also sock puppets might be part of it as it is kind of hard to believe that people with so much anger just suddenly pounced all at once
Senate's return sets stage for showdown over coronavirus
relief package
Partisan politics are likely to dominate the next round of
negotiations.
By Allison Pecorin and Trish Turner
May 4, 2020, 4:11 AM
"Senators have not been in the Capitol in full force since March 26, but when they make their return Monday evening, lawmakers will be facing a full slate of coronavirus-related priorities.
Unlike previous legislative pushes during the pandemic remarkable for the rare shows of bipartisanship and speed the battle over the next phase of coronavirus aid is already marked by political acrimony, which is sure to slow legislative action.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both agree that a fourth piece of legislation is needed to address the enveloping health and economic crises, but that is about as much common ground as the two leaders appear to have found so far.
McConnell, R-Ky., has emphasized the need for a "targeted response" which addresses holes and shortcomings in previous coronavirus legislation, particularly once lawmakers have had a chance to see how that funding has been dispersed and put to work. But he’s drawn a "red line," demanding that the next bill include liability protections for health care workers and businesses."
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senates-return-sets-stage-showdown-coronavirus-relief-package
Possible post-lockdown workplace rules revealed
47 minutes ago
"A draft government plan to ease anti-coronavirus restrictions, seen by the BBC, also urges employers to minimise numbers using equipment, stagger shift times and maximise home-working.
The prime minister will reveal his "roadmap" out of lockdown on Sunday.
Unions are concerned about companies' ability to source protective kit.
Leaders say efforts to acquire personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers could lead to businesses competing with the NHS for scarce and essential supplies.
The BBC has seen one of several draft documents, which says additional hygiene procedures, physical screens and the use of protective equipment should be considered where maintaining distancing of 2m (6ft) between workers is impossible.
However, the section marked PPE contains only a promise that "more detail" will follow.
Director general of the British Chambers of Commerce Adam Marshall called for "clear guidance" on whether employers needed to provide PPE.
"No business wants to be competing with the health services or with the care sector, for example, for PPE," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
A UK-wide procurement strategy would be "hugely important" in order to source and manufacture the necessary PPE, he added."
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52525127
UN Command investigating whether DMZ shooting violated
Korean War armistice
By KIM GAMEL AND YOO KYONG CHANG
STARS AND STRIPES
Published: May 4, 2020
"SEOUL, South Korea — The U.S.-led United Nations Command sent a team to the tense Korean border area on Monday to investigate gunfire from the North Korean side the day before, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States believes the shots “were accidental.”
North Korea has not responded to a message sent asking for an explanation about Sunday’s shooting, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry.
The U.N. Command, which administers the area and is charged with enforcing the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War instead of a peace treaty, said a multinational special investigation team was dispatched to the site of the shooting in a central part of the Demilitarized Zone.
The team was accompanied by Swedish and Swiss members of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission who were acting as observers, according to the command, which is led by Gen. Robert Abrams, who also commands some 28,500 U.S. service members stationed in South Korea.
“The investigative team will assess the events that took place and produce a report based on their findings to determine if a violation of #Armistice occurred,” the UNC said in a tweet.
It said no further comment would be issued “until the investigation is complete and the report has been provided to the appropriate authorities.”
Four bullets fired from the North hit the wall of the South Korean guard post in the central area of Cheorwan, prompting South Korean troops to respond by firing 20 rounds of warnings shots and to issue broadcast warnings as well, according to South Korea’s military."
moar:
https://www.stripes.com/news/un-command-investigating-whether-dmz-shooting-violated-korean-war-armistice