Fed says around 600 smaller banks tapped PPP facility in its first days

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) – Around 600 banks, most of them small community institutions, tapped the Federal Reserve’s Paycheck Protection Program facility for about $30 billion of loans as of May 6, the U.S. central bank reported on Saturday in its first detailed disclosure under the new program.

The lenders used 3,676 PPP loans as collateral for loans from the central bank, clearing room on their own balance sheet for further lending. The Fed said it had collected $2.5 million in fees for the transactions. (Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by David Gregorio)

Grassfire closes Hwy 14 between Purdue and Biggar

Saskatchewan RCMP have closed Highway 14 between Perdue and Biggar because of a grass fire close to the highway.

A statement released shortly before 3 p.m. said “visibility is zero and it is unsafe to travel through the area.”

It also said that motorists are advised to plan alternate routes.

This story is developing and will be updated when possible.

White House says Trump fired State Department watchdog at Mike Pompeo's request

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – US President Donald Trump fired the State Department’s inspector-general following a recommendation by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the White House said on Saturday (May 16).

“Secretary Pompeo recommended the move, and President Trump agreed,” a White House official said after two top Democrats announced a probe into the Republican president’s Friday night firing of the department’s internal watchdog, Steve Linick.

RCMP investigating homicde after 35-year-old man killed in R.M. of West Interlake

Manitoba RCMP are investigating after a man was found dead at a home in the Rural Municipality of West Interlake.

On Friday at 11:13 p.m. police received a report of an assault.

When officers arrived at the home they found a 35-year-old man from Vogar, Man., dead.

Obama Rips The Trump Administration’s Failed Pandemic Response In College Address

Former President Barack Obama tore into the failed pandemic response by President Donald Trump’s administration in a college commencement address on Saturday.

Obama spoke to the class of 2020 of the 74 historically black colleges and universities across the United States as part of a two-hour video event. He also addressed communities of color that are disproportionally affected by the deadly coronavirus disease. 

“You’re being asked to find your way in the world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and terrible recession,” Obama said. “The timing is not ideal. And let’s be honest — a disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country.”

Obama then took a shot at the Trump White House, without naming the president directly.  

“More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”

The Trump administration has continually fallen short in its response to the pandemic, in which nearly 90,000 Americans have died.

Following Obama’s speech, Trump tweeted a single response to the former president: “OBAMAGATE!” — a reference to Trump’s vague accusation of crimes by the former president, which Trump has declined to explain.

Read Obama’s full commencement speech here.

90 migrants intercepted in six small boats in English Channel

Six boats carrying 90 migrants which were attempting to cross the English Channel have been intercepted by Border Force boats.

The occupants of the six boats, one of which carried 25 people, were brought to Dover, Kent, to be dealt with by immigration authorities.

The influx brings the total number of migrants who have crossed to the UK during the coronavirus lockdown to more than 900.

A new single-day record set on VE Day saw 145 migrants making the dangerous crossing.

’10 firefighters hurt’ in downtown Los Angeles fire

More than 230 firefighters are tackling a large blaze that has spread to several buildings following reports an explosion in downtown Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Fire Department tweeted that up to 10 firefighters were “down” after the blast, but gave no further details on their conditions at this stage.

China reports 5 new coronavirus cases, down from 8 a day earlier

BEIJING (REUTERS) – Mainland China reported five new confirmed Covid-19 cases for May 16, down from eight the previous day, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement on Sunday (May 17).

Two of the five confirmed cases are so-called imported infections, while three are locally transmitted in northeastern Jilin Province.

The number of new asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus fell to 12 from 13, the NHC said.

The number of confirmed cases in the mainland stands at 82,947 and the death toll at 4,634.

Tesla Tells Employees It Has County Approval to Reopen Plant

Tesla Inc. told employees it received approval to resume operations at its factory after Elon Musk threatened to move the company’s headquarters and future programs following a move by a California county to block the reopening.

The company said Alameda County’s interim health officer had approved its Fremont work plan and safe measures, according to an email sent to employees that was seen by Bloomberg News.

In the message, Tesla’s vice president for environmental, health, and safety, Laurie Shelby, told employees that, following a visit by local authorities, “we have local support to get back to full production at the factory starting this upcoming week.”

Officials at Tesla and the county didn’t immediately respond to queries after regular business hours.

Tesla sued the county this month after it said the company didn’t meet criteria to reopen, a move Musk called “the final straw” as he threatened to move Tesla’s base to Nevada or Texas. Tesla employs roughly 11,000 workers in Fremont, California, where the factory is located.

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