COVID patients who test positive after recovery aren't infectious . . . Researchers are finding evidence that patients who test positive for the coronavirus after recovering aren’t capable of transmitting the infection, and could have the antibodies that prevent them from falling sick again. Scientists from the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied 285 Covid-19 survivors who had tested positive for the coronavirus after their illness had apparently resolved, as indicated by a previous negative test result. The so-called re-positive patients weren’t found to have spread any lingering infection, and virus samples collected from them couldn’t be grown in culture, indicating the patients were shedding non-infectious or dead virus particles. Bloomberg

 

New vaccine shows promise . . . A COVID-19 vaccine under development by Massachusetts-based biotech firm Moderna Inc has produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers during a safety trial launched in March. The findings offering a glimmer of hope that the experimental vaccine may ultimately prove effective, sent Moderna’s shares soaring 20% on Monday and helped lift the overall stock market about 3% to a 10-week high. Reuters

 

Sorry Nancy, nothing on it about jumping jacks or carb counseling

 

The divide between Republicans and Democrats on the next stimulus . . . Many House Democrats, seeing a slow return to normal and a protracted economic downturn, contend it is crucial to get money out again. They see fresh cash injections as a bridge to help families weather an uncertain economic future amid more waves of infections and deaths. Many Republicans, however, predict a rapid economic recovery as lockdowns end, and they say government aid to households should now shift to focus more on incentives to work. They say the stimulus payments provided so far have helped tide Americans over as the economy recovers. Wall Street Journal

 

 

Barr: Durham not expected to investigate Obama or Biden . . . 

That’s not, I would argue, an luxury that a Democratic attorney general would afford a former Republican president in the same circumstances. Attorney General William Barr said Monday during a news conference that he does not expect U.S. Attorney John Durham, who is investigating the Obama administration’s Russia probe, to target Barack Obama or Joe Biden. But he didn’t rule out that Obama and Biden had abused their offices. White House Dossier

 

FBI used MSM to advance Trump-Russia probe . . . In at least five instances, FBI officials capitalized on the so-called news hooks as justification to open up new areas of the investigation. James Comey, Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok all took advantage of media reports to push the investigation forward. And in one case, Comey orchestrated a leak of his own to spur the appointment of a special counsel. Prominent media outlets played a key role in advancing the now-debunked theory that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government. Much of that media manipulation centered around the infamous Steele dossier, which the Clinton campaign and DNC funded. Daily Caller

 

Lindsey Graham to subpoena Trump-Russia investigators . . . The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Monday that he will soon be seeking broad authorization to subpoena dozens of key officials in the Trump-Russia investigation. Sen. Lindsey Graham said his committee will debate and vote on subpoena authorization related to oversight of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane counterintelligence investigation into Russian interference and the Trump campaign as well as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act process. Washington Examiner

 

 

Obama attacks on Trump electrify Democrats, anger GOP . . . Former President Obama is flexing his political muscle against President Trump, signaling he’s all-in on helping presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and ending the Trump presidency. In recent days, Obama, with his legacy on the line, has made a point of taking on Trump head-on after remaining quiet throughout much of the president’s time in office. “It basically amounts to more than three years of staying quiet and remaining on the sidelines building to this moment of ‘Hey Trump, we’re over your bullshit,' ” an Obama administration aide. “He’s had a lot on his mind and it’s finally all coming out.” The Hill

 

 

Thousands sign up for "Democratic" Socialists of America . . . An estimated 10,000 people have joined since March, bringing the group’s total membership to roughly 66,000. Enrollment fluctuates month to month, but the DSA hasn’t seen numbers like this since the election of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, a spokesperson said. Leaders of the DSA attribute some of this recent growth to Senator Bernie Sanders suspending his presidential campaign in early April, which sent his supporters seeking another outlet for their organizing energies. But current economic and public-health conditions have sparked anger nationwide—and the present moment seems especially ripe for socialist outrage. The Atlantic

 

 

Trump threatens to permanently freeze WHO funds . . . President Trump released a blistering letter late Monday to the head of the World Health Organization, stating that his administration conducted an investigation that confirmed the health body’s multiple failures in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, and warned that his current funding freeze will become permanent if the organization does not make “substantive” improvements within 30 days. Fox News

 

Doesn't he mean the China Health Organization?

 

China locks down 108M in northeast region . . . Some 108 million people in China’s northeast region are being plunged back under lockdown conditions as a new and growing cluster of infections causes a backslide in the nation’s return to normal. In an abrupt reversal of the re-opening taking place across the nation, cities in Jilin province have cut off trains and buses, shut schools and quarantined tens of thousands of people. The strict measures have dismayed many residents who had thought the worst of the nation’s epidemic was over. Bloomberg

 

Bankrupt JC Penney to close 242 stores . . . Days after filing for bankruptcy, J.C. Penney says it plans to close more than a fourth of its stores. According to a document filed with the Securities and Exchanges Commission on Monday, approximately 29% of the retailer's 846 stores, or 242 locations, will close between the current fiscal year and next fiscal year. Last week's bankruptcy filing came after several years of declining sales and strategic missteps as J.C. Penney careened from one reinvention strategy to another. USA Today

 

 

University of Kentucky fires three cheer coaches for allowing nude partying . . . The University of Kentucky announced the firing of its cheerleading coaches after an internal investigation determined they failed to oversee off-campus events that included hazing, alcohol use and public nudity by the championship squad. The review found that the activities occurred last summer during a retreat at a Kentucky lake and a cheerleading camp in Tennessee. It stated that some cheerleaders at the retreat performed gymnastics routines that included hurling teammates into the water, known as ‘basket tosses,’ while either topless or bottomless within view of some of the coaches.
Coaches also didn’t confiscate alcohol brought to the retreat by some team members, the report added, with some members requiring medical treatment for intoxication. Daily Mail

 

 

Illegal immigrants can apply for Calif. coronavirus relief . . . Undocumented Californians may begin applying for disaster assistance payments of $500 per person and up to $1,000 per household. The state government has made available $75 million to help a projected 150,000 undocumented immigrants weather the coronavirus crisis. To qualify, applicants must show that they are ineligible for federal assistance programs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, such as the CARES Act or federal unemployment benefits, and that they have endured a hardship from the pandemic. Los Angeles Times