A bipartisan group of senators called on Chinese officials to close all wet markets in the country over their suspected links to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The letter, spearheaded by Sens. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamBipartisan senators call on China to close all wet markets Bipartisan lawmakers call for global ‘wet markets’ ban amid coronavirus crisis Trump attacks WHO amid criticism of his coronavirus response MORE (R-S.C.) and Chris CoonsChristopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsHillicon Valley: State officials push for more election funds | Coronavirus surveillance concerns ramp up pressure for privacy bill | Senators warned not to use Zoom | Agencies ask FCC to revoke China Telecom’s license Senators, bipartisan state officials press Congress for more election funds Bipartisan senators call on China to close all wet markets MORE (D-Del.), told the Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai that they “urgently request that China immediately close all operating wet markets that have a potential to expose humans to health risks through the introduction of zoonotic disease into the human population.”

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Wet markets, where animals are sold in the open, are common in China. Chinese officials shuttered wet markets in Wuhan and the surrounding province in January when the virus began to spread. 

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The 2003 SARS outbreak is also believed to be linked to a wet market.

“It is well documented that wet markets in China have been the source of a number of worldwide health problems, and their operation should cease immediately so as to protect the Chinese people and the international community from additional health risks,” the lawmakers continued.

As the senators noted, wet markets are a particularly important part of the Chinese economy, often offering goods that are unavailable in other parts of the world. 

“We understand and respect that wet markets are an important component to Chinese society and way of life, but we believe the current moment, which has disrupted everyday life around the world, calls for extreme precautions,” the letter said.

The United Nations’ acting head of biodiversity and the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert are among numerous officials who have since called for the markets to shut down. 

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China in late February announced a ban on wildlife trade and consumption and wildlife markets. But according to Graham and Coons, “[d]espite these statements, wet markets in Wuhan and throughout China are back in operation after the recent shut downs.”

On Wednesday, a group of more than 60 bipartisan lawmakers called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue an immediate global ban on wet markets. 

In that letter, which Graham and Coons also signed, lawmakers said wet markets pose a danger to global health because they lack “standardized sanitary or health inspection processes.”

An experimental treatment for the coronavirus showed promise in an early analysis of the drug as the world scrambles for a cure to the highly infectious virus.

According to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Gilead Sciences Inc.’s experimental drug remdesivir was able to effectively treat a number of patients in the U.S., Europe and Canada who needed respiratory support.

The report tracked 53 patients, about half of whom needed mechanical ventilation and four of whom were on a heart-lung bypass machine. Of the 53 patients, 36 saw an improvement in oxygen-support class. Twenty-five people were discharged, while seven died. Mortality was particularly high among those who were on a ventilator.

The patients received the drug through Gilead’s compassionate use program, which is for critically ill patients who are unable to take part in a clinical trial. 

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“We recognize the limitations of these compassionate use data from a purely investigational perspective, while knowing they are of the greatest significance for the patients whose symptoms improved,” said Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day. “These early data from 53 patients have not been generated in a clinical trial and cover only a small portion of the critically ill patients who have been treated with remdesivir.”

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A number of larger scale trials are underway to study the effect remdesivir has on COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. One trial conducted in China is expected to release results this month, while another from the U.S. National Institutes of Health could report results in the coming weeks.

No treatments are available for the coronavirus, which has infected more than 1.6 million people worldwide and killed more than 100,000.

Scientists are reportedly hopeful that remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral, could be used to combat COVID-19. A World Health Organization panel said in January that the drug, which was developed initially for Ebola, was particularly promising based on human and animal studies.

Updated: April 11 at 6:05 a.m.

Oil-rich nations on Thursday cut a tentative deal to reduce production by 10 million barrels a day, cooling a trade war between Russia and Saudi Arabia as prices at the pump fall amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Saudi Arabia and Russia had both stepped up production as the pandemic began to spread, causing an oversupply of petroleum as demand for oil has dropped by 30 percent in recent weeks.

The deal, negotiated at a virtual meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil-producing countries known as OPEC+, represents a 10 percent decrease in global oil production for May and June. 

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The bulk of those reductions come from Saudi Arabia and Russia, who according to the Financial Times will together reduce production by 5 million barrels while other countries make up the rest.

Speaking with reporters late Thursday, President TrumpDonald John TrumpSanders says he wouldn’t ‘drop dead’ if Trump decided on universal healthcare Overnight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 Hillicon Valley: State officials push for more election funds | Coronavirus surveillance concerns ramp up pressure for privacy bill | Senators warned not to use Zoom | Agencies ask FCC to revoke China Telecom’s license MORE said he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“We had a big talk as to oil production and OPEC and making it so that our industry does well and the oil industry does better than it’s doing right now. The numbers are so low that there’ll be layoffs all over the world. There’ll be certainly layoffs in this country we don’t want that to happen,” Trump said.

“They’re getting close to a deal. We’ll soon find out.”

Deliberations are currently stalled as negotiators wait on Mexico to agree to the terms.

The 10 million barrel per day figure could be expanded at a coming Group of 20 meeting set for Friday which could deliver a commitment to reduce global production by another 5 million barrels a day.

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The production decrease could bring some stability to oil markets. Oil fell below $22 a barrel in March after selling for $50 a barrel for much of February. 

Though a 10 percent drop in production doesn’t match the 30 percent decrease in demand, the industry is hopeful it will help make a dent in the oversupply and ease tensions until economies can begin to recover.

“If we were squealing about a 3 million barrel increase or so, a 10 million cut is a pretty big move in the other direction,” Derrick Morgan with the Association of Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, which represents oil refineries, said in reference to the increase in production from Russia and Saudi Arabia.

It may also stave off White House efforts to impose tariffs on crude imports or force U.S. production cuts — moves largely opposed by the oil industry.  

Trump floated such ideas Monday despite resolving to let market forces settle the problem just a few days before.  

“They seem to have stepped up and reacted to urging by the administration to voluntarily restrain their own production, which relieves pressure on any kinds of tariffs or bans or quotas on imports into the U.S. by refineries,” Morgan told The Hill, a relief to refiners who still import about 15 percent of crude from outside North America.

The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia follows considerable pressure from both Trump and U.S. lawmakers largely directed at the mideast kingdom. 

“Failure to address this energy crisis will jeopardize the joint efforts between our nations to collaborate economically and militarily,” several House Republicans wrote in a letter earlier this week to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“If the Kingdom fails to act fairly to reverse this manufactured energy crisis, we would encourage any reciprocal responses that the U.S. government deems appropriate.” 

Sen. Kevin CramerKevin John CramerTentative deal would slash global oil production by 10 percent House Republicans threaten pushback on Saudi Arabia amid oil market slump Lawmakers announce legislation to fund government purchases of oil MORE (R-N.D.), among those in the Senate to criticize the Saudi production surge, said he was encouraged by the tentative deal but stressed the market impacts may be felt for years.

“If these actions are enough to provide market stability … the United States will be further empowered to take immediate action,” he said in a statement Thursday.

Oil industry representatives said the biggest factor for industry recovery will be a rebounding economy. 

“While this move will help stabilize world oil markets,” the American Petroleum Institute wrote in a statement, “the best thing for the energy industry – and the entire U.S. economy – is to slow the spread of COVID-19 and stimulate the economy until demand stabilizes and it’s safe for Americans to return to work.”

Updated: 7 p.m.

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Welcome to Thursday’s Overnight Health Care. There are more than 454,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., including 16,267 deaths.

New York Gov. Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoOvernight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 Governors have the duty — and power — to protect the public Fox’s Hume slams Trump for ‘ridiculous tweet’: ‘Bragging, endlessly repeating himself’ MORE (D), though, is cautiously optimistic the outbreak is slowing in his state. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is beginning a push to open up parts of the economy as early as May. In the Senate, Democrats blocked a GOP plan to give more money to the small business loan program. Democrats tried to counter with a separate plan; that was also rejected.

We’ll start off tonight from the White House…

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Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening

The dates on this have been shifting around, but the new administration’s target for reopening the country might be May. 

President TrumpDonald John TrumpSanders says he wouldn’t ‘drop dead’ if Trump decided on universal healthcare Overnight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 Hillicon Valley: State officials push for more election funds | Coronavirus surveillance concerns ramp up pressure for privacy bill | Senators warned not to use Zoom | Agencies ask FCC to revoke China Telecom’s license MORE and top government officials in recent days have talked about seeing “glimmers of hope” and a “light at the end of the tunnel” while publicly discussing ideas for how to revive the economy.

The president has floated reopening businesses in parts of the country that do not have outbreaks. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday unveiled guidelines meant to encourage those in critical sectors who have been exposed to the coronavirus but aren’t showing symptoms to continue working. 

Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinOvernight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 Trump downplays need for widespread testing before reopening economy On The Money: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | More than 6M file for jobless benefits | Fed launches T in economic relief | Dems, Mnuchin in talks over next aid deal MORE told CNBC on Thursday that he believes companies could reopen in May as long as Trump “feels comfortable with the medical issues.”

Caveat: The actual decisions are more up to governors, who could decide to maintain stay at home orders even if the White House eases up on its messaging. 

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Read more here. 

Here’s more on that Mnuchin interview: Mnuchin says he thinks US businesses could reopen in May

 

Trump downplays need for widespread testing before reopening economy

President Trump on Thursday shrugged off the need to significantly expand nationwide coronavirus testing capabilities in order to be able to restart the U.S. economy and then keep it open. Trump told reporters a White House briefing that ramping up testing to levels recommended by health experts to quickly identify new clusters would be a goal, but is not a necessity to send people back to work

“We want to have it and we’re going to see if we have it. Do you need it? No. Is it a nice thing to do? Yes,” Trump said. “We’re talking about 325 million people. And that’s not going to happen, as you can imagine, and it would never happen with anyone else either.”

More on his remarks here.

 

But it isn’t just Mnuchin and Trump talking up May…

 

Barr says ‘draconian’ lockdown measures should be reexamined by May

Attorney General William BarrWilliam Pelham BarrOvernight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 COVID-19 is no excuse for Attorney General Barr to skirt the rule of law Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening MORE late Wednesday suggested that the federal government in May should begin relaxing some of the “draconian” social distancing restrictions imposed throughout the U.S. 

Barr said in an interview with Fox News that the U.S. had to be “very careful” to ensure some of the measures being “adopted are fully justified, and there are not alternative ways of protecting people” amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Religious restrictions: During the interview, Barr said he was concerned about states putting restrictions on religious institutions to try to prevent the virus from spreading.  “A free society depends on a vibrant religious life by the people. So any time that’s encroached upon by the government, I’m very, very concerned.” 

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Florida, Texas, Kansas and other states have exempted religious institutions from stay-at-home orders. We’re not sure if Barr has spoken to Vice President Pence, who said he will attend virtual Easter services from home 

Read more here.

Fauci: US death toll ‘looks more like 60,000’ than 100-200K estimate

Anthony FauciAnthony FauciState AGs highlight racial disparities in early coronavirus data Overnight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 Trump downplays need for widespread testing before reopening economy MORE, a leading member of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, said Thursday he thinks the U.S. death toll from the virus could be much lower than the 100,000 to 200,000 first estimated by the White House.

Officials have been hammering the point that social distancing measures seem to be working– but only if we keep them up. 

Fauci said on NBC’s “Today” show that given widespread mitigation efforts, the death toll will likely be closer to 60,000 as the U.S. now has more data about the growth and spread of the virus throughout the country.

What he didn’t say: That enough time will have passed for parts of the country to end their isolation by May.

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Read more here. 

 

More from the White House:

White House to give coronavirus test to reporters attending daily briefing 

White House reporter tests negative for coronavirus

Trump hits back at WSJ over editorial criticizing focus of virus briefings

 

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Meanwhile in the states…

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is projecting cautious optimism that the outbreak is slowing in his state but is still urging people to continue social distancing 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) warned Thursday the state cannot handle the “worst-case scenario” of coronavirus infections and urged people to continue social distancing measures to slow the spread of the outbreak. 

While officials are seeing positive signs in New York that indicate the outbreak may be slowing, including falling rates of hospitalizations and intensive care admissions, Cuomo stressed that now is not the time to become complacent.

“We have done great things and we have saved lives because we have followed these policies,” Cuomo said during his daily press briefing. 

“The moment you stop following the policies, you will go right back and see that number shoot through the roof, and we are not prepared to handle the highest numbers in those projection models.” 

Why it matters: New York has 53,000 hospital beds to treat COVID-19 patients. Worst-case scenario models project a need for between 110,000 and 136,000 beds. Pulling back on social distancing now would lead to a scenario New York cannot handle, Cuomo warned. 

Read more here. 

More from Cuomo: New York reaches highest number of single-day coronavirus deaths at 799

 

Rural areas with vacation homes more susceptible to coronavirus outbreaks

Despite efforts to keep urbanites away from vulnerable rural areas, a new study found rural communities with vacation homes are experiencing outbreaks of the coronavirus at a faster pace than rural areas without seasonal housing, according to a new study, suggesting residents of big cities who flee to the countryside are bringing the virus with them.

The survey found that in rural counties where more than 25 percent of the housing units are inhabited only part time, the average number of COVID-19 cases per capita is more than twice as high as the number of cases in counties where a greater percentage of the population lives there year-round.

Key point: Rural communities with high levels of vacation homes even have higher rates of infection than urban counties.

Why is that a problem? Rural areas, even if they are a vacation destination, are not likely to have the same type of medical support system as a city. The more people flee to their vacation homes, the more likely it is they will get sick and potentially overwhelm the local hospitals.

Read more here.

 

Coronavirus watch: Southern, Midwest states see spike in cases

More states in the South and Midwest are starting to report their biggest one-day increases for coronavirus cases, at a time when parts of the Northeast are beginning to show progress.

Illinois added more than 1,500 cases Thursday, an 11 percent jump from the previous day and record one-day increase for the state. It also reported 80 new deaths on Thursday, another record high. As of Thursday afternoon, Illinois had a total of 15,078 cases and 462 deaths.

For the third consecutive day, Michigan added more than 100 deaths. By Thursday afternoon, the state had surpassed 1,000 total deaths, more than other states with a similar population. As of Thursday afternoon, Michigan had 21,504 cases and 1,076 deaths.

Kansas reported its first one-day increase of more than 150 cases, nearly three times the previous day’s jump. The state also reported eight new deaths, marking the first time more than five people died of the virus in the state on a single day. As of Thursday afternoon, Kansas has 1,106 cases and 42 deaths.

West Virginia had its worst day so far, adding 71 new cases on Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon, the state had reported 485 cases and five deaths.

Read more here. 

 

Other state news:

Georgia further delays primary election to June

 

In Congress…

Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next COVID-19 relief deal

Republicans and Democrats blocked each other’s relief proposals on the Senate floor Thursday, but that doesn’t mean all hope of a deal is gone. 

Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerHarris, Ocasio-Cortez among Democrats calling for recurring direct payments in fourth coronavirus bill House Republicans, key administration officials push for additional funding for coronavirus small business loans Rep. Massie threatens to block next relief bill, calls for remote voting MORE (D-N.Y.) has told colleagues he’s optimistic about reaching a deal with Mnuchin in the near future.

Mnuchin is negotiating as well with Sens. Ben CardinBenjamin (Ben) Louis CardinOvernight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Former Trump advisor Bossert says to test the well, not ill; Senate standoff on next relief bill Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next COVID-19 relief deal MORE (Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Small Business Committee, and Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenOvernight Health Care: Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening | Democrats ramp up talks with Mnuchin on next relief deal | Fauci says death toll could be around 60,000 Hillicon Valley: State officials push for more election funds | Coronavirus surveillance concerns ramp up pressure for privacy bill | Senators warned not to use Zoom | Agencies ask FCC to revoke China Telecom’s license Senators, bipartisan state officials press Congress for more election funds MORE (Ore.), the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, who were central to working out a deal last month on the coronavirus relief package.

“I’ve talked to Schumer about a dozen times in the last 12 hours and I think he is optimistic that we can reach some degree of comity,” Cardin said.

Read more here. 

 

More from Congress

Pelosi rejects remote voting amid coronavirus scare – again

Florida Republican becomes sixth member of Congress to test positive for coronavirus

Senate ‘unlikely’ to return on April 20, top GOP senator says

Bipartisan lawmakers call for global ‘wet markets’ ban amid coronavirus crisis

 

More on the outbreak…

Coronavirus mystery: Disease infects more women but kills more men

Epidemiologists and virologists are scrambling to understand why the coronavirus that has infected hundreds of thousands of Americans appears to be so much more deadly for men than for women.

In most states across the country, data show that most of those who have tested positive for the virus are women. From the Deep South to New England states and the Midwest, most states have confirmed hundreds if not thousands more cases in women than in men, with a few notable exceptions.

But in states that report the genders of those who have died from the COVID-19 disease, every one has reported more deaths among men than among women, usually by a substantial margin — and scientists don’t know why.

More from Reid Wilson here.

 

While restaurants and bars are struggling to stay afloat, one company has found the coronavirus pandemic is just the ticket…

Coronavirus business booms for alcohol app Drizly

Drizly, an alcohol delivery company, is booming during the coronavirus pandemic as orders from Americans stuck at home surge and states temporarily relax their liquor laws to help companies meet that demand.

The company saw nearly 1,600 percent growth in year-over-year new customers at the end of March, and CEO Cory Rellas told The Hill he doesn’t believe that growth will slow down over the next two months. It’s only the start for a company that is looking to build on its recent success to ensure that the eased restrictions on alcohol sales become a permanent fixture.

Drizly, founded in Boston in 2012, has relationships with neighborhood liquor stores. The number of liquor stores on the platform has grown by 300 percent this year to about 2,500 stores.

What we’re drinking: Drizly has seen sales of hard alcohol like gin and mezcal, as well as liqueurs, cordials and schnapps up, as people experiment with cocktail recipes. Champagne and sparkling wine are down, likely due to fewer office parties. IPA sales have gone up a whopping 738 percent, while absinthe is up 737 percent.

Read more here.

 

More from The Hill: 

Coronavirus now leading cause of death in US

Ocasio-Cortez calls for extending census period

Coronavirus double whammy: unemployed and uninsured 

Coronavirus could push half a billion people into poverty: report

NIH begins clinical trial to test hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19

 

What we’re reading

It’s difficult to grasp the projected deaths from Covid-19. Here’s how they compare to other causes of death (Stat News)

At the center of a storm: the search for a proven coronavirus treatment (New York Times)

How private-equity firms squeeze hospital patients for profits (The New Yorker)

Even with new federal coronavirus bill, most workers get no additional sick leave (KQED)

In scramble for coronavirus supplies, rich countries push poor aside (New York Times) 

 

State by state

A city under siege: 24 hours in the fight to save New York (Associated Press)

The state’s ban isn’t stopping Texans from getting abortions (Texas Monthly)

NYC first responders describe ‘devastating’ coronavirus cases as cardiac arrest calls surge (NBC News)

 

Op-eds from The Hill

Hydroxy hysteria: When saving lives collides with politics and bureaucracy

Migrants’ rights and health must be protected in the face of COVID-19 

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Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiPelosi calls for investigation into reports of mistreatment of pregnant women in DHS custody Wisconsin highlights why states need a bipartisan plan that doesn’t include Democrats federalizing elections Pelosi defends push for mail-in voting: GOP ‘afraid’ to let people vote MORE (D-Calif.) called for an investigation Thursday into reports of mistreatment of pregnant women in the Department of Homeland Security custody that she called “appalling and inhumane.”

“There is a pattern of U.S. officials denying and delaying medical treatment to pregnant women and subjecting them to prolonged detention and inappropriate treatment in inadequate facilities,” she added. “This mistreatment is more disturbing and dangerous, as the coronavirus crisis threatens the health and lives of the most vulnerable among us.”

Pelosi cited an incident where a pregnant Guatemalan woman in labor was allegedly ignored by U.S. Border Patrol officers. 

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a complaint with the department’s inspector general alleging the woman gave birth while standing, holding onto a trash can and still wearing pants.  

Pelosi said she was joining Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and others in requesting the inspector general “immediately conduct” an investigation into these reports. Blumenthal submitted a letter to Inspector General Joseph Cuffari Wednesday.

“As we observe Holy Week, Passover and Ramadan, we pray for all who are suffering during this heartbreaking time,” Pelosi said. “We also pray that those in power will remember their moral responsibility to ensure that all people are treated with compassion and dignity.”

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpCalifornia governor praises Trump’s efforts to help state amid coronavirus crisis Trump threatens to withhold visas for countries that don’t quickly repatriate citizens Trump admin looks to cut farmworker pay to help industry during pandemic: report MORE has officially named Marshall Billingslea as his special envoy for arms control, a role expected to spearhead efforts to reach a nuclear agreement with Russia and China.

The White House announced Billingslea’s appointment in a news release Friday, roughly a month after reports surfaced that Billingslea was chosen.

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The appointment comes as the United States’s agreement with Russia, known as the New START Treaty, expires in less than a year.

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The agreement, which was negotiated by the Obama administration, caps the number of deployed nuclear warheads the United States and Russia can have at 1,550 a piece. There are also limits on deploying weapons, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, that could deliver the warheads. And the treaty lays out a verification regime that includes 18 on-site inspections per year.

The agreement expires Feb. 5, 2021, but there is an option to extend it another five years after that.

Arms control advocates have urged Trump to immediately extend the agreement, arguing that letting it lapse would mean no legal constraint on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in five decades.

But the Trump administration has said it wants to expand the scope of the agreement, including adding China and new Russian weapons systems. Russia has offered to extend the treaty immediately with no pre-conditions, while China has repeatedly rejected joining talks.

Billingslea is currently the assistant Treasury secretary for terrorist financing.

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A State Department statement on the appointment described Billingslea as having “deep expertise in arms control and broad experience in foreign policy and national security, having held senior positions in the private sector, NATO, the Department of Defense and on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.”

“President Trump has charged this administration with beginning a new chapter by seeking a new era of arms control that moves beyond the bilateral treaties of the past,” the statement said. “The appointment of Marshall Billingslea reaffirms the commitment to that mission.”

He was previously nominated to be undersecretary of State for civilian security, democracy and human rights in 2018, but his confirmation stalled as Democrats and advocates raised questions about his role in the George W. Bush administration interrogation program now widely viewed as torture.

Billingslea oversaw conditions of detainees at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 and 2003. A 2008 Senate report said he advocated interrogation techniques Congress later outlawed as torture.

In his confirmation hearing for the human rights role, Billingslea said he would “advocate for and respect” Congress’s 2015 decision to ban torture.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Sen. Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezHillicon Valley: Facebook launches portal for coronavirus information | EU sees spike in Russian misinformation on outbreak | Senate Dem bill would encourage mail-in voting | Lawmakers question safety of Google virus website Democratic senators press Google over privacy of coronavirus screening site Menendez calls for ‘Marie Yovanovitch bill’ to protect foreign service employees MORE (D-N.J.) blasted Billingslea’s appointment as arms control envoy.

 “Mr. Billinsglea has a troubled history with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,” Menendez said in a statement Friday. “Following his unsuccessful nomination for the State Department’s top human rights post, serious questions remain concerning whether he was forthright and truthful when testifying before the committee about his role in the detainee torture scandal during the Bush administration.”

Menendez also highlighted that jobs traditionally tasked with leading arms control negotiations that require Senate confirmation — including under secretary of State for arms control and international security and assistant secretary of State for arms Control, verification and compliance — have been vacant for months.

“This terrible decision is emblematic both of this administration’s willingness to sidestep the Senate’s constitutionally-mandated role of nominee advice and consent, and the haphazard, careless way the administration treats nuclear diplomacy,” Menendez said.

“This is not who should be put in charge of our nuclear diplomacy,” he added. “If the administration is truly serious about pursuing an effective arms control agenda, it should reverse course and nominate qualified individuals for the critical unfilled senior arms control positions at the State Department as soon as possible.”

Updated at 8:32 p.m.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Viewers across 97 markets woke up on the Fourth of July to discover their local TV news stations blocked as a result of a feud between two providers.

A contract dispute between AT&T and Nexstar culminated with a blackout that took effect at midnight Thursday morning, leaving nearly 100 markets without their local ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC affiliate stations. The dispute has been brewing for weeks, and both sides spent the Fourth of July holiday jockeying for leverage in the battle of public perception. Each side blamed the other for the blackout affecting DIRECTV NOW, DIRECTV, and U-Verse TV customers.
AT&T hit first.

“We had hoped to prevent Nexstar from removing its stations from your TV channel lineup. We even offered Nexstar more money to keep their stations available. However, Nexstar simply said no and chose to remove them instead,” the company said in an issued statement. “By doing so, Nexstar has put you in the center of its negotiations…The four major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) have together lost about half their primetime audience over the past few years. Despite this, Nexstar is demanding the largest increase that AT&T has ever seen from any content provider.”

Nexstar hit back.

In a release published on Business Wire, Nexstar accused AT&T of holding customers hostage, alleging the company routinely resorts to such tactics.

“The development is highly unusual for Nexstar but far more common for DIRECTV/AT&T. Nexstar has established a long-term record of completing hundreds of agreements with multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs” or cable TV, satellite TV, telecom companies) for the carriage of its television stations and is proud that it has never in its 23-year history had a service interruption related to distribution agreements of the magnitude of the AT&T/DIRECTV interruption,” the company said. “In contrast, DIRECTV is routinely involved in disputes with content providers and following its 2015 acquisition by AT&T has dropped or threatened to black out network and local community programming from DISH Network, Viacom, SJL Broadcasting/Lilly Broadcasting, and others.”

Nexstar went on to offer a minute-by-minute account of its negotiations with AT&T, alleging the company negotiated in bad faith.

The Nexstar Media Group, one of the nation’s largest local TV station operators, reaches nearly 40 percent of the nation’s households.

Neither side offered a timetable for when local programming might return for DIRECTV NOW, DIRECTV, and U-Verse TV customers.

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The highly anticipated remake of Disney’s “The Lion King” hits theaters this weekend, starring Donald Glover as future King Simba and Beyoncé as his friend-turned-love-interest Nala.

Also making a debut this weekend is “The Art of Self-Defense,” in which Jesse Eisenberg plays a non-confrontational, meek accountant who becomes determined to learn how to protect himself at all costs necessary, including taking martial arts lessons.

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Here’s what to see and what to skip this weekend:

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Movies Out This Weekend

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“The Lion King” — Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Chiwetel Ejiofor; directed by Jon Favreau

Disney’s remake of the studio’s Oscar-winning 1994 animated classic comes from Jon Favreau’s immersive storytelling that blends live-action filmmaking techniques with photo-real computer-generated imagery. In other words, the new film is a photo-realistic drama, featuring the voices of Donald Glover as future King Simba, Beyoncé as his friend-turned-love-interest Nala, James Earl Jones as Simba’s father, Mufasa, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Simba’s villainous uncle Scar.

Following closely to the classic story, the Hamlet-inspired plot opens with a beat-by-beat re-creation of the original’s opening sequence celebrating the birth of Simba (Glover), a little cub destined to succeed his father, Mufasa (Jones), as heir to the leonine throne of the Pride Lands. Then, the well-known Shakespearean narrative begins in which Simba’s menacing uncle Scar (Ejiofor) plots to murder King Mufasa and Simba in order to steal the throne.

Soon enough, Mufasa dies leaving Simba on the run for his life. Years go by, and Simba grows up and gets reunited with his childhood friend Nala (Beyoncé). The rest is history as we all know it, including Simba’s friendship with the “Hakuna Matata” duo (Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner).

See it. Though the movie’s technological wizardry dwarfs the narrative every now and then, the photo-realistic remake, overall, still delivers some awesome family entertainment.

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“The Art of Self-Defense” — Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots; directed by Riley Stearns

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Jesse Eisenberg stars as Casey Davies, a meek accountant who avoids conflict, especially when his co-workers bully him and make him their laughingstock.

One night, when Casey leaves his home to buy dog food for his beloved pet, a gang of four helmeted motorcycle riders viciously attacks him rendering the bookkeeper unconscious on the ground. When he wakes up from his traumatic experience, he makes it his mission to learn how to defend himself at all costs necessary.

It is only a matter of time before Casey decides to take martial arts lessons, and karate expert Sensei (Alessandro Nivola) takes the young man under his wing. Soon, Casey will turn himself into an alpha male seething with pure aggression. And in due time, Casey will find himself colliding with his karate master Sensei— in a gigantic way!

See it. “The Art of Self-Defense” has a lot of comedic punches that deliver massive blows of laughter.

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Ce n’est une surprise pour personne, une bonne séance de shopping fait toujours des heureuses. Mais qu’en est-il des cosmétiques? Selon une étude de Nivea, les cosmétiques rendraient les femmes heureuses. Pour répondre à cette étude, la marque a sélectionné 162 femmes issues de la base «Au cœur de Nivea» (communauté de la marque).

Le manque de temps ou la routine empêchent un grand nombre de femmes de prendre soin d’elles. Pourtant,selon une étude Nivea chiffrée sur le bonheur et la cosmétique, les cosmétiques rendraient heureuses.90% des femmes ressentent du bonheur grâce aux cosmétiquesParmi les femmes interrogées, 90% affirment avoir déjà ressenti du bonheur grâce aux cosmétiques. 49 d’entre elles expliquent ressentir cette sensation tous les jours, pour 30 femmes cela se produit à l’usage de certains produits, et pour 29 cette sensation n’est ressentie qu’à l’occasion d’évènements particuliers (en se préparant pour une soirée, un mariage…). Parmi les femmes interrogées, 13 d’entre elles expliquent être heureuses à la seule condition que le produit qu’elles utilisent soit efficace.Si toutes les femmes s’accordent pour dire que les cosmétiques peuvent faire plaisir, les sentiments ressentis par chacune lors de l’application est différent.  31 femmes expliquent ressentir un sentiment de bonheur, alors que 66 évoquent plutôt un sentiment de bien-être.Les gestes les plus appréciés par les femmesPrendre soin de soi n’est pas une mince affaire, cela peut prendre beaucoup de temps. Il y a donc certains gestes plus appréciés que d’autres. Mettre du parfum (87%), du lait sur le corps (78%) et se maquiller (68%) sont les gestuelles qui procurent le plus de plaisir. Alors que s’épiler (11%) et faire des soins à domicile (26%) sont les gestuelles qui procurent le moins de plaisir.Les femmes interrogées préfèrent également se préparer pour sortir (66%), plutôt que les retouches beauté en journée (16%).Les habitudes plébiscitées70% des femmes ont une préférence pour les textures crème (70%), lait (52%) et brume (48%). Les parfums vanille, floral et frais léger sont plébiscités par 27%, 21% et 19% de la communauté Nivea. Enfin, les acheteuses préfèrent effectuer leurs achats en boutique de marque (40%) et en parfumeries (46%) plutôt que sur internet (26%) ou en pharmacie/parapharmacie (30%).Cette étude a démontré que 96% des femmes se sentaient heureuses grâce aux produits de beauté, contre 4% qui ne ressentent pas de bonheur.

Un député LREM vient de déposer un amendement au projet de loi de finance de la Sécurité sociale, pour demander la fin du remboursement des interventions chirurgicales (notamment de cancers), pratiquées dans les services qui ne disposent pas des agréments nécessaires.

Sommaire

1. Un enjeu de qualité et de sécurité des soins
2. Des risques accrus d’effets secondaires et de décès
3. Vers un remboursement demandé directement aux centres de soin ?

Un enjeu de qualité et de sécurité des soinsOlivier Véran veut “en finir avec les interventions chirurgicales réalisées sans agrément”. En déposant un amendement en ce sens au projet de loi de finance de la sécurité sociale, le député La République en Marche estime qu’il s’agit d’un “enjeu de qualité et de sécurité des soins”. Le parlementaire s’est exprimé au micro de RTL ce lundi 15 octobre pour expliquer le but de cet amendement : demander l’arrêt du remboursement des opérations chirurgicales par des centres qui ne disposent pas des autorisations nécessaires pour les pratiquer.En effet, depuis une dizaine d’années, les hôpitaux et cliniques doivent disposer d’une autorisation pour pratiquer certaines chirurgies lourdes, en particulier dans le cadre de traitements de cancers. Pour obtenir ces autorisations, les centres de santé doivent justifier d’un minimum d’interventions chirurgicales chaque année, afin d’assurer une expertise des équipes médicales et le maximum de sécurité aux patients. Mais les interventions hors autorisations seraient très fréquentes, selon les chiffres du Service national des données de santé cités par Le Parisien : à titre d’exemple, sur les 571 services qui ont facturé des opérations de cancers du sein en 2014, 115 n’avaient pas d’autorisation officielle.  Des risques accrus d’effets secondaires et de décès“Quand vous avez une équipe chirurgicale qui ne réalise que deux ou trois actes de chirurgie lourde, comme la chirurgie d’un cancer (…), on sait que statistiquement hélas, les risques de présenter des complications, voire les risques de décès, sont accrus. Ils peuvent être multipliés par 2 voire 2,5 dans le cadre du cancer du sein”, a déclaré Olivier Véran sur RTL. C’est pour cette raison que des seuils d’activité ont été mis en place. L’autorisation est délivrée par les Agences Régionales de Santé (ARS) en fonction de critères qualitatifs et quantitatifs. Les centres qui effectuent ces interventions sans autorisation sont donc dans l’irrégularité, surtout quand ils demandent le remboursement des soins à la Sécurité sociale.

Plusieurs milliers de patients sont opérés d’un cancer dans des services sans autorisation, dont l’activité est trop faible pour garantir qualité et sécurité des soins.
Nous allons faire cesser ces pratiques à risque pour les malades. pic.twitter.com/dCZHo3wofg— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) 15 octobre 2018

Vers un remboursement demandé directement aux centres de soin ?Pourquoi ces centres pratiquent-ils des interventions sans agrément ? “Parfois ils n’ont pas le choix, parfois c’est une chirurgie d’urgence (…) dans ces cas-là évidemment, on ne va pas leur reprocher. Parfois c’est de la chirurgie compassionnelle, quelqu’un qui est en fin de vie, qui a des douleurs, on leur dit qu’on va les opérer sur place. Mais parfois encore ce sont des équipes qui considèrent que même si elles n’ont pas l’autorisation parce qu’elles n’ont pas assez d’activité, elles vont le faire quand même”, détaille le député. C’est à ces derniers cas qu’il souhaite s’attaquer. L’amendement demande que “les soins ne soient plus remboursés par la Sécurité sociale mais par l’établissement”, “de manière à les dés-inciter à continuer ce type de pratique”.“L’offre de soins en cancérologie se compose de 877 établissements de santé et centres de radiothérapie de statut libéral autorisés par les agences régionales de santé (ARS) à prendre en charge des patients atteints de cancer”, rapporte l’Institut National du Cancer (INCa). Il est possible de consulter les établissements qui disposent de ces autorisations par région,

sur le site de l’INCa.Click Here: collingwood magpies 2019 training guernsey