“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” the president told governors in a conference call. The suggestion surprised some governors, who are increasingly looking to the federal government for help.

Imperial Oil Ltd. (IMO, IMO.TO) on Friday reported a net loss for the first quarter on lower revenues, noting that its results were impacted by COVID-19 and depressed March crude prices. The loss per share for the quarter was wider than analysts' estimates and revenues too missed their expectations.

Canadian shares may open on a negative note Friday morning, tracking lower Canadian and U.S. futures after trade war fears resurfaced following U.S. President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs on China.

Canadian shares may open higher amid slightly waning fears about a U.S.-China. However, weak economic data may render the mood cautious and prompt investors to refrain from going on a buying spree.

The Canadian stock market got off to a bright start Friday morning and was holding firm a little past noon, riding on gains in consumer discretionary, financial and energy sections.

The Canadian stock market ended on a firm note on Friday, as investors shrugged off weak jobs data and indulged in some strong buying at several counters, reacting positively to news about several countries reopening their businesses.

The Canadian benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index was holding in positive territory Thursday noon with some key stocks finding solid support at higher levels.

The Canadian stock market was firmly in positive territory Monday noon after a steady start, as investors reacted to news about several countries relaxing shutdown restrictions and opening up some businesses.

Canadian shares are likely to open on a mixed note Wednesday morning, reacting to quarterly earnings reports and tracking the commodity prices and the trend in global stock markets.

Canadian shares were swinging between gains and losses Wednesday morning as investors looked for direction. Activity was largely stock specific with corporate earnings news setting the trend.

With hospitals and cemeteries overwhelmed by the coronavirus, the mayor of Manaus, Brazil's hardest hit city, has appealed to world leaders, including President Trump, for help.

Dierks Bentley and his band tapped into a long tradition of comedy and country music when they created a parody group to open for them on tour. Now, Hot Country Knights has a debut album.

The coronavirus has made the racial divide in health more stark with a catastrophic effect on black America. Public officials seek ways to communicate more effectively with communities of color.

Steve Inskeep talks to Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the coronavirus threat within the ranks of the military, and guarding against a power competition with China.

About a third of Americans are working from home because of the coronavirus. The technology that enables this has been around for many years, but it took a pandemic to force the move to remote work.

Karan Singh has performed magic tricks for famous actors, athletes and politicians. He'll perform for you, for free --all you have to do is ask. He has already done shows for over 400 households.

Don't stay mad at your family for longer than 10 minutes while in quarantine. That's courtesy of Russia's Health Ministry, which issued the advisory: How to Survive Self Isolation and Not Go Crazy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had celebrations to mark victory in WWII and a constitutional vote to keep him in power till 2036 planned for this spring. But the pandemic has canceled both events.

President Trump and Vice President Pence have made official visits to battleground states this week, while the Biden campaign tries new ways to reach voters in key states virtually.

Some Americans who wear face masks have faced a problem: Their glasses keep fogging up. Optometrist Joseph Allen shares some tips on how to treat spectacles before putting on a mask.

While staying at home during the pandemic, people are now trying gardening to find out if they have a green thumb. But gardening is not an easy hobby and requires some research.

Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, answers questions about access to testing for COVID-19, false-negative results and the challenges of mass testing.

Het gaat na de eerste, zware klap van de coronacrisis beter dan verwacht met de sierteelt in Nederland. Maar uit de problemen is de branche allerminst. En dat heeft ook te maken met de impact op de bloemenhandel in maart, toen de veiligheidsmaatregelen wereldwijd van kracht werden.

Michel van Schie, woordvoerder van branchevereniging Royal FloraHolland herinnert het zich nog goed. "Het ging 13 maart in een klap heel erg fout, toen bleef 25 procent onverkocht. De maandag erop zelfs 50 procent."

Met name de export stortte in. Er werden rond een kwart minder bloemen geëxporteerd. Vooral de vraag uit Italië, maar ook de VS en Zwitserland viel enorm terug. Dat blijkt uit cijfers die het CBS vandaag publiceert.

Nederlandse siertelers moeten het juist van de export hebben. "De verhouding voor de verkoop is 15 procent binnenland, 85 export", zegt Van Schie. De exportwaarde bedroeg vorig jaar 9,5 miljard euro: sierteelt is daarmee het meest uitgevoerde landbouwproduct van Nederland.

Inmiddels lijkt de schade enigszins mee te vallen." "De handel is behoorlijk aangetrokken", ziet Marco van Zijverden, directeur van de Dutch Flower Group. Dat is een samenwerking van 33 bedrijven die samen de sierteeltketen bedienen. "Waar we in maart op indexen zaten van min 40 tot 80 procent, is het nu tussen de min 10 en min 20 procent."

"De luchtvracht is wel een probleem", zegt Van Zijverden. "Die is erg duur. Zowel voor de aanvoer van Afrika naar hier, als de export van hier naar bijvoorbeeld de VS."

Michel van Schie van Royal FloraHolland legt uit hoe dat komt. "Normaal gaan veel bloemen mee in het vrachtruim van passagiersvliegtuigen. Maar veel van die vluchten zijn gecanceld. Transport is daardoor relatief duur: soms wel drie of vier keer de normale prijs."

Toch is directeur Van Zijverden over de hele linie optimistisch. "De consument blijft kopen. Ook in Duitsland, Engeland en heel Scandinavië. De pijn is minder dan vooraf gevreesd."

Dat merkt ook rozenkweker Arie van den Berg uit Delfgauw. "Bloemetjes werden bezorgd bij ziekenhuizen en opa en oma. De afzet hier is nog relatief hoog geweest."

En helpt het dat het morgen Moederdag is? "Moederdag is altijd de belangrijkste week van het jaar", zegt Van Schie., "We zitten niet op het niveau van vorig jaar, maar het is wel aangetrokken."

Luxe artikel

"In landen waarvan de grenzen open zijn is de consumptie van bloemen hoger. Ook omdat mensen de tijd hebben om bij hun moeder langs te gaan", constateert rozenkweker Van den Berg. "Overigens zien we hier in Nederland dat de online verkoop is geëxplodeerd. De online winkels hebben nog een uitdaging om alle boeketjes klaar te maken en te bezorgen.

Maar het einde van de zware tijden is nog niet in zicht. "Het viel minder tegen dan we acht weken geleden hadden ingeschat, maar ik ben pessimistisch", zegt de rozenkweker. "Mensen onderschatten hoe belangrijk een goede economie is voor een rozenteler. Wij zijn een luxe artikel, dus we vallen als eerste van het boodschappenlijstje."

Van den Berg heeft nog niet gehoord van collega's die failliet zijn gegaan. "Misschien ook omdat de banken goed meewerken met leningen en aflossingen. Maar er gaan collega's en afnemers sneuvelen als dit langer aanhoudt."

Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructuur en Waterstaat) kijkt "serieus" naar een voorstel om het theorie-examen voor een motorrijbewijs te schrappen voor ervaren automobilisten. Zo moet het laagdrempeliger worden voor mensen om een motor aan te schaffen.

Het gaat in het plan enkel om het A1-motorrijbewijs, waarmee lichte motoren met een cilinderinhoud van maximaal 125 cc bestuurd mogen worden.

'Motor past in anderhalvemetersamenleving'

De RAI Vereniging diende als branchevereniging van auto en motor-importeurs het voorstel in. Vanwege de coronacrisis neemt de behoefte om individueel te reizen toe, zegt RAI Vereniging-voorzitter Steven van Eijck.

"En op het moment dat iedereen massaal in de auto stapt, groeit de druk op ons wegennet", stelt Van Eijck. "De motor sluit goed aan bij de wens voor meer individueel vervoer in de anderhalvemetersamenleving, zonder dat het risico op files te veel toeneemt."

De vereniging geeft verder aan dat in dertien andere Europese landen, waaronder in buurlanden Duitsland en België, de eisen voor het motorrijbewijs eerder al zijn verlaagd voor automobilisten.

De besluiten waren in die landen wel voor de coronacrisis genomen en een woordvoerder van de RAI Vereniging erkent dat importeurs gebaat zijn bij de verkoop van meer motoren. "Maar het maatschappelijk belang staat bij ons voorop", zegt hij. "Met een motor kun je snel en zuinig van A naar B en het biedt mensen meer keuzevrijheid."

Verkeersveiligheid

Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen onderstreept in haar reactie op het voorstel dat motorrijden in de praktijk om andere vaardigheden dan autorijden vraagt.

Of het niet ten koste gaat van de verkeersveiligheid als automobilisten met een motor de weg op mogen, zonder theoretisch te zijn bijgespijkerd?

"Het praktijkexamen mag niet komen te vervallen. Laat dat duidelijk zijn", benadrukt de woordvoerder van de RAI Vereniging. "Maar wij denken dat het schrappen van het theorie-examen niet ten koste gaat van de verkeersveiligheid. Ervaren automobilisten hebben die kennis al. Er valt hoogstens een administratieve last weg."

Available for viewing online. Do we have the right to end our lives if life itself becomes unbearable, or when we enter the late-stages of painful, terminal illness? The questions, debated for centuries, have only grown more pressing in recent years as medical technology has allowed us to live longer lives, and several U.S. states have legalized physician-assisted suicide. With unique access to Dignitas, the Swiss non-profit that has helped over one thousand people die since 1998, Academy award- winning filmmaker John Zaritsky offers a revealing look at a couple facing the most difficult decision of their lives--and lets us see for ourselves as one Chicago native makes the trip to Switzerland for what will become the last day of his life.

Tuesday, Mar. 23 at 9pm on PBS (Check local listings). Producer Ofra Bikel chronicles the recession's impact on one unlikely neighborhood -- New York's Upper East Side...

The Orthodox Church in Ukraine has been under the authority of Moscow since 1686. Until the 2014 war with Russia, that situation bothered few. Now a growing number of congregations, approximately 500 so far, have joined a new independent Ukrainian … More →

The post PBS NewsHour: Russia’s war in Ukraine leads to historic split in the Orthodox Church appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

American ridesharing company Lyft, Inc. is set to roll-out a new health safety program that will ensure that riders and drivers are protected amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The new health and safety standards for ridesharing will require personal health certification for drivers and riders, face masks for drivers and riders as well as new health safety education.

Sobeauty Inc. is recalling about 600 "Mag Cube" magnetic ball sets citing risk of ingestion by children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement. The recall was initiated after reports of many injuries to children with similar magnetic balls, which are warned to cause serious and permanent intestinal injuries or death.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has made it mandatory for its employees to wear facial protection equipment at airport screening areas as a coronavirus preventive measure. The decision will be implemented over the coming days. In its announcement Thursday, TSA also urged passengers to wear mask at security screening checkpoints. TSA has made it clear that passengers may be aske

ICU crew from Cincy-Dayton area working hard during COVID-19. Even though we have to wear blue, we are proud Buckeyes ❤️O-H-I-O ❤️

Shares of Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (PSTI) are rising over 24% in pre-market today, after the company announced that the U.S. FDA has cleared the company's Investigational New Drug or IND application for a Phase II study of its PLX cells in the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases complicated by Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome or ARDS.

Shares of RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (RDHL) are moving up over 9% in pre-market today, after the company announced that the U.S. FDA has approved its Investigational New Drug or IND application for a Phase 2a clinical study evaluating its investigational drug, opaganib, in patients with confirmed moderate-to-severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, the cause of COVID-19.

Shares of Ubiquiti (UI) are rising over 13% in pre-market today, following the company's better-than-expected Q3 results.

Shares of Fortress Biotech Inc. (FBIO) are rising over 17% in pre-market today, after the company announced that its partner company Oncogenuity Inc. has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Columbia University to develop novel oligonucleotides for the treatment of genetically driven cancers.

Shares of Mesoblast Ltd. (MESO) are soaring over 67% in pre-market today, after the company announced 83% survival in ventilator-dependent COVID-19 patients with moderate/severe acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS treated during the period March-April 2020 with two intravenous infusions of Mesoblast's allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell product candidate remestemcel-L within the first five days.

Shares of Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (PSTI) are rising over 16% in pre-market today, after the company announced that the European Investment Bank has approved a ?50 million non-dilutive financing for the company.

Biopharmaceutical company Stemline Therapeutics Inc. (STML) is currently trading at $12.02, up $7.27 or 153.05% in the pre-market session. The stock has been trading between $3.21 and $18.22 in the past one year, and closed Friday's trade at $4.75, down 62 cents or 11.55%. STML

Shares of Applied DNA Sciences Inc. (APDN) are soaring over 94% in pre-market today, after the company and Takis Biotech announced the production of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 after DNA vaccination in animals.

Shares of AudioCodes Ltd. (AUDC) are rising over 10% in pre-market today, after the company reported better-than-expected Q1 results.

Shares of Avadel Pharmaceuticals plc (AVDL) are soaring over 37% in pre-market today, after the company announced positive topline data from its pivotal Phase 3 REST-ON trial assessing the safety and efficacy of FT218, an investigational, once-nightly formulation of sodium oxybate for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy.

Shares of Medigus Ltd. (MDGS) are rising over 28% in pre-market today, after the company announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with L-1 Systems Ltd. for the joint commercialization of various COVID-19 related products and solutions to governmental agencies and institutional healthcare organizations.

Shares of Eltek Ltd. (ELTK) are rising over 20% in pre-market today, after the company reported stellar Q4 results.

Shares of Interpace Biosciences Inc. (IDXG) are up 20% in pre-market today, after the company announced that its subsidiary, Interpace Diagnostics, has entered into a contract with Avalon Healthcare Solutions, a specialty benefit management company with more than 3 million members, focused on laboratory testing. Terms remain undisclosed.

Shares of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (ARCT) are rising above 15% in pre-market today, after the company reported positive immunogenicity data from its preclinical study for its COVID-19 Vaccine. These data for LUNAR-COV19 were measured by Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.

Shares of ViacomCBS Inc. (VIAC) are rising over 19% in pre-market today, following the company's better-than-expected Q1 results.

Shares of Biomerica Inc. (BMRA) are surging over 28% in pre-market today, after the company announced that it has received a CE mark and launched a new high-volume production version of its COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test (a finger prick blood test with results in 10 minutes, that can be performed by trained professionals anywhere) being sold in countries outside the US.

Shares of Fluidigm Corp. (FLDM) are soaring over 13% in pre-market today, after the company announced that OU Medicine, the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation or OMRF intend to utilize Fluidigm microfluidics technology and certain reagents to test individuals for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

Shares of Enzo Biochem Inc. (ENZ) are rising over 28% in pre-market today, after the company announced its Comprehensive COVID-19 Program incorporating its molecular diagnostic virus screening products, detection for immunity through IgG/IgM serological ELISA products, detection of inflammation on Enzo's ELISA platform, and a promising proprietary drug candidate (SK1-I).

Shares of CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CNSP) are rising over 7% in pre-market today, after the company announced that it has filed an application with the U.S. FDA to receive Orphan Drug Designation or ODD for its lead product Berubicin.