Russian plane with coronavirus medical gear lands in U.S. after Trump-Putin call

Russia sent the United States medical equipment on Wednesday to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, a public relations coup for Russian President Vladimir Putin after he discussed the crisis with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, struggling to fill shortages of ventilators and personal protective equipment, accepted Putin's offer in a phone call on Monday.

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  Russian plane with supplies for virus fight lands in US
  AFP
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  Russian plane sets off for U.S. with virus help onboard - state TV
  Reuters Videos

Jessica Chastain turned down 'Doctor Strange' role with the 'coolest rejection ever', says writer

Jessica Chastain turned down a supporting part in 'Doctor Strange' in the classiest way possible.

Amazon sought 'retaliation' when it fired worker who led coronavirus walkout: NY AG

New York State’s Attorney General is calling for an investigation into Amazon for firing a worker who staged a walkout of the company’s Staten Island warehouse in protest over a lack of personal protective equipment.

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  Amazon workers in Michigan plant to walk out, as third coronavirus case confirmed
  USA TODAY
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  New York City has opened a human-rights probe into Amazon's firing of a warehouse worker who led a strike against the company over coronavirus safety concerns
  Business Insider

One America News Barred from White House Press Briefings for Breaking Social Distancing Rule

The right-wing One America News Network was barred from White House press briefings Wednesday for violating social distancing rules put in place amid the growing coronavirus crisis.In a statement sent to members and posted to Twitter in the evening, the White House Correspondents Association noted new rules that had been implemented to restrict staying in the press briefing room.“Under this policy, we have asked reporters who don’t have a seat not to attend press briefings,” the statement said, thanking members who respected the policy and followed it “to ensure the safety of the White House press corps and White House staff during this difficult time.”Also Read: One America News Reporter Asks Trump If Saying 'Chinese Food' Is Racist“We are writing to inform you that the WHCA Board has voted this evening to remove a news outlet from the rotation for a seat in the briefing room. We did this because a reporter for this outlet twice attended press briefings in contravention of this policy. We do not take this action lightly. This is a matter of public safety,” the statement concluded.Though the statement didn’t name OANN, network talent and prominent supporters confirmed it was the outlet in question in their own tweets. According to the Los Angeles Times, OAN Nreporter Chanel Rion was asked by a member of the association to leave the briefing room Wednesday because it was not her employer’s turn in the rotation and she was not scheduled to cover the evening’s briefing. She replied, per the Times, that she was there as a “guest” of press secretary Stephanie Grisham.Rion and her right-wing network are known for being sympathetic to the president. During a mid-March press conference on the spread of the coronavirus — which President Donald Trump has been heavily criticized for calling the “Chinese virus” — Rion, who earlier this week cited a conspiracy theory that the coronavirus was possibly created in a North Carolina lab, said, “Do you consider the term ‘Chinese food’ racist because it’s food that originates in China or it has Chinese roots?”“On that note,” Rion went on, “major left-wing news media — even in this room — have teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives and they’re claiming you’re racist for making these claims about ‘Chinese virus.’ Is it alarming that major media players, just to oppose you, are consistently siding with foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals and Latin gangs and cartels? And they work right here at the White House with direct access to you and your team?”Read original story One America News Barred from White House Press Briefings for Breaking Social Distancing Rule At TheWrap

• Donald Trump Will Remain at the White House This Month to Follow Social Distancing Guidelines
  People
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  White House Correspondents’ Association boots OAN from briefing rotation
  Politico

Why You Shouldn't Order Nonessential Packages During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Experts weigh in on ethical practices for retail delivery in the time of COVID-19.

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  Long Island surpasses 15,000 coronavirus cases
  WABC – NY
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  Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Wipe Out All of Summer Blockbuster Season?
  Variety

‘Dead Cow’ Oil Play Set to Be Next Permian is Now, Well, Dead

(Bloomberg) -- Just a bit more than 3 weeks ago, the head of Argentina’s state-run driller outlined an aggressive $1.8 billion spending plan for 2020 in the country’s Vaca Muerta shale region, based on $60-a-barrel crude. With global prices starting the year above $68, it wasn’t unrealistic.Now, all bets are off.The toxic mash-up of an oil-price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, two of the world’s largest producers, and the Covid-19 pandemic have driven global crude to below $25 a barrel. That’s created a new reality for Argentina’s plans to develop a formation known as the Vaca Muerta, or “dead cow” in English. The region is often compared with the Permian Basin in the U.S., with the promise to push out a million barrels of oil a day and turn around an economy on course for a third straight contraction this year.“They were in a place where they were drawing significant interest in the region because it was one of the better resources globally, but that’s falling apart,” according to Fernando Valle, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence.At today’s low prices, even state-run YPF SA’s three flagship shale projects -- where costs are lowest, with break-evens in U.S. dollars in the mid-to-high thirties -- would lose money. Meanwhile, the company’s New York-traded shares are down by almost 60% since oil began its plunge in February, and Bank of America Securities is predicting they can fall a lot more. YPF declined to comment.For years, exploration companies have been excited about Vaca Muerta in Patagonia, with the quality of its so-called mother rock rivaling shale areas in the U.S. The companies, including global oil majors Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, have begun drilling in the region, though mostly as an initial step designed to get a better handle on how to bring the oil to market even as significant logistical and economic hurdles remain.But the bottom line has suddenly changed. Any plans for test drilling, early-phase production and infrastructure investments are going to be postponed, said Ignacio Rooney, an upstream oil analyst in Buenos Aires for consultancy Wood Mackenzie. The only chance for progress, he said, would come if Brent can stabilize above $30 a barrel, meaning investments in Vaca Muerta’s most developed fields would continue to make sense.The price crash “puts all Argentine oil production in doubt,” YPF Chairman Guillermo Nielsen told the Telam news agency during a recent event in Salta province.There’s another factor for consideration, as well. Coronavirus and the price rout have arrived at a time when drillers were already pulling back in the Vaca Muerta after the government put in place price controls to tame high inflation. The number of rigs operating in Argentina slumped to less than 50 in February, compared with more than 70 before the controls went into effect seven months ago, according to Baker Hughes. At the same time, oil majors worldwide are racing to cut their own spending in response to the dual global challenges.Still, those who’d started committing to Vaca Muerta -- Shell, Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips -- were putting up with price meddling because of Argentina’s long-term shale potential and because new President Alberto Fernandez was promising to safeguard their investments with special legislation.Meanwhile, in a bid to save drilling, oil-producing provinces and powerful trade unions have been lobbying the federal government for a domestic crude price of about $50 a barrel, likely funded by fuel consumers at the pump. Such a move would mirror a similar strategy by previous President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.Speaking to reporters in Buenos Aires, even Juan Jose Aranguren, a former energy minister and free-market champion who weaned Argentina off subsidized crude in 2017, said artificial pricing could be the way to go to protect Vaca Muerta.But a problem -- albeit, perhaps, a temporary one -- has emerged with that idea. A nationwide lockdown in Argentina to stop the spread of coronavirus has dramatically suppressed demand for fuel. That means drillers wouldn’t benefit from high local crude prices anyway because they’ll need global buyers for the production glut.With the likes of Shell and Exxon analyzing the new price scenario, how things play out in the near future in Vaca Muerta will surely impact chances in the long term of oil flowing freely from the region. In turn, there are big implications for Argentina’s economy.“Vaca Muerta is the primary calling card for investment in Argentina,” Bloomberg Intelligence’s Valle wrote in a March 20 report. “And its development is critical to the country’s recovery.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

Coronavirus: Study suggests people should stay 8m apart for social distancing, but not everyone is convinced

A panel that advises the World Health Organization is to meet virtually to discuss the research.