NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT TUESDAY 4/7/2020

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE TUESDAY)

The OPEC+ countries moving forward with talks about oil production cuts.   The cuts being discussed would not begin until next month and would last for three months......TASS NEWS REPORT

THE ACTING SECRETARY OF THE NAVY THOMAS MODLY RESIGNED TODAY.   MANY CALLS FOR HIM TO RESIGN FOLLOWING COMMENTS HE MADE TO THE CREW OF THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT AIRCRAFT CARRIER.

MODLY HAD CALLED THE ACTIONS OF THE FIRED CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, BRETT CROZIER, 'NAIVE' AND 'STUPID' FOR ALERTING THE MEDIA ALONG WITH HIS SUPERIORS OF THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS THROUGH THE SHIP.

Personnel changes at the White House.   Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham moving back to the First Lady's office.   Kayleigh McEnany will be the new Press Secretary for the President.   She was a spokeperson for the Trump campaign and has a track record as a defender of the President on cable news shows....NEW YORK POST STORY 

The lines reported long as polling places were consolidated due to the coronavirus situation for today's Wisconsin Primary....CNN STORY PUBLISHED BY EAST BAY TIMES

The results of the Democratic Primary in Wisconsin today are available at this link......BUT A FEDERAL COURT RULING KEEPS THOSE RESULTS ON HOLD UNTIL NEXT MONDAY APRIL 13TH.....NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO WISCONSIN RESULTS

Last minute court rulings from the Wisconsin and US Supreme Courts set the ground rules for today's primary election in Wisconsin.     The Republican controlled Wisconsin court ruling that Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, did not have the power to cancel the election because of Covid-19 and the US Supreme Court ruling that absentee ballots had to be postmarked by today and could not be postmarked by next Tuesday as Evers had decided.....MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL NEWS STORY......

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg blasting the court majority saying the decision to refuse absentee ballot extension would lead to "massive disenfranchisement" of voters....THE INDEPENDENT UK NEWS REPORT

THE TALIBAN OF AFGHANISTAN HAVE BROKEN OFF TALKS WITH THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT ON EXCHANGING PRISONERS.   THE PRISONER EXCHANGE PART OF THE PEACE DEAL SIGNED EARLIER THIS YEAR BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE TALIBAN.     THE TALIBAN IS SAYING THAT THE TALKS ARE 'FRUITLESS'....GULF TODAY UNITED ARAB EMIRATES STORY

The fighting continues in Libya with shelling reported around the capital city of Tripoli.    The Libyan National Army shelling positions of the Government of National Accord.    The "Southfront" version of the story.....LINK

Australian Cardinal George Pell is free from prison after a seven judge panel of Australia's High Court unanimously overturned his convictions for child sexual abuse.    The ex-Vatican treasurer and papal adviser had maintained his innocence since he was first charged in 2017.....BBC NEWS STORY...Pell spoke to the media saying he "holds no ill will" towards his accuser...BBC NEWS STORY

The coronavirus story in the USA with Georgia seeing a 20 percent jump in cases today to a new total of 8,818 from the official state figures at mid-day.   Most reported cases centered in Metro Atlanta but the highest density of reported cases is in southern Georgia's Dougherty County where the city of Albany is located.   Late figures tonight from the John Hopkins dashboard show 973 cases in the county where some 90-thousand people live meaning more than 1 in 100 residents tested positive for Covid-19.   56 reported dead in those latest figures with no recoveries in the county.

Fewer new cases of coronavirus reported in New York State today but the death toll is a larger number.   There were 731 more deaths recorded in the last 24 hours to bring the state total to 5,489.

Statistics tonight on the coronavirus some 33-thousand or so new cases added in the USA in the last 24 hours to being the Worldometers total to 400,412.    There are 12,854 deaths reported and 21,674 recoveries.   (1130 PM EASTERN US TIME)

The worldwide picture from Johns Hopkins right now 1,430,141 cases reported worldwide with 82,119 deaths and 301,130 recoveries.  (1130 PM EASTERN US TIME)

   

In Israel restrictions being imposed in connection with the start of Passover this week and some religious Israelis described as "militants" are protesting with clashes reported in one community.....YNET NEWS REPORT (WITH VIDEO EMBEDDED)

Israel has 9,248 Covid-19 cases reported with 65 deaths tonight.

In Russia the coronavirus cases now total 7,497 with 58 deaths and 494 recoveries reported.   Today rise in cases was more than one thousand......TASS NEWS STORY

A GRIM SET OF CORONAVIRUS STATISTICS FROM FRANCE TODAY WITH SOME 11,059 MORE CASES TO BRING THE TOTAL TO JUST OVER 109,000 IN A NATION WITH ONE-FIFTH THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES.   THE NUMBER OF DEATHS TODAY REPORTED TO BE 1,417 TO BRING THE TOTAL TO 10,328.

In Paris a ban imposed on outdoor exercise between 10 am and 7 pm in name of preventing coronavirus transmission.  Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the Prefecture of Police deciding to impose the ban starting tomorrow.  (BFM-TV Google Translation)

The worldwide coronavirus news reported on the BBC News blog......BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG 4/7/2020

Another blog focusing on coronavirus news in South Africa and around world is operated by "News 24" in South Africa......NEWS 24 SOUTH AFRICA CORONAVIRUS BLOG

In other news.......

The process of forming a new government continues in Iraq with the current Prime Minister Designate Adnan Al Zurfi naming his new cabinet today.     But Al Zurfi is not expected to get the cabinet approved by a highly fractured parliament.

The political situation in Iraq of prime minister designates failing to form new governments is likely to drag on until the country has new elections in 2022....ANALYSIS FROM "THE NATIONAL" UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

A court in Ecuador sentencing the country's former left-wing President Rafael Correa to eight years in jail for corruption.    Correa is in exile in Belgium.     He and other defendants were found guilty of taking seven and a half million dollars in bribes for government contracts....BBC NEWS STORY

That's the way it really is Tuesday April 7th, 2020.