coronavirus

Pig farmers are reportedly killing piglets and giving sows abortions as the coronavirus crisis upends the American meat industry. Some farmers have resorted to such measures as they run low on space to house their livestock now that the pandemic has shut down about 20 processing plants and slaughterhouses in North America, according to Reuters. …

Dr. Anthony Fauci gave high marks to Brad Pitt for his portrayal of the infectious disease expert on “Saturday Night Live At Home,” according to a report. “I think he did great. I’m a great fan of Brad Pitt, and that’s the reason why when people ask me who I would like to play me, …

Nick Cordero has developed an infection in his lungs that went into his blood, his wife, Amanda Kloots, revealed Tuesday in the latest update on her husband’s coronavirus battle. The Broadway actor, who has been hospitalized since early April and had his right leg amputated because of complications stemming from the virus, was also given …

The feds are concerned that Zoom’s security flaws could make the popular videoconferencing platform vulnerable to foreign spies, a new report says. An intelligence analysis from the Department of Homeland Security found that Zoom’s explosive growth and its well known security problems make it a “target-rich environment” for government spy services and other hackers, ABC …

Nathan’s Famous has joined the slew of companies returning small-business loans amid an outcry over big firms getting coronavirus aid. The storied Coney Island hot dog brand plans to return the $1.2 million loan it received through the Paycheck Protection Program meant to help Main Street merchants cover payroll and other expenses during the pandemic. …

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Monday that he will allow the state’s economy to reopen in stages beginning Friday, when his stay-at-home order expires. “Now more than ever, Texans must remain committed to safe distancing practices that reduce the spread of Covid-19, and we must continue to rely on doctors and data to provide us …

LOS ANGELES — Grammy-nominated gospel singer Troy Sneed has died from complications with the coronavirus. He was 52. Sneed’s publicist Bill Carpenter said the singer died early Monday at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Sneed earned a Grammy nomination for his work on the Youth For Christ’s 1999 album “Higher.” Sneed traveled throughout the United …

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler is backing off a planned May 4 restart at its North American factories because some U.S. states still will have stay-home orders in place. The move likely means that factories of all three Detroit automakers will be idled for at least another two weeks as they negotiate reopening terms with the United …

One of the best basketball products to come out of New York City lost his mom and brother after they battled coronavirus. Erica Telfair, the mother of former NBA and Abraham Lincoln High School star Sebastian Telfair, died early Monday after battling the virus, although her official cause of death is unknown. She was 64. …

As I mentioned a few columns back, people are going to have trouble paying their mortgages under “forbearance” plans. They won’t be able to come up with, say, three months’ worth of delayed mortgage payments all at once when this crisis is over. Fannie Mae, which owns most of the mortgages in this country, put …