NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT MONDAY 4/20/2020

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH MONDAY EVENING SUSPENDING AT 1030 PM EASTERN US TIME)

A COMPLETE AND TOTAL COLLAPSE OF OIL PRICES TODAY TO BELOW ZERO LEVELS.........

The West Texas Intermediate price sitting below 15 dollars a barrel during the early hours of Monday morning US time.

Then of 735 am Eastern US time this morning the price was 12.75 a barrel.

And the price continued to fall reaching 6.33 a barrel by 1 pm Eastern US time.

JUST AFTER 230 PM THE WTI OIL PRICE STOOD AT -13.98 A BARREL AND THEN SLID FURTHER REACHING NEARLY -40 DOLLARS A BARREL AND THEN BEGINNING TO RISE UP  TO -16.28 AT 3 PM.

TONIGHT AT 9 PM EASTERN US TIME THE PRICE STOOD AT 1.25 GOING BACK INTO POSITIVE TERRITORY.

   Syrian media report an Israeli airstrike on the central city of Palmyra tonight.    The Syrians say their air defenses shot down some but not all of the incoming missiles.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY....ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS STORY

After an additional buildup of Turkish military forces in northwestern Syria over the weekend the Turkish President Recep Tayyip accusing the Syrian government of violating the cease-fire in the Greater Idlib region.   He said the Syrian government would face "heavy losses" if the violations continued.......REUTERS NEWS STORY

The "Al Masdar" news website reporting Syrian government shelling of jihadist positions in Idlib province today with Syrians saying newly established positions threaten theirs......TASS NEWS REPORT

THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITED DAMASCUS TODAY.   JAVAD ZARIF PICTURED WEARING A MASK AS WELL AS SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD FOR THEIR MEETING.

ASSAD TELLING ZARIF THAT THE CORONAVIRUS HAS REVEALED THE ECONOMIC AND MORAL FAILING OF THE UNITED STATES AND THOSE NATIONS CLOSE TO IT......SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY REPORT

 

An attack on a US military vehicle in northeastern Syria today with the government controlled Syrian Arab News Agency saying the vehicle was destroyed and that US troops were injured.    SANA says that "unidentified people" were  behind the attack.....SANA NEWS REPORT.....Russia's Sputnik News says the vehicle believed to be a Humvee.....SPUTNIK NEWS REPORT

IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY FOLLOWING UP ON YESTERDAY'S WARNING FROM THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS CALLING ON FOREIGN FORCES TO LEAVE THE PERSIAN GULF REGION 'AS SOON AS POSSIBLE'......PRESS TV IRAN NEWS STORY

A DEAL REACHED TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT IN ISRAEL.   BENNY GANTZ OF THE BLUE AND WHITE PARTY AND BENJAMIN NETANYAHU OF LIKUD CUTTING A DEAL TO FORM AN EMERGENCY UNITY GOVERNMENT.

MR. NETANYAHU WILL REMAIN PRIME MINISTER FOR THE NEXT 18 MONTHS BUT BLUE AND WHITE LEADER BENNY GANTZ WILL THEN TAKE THE POST.    NETANYAHU, FACING A CORRUPTION TRIAL NEXT MONTH, SAID TO HAVE VETO POWER OVER ANY NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL OR STATE PROSECUTOR IN THE COUNTRY.

THE BLUE AND WHITE PARTY WILL RECEIVE THE MINISTRIES OF JUSTICE, DEFENSE AND ECONOMY UNDER THE DEAL BUT WILL GET 16 OF THE 30 MINISTRIES UNDER THE DEAL.    PARTIES OF THE 'RIGHT' IN ISRAEL PICKING UP THE HOUSING AND INTERIOR MINISTRIES AMONG OTHERS.   BUT THE YAMINA PARTY OF THE RIGHT IN ISRAEL APPEARS TO BE A LOSER IN THE DEAL.....

YNET NEWS STORY

Russia giving its latest tank the T-14 Armata battlefield testing.    The Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov, revealed to the RIA Novosti news agency that the tank underwent testing in Syria where the government supported by Russia is fighting opposition jihadist forces.....BULGARIAN MILITARY NEWS

The protests against coronavirus house arrest orders in the various states coming to a state President Trump won four years ago and needs to win again this year, Pennsylvania.     The protesters taking aim at Democrat Governor Tom Wolf standing in front of the State Capitol in Harrisburg today as cars honking horns passed by.....RUPTLY VIDEO

Governor Wolf  broaching the notion of an easing of his statewide "stay at home" order after May 8th.  Some of Pennsylvania's state owned liquor stores, a major distributor in a state where adult beverage distribution is strictly controlled,  opened today offering curbside service only instead of allowing customers inside.

More than 18-hundred inmates and over 100 staff have tested positive for Covid-19 at a state prison in Ohio.   38 of the inmates are being treated at hospital outside the prison.   Officials have tested everyone at the prison for the coronavirus.....NEW YORK POST STORY

Germany making some moves to open up small shops and allow students near graduation to return to school today among other steps....BBC NEWS STORY

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has appeared at a protest against Covid-19 shutdown measures imposed by local governments across Brazil.    The demonstration in the country's capital Brasilia was outside army headquarters and it called for military intervention to open up the country's economy.....ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY PUBLISHED BY ABC NEWS

The coronavirus story around the world as interpreted by BBC News today on its blog.....BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG 4/20/2020

In other news......

Police in Nova Scotia, Canada looking at 16 different crime scenes with at least 19 people confirmed dead in the mass murder rampage that occurred over the weekend.    The attacker is also dead.

Authorities believe more people may have died since five homes were burned to the ground and the investigations of those sites is not complete yet.....CBC NEWS STORY

A federal judge ruling that the man accused of attacking a Hanukkah celebration in suburban New York City last December is not mentally fit to stand trial on federal hate crimes charges.

US District Judge Cathy Siebel ruling that Grafton Thomas should be sent to a treatment facility to determine if he can reach the ability to stand trial.

Thomas also faces state charges in connection with the attack that wounded five people with one of them dying last month....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

Also tonight a bonus late "Nextrush Unplugged" segment.....NEXTRUSH UNPLUGGED: DC 19 SPECIAL NOW THE OIL CRASH

But for now that's the way it really is Monday April 20th, 2020......