Week of 4/12: FREECABLE TV’s Top 10 Stories

#1: Santa in April

I turns out good ol' Santa Claus is practicing social distancing too. Santa was spotted taking a ride around time in the back of the pickup truck to bring up spirits. St. Nick's reindeer must have stayed home to self-quarantine at the North Pole.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vHvqZbrUm4

#2: Presumably Everyone Has the Coronavirus

One Pennsylvania nursing home now treats all of its staff and residents as if they all have the virus. All 800 residents and staff members can and will be isolated if they show any symptoms, regardless of how minor. In the mean time, everyone else at the facility will continue to wear face masks as a means of protecting both themselves as well as their fellow tenants.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Eyu9ckHyM

#3: No Gym? No Problem.

One man opt to build his own exercise equipment from timber after his local gym closes due to the Coronavirus. The DIY project took Zachary Skidmore 60 hours over the course of 2 weeks. Building his "Lumber Jacked Gym" must have been a workout all on its own.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiGA4EbQn00

#4: Money on the Walls

One bar owner decided to pay her employees with $3,714 worth of bills stapled to the walls by previous customers. The paycheck-drafting process took Jennifer Knox and three volunteers 3.5 days to take down all the dollar bills. Inspired with a sense of community, customers later donated more money to the bar for Knox's cause.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NveEJnN21dA

#5: Bernie Sanders Drops Out

On April 8th, 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders officially ended his presidential campaign. Sanders abruptly announced on a live-stream, "I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth, and that is that we are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible." Sander's declaration effectively clears Joe Biden's path to the Democratic nomination and more critically, to a one-on-one showdown with President Donald Trump come November.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B69bLmC1n7E

#6: Some AirBnBs are Still Available

There are some Pennsylvania short-term rental owners that are ignoring the state-wide Coronavirus shutdown. Dennis M. Davin, the Pennsylvania Secretary of Community and Economic Development, warns that these properties could jeopardize the health of the entire community if they remain in operation. Despite being warned, lodging from such owners appear to remain prevalent in the state even now.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K86xGG29Rxk

#7: 200M Masks Per Month

Governor Gavin Newsom announces that California has struck a deal for 200 million face masks a month. Specifically, that will be 150 million N95 masks and 50 million surgical masks a month. Hopefully, this deal will cover the state's needs and if so, possibly also allow for an excess to be exported to other states in need.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj45V02Tqmg

#8: Hart Island Now a Grave

With an ever-increasing Coronavirus death toll and relatively diminishing morgue space, New York City has started burying its deceased at the public cemetery on Hart Island. Typically, approximately 25 bodies a week are buried at the island. But as of now, operations have been reported to have increased from one day a week to five days a week, with up to 24 burials a day.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Tleba2HCk

#9: Major Disasters for All 50 States

President Trump issued a major disaster declaration for Wyoming on April 11th, 2020. The puzzle is now, regrettably, complete; all 50 states have been issued a declaration of major disaster. This is the first time in U.S. history where a president has ever declared a major disaster in all 50 states at once. And now, more than ever, Americans are urged to maintain social distancing, maintain good hand-washing hygiene, and maintain their self-isolation.

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjcMt75U-is

#10: COVID-19 Stimulus Checks Released

Beginning on April 11th, 2020, Americans are receiving their first COVID-19 stimulus checks via direct deposit from the Treasury Department. "We can confirm that payments are beginning to arrive in some Americans’ accounts," a senior Treasury official reports. "Treasury and the IRS have worked around the clock to get fast and direct economic assistance to hardworking Americans."