The Daily Moth 4-13-2020
[Transcript] Here are Monday, April 13 updates on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New York Times did a report that described how farmers across the U.S. are throwing away or destroying their crops or animal products because there is no demand from schools, restaurants, or hotels. The farmers said they have donated some of the food to food banks for the needy, but they have too much that cannot fit in those food banks’ storage spaces or refrigerators. It would also cost money to load the food in tractor-trailers and haul them, so the farmers say they made the heartbreaking decision to dump milk, bury crops, or crack eggs.
CNN reported that a Smithfield pork processing facility in South Dakota is shutting down for an unknown amount of time because almost 300 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. The CEO of Smithfield said that he is concerned about the meat supply in this country because there are other facilities being shut down.
Axios reported that a Navy sailor from the USS Theodore Roosevelt died from the coronavirus. His name has not been disclosed yet. He is the first active duty member to die from the virus. About 600 sailors on the ship tested positive for COVID-19. The ship is docked in Guam.
Patch.com reported that Rutgers University developed a new COVID-19 test using saliva and that it received FDA approval. The tests will start rolling out New Jersey. People who make an appointment for testing will be able to drive up to a test site and spit in a tube. It would be much easier and less painful than a nasal swab test. The saliva tests also would make it possible for those in quarantine at homes to provide samples. We may see the saliva tests available across the country.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments via telephone in May. The audio feed will be broadcast live.
As of about 4:00 this afternoon, there are almost 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world with 118,000 deaths. In the U.S., there are almost 550,000 confirmed cases with 21,000 deaths and 33,000 recoveries.
The New York state has more than 10,000 deaths, which is almost half of the U.S. total. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths were generally starting to plateau, staring to go flat. Many are already thinking of how to reopen businesses and have society start moving again, but there are a lot of differing opinions and talks among states and the federal government. A general consensus seems to be that nothing will look “normal” again until a vaccine is developed, which would take about a year.
https://www.nytimes.com/.../coronavirus-destroying-food.html
https://www.cnn.com/.../meat-plant-closures.../index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/.../coronavirus-pandemic-covid.../
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/.../coronavirus-latest.../
https://patch.com/.../edison-first-u-s-offer-drive-thru...
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Here are three top news briefs that are not related to the coronavirus.
The first — there were more than 40 tornadoes that ravaged the southeastern U.S. on Sunday and Monday, killing at least 31 people. Over a million homes and businesses are without power in 13 states. weather.com reported that 11 people died in Mississippi and five people died at a mobile park near the Georgia-Tennessee border. Nine people died in South Carolina. Seven died in Georgia. Many of the deaths were due to trees crashing into homes or from homes being blown apart or lifted up in the sky by the tornadoes. This only adds to the strain on hospitals and first responders who are already dealing with a spike in coronavirus cases.
The second news — Bernie Sanders announced today on a livestream with Joe Biden that he is endorsing him for president. Bernie said “we need you in the White House.” Biden said that the endorsement means a great deal. Both men will form task forces on health care, education, the economy, climate change, criminal justice, and immigration.
The third news — former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson died Sunday night in a car crash in Alabama. He was driving his Chevrolet Camaro and for some reason it went off the road, struck a tree, and overturned. Jackson was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
https://weather.com/.../2020-04-13-tornadoes-storms...
https://www.axios.com/bernie-sanders-endorses-joe-biden...
https://www.espn.com/.../former-vikings-seahawks-qb...