1 Officials 5.1 Magnitude Quake Reported In North Carolina
Sunday got off to a shaky start for some in North Carolina – the earth under your feet variety – in what officials say was the strongest temblor since 1916. According to at least one witness, the trembles went on for about four minutes. The U.S. Geological Survey says there was a five-point-one magnitude earthquake near Sparta just after 8am Eastern time. The good news? Other than rattled nerves, there have been no reports of damage or injuries. For those wondering what a five-point-one quake feels like? "It felt like a big locomotive going by and a big wave coming underneath the bed," Sparta Mayor Wes Brinegar tells CNN. "A big wave coming to lift you. ... I've lived here my whole life and have never felt anything like that.”
2 President Trump Issues Four Coronavirus Orders
President Trump is making good on his pledge to take action after coronavirus relief talks with Congress stalled. He threatened to take action if Congress couldn’t cut a deal by last Friday. When that didn’t happen, Trump signed executive orders (well, one order and three memoranda). What’s in them? Among other things, his orders extend federal unemployment benefits to the tune of $400 per week and suspend payroll taxes through the end of the year. Other actions include halting rental evictions and suspending student loan repayments. Thing is, some are questioning if the documents will actually help. Why? The White House released the texts of the one executive order and three memos. To pay for the extra 400-dollars in unemployment benefits, the President is taking money from the natural disaster fund right before what many expect to be an active hurricane season. The federal government would pay $300, and states would have to kick in the other 100. While it's unclear if he can actually force them to do so, many states say they simply can’t afford it. The memo on the payroll tax does not suspend it entirely. It authorizes businesses to quit taking it out of workers' paychecks, but don’t get too excited - taxpayers would still have to pay it when they file their taxes. But on that note, the President says if he's re-elected he will do away with it entirely. And that’s an issue – because he can’t do that on his own – Constitutionally, Trump needs Congressional approval to do so. Also? That tax funds Social Security and Medicare, so it’s unclear what happens to them if there is no funding. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse called Trump’s moves “unconstitutional slop.” Not surprisingly, a number of Democrats agree.
3 Expert Says A Vax Won’t Solve Everything As U.S. Passes Covid-19 Landmark
The director of the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is addressing the possibility of a 50-percent effective coronavirus vaccine, Dr. Tom Inglesby says it would be “better than what we have.” This, as the number of Americans testing positive for COVID-19 has passed the five-million mark. Still, there are signs the spread of the coronavirus is slowing: Just seven states are seeing increasing numbers of cases The number of new infections is falling in 17 states. Three states had the highest per capita rate in the past week. They are Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. And that’s where Dr. Inglesby comes in. Speaking to NBC's “Meet The Press,” he admits vaccines aren't a cure all, but said they're “very useful if they prevent the vast majority of new infections.”