Thursday News: “Worldwide Battle Rages On Amid Small Signs of Hope”; “COVID-19’s Racial Death Gap Was Predictable”; “Trump Hates Having Too Many Voters”; “What a difference Bernie Sanders made”; “The 11 most logical picks for Joe Biden’s vice president, ranked”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, April 9.

• Countries World-Wide Log Record Coronavirus Cases
• Worldwide Battle Rages On Amid Small Signs of Hope (“Scientists said drastic shifts in behavior appear to be having an effect, though the death toll will continue to mount.”)
• Why Australia needs to aim for at least 75% renewables by 2030 (“That’s up from 25 per cent now, and well beyond the current 50 per cent targets for 2030 by the large states such as Victoria and Queensland, even though Tasmania aims for 200 per cent by 2040, and South Australia expects to be ‘net’ 100 per cent by 2030…”)
• Coronavirus live news: Iran deaths pass 4,000 as US insists isolation measures are working after record daily toll (“Boris Johnson still in intensive care; US protective equipment stockpile nearly empty; virus could push 500m people into poverty”)
• Spain Deaths Slow; European Lockdowns to Continue: Virus Update
• Why exactly is Trump lashing out at the World Health Organization? (Because he’s a horrible person?)
• WHO chief addresses death threats, racist insults: ‘I don’t give a damn’
• Saudi-led coalition announces ceasefire in five-year Yemen war
• Russia Tops 10,000 Coronavirus Cases, With Moscow At The Epicenter
• Unemployment Tally Expected to Surge by Millions: Live Updates (“European markets are wobbling after a strong start.”)
• Scientists Warn Virus Might Not Fade in Summer
• The Best Hopes for a Coronavirus Drug (“If there is a way to stop COVID-19, it will be by blocking its proteins from hijacking, suppressing, and evading humans’ cellular machinery.”)
• US coronavirus predictions are shifting. Here’s why
• The Coronavirus Has Not Halted Trump’s Power Grab (“Both the president and his party are committed to a long-term project of impunity from both the law and the electorate.”)
• New Document Shows Inadequate Distribution of Personal Protective Equipment and Critical Medical Supplies to States
• The briefings aren’t working: Trump’s approval rating takes a dip
• As social distancing shows signs of working, what’s next? Crush the curve, experts say. (“…aggressive mitigation measures, such as social distancing and the closure of nonessential businesses, should continue, even when the trend is moving in the right direction.”)
• Will Trump and His Enablers Ever Face Accountability for the Coronavirus Massacre? (“The Iraq War is not a good precedent.”)
• Fact check: Trump offers two dangerous falsehoods in a largely straightforward briefing
• IRS Budget Cuts And Staffing Challenges Create Coronavirus Payment Headaches
• Hundreds Of Young People Have Already Died Of COVID-19 In The U.S. (“At least 759 people under the age of 50, including some with no preexisting conditions, have reportedly died in the U.S. from the novel coronavirus.”)
• Trump Administration Still Isn’t Prioritizing Coronavirus Testing
• Time to plan for a phase-two battle against the coronavirus (“In any return to normalcy, comprehensive diagnostic testing will be required to isolate the sick and help certify those who can go back to work safely. Can an administration that presided over a movable feast of half-measures now create a national testing network that will be orders of magnitude larger?”)
• Oversight sputters as Trump starts doling out billions in coronavirus aid (“None of the oversight tools included in the sprawling rescue package are up and running, and problems are already cropping up with the law.”)
• We’ve Heard Trump’s Coronavirus Excuses Before (“They’re the same ones Republicans used after 9/11. Trump debunked them.”)
• Pandemic shows Trump’s resistance to criticism, desire for praise (“Examples range from President Trump’s suggestions of keeping aid from states to his refusal to take responsibility for the federal response’s shortcomings.”)
• Colorado Democrat believes Trump awarded ventilators as political favor to vulnerable GOP senator
• Trump Hates Having Too Many Voters (“Suddenly, the White House loves Bernie Sanders.”)
• Congress must act swiftly to approve more pandemic aid
• Pelosi urges GOP to ‘come to the table,’ continue talks on small business
• Rep. Massie threatens to block next relief bill, calls for remote voting
• Trump says voting by mail is bad. US troops do it all the time
• Trump’s New Chief of Staff Rattles White House in Crisis Mode
• The most sycophantic administration. Ever. (“The good and the independent all leave. That leaves the bad — until they become political liabilities.”)
• Meat plants are shutting down as workers get sick
• n Trump’s Marathon Briefings, the Answers and the Message Are Often Contradictory
• The coronavirus is amplifying the bias already embedded in our social fabric (“Black Americans are in the bull’s eye.”)
• COVID-19’s Racial Death Gap Was Predictable
• Bernie’s Fight Is Far From Over
• McConnell Sets Up Showdown With Schumer on Small Business Aid
• Democrats salivate over Obama coming off sidelines (“The decision by Bernie Sanders to suspend his campaign means former President Obama is about to get back into the political spotlight”)
• Bernie Sanders bet big on a small tent to win the Democratic nomination. Here’s why it didn’t work. (“Sanders counted on a loyal base and a crowded 2020 field. But his base was smaller and the party less divided than he expected.”)
• Bernie’s Legacy Hangs in the Balance (“Will his ideas outlive his candidacy? A lot will depend on how he and his supporters handle the next few months.”)
• The 11 most logical picks for Joe Biden’s vice president, ranked (Harris, Klobuchar, Whitmer, Warren, Baldwin, Masto, Demings, Duckworth, Abrams, Grisham, Rice)
• The Democratic Primary Is Over. The Battle for the Party’s Future Is Just Getting Started. (“Bernie Sanders’ movement could shape Democratic politics for years to come.”)
• Why Bernie Sanders Lost
• Bernie Sanders, who reshaped US politics, ends 2020 presidential run (“Inspirational senator’s youth-led movement pushed for sweeping social change but fell far behind Joe Biden in bid for nomination”)
• Sanders had multiple conversations with Obama ahead of decision to end campaign
• Biden and the ‘Gov’ from Michigan (“If Gretchen Whitmer isn’t on a presidential ticket this year, expect her to be soon.”)
• What a difference Bernie Sanders made (“The Vermont senator has accomplished far more than he might have imagined.”)
• Bernie Sanders Taught Democrats How to Be Impatient Again
• Bernie Sanders is out. And the insincere praise begins. (“Sanders’s supporters are the least of Joe Biden’s concerns.”)
• Bernie’s Gone, and Trump Is Screwed. Here’s How Biden Wins. (“Never let up. Never stop reminding voters that both the deaths and the economic depression we’re entering are a disaster of Trump’s making.”)
• Why Joe Biden Should Pick One of These Two Black Women as His Vice President
• Coronavirus Updates: Studies Show N.Y. Outbreak Originated in Europe
• Bill O’Reilly’s Macabre Take: Many Who Died From Coronavirus ‘Were on Their Last Legs Anyway’
• Wisconsin is discovering problems with absentee ballots, including hundreds that were never delivered
• Trip to Guam at center of top Navy official’s resignation cost taxpayers over $243,000
• Fox News’ dangerous coronavirus “Mission Accomplished” moment
• Fox anchor suggests coronavirus death toll is inflated: “How many of those people had other health risks at play”
• Navigator Survey: “Trump Overall Approval Rating Hits New Low in Daily Tracking”; “Only Fox News Republicans Think Trump Got Response Right”
• Senators Warner, Kaine Urge Funding to Support Local Journalism Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
• Democrats 2020: Where Do We Go From Here?
• Sen. Warner Leads Colleagues in Urging Action to Avoid Housing Finance System Crisis Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
• Rob Wittman column: We can’t leave rural America behind (Right, so what has Wittman actually *done* about this in all the years he’s been in office?)
• Audio: Liberty U. President Jerry Falwell, Jr. Swears Out Warrants for ARREST of NY Times Reporter, Photographer; ProPublica Reporter
• Jerry Falwell Jr. says warrants are out for 2 journalists after critical stories on coronavirus decision
• Gov. Northam Announces Additional Actions Providing Relief for Restaurants and Distilleries Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic
• Virginia’s data on how coronavirus affects minorities is incomplete; Northam says many medical providers aren’t reporting
• Editorial: Stabilizing state budget will challenge Virginia
• Live Video, Highlights: Gov. Ralph Northam’s Tuesday (4/8) Virginia COVID-19 Briefing
• Governor Northam Announces Plans to Postpone Upcoming Virginia Elections in Response to COVID-19
• Wednesday (4/8) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +312 Cases (to 3,645), +52 Hospitalizations (to 615), +12 Deaths (to 75) From Yesterday
• Virginia restaurants can now serve cocktails for delivery and takeout
• Northam wants lawmakers to move May city elections to November
• Report: Social distancing is helping in Virginia, but COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise
• ‘Distinct clusters’ account for more than half of new COVID-19 cases in Virginia
• Grocers seek veto of plastic bag tax, saying reusable bags pose coronavirus risk (“The virus stays infectious for days on some surfaces, but an expert doubts risk from bags is high.” Absolutely do NOT veto it.)
• Nursing homes and assisted living facilities want more information from state on COVID-19 outbreaks
• Virginia man sues to reopen churches by Easter. ‘We could worship and still observe social distance guidelines’
• AG Mark Herring Defends ACA Birth Control Coverage Mandate in Supreme Court
• Voting During a Pandemic: Vote by Mail Virtual Town Hall
• “Apoplectic” “right-wingers in Virginia…using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to throttle or delay…needed reform”
• Low-Income Residents Are at the Forefront of This Pandemic on Multiple Levels
• Volunteers including Congresswoman Elaine Luria distribute food at drive-thru site in Hampton
• Fredericksburg-area doctors worry virus fears keeping patients who need critical care out of hospitals (“Local doctors are worried that deaths in the Fredericksburg area will climb—not necessarily because of COVID-19—but because people with life-threatening conditions are afraid to go to the emergency room.”)
• Facing economic crisis, Richmond-area businesses are ‘in a footrace’ for stimulus funds
• Strong winds follow morning showers and storms today. Much cooler Friday.