NSW MP Quits ‘Confused’ Eden-Monaro Race

‘I Died and Came Back:’ 12-Year-Old Recovers From Virus

COVINGTON, La.—As her desperately sick daughter was being airlifted to a hospital, Jennifer Daly was thinking about all the parts of life that still lay ahead for her 12-year-old and whether she’d ever experience them: Would she get to fall in love? Would she get the chance to get married and have her own children? Driving across the causeway that separates the family’s home north of Lake Pontchartrain from the New Orleans hospital where their daughter was taken—with what was later determined to be a CCP virus infection—she was forced to imagine a life without her Juliet. Jennifer Daly sits on her front porch as she recounts the ordeal of almost losing her daughter 12-year-old daughter Juliet to the CCP virus, in Covington, La., on April 30, 2020. (Gerald Herbert/AP…

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance admits people will be “confused” by his decision to quit the Liberal pre-selection race for Eden-Monaro, just 24 hours after announcing he was nominating.

Constance, the state MP for Bega, on May 5 said he wanted to head to Canberra to put several issues on the national agenda, including bushfire recovery and the COVID-19 crisis.

But on Wednesday he unexpectedly announced: “I have decided not to contest Liberal Party preselection for the (federal) seat of Eden-Monaro.”

“I need to remain focused on the bushfire recovery and be grateful for the opportunities I already have,” he said in a statement.

“The community’s needs at this difficult time must be the centre of the campaign.

“I appreciate people will be confused by my actions over the past couple of days and for that I am sorry.”

Constance had earlier cancelled a scheduled photoshoot at his South Coast home, stating in a text message: “That won’t be happening sorry.”

Asked about Constance’s about-face, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s office on Wednesday said: “The deputy premier has just learned of this and his position hasn’t changed.”

Barilaro announced on Monday he would not contest the South Coast seat for the Nationals.

The NSW Nationals leader then delivered a scathing attack on Nationals federal leader Michael McCormack in a text message leaked to Sky News.

Barilaro said McCormack – the deputy prime minister – felt threatened and his lack of support was partly behind the deputy premier’s decision not to run in the upcoming by-election.

The federal seat of Eden-Monaro was vacated last week when popular Labor member Mike Kelly retired as a result of ill-health.

Liberal senator Jim Molan and the Liberals’ 2019 candidate for the seat, Fiona Kotvojs, are also believed to be considering a run in Eden-Monaro.

NSW Liberal Party president Philip Ruddock said earlier this week he thought the party potentially “had a Melbourne Cup field” contesting the pre-selection. Nominations close on Friday morning.

Bega mayor Kristy McBain has been selected as Labor’s candidate.

By AAP reporters in Sydney

This article is from the Internet:NSW MP Quits ‘Confused’ Eden-Monaro Race

US Trade Deficit Rises Amid Record Drop in Exports

WASHINGTON—The U.S. goods trade deficit increased by the most in more than a year in March as a record drop in exports offset a shrinking import bill, suggesting the CCP virus outbreak was upending the global flow of goods and services. The Commerce Department said on May 5 the trade deficit jumped 11.6 percent, the largest rise since December 2018, to $44.4 billion. Data for February was revised to show the trade gap tightening to $39.8 billion instead of $39.9 billion as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade gap increasing to $44 billion in March. Global lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19, the potentially lethal respiratory illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, have depressed demand for goods…