Hackers linked to the Chinese government are attempting to hijack U.S. research aimed at developing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, the Trump administration warned Wednesday.
The Justice Department alert urged research organizations to tighten cyber-security defenses. The warning comes as scientists scramble for answers to the pandemic that has killed nearly 300,000 people and crushed economies at home and around the globe.
In the U.S., several states have released figures showing drastic declines in tax collections for March and April. And weekly unemployment figures due Thursday are expected to reflect that millions more Americans are jobless.
The news isn’t all bad. Some data dashboards appear to show the daily U.S. death toll is flattening. And Los Angeles County, despite extending its stay-at-home order, opened its beaches Wednesday.
There are now more than 82,000 deaths and 1.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. Worldwide, the virus has killed about 293,000 people. More than 4.2 million people have been infected.
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Here are some of the most significant developments from Tuesday:
- President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been released from prison and is in home confinement as the coronavirus spreads through the federal prison system.
- During a hearing on the coronavirus Tuesday, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., asked about the prospects for treatments or a vaccine to be ready in time for colleges planning to start classes in August. Fauci warned relying on that prospect was “a bridge too far.”
- Fauci did say a vaccine was “more likely than not” but cautioned about the prospects of a second wave of the virus in the fall.
- With no end in sight for the coronavirus lockdown and millions of Americans still out of work, House Democrats are proposing another round of stimulus.
What we’re talking about Wednesday: Yes, your groceries are costing more than before. Also: If my coworker has COVID-19, can I file for unemployment? We take on questions about your money.
Some good news: Did you know you can clean, reuse and hack coronavirus masks? Here’s how.
White House reportedly shelved more restrictive reopening plan
Advice from the nation’s top disease control experts on how to safely reopen businesses and institutions included more restrictive measures than the plan released by the White House last month, the Associated Press reports. AP said it obtained a copy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan, shelved by Trump administration officials, which also offered recommendations to help communities decide when to shut facilities down again during future flare-ups of COVID-19.
“The White House is pushing for reopening but the truth of the matter is the White House has just not had a comprehensive plan where all the pieces fit,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
Trump administration accuses China of trying to steal US coronavirus research
The Trump administration warned Wednesday that the Chinese government is seeking to hijack U.S. research aimed at the COVID-19 pandemic and urged organizations to tighten cyber-security defenses. The public caution issued by the Justice Department indicated that the FBI had opened an investigation into suspected targeting by hackers.
“These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property … affiliated with COVID-19-related research,” the Justice bulletin stated. “The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options.”
– Kevin Johnson
Most Americans think Trump, Pence should wear masks
Most Americans say President Donald Trump should wear a mask in public, a protective measure he has yet to take since the coronavirus pandemic erupted. About seven in 10 registered voters – including 58% of Republicans – surveyed in a Morning Consult/Politico poll this month said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence should cover their faces in public places when they travel. West Wing aides were told Monday they must don masks after two tested positive for COVID-19. Trump is exempt.
“I’m not close to anybody,” Trump said when he appeared mask-less at a Rose Garden news conference the same day.
– Maureen Groppe
States struggle with sharp drop in tax collections
States are starting to report their tax collections for the coronavirus months of March and April, and it’s not only blue states that are feeling blue. Georgia is showing a decline of more than $100 million compared with the same period a year ago. Tennessee’s revenue is down more than $120 million. Texas, also hammered by the downturn in oil prices, has seen tax collections plummet by nearly $1 billion. A federal bailout for state governments has drawn pushback from some Republicans who say most of the money would go to Democratic-run states such as New York – and that some of those states would funnel bailout money to pay off longstanding pension fund problems.
“It’s hard to write a state budget when you expect such a sharp drop in revenues,” said Danny Kanso, a policy analyst for the Atlanta-based Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. “Federal stimulus is the only hope.”
– Michael Braga
Kushner says Trump weighing Fauci concerns over reopening country
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, said Dr. Anthony Fauci’s concern that reopening the country too quickly could spark fresh “suffering and death” was among many factors the president is considering as he shapes his coronavirus policy moving forward. Kushner said the wider availability of medical supplies and personal protective equipment would help the country handle its reopening, along with a public more accustomed to regular handwashing, social distancing and mask-wearing.
“There’s risk in anything, but the president carries the burden of the 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to this historic effort to save lives,” Kushner told Time magazine.
– William Cummings
Fox’s Carlson: ‘Is Tony Fauci right about the science?’
A Fox News commentator is questioning whether Americans are putting too much faith in the wisdom of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of the nation’s public health response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“Fauci says, ‘The children must stay home or countless people could die,’ that’s the message,” Tucker Carlson said hours after Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, provided grim testimony on prematurely reopening the nation. “So I’m asking a very simple question, ‘How does he know this exactly? Is Tony Fauci right about the science?’ “
Carlson said there is “an awful lot of evidence” indicating states should start to loosen restrictions that have paralyzed the nation’s economy. Carlson’s comments aligned with those of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who at the hearing suggested Fauci wasn’t the “end-all” for coronavirus decisions. Fauci countered that he advises on public health issues alone and doesn’t “give advice about economic things.”
The national pandemic curves appear to be flattening – for now
The Johns Hopkins and Worldometer data dashboards show the rise of confirmed cases and daily deaths in the U.S. may be slowing. And the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, a leading model, released projections this week that show a steady decline for daily deaths – falling to 100 or less by early August. Is the worst over? What happens as states slowly reopen will tell the tale, experts say.
“Deaths are about who was infected three weeks ago,” says Dennis Carroll, who led the U.S. Agency for International Development’s infectious disease unit for more than a decade. “With the rapid suspension of (mitigation) measures, we’re in a brave new world.”
Surf’s up! Los Angeles beaches reopen – minus sunbathing
Los Angeles County beaches reopened Wednesday after a six-week hiatus, but no lollygagging. The county will follow regulations in place for other beaches on the left coast, meaning activities such as walking, running and surfing are cool but gathering, sitting and team sports like volleyball are not. A 6-foot social distance and face coverings are mandatory. Oh, and one more hitch – beach parking lots remain closed. The opening comes hours after public health Director Barbara Ferrer said the county’s stay-at-home restrictions, set to end Friday, will likely last for three more months.
World of pets transformed by virus
Pets are getting much-needed medical attention during the pandemic as their owners, trapped with their animals in their homes, are noticing ills. But some of those ills are a result of the lockdown, such as anxiety, injuries and fight wounds, says Anne Browne, an emergency veterinarian at Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, Indiana. Dogs are out running, jumping and playing with owners, and sometimes getting into scraps with cats and other dogs.
“Dogs and cats are getting into more trouble,” Browne said. “They’re not necessarily confined so they’re having more things that they can do. People’s animals are actually getting in more disagreements.”
– Dana Hunsinger Benbow and Robert Scheer, Indianapolis Star
Coronavirus more deadly than homicide in some parts of US
The COVID-19 disease is killing people in some parts of the country far faster than people can kill each other, according to a USA TODAY analysis of CDC and coronavirus data. Over a decade, America averaged about 17,300 homicides per year. COVID-19 deaths total 82,391 as of Wednesday.
The analysis matched up homicide and coronavirus deaths for communities hosting 92% of Americans. Here’s what we found:
- The New York City suburb of Morris County, New Jersey, lost people to coronavirus at a rate comparable to 173 years of homicides. The county lost 518 people in just a few months to COVID-19, compared with 30 homicides recorded in the county over a decade.
- Other New York City suburbs have also been hit hard. The coronavirus has killed people at a rate similar to 137 years of homicides in Rockland County, New York, and 121 years in Bergen County, New Jersey.
- New York City itself has had losses similar to 36 years of homicides in the five boroughs.
The pain has not been equally spread, however. About a third of Americans live in counties that have lost fewer people to coronavirus than they normally lose in a year to homicides.
– Mike Stucka
More coronavirus news and information from USA TODAY
- ’50 states and 50 different approaches:’ States scramble to hire COVID-19 contact tracers
- NBA players want back on court: Union survey finds overwhelming support for restarting the season.
- Testing updates: Trump says US will pass 10 million coronavirus tests this week.
- Are movie theaters in danger? Impact for entertainment industry could be far-reaching if lockdown continues.
- ‘Almost all the kids are treatable’: What parents should know about new COVID-related inflammatory disease
Economists brace for latest blast of unemployment news
America’s dispiriting weekly tally of COVID-19-related layoffs is likely to add millions more Thursday. Economists estimate the Labor Department will report that 2.5 million Americans filed new applications for unemployment insurance last week, down from the 3.2 million the prior week. That would push total unemployment claims the past eight weeks to a staggering 36 million. April’s unemployment rate hit 14.7%, highest since the Great Depression, up from 4.4% the prior month, and a 50-year low of 3.5% in February.
– Paul Davison
China, Iran hacking could be hampering vaccine efforts
Chinese and Iranian hackers are aggressively targeting American universities, pharmaceutical companies and other health-care firms and could be hampering efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. Since at least Jan. 3, the two nations have waged cyberattacks that are tantamount to war, said the officials, who were not named. The Journal and The New York Times previously reported that the Trump administration could issue a statement as soon as this week planning to accuse China of attempting to hack information from U.S. researchers.
Disney parks likely to require masks when properties reopen
Face masks are expected to be mandatory for workers and guests when Disney parks reopen in the U.S. In a CNBC interview published on Twitter, Disney CEO Bob Chapek addressed the coronavirus safety precautions that will be required in the era of the pandemic.
“Along with social distancing, one of the things we’re likely going to require is masks for both the cast and the guest,” Chapek said.
In Shanghai Disneyland, which reopened Monday, Disney is limiting visitor numbers, requiring masks and checking for the virus’ telltale fever.
– Charles Trepany
Amanda Kloots announces husband Nick Cordero has emerged from his coma
Broadway star Nick Cordero has emerged from his coma, wife Amanda Kloots triumphantly announced on Instagram Tuesday to repeated cries of “He’s awake!” The star has spent more than a month in a medically induced coma over coronavirus complications.
“I asked the doctor today, ‘Can we say he is awake?’” said Kloots, speaking on Instagram Stories about Cordero while holding their 1-year-old son Elvis “And he is awake.”
Over the course of six weeks, Cordero faced several coronavirus complications, including a leg amputation and the insertion of a temporary pacemaker.
– Bryan Alexander
California’s latest restrictions could further delay pro, college sports
The largest county in the nation is expected to extend stay-at-home orders into August, jeopardizing the chances of multiple sports leagues resuming or beginning seasons in a uniform fashion. Los Angeles County – home to the Lakers, Clippers, Rams, Chargers, Kings, Dodgers, Sparks, Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, USC and UCLA — will “with all certainty” extend stay-at-home orders for the next three months, county health director Barbara Ferrer told a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.
That would extend past the hoped-for early July start Major League Baseball. Adding to sports woes, California State University system chancellor Timothy White announced that in-person classes at its 23 campuses would be replaced with online instruction for the fall semester. That could jeopardize football and other fall sports at schools such as Fresno State, San Diego State and San Jose State.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday eased the state into what he called “early Stage 2” reopening, most notably allowing for retail curbside pickup and delivery.
– Gabe Lacques and Steve Berkowitz
Accidental poisonings from disinfectants continue to rise
For the second consecutive month, accidental poisonings from misuse of disinfectants, bleach and hand sanitizers rose in April compared to last year, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
The AAPCC’s National Poison Data System, which scrapes information from poison control centers across the nation, saw a spike of 122% in reported cases of accidental poisonings related to disinfectants, according to Forbes. That included a 77% jump for bleach and a 56% increase for hand sanitizer.
What is unclear is what effect, if any, President Donald Trump’s comments during a White House briefing on the possibility of disinfectants helping cure coronavirus had on the reported cases.
More COVID-19 headlines from USA TODAY
- Mixed messages: Fauci and Trump have differing perspectives on how to handle reopening the country.
- ‘Feasible’ by fall: NFL returning to field possible if things go well.
- What are the social distancing rules in my state? Here’s how America is reopening amid coronavirus outbreak.
- Looking for toilet paper, disinfecting wipes or hand sanitizer? Try bartering on Facebook and Nextdoor.
- The stock market is better than the economy right now. But, why?
Contributing: Associated Press
Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/05/13/coronavirus-updates-los-angeles-reopening-plans-fauci-rand-paul/3116843001/
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