Saskatoon zoo welcomes baby sheep, new manager

The population of the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo has grown.

Two baby mouflon sheep — a male and a female — were recently born.

Coronavirus: Montreal-area family receives warning from police for holding birthday parade

The joy of a Beaconsfield, Que., birthday parade was short-lived as Montreal police issued a warning to those holding the celebration over the weekend as strict social-distancing rules remain in effect in the province due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Melissa Leblanc’s family surprised her Sunday afternoon with a procession and a Happy Birthday serenade for her 33rd birthday.

1 month after Alberta’s first COVID-19 case, what’s changed?

It’s been just over one month since the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Alberta and a lot has changed. Schools have closed, businesses have shuttered, thousands have been laid off and the daily lives of Albertans are nowhere near the same as they were a month ago.

So what has changed? Here’s a look back.

Fed says will provide financing against new "payroll protection" loans

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve on Monday said it will let banks that engage in a new small business lending program use those loans for financing from the Fed, a potentially important step in encouraging banks to participate.

The Fed said it was setting up a term financing facility backed by the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program and will announce further details this week. (Reporting by Howard Schneider, Editing by Franklin Paul)

U.S. Fed preparing to buy new small business payroll loans – WSJ

April 6 (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department are planning to launch a new program to buy loans that financial firms make through the government’s emergency small-business lending program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The move would establish a secondary market for loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration’s Payroll Protection Program, according to the report. (on.wsj.com/2whjMkH) (Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)

Saskatchewan farmers facing financial hardship due to coronavirus pandemic: APAS

More than 70 per cent of farmers in Saskatchewan who took part in a recent survey said the novel coronavirus pandemic has caused or is expected to cause them financial hardship.

CBS Legal Drama to Produce New Episode Using FaceTime and Zoom

CBS plans to use FaceTime, Zoom and other apps to make a new episode of the drama “All Rise” that deals with the coronavirus crisis, a novel way to churn out shows even with production shut down by the pandemic.

The program will depict a judge presiding virtually over a trial, with producers piecing together footage from the actors’ homes. Visual effects will be used to make backgrounds, and a cinematographer will capture footage of a desolate Los Angeles by driving around the city solo.

Talk shows and news programs have already adapted to the shutdown, with hosts such as Jimmy Fallon delivering material from their living rooms and basements. But “All Rise” will test whether the approach works for scripted programs as well.

The episode is slated to air on May 4. The legal drama, in its first season, is produced by Warner Bros. and CBS Television Studios, part of the recently merged ViacomCBS Inc.

Cuomo Says Deaths Signal Possible Plateau in Outbreak

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said deaths from the coronavirus pandemic were showing signs of hitting a plateau in the state that has become the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak.

The challenge, he cautioned Monday, is to maintain the social distancing that has finally pointed New York toward a possible peak in fatalities. For two days in a row, the death toll was about the same, a turnabout from increases for more than a week. Case increases were less than 10% for two days, a turnabout from numbers about twice as large a week earlier.

“I get that people are cooped up,” Cuomo said in his daily press briefing. “But, we get reckless, we change and we’re not compliant on social distancing, you’ll see those numbers go up again.”

He added: “Now is not the time to slack off on what we’re doing.”

IATSE Wants To Hear Members’ Stories About Impact Of COVID-19 Shutdown

IATSE wants to hear from its members about their personal experiences during the COVID-19 shutdown of the entertainment industry. The union, which represents behind-the scenes workers, estimates that 95% of its members are now unemployed.

“As we continue to navigate during the COVID-19 crisis together,” the union told the leaders of its locals around the country, “it is important we communicate our personal experiences and the harmful impact of COVID-19 on entertainment industry workers. Therefore, we have created ‘Your Story, Our Story’ campaign.”

“Our mission is to shed light on our personal experiences and make sure the voices of our union are heard globally,” the union said. “Our willingness to stand up and highlight the scale of the lack of emergency relief assistance and resources for industry workers can enact meaningful change. Our stories in particular, can be a powerful way to replace fear with inspiration, strength and courage.

“Every week, stories from different members of our IATSE family will be shared across all IATSE social media platforms, as well as the AFL-CIO’s social media and website. By showing the world how this crisis is affecting us, we can humanize behind the scenes workers and win better legislation, benefits and labor practices in the long run.”

IATSE members can share their stories with the union here.