Saturday,  July 18th, 2020

https://www.theweek.com/articles/925913/7-scathing-cartoons-about-push-reopen-schools

https://www.theweek.com/articles/925884/time-dread

 

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announces he will donate a quarter of his US$4,806 monthly salary to help health services fight the virus. He also encouraged other public officials to follow his move. (Reuters)

India surpasses one million cases, as the death count reaches 25,000. (BBC)

Tokyo reported a record daily increase in COVID-19 cases, with 293 new cases. (Voice of America)

Manhattan Beach announces that they will fine people who don’t wear masks. (Los Angeles Times)

Officials in Miami announces that they will impose a curfew at South Beach as Florida tops 10,000 cases. (CBS News)

Military medics are deployed to hospitals in Texas and California as cases surge. (The Chicago Tribune)

Protesters attempt to remove a statue of Christopher Columbus at Grant Park, prompting a standoff between police. (Newsweek)

Major League Baseball announces five more players have tested positive for COVID-19. (ESPN)

The Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League is expected to change its name. (ESPN)

New York City enters final reopening phase as California, Florida cases surge  New York City, once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, will move to its final phase of reopening on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Friday. Malls, gyms, and cultural institutions will remain closed, as will indoor dining. Meanwhile things are going the other direction in Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, though the latter two states’ governors said they will not shut down businesses again. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Friday most schools will not reopen in the state. Florida recorded 128 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past day on Friday afternoon, its fourth day of death tolls over 100. And in Texas, FEMA sent in extra body bags and refrigerated trucks to prepare for a surging death toll. Source:  Miami Herald

Kate Brown, governor of Oregon, criticizes President Donald Trump and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf amid reports of federal agents detaining protesters in Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the state. Wolf tweeted the previous day that the forces were sent to the city due to it being “under siege for 47 straight days by a violent mob.” (The Hill)

The National Football League announces 72 of its players have tested positive for COVID-19. (Bleacher Report)

The End 

Friday, July 17th, 2020

Moderna is expected to start a late stage clinical trial at 87 study locations in the United States for its COVID-19 vaccine on July 27. (Reuters)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that New York is expected to move into phase four of its reopening plan. However, indoor public spaces will remain closed. (MarketWatch)

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announces that masks will be made mandatory in public spaces. The order is expected to go into effect on July 20. (The Hill)

Miami-Dade County is expected to give people who violate COVID-19 guidelines a $100 fine. (NBC Miami)

The Centers for Disease Control extends the United States ban on cruise ships to September 30, citing ongoing COVID-19 cruise ship outbreaks. (ABC News)

Spain reports their highest COVID-19 infection count since May 10, with 580 cases. These cases have increased in the regions of Aragon and Catalonia. (The New York Times)

Reuters reports that the occupation of geisha in Tokyo is threatened by the pandemic, with awkward working conditions and the absence of new apprentices. (Reuters)

Brazil surpasses two million cases. The death toll reaches 76,000. (AP)

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi says his country is “looking seriously at banning Facebook in the country” after “many people complained how it is used to hurt people”, being himself a target of “defamation”. (RNZ)

U.S., U.K., and Canada accuse Russia of attempting to steal coronavirus research Government officials from the U.S., U.K., and Canada accused Russia on Thursday of attempting to steal coronavirus vaccine research. Russian hackers associated with Russia’s intelligence services have allegedly used malware to target health organizations, seeking information on COVID-19 vaccine development. The perpetrators are part of a hacking group known as Cozy Bear, officials said, noting the group has also been accused of attacks on other government organizations in recent years. “It is completely unacceptable that the Russian intelligence services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement. Russia denied it is behind the attacks. Source: NBC News

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp sues Atlanta mayor over mask requirements Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Thursday sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council in an attempt to block a face mask recommendation. On Wednesday, Kemp banned cities and counties from enforcing mask mandates. Last week, with the number of coronavirus cases rising, Bottoms reverted the city back to its Phase 1 reopening guidelines — residents are being encouraged to stay home, and told they should wear face masks if out in public. Restaurants are also being asked to close their dining rooms, and it’s recommended non-essential city facilities shutter. In a statement Thursday, Kemp said the lawsuit “is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times.” Bottoms tweeted in response, “A better use of taxpayer money would be to expand testing and contact tracing.” Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Florida reports record-breaking 156 coronavirus deaths in a single day Florida reported its highest-ever single-day death toll on Thursday, with 156 people reported dead from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The numbers have Miami, recently called the “new epicenter of the pandemic,” considering mandatory lockdowns, but Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been hesitant to push statewide restrictions like mask mandates. Thursday marked the second broken record in Florida this week, with 132 people reported dead on Tuesday. The state’s death toll is 4,677. A total of 13,965 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past day, putting Florida’s total case numbers at 315,775. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he was planning to meet with business leaders to weigh “the possibility of a future lockdown” if these numbers don’t improve soon, raising concerns about hospitals and ICU beds filling up. Source: Miami Herald

 

 

The End

Thursday,  July 16th, 2020

Mongolia puts five districts under a six-day quarantine after a 15-year-old boy dies of bubonic plague in the remote Gobi-Altai province amid fears of an epidemic. (AFP via Al Arabiya)

Saudi-led coalition airstrikes kill at least seven civilians when they hit houses in the Al Jawf Governorate of Yemen. The Houthis report nine killed, two of them children. The coalition did not immediately comment on the airstrike. (Reuters)

A statue of Black Lives Matter protester Jen Reid is briefly erected without permission on the plinth of the toppled statue of Edward Colston before being removed the next day. (CBS News)

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA announce that when their planned merger is completed, expected in 2021, the merged company will be known as Stellantis. (Detroit Free Press)

The Twitter accounts of notable people and businesses, including Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Bill Gates and Apple Inc., are hijacked to promote a Bitcoin scam. (CNBC)

 

The End