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Coronavirus live updates: Global cases top 500,000

This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. All times below are in Eastern time. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks.

Global cases: More than 510,000

Global deaths: At least 22,993

US cases: At least 75,233

US deaths: At least 1,070

The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

4:41 pm: Trump plan calls for classifying risk county by county

President Donald Trump laid out his vision for what he called the “next phase” in the war on the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the country.

In a letter to the nation’s governors, Trump said he and his administration planned to develop criteria to “help classify counties with respect to continued risks posed by” the deadly coronavirus. He said the use of “robust surveillance testing” will allow local governments to track the spread of the virus.

Counties would be divided into three low, medium and high “risk” levels, the president wrote. These categories will be accompanied by “new guidelines for state and local policymakers to use in making decisions” about whether to maintain, decrease, or increase their social distancing guidelines.

The president has made no secret of his desire to see U.S. businesses reopen, even as the virus is infecting thousands of people every day across the country. Trump has set upon the date of Easter, April 12, as the one by which he hopes to see large parts of the country “roaring” back into business.

Public health experts say that attempting to reopen businesses and loosen social distancing restrictions in a matter of weeks could mean tens of thousands of additional infections that could have been prevented by an extended campaign of mitigation. Trump, however, has suggested that experts who recommend extending the campaign are motivated by a desire to defeat him politically, and not by the desire to protect Americans from the life-threatening COVID-19 disease. —Christina Wilkie

4:22 pm: GM extending plant shutdowns

General Motors has confirmed that it is extending the temporary closures of its North American plants due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a message to employees, Phil Kienle, vice president of the automaker’s North America manufacturing and labor relations, said that the company “will continue to evaluate our operating plan going forward.”

GM’s plants, which shut down last week due to COVID-19, were supposed to remain shuttered through March 30. A GM spokesman was not immediately available for comment. The message comes hours after Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler announced plans to resume production at their North American plants beginning in April. —Mike Wayland

4:10 pm: Dow clinches biggest 3-day surge since 1931

Stocks surged for a third straight day as investors shrugged off the release of record-breaking initial jobless claims while the Senate passed a massive economic stimulus bill amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 1,300 points, or 6.2%. The Dow also capped off its biggest three-day surge since 1931. Over the past three days, the Dow is up more than 20%.

The S&P 500 also posted a three-day winning streak rising 6.2%. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 5.6% as Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google-parent Alphabet all jumped more than 4%.

Boeing, Chevron and Walgreens drove the Dow’s gains, with each stock rising more than 10%. Utilities and real estate were the best-performing sectors in the S&P 500, both closing more than 7% higher. —Fred Imbert

3:50 pm: Major cruise lines could be left out of the bailout

Cruise lines are among the businesses that have suffered the most fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. And the major ones could get left out of the bailout fund included in the $2 trillion stimulus bill the Senate passed Wednesday night.

The bill allocates $500 billion to distressed businesses that can apply for loans or guarantees from a fund overseen by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. To be eligible for that relief, however, a company must be “created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States” and “have significant operations in and a majority of its employees based in the United States.”

Several major cruise lines, however, are not incorporated in America. Carnival, for example, is incorporated in Panama, although it has a U.S. entity and a headquarters in Miami. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Cruise lines also typically employ many foreign workers on their ships, who can be exempt from U.S. minimum wage requirements.

As of Thursday morning, there were indications that cruise lines themselves were uncertain whether the language in the bill excluded them from relief.

“My interpretation is that cruise lines may not qualify, but I’m taking a closer look to see whether that is really the case,” said Aaron Cutler, a partner in the government relations and public affairs department at influential international law firm Hogan Lovells. —Lauren Hirsch

3:20 pm: How the NBA is planning to save its season

Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz reacts after dunking during the third quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 06, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Omar Rawlings | Getty Images

There is no doubt the coronavirus pandemic will leave its imprint on the sports world, but no league may suffer more than the National Basketball Association.

After being the first U.S. league to suspend games due to the coronavirus outbreak, the NBA is currently contemplating how to resume play, if possible, as the league wants to salvage revenue, which the Washington Post reported could total $1 billion in losses.

In his interview with ESPN last week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he wants to “believe we’re going to be able to salvage at least some portion of the season.”

According to NBA executives and agents who discussed the matter with CNBC on condition of anonymity, the league remains focused on a return after suspending operations following Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month. Las Vegas has emerged as the best location to resume the season, according to league executives.

If the season can’t resume, the NBA will need to consider revenue consequences of a canceled season, and how it will affect players’ salaries, which are tied to games being played.

“The players are going to experience a fair amount of salary pain,” said Richard Sheehan, a professor of finance at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business Sheehan. —Jabari Young

3:10 pm: San Francisco’s Muni Metro, light rail service to be replaced by buses

The SFMTA announced additional service changes during San Francisco’s coronavirus shelter-in-place order.

Starting March 30, all Muni Metro and light rail routes will be replaced by buses. Riders will be able to take buses for the J, KT, L, M, and N lines using the same bus stops as the early morning Metro bus service. All Muni Metro subway stations will also be closed, except for the ones downtown which will remain open for BART customers.

“In response to changing ridership, these service adjustments will help us to focus resources on routes outside of the downtown area that are connecting people to essential jobs and services,” SFMTA said in an online post.

“Closing the Muni Metro underground system will allow us to redirect custodial resources to other, higher-use facilities and minimizes risk to our station agents. Based on our ridership data and observations, we do not expect these changes to impact the ability of our riders and operators to maintain social distance.”

SFMTA plans on doing maintenance work on vehicles and infrastructure during this time. You can find the full list of changes here. —Riya Bhattacharjee

3:00 pm: Fauci says US ‘can start thinking about’ getting back to normal when outbreak slows

2:45 pm: CEO of largest NY health provider — only science can dictate coronavirus drug treatments

Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling is calling for caution regarding potential drug treatments for COVID-19.

“You can’t let politics dictate, what people would like to see dictate,” Dowling said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” “You’ve got to let the science dictate, because if you don’t, you’ll do damage to people.”

Dowling, whose 23-hospital system is the largest health-care provider in New York state, said it is OK to be optimistic about the experimental treatments underway, “but you’ve got to wait until you can prove” that it is effective in treating COVID-19.

In fact, Dowling said he was personally optimistic about some of the trials underway at Northwell Health’s hospitals. The health system is working with Regeneron and Gilead Sciences to test the efficacy of existing drugs.

Northwell Health does not have “definitive results yet,” Dowling cautioned.

“But I am pretty certain that within the next week or two we’re going to find out that one or more of these drugs do make a difference and that would obviously change the landscape when that happens,” said Dowling.

The drugs in trial at Northwell Health are Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir and sarilumab, which was developed by Regeneron and Sanofi, according to the Long Island Press. —Kevin Stankiewicz

2:20 pm: Worldwide cases top 500,000, doubling in just over a week

COVID-19 cases surpassed 500,000 across the world, doubling in just over a week as the pandemic accelerates.

The total number of global cases now stands at 510,108 as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The virus emerged in Wuhan, China, in December. It has since spread to most countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 200,000 last week, and passed 300,000 on Saturday, according to Hopkins data. The virus has infected an additional 100,000 people around the world since Tuesday, when worldwide infections passed 400,000. The virus has now killed more than 22,290 people around the world. Roughly 120,000 people have recovered from COVID-19, according to Hopkins. —Will Feuer

2:09 pm: Coronavirus may be deadlier than 1918 flu

Some scientists estimate that millions will ultimately die before COVID-19 runs its course. There’s a lot that infectious disease specialists and scientists still don’t know about the virus. Exactly how deadly and contagious COVID-19 is, is still a matter of debate.

We break down what we know about the virus and how it compares with some of history’s deadliest pandemics and diseases. First, you’ll have to bone up on a bit of epidemiology.

The 1918 flu was one of the most horrific pandemics of the 20th century, hitting those ages 20 to 40 especially hard, according to WHO. COVID-19′s R naught of 2 is slightly more infectious than the 1918 flu.

The 1918 flu, which was known as the Spanish flu, didn’t actually originate in Spain. It had a mortality rate of 2.5% and killed more people — 30 million to 50 million — than the 20 million who died in World War I. If the 4.5% mortality rate of COVID-19 drops, it won’t be as bad as the 1918 flu. If it continues on its current trajectory, it will be almost twice as deadly. —Berkeley Lovelace

1:48 pm: Italy death toll rises by 662 in a day, now totals more than 8,000

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has grown by 662 to 8,165, the Civil Protection Agency said.

However, there appeared to be an error in the agency’s data because it reported no deaths on Thursday in the third-worst-affected region, Piedmont, which would be unprecedented in recent days.

Separately, Piedmont authorities said their death toll had risen by 50 in the last 24 hours.

On Wednesday 683 people died. That followed 743 deaths on Tuesday, 602 on Monday, 650 on Sunday and a record of 793 on Saturday — the highest daily figure since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.

The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 80,539 from a previous 74,386, the Civil Protection Agency said — the highest number of new cases since March 21.

Of those originally infected nationwide, 10,361 had fully recovered on Thursday compared to 9,362 the day before. There were 3,612 people in intensive care against a previous 3,489.

The hardest-hit northern region of Lombardy reported a steep rise in fatalities compared with the day before and remains in a critical situation, with a total of 4,861 deaths and 34,889 cases.

That compared with 4,474 deaths and 32,346 cases reported up to Wednesday. —Reuters

1:23 pm: States with the most job losses so far because of the coronavirus

The record-breaking spike in U.S. jobless claims data varied in its impact on American workers depending on state as governors across the country instituted different combinations of restrictions and closures to help slow the spread of COVID-19. —Thomas Franck, John W. Schoen

1:09 pm: WeWork reassures investors it has enough cash to weather coronavirus downturn

WeWork is telling investors it has enough cash on hand to execute its long-term plans and weather the near-term challenges posed by COVID-19.

In a seven-slide deck for investors, WeWork said it had $4.4 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of the end of 2019. The company is expected to release full-year financial results after the market closes on Thursday.

In a letter obtained by CNBC, WeWork’s executive chairman, Marcelo Claure, and CEO, Sandeep Mathrani, say that the company “has a strategic plan and a sound financial position.”

WeWork is the second SoftBank-backed company to reassure investors that its cash position will get it through an increasingly uncertain and volatile year. —Deirdre Bosa, Laura Batchelor

12:57 pm: Nancy Pelosi predicts more direct payments during the coronavirus crisis

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks with reporters during her weekly press conference at the US Capitol March 26, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Alex Edelman | AFP | Getty Images

As the House prepares to pass a historically massive $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi outlined more steps she wants to take to blunt damage to the economy and health-care system.

After the Senate passed the package, believed to be the biggest rescue plan in U.S. history, on Wednesday night, the House hopes to follow suit Friday in what Pelosi predicted would be a “strong, bipartisan” vote. The California Democrat set the stage for more congressional legislation as the pandemic rampages throughout the country.

Pelosi indicated she would push to send more money directly to Americans on top of the cash payments set out in the Senate-passed bill. The proposal would give up to $1,200 to qualified individuals and $2,400 to couples, which starts to phase out for people making more than $75,000. —Jacob Pramuk

12:46 pm: Cuomo says ‘reckless’ $2 trillion coronavirus bill fails to help New York’s revenue loss

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the $2 trillion relief package aimed at easing the economic impact of the coronavirus “irresponsible” and “reckless,” saying it doesn’t do enough for his state’s huge loss in revenue.

“The congressional action in my opinion simply failed to address the governmental need,” Cuomo said at a press conference in Albany.

Cuomo said that the $5 billion New York would receive from the bill doesn’t come close to covering state’s projected revenue shortfall, which could total $15 billion.

“I’m disappointed, I said I was disappointed. I find it irresponsible, I find it reckless,” Cuomo said. “When this is over, I promise you I’m going to give them a piece of my mind.” —Noah Higgins-Dunn, Kevin Breuninger

12:39 pm: US suspends plans to buy oil after funding is left out of $2 trillion stimulus package

The U.S. Department of Energy is suspending its plans to buy crude for the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve after the requested $3 billion in funding for the project was left out of the $2 trillion stimulus package.

“Given the current uncertainty related to adequate Congressional Appropriations for crude oil purchases associated with the March 19, 2020 solicitation, the Department is withdrawing the solicitation,” an amendment filed Wednesday said. “Should funding become secure for the planned purchases, the Department will reissue the solicitation,” it added.

The original request for proposal, filed on March 19, outlined plans to purchase the first 30 million barrels of American-made crude oil for the SPR out of a total of 77 million barrels.

But funding to execute the plan was left out of the $2 trillion stimulus package which the White House and Senate agreed to Wednesday night, and which the House is expected to vote on Friday. Initially,$3 billion had been requested for the project. —Pippa Stevens

12:28 pm: New York coronavirus cases soar to 37,258 as state scrambles for ventilators

New York coronavirus cases continue to surge, topping 37,258 as the state scrambles to find enough hospital beds and ventilators to handle the coming onslaught of patients, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

More than 5,300 residents have already been hospitalized and the state is projecting that will climb to 140,000 over the next two to three weeks, he said. At least 1,517 people have been discharged, he added. The state has already spent $1 billion trying to stymie the outbreak and estimates that business closures will cost roughly $10 to $15 billion in lost revenue.

“To be angry is a luxury, we don’t have time to be angry. Let’s just deal with the facts,” Cuomo said at a press conference in Albany. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

12:20 pm: ‘They’re putting us all at risk:’ What it’s like working in Amazon’s warehouses during the outbreak

As the coronavirus outbreak has worsened, many Americans have hunkered down in their homes and are turning to online marketplaces like Amazon to get essentials like toilet paper, food and hand sanitizer delivered to their door.

While physical stores run out of stock and cities are on lockdown, Amazon’s warehouse workers, delivery drivers and contract employees have been praised for their fearlessness in continuing to go to work during a crisis. Amazon has called its employees “heroes fighting for their communities” and CEO Jeff Bezos said workers efforts were “being noticed at the highest levels of government.”

Warehouse workers and other Amazon employees don’t view their jobs with the same rose-colored optimism. A dozen Amazon workers told CNBC they’re terrified to go to work during a pandemic, while others have expressed frustration over how their employer has responded to the threat of the coronavirus at their workplaces. Many of the workers asked to remain anonymous so as not to upset their employer. —Annie Palmer

12:12 pm: Hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones gets emotional about his daughter getting coronavirus

Paul Tudor Jones, one of Wall Street’s most influential investors, got personal about his daughter’s recovery from the coronavirus and how he aims to help New York City’s most vulnerable denizens.

In a surprising revelation, Tudor Jones told CNBC, “My heart goes out to the people that are going to be our first-responders. My heart goes out to the people that are going to be affected. My own daughter has CV-19 right now. She’s recovering from it.” —Matthew J. Belvedere

12:01 pm: Treasury chief Mnuchin says record unemployment claims ‘aren’t relevant’ right now

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin waved aside jaw-dropping new jobless claims by more than 3 million Americans, saying that the record-setting unemployment filing numbers “right now aren’t relevant.”

Mnuchin said “the good news” is a $2 trillion relief bill working its way through Congress that is aimed at alleviating income losses and other financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mnuchin said that the aim of that package is that many people who have recently lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus outbreak will get hired back by their employers with this relief.

Asked what his reaction was to seeing the 3.28 million new unemployment claims reported for the past week on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” Mnuchin said, “To be honest, I think these numbers right now aren’t relevant whether they’re bigger or shorter in the short term.” —Dan Mangan

11:53 am: ‘Virus-proofing’ the family deli — How a small business owner fights to slow the spread of the Coronavirus

Shoppers at Felice Italian Deli in Clearwater, Florida are provided hand sanitizer and asked to don gloves before entering and the establishment has now started ‘touchless-transactions.’ Gabriella D’Elia is ahead of the game in Florida, but she hopes being proactive will save lives and help flatten the curve … one customer at a time. —Ray Parisi

11:49 am: Craft distillers and brewers making sanitizer are lobbying Congress and FDA to keep producing

Crew members apply labels to bottles for hand sanitizer at Eight Oaks Farm Distillery in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, on March 19, 2020.

Branden Eastwood | AFP | Getty Images

Whiskey sales have fallen at least 50% at the New Liberty Distillery in Philadelphia because of the shutdown of bars, restaurants and state-owned liquor stores due the coronavirus outbreak. The pain can be even greater for many others, said owner Robert Cassell.

“Some distilleries, that number is probably closer to 80% because they’re smaller operations that rely on the direct-to-consumer [channel],” said Cassell, who is also the president of the Pennsylvania Distillers Guild.

Hoping to use their facilities to help battle the coronavirus outbreak and keep employees on the payroll, the guild has partnered with the state of Pennsylvania to produce 100,000 bottles of hand sanitizer using alcohol that would normally fill bottles of spirits. Bottlers of sanitizer have been in short supply as people look to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus. —Frank Holland

11:41 am: Streets in India sit eerily empty amid coronavirus lockdown

This aerial photograph taken on March 25, 2020 shows a deserted road, as a nationwide lockdown continues after the coronavirus outbreak on March 25, 2020 in Kolkata, Eastern India.

Debajyoti Chakraborty | NurPhoto | Getty Images

Streets in India normally bustling with people and traffic stayed empty Wednesday as the country of 1.3 billion people endured the first day of a national lockdown brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the new measure Tuesday, saying that people would have to remain in their homes for the next 21 days with only essential services remaining open. The move is designed to curb the virus’s spread and keep the country’s already-fragile health system from buckling under a surge of critically ill patients. —Adam Jeffery, Hannah Miller

11:24 am: Markets take 3 million claims in stride and now brace for ‘tsunami of negative news’

The first crushing wave of 3.28 million workers seeking unemployment benefits is expected to be followed by millions more in the coming weeks as the impact of virus-related shutdowns ripples across the U.S. economy.

Economists had expected anywhere between 1 million and 4 million new claims to be filed for the week ending March 21, as the impact of the first state shelter-in-place orders affected workers. The 3.28 million is a record and dwarfs the past record of nearly 700,000 claims filed in one week in 1982.

Stocks rose after the claims report. Treasury yields, which move opposite price, edged higher but were still lower on the day.

“This week’s jobless claims surge was well advertised before the print,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities. “People were talking about the potential of this to be as high as 6 or 7 million. The focus by the market now is on the fact we’re likely to get a historically large fiscal stimulus bill signed in the House by Friday. This is just the beginning of a tsunami of negative news … Everything on the economic data front is going to start looking horrendous.” —Patti Domm

11:17 am: Senators will leave Washington until April 20 — but the coronavirus crisis could force them to return

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chamber would adjourn for nearly a month after it passed a historically huge $2 trillion coronavirus relief package late Wednesday night.

But as the outbreak takes a toll on American health and financial well-being, the unprecedented crisis may force Congress to act again sooner than the Senate’s planned return date of April 20. McConnell acknowledged the reality Wednesday night, promising the chamber would stay “nimble” as the pandemic spreads.

“If circumstances require the Senate to return for a vote sooner than April the 20th, we will provide at least 24 hours of notice,” he said. —Jacob Pramuk

11:00 am: The ‘patchwork’ efforts by US to curb spread of coronavirus are not enough, former Obama advisor says

The “patchwork” efforts by local and state officials across the U.S. to curb the spread of the coronavirus are not enough, former Obama White House health policy advisor Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel told CNBC.

State and local officials have implemented a variety of “shelter-in-place” orders, shuttering nonessential businesses, bars and restaurants to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Without a national lockdown, the states that have issued shelter-in-place type orders are shouldering a brunt of the economic damage, Emanuel said. Worst yet, those efforts are being undermined by other regions that aren’t doing the same.

“If we don’t have a full national lockdown … You are going to have these rollercoasters. You contain it in some area. Then we try to ease it up, then it just blossoms again and we are never going to get it under control in the whole country,” Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” —William Feuer

10:40 am: Gig workers for companies like Uber, Lyft would get unemployment benefits under Senate stimulus bill

Gig workers won a landmark protection in the $2 trillion stimulus bill that passed in a unanimous 96-0 vote in the Senate Wednesday. The bill now moves to the House, which is expected to vote Friday.

The bill would allow gig workers, such as Uber and Lyft drivers, as well as freelancers and the self-employed to be eligible to apply for unemployment benefits. It would also add $600 per week for up to four months compared to what beneficiaries normally receive.

The protection also marks a win for the companies that employ gig workers and rely on them for their businesses to function. —Lauren Feiner

10:08 am: Dow rallies 600 points, heads for 3-day winning streak

Stocks traded sharply higher on Thursday even after the release of record-breaking initial jobless claims sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 650 points, or more than 3%. The S&P 500 gained nearly 3% while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.6%. Those gains put the major averages on track for a three-day winning streak. —Fred Imbert, Pippa Stevens, Eustance Huang

9:41 am: Coronavirus stimulus checks will come within three weeks, Mnuchin says

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House on March 25, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that people will start getting relief checks within three weeks, as the country reels from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mnuchin spoke to CNBC the morning after the Senate passed a $2 trillion stimulus package intended to blunt economic damage from the spread of the coronavirus. The House is expected to vote on the legislation Friday.

The massive relief bill offers direct cash payments of up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for couples, with $500 added for every child, based on 2019 tax returns for those who filed them and 2018 information if they have not. The benefit begins to phase out for individuals making $75,000 in income and ends completely for those making $99,000 or more. —Kevin Breuninger

9:35 am: Stocks jump for a third day, shaking off a record surge in jobless claims because of the coronavirus

Stocks opened higher on Thursday even after the release of record-breaking initial jobless claims sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 500 points, or more than 2%. The S&P 500 gained more than 1.5% along with the Nasdaq Composite.

Boeing, JPMorgan Chase and Intel drove the Dow’s gains, rising at least 3%. Industrials and health care were the best-performing sectors in the S&P 500 as the both traded more than 2% higher. —Fred Imbert, Pippa Stevens, Eustance Huang

9:30 am: Trump’s claim that malaria drug can treat coronavirus gives hope, but little evidence, it will work

Hopes for a coronavirus treatment were boosted after President Donald Trump announced at a White House press briefing last week that two anti-malaria drugs were a “game-changer” that have shown “very, very encouraging results.″

But scientists and infectious disease experts say Trump’s claims about the drugs — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — may be a bit premature. While some small studies give doctors reason to hope, large clinical trials are needed to determine whether the drugs are truly effective in fighting COVID-19, they say.

To pass the FDA’s muster, and win approval for widespread use, chloroquine and azithromycin will need to undergo rigorous clinical trials with thousands of participants — not a couple dozen, according to the agency’s guidelines. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

9:18 am: Senate’s $2 trillion coronavirus package includes payroll tax delay for employers

The Senate’s $2 trillion stimulus package designed to contain the economic damage from coronavirus will postpone payroll taxes for employers, a key source of revenue for Social Security and Medicare.

The bill passed late Wednesday will allow companies to pay their 2020 payroll taxes through the end of 2022. They will have to pay 50% by the end of 2021.

The Senate legislation, which has been described as the largest rescue bill in history, must be approved by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and signed by the president in order to become law. The House is expected to vote on the matter on Friday. —Tucker Higgins

8:57 am: Udacity offers free tech training to laid-off workers

Online learning platform Udacity is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by offering free tech training to workers laid off as a result of the crisis.

On Thursday the Mountain View, California-based company revealed that in the wake of layoffs and furloughs by major U.S. corporations, including Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and GE Aviation, it will offer its courses — known as nanodegrees — for free to individuals in the U.S. who have been let go because of the coronavirus. The average price for an individual signing up for a nanodegree is about $400 a month, and the degrees take anywhere from four to six months to complete, according to the company. —Susan Caminiti

8:47 am: Ford plans to restart production at ‘key’ auto plants starting in early April

8:30 am: Weekly jobless claims soar to 3.28 million

Americans displaced by the coronavirus crisis filed unemployment claims in record numbers, with the Labor Department reporting a surge to 3.28 million for the week ended March 21.

The number shatters the Great Recession peak of 665,000 in March 2009 and the all-time mark of 695,000 in October 1982. Businesses across the country have shut down amid a policy of social distancing aimed at keeping the virus’s growth in check. Individual states have reported websites crashing amid a rush to file. —Jeff Cox

8:19 am: German employment index hits lowest since Jan 2010

The Ifo economic institute’s German employment barometer fell in March to its lowest level since January 2010, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported, adding that the drop is the biggest since records began in 2002.

“German companies are putting the brakes on personnel planning,” Ifo expert Klaus Wohlrabe said of the data, which the Munich institute calculates monthly for Handelsblatt based on the employment intentions of around 9,000 companies.

“A rise in unemployment will be unavoidable despite short-time work,” Wohlrabe said, referring to a government-backed scheme that allows firms to put workers on shorter hours. —Reuters

8:18 am: Swiss coronavirus cases top 10,000, with 161 deaths

Switzerland has 10,714 confirmed coronavirus infections and 161 people have died of the disease, the Federal Office of Public Health said. The numbers were up to date as of 0715 GMT, it said. —Reuters

8:01 am: Dow futures down 300 points as traders brace for jobless claims report

People gather at the entrance for the New York State Department of Labor offices in Brooklyn, which closed to the public due to the coronavirus disease outbreak March 20, 2020.

Andrew Kelly | REUTERS

U.S. stock futures fell in early morning trading as investors looked ahead to the national weekly initial jobless claims data, which are expected to show a record-breaking spike.

Dow futures indicated an opening drop of more than 300 points at the market open. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures pointed to opening losses of more than 1%. National weekly initial jobless claims data will be out 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists are projecting record-shattering numbers. —Fred Imbert, Pippa Stevens, Eustance Huang

7:45 am: Fed chief Powell’s message to Americans: ‘The Federal Reserve is working hard to support you’

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told Americans the central bank is working hard to support them during these unprecedented financial conditions.

“The Federal Reserve is working hard to support you now, and our policies will be very important when the recovery does come, to make that recovery as strong as possible,” Powell said on NBC’s “Today.”

“Really the message is this: This is a unique situation, its not like a typical downturn. We’ve asked people to step back from economic activity really to make an investment in our public health. They’re doing that for the public good and this bill that’s just passed is going to try to provide relief and stability to those people,” Powell added. —Maggie Fitzgerald

7:23 pm: US cases posting steeper rise than most

In the U.S., the rapid increase in the distribution of coronavirus test kits has likely accelerated the pace of reported and confirmed cases. Cumulative case counts also don’t account for how many patients have recovered or for lags in reporting cases and differences in reporting methods.

Still, researchers say that even incomplete data is critical to current efforts to “flatten the curve” of the spread of the pandemic — from the steep rise in the initial phases to a more gradual increase as efforts to contain the outbreak take effect. —John Schoen

7:00 am: Here’s what’s in the $2 trillion US stimulus bill

The Senate approved an unprecedented stimulus bill, estimated to cost $2 trillion, as Congress tries to lessen the pandemic’s human and economic toll. The chamber passed the legislation Wednesday night as workers face widespread layoffs, hospitals and states starve for resources and businesses small and large worry about their survival. The House aims to pass it by Friday. The bill is designed to offer relief to individuals, the health care system and even an entire corporate sector ravaged by the outbreak. Here’s what’s in it. —Jacob Pramuk

6:57 am: Spain reports over 8,000 new cases as death toll rises

In this handout from the Comunidad de Madrid, health workers prepare to receive the first patients with coronavirus at Ifema exhibition complex on March 22, 2020 in Madrid, Spain.

Comunidad de Madrid | Getty Images

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Spain has risen by 8,578 in the last 24 hours, the country’s health ministry announced. That takes the total number of cases in Spain to 56,188.

The death toll in Spain rose to 4,089 on Thursday, up from 3,434 the previous day. Spain’s death toll has surpassed China’s, where the official number of fatalities stands at 3,291. —Holly Ellyatt

5:59 am: Iran starts intercity travel ban

Iran has started an intercity travel ban, an Iranian official said in a televised news conference, Reuters reported. The ban comes a day after Iran’s government spokesman warned the country might face a surge of COVID-19 cases. Officials have been critical of Iranians who have ignored appeals to stay at home and cancel travel plans for the Persian New Year holidays that began on March 20. Iran has recorded 27,017 confirmed cases of the virus, and has reported just over 2,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. —Holly Ellyatt

5:40 am: UK retail sales failed to grow in February

A lady shopper with a striped bag outside the window of fashion brand Superdry, on 18th April 2017, in London, England.

Richard Baker | In Pictures via Getty Images

British retail sales failed to grow at all in February, marking their weakest performance since 2013, official figures show. When compared with the same month a year earlier, retail sales in the U.K. for February 2020 remained flat; the lowest year-on-year growth rate since March 2013, the Office for National Statistics said. The lackluster data reflects poor sales even before most retailers were forced to close because of the lockdown due to the coronavirus. —Holly Ellyatt

5:30 am: US envoy blames China for endangering world with coronavirus

The U.S. ambassador to London said China had put the world in danger by suppressing information about the coronavirus outbreak.

“First it tried to suppress the news,” Ambassador Woody Johnson wrote in an article for U.K. newspaper The Times. “Had China done the right things at the right time, more of its own population, and the rest of the world, might have been spared the most serious impact of this disease,” the ambassador said. —Holly Ellyatt

4:50 pm: European stocks decline ahead of upcoming US jobs data

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lillie-ross · 5 years

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Johnson runs for 2 TDs, UL Monroe beats Grambling 31-9

AP Published 11:28 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2019 CLOSEMONROE, La. (AP) — Jabari Johnson broke two long runs for touchdowns and Louisiana-Monroe held Grambling scoreless in the second half as the Warhawks rolled to a 31-9 victory in the season opener Saturday night.UL Monroe now has outscored Grambling 142-40 and is 4-0 against the Tigers. The Warhawks now are 10-0 against members of the…

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jordstyle · 6 years

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Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Realistische Erwartungen um Mike Budenholz

BOSTON, MA – 22. APRIL: Mike Budenholzer der Atlanta-Falken schaut an während des ersten Viertels von Spiel drei der Ostkonferenz-Viertelfinale während der 2016 NBA-Entscheidungsspiele zwischen den Atlanta-Falken und den Boston-Celtics bei TD Garden am 22. April 2016 in Boston , Massachusetts. HINWEIS FÜR DEN BENUTZER Der Benutzer erkennt ausdrücklich an und stimmt zu, dass der Benutzer durch Herunterladen und Verwenden dieses Fotos den Bedingungen des Getty Images-Lizenzvertrags zustimmt. (Foto von Maddie Meyer / Getty Images) Jetzt, wo sich der neue Cheftrainer Mike Budenholzer von Milwaukee Bucks niedergelassen hat, schauen wir uns an, was wir von diesem Mann erwarten können. Dairyland Express gibt einen wöchentlichen Roundtable aus, wo wir mit drei Autoren, die die Milwaukee Bucks bedecken, einchecken werden. Wir werden sie bitten, drei kurze Fragen zu einem bestimmten Thema zu beantworten. Diese Woche konzentrieren wir uns auf Mike Budenholzer. 1. Was sind die größten Stärken von Mike Budenholzer als Trainer? Chris Young (@chrisyoungj): Nachdem ich unzählige Artikel über Coach Bud gelesen habe, seit die Coaching-Suche begann, bin ich gespannt, was er mit den Bucks-Rollenspielern anfangen kann. Wie großartig ist es jetzt, dass die Möglichkeit, dass die Bucks spielen, Tony Snell zu einem Open Three macht? Um einen Weg zu finden, Thon Maker effektiv zu nutzen? Budenholzer hat den Ruf, den größten Nutzen aus Nicht-Star-Spielern zu ziehen. Das heißt nicht, dass Giannis Antetokounmpo nicht immer der Typ sein wird (er wird immer noch der THE-Typ), aber die Effektivität von guten Rollenspielern wie Snell, Maker, Sterling Brown und Matthew Dellavedova wird ein Glücksfall sein. Die Milwaukee-Bank hat in der letzten Saison einige Kämpfe durchgemacht, teilweise aufgrund von Verletzungen, aber auch aufgrund eines allgemeinen Gefühls von Eigenwilligkeit. Budenholzer wird das Beste aus den 10-15 Spielern auf der Bank von Bucks holen. Das mag nicht viel bedeuten, aber es ist eine andere Art, wie er die gähnende Kluft zwischen dem Besten und dem Schlechten von Milwaukee schließen kann. Brian Sampson (@BrianSampsonNBA): Budenholzer ist ein großartiger In-Game-Taktiker, der weiß, wie man seine Stücke richtig spielt, um das Beste daraus zu machen. Er wird während der 48 Minuten an seinem Spielplan herumspielen, um die Gewinnchancen seiner Mannschaft zu maximieren. Dies wird ein willkommener Anblick für Bucks Fans sein, da sie Jason Kidd (und dann Joe Prunty) oft in den Schaltplänen des Spiels ertrinken sehen. Viel zu häufig waren Kidd und Prunty sichtbar unterlegen und zwei Schritte hinter ihren Gegnern. Budenholzer wird einen guten Job machen, um seinen Gegner auf der Kippe zu halten und nicht umgekehrt. Sucht nach ihm, um einige kreative Dinge mit dem Team zu machen, nachdem er den ganzen Sommer über für seine Spieler geplant hat. Mike Wendlandt (@MikeWendlandt): Nach 19 Jahren in San Antonio, einschließlich 17 Jahren als Assistent des wohl größten Trainers aller Zeiten, weiß Mike Budenholzer, wie man eine Mannschaft als selbstständige und ausgeglichene Einheit ins Spiel bringt. Während seiner Zeit in Atlanta wusste er genau, wie er Talente wie Paul Millsap, Al Horford und Kyle Korver einsetzen und sie alle dazu bringen konnte, in sein Offensivsystem einzukaufen. Jetzt schalten Sie diese drei für Antetokounmpo, Middleton und (hoffentlich) Jabari Parker aus. Das ist ein beängstigendes Szenario. Darüber hinaus hat Budenholzer ein Talent für die Entwicklung von Talenten, die in einer Karriere übersehen oder abgeschrieben wurden. Die Entwicklung von Leuten wie Kent Bazemore zu sehen, sollte Selbstvertrauen für Leute wie Thon Maker, Sterling Brown und Shabazz Muhammad schaffen, die in der nächsten Saison exponentiell wachsen werden, und Budenholzer ist ein großer Grund dafür

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mikatoonist · 5 months

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screenshot edit of my oc, jabari, who’s falling in love with zee! 🥤🛼

Jabari is listening to Zee talking about how he dangerously lost his leg and he’s absolutely in love, head over heels 😍 for people who are unaware of the context, Zee was actually born without a leg but he makes up wild stories throughout the season of how he ‘lost it’ for fun.

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ontapsportsapp · 6 years

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Celtics don't want to be surprised by playoff intensity in Cleveland - ESPN

ESPN

Celtics don't want to be surprised by playoff intensity in Cleveland ESPN WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Boston Celtics know they haven't played well away from TD Garden this postseason, but they're not overly concerned about those road woes as they prepare to head to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. Boston Celtics rookie Jabari Bird remains around team: 'I want to be here as long as possible'MassLive.com Poised & Prepared: No Challenge too Daunting for Jaylen BrownCeltics.com Celtics well aware of road woesBoston Herald all 21 news articles »

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bongaboi · 2 years

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Army: 2021 Armed Forces Bowl Champions

FORT WORTH, Texas -- — Cole Talley kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired and Army rallied to beat Missouri 24-22 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Wednesday night.

After the Tigers took a 22-21 lead on a touchdown with 1:11 to play, third-string quarterback Jabari Laws led Army (9-4) downfield to the Missouri 24-yard line, setting up Talley's game-winner.

Talley, who went to high school about 60 miles east of Fort Worth in Rockwall, Texas, said he was thinking about the brotherhood of Army football players when he went out for the final kick.

"I'd do anything for them, and they'd do anything for me," said Talley, who missed his only two previous attempts this season from beyond 40 yards — including a 43-yard try in the first quarter.

"We trust Cole," Army coach Jeff Monken said. "What a great way for the team to end the season and these seniors to end their careers."

One of those seniors was Laws, who was the Black Knights' starting quarterback in 2019 before a knee injury sidelined him. He didn't play at all last season following a second surgery.

"I feel like I'm in a movie right now," said Laws, who was 2-of-4 passing on the final drive.

Army backup quarterback Tyhier Tyler came on after starter Christian Anderson injured an ankle late in the third quarter and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Walters to give the Black Knights their first lead, 21-16. Anderson and JaKobi Buchanan scored on TD runs of 22 and 10 yards, respectively, for Army.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Brady Cook threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Keke Chism with 71 seconds left to put the Tigers (6-7) ahead, but his two-point conversion pass sailed over the head of an open Dawson Downing in the end zone. Cook also ran for a 30-yard score in his first collegiate start.

"I did some good things," Cook said. "Missed the throw when it mattered most."

Missouri played without second-team All-America running back Tyler Badie, who was held out by coach Eliah Drinkwitz in advance of the NFL draft. Starting quarterback Connor Bazelak was sidelined because of a leg injury.

Cook completed 27 of 34 passes for 238 yards and ran for 53 more.

Buchanan led Army in rushing with 68 yards on 21 carries. Elijah Young was the Tigers' top rusher with 75 yards on 13 carries.

In the second half, Missouri was stopped on downs at the Army 43 and lost a fumble by Downing at Army's 48.

"Obviously in the second half the turnover was huge," Drinkwitz said. "Disappointed for our team, especially our seniors. Just a difficult way to lose the game."

THE TAKEAWAY

Missouri: The Tigers were hampered going in by a short-handed secondary that then lost multiple players in the first half. Army threw one pass in the first half, good for 42 yards, and was 5 for 8 in the second half for 53 yards. The Black Knights entered 128th out of 130 FBS teams, averaging 94.8 yards passing per game.

Army: The Black Knights snapped a seven-game losing streak to Power Five teams with their first win since 2017. There were some close calls during the streak, including to Oklahoma (28-21) and Michigan (24-21).

FIVE-TOOL PLAYER?

Army senior linebacker Arik Smith was selected the game's most valuable player with 12 tackles, 2½ for loss, and two sacks. Monken was impressed by Smith's maturity as a recruit, learning on a home visit that Smith finished the family basement.

"Plumbing. Electrical. Finish work. All of it," Monken recalled. "I mean, who does that?"

UP NEXT

Missouri: After the Tigers open at Middle Tennessee State next season, they'll host former conference rival Kansas State. The season finale against Arkansas will also be at Faurot Field.

Army: The Black Knights won't face any Power Five teams next season for the first time since 2004 (except for the reworked 2020 schedule). The first two games will be against Group of Five heavyweights Coastal Carolina and UTSA, and the Army-Navy game will return to Philadelphia.

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#2021 #army black knights #armed forces bowl #bowl season #college football

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medproish · 6 years

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SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick breaks down the Pelicans’ shocking sweep of the Trail Blazers and the rest of Saturday’s NBA playoff action. USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game 4.(Photo: Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)

Stomachs all around the BMO Harris Bradley Center were in knots.

No one in the capacity crowd knew if they were witnessing the last game at the 30-year-old arena, but that possibility had come into play as the Milwaukee Bucks coughed up a 20-point, second-half lead in Game 4 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

With 29.6 seconds left and the game tied, the Bucks huddled in a timeout, knowing they needed to make something happen. They went to a pick-and-roll set with Eric Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo that they’ve run numerous times this year.

Antetokounmpo didn’t get the ball as the Celtics switched, though, with Bledsoe instead turning back to the center and passing to Thon Maker at the foul. Maker then took one dribble toward the three-point arc and handed off to Malcolm Brogdon, who built up a head of steam on a drive across the lane for a lefty runner.

It was short, bouncing up and off the rim.

But as everyone held their collective breath, Antetokounmpo worked around a box out by Jayson Tatum, jumped and with a stretch of his long left arm popped the ball back up to the rim, where it rolled around the iron and down through the net with 5.1 seconds left.

The Greek Freak wins it!!#FearTheDeerpic.twitter.com/gQXjPcTbvS

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 22, 2018

“At the end of the day in the playoffs, we know we have the best player on the floor,” Brogdon said. “So we rely on him and he comes through.”

That second effort held up as the game-winning basket as Khris Middleton strongly contested a 14-footer by Marcus Morris that went just a bit long, harmlessly clanking off the rim and down into Brogdon’s arms as the buzzer sounded.

“Brad Stevens, he throws a lot of different things at you ATO (after timeouts), so everybody has to be ready for those plays,” Middleton said. “Once I saw the ball go up in the air I realized I was going to get an iso with Morris. Just tried to contest. He makes a lot of tough shots, he’s a tough-shot maker. … I thought it was good from my view, but it just went a little bit long.”

With that, the Bucks held on for a 104-102 victory in front of a sellout crowd on Sunday afternoon.

“It means a lot,” Antetokounmpo said of gutting out a critical victory that evened the series at two games apiece. “I just want to say good job to everybody because everybody played hard. Whoever stepped on the floor played hard, played together. The most important thing is we trust one another.”

The best of today’s Game Four WIN!! #FearTheDeerpic.twitter.com/UQQkWaDiUN

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 22, 2018

The Bradley Center, which will be replaced next season by the Bucks’ new arena next door, will host another game. Game 5 will be back at Boston’s TD Garden at 6 p.m. Tuesday on NBA TV before the teams return to Milwaukee for Game 6 on Thursday.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting to go with seven rebounds and five assists while Middleton added 23 points.

The Bucks shook off a slow start to take a 16-point advantage, 51-35, into halftime and kept that momentum going early in the third quarter. It culminated with a no-look, wraparound pass from Eric Bledsoe to Antetokounmpo for a dunk with 7 minutes, 37 seconds left in the period that put the Bucks ahead, 65-45.

But the Celtics weren’t about to take another embarrassing loss lying down. Led by Jaylen Brown, who scored 19 of his 34 points after halftime, Boston embarked on a 20-6 run over about six minutes to bring the margin within six. By the end of the quarter, the Bucks held a tenuous eight-point margin.

“He was the only reason we were in the game in the first (half),” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Brown. “I thought he was great in the first. In the second, he just continued it. He did a great job. He played with tremendous spirit (and) toughness.”

It took less than three minutes for that lead to disappear as the Celtics tied the score at 77 with 9 minutes, 3 seconds left on a Morris layup.

Thon Maker, who was again a revelation off the bench with eight points and five of Milwaukee’s 14 blocks, then was left wide open for a three-pointer and he calmly nailed it to put the Bucks back ahead. Finding an answer when the Celtics seemed on the verge of taking the game over became a theme for the Bucks.

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They bent, but didn’t break as Boston kept coming.

A Horford three-point play, a triple by Terry Rozier and a pair of buckets by Brown brought the Celtics within one. Then, off an unforced Bledsoe turnover on a pass out of bounds, Tatum nailed a jumper with 52.4 seconds left to give the Celtics their first lead since late in the first quarter, 100-99.

Then came the most critical plays for the Bucks, the one that made everything else possible. Antetokounmpo missed a layup following a timeout, which led to a runout for the Celtics. Middleton got back, putting himself between Brown and the basket and finding a way to jar the ball loose with a block.

“I’m really not worried which one it was,” Middleton said when asked if it was a block or steal. “I’m just glad we got the ball back.”

Bledsoe swooped in to collect the ball and immediately launched the counterattack.

Antetokounmpo got the ball and drove toward the foul line where he kicked out to Bledsoe along the three-point arc. Bledsoe quickly pushed a pass to Brogdon in the corner and the reigning Rookie of the Year swished a trey with 33.5 seconds left to put the Bucks back up two. Brogdon finished with 10 points on 4 of 7 shooting with no bucket bigger than that corner three.

The ROY with the clutch shot!!#FearTheDeerpic.twitter.com/QcRSC9Ja8f

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 22, 2018

“He just made the extra pass and it’s my job to shoot it and knock it down,” Brogdon said.

Maker then fouled Horford on the next possession and Horford made both shots, setting up Antetokounmpo’s clutch, game-winning tip-in at the other end.

“I think one of the most important things that we can carry on from this game and moving forward is we stayed disciplined,” Antetokounmpo said.

Jabari Parker played a major role in Milwaukee’s first-half success — mostly due to his defense. He had three blocks and two steals in his first 10 minutes alone — something he had never done in a full NBA game.

That set the stage for the Celtics’ comeback in the second half as well as the Bucks’ late-game heroics, which turn this best-of-seven series into a best of three.

“Another hard-fought game, physical game,” Bucks coach Joe Prunty said. “Found a way to close it out. They made a good run in the third, carried over to the fourth and, like I said, we found a way to close it out.

“Two to two, headed to Boston.”

Matt Velazquez writes for the Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network

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investmart007 · 6 years

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MILWAUKEE | Tied up: Giannis' tip-in lifts Bucks over Celtics in Game 4

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/9ykC5k

MILWAUKEE | Tied up: Giannis' tip-in lifts Bucks over Celtics in Game 4

MILWAUKEE | April 22, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points, including tipping in the go-ahead basket with 5 seconds left, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics 104-102 on Sunday to tie their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Boston’s Marcus Morris missed a 14-footer at the buzzer with Khris Middleton’s hand in his face to seal a nail-biting win for the Bucks.

Seconds earlier, the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo jumped and reached up with his left arm around Boston’s Jayson Tatum to put back Malcolm Brogdon’s missed layup for the game-winner.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Boston.

Jaylen Brown had 34 points for the Celtics, while Tatum added 21. Tatum’s 18-footer with 52 seconds left gave the Celtics a brief 100-99 lead.

He just couldn’t hold off Antetokounmpo on the other end for the decisive tip-in.

The disappointing end for the Celtics overshadowed their spirited rally from a 65-45 deficit with 7:37 left in the third quarter. Play got chippy and the Celtics limited the Bucks’ transition game.

They came up one basket short at the end.

TIP INS

Celtics: Coach Brad Stevens kept his starting five intact after the team never recovered from a disastrous first quarter in Game 3. Stevens said he would likely only make a switch for matchup purposes. … Boston ended with a 43-36 edge on the boards. … Morris finished with 13 points and shot 4 of 14.

Bucks: Starting C John Henson missed a second straight game with a sore back. … The Bucks went with the same starting five as Game 3, with Zeller replacing Henson and Brogdon starting for Tony Snell. … Jabari Parker led a vigourous effort off the bench with 16 points and seven rebounds. Backup C Thon Maker blocked five shots and played most of the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Game 5 is Tuesday at the TD Garden in Boston.

By GENARO C. ARMAS by Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (U.S)

#Giannis Antetokounmpo scored #Giannis' tip-in lifts Bucks over Celtics #Milwaukee #Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics

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watchingthesuperbowl · 6 years

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Notes taken during Super Bowl XLIV

PREGAME

This is a CBS broadcast. My recording includes pregame, halftime, and postgame.

Saints coach Sean Payton: Main thing is going four quarters, understanding there's gonna be an ebb and flow. Just keep going on to the next play.

CBS analyst Bill Cowher: Sean Payton can control a lot in this game. Can see some gimmicks happening early in this game to slow down a fast defense. Gotta play to win this game. Nothing to lose.

CBS analyst Shannon Sharpe: People say this is just another game, but it's not. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, you have to seize the moment.

Cowher: You have to weather the emotion in the first quarter, play smart early, and get into the game.

Drew Brees: Separation of throwing shoulder in 2005 is the best thing that ever happened to me. It ended my time in San Diego, but led me to New Orleans.

The best thing that ever happened to Drew Brees.

Brees: Looked at a city suffering from the biggest natural disaster in American history and thought I could rebuild my career as the city rebuilds.

Commercials: Sprint ad featuring Flava Flav. 'The Bounty Hunter'. Hidden Valley Ranch. Outback Steakhouse. Home Depot. Ritz crackers. Chevrolet. CBS News promo. Rules of Engagement Promo.

FLAVA FLAV!

Predictions: Marino says 33-30 (OT) for the Colts. Cowher's head says Indy, his heart says New Orleans. 27-24 Saints, says Cowher. Sharpe: Colts 34-28. Esiason: 34-30 Colts.

CBS graphic: "Appearance fee provided to Guy Fieri".

Flavortown.

Open: Jay-Z, Rihanna, ES Posthumus - "Run This Town/Posthumus Zone". I wonder if ES Posthumus knows EL Fudge.

Simms: Saints offense matches all of Drew Brees's skills.

Nantz: Colts pass rusher Dwight Freeney is going to play. Hasn't practiced since AFC championship game due to injury.

CBS reporter Solomon Wilcots: Saints are relaxed and confident.

CBS reporter Steve Tasker: It's obvious that Freeney is not 100%. Experimented with his spin move to take pressure off his injury.

NFL awards "Walter Payton Man of the Year Award" to Brian Waters of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Queen Latifah performs America The Beautiful. Takes her IFB out before the end of the first sentence. Obviously something is screwed up with her monitor. She does a nice job.

Carrie Underwood performs the Star Spangled Banner. This is the third consecutive year with an American Idol contestant doing this. (Sparks, Hudson, Underwood)

Coin toss: Hall of Fame class of 2010. Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm, John Randle, Floyd Little, Dick LeBeau, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith. Smith will toss the coin.

Saints call heads. It's heads. Saints receive. This is the 13th consecutive season the NFC has won the toss.

FIRST QUARTER

Decent return out to the New Orleans 23.

First play: Handoff to Reggie Bush up the middle for 2 yards.

Saints go three and out.

The crowd is very pro-New Orleans in Miami, unsurprisingly.

Manning completes a few passes, two of them to Dallas Clark, and the Colts are nearing the Saints' 45.

Simms: If the Colts have a receiver one-on-one, they love to go deep with a double move.

Great throw by Manning to Austin Collie coming across the middle on third and long. First and 10 from the New Orleans 25.

Nantz: Colts were 32nd in the NFL in rushing yards this season.

Colts drive stalls at the 20 when Peyton Manning overshoots Pierre Garcon on a slant. Matt Stover, becoming the oldest player ever to appear in a Super Bowl, splits the uprights and it's 3-0 Indy.

Saints fumble the ensuing kickoff, but they recover. A replay suggests the returner was down before the ball came out anyway.

New Orleans converts a third and 5 when Brees throws a middle screen to Reggie Bush for 16 yards.

Coming up at halftime: The Who

Brees hits Colston about 20 yards downfield but it goes right through his hands and boops him in the face. Incomplete. Third and 7 now. Incomplete again to Colston - this time a good defensive play and not a drop - and it's time for Thomas Morstead to punt again. Downed at the Indianapolis 4. Perfect kick.

Boop.

Nantz: Peyton Manning said he needed two weeks to prepare for this game. Has faced New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams a bunch of times and knows how good he is.

Draw play to Addai for a big 16 yard gain out to the 30. Defense expected a pass and got crossed up.

Colts have run a couple of impressive draw plays against passing/blitz defenses and they're nearly out to midfield.

Third and inches, everybody in tight and the Saints get sucked in by an inside trap play. 26 yards to the New Orleans 23.

Third down, Manning lofts a perfect ball over the defense to Pierre Garcon in the end zone. He beat Usama Young - a Mount Union guy against a Kent State guy. Cool. Just before the snap, Simms talked about Manning being happy about how loud the Saints fans would be - said when the crowd is loud, the Saints call defenses with hand signals, and they make a lot of mistakes that way.

Scorched.

CBS graphic: Colts have 10 points, Saints have 9 offensive plays.

Saints run the ball to start the next drive. They don't get much, but at least they now have as many offensive plays as Indianapolis has points. First quarter ends, 10-0 Indianapolis.

SECOND QUARTER

Wilcots: Saints starting DB Jabari Greer injured his leg on the last Colts drive - Usama Young, who was burned on the TD pass, was his replacement.

Colts LB Philip Wheeler called for a late hit on Reggie Bush out of bounds. Saints get to midfield with the penalty. It was a dumb hit, but it wasn't intentionally dirty as far as I can tell.

Dumb but not dirty.

Saints offense getting in gear. Colston wide open against a zone. Ten yard pass, first down at the Indy 30.

Simms: Colts DE Freeney looks much better than I expected him to look.

On cue, a couple plays later, Freeney singlehandedly blows up the left tackle and sacks Brees. Sets up a long FG attempt by Garrett Hartley. Got it. 46 yard kick is good. 10-3 with around 9:30 left in the half.

Colts gain 9 on first down, lose a few on second down, and then Garcon drops what could have been a touchdown on the third play of the next Colts drive. Pat McAfee boots it away to the dangerous Reggie Bush. Fair catch.

Brees nearly picked on the first play of the next drive. Simms says the Saints love to throw down the seams of zone coverage, but it sure wasn't open that time.

Total yards so far in the second quarter: Saints 62, Colts 6.

Simms: Saints practiced for these Colts defensive ends by allowing their DEs to line up offside in practice.

Saints stack receivers, both DBs follow one of them and leave Lance Moore wide open underneath. Gain of 21.

Oof. The Saints lose 7 on an end-around on the next play. That's painful, as is Phil Simms describing it as a reverse.

No bueno for the offense.

They get those yards back and then some - Colston down the seam for 27 yards. He's tackled inside the 5. First and goal.

Saints have 6 TD on 6 Red Zone possessions in the playoffs.

Two-minute warning hits. 3rd and goal from the 1.

Colts offense has three offensive plays in the quarter. Three.

Goal line back Mike Bell slips and falls on third down. Obviously not a touchdown. Colts call timeout. 1:55 left in the half.

Saints going for it on fourth down. Pierre Thomas stuffed! What a goal line stand! Colts take over on downss.

Colts go three and out. They'll punt on 4th and 1 from their own 10. 46 seconds left for Brees to work with, minus however long the punt takes.

Brees to Henderson at the Colts' 32. They spike it with 0:20 left.

Short pass, again to Henderson at the 28. Saints call their last timeout. 0:12.

Commercial: Intel

Brees completes a one-yard pass to Bush. Gets out of bounds. 0:05 left, Hartley on to attempt a 44-yard field goal.

Got it. End of the first half, 10-6 Colts.

Colts coach Jim Caldwell: Saints mixed it up on us defensively, but we've hurt ourselves too. Saints did a nice job with ball control and moving down the field.

Second quarter total yards: New Orleans 143, Indianapolis 15.

HALFTIME

CBS runs highlights. Cowher loves the Saints' decision to go for it on fourth down. Sends the message to the players that they're here to win the game.

Esiason: Saints need to let Drew Brees throw the ball. He's playing well and can win the game for them.

Marino: Saints are best when they're in three-wide and four-wide sets, throwing the ball.

The Who. Pinball Wizard. Baba O'Riley. Roger Daltrey looks like an Austin Powers character. Who Are You. See Me, Feel Me. Won't Get Fooled Again.

Oh behave!

THIRD QUARTER

ONSIDE KICK! Saints run an onside kick to start the second half and it works! New Orleans recovers after a massive scrum.

Saints storming downfield after the onside kick.They've reached the Colts' 23 after a few quick completions.

Screen pass to Pierre Thomas, who weaves through the Colts defense. At least seven guys in blue were close enough to tackle him. None did. It's a touchdown. Saints up 13-10 early in the second half.

Nantz: That was the first onside kick in Super Bowl history that didn't take place in the fourth quarter. Simms: Are you sure? (YES, PHIL, I'M SURE.)

A few completions and a nice run from Joseph Addai and the Colts are near midfield. The long layoff didn't hurt Manning's rhythm.

Manning to Dallas Clark downfield. There are four Saints around him and Manning threads the needle. 26 yards or so, down to the New Orleans 20.

3rd and 5 from the Saints' 15. Empty set backfield, four WRs, Dallas Clark at TE. It's Clark. Manning hits him for an 11 yard gain, down to the New Orleans 4.

First and goal, Addai with a spin move into the end zone. The Colts answer quickly and emphatically. Indianapolis is back on top 17-13.

Simms: Three Saints defenders weren't blocked and they still couldn't tackle Addai.

Now it's the Saints' turn to drive downfield. The Colts tried to cover Reggie Bush with a linebacker. It works about like you'd expect. He makes a catch and makes the Colt miss badly. Gets the ball into Indianapolis territory.

Brees to Devery Henderson at the Colts' 36. First down. Brees is 20-23 for 213 yards and a TD since the start of the second quarter. That includes the intentional incompletion to stop the clock as halftime approached.

3rd and 7 for Brees, completion to Shockey for 4. Garrett Hartley comes on for a 47 yard field goal attempt. If he makes it, he'll be the first kicker in history to make three 40+ yard FGs in a Super Bowl. (Jim Breech had two in Super Bowl XXIII.)

Right down the middle. Cuts the Colts' lead to one point. 17-16.

Colts run a few marginally successful plays and we've reached the end of the third quarter. Indianapolis 17, New Orleans 16.

FOURTH QUARTER

First play, Manning to Garcon underneath for 17. Out to the Indy 46.

Colts WR Reggie Wayne gets DB Tracy Porter all turned around downfield, but can't quite get to the throw. Now it's 3rd and 12. They complete a pass for 10 to the New Orleans 45. They'll go for it.

Tracy Porter is all discombobulated. Back to the football is not where you want to be.

Slant to Wayne. They got one-on-one coverage and took advantage. Wayne nearly dropped the ball.

Drive stalls there and Stover misses a 51 yard field goal attempt wide left. Saints get the ball in good field position.

Brees completing short passes all over the place. Gets one to Bush to the Indianapolis 30.

Now a pass to backup TE Thomas. Get to the 5. First and goal.

Slant to Shockey. Was split wide like a WR and Brees hit him. Used Shockey's size to shield the ball. He's 6'5" - it was like a basketball player boxing out.

No chance for the DB.

They go for 2. Lance Moore falling, sliding, lands on his back and the ball pops out just a split second before it would have been a completion. It's no good. 22-17 Saints with 5:42 left.

Saints challenge the call. It looks to me like it should count. The play ends when the receiver has possession of the ball across the plane, right? Simms says it could be overturned because it was a second act. I don't know what that means, but the referees overturn the call. Now Simms says the first act was juggling and grabbing, and the second act was reaching it across the goal line.

Possession + across the goal line = points.

24-17, 5:42 left.

First and 15 from the 25, Manning has all day to throw. All. Day. Hits Garcon for 17. First down.

Next play, almost intercepted by Malcolm Jenkins. He stepped in front of the ball but couldn't get there.

Screen pass to Wayne. First down at the New Orleans 36. 4:10 left.

3rd and 5 from the New Orleans 31. Uh-oh. Manning is picked off by Tracy Porter and there's nobody there to tackle him. He. is. gone. 31-17 Saints with 3:12 left. You'd think it's over.

Before that play, Simms said he wouldn't blitz. The Saints blitzed everybody and it worked nicely.

Commercial: Doritos. Tim loves Doritos. Tim is some kind of Dorito monster.

Colts in desperation mode. Manning goes downfield to Collie. A big gain for 41 yards to the Saints' 30 as we hit the two minute warning.

Pass to Addai over the middle to the 13. 1:40 and counting. Another pass to Addai at the 7. New Orleans called for a late hit. Dumb penalty. Stops the clock, gives away a first down, and puts the Colts inside the 5.

Incomplete pass, incomplete pass, Addai stuffed on a run, incomplete pass. Turnover on downs. Saints up 14 points and have the ball with 0:44 left.

Brees kneels on first down. Colts don't call timeout.

Nantz: Brees could have signed with the Dolphins, but didn't like the vibe or the attitude. They weren't convinced his arm was healthy so he went to New Orleans.

Game over. 31-17 Saints. New Orleans wins its first Super Bowl championship.

CBS shows Bourbon Street in New Orleans. They're celebrating like crazy.

POSTGAME

Coming up after the postgame show, the series premiere of Undercover Boss.

CBS studio analysts are wearing Mardi Gras beads? Really? I don't want to see any of that, you guys. Also, I'd be miffed if I were a Colts fan. It's uncomfortably close to celebrating because New Orleans won.

A shot of Drew Brees, crying tears of joy, holding his son.

Commercial: Saints gear. Super Bowl champions.

Trophy presentation: Len Dawson carries the trophy to the podium. Super Bowl IV MVP.

CBS ram-jams an UNDERCOVER BOSS NEXT!!! graphic over the Saints' celebration. Gross.

Tom Benson: Louisiana is back and this shows the whole world we're back!

Benson on Sean Payton: I think I could kiss him!

Payton answering a question about gutsy calls: My plans completely relied on these players. They carried it out and they did a great job. There's not enough space up here on the podium for them, but this is for all of them.

Super Bowl MVP Brees: We believed in ourselves. Had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us. This is even better than I expected it to be.

Brees: Coming to New Orleans, doing this, it was meant to be. Destiny. Between this and the birth of my son this year, it's perfect. Can't get any better.

Jim Caldwell: I don't think it came down to one play, it was more than just the Porter interception. There were a lot of things - the onside kick they got, that they scored because of it. We weren't as sharp as we'd have liked, but we have to give all credit to the Saints. They've been great all year, played great tonight, and I tip my cap to them. They did a great job.

If there’s one thing Steve Tasker knows about, it’s what it feels like to lose a Super Bowl. This makes me sad, but it is what it is.

Caldwell: Proud of my guys. They fought hard, kept their heads up, but never quit. Just ran out of time.

#nfl #football #super bowl #super bowl xliv #indianapolis #indianapolis colts #colts #new orleans #saints #new orleans saints

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giantsfootball0 · 7 years

Text

What’s behind the downfall of the New Orleans Saints’ defense – New Orleans Saints Blog

METAIRIE, La. — Identifying what has gone so epically wrong with the New Orleans Saints’ defense is kind of like the age-old “chicken or the egg” debate.

The Saints keep changing their defensive players, coordinators and schemes because they’ve been so lousy on that side of the ball. But they keep struggling on defense because they have no continuity.

The Saints have started 55 different defensive players since the start of the 2014 season. And 23 different defensive backs have started at least two games in that 50-game span. Both are the highest totals in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

By contrast, the Minnesota Vikings have used only 26 starters since the start of 2014. And the Denver Broncos have had only eight defensive backs start multiple games since then.

“There’s no consistency. I mean, there’s new faces every year. Nobody even gets to know each other. And because they’ve been bad, they just keep rotating guys,” said former Saints linebacker Scott Shanle. Former Saints cornerback Jabari Greer echoed the same sentiment when asked for thoughts on why New Orleans has continued to struggle on defense through multiple players, coordinators and systems.

Dennis Allen, right, is the latest coordinator that coach Sean Payton, left, has turned to in an effort to fix a defense that has struggled to stop anyone over the past few seasons. Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports

In less than four years, the Saints have used five different players in the middle linebacker/”quarterback of the defense” role.

Some of it has been bad luck — injuries to key starters such as Delvin Breaux, Nick Fairley, Keenan Lewis and Jairus Byrd, among others. Some of it has been impatience with players who were inconsistent in New Orleans but have thrived elsewhere — such as Malcolm Jenkins and Akiem Hicks.

And a lot of it, Saints coach Sean Payton readily admitted Thursday, has been missing on too many defensive draft picks and free agents, including linebacker Stephone Anthony, a first-round selection in 2015 who was just traded to the Miami Dolphins for a fifth-rounder.

“They’ve just had issues with keeping a consistent starting 11 on the field,” said Greer, who noted that was one of the strengths during the successful defensive seasons he was part of in 2009 (the Saints team that won the Super Bowl), 2011 and 2013. “And I think having a different voice in the leadership positions over the last three years is something that’s been a problem. They haven’t had a four-star captain like they do on offense with Drew [Brees] and Zach [Strief]. So when you have a shift in leadership that’s been dramatic over the past three years, you have the results.

“The roots are not as deep.”

Burning through coordinators

To an extent, the defense has always been the Saints’ Achilles’ heel during the Payton/Brees/general manager Mickey Loomis era. No NFL team has gained more yards since Payton and Brees first arrived in 2006 (405.1 per game). And no NFL team has allowed more yards (360.5 per game).

Some of those struggles date back to coordinators Gary Gibbs and Gregg Williams. But it has really become an epidemic since 2012 as the Saints have burned through coordinators Steve Spagnuolo (2012) and Rob Ryan (2013-15). Current D-coordinator Dennis Allen took the reins after Ryan was fired in November 2015. The Saints also fired longtime linebackers coach Joe Vitt and longtime defensive line coach Bill Johnson this year, bringing in Mike Nolan and Ryan Nielsen.

Under Spagnuolo in 2012, the Saints set the NFL record for most yards allowed in a season (7,042). Then, under Ryan and Allen in 2015, the defense set NFL records for most TD passes allowed (45) and highest opponents’ passer rating (116.1). This season, through two games, they’re on pace to shatter all three of those marks.

“I think having a different voice in the leadership positions over the last three years is something that’s been a problem. They haven’t had a four-star captain like they do on offense with Drew [Brees] and Zach [Strief].”

former Saints cornerback Jabari Greer

Payton — an offensive-minded head coach — has been a constant through all the struggles. So it’s fair to wonder how much of a role he’s had in the defense’s demise. And he doesn’t shrink from that responsibility, saying, “It’s never gonna be the coordinator’s defense himself. It’s gonna be the Saints’ defense, No. 1.”

Payton could be accused of running Williams out of town because of a personality clash, and of not having much patience with Ryan or Spagnuolo because of their historic struggles. But it’s hard to argue that any of those coaches deserved to stay, particularly considering Williams orchestrated the infamous bounty program that cost Payton a one-year suspension and the Saints two second-round draft picks.

Plus, Payton’s relationship with Allen is as strong as he’s had with any defensive coordinator, and that hasn’t proved to be a magic solution so far.

Ryan accused Payton and Loomis, in part, of ruining a good thing in 2014 by trying to mimic what the Seattle Seahawks were doing after the Saints had a good defense in 2013 (swapping out Jenkins for Byrd in free agency and drafting Stanley Jean-Baptiste in the second round in 2014, among other failed moves). But Payton ultimately fired Ryan during the 2015 season because his defense was too undisciplined and was plagued by assignment, alignment and substitution errors.

The area where Payton deserves — and accepts — the most blame is in the personnel decisions that have missed the mark the past several years.

The Saints whiffed on Anthony, Jean-Baptiste and several midround picks in the draft. And they whiffed on free agents such as Byrd, linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Champ Bailey.

Payton and Loomis collaborate equally on personnel decisions, along with top personnel executives such as former personnel director Ryan Pace, current pro personnel director Terry Fontenot and current college scouting director Jeff Ireland. All have some hits and misses on their track record.

But Payton said they’ve been improving in recent years.

“From a personnel standpoint … making sure that it’s something I’m comfortable with in regards to personnel and making sure that we’ve asked the right questions so we know the player can learn and we know the player can fit in this role [is important]. And I think that process recently has served us very well,” Payton said.

Plagued by the secondary

Both Greer and Shanle note that the Saints bailed too early on Jenkins, who became a Pro Bowler with the Philadelphia Eagles (though in Hicks’ case, Greer said he understood why a change of scenery was probably a win-win).

“If Coach could go back, I’m sure that he would keep [Jenkins and safety Roman Harper in 2014], because they brought much more to the team than just performance and stats,” said Greer, who now analyzes the NFL for TSN. “Their leadership and that stability on the back end was key to keeping our team mentally afloat when the hard times came.

Safety Kenny Vaccaro, a 2013 first-round pick, has been plagued by inconsistency as part of a secondary that has had tremendous turnover since the start of the 2014 season. Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

“We had a really good defense; we were pretty opportunistic. But the thing is, we were pretty consistent with the starting lineup. You know, we had the same 11 on the field for an extended period of time. … Because in the middle of the game, when you’re in Week 8, 9, 10, you need to understand how your teammates play, what their tendencies are, how they react to motions, to shifts.”

Greer pointed to an ugly play near the start of Sunday’s 36-20 loss to the New England Patriots: Second-year safety Vonn Bell moved rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore out of press coverage after running back James White shifted from the outside to the inside, something Greer said is usually a no-no. And White wound up gaining 12 yards on the third-and-5 play.

“When I saw that, I realized that they were disjointed, that they were not communicating effectively. But those are little nuances you get when you’ve played with a player for a long period of time,” Greer said. “Teams are gonna use motions and shifts to make those defensive backs communicate. And if they’re not comfortable communicating with each other, if they don’t know each other’s playing styles, they’re gonna be in for a very long season.”

Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro is a 2013 first-round pick who has taken turns excelling and struggling throughout his four-plus-year career in New Orleans (including his benching late in the loss to New England). He has mentioned multiple times this year how difficult it is to develop chemistry with different players constantly rotating through the secondary.

“I’ve been here through it all, through a thousand different members in the secondary,” Vaccaro quipped the other day.

Vaccaro was expected to be the one veteran member of the secondary to provide some glue and guidance this season, but he has struggled along with the younger players. Shanle said he and former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma have talked about how they would have loved to play with Vaccaro. But he said Vaccaro is “the most bipolar player I’ve ever seen as far as consistency. When he’s on, he’s one of the best players in the league. When he’s off, I just don’t get it.”

Shanle said he sees potential in the Saints’ latest defensive incarnation, including rookie starters Lattimore, linebacker Alex Anzalone and safety Marcus Williams.

“But that’s been the problem — they’ve been way too young on defense the past few years,” said Shanle, who now analyzes the Saints for Cox Sports Television. “I believe that Dennis knows what he’s doing. But I don’t care if you bring Wade Phillips in, Buddy Ryan, whoever you want to bring in, I still think you’re not gonna have a great defense, just because some of the mistakes these guys are making on the back end.

“Everybody knows the secondary’s been the Achilles’ heel of this team. I mean, we saw it in ’09 — when we finally fixed the back end, we were able to do what we wanted to do on defense and be aggressive and play man [coverage]. Until you do that, all you do is try to do smoke and mirrors to cover up for those guys back there.”

The post What’s behind the downfall of the New Orleans Saints’ defense – New Orleans Saints Blog appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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