1 At Least 16 Killed In Canadian Shooting Spree
No one seems to know what sparked it, but police in Canada say the death toll from a shooting rampage has climbed to at least 16. The spree started Saturday night in the small, rural town of Portapique, Nova Scotia. It ended 12-hours later with a 51-year-old denturist being killed in a shootout with police after a chase yesterday morning. Investigators are trying to find a motive for the killings, though they say the attack is not terror-related. It's the worst such incident in the country's history. “I believe at the beginning there was an initial motivation and then I think it turned to randomness,” RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki said at a press conference. “We don’t know for sure and we’re doing to have to do a lot of work on finding the motivation...a lot of background, and a lot of crime scene processing.”
2 Trump Touts Coronavirus Testing Capacity In US As States Bristle
The number of people tested for coronavirus continues to go up – though how much is up for debate as Americans argue about when is the right time to reopen. President Trump said over four-point-18-million Americans have been tested for the respiratory illness. Thing is? That’s his number. According to official counts, it’s more like three-point-nine million. Either way, testing strategies will be a big topic of conversation in a task force phone call with governors later today. Trump said that some governors aren't utilizing the full testing capacity since many are relying on state labs instead of private labs. He also charges that while governors say re-opening is their call, not his...they seem to be “blaming” his administration when things aren’t exactly what they want. Some – like Maryland’s Gov. Larry Hogan – are pushing back. He did so on CNN’s “State of the Union. “To try to push this off and say the governors have plenty of testing,” he noted. “That they should just get to work on testing, that somehow we aren’t doing our job, is just absolutely false.”
3 Mnuchin: More Money For Small Business Is Coming
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says a deal to provide more money for small businesses could be reached any time now. During an appearance on CNN's “State of the Union,” Mnuchin said he's already talked with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a key negotiator on the Paycheck Protection Program. The secretary said a deal is very close and he's hopeful the Senate will pass the plan as soon as today and added that he hopes the House passes the deal tomorrow. As we told you before, the 350-billion-dollar program to help small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic ran out of money last week. The good news? Mnuchin isn’t the only person feeling positive. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is also hopeful more money could be flowing soon to a popular small business program. Schumer concurs that he believes a deal on the Paycheck Protection Program could be reached today.