Australia's most populous state braces for travel chaos as schools, offices reopen

Australia's most populous state on Monday deployed hundreds of crowd control staff to enforce social distancing on public transport amid an expected commuter surge as schools and offices reopened and coronavirus cases fell.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/3c68YoE

Inmates kill 6 others at women's prison in Honduras

Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine trial has only 50 per cent chance of success

It began in January as a “little lab project” after a curious new disease emerged in China. Little more than four months later, the eyes of the nation - and perhaps the world - are firmly upon Professor Adrian Hill and his team at Oxford University. This week, the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced a $1.2 billion deal with the US government to produce 400 million doses of the unproven coronavirus vaccine first produced in Prof Hill's Oxford lab. Meanwhile, the British Government has agreed to pay for up to 100 million doses, adding that 30 million may be ready for UK citizens by September. The stakes could hardly be higher. If proven effective, the ZD1222 vaccine would allow people to leave their homes, go back to work, and rebuild the economy. But Professor Hill, director of the university’s Jenner Institute, revealed that his team now faces a major problem, throwing the September deadline into doubt. In short, their adversary is disappearing so rapidly in the UK that the next phase of trials has only a 50 per cent chance of success. Without Covid-19 spreading in the community, volunteers will not catch the disease, leaving scientists unable to prove that their vaccine makes any difference. Professor Hill said that of 10,000 people recruited to test the vaccine in the coming weeks - some of whom will be given a placebo - he expected fewer than 50 people to catch the virus. If fewer than 20 test positive, then the results may be useless, he warned.

Why minority business owners are struggling with PPP loans

Vista Equity Partners CEO Robert Smith joined "CBS This Morning" to talk about why minority-owned businesses have been struggling with the government's PPP loan program.

Warren reportedly turning back to wealthy donors in effort to boost Biden

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is reportedly reaching back into her old toolbox in an attempt to help former Vice President Joe Biden.Warren has agreed to host a gathering of big money donors for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, The New York Times reports. The event, which will take place online because of the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled for June 15, three people with knowledge of the plans told the Times on condition of anonymity.During Warren's own presidential campaign, which ended shortly after Super Tuesday in March, the senator progressive Democratic senator vowed not to attend private events or call wealthy potential donors for contributions. She subsequently relied heavily on grassroots donations for the rest of her run.But Warren, considered a possible vice presidential candidate who has shown a willingness of late to move a little closer to some of Biden's more centrist policy ideas, built a network of high-dollar donors during her Senate campaigns, so she's no stranger to that world. Now, she'll reportedly turn back to that group to aid Biden in his battle against President Trump.A spokeswoman for Warren declined to comment, and Biden's campaign did not respond to the Times' request. Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com How pandemics change society 17 extra-easy dessert recipes to make in quarantine We should be grateful for good news in Georgia

Nursing home in Michigan lockdown unaware of elderly patient beating until viral video surfaced on Twitter

Police said a nursing home under strict Michigan coronavirus lockdown measures was unaware of an attack on an elderly patient until a viral video surfaced on Twitter, which prompted a response from Donald Trump."Is this even possible to believe? Can this be real?" the president wrote. "Where is this nursing home, how is the victim doing?"

Virginia high school banner groups students of color to make dark outline of logo

"If the picture were at all organized by skin color this is absolutely disgusting,” one student wrote in an email.