var objshow5 = { "showcontent":{"showepisode": "March 25, 2020", "showcurrent": "March 25, 2020", "showlink": "https://rhythmenglish.com/video/update5.mp4#t=1", "showname": "The Silent Enemy", "showcomment": "This update: Trump ready to declare victory.", "showvocab": "shift (verb):

a slight change in position, direction or tendency.

shut down (verb) shutdown (noun):

to close or a closure of operations, services, such as in a business.

weigh (verb):

to be studying or attempting to decide between to or more options.

the worst case scenario (expression):

the most unpleasant or serious thing that could happen in a situation.

to be no contest (idiom):

to have no doubt about how a decision should be made.

harassment (noun):

aggressive pressure or intimidation; often a criminal offense.

allegedly (adverb):

used to say that something is claimed to have taken place, although there is no official or legal proof.", "showquestion":[ "1. President Trump seems to believe that the US will resurrect in a similar way to Jesus Christ.", "2. Due to the coronavirus China has already become the world’s number one economic superpower.", "3. Similar to Trump, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo seems to think it’s better to save the economy than save lives.", "4. The speaker believes that New Yorkers who recently left the city will self-quarantine for two weeks.", "5. NYC parks remain open at this time.", "6. The speaker is surprised by the fifty-year-old man’s actions in a New Jersey grocery store." ], "showanswer":[ "true", "false", "true", "false", "true", "false", "true", "false", "true", "false", "true", "false" ], "showvalue":[ "true", "false", "false", "true", "false", "true", "false", "true", "true", "false", "false", "true" ], "showid":[ "answer_1", "answer_2", "answer_3", "answer_4", "answer_5", "answer_6" ], "showtrans": "Hello and welcome to RE News Update for March 25, 2020.

The situation here in Madrid remains the same. We are currently reaching the peak of the coronavirus epidemic. This week and possibly the next are expected to be the worst. Hopefully soon the city and country will begin to see a drop in new cases and deaths.

Meanwhile in the United States, president Trump is prepared to declare victory against the ‘silent enemy’. For the past several days the president seems to be shifting from his fifteen-day social distancing policy claiming the US economy was not made to be shut down. The president stated that he would love to see the country open for business again by Easter. The president mentioned that the date was significant for other reasons. It seems that the president would love to be able to make a connection between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the reopening of the American economy. It’s likely that he and his advisers think that this analogy would go over quite well with his conservative base of supporters, especially come election time in November. Just speculation of course, but it seems to me that the president just might be getting a little nervous that the Chinese are going to come out of this crisis within the next month or so and if this planned shutdown of the American economy were to go on through the summer, maybe just maybe Chinese GDP predictions for 2020 would start to surpass those of the USA thereby making China the world’s number one superpower. The Trump campaign seems to be weighing which would be the worst case scenario for his re-election, the death of a million or more Americans due to the virus or the Chinese taking over as the number one global economic power. Good question, knowing some of the people in my country, but let’s hope it’s the former.

Let’s talk today about the New York Tri-state area.

New York City is quickly becoming infested with coronavirus cases. A lockdown similar to the one here in Spain is in effect. Governor Andrew Cuomo appears to be getting serious about the crisis, finally joining the camp of people who believe it’s better to save lives than save money. Governor Cuomo said yesterday in a news conference that if you asked the American people to choose between public health and the economy, it would be no contest.

For the moment, the people of New York seem to be obeying social distancing policies. The supermarket chain Whole Foods has an ‘only fifty customers at a time’ policy. Similar to what is happening at the supermarkets here in Madrid.

One government official has suggested that anyone who left the city of New York in the past few days should self-quarantine for fourteen days. Good luck with that.

New York City parks remain open and have been a problem when it comes to enforcing social distancing rules. In an effort to combat overcrowding in the parks the city will close off two streets per borough in an attempt to create alternative recreational space. These street closures are expected to begin by the end of the week. Police will be enforcing social distancing rules in these newly created public spaces.

A New Jersey man was arrested for making terroristic threats, obstruction of law and harassment. This after an employee at a Wegman’s grocery store told the man that he was standing too close to her and an open display of food. The 50 year old man caught an attitude – image that in Jersey - and then proceeded to spit on the woman while allegedly laughing and saying that he was infected with the coronavirus.

Thanks for listening during this strange stitch in time.

Take care and stay tuned." } }