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New rumors about Kim Jong Un pour in daily. The North Korean leader is dead. Or he’s very ill. Or maybe he’s just recuperating in his luxury compound, or isolating himself from the coronavirus.As speculation about his health builds, an underlying question looms for professional spies, policymakers, academics and curious news consumers alike.What do we really know about the man who leads North Korea?The answer is crucial because Kim’s intentions, and the as-yet-unknown state of his health, play an outsized role in the workings of Northeast Asia, an uneasy collection of wary neighbors at the best of times and home to two of the three biggest economies in the world and a huge buildup of American military machinery and manpower.Sandwiched amid goliaths, North Korea is a small, impoverished, extraordinarily proud nation that through sheer force of will — and a relentless cult of personality built around a single family — has been at the center of a half-century security headache for its neighbors.No matter how successful China, South Korea and Japan become — and their transformation from war, poverty and domestic infighting into political and economic might has been spectacular — North Korea and its single-minded pursuit of nuclear-tipped missiles meant to protect the Kim family has made itself impossible to ignore, holding the region and Washington hostage to its narrow ambitions.The disappearanceThere’s not much to go on here despite the building media coverage.Some unconfirmed news reports say Kim is in fragile condition or even a vegetative state following heart surgery.The South Korean government, however, maintains that Kim still appears to be in power and that there have been no signs that something big has happened in North Korea.What’s uncontested is that Kim hasn’t appeared in public since an April 11 meeting focused on the coronavirus. This sort of vanishing act has happened before, but what has set rumors ablaze now is that for the first time as leader he missed the most important holiday of the North Korean year, the April 15 celebration of his grandfather’s birth.There have been no photographs and no videos of the leader in nearly three weeks, only state media reports of him sending written greetings to world leaders or citizens of merit.The manThose looking to understand Kim face a problem. Much of what the outside world sees is filtered through relentless North Korean propaganda meant to build him into an infallible paragon of leadership.Add to that vaguely sourced or misleading outside media reports and the extreme difficulty of cracking North Korea’s ultra-secrecy surrounding anything to do with the leader, and the picture that emerges of Kim is often more mosaic than profile.In South Korea, he is seen as both demon and statesman. He has repeatedly threatened to burn Seoul to the ground. He has also rolled out the red carpet for a visit to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, by South Korea’s president and sent his own sister south for the 2018 Olympics.In the West, portrayals of Kim often run to caricature. His broken friendship with Dennis Rodman, the former basketball star he reportedly idolized as a schoolboy; the rumors about his extreme love of cheese and his allegedly creative ways of disposing of officials who displease him.Then there’s the stunning series of summits over the last two years with the leaders of Russia, China, the United States and South Korea.Kim was likely born in 1984 and attended boarding school for several years in Switzerland. Early on, some observers argued that his time in the West would lead him to eventually embrace Chinese-style reforms.That has not happened so far, though he has taken a markedly different approach to leadership than his publicity-shy father, Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011.Outside governments and experts initially questioned the ability of a man then in his 20s to lead, but Kim Jong Un quickly consolidated power. He ordered the 2013 execution of his uncle and mentor, Jang Song Thaek, who was accused of treason. Kim is also suspected of ordering the assassination of his estranged half brother, and potential rival, at a Malaysian airport in 2017.Kim has shown a growing confidence on the world stage, most clearly with the high-stakes diplomacy that followed a run of nuclear and missile tests in 2017 that had many fearing war.The sight of a North Korean leader meeting with his South Korean and U.S. rivals was extraordinary, though it’s not yet clear whether the diplomacy will settle an uneasy region.Kim entered 2020 vowing to bolster his nuclear deterrent in the face of “gangster-like” U.S. economic sanctions, and he supervised a series of weapons launches and military drills in March.Much of what happens now will depend on Kim’s health.North Korea, despite its poverty, has long commanded world attention because of its sustained, belligerent pursuit of what it calls self-defensive measures in response to U.S. hostility — and what critics call an illegal accumulation of nuclear bombs.There’s debate about whether North Korea ever intended to give up its nuclear weapons during the summits with Washington and Seoul. But the diplomacy seems inconceivable without Kim.That raises fears, during a potential moment of massive political instability, of a return to threats and increasingly powerful weapons tests meant to perfect the nuclear weapons seen as the only real guarantee of the Kim family’s power. 
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U.S. government officials say an experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major study.Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir is the first treatment to pass such a strict test against the virus, which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year. The study was led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and tested remdesivir versus usual care in more than 1,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world.Results released Wednesday showed the drug reduced the time to recovery by 31%, or four days on average, compared to usual care. It is given through an IV and interferes with the virus’s ability to copy its genetic material.   An experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major study, shortening the time it takes for patients to recover by four days on average, U.S. government and company officials announced Wednesday. Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir is the first treatment to pass such a strict test against the virus, which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year in China. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away. The study, run by the National Institutes of Health, tested remdesivir versus usual care in 1,063 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. At the White House, NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31% — 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care.  He also said there was a trend toward fewer deaths among those on remdesivir, and that full results would soon be published in a medical journal.  “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus,” Fauci said. “This will be the standard of care.”  Gilead Sciences Inc pharmaceutical company is pictured in Oceanside, California, April 29, 2020.A statement from the Food and Drug Administration says that the agency has been talking with California-based Gilead “regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate.” Remdesivir is among many treatments being tested against the coronavirus but was the farthest along in study.  The drug is given through an IV and is designed to interfere with the virus’s ability to copy its genetic material. In animal tests against SARS and MERS, diseases caused by similar coronaviruses, the drug helped prevent infection and reduced the severity of symptoms when given early enough in the course of illness. But it is not yet approved anywhere in the world for any use. The NIH study quickly enrolled its original goal of 440 patients and then was expanded to give more answers on questions such as which subgroups may or may not benefit, and other factors that may affect success, such as how early in the course of illness the drug was given. The study’s main goal also was altered. Originally, it was the percentage of patients having various outcomes such as needing a breathing machine, fully recovered or dying 15 days after starting treatment. The new main goal is time to recovery, such as no longer needing oxygen or hospitalization. “We are excited and optimistic,” said one expert, Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Mark Denison. His lab first tested remdesivir against other coronaviruses in 2013 and has done much research on it since, but was not involved in the NIH study. “It’s active against every coronavirus that we’ve ever tested,” he said. “It was very hard for the virus to develop resistance to remdesivir. That means the drug would likely be effective over longer term use.” A less encouraging picture came from partial results from a separate study testing remdesivir in severely ill patients in China, published Wednesday in the British medical journal Lancet. Treatment did not speed recovery in that study, which was stopped after only 237 of a planned 453 patients were enrolled. Researchers gave 158 people the drug and 79 others got usual care.  Separately on Wednesday, Gilead announced partial results from its own ongoing study of the drug in severely ill, hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The company said patients treated for five days “achieved similar improvement” in health as others treated for 10 days. However, that result is hard to interpret because there is no comparison group of people getting usual care, so it’s impossible to know how much patients would have improved on their own.  The company also said no new safety problems emerged in that study, and that it would publish results in a medical journal soon. Gilead also is testing remdesivir in a separate study of moderately ill coronavirus patients. No results have yet been announced from that study, which does have a comparison group getting usual care.  Besides these studies, Gilead also has given remdesivir to more than 1,700 patients on a case-by-case emergency basis. In other treatment-related news this week, two studies gave updates on anti-inflammatory drugs that aim to tamp down the severe inflammation that often develops in later stages of severe COVID-19 and often proves fatal. A French hospital consortium reported success with using Acetemra, a Roche drug sold for rheumatoid arthritis and some other conditions, in a study of 129 coronavirus patients where 65 got the drug and the rest, usual care. No details were released; doctors said they were preparing to publish results.  A similar drug, Kevzara, did not work as well at low doses in a study of severely ill coronavirus patients, its makers Sanofi and Regeneron said. They’re continuing to test it at higher doses in critically ill patients, though. 
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Louisiana’s Republican state lawmakers are considering the extraordinary step of trying to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ emergency decision-making, even as President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised the Democratic governor’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.Some GOP legislators, primarily in the House, are trying to rally support for a rare legal maneuver that would allow them to overturn possibly some or all of the governor’s disaster orders and proclamations related to the COVID-19 disease. The talks are an outgrowth of Republican displeasure with Edwards’ two-week extension of the statewide stay-at-home order until mid-May.”We’re all frustrated. It’s leading to conversations with the constituency back home and with the Legislature about whether the governor is making the right decisions for the state,” said Representative Blake Miguez, leader of the House Republican delegation.As those behind-the-scenes conversations continued, Edwards met Wednesday with Trump in a cordial White House session between two former foes. Trump unsuccessfully tried to keep the governor from winning reelection in November, traveling to Louisiana for anti-Edwards rallies. But since the election, the leaders have struck a conciliatory tone.Edwards thanked Trump for aid Louisiana has received, along with the pledge of federal assistance to boost testing. The Republican president touted the “great success in Louisiana” to stem the virus spread and complimented the governor’s performance, telling Edwards: “It’s an honor working with you and the people of Louisiana.”Shutdown elements extendedBack in Louisiana, leaders of the majority-Republican Legislature, who had largely avoided criticizing Edwards’ virus response, have started ramping up complaints. They’re bristling that Edwards is maintaining the order banning most public gatherings and shuttering certain businesses through May 15 with only minor changes.GOP lawmakers, citing skyrocketing unemployment and widespread business disruptions, had believed the governor appeared ready to loosen restrictions as Louisiana showed statewide improvement in battling the virus. Instead, Edwards dismissed Republican calls to consider a parish-by-parish or regional approach and extended his stay-at-home order.”All we have been informed of is very broad brush strokes. That’s where my members have a lot of concerns. They don’t feel like they’ve been getting answers when they try to delve deeper into the numbers,” said GOP Senate President Page Cortez.Republicans are weighing use of a little-discussed provision in Louisiana law that allows legislators, through a written petition of a majority of either the House or Senate, to revoke a governor’s disaster order. Republicans have consulted attorneys to determine how they could apply that law, if they could pick and choose what emergency orders they want to nullify and what the implications would be on federal disaster recovery aid and on-the-ground response work.The governor’s chief lawyer, Matthew Block, wrote to legislative leaders that the action would have far-reaching implications, ending emergency unemployment aid, nullifying school closures and risking the “crushing loss of federal funding.” Block said the petition could jeopardize federal reimbursement for hundreds of millions in state emergency spending for virus testing sites, Louisiana National Guard assistance, a temporary hospital created at the New Orleans convention center and more.FILE – A view of empty Bourbon Street in the French Quarter amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 27, 2020, in New Orleans.Republicans disagree on whether they want to revoke Edwards’ entire emergency declaration or to pinpoint the stay-at-home order. Neither Cortez nor Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder has offered public support for the petition, though both indicated they’d consider it.Looking for ‘unintended consequences'”We’re working on every possible solution to safely open our economy as quickly as possible and get our families back to work. One of the ideas is to override the governor’s emergency declaration,” Schexnayder said in a statement. “We’re looking into what, if any, unintended consequences that could have.”More than 27,600 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 1,802 people have died, according to state health department data.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For others, the highly contagious virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.Edwards said he’s extending the stay-at-home order because some regions — northeast Louisiana, the Baton Rouge area and Acadiana — haven’t shown enough progress in fighting the virus. He said infectious disease specialists and public health experts recommended the extension.Republicans believe Louisiana meets the White House benchmarks for the first phase of economic reopening. They said Edwards cherry-picked regional data to make a statewide decision even as he resists making regional reopening decisions.Senate GOP leader Sharon Hewitt said she’s spoken with colleagues about revoking some of Edwards’ orders, but has questions about the ramifications.”There’s a lot of pent-up frustration and a lot of disappointment,” Hewitt said. “We’re just turning over every rock, but this one’s got a lot of tentacles that have to be understood before I could really support it.”Still, the petition needs support from only a majority in one chamber. Republican Representative Alan Seabaugh told KPEL radio he feels confident a petition can get 53 supporters in a House with 68 Republicans.
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Poland’s prime minister said Wednesday that the presidential election must be held in May despite the coronavirus pandemic to meet the requirements of the constitution. Mateusz Morawiecki said, however, that the May 10 election date may be pushed back by a week or two.  “Constitutional experts say that the election is also possible on successive dates: May 17 or May 23,” Morawiecki said.  “We will be taking the decision in the nearest future,” he said.  The ruling conservative Law and Justice party is pushing for the May vote by postal ballot only, driven by the fact that its candidate, President Andrzej Duda, is leading in opinion polls. It argues voting by mail is safe. But it has also empowered the parliamentary speaker to alter the May 10 date. The opposition wants the vote pushed back by a year or two, for social health reasons. All its candidates are trailing in opinion polls behind Duda. With less than two weeks to the vote, the bill formally regulating procedures for the vote still hasn’t been adopted in parliament, raising questions about whether the election can be held as planned.  
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Children could be the biggest victims of the Covid-19 pandemic — despite the fact that the disease affects mostly older people, say human rights groups. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, the most obvious impact is the number of children missing out on their education.
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In Myanmar, an estimated 350,000 internally displaced persons living in crowded and sometimes unsanitary conditions face the danger of a widespread outbreak of COVID-19.  Access to food, aid and information has become increasingly difficult as travel restrictions and lockdowns increase.  In Kachin state, camps formed since 2011, when fighting resumed between the Myanmar forces and the Kachin Independence Army after a 17-year cease-fire was broken, are feeling the impact. In the Myanmar government-controlled capital of Myitkyina, long-time residents who depend on casual labor earnings say they have more to worry about than the virus itself.  ”We aren’t afraid to get the virus COVID-19 because the most important and dangerous thing for us is having the money needed for our family’s food supply,” says Naw Ja Pee, a Jaw Masat IDP camp resident.   “If we are shut out of food, we will all die,” she adds. The camps surrounding the Kachin capital have been locked down since April 8. Those who return to the camp from China and elsewhere are quarantined for 14 days and their vehicles are sprayed with disinfectants. “The people who come back are classified as a risky group, so we have to find space to quarantine them and take care of them,” explains camp nurse Saw Kyi Na. Food is in short supply and so is information about COVID-19. To help understand the highly contagious virus, a local media group produced a video with a special message for IDPs. Myitkyina News Journal’s Brang Mai and his team chose children from Jaw Masat IDP camp, with the intent of finding out their knowledge about the virus before producing an education video. The final one-minute clip presents seven children from the camp reciting prevention guidelines including wearing a mask, covering a cough and washing hands often.  “The first benefit is we can check the IDP people. Do they have enough information on COVID-19 or not? And the second thing is, people will be more aware,” explains Brang Mai. Social distancing, health care accessSocial distancing is difficult in camps with wall to wall huts. “The camps are really crowded, and all of their rooms are small and so in a small room there are eight to 10 people. They have to sleep in one small room together, so it is difficult for them to follow the social distancing,” Brang Mai adds. Access to healthcare is also a big challenge and camp residents often struggle to get clean water and other essential services. “Many people in Myanmar are completely outside the health system as it exists and that certainly includes the people in these IDP camps  in Kachin state, which is why it is so critical why there should be an effective prevention,”  said Human Rights Watch’s Phil Robertson. Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid to Kachin Independence Organization-controlled territory in Northern Myanmar has been blocked for the last four years but some aid is coming in, through China. “I think that the U.N. team in Myanmar must get really forceful with the government of Myanmar and say ‘look this is life and death, it’s time to end these restrictions and let the people get the assistance in there that needs to be reaching these people,’” says Robertson. Camp backstory
The IDP camps were formed when civilians fled fighting between government forces and ethnic armed groups — a conflict that continues in Arakan, Shan and Karen states.   Quite often, the government soldiers control transportation routes and supplies to the camps. The Myanmar government unveiled a stimulus package in March including a US$70 million loan fund, mainly for Myanmar businesses in government-controlled areas affected by the pandemic. As the country braces for a possible outbreak of the deadly virus, civil society groups are calling for more aid for those in the ethnic areas since they are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19.
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U.S. Congressman Justin Amash says he is exploring a presidential run as a Libertarian Party candidate. He announced his plans Tuesday, saying the country is ready for a president who brings people together and restores respect for the Constitution. Amash drew attention last July when he left the Republican Party to become an independent, citing a dissatisfaction with the state of partisan politics. He has also been a critic of President Donald Trump and joined Democrats in voting for Trump’s impeachment. The Libertarian Party welcomed Amash’s interest and said it anticipates a “robust debate” among several candidates. 
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China’s parliament will hold its annual session in late May, two months later than scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The official Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday that the National People’s Congress will convene in Beijing on May 22.   The 3,000-member ceremonial legislature was originally scheduled to meet on March 5, but the session was postponed after the COVID-19 outbreak that originated in the central city of Wuhan spread throughout the mainland. The gathering indicates that Chinese leaders are growing increasingly confident that the country has overcome the pandemic, which has infected nearly 83,000 people in China and killed more than 4,600.   China’s official number of infections have dwindled dramatically over the last month, with no new deaths reported for two consecutive weeks. 
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Tribes urged the federal government to quickly disburse coronavirus relief funding after a judge handed them an early victory in a case centered on who is eligible for a share of the $8 billion allocated to tribes. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of the tribes late Monday in their bid to keep Alaska Native corporations from getting any of the money — at least for now. The decision clears the U.S. Treasury Department to send payments to 574 federally recognized tribes in response to the coronavirus. At least 18 tribes sued the Treasury Department, alleging that Congress intended the funding to go only to tribal governments. They said the corporations that own most of the Native land in Alaska don’t fit within the definition of “Indian Tribe” in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act signed into law last month. FILE – Then-attorney Amit Mehta speaks in Bronx state Supreme Court in New York, March 28, 2012.Mehta said the tribes easily showed they would suffer irreparable harm unless he limited the funding temporarily to tribal governments while he awaited more argument on the question of eligibility of Alaska Native corporations.  “These are monies that Congress appropriated on an emergency basis to assist tribal governments in providing core public services to battle a pandemic that is ravaging the nation, including in Indian Country,” Mehta said. The U.S. Justice Department, which represented Treasury, declined comment Tuesday. The Treasury Department did not respond to requests for comment. Justice Department attorney Jason Lynch had argued that the Treasury Department’s decision to include Alaska Native corporations wasn’t subject to judicial review because the funding is for a public health emergency. Mehta rejected the argument.  The Treasury Department has said it could start sending payments to tribes Tuesday — two days past the deadline in the coronavirus relief bill. But it has not said how it would determine who gets what. Congress set aside $8 billion for tribes in the $2.2 trillion bill. Mehta did not order the Treasury Department to disburse all the money to tribal governments.  Harry Pickernell Sr., chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation in Washington state, said he was pleased with the judge’s decision. “This ruling will help tribal governments to lead in the aid and recovery of their people,” he said in a statement. The tribes that have sued are in Alaska, Arizona, California, Maine, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Washington state. Alaska Native corporations Alaska Native corporations are unique to Alaska and own most of the Native land in the state under a 1971 settlement known as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Mehta said neither the corporations nor the Treasury Department showed the corporations are providing public services comparable to tribal governments to combat the coronavirus. The corporations, which are not parties to the lawsuit, have said they support Alaska Natives economically, socially and culturally.  Two associations that together represent most of the corporations — the ANCSA Regional Association and the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association — said they believe the corporations ultimately will be deemed eligible for funding.  “This will mean a delay in necessary resources and economic assistance for Alaska Native people in our communities and our state,” the groups said. “However, Alaska Native people have a history of resilience and strength. Together we will prevent the spread of COVID-19, care for those who get sick, and repair our economies.” For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death. The vast majority of people recover. 
 
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday named a family friend to head the federal police, days after his justice minister quit and accused the president of meddling in law enforcement for political motives. The controversy over the appointment and allegations by outgoing minister Sergio Moro of improper interference in the police force triggered talk of impeachment and a criminal investigation approved by the Supreme Court, distracting from the coronavirus epidemic that has killed 5,017 people in Brazil, hundreds more than in China. The government’s official gazette confirmed the appointment of new federal police chief Alexandre Ramagem, 48, who took charge of the president’s security after he was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018. The selection comes amid investigations of alleged wrongdoing by Bolsonaro’s sons. FILE – Alexandre Ramagem, general director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), speaks during his inauguration ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil, July 11, 2019.Ramagem, who joined the federal police in 2005, has the fewest years of service of any officer tapped to lead the force. He has run the Brazilian Intelligence Agency since July. On Friday, Justice Minister Sergio Moro alleged in a stunning televised address that Bolsonaro had repeatedly said he wanted a “personal contact” in the top police job “from whom he could get information, intelligence reports.” Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for the top public prosecutor to investigate the allegations against Bolsonaro of interfering in law enforcement. Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to carry out the investigation requested by Brazil’s chief public prosecutor Augusto Aras. Based on the results of the police investigation, the public prosecutor will decide whether to press charges against the president. An indictment would have to be approved by the lower house. The biggest political storm since Bolsonaro took office last year came during Brazil’s worst public health crisis. The Health Ministry reported that a record 474 people died from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,017. Confirmed cases have risen at 5,000 a day in the last 48 hours, to 71,866. On Tuesday, the opposition Democratic Labor Party asked the Supreme Court to block Ramagem’s nomination, alleging an abuse of power. The affair has sparked talk in Congress of impeachment, just four years after such proceedings toppled former President Dilma Rousseff. However, a poll by Datafolha published on Monday evening showed Brazilians divided on impeachment, with 45% supporting the move and 48% against. Crucially, Bolsonaro appears to be keeping core supporters, the poll showed, with 33% of those surveyed saying they thought he was doing a good or excellent job. Political interference FILE – Brazil’s Justice Minister Sergio Moro attends a news conference in Brasilia, Brazil, April 13, 2020.Still, the accusations from the popular “super minister” Moro, who locked up scores of powerful politicians and businessmen as a judge, has dented Bolsonaro’s corruption-fighting image, which was central to his 2018 campaign. Moro said he had never seen political interference of the kind sought by Bolsonaro over Brazil’s federal police, even under previous governments whose officials and allies were convicted of participating in sweeping corruption schemes. A New Year’s party photo on social media of Ramagem grinning beside the president’s son Carlos Bolsonaro, a Rio de Janeiro city councilman, circulated widely on Tuesday, emphasizing the close ties between the family and the new top cop. FILE – Flavio Bolsonaro, left, and Carlos Bolsonaro, sons of Brazil’s President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (not pictured), are seen in Brasilia, Brazil, Dec. 10, 2018.Carlos Bolsonaro is the subject of a Supreme Court probe looking at his role in disseminating “fake news,” according to newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. His brother, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, was accused in a congressional investigation of participating in a “fake news” scheme. Their eldest brother, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is also being investigated by state prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro over alleged money laundering and misuse of public funds. All three have denied any wrongdoing. They and the president have decried the probes as politically motivated attacks. Over the weekend, Bolsonaro took to Facebook to defend Ramagem, after word of his nomination leaked to the press. “So what? I knew Ramagem before he knew my children. Should he be vetoed for that reason? Whose friend should I pick?” the president said in a post.
 
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Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here​.Daily DebunkClaim: Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, cures the coronavirus.Verdict: FalseRead the full story: “False belief poison cures virus kills over 700 in Iran,” Associated Press.​ Social Media Disinfo​News NT screenshotCirculating on social media: The claim that one of Britain’s first volunteers to be injected with a trial coronavirus vaccine has died.Verdict: FalseRead the full story at: “Britain’s first coronavirus vaccine volunteer has not died after trial jab,” Agence France-Presse​ Factual Reads on CoronavirusHello, social distancing. Goodbye, handshakes?
Our hands can carry Salmonella, E. coli, norovirus and respiratory infections like adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease.
— Reuters, April 28​
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The first major test of an almost completely vote-by-mail election during a pandemic is unfolding Tuesday in Ohio, offering lessons to other states about how to conduct one of the most basic acts of democracy amid a health crisis.The process hasn’t been smooth as state officials have navigated election laws and the need to protect citizens and poll workers from the coronavirus. Ohio’s in-person primary was delayed just hours before polls were supposed to open last month, prompting legal challenges and confusion.Tuesday’s election replacing it requires voters to run at least three pieces of mail — an application, a blank ballot and a completed one — through the U.S. Postal Service.With Joe Biden emerging as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, there’s little suspense in the results. Ohio’s vote is instead being closely watched as a case study for how to proceed with elections if the pandemic doesn’t ease. States have taken drastically different approaches, with Wisconsin proceeding with in-person voting earlier this month and New York saying Monday it would cancel its presidential primary, which was scheduled for June.Some governors have suggested they would consider moving to an all-mail voting system for the November general election, something President Donald Trump has strongly opposed. The National Conference of State Legislatures says five states currently conduct all elections entirely by mail: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah.As he prepared for the results, Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose warned the process could be bumpy.”A lot of things will look like election night, but then some things won’t,” LaRose said in an interview last week.There will still be some in-person voting on Tuesday. Ohio law guarantees that any voter who doesn’t receive a ballot they requested by the legal deadline has the right to vote in person, meaning they could appear at county boards if they don’t get one by Tuesday afternoon — or potentially sue.Maryland was also grappling with how to vote safely on Tuesday as polling centers opened to conduct a special election to finish the term of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings.But most of the focus was on Ohio, where the mail-in election is playing out at a time when support for such a process is rising. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds Democrats are now much more likely than Republicans to support their state conducting elections exclusively by mail, 47% to 29%. In 2018, about half as many Democrats were in favor, and there was little difference in the views of supporters from each party.LaRose and Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, have both been longtime supporters of increasing voting-by-mail options, but the political dynamics could change as the coronavirus redraws the political landscape.Trump has lately railed against expanding voting by mail, and many Republicans share his concerns. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans worry that voter fraud would be a major problem with all-mail voting, according to the AP-NORC poll. Two months ago, about as many described voter fraud as a major problem in U.S. elections in general. In fact, voter fraud is rare.Lynne Marshall, of Sylvania, Ohio, opened her mailbox Tuesday and was disappointed to see that her ballot had not arrived after a monthlong wait and countless calls to the state and local election offices.She spent the next minutes agonizing over whether to cast a provisional vote in person at the election board and put her health at risk or stay home and skip voting for the first time that she can remember.”I don’t know what to do,” she said. “What should I do? I’m just really disgusted with it all. Of course, I’ll feel guilty if I don’t vote.”Jen Miller, the head of the League of Women Voters in Ohio said it will be impossible to know how many people stayed home because they didn’t get a ballot in time.”I do suspect a lot of people are waiting to see if their ballot comes in the mail today,” said Miller, the organization’s state director. “We’ve had people waiting weeks and weeks.”One thing that won’t be in doubt Tuesday is the presidential primary results since Biden is the only candidate left in the race. Still, early voting began Feb. 19, so Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders could pick up Ohio delegates, despite suspending his campaign nearly three weeks ago. 
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Having access to local, organic fruits and vegetables is often a key to a nutritious diet. The following story, reported before the COVID-19 outbreak, tells of one man trying to make getting good food easier.  And a little update – his service is busier than ever due to the pandemic. VOA’s Marsha James has more from Columbia, Maryland.
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Communities in the United States and around the world are talking about when and how to ease lockdown measures as they grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. This disease and how it spreads presents some unique challenges. People without symptoms can infect others, and for some, it can be deadly. What if a smartphone app could let you know if you have been exposed? Michelle Quinn reports.
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Dozens of police officers took to the streets of Port-au-Prince Monday to demand the government pay them the money it owes them. The group, who fanned out on motorbikes, pickup trucks, SUVs and on foot, were accompanied by some civilian supporters.  
 
“We’re out in the street today because we still haven’t received what we asked for,” a policeman, dressed in uniform, wearing a black face mask and holding a rifle told VOA Creole. He said he is part of a group that calls itself “Fantom 509” and who represent those killed on the job.  Fantom means ghost.Earlier this afternoon in #Haiti shots fired as police from a group calling itself Fantom 509 hit the streets to protest. No social distancing in Port au Prince, where there are over 70 #COVID19 cases. 📹Matiado Vilme pic.twitter.com/tZTXpje5CC— Sandra Lemaire (@SandraDVOA) April 27, 2020The officer said they are asking the government to put a credit of 25,000 Haitian dollars on their debit cards and pay them a 50,000 Haitian dollar base salary. Overall, they want better work conditions and a better salary. 
 
The officer, who did not give his name, also accused the Office National d’Assurance-Vieillesse (ONA), a government agency that oversees retirement benefits for government employees, of corruption and favoritism.  
 
“We know ONA doesn’t provide loans to poor people like us, they only know lawmakers (and their relatives) like Youri’s mother (Senator Latortue), senators and deputies,” he said.   
 
“The living officers asked us to join them in the street today,” a man, dressed in black clothing, a black hat, dark sunglasses and a black face mask told VOA.  Asked who exactly the ‘living officers’ are, the masked man said they are the officers who work out of the police stations, responding to 911 calls, direct traffic and perform other law enforcement duties.Haiti police and some civilian supporters took to the streets of Port au Prince, April 27, 2020 to demand back pay and better working conditions. (VOA Creole/Matiado Vilme)While he was talking to reporters, VOA heard shots being fired on the street –  one of which was so loud it caused the officer to flinch. He said they are prepared to continue protesting until their demands are met.  
 
At one point, the protesters exchanged fire with a group of policemen who arrived on the scene in armed vehicles to disperse them. At least one person was injured, VOA Creole has learned.  But the attempt to disperse the protest was unsuccessful, and the group made its way to the Ministry of Economy and Finance where they rammed the gate with an SUV, then set fire to four vehicles.#Haiti police protesters forced their way into the Finance Ministry and set fire to cars – video MTiado Vilme pic.twitter.com/JwyjinN0RL— Sandra Lemaire (@SandraDVOA) April 27, 2020During the protest, which lasted several hours, VOA saw some protesters wearing masks, but many others were not social distancing at a time when the coronavirus continues to spread in the country.    
 
As of April 26, Haiti has a total of 74 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the Public Health Ministry. Seven people have recovered and six have died.   
 
Shortly after the protest, Haitian President Jovenel Moise addressed the nation in a pre-planned speech about the government’s coronavirus response.  During the address, Moise said he has instructed Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe to release back pay for the police officers who have not been paid. He made no mention of Monday’s police protest.
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The head of Japan’s medical association says it will be difficult for Tokyo to restage the Summer Olympics next year without an effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Yohsitake Yokokura offered his opinion Tuesday during a videoconference with journalists  in Tokyo.  Japan and the International Olympic Committee agreed back in March to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Games, which were scheduled to start on July 24, for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.   Laboratories around the world are working on vaccines to guard against COVID-19, but experts say it could take months or even years to determine if any vaccine is safe and effective before they can be used. Yokokura did not say whether the Tokyo Olympic Games should be cancelled if a vaccine is not developed. A Japanese infectious disease expert said last week he does not think it is likely the Tokyo Olympic games will be held next year because of what he foresees as the lingering threat of the coronavirus. In a teleconference interview at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Kobe University Infectious Diseases Professor Kentaro Iwata said because the Olympics involve bringing in athletes and spectators from all over the world, the risk would be high that the COVID-19 outbreak could restart. 
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