New York schools will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year, Gov. Cuomo says

Source: CNBC

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday that the state’s schools and colleges will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year and will continue distance learning to curb the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Cuomo said state officials don’t believe schools could develop a plan to reopen that would keep students and educators safe in time. He said any plan to reopen schools would have to follow social distancing protocols where people wear masks and no gatherings are held, and the transportation system would require fewer students.

He said a decision on summer school will be announced at the end of May.

He said the there are currently no plans to close schools this fall because it’s a long time away. In order for summer school to occur, Cuomo said there would need to be “a drop or stabilization of the infection rate for a period of time.”


Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/01/new-york-schools-will-remain-closed-for-the-remainder-of-the-academic-year-gov-cuomo-says.html

Dr. Fauci Leaving For Trump's Daily White House COVID-19 Briefing:

Amid The Pandemic, U.S. Militia Groups Plot 'The Boogaloo'

A report published Thursday by the watchdog group the Tech Transparency Project found 125 Facebook groups devoted to the idea of the “boogaloo,” a far-right term used to describe what they believe is an inevitable civil war in the U.S. Members discuss weapons, combat medicine, and how to develop explosives, the report says. One group even shared a document detailing how to disrupt U.S. government supply lines and discussing the possible need to assassinate government officials. 

These groups have proliferated during the pandemic, according to the report, as right-wing extremists grow more agitated over lockdown orders aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, measures many militia and “patriot” groups view as the oppressive maneuverings of a tyrannical government. 

Over 60% of the groups were created in just the last three months, according to the report. The 125 groups have nearly 73,000 members, though it’s unclear how many individuals may belong to multiple groups. 

About 50% of the groups’ members have joined within the last 30 days. 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/boogaloo-facebook-pages-coronavirus-militia-group-extremists_n_5ea3072bc5b6d376358eba98

Man Just Buying One Of Every Cleaning Product In Case Trump Announces It's Coronavirus Cure

EVANSTON, WY—Throwing bottles of bleach, ammonia, and Drano into a cart at his local grocery store, area man Troy Mitchell was reportedly stocking up on one of every cleaning product he could find Wednesday in case President Donald Trump announces it is a coronavirus cure. “I got toilet bowl cleaner, carpet cleaner, Swiffer WetJet refills—you name it—just so me and my family will be ready if the president announces one of these things can treat Chinese virus,” said Mitchell, indiscriminately throwing containers of laundry detergent, Scrubbing Bubbles, grout whitener, steel wool, Febreze, Tilex mold and mildew remover, and laptop screen wipes into the cart, the contents of which rang up to $2,513.67 at checkout. “I’m not getting caught without some oven degreaser should Trump say it’s going to save us, so I better go ahead and grab me a bottle. After this, I’m hitting the hardware store to pick up a 5-gallon bucket of roof sealant to make sure I’m prepared in the event that turns out to be what gets rid of the Wuhan. Could just be 10 or 20 squirts of Windex into each nostril. You never know what might work in a pinch!” At press time, neighbors confirmed Mitchell had been found unresponsive on the floor of his bathroom with several empty aerosol cans of Rust-Oleum wax-and-tar-removing solvent by his head.

https://local.theonion.com/man-just-buying-one-of-every-cleaning-product-in-case-t-1842493766

An unprecedented drop in economic activity was 'relatively' good news

Data implying a 12% GDP decline is now good news

IHS Markit’s flash reading on business output in April published Thursday hit a record low, with the composite output reading falling to 27.4, the lowest on record. Readings over 50 for this measure indicate expansion and readings below 50 indicate a contraction in activity.

“Private sector firms in the U.S. signaled an unprecedented decline in business activity in April, with manufacturing and service sector companies registering marked contractions of output amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” the report said. After an initial drop in this index to 40.9 in March, April’s data confirms that the bottom is indeed dropping out of U.S. economic activity.

But this largest-ever drop in activity seen from IHS’ report points towards a falloff in GDP growth during the second quarter that is not quite as grim as some economists are forecasting.

On Thursday, the weekly report on initial jobless claims was also released, revealing that another 4.42 million Americans filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week. Over the last five weeks, more than 26 million people have filed initial claims. The four-week average of claims is now nine times higher than the financial crisis peak.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/unprecedented-drop-in-economic-activity-was-relatively-good-news-morning-brief-102721320.html

I desperately long for an orator of President Obama's caliber to coalesce...

A calm; soothing; educated voice to reaffirm our nation that unity is paramount in these uncertain times.

Sigh.

Happy Bicycle Day; friends!

“It’s weird out there...”

Ohio: National Guard called to Marion prison as county coronavirus cases near 1,000

Members of the National Guard are being trained to help at a second Ohio prison as coronavirus infections among correctional workers and prisoners continue to spread, the state prisons agency said Friday.

The 50 or so guard members will assist with “mission critical functions” at the Marion Correctional Institution, said JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The State Highway Patrol is also helping guard the prison’s perimeter, Smith said.

The assistance comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Marion County more than doubled in a day to nearly 1,000 on Saturday. Inmate infections are included in the county's total number.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, Marion County had 983 cases of coronavirus as of 2 p.m. Saturday, up from 428 on Friday. The updated total puts Marion County at having the third most cases of any county in the state, trailing only Cuyahoga and Franklin.

https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/local/2020/04/18/ohio-prison-marion-correctional-coronavirus-cases-covid-19-national-guard-called/5159921002/

COVFEFE-19

Graphic: The 1918 Denver "double-humped" curve