Coronavirus could trigger the biggest fall in carbon emissions since World War Two

Half the world's population is in coronavirus lockdown with economies halted 

Carbon emission could fall by up to 5 per cent, first fall of any kind since 2008

Fall of 5 per cent would mark the biggest drop since end of Second World War 

Climate scientists had warned emissions needed to start falling from 2020

By REUTERS 4 April 2020

Carbon dioxide emissions could fall by the largest amount since World War Two this year as the coronavirus outbreak brings economies to a virtual standstill, according to the chair of a network of scientists providing benchmark emissions data.

Rob Jackson, who chairs the Global Carbon Project, which produces widely-watched annual emissions estimates, said carbon output could fall by more than 5% year-on-year — the first dip since a 1.4% reduction after the 2008 financial crisis.

'I wouldn't be shocked to see a 5% or more drop in carbon dioxide emissions this year, something not seen since the end of World War Two,' Jackson, a professor of Earth system science at Stanford University in California, told Reuters in an email.


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Global carbon emissions could fall by 5 per cent year-on-year in 2020 scientists believe, the first drop of any kind since 2008 and the largest fall since the Second World War (pictured, nitrogen dioxide pollution over Europe in January and March this year)



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Half of the world's population is now in coronavirus lockdown with economies shuttered while governments try to flatten the curve of infection, leading to a huge drop in pollution (pictured, nitrogen dioxide pollution over China in December and February this year)

'Neither the fall of the Soviet Union nor the various oil or savings and loan crises of the past 50 years are likely to have affected emissions the way this crisis is,' he said.

The prediction – among a range of new forecasts being produced by climate researchers - represents a tiny sliver of good news in the midst of crisis: Climate scientists had warned world governments that global emissions must start dropping by 2020 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

But the improvements are for all the wrong reasons, tied to a world-shaking global health emergency that has infected more than 950,000 people - while shuttering factories, grounding airlines and forcing hundreds of millions of people to stay at home to slow the contagion.

Experts warn that without structural change, the emissions declines caused by coronavirus could be short-lived and have little impact on the concentrations of carbon dioxide that have accumulated in the atmosphere over decades.

'This drop is not due to structural changes so as soon as confinement ends, I expect the emissions will go back close to where they were,' said Corinne Le Quéré, a climate scientist at the University of East Anglia in eastern England.

After world greenhouse gas emissions dipped in the aftermath of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, they shot back up a whopping 5.1% in the recovery, according to Jackson.

Pollution levels drop in US cities amid the quarantines


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Graphs comparing the amount of nitrogen dioxide pollution on the US east coast between January and March. Nitrogen dioxide is released when carbon fuels, such as petrol and natural gas, are burned for energy


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Graphs comparing the amount of nitrogen dioxide pollution on the US west coast between January and March, after lockdowns were put in place

The pattern of a swift rebound has already begun to play out in China, where emissions fell by an estimated 25% as the country closed factories and put in place strict measures on people's movement to contain the coronavirus earlier this year, but have since returned to a normal range.

That kind of resilience underscores the magnitude of the economic transformation that would be needed to meet the goals of an international deal brokered in Paris in 2015 to try to avert the most catastrophic climate change scenarios.

A U.N. report published in November found that emissions would have to start falling by an average of 7.6% per year to give the world a viable chance of limiting the rise in average global temperatures to 1.5C, the most ambitious Paris goal.


'I don't see any way that this is good news except for proving that humans drive greenhouse gas emissions,' said Kristopher Karnauskas, associate professor at the Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

With the world dependent for fossil fuels for 80% of its energy, emissions forecasts are often based on projections for global economic growth.

Last month, Glen Peters, research director of the Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, predicted carbon emissions would fall between 0.3% and 1.2% this year, using higher and lower forecasts for global GDP growth from the OECD.

A few days later, the Breakthrough Institute, a research centre in California, predicted emissions will decline 0.5-2.2%, basing its calculations on growth forecasts from JP Morgan, and assuming the global economy recovers in the second half.

Europe's air pollution dramatically drops amidst coronavirus



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Climate scientists are urging governments to think about how economies can be restarted to ensure that emissions do not return to pre-coronavirus levels (pictured, nitrogen dioxide emissions over Spain before and after lockdown)


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The reduction in air pollution in 2020 shows just how far governments need to go to permanently reduce emissions, scientists say (pictured, nitrogen dioxide emissions over France pre and post lockdown)


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Satellite images showing how nitrogen dioxide emissions, which are produced when carbon fuels are burned, fell in Italy before and after lockdown

'Our estimates indicate that the pandemic's climate silver lining is vanishingly thin,' said Seaver Wang, a climate and energy analyst at the institute.

'It's as if we went back in time and emitted the same amount we were a few years ago — which was already too much. In the grand scheme of things, it really makes no difference.'

Some foresee a bigger hit to the economy. The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates that world GDP will fall by at least 4% this year — albeit with a 'huge margin of error.'

That drop would be more than twice as large as the contraction during the financial crisis, and the largest annual fall in GDP since 1931, barring wartime, the centre said.

With governments launching gigantic stimulus packages to stop their economies collapsing, investors are now watching to see how far the United States, and China, the European Union, Japan and others embrace lower-emission energy sources.

'Even if there is a decline in emissions in 2020, let's say 10% or 20%, it's not negligible, it's important, but from a climate point of view, it would be a small dent if emissions go back to pre-COVID-19 crisis levels in 2021,' said Pierre Friedlingstein, chair in mathematical modelling of the climate system at the University of Exeter in southwest England.

'This is why it is important to think about the nature of the economic stimulus packages around the world as countries come out of the most immediate health crisis,' said Dan Lashof, U.S. director at the World Resources Institute.

Tallest waterfall in Ecuador runs dry after mysterious sinkhole opens up under the river that feeds it

The San Rafael waterfall in Ecuador has run dry.

Local officials have traced the cause to a large sinkhole that opened beneath the river that once fed the falls.

Located in Cayambe Coca Park, part of the Ecuadorian Amazon near the border with Colombia, the falls ranked as the tallest in the country at more than 500 feet. 

Stunning drone footage captures Ecuador waterfall dried by sinkhole

The government has restricted access to the site of the falls and surrounding area as a team investigates what caused the sinkhole, according to a report in Mongabay.

Some have pointed to a hydroelectric plant 12 miles upstream as a possible cause.

'A waterfall that has been there for thousands of years does not collapse, coincidentally, a few years after opening a hydroelectric project,' Emilio Cobo, coordinator at the South America Water Program with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, told Mongabay.

'These are processes that are in scientific papers and there is sufficient evidence that a dam can cause effects of this type on a river.'

The plant, which was built by the Chinese company SinoHydro and opened in 2016, isn't directly on the river, but it has a diversion reservoir that's designed to remove between 90 and 100 percent of the sediment from the river before its waters reach the plant.



The San Rafael waterfall (pictured above) was the tallest waterfall in Ecuador, at over 500 feet, before a sinkhole formed underneath the river that feeds it, causing the falls to run dry

Sediment acts as a protective layer in riverbeds, helping to insulate the ground below from water erosion.

Without a steady flow of new sediment from upstream, the older sediment is eventually washed away, leaving more of the riverbed susceptible to erosion, a condition researchers describe as 'hungry waters.'

Geologist and former secretary of Natural Capital at Ecuador's Ministry of Environment Alfredo Carrasco argues that the 'hungry waters' phenomenon could also have been caused by seismic activity in the region.

'There are many quite intense earthquakes here. In March 1987, a very strong one appeared that caused tremendous damage to the trans-Ecuadorian oil pipeline that passes right through it,' Carrasco said.

Scroll down for video

This picture released by Ecuador's government shows the San Rafael waterfall after it had nearly run dry, apparently as a result of a sinkhole shortly before the drop

The San Rafael waterfall (pictured above) was the tallest waterfall in Ecuador, at over 500 feet, before a sinkhole formed underneath the river that feeds it, causing the falls to run dry
Stunning drone footage captures Ecuador waterfall dried by sinkhole

The waterfall had previously attracted tens of thousands of visitors a year, and was hailed by the government as a 'symbol of eco-tourism in Ecuador'.

The government has restricted access to the site of the falls and surrounding area as a team investigates what caused the sinkhole, according to a report in Mongabay.

Ecuador's environment ministry said park rangers had noticed a 'possible undermining of the river's path prior to the waterfall' which had 'caused the water to take a new course'.

The once-impressive waterfall stopped flowing on February 2, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.

Some have pointed to a hydroelectric plant 12 miles upstream as a possible cause.

'A waterfall that has been there for thousands of years does not collapse, coincidentally, a few years after opening a hydroelectric project,' Emilio Cobo, coordinator at the South America Water Program with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, told Mongabay.

'These are processes that are in scientific papers and there is sufficient evidence that a dam can cause effects of this type on a river.'

The plant, which was built by the Chinese company SinoHydro and opened in 2016, isn't directly on the river, but it has a diversion reservoir that's designed to remove between 90 and 100 percent of the sediment from the river before its waters reach the plant.

Sediment acts as a protective layer in riverbeds, helping to insulate the ground below from water erosion.

Without a steady flow of new sediment from upstream, the older sediment is eventually washed away, leaving more of the riverbed susceptible to erosion, a condition researchers describe as 'hungry waters.'

Geologist and former secretary of Natural Capital at Ecuador's Ministry of Environment Alfredo Carrasco argues that the 'hungry waters' phenomenon could also have been caused by seismic activity in the region.

'There are many quite intense earthquakes here. In March 1987, a very strong one appeared that caused tremendous damage to the trans-Ecuadorian oil pipeline that passes right through it,' Carrasco said.

'For me, the phenomenon is eminently of natural origin.'


Researchers are still unsure what caused the sinkhole to form, but everyone agrees the diversion of the waters to three new, smaller waterfalls will reshape the region, something already visible in satellite imagery showing the falls in 2014 (left) and 2020 (right)

In Carrasco's theory, sediment from upstream could have been blocked by a natural dam that was formed after an earthquake, which over time would have limited the amount of sediment flowing downstream, potentially causing erosion sufficient to create the sinkhole.

Whatever the cause, researchers agree the sinkhole will radically reshape the region as the once unitary river has now been split into three smaller streams, each of which have formed their own small waterfalls along the jungle ridge.

The three new waterfalls cannot be seen from the viewing platforms which were located around the original landmark.

These newer and smaller waterfalls, will bring added risk of landslides and potentially threaten the wellbeing of fish and other invertebrates that had been a part of the river's ecosystem for years.

'In the scientific world, many do not see rivers as ecosystems, when in reality it is a reduced surface that ends up absorbing many of the environmental impacts,' Cobo said.

Ecuador's government does not plan to perform the reconstruction on the riverbed which would be necessary to restore the waterfall.

Visitors had previously been encouraged to take a half-hour walk from a nearby road and see the butterflies who lived near the waterfall.

'The waterfall is now part of history,' the NASA Earth Observatory says.

VIDEO

WHAT ARE SINKHOLES?
A sinkhole is a hole in the ground created by erosion and the drainage of water.

They can range in size from a few feet in diameter to the size capable of swallowing entire buildings.

They are a natural phenomenon but the process is often amplified by human processes and interference.

There are two basic types of sinkhole which are separated by how they form.

Slow developing ones are known as a cover-subsidence sinkhole and those that appear suddenly are called a cover-collapse sinkhole.

The sudden holes which seize headlines are the latter and can cause devastation and even death.

Often, it involves soluble rock, such as limestone, becoming moist and eroding rapidly.

This then leads to a swift loss of land and a sinkhole emerges.

Victoria Falls roars back to life thanks to heavy rains just months after severe drought reduced it to a trickle 

Victoria Falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, almost ran dry last year  

The world's largest waterfall is now roaring again after heavy rains upstream 

 
A second deluge is now due to boost it to levels not seen seen since the 1970s

But few will get to see it after viewing areas were closed due to coronavirus

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE  2 April 2

The Victoria Falls are thundering once again, just months after a severe drought brought the world's largest waterfall to a virtual trickle.

Heavy rainfall upstream means the Zambezi River, which feeds the falls, is now at its highest level for 20 years and has seen the amount of water cascading over the rocky outcrop increase by ten times since January.

A second deluge of water which fell in Angola in recent weeks near the source of the river, some 480 miles away, is on course to top up the torrent to levels not seen since the Seventies.

Victoria Falls appears to be back flowing once again

Victoria Falls, which sits on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa, has come roaring back to life thanks to heavy rains upstream (file image)

Just four months ago the falls, thought to be the largest in the world, had been reduced to a mere trickle amid the worst drought in the region for 100 years

Video taken by writer and photographer Peter Frost shows water gushing over the falls on Wednesday.

Trevor Lane, 68, a conservationist based in the town of Livingstone close to the falls, told The Times: 'It looks very much like we are going to exceed the record set in the Seventies in the next fortnight.'

However, almost nobody will get to witness the sight firsthand after Zimbabwe, on whose border the falls sits, closed viewing sights amid a lockdown over coronavirus.

The Victoria Falls - named by Scottish Explorer Robert Livingstone in 1855, but known as Mosi-oa-Tunya or 'The Smoke That Thunders' to locals for much longer - are neither the world's tallest, nor widest falls.

However, they are known as the world's largest due to a combination of width, height, and volume of water cascading over them.

For comparison, they are almost twice the height of America's Niagara Falls and more than twice the width of the Horseshoe Falls.

The falls sit on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and were formed by the Zambezi river washing away soft sedimentary rock to expose hard basalt beneath.

The falls are set to reach levels not seen since the 1970s after a second deluge in recent weeks, but few will get to see it after Zambia and Zimbabwe closed viewing areas due to coronavirus

News of heavy rainfall will also come as a relief to the citizens of Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa who rely on the Zambezi for power which is generated at the Kariba dam downstream of the falls (pictured, the falls at a trickle in November last year)

The river itself originates close to the border where Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo meet.

It then flows through Zambia, Angola and Namibia, then back along the border of Zambia before discharging into the Indian Ocean in Mozambique.

The river is dammed at two points, the first of which - the Kariba - is located a short distance downstream from the falls.

While river levels have hit historic highs, the reservoir that feeds the dam is only 16 per cent full after the region suffered through its worst drought in 100 years.

The dam provides power for large parts of Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, which have suffered blackouts as the river dried up.

Seeing the falls disappear also meant a drop in tourist revenues for Zambia and Zimbabwe, which typically attract millions of visitors each year.

Corona beer suspends production due to coronavirus
The lager brand will not be produced after Mexico deemed it non-essential

Brewery Grupo Modelo said it was scaling down operations to a 'bare minimum'

But it suggested it could keep brewing beer if it was deemed to be agriculture

By TIM STICKINGS FOR MAILONLINE and AFP 4 April 2020

The brewer of Corona beer has suspended production because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The brand of lager - whose unfortunate name has made it a punchline during the health crisis - will not be produced after Mexico deemed it non-essential.

Fears of a shortage have prompted panic-buying, with pictures from Mexican shops showing trolleys piled up with beer.

The brewery Grupo Modelo said it was scaling down its operations to a 'bare minimum' in line with the Mexican government's orders.


However, the company suggested it could keep brewing beer if its operations were deemed to be agriculture, which is allowed.


Fears of a shortage of alcohol in Mexico have prompted panic-buying, with pictures from Mexican shops showing trolleys piled up with Corona and its sibling Coronita
Drivers queue outside store after Mexican state bans alcohol

Corona lager - whose unfortunate name has made it a punchline during the health crisis - will not be produced after Mexico deemed it non-essential

Corona beer - pictured here on a shelf in Thailand last month - is suspending production because of the coronavirus crisis in Mexico

Grupo Modelo, which also has other export brands including Pacifico and Modelo, said it would complete the suspension in the next few days.

The brewery will reduce operations to a level where they could resume once the suspension is lifted, Grupo Modelo says.

The company said that brewing could continue 'if the government considers it appropriate to issue some clarification confirming beer as an agro-industrial product'.

'We are ready to execute a plan with more than 75 per cent of our staff working from home and at the same time guaranteeing the supply of beer,' a statement said.

Agriculture and food production are among the key sectors which are still allowed to function under Mexican government orders.

Non-essential activities have been suspended for at least the month of April to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Mexico's other major beer producer Heineken - which makes the Tecate and Dos Equis brands - could also stop activities on Friday, Mexican media said.

The northern state of Nuevo Leon where Heineken's Mexican operations are based said on Wednesday it would stop the distribution of beer, sparking panic-buying.

Speculation about a total alcohol ban - although so far unfounded - has also prompted queues at shops. 

Corona slammed for advert amid Covid-19 outbrea

A police officer and volunteer patrol a closed beach in Baja 

California in Mexico earlier this week as the country shuts 

down non-essential activities 

Spring breakers drink Corona on beach amid coronavirus outbreak

Jaime Heliodoro Rodriguez Calderon, the governor of Nuevo Leon, told local media: 'Why buy alcohol now and cause a problem?

'Someone can be infected, you are creating risk. You will leave the shop infected and you will infect your children.'

Mexico has so far registered more than 1,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 50 deaths.

Constellation Brands, which sells Corona in the U.S., said in February that its sales remained strong despite the label's obvious drawbacks.

But the company suffered a separate blow last week when plans for a $1.5billion brewery on the U.S. border were rejected in a referendum.

The plant was already two-thirds built but Mexico's government said it would not grant operating permits after the vote.

Mexico's deputy health minister said yesterday there are no plans for border closures even as the country's death toll mounts.

'There's no plan, because there's no intention to use the border closure mechanism as if it were a useful mechanism for controlling the epidemic,' said Hugo Lopez-Gatell during his regular evening news conference.

'Although there's an expectation in the general public's view that a physical barrier can be put to epidemics, there's no scientific, historical demonstration that these types of measures are of any use.'

Marianne Faithfull, 74, in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus as her ex-husband John Dunbar claims the star is 'barely able to speak'

The singer's management claimed she is 'stable' as she battles the virus

Mick Jagger's former lover is 'responding well to treatment' after testing positive

A spokesperson for Marianne said: 'Marianne Faithfull's manager Francois Ravard has confirmed that she is being treated for Covid-19 in hospital'

By CHARLOTTE DEAN FOR MAILONLINE 4 April 2020

Marrianne Faithfull is in hospital being treated for coronavirus.

The 74-year-old singer's ex-husband John Dunbar has claimed that she is struggling to speak as she battles the deadly virus at a London hospital.

However Mick Jagger's former lover is said to be 'stable' and 'responding well to treatment' after testing positive for the condition, her management confirmed.

Confirmed: Marrianne Faithfull is in hospital being treated for coronavirus

John, who was briefly married to the star between 1965 and 1966, said that she had been hospitalised on Tuesday after developing symptoms.

The British artist is quoted as saying: 'She can barely speak and no visitors,' but added that it has been 'so far so good', regarding her treatment.

Marianne's friend Penny Arcade posted a statement on social media: 'Marianne Faithfull is in hospital in London having tested positive for Covid 19. She went in this past Tuesday.

'She has withstood and survived so much in her life - including being Marianne Faithful, that to be taken down by a virus would be such a tragedy.

The singer, 74, is 'stable and responding to treatment' as she battles the virus in hospital in London, her management confirmed on Saturday (pictured in 1967)


News: However Mick Jagger's former lover is said to be 'stable' and 'responding well to treatment' after testing positive for the condition, her management confirmed (pictured with Mick)

'I spoke to her last week and she was hiding out from the virus but she has caregivers and someone brought in to her.'

A spokesperson for Marianne told MailOnline: 'Marianne Faithfull's manager Francois Ravard has confirmed that she is being treated for Covid-19 in hospital in London.

They added: 'She is stable and responding to treatment, we all wish her well and a full and speedy recovery.'

The London-born Marianne was first discovered at a Rolling Stones launch party she attended with John in 1964, which helped launch her singing career.

Struggles: John, who was briefly married to the star between 1965 and 1966, said that she had been hospitalised on Tuesday after developing symptoms (pictured together in 2007)


A spokesperson for Marianne told MailOnline: 'Marianne Faithfull's manager Francois Ravard has confirmed that she is being treated for Covid-19 in hospital in London'

Later that year, she released her first song, As Tears Go By, written by Jagger, Keith Richards and the man who discovered her, Andrew Loong Oldham.

She released a slew of successful hits and ended up marrying Dunbar in 1965, though she ultimately left him for Jagger.

But after leaving Jagger in the 1970s, she became addicted to heroin, and she was homeless and living on the streets for a spell.

Marianne Faithfull puts on stunning performance in Austrian theatre show

She was found on the street by producer Mike Leander in 1971 as she tried to get her career on track, releasing the country-influenced album Dreamin' My Dreams in 1975, but her career wasn't fully revived until her 1979 album Broken English.

It was revealed earlier this year that Lucy Boynton, 26, will star as Marianne in a new planned biopic detailing her life.

The film will chart her sudden and meteoric rise, to her downfall with substance abuse and homelessness before her road to recovery.

Life and times: The London-born Marianne was first discovered at a Rolling Stones launch party she attended with John Dunbar in 1964, which helped launch her singing career (pictured in 1969)

'Marianne is an extraordinary woman who rebelled against the male dominated music industry,' director Ian Bonhote said.

'The film will explore female-issues as well as the injustices she suffered in her quest to be recognised as an artist,' he added.

'I'm honoured to collaborate with Lucy and Julia to shine a light on Marianne's timeless story,' he said, referring to Boynton and producer Julia Taylor-Stanley.


Role of a lifetime: It was revealed earlier this year that Lucy Boynton, 26, will star as Marianne in a new planned biopic detailing her life

Boynton herself will serve as an executive producer, though it remains unclear when the film will go into production, or when it will be released.

'I am delighted that my story is finally being made with my dream team of Lucy, Julia and Ian,' Faithfull herself said in a statement.

Lucy starred as Mary Austin in her boyfriend Rami Malek's rock biopic Bohemian Rhapsody last year, and she played Astrid Sloan in The Politician.


Icon: In 1964 Marianne released her first song, As Tears Go By, written by Jagger, Keith Richards and the man who discovered her, Andrew Loong Oldham (pictured in 2011)



The news comes after the nation suffered the worst day yet in the coronavirus crisis as 708 people died with a five-year-old child, who had underlying health issues, being the youngest victim.

Since the start of the outbreak there have been 41,903 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK with a total death toll of 4,313.

With temperatures heading for the mid to high 60s, health chiefs were afraid people would ignore the government's coronavirus lockdown rules over the weekend, jeopardising the strategy of limiting the spread of the deadly Covid-19 virus.

Officials warn the lockdown may have to be extended if people continue to ignore the advice to stay at home and only go out for essential reasons.

Love life: She released a slew of successful hits and ended up marrying Dunbar in 1965, though she ultimately left him for Jagger (pictured in 1968)

Trump ignores catastrophic job figures to hit out at 'insatiable complainers who should have been stocked long before crisis hit' and blames New York for 'late start' in fighting coronavirus

President Trump tweets attack on 'complainers' about severe shortages of hospital equipment minutes after devastating jobs numbers are published

He ignores 6.6million new unemployment claims and focuses anger on Chuck Schumer and New York state 

He blasted 'Cryin' Chuck Schumer' Thursday morning for 'complaining' about coronavirus supply shortages

Schumer had gone on television and on Twitter and demanded the president appoint a military commander to handle the supply chain 

'His presidential appointees are not up to the job,' Schumer argued in a Wednesday night tweet
On Thursday, after Schumer appeared on 'Morning Joe,' Trump went after him saying a 'very talented' admiral was in charge of distribution 

'Unlike other states, New York unfortunately got off to a late start,' Trump said of the city and state most impacted currently by the coronavirus pandemic 

'Some have insatiable appetites & are never satisfied (politics?). Remember, we are a backup for them,' he said

Trump is trying to pain the federal government as a backup to states
By NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 2 April 2020
President Trump ignored Thursday's devastating jobs numbers and instead launched an attack on unnamed states as 'insatiable complainers' about vital equipment - hinting heavily that he meant New York.

Minutes after the Labor Department disclosed that there were 6.6 million new unemployment claims last week, Trump went after people 'complaining,' singling out New York senator - and Democratic minority leader - Chuck Schumer.

'Massive amounts of medical supplies, even hospitals and medical centers, are being delivered directly to states and hospitals by the Federal Government,' Trump tweeted.

'Some have insatiable appetites & are never satisfied (politics?). Remember, we are a backup for them. The complainers should have been stocked up and ready long before this crisis hit.

'Other states are thrilled with the job we have done. Sending many Ventilators today, with thousands being built. 51 large cargo planes coming in with medical supplies. Prefer sending directly to hospitals.'

Those tweets came after a direct attack on Schumer and more criticism of New York.

President Trump blasted Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate's most powerful Democrat, for 'complaining' about supply shortages in New York - and asking Trump to appoint a military commander to be in charge of getting supplies to states

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In two tweets Thursday morning, Trump went after Schumer and blamed New York, the current epicenter of the virus in the United States, as getting 'off to a late start'

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The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits last week has shot to a record 6.6 million, according to figures released by the Department of Labor on Thursday

'Somebody please explain to Cryin' Chuck Schumer that we do have a military man in charge of distributing goods, a very talented, Admiral, in fact,' Trump tweeted Thursday morning. 'New York has gotten far more than any other State, including hospitals & a hospital chip, but no matter what always complaining.

'It wouldn't matter if you got ten times what was needed, it would never be good enough. Unlike other states, New York unfortunately got off to a late start. You should have pushed harder. Stop complaining & find out where all of these supplies are going. Cuomo working hard!'

The tweets continued with Trump's attempt to shift responsibility for the handling of the crisis to states, and paint the federal government as a rescue service.

It also hinted at his repeated claim that vital medical equipment is 'going out the back door' of New York hospitals, which has been dismissed by state and city authorities.

In New York Andrew Cuomo, the governor, was asked to square Trump's attack on Schumer with praise for him. 'I don't know if you can square those two statements,' he said at his daily press briefing.

Then he added - apparently sarcastically: 'I think him for his good words that he thinks I am doing a good job.'


Schumer has been doing the media rounds arguing that Trump needs to put a military commander in charge of manufacturing and distributing much needed medical supplies under the Defense Production Act


Schumer also laid out his point in a Thursday evening tweet, noting that Trump's presidential appointees 'are not up to the job'

Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, had been doing the media rounds - and also made the point on Twitter - saying that he believed Trump needed to appoint a czar 'like a military or logistics expert' in order to produce and distribute much needed medical supplies more quickly.

'His presidential appointees are not up to the job,' Schumer argued in a Wednesday night tweet.

Also on CNN Wednesday night, Schumer said that Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro, whom the president tapped to be in charge of the Defense Production Act's execution was 'not up to the job.'

'He is a very nice man but he has no experience doing things like this,' the New York Democrat said. 'And they have no one that I can best tell in charge of the distribution.'

Schumer repeated many of the same points on 'Morning Joe' Thursday morning. And his appearance on the show was followed by Trump's tweets.

'It wouldn't matter if you got ten times what was needed, it would never be good enough,' Trump wrote.

'Unlike other states, New York unfortunately got off to a late start,' the president stated. 'You should have pushed harder. Stop complaining & find out where all of these supplies are going.'

Trump concluded the two tweets by complimenting New York's Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat like Schumer.

'Cuomo working hard!' Trump wrote.

The president's comments came as new job numbers showed an astounding 10 million Americans became out of work in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week an additional 6.6 million filed for those benefits this week, wrapping up the month of March.

Trump has yet to mention the unemployment numbers.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits last week has shot to a record 6.6 million - as layoffs increased amid the coronavirus pandemic and more states enforced stay-at-home orders.

New claims for unemployment benefits rose to 6.65 million in the week ending March 28, according to figures released by the Department of Labor on Thursday.

The number of first-time applications for jobless benefits was double the previous record of 3.3 million new claims filed for the week ending March 21.

It means that roughly 10 million Americans have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment in the two weeks that the coronavirus started rapidly spreading across the country.

The new unemployment claims account for the week in which states like New York shuttered non-essential businesses and enforced stay-at-home orders.

More than 80 percent of Americans are now under some form of lockdown - up from less than 50 percent just a few weeks ago - as the death toll rose to 5,139 as more than 216,000 Americans have tested positive for the virus.

All 50 states reported rises in new unemployment claims, according to the new report. Pennsylvania (up 362,012), Ohio (up 189,263) and Massachusetts (up 141,003) reported the largest increases.

In the same week of last year, only 211,000 people requested benefits for the first time.


New claims for unemployment benefits rose to 6.65 million in the latest week from the 3.3 million the previous week. It means that 10 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the two weeks that the coronavirus started rapidly spreading across the country
Trump won't declare a national shutdown, leaves it up to governors

Some of last week's jobless claims could be delayed filings from the previous week when state offices that handle unemployment benefits were overwhelmed by a surge of online and telephone claims.

There is anecdotal evidence that people who have tried to file claims online have not been able to with some forced to wait five hours to log onto the website and others calling hundreds of times just to get through.

Numerous state unemployment agencies have struggled to keep up with the flood of applications for jobless benefits.

New York's Labor Department is asking people to file on different days depending on their last names, for example: Monday is reserved for those last names that start with A through F.

The government's weekly report, the most timely data on the economy's health, offered the clearest evidence yet that the longest employment boom in US history likely ended in March.

Before the virus hit, unemployment in the US was at its lowest in 60 years and the economy was stronger than it had ever been.

The surging layoffs have led some economists to predict the worst job losses since World War II.

Many employers are continuing to slash their payrolls to try to stay afloat during the pandemic because their revenue has collapsed, especially at restaurants, hotels, gyms, movie theaters and other venues that depend on face-to-face interaction.

Stay-at-home orders, imposed by most US states, have intensified pressure on businesses, most of which face rent, loans and other bills that must be paid.

The result far surpassed even the highest of estimates by economists with analysts who had expected grim figures left stunned.

'No words for this,' said Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics.

'We're hoping today's reading will be the peak, but we can't be sure,' he said in an analysis. 'In any event, total layoffs between the March and April payroll surveys look destined to reach perhaps 16 to 20 million, consistent with the unemployment rate leaping to 13 to 16 percent. In one month.'


More than 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to new figures released by the Department of Labor on Thursday. About 50 people lined up (above) outside an Arkansas unemployment office on Monday

The outbreak has spurred an unprecedented surge in Americans seeking government assistance.

They have already outstripped applications for unemployment benefits that peaked at 665,000 during the 2007-2009 recession, during which 8.7 million jobs were lost.

Economists say the country should brace for jobless claims to continue escalating, partly citing generous provisions of a historic $2.2 trillion fiscal package signed by President Donald Trump last week and the federal government's easing of requirements for workers to seek benefits.

The expanded unemployment benefits system added $600 a week in jobless aid, on top of what recipients receive from their states. The unemployed eligible for up to $600 per week for up to four months, which is equivalent to $15 per hour for a 40-hour week.

By comparison, the government-mandated minimum wage is about $7.25 per hour and the average jobless benefits payment was roughly $385 per person per month at the start of this year.

It also makes many more people eligible for unemployment benefits, including the self-employed, contractors, and so-called 'gig economy' workers such as Uber and Lyft drivers.

The legislation will help to fund unemployment benefits for workers whose hours have been cut. That would enable these people to replace some of their lost income with unemployment aid even as they keep their jobs. About 26 states allow workers with reduced hours to claim benefits.

Last week's claims data has no bearing on the closely watched employment report for March, which is scheduled for release on Friday.

For the employment report, the government surveyed businesses and households in the middle of the month, when just a handful of states were enforcing 'stay-at-home' or 'shelter-in-place' orders.

It is, however, a preview of the carnage that awaits as the coronavirus pandemic worsens.

Retailers including Macy's, Kohl's Corp and Gap Inc said on Monday they would furlough tens of thousands of employees as they prepare to keep stores shut for longer.
Schumer says Congress closing in on coronavirus aid packag

People gather at the entrance for the New York State Department of Labor offices. New Yorkers have reported issues filing for unemployment benefits

Connecticut governor says people will have to wait FIVE WEEKS for their unemployment checks and laid off workers in New York say they still can't get through to apply

The governor of Connecticut has said that unemployment checks will be delayed at least five weeks, adding to the woes of laid off workers struggling to pay bills in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Ned Lamont said on Tuesday that Connecticut Department of Labor staff were being overwhelmed by processing applications while working remotely on outdated computer systems.

'I'm sad to report that there's a five-week lag time,' Lamont said. 'Everything is retroactive, so even if it's slow for us to get it back to you - it's not that our heart's not there, it's because the technology is 40 years old. And we're loading in more (staff) every day to help catch up with that backlog.'

Lamont said the labor department was in the midst of updating the antiquated mainframe used to process claims, but that the update would not be complete for at least a year.

In New York, the epicenter of the outbreak, Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the state normally processes about 50,000 claims a week but that on Monday the state's Department of Labor had received 1.2 million claims.

Yet many New Yorkers who have been out of work for several weeks say they are still unable to file unemployment claims due to crashed websites and flooded call lines.

'We can't get thru to FILE A CLAIM' tweeted one New York resident on Tuesday. 'System Overload. Continues to freeze up & crash. Restricted days/hours. We realize this is an unprecedented crisis but it must be fixed ASAP.'

'NYS Unemployment completely down,' another wrote with a screen shot of an error message on the New York Department of Labor website. 'Good luck getting paid.'

In response to the unprecedented claim volume, New York has instituted restrictions on which days people can apply based on the first letters of their last names - but laid off workers still say it is impossible to file.

A spokeswoman for the New York Department of Labor told DailyMail.com that the department had dedicated 700 staff members to the state's unemployment insurance hotline and was currently training hundreds more.

'We have added over 20 additional servers to support the website's capacity,' spokeswoman Deanna Cohen said in a statement. 'We will continue to double down on all of these efforts to serve every New Yorker who is filing for unemployment insurance.'
Cuomo holds briefing on the coronavirus response in New York


A lone passenger checks in with a TSA agent at Denver International Airport on Wednesday as a statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus

Workers at the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, are still on the job, despite a slow down in work. Less than a dozen passengers are seen waiting in a TSA line at John F. Kennedy Airport on Tuesday

Private sector employees feel pain of coronavirus job cuts as public sector workers like TSA agents are paid their full hours despite a drastic drop in travel

Private sector employees are enduring the worst of the job cuts as a result of the coronavirus outbreak with more than a quarter of American saying they've lost wages and about 16 percent already being furloughed or laid off, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Retailers including Macy's, Gap, JCPenney and Neiman Marcus, as well as mall owner Simon Properties, among others from the private sector are enacting furloughs because of the outbreak.

Companies like iHeart Media representing 800 stations, outdoor recreational craft maker Polaris, and even hospital operators are also sending employees home.

Meanwhile, government employees, including those who work for the TSA, have remained employed full time despite travel restrictions resulting in a slow down in work.

Jasmine, a 21-year-old TSA agent at Los Angeles International Airport, told Vox that her job was easy for the first time ever because airlines are operating significantly fewer flights.

'I'm just hanging out with my friends at this point,' a TSA worker at Los Angeles International Airport told Vox.

'Things have been really slow for about two weeks now.

'Our numbers have just been slowly decreasing. It's super weird because we're so used to constant rush. Now it's literally, like, 10 people an hour, it's crazy.'

Southwest Airlines, for example, are currently flying at about 20 percent capacity.

While the government-run TSA continues to operate, other airport services like restaurants, bars and retails shops have been shuttered because of the virus.

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