learn from that experiment ?
Nothing that helps us fight a rising pandemic .
Another $ 300,000.00 CDC grant funded to look at how an American Indian tribe in Washington State could improve health outcomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CDC 's website sometime .
It includes an exhaustive section lecturing parents on how to properly administer timeouts .
One suggestion from the CDC puts toys in timeout instead of children .
Who is in favor of this garbage ?
Nobody , really -- least of all the many good people at the CDC , and there certainly are .
In fact , you 've got to think the overwhelming majority of doctors and researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are there because they passionately want to control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fault .
It 's our policymakers who can not resist making everything ideological .
Their main goal is not keeping you safe .
If it was , they would n't be letting rapists out of prison and pushing weed on your kids .
No , their real interest is getting richer and more than that , feeling good about themselves .
Protecting America does not make them feel good about themselves , it makes them feel guilty .
When President Trump imposed even mild travel restrictions on China last month , they attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out Wednesday night .
President Trump : Had I not made a decision very early on not to take people from a certain area , we would n't be talking this way , we 'd be talking about many more people would have been infected .
I took a lot of heat .
I mean , some people called me racist because I made a decision so early and we had never done that as a country before , let alone early .
So it was a , you know , bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good decision .
CNN , meanwhile , attacked the administration 's Coronavirus Task Force as `` another example of Trump administration 's lack of diversity . ''
As if the color of the doctors matters -- it does not matter at all .
A month ago , CNN warned that the real threat of coronavirus was racism against Asians .
During Wednesday night 's presidential press conference , Wajahat Ali of The New York Times complained that the presentation was `` only one woman on stage surrounded by nearly nine white men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If there was ever a time to drop that dumb and dangerous tick , it 's now as a global epidemic bears down in our country .
But they ca n't stop doing it , and they wo n't .
Because in the end , they care more about identity politics than they care about your life .
Presidential biographer Jon Meacham summed it up about as crisply as a man could when he explained that his `` greatest anxiety '' about coronavirus is that it might damage the global diversity agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that my greatest anxiety aside from the impact of the virus itself is we 're living in an age of xenophobia .
And it is not impossible to imagine a scenario where blame is cast on some country or group of people if this becomes worse .
More afraid that blame might be cast than afraid that millions might die -- that 's it right there .
That 's the attitude that has left us vulnerable to coronavirus .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Whatever weird guilt trip these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them and their psychiatrists to sort out -- and it will take a while .
But under no circumstances should they be anywhere near power .
People will get hurt if they are because they do n't care .
Adapted from Tucker Carlson 's monologue from `` Tucker Carlson Tonight '' on Feb. 27 , 2020 .
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TUCKER CARLSON

Other nations are watching an exponential increase in coronavirus infections. South Korea reported 505 new cases in a single day.
Japan has closed all schools nationwide for the month of March. In Iran, the Vice President has coronavirus, so do several Members of Parliament. Saudi Arabia has shut down pilgrimages to Mecca.
TRUMP RAILS AGAINST DEMS 'WASTING TIME' AMID CORONAVIRUS THREAT
Here in the U.S., we have our first coronavirus case of unknown origin; it's not linked to travel. That's an ominous sign. We will certainly have many more. Currently, California is monitoring 8,400 people for signs of the virus.
The world is panicking over this, and there's a reason for that. In China, the virus has already killed more than 2,500 people -- but that's only if you trust China's numbers, which no sober person does. The actual number is likely much higher than that.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER
But that's just the beginning of what we don't know. We're not really sure how coronavirus spreads. We don't know what the mortality rate is over large populations, especially as health services become overstretched -- and they will.
At this state, we're not even sure where it came from. But there is something we do know and it's this: A lot of the people who should have been preparing to defend us from this have not been doing that.
It's our policymakers who cannot resist making everything ideological. Their main goal is not keeping you safe ... No, their real interest is getting richer and more than that, feeling good about themselves.
The CDC, which is America's main line of defense against infectious diseases seem to be caught off guard by it. The Center bungled the testing rollout for coronavirus. That means that still only a few hundred people in America have been screened for it.
So what was the CDC doing instead? Well, it was doing a lot of things. According to information from openthebooks.com, two years ago, CDC gave Georgia State University three-quarters of a million dollars to study social determinants of health in a diverse neighborhood in Georgia. What did they learn from that experiment? Nothing that helps us fight a rising pandemic.
Another $300,000.00 CDC grant funded to look at how an American Indian tribe in Washington State could improve health outcomes by eating traditional foods. Go to the CDC's website sometime. It includes an exhaustive section lecturing parents on how to properly administer timeouts. One suggestion from the CDC puts toys in timeout instead of children.
Who is in favor of this garbage? Nobody, really -- least of all the many good people at the CDC, and there certainly are. In fact, you've got to think the overwhelming majority of doctors and researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are there because they passionately want to control and prevent diseases.
It's not their fault. It's our policymakers who cannot resist making everything ideological. Their main goal is not keeping you safe. If it was, they wouldn't be letting rapists out of prison and pushing weed on your kids. No, their real interest is getting richer and more than that, feeling good about themselves. Protecting America does not make them feel good about themselves, it makes them feel guilty.
Counting by race. If there was ever a time to drop that dumb and dangerous tick, it's now as a global epidemic bears down in our country. But they can't stop doing it, and they won't.
When President Trump imposed even mild travel restrictions on China last month, they attacked him as a bigot, as he pointed out Wednesday night.
President Trump: Had I not made a decision very early on not to take people from a certain area, we wouldn't be talking this way, we'd be talking about many more people would have been infected.
I took a lot of heat. I mean, some people called me racist because I made a decision so early and we had never done that as a country before, let alone early.
So it was a, you know, bold decision. It turned out to be a good decision.
CNN, meanwhile, attacked the administration's Coronavirus Task Force as "another example of Trump administration's lack of diversity." As if the color of the doctors matters -- it does not matter at all.
A month ago, CNN warned that the real threat of coronavirus was racism against Asians. During Wednesday night's presidential press conference, Wajahat Ali of The New York Times complained that the presentation was "only one woman on stage surrounded by nearly nine white men."
Again, counting by race. If there was ever a time to drop that dumb and dangerous tick, it's now as a global epidemic bears down in our country. But they can't stop doing it, and they won't. Because in the end, they care more about identity politics than they care about your life.
Presidential biographer Jon Meacham summed it up about as crisply as a man could when he explained that his "greatest anxiety" about coronavirus is that it might damage the global diversity agenda.
Jon Meacham: It seems to me that my greatest anxiety aside from the impact of the virus itself is we're living in an age of xenophobia.
And it is not impossible to imagine a scenario where blame is cast on some country or group of people if this becomes worse.
More afraid that blame might be cast than afraid that millions might die -- that's it right there. That's the attitude that has left us vulnerable to coronavirus.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Whatever weird guilt trip these people are on ought to be left to them and their psychiatrists to sort out -- and it will take a while. But under no circumstances should they be anywhere near power. People will get hurt if they are because they don't care.
Adapted from Tucker Carlson's monologue from "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Feb. 27, 2020.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TUCKER CARLSON


foxnews--2020-02-28--Coronavirus in Iran prompts US to extend olive branch amid claim country's death toll far higher tha

Coronavirus in Iran prompts US to extend olive branch amid claim country's death toll far higher than reported

The U.S. State Department extended an olive branch to Iran Friday amid a report that more than 200 people in the country have reportedly been killed by the coronavirus , a figure six times higher than the officially released number .
`` The United States stands with the people of Iran during the public health crisis caused by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
The U.S. Government is prepared to assist the Iranian people in their response efforts , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement .
`` This offer of support to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formally conveyed to Iran through the Government of Switzerland , underscores our ongoing commitment to address health crises and prevent the spread of infectious diseases .
Supporting the Iranian people is and will remain among our top priorities . ''
Pompeo is also calling on Tehran to `` cooperate fully and transparently with international aid and health organizations , '' amid growing international concern that Tehran 's leadership is purporting to coverup the extent of the problem and lacks the resources necessary to contain the spread of the illness .
Iranian government officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country is 34 .
But a report by BBC Persia , citing sources in the country 's health system , claims that number is at least 210 , with the vast portion of the victims residing in the capital Tehran and the holy city of Qom , which is where the first case was recorded last week .
US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES MONITORING WORLDWIDE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS , CONCERNS IN INDIA , IRAN : REPORT Among those known to have contracted Covid-19 – according to state media – include Masoumeh Ebtekar , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vice president for women and family affairs who also served as the spokesperson for the Iranian students who seized U.S. hostages in 1979 , and two members of parliament , including the deputy health minister .
Modest measures have been taken to squash further spread – Friday prayers were called off in the capital and 22 other cities , and schools and universities have been shuttered .
While Tehran has vowed that they are being transparent in the handling of the virus , skepticism pervades .
`` ( Coronavirus ) came unseen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent of infection may be broader than what we may be seeing , '' Dr. Mike Ryan , executive director of the World Health Organization 's emergencies program , stated Thursday .

The U.S. State Department extended an olive branch to Iran Friday amid a report that more than 200 people in the country have reportedly been killed by the coronavirus, a figure six times higher than the officially released number.
"The United States stands with the people of Iran during the public health crisis caused by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The U.S. Government is prepared to assist the Iranian people in their response efforts," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "This offer of support to the Iranian people, which has been formally conveyed to Iran through the Government of Switzerland, underscores our ongoing commitment to address health crises and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Supporting the Iranian people is and will remain among our top priorities."
TRUMP RAILS AGAINST DEMS' WASTING TIME' AMID CORONAVIRUS THREAT
Pompeo is also calling on Tehran to "cooperate fully and transparently with international aid and health organizations," amid growing international concern that Tehran's leadership is purporting to coverup the extent of the problem and lacks the resources necessary to contain the spread of the illness.
Iranian government officials have said that the death toll in the country is 34. But a report by BBC Persia, citing sources in the country's health system, claims that number is at least 210, with the vast portion of the victims residing in the capital Tehran and the holy city of Qom, which is where the first case was recorded last week.
US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES MONITORING WORLDWIDE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS, CONCERNS IN INDIA, IRAN: REPORT
Among those known to have contracted Covid-19 – according to state media – include Masoumeh Ebtekar, the highest-ranking woman in the Iranian government and the vice president for women and family affairs who also served as the spokesperson for the Iranian students who seized U.S. hostages in 1979, and two members of parliament, including the deputy health minister.
Modest measures have been taken to squash further spread – Friday prayers were called off in the capital and 22 other cities, and schools and universities have been shuttered.
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While Tehran has vowed that they are being transparent in the handling of the virus, skepticism pervades.
"(Coronavirus) came unseen and undetected into Iran, so the extent of infection may be broader than what we may be seeing," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's emergencies program, stated Thursday.


foxnews--2020-02-28--Some California health workers held in isolation, quarantine after exposure to cornavirus patient, o

Some California health workers held in isolation, quarantine after exposure to cornavirus patient, officials say

Dozens of health workers in Solano County , Calif. , are under isolation and some will be quarantined after being exposed to a patient who recently tested positive for the coronavirus , officials said Thursday .
The patient , who has not been publicly identified , is the first known person to contract the illness without traveling abroad or coming into close contact with an infected individual .
She visited health centers , potentially exposing a number of workers at two hospitals -- NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville and the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento , according to officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers were impacted but said it was under 100 people .
“ There were multiple health care personnel who were exposed to the individual , '' Dr. Bela Matyas , the county public health officer , said at a news conference Thursday .
“ At both hospitals we are at present aggressively evaluating everyone who may have had contact with this patient .
They are being identified and their risk for exposure is being assessed.
” Efforts are being made to identify all the workers who may have been exposed .
A spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of health care workers impacted was `` a moving target . ''
The announcement comes hours after county health officials declared a local emergency and activated its Department Operations Center to identify and screen those potentially exposed to the coronavirus , known as COVID-19 .
Officials called the virus a public health threat but cautioned that the risk to the public in Solano County remains low .
`` The ability for us to address this exists , '' Matyas said .
`` I think that we can weather this just as we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The patient was brought to the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital earlier this month with flu-like symptoms and stayed for three days .
She did n't fit the federal health criteria to be tested for the virus , officials said Thursday .
CDC WARNS ON CORONAVIRUS IN US : SHOULD YOU START TO WORRY ?
She was later transferred to UC Davis Medical Center where she was administered a test at the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and was found to have contracted the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC to test the woman on Feb. 19 but were not given approval until Sunday .
Meanwhile , at the University of California campus in Davis , three students who live together in a dormitory hall are being monitored for potential infection , the university said .
One student showed signs of the virus and was removed from the campus .
`` As an additional precautionary measure , daily disinfection practices are being implemented within all Student Housing and Dining Services properties , '' the school said in a statement .
Additionally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wellness center are being asked about recent travel and contact with anyone possibly infected .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP California Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Thursday that more than 8,000 California residents were being monitored for the virus .
Some 82,000 people have been sicked by the coronavirus worldwide and more than 2,700 have died .
Most of the cases are in China where the virus was first reported and has prompted tough measures to keep it from spreading .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

Dozens of health workers in Solano County, Calif., are under isolation and some will be quarantined after being exposed to a patient who recently tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said Thursday.
The patient, who has not been publicly identified, is the first known person to contract the illness without traveling abroad or coming into close contact with an infected individual. She visited health centers, potentially exposing a number of workers at two hospitals -- NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville and the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, according to officials.
They didn't say how many workers were impacted but said it was under 100 people.
“There were multiple health care personnel who were exposed to the individual," Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said at a news conference Thursday. “At both hospitals we are at present aggressively evaluating everyone who may have had contact with this patient. They are being identified and their risk for exposure is being assessed.”
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Efforts are being made to identify all the workers who may have been exposed. A spokesman for NorthBay Health Care said the number of health care workers impacted was "a moving target."
The announcement comes hours after county health officials declared a local emergency and activated its Department Operations Center to identify and screen those potentially exposed to the coronavirus, known as COVID-19.
Officials called the virus a public health threat but cautioned that the risk to the public in Solano County remains low.
"The ability for us to address this exists," Matyas said. "I think that we can weather this just as we have weathered other similar events in the past."
The patient was brought to the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital earlier this month with flu-like symptoms and stayed for three days. She didn't fit the federal health criteria to be tested for the virus, officials said Thursday.
CDC WARNS ON CORONAVIRUS IN US: SHOULD YOU START TO WORRY?
She was later transferred to UC Davis Medical Center where she was administered a test at the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and was found to have contracted the coronavirus.
Doctors at the hospital asked the CDC to test the woman on Feb. 19 but were not given approval until Sunday.
Meanwhile, at the University of California campus in Davis, three students who live together in a dormitory hall are being monitored for potential infection, the university said. One student showed signs of the virus and was removed from the campus.
"As an additional precautionary measure, daily disinfection practices are being implemented within all Student Housing and Dining Services properties," the school said in a statement.
Additionally, students seeking care at the school's wellness center are being asked about recent travel and contact with anyone possibly infected.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that more than 8,000 California residents were being monitored for the virus.
Some 82,000 people have been sicked by the coronavirus worldwide and more than 2,700 have died. Most of the cases are in China where the virus was first reported and has prompted tough measures to keep it from spreading.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


foxnews--2020-05-29--Chase Elliott wins rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Chase Elliott 's streak of bitter defeats in NASCAR 's frantic first push of rescheduled races finally ended with his first Cup victory of the season .
Elliott won Thursday night in the rain-delayed event at Charlotte Motor Speedway to close a brutal 12 days for NASCAR .
The event , postponed Wednesday night , was the fourth Cup race since the series resumed racing May 17 .
Elliott had two frustrating losses in that span , including defeat Sunday night in the Coca-Cola 600 when a caution flew two laps from the finish with Elliott leading .
“ Man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week for sure , ” Elliott said .
“ We ’ ve had some tough losses but that deal on Sunday night was a heart-breaker . ''
Elliott 's frustration began last week — three Cup races ago — when he was trying to race for the lead at Darlington Raceway and was wrecked by Kyle Busch .
Then he had the 600 checkered flag in sight until a caution caused by his own teammate .
Elliott pitted from the lead , took four tires and could n't get back to the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was little suspense in this one .
Elliott reeled in Kevin Harvick with 27 laps remaining and closed out the victory .
Elliott also won the Truck Series race Tuesday night at Charlotte to give him a pair of victories in a four-race stretch at the track a few minutes away from Hendrick Motorsports headquarters .
“ It ’ s not the Coke 600 , but any win in the Cup series is really hard to get , ” Elliott said .
“ I just really appreciate everybody at Hendrick Motorsports across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working really hard.
” Elliott was charging hard on Harvick with about 35 laps remaining when he asked if he had enough fuel to make it to the finish .
Crew chief Alan Gustafson replied , “ Yup .
Go hard.
” Elliott did just that .
But after passing Harvick , with nothing but clear track in front of him , Elliott could n't help but feel haunted by Sunday night .
“ I was just waiting for the caution to come out , '' he said .
`` If the caution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was thinking I was probably going to break something or I was going to crash .
After the last last couple weeks , surely it was going to go green until the end .
`` Hopefully we ’ re back on the right path.
” Denny Hamlin finished second in a Toyota with three crew members sitting at home under suspension for an infraction Sunday night .
His crew chief , car chief and engineer earned automatic four-race suspensions when a piece of tungsten fell off Hamlin 's car on a pace lap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events as one day shows without qualifying or practice , Hamlin said his Joe Gibbs Racing team was able to push through the upheaval .
“ The one day format makes it easier for us , ” Hamlin said .
“ If we had qualifying it would definitely hurt .
But under these circumstances that we are in it doesn ’ t hurt that bad.
” Ryan Blaney was third in a Ford for Team Penske , followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for JTG-Daughtery Racing , a tremendous boost after a bad resumption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first lap of the first race and finished last , then was 25th and 24th before Thursday .
Blaney , who is one of Elliott 's closest friends , has been hosting NASCAR 's most popular driver as the sport has raced four times in five nights at Charlotte .
He said Elliott was able to refocus on the Truck Series race after losing the 600 , then after beating Busch to earn a $ 100,000 bounty , Elliott shifted his attention to the Cup race .
“ We talked about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has had a lot of back luck , ” Blaney said .
“ With the 600 , that stunk for him .
We talked aobut it that night but he was ready for the Trucks race .
We did talk and there was a couple hours of it .
But he moved on and showed he could win two in a row.
” Hamlin thought all the focus on Elliott 's losses was overblown .
“ Sometimes cautions are not going to fall your way , ” Hamlin said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Chase and everyone loves him.
” Asked if he felt sorry for Elliott , Hamlin answered with a definitive “ No.
” Elliott 's victory was the first for a Chevrolet driver in NASCAR 's return to Cup racing .
Harvick won the first race back in a Ford , Hamlin won the second race in a Toyota and Brad Keselowski won the 600 in a Ford .
But Elliott and his Hendrick teammates have been very strong since the series came back from a 10-week shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson have all led laps — a huge boost for a team that has been rebuilding for much of the last three seasons .
The rescheduled Thursday event was disrupted by lightning and rain for nearly 75 minutes after 30 laps had been completed .
NASCAR next goes to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Sunday for a fifth Cup race in 15 days as the series attempts to reschedule eight events in a frantic stretch of racing through Southern states .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX @ @

Chase Elliott's streak of bitter defeats in NASCAR's frantic first push of rescheduled races finally ended with his first Cup victory of the season.
Elliott won Thursday night in the rain-delayed event at Charlotte Motor Speedway to close a brutal 12 days for NASCAR. The event, postponed Wednesday night, was the fourth Cup race since the series resumed racing May 17.
Elliott had two frustrating losses in that span, including defeat Sunday night in the Coca-Cola 600 when a caution flew two laps from the finish with Elliott leading.
“Man, it’s been a tough week for sure,” Elliott said. “We’ve had some tough losses but that deal on Sunday night was a heart-breaker."
Elliott's frustration began last week — three Cup races ago — when he was trying to race for the lead at Darlington Raceway and was wrecked by Kyle Busch.
Then he had the 600 checkered flag in sight until a caution caused by his own teammate. Elliott pitted from the lead, took four tires and couldn't get back to the front in the two-lap overtime sprint.
There was little suspense in this one. Elliott reeled in Kevin Harvick with 27 laps remaining and closed out the victory. Elliott also won the Truck Series race Tuesday night at Charlotte to give him a pair of victories in a four-race stretch at the track a few minutes away from Hendrick Motorsports headquarters.
CHASE ELLIOTT BEATS KYLE BUSCH IN TRUCKS TO WIN $100,000 BOUNTY
“It’s not the Coke 600, but any win in the Cup series is really hard to get,” Elliott said. “I just really appreciate everybody at Hendrick Motorsports across the street here. Everybody’s been working really hard.”
Elliott was charging hard on Harvick with about 35 laps remaining when he asked if he had enough fuel to make it to the finish. Crew chief Alan Gustafson replied, “Yup. Go hard.”
MORE NASCAR NEWS FROM FOX NEWS AUTOS
Elliott did just that. But after passing Harvick, with nothing but clear track in front of him, Elliott couldn't help but feel haunted by Sunday night.
“I was just waiting for the caution to come out," he said. "If the caution didn’t come out, I was thinking I was probably going to break something or I was going to crash. After the last last couple weeks, surely it was going to go green until the end.
"Hopefully we’re back on the right path.”
Denny Hamlin finished second in a Toyota with three crew members sitting at home under suspension for an infraction Sunday night. His crew chief, car chief and engineer earned automatic four-race suspensions when a piece of tungsten fell off Hamlin's car on a pace lap.
Because NASCAR is holding all its events as one day shows without qualifying or practice, Hamlin said his Joe Gibbs Racing team was able to push through the upheaval.
“The one day format makes it easier for us,” Hamlin said. “If we had qualifying it would definitely hurt. But under these circumstances that we are in it doesn’t hurt that bad.”
Ryan Blaney was third in a Ford for Team Penske, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for JTG-Daughtery Racing, a tremendous boost after a bad resumption of the season. Stenhouse wrecked on the first lap of the first race and finished last, then was 25th and 24th before Thursday.
Blaney, who is one of Elliott's closest friends, has been hosting NASCAR's most popular driver as the sport has raced four times in five nights at Charlotte. He said Elliott was able to refocus on the Truck Series race after losing the 600, then after beating Busch to earn a $100,000 bounty, Elliott shifted his attention to the Cup race.
“We talked about the race and that is just bad luck. He has had a lot of back luck,” Blaney said. “With the 600, that stunk for him. We talked aobut it that night but he was ready for the Trucks race. We did talk and there was a couple hours of it. But he moved on and showed he could win two in a row.”
Hamlin thought all the focus on Elliott's losses was overblown.
“Sometimes cautions are not going to fall your way,” Hamlin said. “I think everyone feels bad because it is Chase and everyone loves him.”
Asked if he felt sorry for Elliott, Hamlin answered with a definitive “No.”
Elliott's victory was the first for a Chevrolet driver in NASCAR's return to Cup racing. Harvick won the first race back in a Ford, Hamlin won the second race in a Toyota and Brad Keselowski won the 600 in a Ford.
But Elliott and his Hendrick teammates have been very strong since the series came back from a 10-week shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic. Elliott, Alex Bowman, William Byron and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson have all led laps — a huge boost for a team that has been rebuilding for much of the last three seasons.
The rescheduled Thursday event was disrupted by lightning and rain for nearly 75 minutes after 30 laps had been completed.
NASCAR next goes to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Sunday for a fifth Cup race in 15 days as the series attempts to reschedule eight events in a frantic stretch of racing through Southern states.
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foxnews--2020-05-29--Sohrab Ahmari: Twitter is 'fact checking' Trump, will they also check leading liberals going forward

Sohrab Ahmari: Twitter is 'fact checking' Trump, will they also check leading liberals going forward?

This week , for the first time , Twitter “ fact-checked ” one of President Trump ’ s opinions and redirected users to coverage from that paragon of fairness and objectivity , CNN ( don ’ t laugh ) .
Twitter announced the introduction of the new feature earlier this month .
The goal , two workers wrote , is to “ make it easy to find credible information ” and to stanch the flow of “ misleading content.
” But I wonder : Will the platform also append “ fact-check ” labels and links to tweets from prominent liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misleading ” or outright false ?
Start with a 2017 tweet from CNN contributor Ana Navarro claiming that an “ Ivanka Fund got $ 100 million pledge from the Saudis and UAE.
” The truth : The cash went to a World Bank initiative for female entrepreneurs .
Navarro ’ s tweet garnered more than 43,000 retweets .
Or how about a 2019 tweet from actress Nancy Lee Grahn that featured photos of migrant children at a border detention center and railed against Team Trump for allegedly torturing kids ?
As Internet sleuths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was cropped to remove the timestamp : 2015 .
It garnered nearly 50,000 retweets anyway .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER Then there was Rachel Maddow ’ s blog ’ s 2018 claim that the White House had edited the video of the president ’ s Helsinki news conference with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin “ to remove [ a ] question about whether [ he ] wanted Trump to win.
” The Washington Post and numerous other outlets debunked the claim , yet the tweet is still up , with 24,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In January 2019 , former President Barack Obama ’ s ambassador to Russia , Michael McFaul , joined thousands of other members of the blue-check Twitterati in touting a made-for-Twitter BuzzFeed News exposé .
“ This is big , ” McFaul wrote , “ President Trump directed his attorney to lie to Congress.
” Yes , big — and false : Special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s team was quick to characterize the story as inaccurate , and its report made clear that the president had done no such thing .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , et al.
, though .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Harvard law professor and # Resistance icon Laurence Tribe in December 2017 asked his followers to “ retweet if , like me , you ’ re aware of nothing in the Christopher Steele dossier that has been shown to be false.
” Nearly 8,000 did retweet , despite the fact that the dossier has been thoroughly debunked .
Finally , on a local note : Surely , if a tweet should come with a health hazard , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invitation to Gothamites to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Chinatown “ in defiance of the coronavirus ” : “ If you are staying away , you are missing out !
” This column originally appeared in the New York Post .

This week, for the first time, Twitter “fact-checked” one of President Trump’s opinions and redirected users to coverage from that paragon of fairness and objectivity, CNN (don’t laugh).
Twitter announced the introduction of the new feature earlier this month. The goal, two workers wrote, is to “make it easy to find credible information” and to stanch the flow of “misleading content.”
But I wonder: Will the platform also append “fact-check” labels and links to tweets from prominent liberals that also turned out to be “misleading” or outright false?
JIM HANSON: TRUMP’S SOCIAL MEDIA EXECUTIVE ORDER IS JUSTIFIED – PROTECTS FREE SPEECH, COMBATS CENSORSHIP
Start with a 2017 tweet from CNN contributor Ana Navarro claiming that an “Ivanka Fund got $100 million pledge from the Saudis and UAE.”
The truth: The cash went to a World Bank initiative for female entrepreneurs. Navarro’s tweet garnered more than 43,000 retweets.
Or how about a 2019 tweet from actress Nancy Lee Grahn that featured photos of migrant children at a border detention center and railed against Team Trump for allegedly torturing kids? As Internet sleuths pointed out, Grahn’s photo was cropped to remove the timestamp: 2015. It garnered nearly 50,000 retweets anyway.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER
Then there was Rachel Maddow’s blog’s 2018 claim that the White House had edited the video of the president’s Helsinki news conference with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin “to remove [a] question about whether [he] wanted Trump to win.” The Washington Post and numerous other outlets debunked the claim, yet the tweet is still up, with 24,000 retweets — and no Twitter warning label.
In January 2019, former President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, joined thousands of other members of the blue-check Twitterati in touting a made-for-Twitter BuzzFeed News exposé. “This is big,” McFaul wrote, “President Trump directed his attorney to lie to Congress.”
Yes, big — and false: Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team was quick to characterize the story as inaccurate, and its report made clear that the president had done no such thing. No Twitter “fact-check” hazard for McFaul, et al., though.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Harvard law professor and #Resistance icon Laurence Tribe in December 2017 asked his followers to “retweet if, like me, you’re aware of nothing in the Christopher Steele dossier that has been shown to be false.” Nearly 8,000 did retweet, despite the fact that the dossier has been thoroughly debunked.
Finally, on a local note: Surely, if a tweet should come with a health hazard, it was city Councilman Mark Levine’s February invitation to Gothamites to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Chinatown “in defiance of the coronavirus”: “If you are staying away, you are missing out!”
This column originally appeared in the New York Post.


foxnews--2020-05-28--NFL coaches could return to team facilities next week

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is hopeful that coaches will be able to return to their team facilities by next week .
Goodell said Thursday following an owners conference call that the virtual offseason is being extended for two more weeks .
In a memo sent to the 32 teams and obtained by The Associated Press , he outlined the next phase of reopening of club facilities , which can begin Monday .
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM “ We expect that next week clubs will be permitted to include members of their coaching staffs among the employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility , ” Goodell wrote .
“ We are actively working with governors and other state and local authorities in those states that have not yet announced definitive plans and will confirm the precise date on which coaches can return to the facility as soon as possible.
” Ticket offices , retail shops and other “ customer-facing facilities ” that comply with state and local regulation can open , with employees counting in the current maximum number of employees ( no more than 50 percent of staff not to exceed 75 persons ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return other than those undergoing rehab who currently are allowed at team complexes , Goodell added : “ We are also continuing to work with the NFLPA on developing protocols that will allow at least some players to return to your facilities on a limited basis prior to the conclusion of the offseason program.
” NFL owners tabled a proposal that would have offered a fourth-and-15 play as an alternative to the onside kick .
They approved testing expanded use of video replay in the preseason to aid in officiating .
Atlanta Falcons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clubs receptive to the onside kick alternative than in the past and it will be further explored .
“ There were lots of really good questions about the impact and nuances ” such a change would involve , McKay said .
“ This was the longest discussion , I imagine 20 to 30 minutes on that .
We ended up tabling it after taking a pulse where teams stood on it .
We 'll bring it back at some point.
” The 32 owners also increased the number of players who may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a season from two to three .
Also passed was making permanent the expansion of automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul , and any successful or unsuccessful extra points .
The competition committee 's recommendation to expand defenseless player protection to a kickoff or punt returner who is in possession of the ball but has not had time to avoid or ward off contact of an opponent also was approved .
McKay said such incidents on punt returns were rare but “ there were enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendation stops teams from manipulating the game clock by committing multiple dead-ball fouls while the clock is running — an issue that came up several times in 2019 , including during the postseason .
Using video replay for pass interference calls was dropped after a one-year experiment that led to more uncertainty than clarity .
Many people in the league cited the presence of too much subjectivity in the reviews .
Tabled was a proposal to have a booth judge serve as an eighth official on each crew and call for reviews on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with additional review options during the preseason as requested by the referee to the replay assistant .
“ What we thought we could do in the preseason , this test allows for the ref to have communication with the replay assistant , ” McKay explained .
“ We have always allowed that communication , and now there are more areas given them to seek consultation .
We always liked that idea.
” The preseason is scheduled to begin on Aug. 6 with the Pro Football Hall of Fame game between Pittsburgh and Dallas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the NFL 's regular season — because of the coronavirus pandemic .
But the league has stated it plans to play everything as scheduled while making contingency plans that could include no fans at games , moving or delaying games .

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is hopeful that coaches will be able to return to their team facilities by next week.
Goodell said Thursday following an owners conference call that the virtual offseason is being extended for two more weeks. In a memo sent to the 32 teams and obtained by The Associated Press, he outlined the next phase of reopening of club facilities, which can begin Monday.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“We expect that next week clubs will be permitted to include members of their coaching staffs among the employees permitted to resume work in the club facility,” Goodell wrote. “We are actively working with governors and other state and local authorities in those states that have not yet announced definitive plans and will confirm the precise date on which coaches can return to the facility as soon as possible.”
Ticket offices, retail shops and other “customer-facing facilities” that comply with state and local regulation can open, with employees counting in the current maximum number of employees (no more than 50 percent of staff not to exceed 75 persons) allowed.
As for allowing players to return other than those undergoing rehab who currently are allowed at team complexes, Goodell added: “We are also continuing to work with the NFLPA on developing protocols that will allow at least some players to return to your facilities on a limited basis prior to the conclusion of the offseason program.”
NFL owners tabled a proposal that would have offered a fourth-and-15 play as an alternative to the onside kick. They approved testing expanded use of video replay in the preseason to aid in officiating.
Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay said there were more clubs receptive to the onside kick alternative than in the past and it will be further explored.
“There were lots of really good questions about the impact and nuances” such a change would involve, McKay said. “This was the longest discussion, I imagine 20 to 30 minutes on that. We ended up tabling it after taking a pulse where teams stood on it. We'll bring it back at some point.”
The 32 owners also increased the number of players who may be designated for return from the injured list during a season from two to three.
Also passed was making permanent the expansion of automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul, and any successful or unsuccessful extra points.
The competition committee's recommendation to expand defenseless player protection to a kickoff or punt returner who is in possession of the ball but has not had time to avoid or ward off contact of an opponent also was approved. McKay said such incidents on punt returns were rare but “there were enough that gave us concern.”
Another approved recommendation stops teams from manipulating the game clock by committing multiple dead-ball fouls while the clock is running — an issue that came up several times in 2019, including during the postseason.
Using video replay for pass interference calls was dropped after a one-year experiment that led to more uncertainty than clarity. Many people in the league cited the presence of too much subjectivity in the reviews.
Tabled was a proposal to have a booth judge serve as an eighth official on each crew and call for reviews on certain plays. The league will experiment with additional review options during the preseason as requested by the referee to the replay assistant.
“What we thought we could do in the preseason, this test allows for the ref to have communication with the replay assistant,” McKay explained. “We have always allowed that communication, and now there are more areas given them to seek consultation. We always liked that idea.”
The preseason is scheduled to begin on Aug. 6 with the Pro Football Hall of Fame game between Pittsburgh and Dallas. It's an uncertainty — as is the NFL's regular season — because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the league has stated it plans to play everything as scheduled while making contingency plans that could include no fans at games, moving or delaying games.


foxnews--2020-05-29--New Jersey may have to cut 200K public workers if no federal help: report

Gov .
Phil Murphy , the New Jersey Democrat , said in an interview Thursday that without financial help from the federal government , his state will likely have to cut 200,000 public employees , including police officers and firefighters .
New Jersey is among several states facing serious financial hardships after the coronavirus outbreaks .
There is debate in Washington about whether these states should have access to the funding .
Some Republicans say poor fiscal management led them to this point .
CLICK FOR THE LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS “ I don ’ t think there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of taxes that begin to fill the hole , ” Murphy told Bloomberg Television .
He continued , “ The alternative to not getting that funding is a whole lot of layoffs—we think as much as 200,000 or more.
” Bloomberg reported that Murphy vowed to cut $ 5 billion , but the state ’ s expected to have about a $ 10.1 billion revenue shortfall .
The debate over the federal government bailing out states started when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last month that states should be able to declare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route .
It saves some cities , ” he said at the time .
“ And there ’ s no good reason for it not to be available .
My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they don ’ t have to do that .
That ’ s not something I ’ m going to be in favor of.
” There has been a debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former governor of Wisconsin , wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times that bailing out states would be the wrong decision .
“ This should not happen , ” he wrote .
“ States already raise taxes on their residents.
” Walker said the federal government should maintain a laser focus on small businesses .
“ Failure to do so will continue to hurt state economies , saddling them with insolvent balance sheets , ” he wrote .
The Times reported that Democratic governors from Washington State , Nevada , Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would require $ 1 trillion .
Congress is at a crossroads on the next virus relief bill .
Democrats tout their 1,800-page bill as an opening salvo in negotiations , but Senate Republicans are wary of another round of negotiations where Democrats and the White House call the shots .
Republicans are also split on how much aid to provide state and local governments , as well as other parts of the Democrats ’ proposal .
The Associated Press contributed to this report

Gov. Phil Murphy, the New Jersey Democrat, said in an interview Thursday that without financial help from the federal government, his state will likely have to cut 200,000 public employees, including police officers and firefighters.
NJ SALON OWNER: WE'RE AT A BREAKING POINT
New Jersey is among several states facing serious financial hardships after the coronavirus outbreaks. There is debate in Washington about whether these states should have access to the funding. Some Republicans say poor fiscal management led them to this point.
CLICK FOR THE LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS
“I don’t think there’s any amount of cuts or any amount of taxes that begin to fill the hole,” Murphy told Bloomberg Television. He continued, “The alternative to not getting that funding is a whole lot of layoffs—we think as much as 200,000 or more.”
Bloomberg reported that Murphy vowed to cut $5 billion, but the state’s expected to have about a $10.1 billion revenue shortfall.
The debate over the federal government bailing out states started when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last month that states should be able to declare bankruptcy.
“I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route. It saves some cities,” he said at the time. “And there’s no good reason for it not to be available. My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they don’t have to do that. That’s not something I’m going to be in favor of.”
There has been a debate ever since.
Scott Walker, the former governor of Wisconsin, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times that bailing out states would be the wrong decision.
“This should not happen,” he wrote. “States already raise taxes on their residents.”
Walker said the federal government should maintain a laser focus on small businesses.
“Failure to do so will continue to hurt state economies, saddling them with insolvent balance sheets,” he wrote.
The Times reported that Democratic governors from Washington State, Nevada, Oregon and California claimed that all 50 states would require $1 trillion.
Congress is at a crossroads on the next virus relief bill. Democrats tout their 1,800-page bill as an opening salvo in negotiations, but Senate Republicans are wary of another round of negotiations where Democrats and the White House call the shots.
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Republicans are also split on how much aid to provide state and local governments, as well as other parts of the Democrats’ proposal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report


foxnews--2020-05-29--John Deere Classic chooses to cancel PGA Tour event

Two weeks before the PGA Tour is set to resume its schedule , John Deere Classic officials decided Thursday to cancel what would have been the fifth tournament back .
Tournament director Clair Peterson said there were too many obstacles to overcome involving too many risks from the COVID-19 pandemic , and that it made financial sense in the long run to not hold the tournament .
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM The John Deere would have been July 9-12 in Silvis , Illinois , the fifth PGA Tour stop under the revised schedule .
The tour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month , meaning the Deere could have been the first tournament that allowed fans .
However , Peterson noted an Illinois mandate that restricts gatherings to 50 people through the summer , and other issues at TPC Deere Run such as the size of the clubhouse and getting people from parking lots through the gates .
“ Any version — an event with fans , without fans , something in between — we 're going to lose money , ” he said .
“ Or do we want to take the long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The PGA Tour now has had 11 tournaments on its schedule with total prize money of just under $ 92 million canceled .
This would have been the 50th anniversary of John Deere Classic .
The tournament began in 1971 — won by Deane Beman , who later became PGA Tour commissioner — and got a huge boost in the community when Tiger Woods played as a 20-year-old who had just turned pro .
John Deere stepped in as title sponsor in 1999 , and it has thrived in recent years as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Peterson said the John Deere Co. supported the decision .
“ It was n't their vote that made the final decision , ” he said .
“ They had a concern about all the risks involved.
” While calling it a “ sad day ” — the tournament produced books celebrating its 50th year — Peterson said its “ Birdies for Charities '' program is not tied exclusively to the event because it involves flat donations .
It raised $ 13.8 million last year for more than 500 local charities , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million to be donated this year .
The tournament had not begun to build out the infrastructure for the tournament , with or without fans .
Peterson said even when the tour announced a restart on June 11-14 at Colonial in Fort Worth , Texas , he had his doubts about fans .
“ Getting people from the parking lots to the golf course , through admission , hospitality sponsors hearing from their guests , '' he said .
“ I had one sponsor said 90 % of their clients said they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue from ticket sales and the much bigger hit of hospitality , Peterson said the three pro-ams that would have been held typically bring in $ 1 million .
`` We understand and respect that the Quad Cities market has dynamics and challenges that prevent the playing of the John Deere Classic in 2020 , ” said Andy Pazder , the tour 's chief tournaments and competitions officer .
“ As we ’ ve seen through the years , the community support for the John Deere Classic is unwavering and I have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever in its 50th playing in 2021.
” The tour is looking at other tournaments to fill that void in the schedule , and it might consider nearby communities as it tries to keep players , caddie and tournament operations in a “ bubble ” in the early stages of resuming play .
The Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit is the week before .
The Memorial in Dublin , Ohio , is the week after .
The Senior Players Championship at Firestone in Akron , Ohio , originally was to be played July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks until August .

Two weeks before the PGA Tour is set to resume its schedule, John Deere Classic officials decided Thursday to cancel what would have been the fifth tournament back.
Tournament director Clair Peterson said there were too many obstacles to overcome involving too many risks from the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it made financial sense in the long run to not hold the tournament.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The John Deere would have been July 9-12 in Silvis, Illinois, the fifth PGA Tour stop under the revised schedule. The tour is not allowing spectators for at least a month, meaning the Deere could have been the first tournament that allowed fans.
However, Peterson noted an Illinois mandate that restricts gatherings to 50 people through the summer, and other issues at TPC Deere Run such as the size of the clubhouse and getting people from parking lots through the gates.
“Any version — an event with fans, without fans, something in between — we're going to lose money,” he said. “Or do we want to take the long view of this and ensure long-term security.”
The PGA Tour now has had 11 tournaments on its schedule with total prize money of just under $92 million canceled.
This would have been the 50th anniversary of John Deere Classic.
The tournament began in 1971 — won by Deane Beman, who later became PGA Tour commissioner — and got a huge boost in the community when Tiger Woods played as a 20-year-old who had just turned pro. John Deere stepped in as title sponsor in 1999, and it has thrived in recent years as the final stop before the British Open.
Peterson said the John Deere Co. supported the decision.
“It wasn't their vote that made the final decision,” he said. “They had a concern about all the risks involved.”
While calling it a “sad day” — the tournament produced books celebrating its 50th year — Peterson said its “Birdies for Charities" program is not tied exclusively to the event because it involves flat donations. It raised $13.8 million last year for more than 500 local charities, and Peterson said he expects about $10 million to be donated this year.
The tournament had not begun to build out the infrastructure for the tournament, with or without fans. Peterson said even when the tour announced a restart on June 11-14 at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, he had his doubts about fans.
“Getting people from the parking lots to the golf course, through admission, hospitality sponsors hearing from their guests," he said. “I had one sponsor said 90% of their clients said they would not be coming.”
Along with losing revenue from ticket sales and the much bigger hit of hospitality, Peterson said the three pro-ams that would have been held typically bring in $1 million.
"We understand and respect that the Quad Cities market has dynamics and challenges that prevent the playing of the John Deere Classic in 2020,” said Andy Pazder, the tour's chief tournaments and competitions officer. “As we’ve seen through the years, the community support for the John Deere Classic is unwavering and I have no doubt the event will return stronger than ever in its 50th playing in 2021.”
The tour is looking at other tournaments to fill that void in the schedule, and it might consider nearby communities as it tries to keep players, caddie and tournament operations in a “bubble” in the early stages of resuming play.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit is the week before. The Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, is the week after. The Senior Players Championship at Firestone in Akron, Ohio, originally was to be played July 9-12 but has been moved back five weeks until August.