Just For Laughs Comedy Festival Postponed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Montreal’s annual Just for Laughs festival has been postponed as the world grapples with the coronavirus outbreak. The 38th edition of the comedy confab now is set for September 29-October 11, pushed from its planned July 15-26 run.

More details will be revealed about the world’s biggest comedy fest during the summer, organizers said. The fest is evaluating various scenarios for the outdoor part of its festival, and a decision on that aspect is TBA.

Charles Décarie, president and CEO of the Just For Laughs Group, said in a statement today:

“We are energized by the ability of our teams to adapt to current conditions and present a festival redesigned in its form and content as early as the fall. If the situation permits, we will resume work in the interim and thus be able to play an important role in reviving the cultural sector, but also in the social healing that we all need.

“The teams in place at Just For Laughs worked hard to achieve this feat and look forward to offering Quebecers, and our International visitors the very best in comedy this fall. I would like to add that in doing so, they are also working to ensure that their colleagues return to the company as quickly as possible. So, we hope that our audiences will come in large numbers this Fall, and that together we can celebrate life that is resuming its course.”

Canadian military deploying to northern Quebec amid coronavirus pandemic

The Canadian Forces are on their way to northern Quebec to help communities respond to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government is answering a call from the Quebec government.

Coronavirus: City of Saskatoon temporarily suspends parking permit sales

The City of Saskatoon is temporarily suspending the sale of residential and people with disability parking permits amid the coronavirus outbreak.

City officials said parking restrictions in residential parking permit zones are suspended until further notice.

New York reports deadliest day from coronavirus, governor makes plea for help

NEW YORK (REUTERS) – New York suffered its deadliest single day from the novel coronavirus, with 562 additional deaths across the state for a total of 2,935 fatalities, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday (April 3).

Mr Cuomo warned that people were going to die in the near term due to a lack of ventilators of hospital beds and called for resources from across the United States to be deployed to New York to help it deal with the growing crisis in the state.

Coronavirus: Britons can now drink together on lockdown in virtual pub

Going to the pub on a Friday night was a normal thing to do for many Britons – before the UK was put under the coronavirus lockdown a few weeks ago.

Now, a virtual pub has opened its doors so that drinkers can get together and chat over a glass of wine or a pint while they stay at home and protect the NHS.

Anyone can join the video platform The Red (On)Lion for a drink and a chat, which features a main bar area.

Kennedy Granddaughter & Her 8-Year-Old Son Missing After Canoe Was 'Apparently Overtaken by Winds'

Robert F. Kennedy’s granddaughter Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean and her young son, Gideon, are missing, according to her husband, after a canoeing accident in Chesapeake Bay on Thursday afternoon.

David McKean told The Washington Post that Maeve and Gideon had “popped into a canoe” to go and retrieve a ball that had landed into the water while their family was visiting at her mom’s waterfront property in Shady Side, Maryland.

Maryland authorities confirmed in a statement that a 40-year-old woman and an 8-year-old boy went missing Thursday afternoon from that same location after they “appeared to be overtaken by the strong winds” while canoeing.

“They just got farther out than they could handle and couldn’t get back in,” David told the Post.

Authorities declined to identify the missing woman and child but said: “The preliminary investigation revealed that the pair may have been paddling the canoe from a residence … out into the bay to retrieve a ball and were unable to paddle back to shore.”

The canoe and a paddle were recovered Thursday night.

The search for the missing mother and child continued Friday.

This is a breaking news story. Please return for updates.

Putin Echoes Trump’s Call for Oil Producers to Reduce Output

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the country’s top oil executives that oil producing countries should join together to slash output to reverse the collapse in world oil prices.

Putin said global cuts of a little above or below 10 million barrels a day are possible, according to televised comments Friday. He echoed a Tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump saying Russia and Saudi Arabia were ready to cut output that sent Brent oil prices up as much as 47%.

The Russian reversal reflects alarm at the sudden collapse in demand sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, which threatens a global recession this year. As recently as two weeks ago, Putin appeared to be digging in his heels in a price war with Saudi Arabia that began when Moscow pulled out of a supply-limit agreement with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. That prompted Saudi Arabia to flood the market with oil, driving prices to the lowest in nearly two decades.

Coronavirus trial vaccine participant says he wants to help the world

New York (CNN Business)CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin announced on Friday that she tested positive for coronavirus after experiencing symptoms a day earlier.

“I am OKAY,” Baldwin said in an Instagram post announcing her diagnosis. “It came on suddenly yesterday afternoon. Chills, aches, fever.”

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Baldwin became the second CNN anchor to test positive for the virus. Chris Cuomo tested positive earlier in the week.

Baldwin, who has been broadcasting from CNN’s offices in New York City, said she had been following all the proper precautions. She explained that she has been social distancing and “doing ALL the things we’re being told to do.”
“Still — it got me,” she said, noting she is healthy with no underlying conditions.

Despite the diagnosis, Baldwin said she counted herself as “one of the lucky ones” and that she looked forward to being back on television “real soon.”
“And shout out to the doctors and nurses who are doing the real work right now,” Baldwin concluded in her Instagram note, adding that she was sending love to them.