Tuesday 31 March 2020

Why Taiwan has become a problem for WHO

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Why Taiwan has become a problem for WHOTaiwan is effectively locked out of the World Health Organization - and tensions are rising.




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India and Pakistan crack down on Muslim group emerging as COVID-19 cluster

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India and Pakistan crack down on Muslim group emerging as COVID-19 clusterIndia and Pakistan sealed off centers belonging to a Muslim missionary group on Tuesday and began investigating how many coronavirus cases were linked to its activities. Tablighi Jamaat is a Deobandi Sunni Muslim missionary movement that preaches worldwide. India has so far registered 32 deaths from 1,251 confirmed infections, and Pakistan 20 from 1,914.




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IG Horowitz Found ‘Apparent Errors or Inadequately Supported Facts’ in Every Single FBI FISA Application He Reviewed

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IG Horowitz Found ‘Apparent Errors or Inadequately Supported Facts’ in Every Single FBI FISA Application He ReviewedThe Justice Department inspector general said it does “not have confidence” in the FBI’s FISA application process following an audit that found the Bureau was not sufficiently transparent with the court in 29 applications from 2014 to 2019, all of which included “apparent errors or inadequately supported facts.”Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a report in December which found that the FBI included “at least 17 significant errors or omissions in the Carter Page FISA applications and many errors in the Woods Procedures” during its Crossfire Hurricane investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign. After releasing the report, Horowitz said that he would conduct a further investigation to see if the errors identified in the Page application were widespread.“The concern is that this is such a high-profile, important case. If it happened here, is this indicative of a wider problem — and we will only know that when we complete our audit — or is it isolated to this event?” Horowitz told lawmakers during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing. “Obviously, we need to do the work to understand that.”Horowitz’s office said in a report released Tuesday that of the 29 applications — all of which involved U.S. citizens – that were pulled from “8 FBI field offices of varying sizes,” the FBI could not find Woods Files for four of the applications, while the other 25 all had “apparent errors or inadequately supported facts.”"While our review of these issues and follow-up with case agents is still ongoing—and we have not made materiality judgments for these or other errors or concerns we identified—at this time we have identified an average of about 20 issues per application reviewed, with a high of approximately 65 issues in one application and less than 5 issues in another application," the report reveals.The Woods Procedure dictates that the Justice Department verify the accuracy and provide evidentiary support for all facts stated in its FISA application. The FBI is required to share with the FISA Court all relevant information compiled in the Woods File when applying for a surveillance warrant.“FBI and NSD officials we interviewed indicated to us that there were no efforts by the FBI to use existing FBI and NSD oversight mechanisms to perform comprehensive, strategic assessments of the efficacy of the Woods Procedures or FISA accuracy, to include identifying the need for enhancements to training and improvements in the process, or increased accountability measures,” the report states.The OIG concludes by recommending that the FBI "systematically and regularly examine the results of past and future accuracy reviews to identify patterns or trends in identified errors" relating to the Woods Procedure, as well as double-checking "that Woods Files exist for every FISA application submitted to the FISC in all pending investigations."In a letter acknowledging the audit, FBI Associate Deputy Director Paul Abbate said that the issues "will be addressed" by the Bureau's already-issued correctives after the Carter Page review, and added that "the FBI fully accepts the two recommendations."President Trump has relentlessly attacked the FBI's FISA process and the abuses it allowed during the surveilling of his 2016 campaign. He has argued that the FISA abuses invalidate the entire investigation, which he has referred to as an “illegal attempted coup,” and slammed the officials involved, including former FBI director James Comey and former acting FBI director Andy McCabe.McCabe admitted in January that the FBI has an “inherent weakness in the process” of obtaining FISA warrants.




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Too little too late? Experts decry Mexico virus policy delay

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Too little too late? Experts decry Mexico virus policy delayMexico has started taking tougher measures against the coronavirus after weeks of its president hugging followers and saying religious medals would protect him. Some experts warn the sprawling country of 129 million is acting too late and testing too little to prevent the type of crisis unfolding across the border in the United States. Last week Mexico banned non-essential government work as confirmed cases climbed, but took until late Monday to extend that to other business sectors and to bar gatherings of more than 50 people.




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CDC is weighing advising Americans to wear face masks outdoors

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CDC is weighing advising Americans to wear face masks outdoorsThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering whether to update its guidelines on the new coronavirus to advise Americans to wear homemade masks outside of the home — not so much to protect the people wearing the mask but as another tool to limit the spread of COVID-19, The Washington Post reports. The new virus can be spread through saliva droplets emitted during a cough, sneeze, or even talking, and having a mask to capture those drops would presumably keep sick, especially asymptomatic, coronavirus carriers from spreading the disease.The CDC currently recommends keeping six feet apart, among other social distancing practices, and washing hands frequently and thoroughly for 20 seconds. It would not recommend people use surgical or N95 masks, in short supply and great demand for doctors, nurses, and other first responders treating COVID-19 patients. Instead, people would be urged to make their own masks out of old T-shirts, sheets, and paper towels, as Jeremy Howard, a University of San Francisco research scientist and advocate for the DIY approach, explains in the video below.Many Asian countries recommend citizens wear masks to fight the spread of the coronavirus, and the homemade masks have some prominent proponents in the U.S., including former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb; Thomas Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; and former National Institutes of Health director Harold Varmus. Other health experts worry that encouraging mask-wearing would instill a sense of false security and make Americans more reckless, might inadvertently contaminate someone else who handles the mask, and could further deplete the personal protective equipment stockpiles needed for medical professionals.More stories from theweek.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is what real coronavirus leadership looks like The case for cautious optimism about the pandemic Chris Meloni's Elliot Stabler reportedly getting Law & Order: SVU spinoff show on NBC




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Man planned to bomb hospital during pandemic to publicize white supremacist views

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Man planned to bomb hospital during pandemic to publicize white supremacist viewsTimothy Wilson, 36, died March 24 when the FBI sought to arrest him after a six-month investigation.




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Coronavirus: New York bar owner becomes first to be arrested for ignoring lockdown

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Coronavirus: New York bar owner becomes first to be arrested for ignoring lockdownThe owner of a bar in New York City has been arrested for operating in contravention of the city’s coronavirus lockdown measures.New York police confirmed on Monday that 56-year-old Vasil Pando had been arrested on Saturday night at an address in Brooklyn.




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Mitch McConnell tries to weasel his way back into Trump's good graces — by blaming coronavirus on impeachment

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Mitch McConnell tries to weasel his way back into Trump's good graces — by blaming coronavirus on impeachmentYes, that's right. Mitch McConnell just blamed the coronavirus pandemic on Democrats fulfilling their moral obligation to impeach President Trump.




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IRS Adds To Confusion About Whether Seniors Have To File Tax Returns To Get Stimulus Checks - Forbes

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Maryland GOP Gov. Hogan says Trump's COVID-19 testing claims 'just not true' - New York Post

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Facebook, Twitter delete some world leaders' posts over false information - Fox News

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Canadian energy stocks climbing after Keystone XL go-ahead - Seeking Alpha

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Teardown of Huawei flagship phone finds US parts despite blacklisting - Ars Technica

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Spotify is bringing its kids app to the US, Canada, and France - The Verge

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Jon Jones pleads guilty to DWI, avoids jail time after reaching deal with prosecutors - USA TODAY

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Why Michael Jordan and the 90s Bulls are so beloved by fans worldwide — Colin | NBA | THE HERD - The Herd with Colin Cowherd

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Coronavirus: Are loss of smell and taste key symptoms?

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However, experts say a fever and a cough are still the main ones to look out for.

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Coronavirus: 3D-printer owners rally to create NHS face masks

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More than 1,000 people volunteer to help make face shields for front-line workers.

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UPDATE 3-Independent worker group calls for Whole Foods 'sick out' over coronavirus

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An independent group of workers at Whole Foods Market called on colleagues to phone in sick to the grocer's stores on Tuesday to protest what they say is a lack of adequate compensation and protections from the coronavirus.


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Exclusive: U.S. plans to lease space to energy companies to store oil in emergency reserve

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The U.S. Department of Energy plans to announce as soon as Wednesday it will allow oil companies to lease space in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), as it tries to comply with President Trump's directive to fill the facility to capacity, two industry sources said.


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U.S. pension funds may pour $400 billion into stocks, lifting virus-hit markets: JP Morgan

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U.S. pension funds that delayed rebalancing their portfolios are likely to pump about $400 billion into stocks over the next two quarters, analysts at JP Morgan said, providing a potential boost to equity markets battered by the coronavirus pandemic.


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Trump says he may join Saudi, Russia in talks on oil prices

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would join Saudi Arabia and Russia, if need be, for talks about the sharp fall in oil prices resulting from a price war between the two countries.


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U.S. rushes to build makeshift hospitals as death toll rises by 800

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The U.S. government raced on Tuesday to build hundreds of makeshift hospitals near major cities to ease the strain on overwhelmed healthcare systems as President Donald Trump predicted a "very painful" two weeks ahead.


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Monday 30 March 2020

Coronavirus: 'Millions' of Americans could be infected, expert warns

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Coronavirus: 'Millions' of Americans could be infected, expert warnsThe US government's leading expert warns up to 200,000 people could die, as cases continue to rise.




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Kremlin Fights U.S. Sanctions, Backs Maduro in Rosneft Deal

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Kremlin Fights U.S. Sanctions, Backs Maduro in Rosneft Deal(Bloomberg) -- The Kremlin’s sudden shift of ownership of multi-billion-dollar oil projects in Venezuela shields oil giant Rosneft PJSC from further U.S. sanctions but keeps Moscow firmly behind embattled President Nicolas Maduro amid a wider stand-off with Washington.“Russia is not walking away from Maduro and will seek to thwart U.S. efforts to depose him,” said Vladimir Frolov, a former diplomat and foreign policy analyst in Moscow. “Moscow is just shielding Rosneft from sanctions which could result in a blanket embargo on all Rosneft exports.”Fears of broader sanctions have grown after the U.S. in recent months slapped restrictions on Rosneft trading companies for handling business with Venezuela. More recently, the U.S. has hinted that it might step up pressure on the Russian oil sector to reduce production. That followed Moscow’s decision early this month not to deepen output cuts agreed with OPEC led Saudi Arabia to boost output, flooding the market and pushing prices to the lowest levels in decades.The administration of President Donald Trump has already reached out to Saudi leaders to reconsider their strategy, which has battered producers in the U.S. with low prices. Trump said Monday he plans to speak by phone with Putin later in the day to talk about the oil market and may discuss sanctions and Venezuela.Read: Putin and MBS Draw Trump Into Grudge Match for Oil SupremacyRosneft late Saturday announced it’s turning over its Venezuelan projects to an unnamed state-owned company in what it called an effort to protect its shareholders’ interests.Sechin AutonomyAs part of the deal, Rosneft gets 9.6% of its own shares previously held by state holding company Rosneftegaz, bringing direct government ownership to just over 40%, according to two people familiar with the transaction. While Rosneft will remain firmly under Kremlin control, the shift in ownership could give Igor Sechin, who as chief executive and a longtime Putin ally is already one of Russia’s most influential people, even more autonomy, these people said.“Sechin gets Rosneft shares and Putin gets the chance to trade with Trump,” said Konstantin Simonov, head of the National Energy Security Fund in Moscow.Neither the company nor the government would comment on whether the deal will bring state ownership below 50%.Rosneft, which produces 40% of Russian oil and 5% of world output and has substantial exposure in the western financial system, can’t afford the risk of broad U.S. sanctions that could cripple its operations. Earlier this month, a Chinese company said it wouldn’t buy crude from Rosneft because of the risks caused by the sanctions on the trading companies.“As recently as February, the Venezuelan business was profitable, which offset the sanctions risk,” said Ivan Timofeyev, an analyst at the Kremlin-founded Russian International Affairs Council. “Now the desire to avoid sanctions coincided with the need to avoid losses” after oil prices plunged, he added.The Russian giant has already cut its exposure under multi-billion-dollar prepayment deals reached several years ago. Venezuela’s oil producer PDVSA owes Rosneft only $800 million at the end of the third quarter of 2019, according to the last available data, down from $4.6 billion at the end of 2017.Sanctions ProtectionThe latest Russian maneuver mirrored its strategy in 2018 when it used Promsvzyabank to set up a new banking vehicle to serve the defense industry after state-owned weapons producers came under U.S. sanctions, thereby shielding the country’s two largest banks, government-controlled Sberbank and VTB. Unlike those big lenders, which have significant exposure to western financial institutions and thus are at risk from sweeping U.S. sanctions, the new special entity operated largely out of Washington’s reach.While Rosneft may even push to have the recently imposed sanctions on the trading units lifted, risks remain.“Rosneft is trying to stay out of the firing-line but nothing stops the Americans from finding another pretext to sanction it,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, who heads the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, a research group in Moscow that advises the Kremlin.“Russia understands that Maduro is in an awful situation, especially with oil prices at rock bottom,” he said. “But Putin’s psychology is that you should stick with partners in difficulty.”Frolov said, “Moscow thinks that Maduro is actually winning the fight with the opposition and is likely to split it to the point where he would be able to win parliamentary elections this year.” Russia has backed Maduro even as the U.S. and its allies back opposition leader Juan Guaido.Maduro said on state TV on Saturday evening that ”President Putin sent me a message through his ambassador reaffirming their strategic and integral support to Venezuela in all areas.”(Updates with Rosneft stake shift in sixth paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.




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AI tool predicts which coronavirus patients get deadly 'wet lung'

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AI tool predicts which coronavirus patients get deadly 'wet lung'Researchers in the US and China reported Monday they have developed an artificial intelligence tool that is able to accurately predict which newly infected patients with the novel coronavirus go on to develop severe lung disease. Once deployed, the algorithm could assist doctors in making choices about where to prioritize care in resource-stretched health care systems, said Megan Coffee, a physician and professor at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine who co-authored a paper on the finding in the journal Computers, Materials & Continua. The tool discovered several surprising indicators that were most strongly predictive of who went on to develop so-called acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), a severe complication of the COVID-19 illness that fills the lungs with fluid and kills around 50 percent of coronavirus patients who get it.




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Trump's Coronavirus Response Coordinator Warns 'No Metro Area Will Be Spared' From Pandemic - Newsweek

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Rebecca Grant: Coronavirus forces China reboot – rethink relationship, from trade to Olympics - Fox News

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One of Wuhan's largest malls reopens after closing for two months during COVID-19 | ABC News - ABC News

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Tom Brady pitched himself to Bucs brass, Tampa Bay GM says - ESPN

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Coronavirus: Free school meals children to get food vouchers

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Ministers say the vouchers could be available to families in England as early as Tuesday afternoon.

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Blood test 'can check for more than 50 types of cancer'

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The test could help diagnose tumours sooner, often before any symptoms, scientists hope.

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Delay Brexit deadline amid coronavirus, say MEPS

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The UK is due to stop following EU rules by the end of 2020 but a group of MEPs say the date should be pushed back.

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Coronavirus: Protecting yourself in a migrant camp

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The often unsanitary conditions in refugee and migrant camps, like this one on Lesbos, pose a challenge for residents trying to avoid coronavirus.

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Coronavirus: Has the virus brought borders back to Europe?

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The BBC’s Gavin Lee took a road trip in Europe's Schengen area to see how free movement has changed.

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How (not) to cut your hair at home

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Stuck at home, some people have enlisted their children to help cut their hair.

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Coronavirus: The good that can come out of an upside-down world

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There are reasons to believe the world may emerge from this upheaval enhanced, writes Matthew Syed.

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'The phone slipped into the bath': Conference call tales

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How to avoid some of the pitfalls of teleconferencing and how it is changing the way we meet and do business.

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Coronavirus: What should you do if you are stuck abroad?

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The government has outlined plans aimed at bringing stranded Britons home.

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EXCLUSIVE: New Survey Reveals Church Giving is Down, but Faith is Growing

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Churches continuing to hold in-person worship services came under fire from elected officials and other critics Sunday who fear the gatherings put parishioners at risk for catching the coronavirus. Now new research, obtained exclusively by CBN News, shows how churches across the nation are managing their ministries, including plans to celebrate Easter, during the pandemic.

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MEDIA-Blackstone's shale driller Gavilan prepares for debt restructuring - WSJ

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-- Note: Reuters has not verified this story and does not vouch for its accuracy


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JBS cuts beef production at U.S. facility as precaution amid coronavirus concerns

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JBS USA will reduce beef production for two weeks at a Pennsylvania facility after managers displayed flu-like symptoms, the company said on Monday, making it the first U.S. meat plant to cut operations due to worries over the coronavirus pandemic.


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UPDATE 1-Airlines plan furloughs; Air New Zealand sees smaller carrier in a year

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* Air Canada to slash capacity, put thousands of workers off duty (Adds data on capacity cuts, groundings, Virgin Australia loan request)


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UPDATE 2-Ukraine opens up land market in bid for $8 bln IMF package

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Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Tuesday to lift a ban on the sale of farmland that has stood for nearly two decades, clearing one of the hurdles needed to unlock an $8 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund.


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UPDATE 2-Trump says coronavirus guidelines may get tougher; 1 million Americans tested

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that federal social distancing guidelines might be toughened and travel restrictions with China and Europe would stay in place as he urged Americans to help fight the coronavirus with tough measures through April.


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