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Monthly Archives: April 2020

Interim coronavirus deal legislative text

April 21, 2020, Senate, 116th Congress 2nd Session – the Paycheck Protection and Program and Health Care Enhancement Act – encompassing and additional $484 billion – “To increase amounts authorized and appropriated for commitments for the Paycheck Protection Program authorized under Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act, economic injury disaster loans and emergency grants… Continue Reading

Shopping for Food During the COVID-19 Pandemic

US FDA Information for Consumers – note / this is guide with recommendations – “As grocery shopping remains a necessity during this pandemic, many people have questions about how to shop safely. We want to reassure consumers that there is currently no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with transmission… Continue Reading

Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions

Law360 UPDATED April 21, 2020, 2:42 PM EDT | “As courts across the country take measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, some are restricting access and altering their procedures. Here is a roundup of changes. This list will be updated with new information as it becomes available. Latest updates include Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,… Continue Reading

Coronavirus: How Law Firms Are Handling The Downturn

Law360 — UPDATED April 21, 2020, 1:30 PM EDT | “The spreading coronavirus pandemic has upended the legal industry, forcing firms to cut salaries, lay off attorneys and make changes to summer associate programs. Here is a roundup of how law firms are responding.  Click firms below for more details. This list will be updated with… Continue Reading

Positive Economic Views Plummet; Support for Government Aid Crosses Party Lines

Pew – Most expect problems from COVID-19 to last six months or longer – “Amid record unemployment claims and the disruption of commercial activity caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, the public’s assessments of the U.S. economy have deteriorated with extraordinary speed and severity. Just 23% of Americans now rate economic conditions in the country… Continue Reading

U.S. Views of China Increasingly Negative Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Pew Survey – Republicans more negative than Democrats toward China, though unfavorable ratings have climbed among both parties – “Since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, his approach to U.S.-China relations has included increased pressure via tariffs and trade war rhetoric, and now, with the onset of an unprecedented pandemic, the stage has been… Continue Reading

Senate Intel Releases New Report on Intel Community Assessment of Russian Interference

“Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) released a new report, titled “Review of the Intelligence Community Assessment,” the fourth and penultimate volume in the Committee’s bipartisan Russia investigation. The latest installment examines the sources, tradecraft, and analytic work behind the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that… Continue Reading

Can OSHA Protect Coronavirus Whistleblowers?

National Law Review – “As the nation debates when millions of employees should return to work despite the risk being infected with COVID-19, the grim reality of worker safety laws must be addressed.   The primary law requiring a safe working environment is the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). As reported by the Washington… Continue Reading

Israeli survivors remember Holocaust amid virus quarantine

JERUSALEM (AP) — “With the global coronavirus pandemic ravaging the elderly, Israel’s aging population of Holocaust survivors finds itself on the country’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day this year much like they were during World War II — alone and in fear of the unknown. Some survivors say the current isolation and sense of danger has… Continue Reading

2 billion phones cannot use Google and Apple contact-tracing tech

ars technica: “As many as a billion mobile phone owners around the world will be unable to use the smartphone-based system proposed by Apple and Google to track whether they have come into contact with people infected with the coronavirus, industry researchers estimate. The figure includes many poorer and older people—who are also among the… Continue Reading

New England Journal of Medicine – In Pursuit of PPE

This note was published on April 17, 2020, at NEJM.org: “As a chief physician executive, I rarely get involved in my health system’s supply-chain activities. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed that. Protecting our caregivers is essential so that these talented professionals can safely provide compassionate care to our patients. Yet we continue to be stymied… Continue Reading