Big Time News Blog: 04/24/20

Friday, April 24, 2020

The U.S. has a quarter of the world's confirmed coronavirus deaths despite having less than 5 percent of its population

Americans are disproportionately dying from COVID-19, at least according to current statistics.The U.S.'s coronavirus death toll surpassed 50,000 on Friday, with 15,000 of those deaths coming from New York state. That means the U.S. has been home to more than a quarter of the world's 192,000 deaths from COVID-19 despite the U.S. only making up about 4.25 percent of the world's population, writes The Washington Post's Greg Miller.It's important to note that it's hard to put a number on fatalities from a disease that has lacked widespread testing. U.S. municipalities have only recently started counting probable coronavirus deaths among their official tolls, while other countries haven't done the same. The New York Times recently estimated there are likely at least 25,000 additional deaths around the globe that can be attributed to COVID-19, whether those people died of the disease itself or because they didn't go to a hospital to receive medical care for another issue.China has also recently been updating its coronavirus death toll to include people who died at home or who likely died from the disease but were untested. A recent study also indicated the country's coronavirus case count could be four times what it reported.More stories from theweek.com The president is unwell The Trump administration reportedly wants control over U.S. Postal Service in return for emergency loan Even Fox News wasn't convinced when Trump claimed his disinfectant injection comments were 'sarcasm'

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China buys crude as prices collapse, adding to stockpiles

China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, is building up stockpiles of crude oil as global prices plunge due to the coronavirus outbreak. The price collapse is battering state-owned oil producers and possibly disrupting official plans to develop the industry but is a boon to Chinese drivers and factories. It gives Beijing a chance to add to a strategic petroleum reserve that is meant to insulate the country against possible supply disruptions.

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Coronavirus: US death toll passes 50,000 in world's deadliest outbreak

A grim milestone is passed by the world's deadliest outbreak, although US mortality rate is comparatively low.

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Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Trump voters more likely than Clinton voters to 'cheat' on social distancing

Voters who cast their ballots for Donald Trump in 2016 are more likely than voters who cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton to say that they have “cheated” on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic — and much less likely to say they will continue to obey their state’s lockdown order as long as it’s in effect.

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2 notoriously unstable regions of Russia could be sitting on a coronavirus outbreak far worse than they admit

Russia's neighbours fear Russia's regions of Ingushetia and Chechnya could be concealing worse outbreaks than what the country is reporting.

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In already poor Honduras, coronavirus pushes some into homelessness

Poor Hondurans who were barely eking out a living selling basics on the capital's gritty streets prior to the coronavirus outbreak are now sleeping on those same streets as they can no longer afford their rent.

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Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Footage from a decades-old TV interview offers new clue about a former Joe Biden aide's claim the then-senator sexually assaulte

04/24/20 5:48 PM

Coronavirus: China rejects call for probe into origins of disease

Beijing's deputy ambassador to the UK tells the BBC the demands are politically motivated.

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Workers volunteered to live in a factory for 28 days to produce millions of pounds of raw PPE materials to make masks and gowns for frontline medical workers

Forty-three Braskem America employees volunteered to live in the factory to limit outside exposure to the coronavirus as they made raw PPE materials.

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The Government’s Small Business Loan Program Is Lending Money Again. Here’s How to Apply

Everything small business owners need to know about the renewed Payroll Protection Program (PPP).

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Judge tosses California ammunition purchase law

A federal judge on Thursday blocked a California law requiring background checks for people buying ammunition, issuing a sharply worded rebuke of “onerous and convoluted” regulations that violate the constitutional right to bear arms. U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego ruled in favor of the California Rifle & Pistol Association, which asked him to stop the checks and related restrictions on ammo sales.

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Lebanon's currency on downward spiral amid financial turmoil

Lebanon’s currency continued its downward spiral against the dollar on Thursday, reaching a new low amid financial turmoil in the crisis-hit country compounded by the coronavirus outbreak. The currency crash came as hundreds of Lebanese – most of them wearing face masks but few keeping a safe distance - crowded outside money transfer offices Thursday, the last day that authorities allowed dollars to be dispensed to customers following new Central Bank rules. The rules, detailed in a bank circular released this week, require banks to convert cash withdrawals from foreign currency bank accounts to the local currency, the Lebanese pound, at market rates determined daily by the bank.

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UAE shortens curfew hours for Ramadan: WAM

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Dr. Birx goes viral for reaction to Trump's 'injection' comments

Cameras caught Dr. Deborah Birx reacting visibly as the president floated the use of light and disinfectant treatments on coronavirus patients.

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Bolsonaro Strikes Back After Key Aide Exit Leaves Brazil Reeling

(Bloomberg) -- The resignation of Sergio Moro, the Brazilian judge who gained superstar status for taking down a network of corrupt politicians and CEOs, set off a storm in President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration.Pot-banging protests erupted across the country late Friday as the president spoke to refute Moro’s allegations that he had tried to interfere with federal police investigations.“I was promised carte blanche to appoint all advisers, including judicial bodies,” Moro told reporters Friday morning, announcing his decision to quit after Bolsonaro fired Brazil’s federal police chief. “I can’t go on without ensuring the federal police its autonomy.”Bolsonaro called the accusations unfounded and said he was disappointed and surprised at the former judge, who he said he saw as an “idol” in his lawmaker days. As the president spoke, the country’s top prosecutor asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation on Moro’s claims, which he said could either reveal illicit acts allegedly committed by the president or be seen as a slandering.Markets blew up as investors saw Moro’s exit as further proof that Bolsonaro’s administration is crumbling as it muddles its way through the coronavirus crisis, with speculation growing that Economy Minister Paulo Guedes may soon be out as well. The real sank almost 4% to as low as 5.74 per U.S. dollar, but closed the day at 5.58 as the central bank repeatedly stepped in to curb the losses. Stocks ended the day 5.5% lower, paring an earlier decline of almost 10%.“We see a government that’s collapsing in the middle of a pandemic,” said Daniela Casabona, a partner at financial adviser FB Wealth in Sao Paulo.The unpredictable behavior and often explosive rhetoric that helped Bolsonaro get elected is proving a liability in the current crisis. The latest data from the Health Ministry shows coronavirus cases stand at almost 53,000, with 3,670 deaths, although health professionals doubt the official tally.Investors were already spooked after the president fired Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta last week. The pair publicly sparred over the best way to tackle the coronavirus crisis, with Mandetta urging Brazilians to self isolate, while Bolsonaro repeatedly flaunted that advice by mingling with supporters and calling the illness “a little flu.”Moro’s departures reinforces the perception that Bolsonaro’s administration has fallen into disarray. The crisis is forcing cabinet members to rethink grand plans to get Latin America’s biggest economy back on steady fiscal footing and kick-start growth. Tensions between Guedes and his boss worsened after a stimulus proposal was unveiled Wednesday that the economy minister views as unsustainable, according to people familiar with the discussions.Rambling SpeechFlanked by ministers and allies including Guedes and son Eduardo Bolsonaro, the president spoke for roughly an hour in Brasilia on Friday afternoon. In a rambling speech that mentioned everything from a murdered councilwoman to the presidential palace’s heated pool and a swath of allegations against him and his family, Bolsonaro recounted his first meeting with Moro, and how the relationship deteriorated in large part due to the former judge’s ego. He stated more than once that appointing positions at the federal police falls to the president, and he needs no authorization to do so.“I never asked the federal police to shield me,” he said. “I’ve always given freedom to my ministers. But if I can replace ministers, why can’t I replace the head of the federal police? I don’t need anyone’s authorization.”The president also accused Moro of trying to negotiate an appointment to the Brazilian Supreme Court in exchange for replacing the head of the federal police, Mauricio Valeixo. Valeixo was the star judge’s right-hand man at the institution that’s akin to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Earlier Friday, Moro said pressure to replace Valeixo began building last year for no obvious reason. Bolsonaro’s insistence makes clear the shuffle was political interference, Moro said.“The change isn’t the problem -- the question is why?” he said. “I couldn’t accept his departure.”The federal police has been carrying out a number of investigations with potential to implicate Bolsonaro’s sons, including a probe on the spread of fake news and another on alleged irregularities with their employees at Rio de Janeiro’s state assembly. The family has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.Moro worked with Valeixo while helming the sweeping Carwash investigation that saw top executives and political leaders jailed, including former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The push made Moro a national hero among many Brazilians, who dubbed him “Super Moro” and made him the poster-boy of anti-corruption protests. With approval ratings that are higher than the president’s, Moro could turn Bolsonaro rival in the 2022 presidential election.His departure is likely to cost Bolsonaro supporters. It could also be an attempt to reshape his cabinet with more like-minded people -- which could include replacing his economy chief as well.Moro’s exit “brings up the possibility that Guedes will leave too,” said Gilmar Alves Lima, an economist at BMG.Brazilian sovereign bonds were the worst performers among emerging markets on Friday. The 2045 bond fell 3.6 cents to 86.82 cents on the dollar.Plans to support the economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic have opened a rift between the president and Guedes, three people familiar with the discussions told Bloomberg News earlier this week. The tensions around market-darling Guedes have made investors even more concerned.BRAZIL INSIGHT: Long U-Shaped Virus Recovery Faces Many Pitfalls“In about a week, we’ve had the health minister depart, rumors of other ministers potentially leaving and increased political noise,” said Jose Tovar, chief executive officer at Rio de Janeiro-based asset manager Truxt Investimentos. “That’s too much.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Passengers on a packed American Airlines flight to New York didn't wear masks, and flight attendants are calling for them to be required

The airport enforced social distancing rules, but about half of the passengers on the full American Airlines flight did not wear masks.

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