| 'Ventilators' donated by Elon Musk can't be used on coronavirus patients, health officials say Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:00 AM PDT  Elon Musk's ventilator giveaway may do more harm than good.After weeks of brushing off the COVID-19 pandemic as "dumb," the billionaire Tesla founder earlier this week announced he had 1,000 "FDA-approved ventilators" and ended up donating 40 to New York City's hospital system. Except the devices Musk gave away aren't powerful enough to use in the ICU, and health officials have actually warned against using them on COVID-19 patients because they could spread the virus further.What Musk purchased and gave to New York's hospitals were BiPAP machines made by ResMed, a photo shared by the hospital system reveals. ResMed CEO Mick Farrell later confirmed Musk's purchase of 1,000 5-year-old "bi-level, non-invasive ventilators" known as BiPAPs to CNBC, and said it was "fantastic" that Tesla could transport ResMed's product like it did.But hospitals are far more desperate for ventilators more invasive than BiPAP and CPAP machines, which are usually used to treat sleep apnea — many doctors don't even call them "ventilators," the Los Angeles Times' Russ Mitchell reports. In fact, CPAP machines may have only helped spread COVID-19 through the nursing home outside Seattle that was the center of the U.S.'s initial coronavirus outbreak, NPR reports. These machines can "possibly increase the spread of infectious disease by aerosolizing the virus," NPR writes. Health officials in King County, Washington, have since warned against using CPAP machines on coronavirus patients, as did the American Society of Anesthesiologists back in February.What would actually help, Farrell added to CNBC, is if Musk's Tesla could produce and donate lithium ion batteries — ResMed can use them to make invasive ventilators that hospitals actually need.More stories from theweek.com The Secret Service signed an 'emergency order' this week — for 30 golf carts There are now over 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide Experts warn as many as 1 in 3 coronavirus test results may be incorrectly negative
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| American Airlines crammed the only 11 passengers on a flight into 3 rows because they only bought basic economy, report says Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:15 AM PDT  American Airlines has risked the health of flight attendants and passengers by enforcing rules about riding in coach, it is alleged.
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| Fact check: Does New York have a stockpile of thousands of unneeded ventilators? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:35 PM PDT  While it is true that New York maintains a stockpile of ventilators not in use, it is incorrect that these machines are unneeded.
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| Serbia sets the stage for Beijing's mask diplomacy Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:48 PM PDT  When six Chinese doctors landed in Belgrade two weeks ago, Serbia's president greeted them with elbow-bumps before laying a kiss on their country's flag, a gesture of gratitude that sent Chinese social media aflutter. For weeks China has been showering European countries with millions of face masks, test kits and other aid, recasting itself as the hero in the battle against coronavirus.
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| China reports fewer coronavirus infections, tallies asymptomatic cases Posted: 31 Mar 2020 10:21 PM PDT  China, where the coronavirus outbreak first emerged in December, reported dwindling new infections on Wednesday and for the first time disclosed the number of asymptomatic cases, which could complicate how trends in the outbreak are read. Almost all of Tuesday's 36 new cases involved arrivals from overseas, the National Health Commission said, down from 48 a day earlier, and taking total infections to 81,554. China has decided to devote greater screening to asymptomatic sufferers and those in contact with them.
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| Chinese Doctor Disappears after Blowing the Whistle on Coronavirus Threat Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:20 PM PDT  Wuhan doctor Ai Fen, who expressed early concerns about the coronavirus to the media, has disappeared and is believed detained by Chinese authorities.Fen, the head of emergency at Wuhan Central Hospital, was given a warning after she disseminated information about the coronavirus to several other doctors. She recounted the reprimand in an essay titled, "The one who supplied the whistle," which was published in China's People (Renwu) magazine. The article has since been removed.The reprimand from her boss came after Fen took a photo of a patient's positive test results and circled the words 'SARS coronavirus' in red.She brought several cases of coronavirus to the attention of her colleagues, eight of whom were later called in by police for revealing information about the respiratory illness, according to Radio Free Asia. One, opthalmologist Li Wenliang, warned fellow med school grads to wear protective clothing, an early warning that was condemned by authorities as "rumormongering." Wenliang eventually died from the virus himself.Fen's social media account on the Chinese platform Weibo has been updated several times since her disappearance, although Chinese authorities have been known to update detainees' social media accounts or order them to do so themselves. On Wednesday, a post appeared on her account reading "Happy April Fools Day," with a picture of her in a lab coat and mask.About two weeks ago, a post appeared on Fen's account reading, "Thank you for your care and love. I'm fine at the moment and I'm still working."However, Fen's whereabouts are now unknown, 60 Minutes Australia reported Monday.China has confirmed a total of 81,554 infections and 3,312 deaths from the coronavirus.However, the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report Wednesday that China deliberately provided incomplete public numbers for coronavirus cases and deaths resulting from the infection. In December, local and national officials issued a gag order to labs in Wuhan after scientists there identified a new viral pneumonia, ordering them to halt tests, destroy samples, and conceal the news.
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| 10 Great Deals on Apparel From REI’s 25% off Sale Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:23 AM PDT |
| Senators call on IRS to automatically send stimulus checks to seniors Posted: 02 Apr 2020 08:30 AM PDT  First on NBC News: The tax agency created confusion this week by saying some Social Security recipients would need to submit a form to get the cash.
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| Chinese government rejects allegations that its face masks were defective, tells countries to 'double check' instructions Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:58 PM PDT  The Chinese government told other countries to "double-check" the instructions for using the defective face masks.
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| New financial disclosure shows Sen. Kelly Loeffler invested in firm that makes personal protective equipment Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:16 PM PDT  A financial disclosure filed Tuesday shows that from mid-February to mid-March, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and her husband, New York Stock Exchange Chairman Jeff Sprecher, invested in DuPont, a company that makes personal protective equipment used by first responders fighting the COVID-19 coronavirus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Loeffler, worth an estimated $500 million, came under fire last month when it was discovered that she dumped millions in stock after receiving private briefings on the coronavirus pandemic and before she publicly downplayed the threat from the virus; 15 of the stocks had, on average, lost more than a third of their value by late March. Loeffler has denied using insider knowledge to influence her decisions to buy and sell stock, and her campaign says an investment firm manages her stocks and she does not have any control over day-to-day decisions.The disclosure filed Tuesday shows that the largest transactions made between mid-February and mid-March involved $18.7 million in sales of Intercontinental Exchange stock. ICE owns the New York Stock Exchange, and Loeffler is a former company executive. Loeffler's campaign said the sales were prearranged as part of Loeffler's and Sprecher's compensation package. Read more about Loeffler's stock sales at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Update, April 2: In a statement to The Week, a Loeffler spokeswoman said, "Sen. Loeffler filed another Periodic Transaction Report (PTR) and the facts are still the same. These transactions are consistent with historical portfolio activity and include a balanced mix of buys and sells. Her stock portfolio is managed independently by third-party advisors and she is notified, as indicated on the report, after transactions occur. Sen. Loeffler continues to operate with integrity and transparency — following both the spirit and the letter of the law. While some will continue to make baseless accusations devoid of facts, Sen. Loeffler will continue working to keep Americans safe and provide much-needed relief to Georgia families and businesses impacted by COVID-19."More stories from theweek.com The Secret Service signed an 'emergency order' this week — for 30 golf carts There are now over 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide Experts warn as many as 1 in 3 coronavirus test results may be incorrectly negative
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| Iran warns of months of crisis as virus deaths reach 3,160 Posted: 02 Apr 2020 04:18 AM PDT  Iran on Thursday reported 124 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising its total to 3,160, as President Rouhani warned that the country may still battle the pandemic for another year. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced the latest toll in a news conference and confirmed 3,111 new infections over the past 24 hours, bringing Iran's total to 50,468. Iran has been scrambling to contain the COVID-19 outbreak since it reported its first cases on February 19.
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| China starts to report asymptomatic coronavirus cases Posted: 31 Mar 2020 09:40 PM PDT  Chinese health authorities began on Wednesday reporting on asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus as part of an effort to allay public fears that people could be spreading the virus without knowing they are infected with it. China, where the coronavirus emerged late last year, has managed to bring its outbreak under control and is easing travel restrictions in virus hot spots. Up to now, the number of known asymptomatic cases has been classified, and it is not included in the official data, though the South China Morning Post newspaper, citing unpublished official documents, recently said it was more than 40,000.
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| Have I already had coronavirus? How would I know and what should I do? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 06:53 AM PDT  Covid-19 symptoms, when they occur, vary widely and undertesting means many people have probably been unwittingly infected * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverageCovid-19 symptoms vary widely, and undertesting in many countries means that many people may have already had the coronavirus without having received a positive diagnosis. Is it possible to find out, and how should you behave if you think you may have been infected? Is there any way to know whether someone has had Covid-19 in the past?Dr William Hillmann: At this point, we don't have a test to tell that. We are developing antibody tests to check for a prior infection, but those aren't ready for clinical use yet. The only definitive way to know that you've had it is to get tested while you have it and to have that test be positive. Could I have had it and been asymptomatic? Hillmann: Coronavirus is actually quite a significant spectrum of symptoms, from people who are entirely asymptomatic and would have no idea that they have it to people with very mild, cold-like symptoms – runny nose, congestion, sore throat – to people with more flu-like symptoms – high fevers, muscle aches, shortness of breath and cough. All the way up to people with severe illness, who we're seeing in the hospital with respiratory failure, requiring ICU care. (Editor's note: recent reports suggest that loss of smell and taste are also signs of Covid-19 infection.) What percentage of carriers are asymptomatic?Dr David Buchholz: Right now in New York, we're only testing the sickest possible people. So we have no idea. However, there was a study in Iceland, which tested [a large segment of its] population, and 50% of the people who tested positive had no symptoms. Are people who are asymptomatic also contagious? Hillmann: A significant proportion of people who are totally asymptomatic are contagious for some portion of time. We just don't know [for how long] at this point, because we don't have the kind of testing available to screen for asymptomatic infections.When people are symptomatic, they're contagious. A day or two before they become symptomatic, they're likely contagious as well. A virus builds up and starts to shed, and then after symptoms resolve, people can still be contagious for a couple of days. We have some evidence of viral shed even a couple of weeks after symptoms are resolved. It's hard to know if that's actual live virus, which is still able to infect somebody, or if that's just dead virus that the body is shedding. Should someone behave differently if they think, but don't know for certain, that they have already had it?Buchholz: We all have to be role models. If we're all in it together, we all should be doing social distancing.Hillmann: Since there's no real way to know at this point who might have had it, unless you're symptomatic, you get a swab and are definitively diagnosed with it, I would just act as if you hadn't had it. Keep doing all of those things that we all should be doing at this point: social distancing and hand hygiene. If I think I may have had it, do I have an ethical obligation to tell people I came in contact with? Even if it may in fact just have been a cold?Buchholz: I would, absolutely. I'm in New York, and it was definitely in the community before we knew it. So, yeah, any family members and close friends, maybe somebody you work next to, I think I would just alert them, especially if it was in the last 14 days. If it's been more than 14 days, they would have gotten sick by now if they had significant exposure.Hillmann: It's up to every individual about what they feel is right. If somebody is diagnosed with a case of coronavirus, I might feel a little bit more strongly that they should tell people because if you're in close contact with a healthcare worker, it could have implications for precautions that healthcare worker needs to take. If I've had it, can I get it again?Buchholz: There's not been any evidence that anyone's gotten it more than once. Someone with a normal immune system that can react to the virus and get better should have immunity for quite some time, at least a year, if not lifelong.There have been reports out of China suggesting people are testing positive for Covid-19 a second time. Most scientists think it is an issue around the inaccuracy of the testing and not that people are having two separate cases of the disease.ExpertsDr David Buchholz, senior founding medical director, primary care, assistant professor of pediatrics, Columbia University Irving medical centerDr William Hillmann, associate inpatient physician director at Massachusetts general hospital
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| Shenzhen becomes first Chinese city to ban eating cats and dogs Posted: 02 Apr 2020 07:54 AM PDT  The ruling is a tougher version of China's ban of wildlife meat, after it was linked to the virus.
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| Gun background checks smash records amid coronavirus fears Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:49 PM PDT  Background checks required to buy firearms have spiked to record numbers in the past month, fueled by a run on guns from Americans worried about their safety during the coronavirus crisis. According to figures from the FBI, 3.7 million background checks were done in March — the most for a single month since the system began in 1998. Background checks are the key barometer of gun sales, but the FBI's monthly figures also incorporate checks for firearm permits that are required in some states.
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| U.S., South Korea Near Tentative Troop-Funding Deal, Yonhap Says Posted: 31 Mar 2020 08:06 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. and South Korea have tentatively reached a military cost-sharing agreement, the Yonhap News Agency reported, potentially ending months of bickering over the Trump administration's demands for a massive increase.The announcement could come as early as Wednesday, the Seoul-based news service reported, citing a South Korean government official it didn't identify. The two sides agreed to sign a multiple-year contract rather than another stopgap one-year deal, it said.The seven-decades-old military alliance was dealt a blow Wednesday when the U.S. military put almost half of its 8,500 South Korean civilian workers on furlough due to the funding dispute. General Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, called the furloughs "heartbreaking" and "unfortunate," saying in a statement the move was "not what we envisioned or hoped what would happen."The furlough was a first of its kind for the American security partnership that serves as a check on China, as well as North Korea. It also unsettled operations at military facilities in South Korea, where about 28,000 U.S. service personnel are stationed.The two sides are putting the finishing touches on the deal, the person told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity, adding various possibilities still remained open. The report did not mention how the two sides bridged a gap after President Donald Trump asked for as much as a five-fold increase and South Korea showed no signs of paying anywhere near that much.South Korea's foreign ministry and the U.S. State Department declined to comment on the Yonhap report.The two sides have been deadlocked over what's known as the Special Measures Agreement, with Trump initially demanding about $5 billion a year from South Korea to pay for U.S. security. South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has indicated that it wouldn't pay much more than the almost $1 billion it agreed to in a one-year deal in 2019.The tensions over funding comes as the U.S. military struggles to keep coronavirus outbreaks from disrupting operations in South Korea and elsewhere and the allies watch for fresh provocations from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.While the U.S. and South Korea have been bargaining, North Korea has been busy testing new types of solid-fuel, nuclear-capable ballistic missiles designed to strike anywhere on the peninsula and evade U.S. interceptors. It has fired off nine in March alone, a record for a month.More MoneyNegotiators from the U.S. and South Korea met in March in Los Angeles but a wide gap remained between the two sides, according to a State Department spokesman who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.Trump has repeatedly insisted that the U.S. gets a raw deal from partners who host American troops around the world, and he's focused particular ire on the South Korean agreement. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told his counterpart, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, in February that "as a global economic powerhouse and an equal partner in the preservation of peace on the peninsula, South Korea can and should contribute more to its defense."South Korea's National Assembly must sign off on any deal and Trump's demands have brought about a rare moment of unity from progressives and conservatives in the country who see them as unreasonable. With parliamentary elections set for April 15, siding with Washington could lead to defeat at the ballot box.The negotiations in South Korea could affect other U.S. allies hosting troops, such as Japan, with Esper saying the Trump administration wants them to pay more, too. Japanese officials are watching the South Korea negotiations closely with the approach of talks set to begin later this year for a U.S-Japan cost-sharing deal.(Adds comment from U.S. general)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Amazon says it will investigate after we obtained a photo appearing to show a lack of social distancing at Indiana warehouse Posted: 01 Apr 2020 06:24 PM PDT  A photo obtained by Business Insider appears to show company managers sitting close together at a warehouse. Amazon says it's investigating.
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| Russian plane with supplies for virus fight lands in US Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:25 PM PDT  A Russian military plane carrying medical supplies arrived in the United States on Wednesday, the Russian mission to the UN said, as the Kremlin flexes its soft power during the coronavirus pandemic. The Antonov-124, landed at JFK Airport in New York -- the epicenter of America's coronavirus outbreak -- pictures and video posted on the mission's Twitter page showed. Russia's defense ministry had earlier announced that the plane "with medical masks and medical equipment on board," left for the US overnight, without providing further details.
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| Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:43 PM PDT  "In the next few days, we will reach 1 million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths worldwide," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. * Mexico's economy is forecast to contract by as much as 3.9% in 2020, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, in an annual economic report used to guide the budget, adding that the numbers incorporated a "drastic" impact from coronavirus.
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| How coronavirus has halted Central American migration to the US Posted: 02 Apr 2020 03:32 AM PDT  Border closures and strict lockdowns have led to a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central AmericaWhen Angelica turned 30, she realized there was no future for her in Honduras.Although she had a college degree, she was still living paycheck to paycheck and was stuck in a neighborhood of the capital Tegucigalpa ruled by violent gangs.So, after years contemplating migration to the US where she has relatives, she finally made arrangements to depart."I didn't want to stay in a neighborhood where there are massacres or where the people lock themselves in their homes at six at night because the gangs impose a curfew," she said. "I realized I was more surviving than living."But by the time she was due to start her journey north, Honduras had closed its borders and declared a state of emergency. She could no longer leave her city – much less take a bus to northern Guatemala, to meet a coyote who would guide her through Mexico."I had thought that only a hurricane could stop me," she said. "But I hadn't thought of a pandemic."Border closures and strict lockdowns prompted by the Covid-19 crisis have disrupted the migrant trail through Central America and Mexico, forcing some would-be migrants to postpone their journeys – and stopping many others in their tracks.The result has been a deterrent more effective than any wall Donald Trump could build.Activists across the region have reported a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central America since the restrictions were implemented. One Mexican shelter near the Guatemalan border said it hadn't received a new arrival in a week."The crisis has facilitated Trump's policies because [Central American] migrants can't even leave their countries," said Sister Nyzella Juliana Dondé, coordinator of a Catholic migrant aid organization in Honduras.El Salvador closed its borders on 11 March, and the governments of Guatemala and Honduras quickly followed suit. All three countries in the so-called northern triangle have since announced internal lockdowns of differing strictness.The three nations had recently signed "safe third country agreements" with the US government under which they agreed to increase enforcement on their borders, and receive migrants who had transited their country on the way to the US.Only Guatemala had begun to implement the new measures, but it announced on 17 March that it would suspend the deportations of Hondurans and Salvadorans from the US to its territory.But Guatemala and Honduras continued to receive deportation flights bringing their own citizens from the US – despite concerns that the practice could accelerate the spread of the virus. In the past week, a migrant who was deported from the US to Guatemala was diagnosed with Covid-19 and a group of deportees to Honduras escaped from the shelter where they were to be quarantined. Guatemala has now requested that the US suspend deportation flights.Meanwhile, migrants who were already en route have been left exposed by the closure of shelters and the difficulties facing humanitarian organizations which would normally attend to them."They are in a vulnerable situation because the guidance is to stay at home – but the migrants don't have homes," said Dondé, who mentioned a case of a large group of Haitian and African migrants who were detained after crossing into Guatemala from Honduras amid the lockdown. "Neither Honduras or Guatemala wanted to offer them a place to stay."Migrants who already had arrived to Mexico have been left in limbo by the US government's decision to immediately return all migrants from Mexico and Central America who cross into the country irregularly along the south-west border.When restrictions are eventually eased, a fresh surge in migration seems likely: multiple would-be migrants who spoke with the Guardian said it was only a question of when, not if, they would set out for the US.And the economic impact of the crisis may in turn cause others to migrate.. "Before many people migrated because they lacked work and a dignified life," said Silva de Souza. "Now there will be many more."Migrants who have come from even farther afield, have no choice but to try to push on. Mohamed left Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, in 2018, following the well-trodden migrant path via Ecuador, Colombia and the jungles of Panama. He was burning through his savings and racking up debt, but making steady progress north.But he reached Guatemala just before the government announced a state of emergency which has made moving on impossible."Travel has become very difficult," he said in a brief exchange via Facebook Messenger. But he was still determined to reach the US – even if he now has to move more carefully – traveling at night and avoiding large caravans. "With God's will, I'll get there. I will build a life of opportunity." * Additional reporting by Joe Parkin Daniels
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| Navy says it can't empty Roosevelt amid coronavirus because of its weapons, nuclear reactor Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:21 PM PDT  The Navy said it couldn't evacuate all sailors off the ship amid a coronavirus outbreak because it is loaded with weapons and a nuclear reactor.
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| Iran parliament speaker, Israeli health minister have virus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:02 PM PDT  Iran's parliament speaker has contracted the new coronavirus, the country's highest-ranking government figure yet to catch the disease, while in Israel, several top officials entered quarantine when the health minister tested positive on Thursday. Iran's parliament announced Ali Larijani's illness on its website, saying he was receiving treatment in quarantine. Iran, the regional epicenter of the virus, has been fighting one of the world's worst outbreaks.
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| Why undocumented immigrants still fear the 2020 census Posted: 02 Apr 2020 05:33 AM PDT  The United States might not be able to get information about more than 10 million people in the 2020 census. That's the number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Another 16.7 million individuals live in a household with an undocumented member and so might also not be counted in this year's census.The primary reason that undocumented immigrants might forego participation in the 2020 census? Fear. Fear of being found by immigration enforcement authorities. Fear of being detained to face a deportation hearing. And, ultimately, fear of being deported. If data is missing from the 2020 census, that will harm national and community planning efforts. Fear of deportationThe fear of being deported to one's home country extends well beyond wanting to remain in the United States to simply have a better life.A large proportion of recently arrived undocumented immigrants are from the northern triangle regions of Central America that include El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Though approximately 1.2 million Mexican immigrants in the U.S. returned to their home nation between 2010 and 2018, an estimated 265,000 Central Americans are fleeing annually to the United States, due to extreme violence and high murder rates. There are 4.1 million U.S. citizen children who have an undocumented parent. Deported parents will often protect their children by leaving them behind in the U.S. This potential, and likely permanent, separation feeds the fear endured by undocumented immigrant parents.Increased immigration enforcement policies and threats of more raids and detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have escalated the fear associated with deportation. In two qualitative studies that colleagues and I conducted with health and social service providers serving documented and undocumented Latinx immigrants in Texas and Tennessee, fear of detention and deportation emerged as a consistent component of immigrants' daily lives. Fear was described as so intense that undocumented immigrants avoid using medical or social services, even when their children have known medical needs. Texas providers reported that parents are unwilling to share their home addresses, since permitting outsiders into one's home can pose risk of detection and, ultimately, deportation. Census effectsDespite the mandated protections that prevent the U.S. Census Bureau from sharing information with law enforcement or other government organizations, fear and lack of trust of the government could very well supersede undocumented immigrants' willingness to participate. Interviews and focus groups conducted by the Census Bureau suggest that immigrants fear their responses would be used to identify and penalize them or their undocumented household members.Furthermore, among those who do participate, data might be incomplete or inaccurate as a result of fear. For example, evidence suggests that proposals to include a citizenship question, though ultimately thrown out by the Supreme Court, would possibly result in more unanswered questions related to age, race and Latinx household members on the census, especially among individuals who were born in Mexico or Central America. Counting mattersHow might these high levels of fear influence the 2020 census? School, voting and legislative district boundaries will be based on incorrect figures. Allocation of resources for schools and communities will fail to account for the accurate number or demographics of community members. Researchers, businesses and community organizations will design and implement projects based on misinformation.If the Census Bureau wants to overcome barriers to participation, it will have to make efforts to educate and facilitate participation among undocumented immigrants.Some ideas might include educating immigrants about how census data are used, in their native languages, or sharing information through trusted community members or organizations serving undocumented immigrants. Flyers, emails and texts from these organizations could potentially serve as an invaluable tool to disseminate accurate content related to the census.Another idea is that the federal government might be able to reduce fear by ceasing immigration enforcement activity while 2020 census data are actively being collected.The United States has an opportunity to accurately assess who resides in our country and in our communities. Fostering a climate of safety around the census is essential to achieving a complete count.[Like what you've read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversation's daily newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Migrants at US-Mexico border must get past cartels before their long journey ends * Students could be undercounted in the census as coronavirus closes colleges – here's why that mattersMary Lehman Held receives funding from Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation and University of Tennessee College of Social Work Social Justice Innovation Initiative. She is affiliated with Asia Connection, Inc.
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| An evangelical pastor who was charged after holding in-person church services says he doesn't like livestreams because he can't touch parishioners Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:38 AM PDT  Tony Spell, an evangelical pastor at the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged with six misdemeanor charges on Tuesday.
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| Journalists are skipping Trump's daily coronavirus press briefings, saying they don't have enough news value Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:47 AM PDT  As President Donald Trump uses the briefings to pursue grudges and spread misinformation, reporters are asking whether it's worth the effort.
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| Iran warns US after Patriot deployment to Iraq Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:06 AM PDT  Iran warned the US Wednesday that it was leading the Middle East to disaster in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic after it deployed Patriot air defence missiles to Iraq. Washington had been in talks with Baghdad about the proposed deployment since January but it was not immediately clear whether it had secured its approval or not. Iran, which wields huge influence in its western neighbour, said that it had not.
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| Trump says he doesn’t want a nationwide stay-at-home order because some states don’t have a high number of coronavirus cases Posted: 01 Apr 2020 04:42 PM PDT  At the coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump said he didn't want to issue a nationwide stay-at-home order to fight the pandemic because there are some states that don't have a large number of positive coronavirus cases.
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| Elderly to be evacuated en masse from ultra-Orthodox Israeli town hit by coronavirus Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:50 AM PDT |
| 'Above-average' hurricane season predicted this year, top experts say Posted: 02 Apr 2020 09:14 AM PDT  An "above-normal" hurricane season, which begins June 1, is expected this year, according to Colorado State forecasters.
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| More evidence indicates healthy people can spread virus Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:41 AM PDT  Scientists offered more evidence Wednesday that the coronavirus is spread by seemingly healthy people who show no clear symptoms, and the federal government issued new guidance warning that anyone exposed to the disease can be considered a carrier. A study by researchers in Singapore became the latest to estimate that somewhere around 10% of new infections may be sparked by people who carry the virus but have not yet suffered its flu-like symptoms. In response to that study and others, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed how it defined the risk of infection for Americans.
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| Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte orders police to 'shoot dead' any 'troublemakers' who break quarantine Posted: 02 Apr 2020 07:34 AM PDT  Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the police and military to "shoot dead" any "troublemakers" who cause disturbances during the coronavirus quarantine in the Philippines, The Philippine Star reports. The move comes after protestors staged demonstrations over the lack of food and financial aid they've received from the government since the lockdown began in the country on March 17."I will not hesitate [to tell] my soldiers to shoot you. I will not hesitate to order the police to arrest and detain you," said Duterte in his address, adding: "Instead of causing trouble, I'll send you to the grave." The president is infamous for his alleged violations of human rights, previously drawing the fury of the international community over his order for vigilante hit squads to murder suspected drug dealers without due process.Amnesty International condemned Duterte's new statements. "The abusive methods used to punish those accused of breaching quarantine and the vast number of mass arrests that have been carried out to date, against mainly poor people, are further examples of the oppressive approach the government takes against those struggling with basic needs," said the organization's local section director, Butch Olano.The human rights NGO added that more than 17,000 people have already been arrested for violations of the lockdown and curfew in the Philippines, and that "reports have also appeared of inhumane punishments those breaching quarantine have been made to endure, including sitting for hours in the hot sun or being detained in dog cages."More stories from theweek.com The Secret Service signed an 'emergency order' this week — for 30 golf carts There are now over 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide Experts warn as many as 1 in 3 coronavirus test results may be incorrectly negative
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| A small Georgia city is facing hundreds of coronavirus cases after residents flocked to a beloved janitor's funeral Posted: 02 Apr 2020 07:57 AM PDT  Atlanta's Dougherty County has reported 490 confirmed cases of COVID-19, that all emerged after two funerals were held in the town of Albany.
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| Dr Fauci: security reportedly expanded as infectious disease expert faces threats Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:46 PM PDT  Reports say immunologist who has become celebrity amid coronavirus has received unwelcome messages from critics and supportersSecurity for Dr Anthony Fauci, the 79-year-old infectious disease expert who has become a calm, reassuring foil to Donald Trump at coronavirus briefings, has been expanded, according to multiple reports.While Fauci's straight talk and willingness to gently correct the president's outrageous exaggerations have drawn admiration from late-night talkshow hosts, professional basketball players and doughnut shop owners alike, the doctor has received threats and unwelcome communications from both critics and fervent admirers. The Washington Post first reported the news.At a coronavirus taskforce briefing at the White House on Wednesday, Fauci declined to comment on whether he was receiving security protection, deferring to the health department's inspector general.Trump interjected, saying that Fauci "doesn't need security, everybody loves him". If anyone were to attack Fauci, Trump added, "they'd be in big trouble", touting the disease expert's high school athletic career."He was a great basketball player, did anybody know that?" Trump said. "He was a little on the short side for the NBA but he was talented." As basketball captain at Regis high school in 1958, Fauci had helped lead the team to an unlikely victory.Asked to comment on any increase in Fauci's security detail, Tesia Williams, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokeswoman, said: "For more than two decades, the office of inspector general has provided professional protective services for the HHS secretary and, as needed, to departmental leadership. In each case, OIG assesses and recommends the appropriate level of protection. I cannot confirm, at this time, that we are providing such services for Dr Fauci."The immunologist has become an unlikely celebrity, representing the US scientific community facing off against the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA star Stephen Curry has called him "the Goat" – greatest of all time. Fans have plastered his likeness on cupcakes, doughnuts, socks and prayer candles.But Fauci has also become a public target for rightwing pundits and bloggers who believe he is undermining the president. An article in the rightwing outlet American Thinker called Fauci a "Deep-State Hillary Clinton-loving stooge", and referred to a seven-year-old email in which he praised Clinton for her stamina through the Benghazi hearings. Tom Fitton, the president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, a conservative group; and Bill Mitchell, host of the far-right online talkshow YourVoice America, have also reinforced Fauci criticisms and conspiracy theories.
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| Coronavirus turned the 2020 presidential race upside down, but not in Wisconsin Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:53 PM PDT  June 2 has now replaced April 28 as one of the biggest days in the Democratic presidential primary.
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| Feds distribute thousands of surgical masks, gloves seized by FBI Posted: 02 Apr 2020 10:05 AM PDT  The masks, gloves, gowns and hand sanitizer were seized by the Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force.
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| CDC warned of a coming pandemic two years ago Posted: 02 Apr 2020 04:21 AM PDT  Two years ago, some of the nation's top public health officials gathered in an auditorium at Emory University in Atlanta to commemorate the 1918 influenza pandemic — also known as "the Spanish flu" — which had killed as many as 40 million people as it swept the globe.
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| Indonesia virus death toll rises to highest in Asia outside China Posted: 01 Apr 2020 11:18 PM PDT  Indonesia's coronavirus death toll rose to 170 on Thursday as the world's fourth most populous nation passed South Korea as the country with the highest number of recorded fatalities in Asia after China. Indonesia reported a further 13 deaths and 113 new cases, taking its total number of infections to 1,790. South Korea has reported 169 deaths and 9,976 infections, according to the latest figures released there.
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| In Ecuador, families wait with their dead as bodies pile up Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:59 PM PDT  Daniel Larrea died Monday after a week of high fever, struggling to breathe and steadily turning blue. Then a new nightmare began for his family. No one in their city on Ecuador's Pacific coast would pick up his body.
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| Angry Wuhan next-of-kin seek answers over virus handling Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:42 AM PDT  Zhang took his elderly father to a Wuhan hospital for a surgical procedure in January, just as coronavirus was consuming the central Chinese city. Devastated and angry, Zhang is now demanding answers from a government that he accuses of incompetence and lying about the extent of the virus. Zhang says he has linked online with dozens of other people whose grief over lost loved ones is paired with anger.
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| Naval Patrol Boat Takes on Cruise Ship. Loses Real Bad. Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:38 PM PDT  Turns out you shouldn't ram a cruise ship built to withstand sea ice.
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| Trump news – live: US hits record high 6.6m unemployment claims and coronavirus death toll tops 5,000 as president mocks governors’ ‘insatiable appetite’ for ventilators Posted: 02 Apr 2020 06:21 AM PDT  US unemployment figures have again shattered records, with 6.6 million Americans filing for benefits as the coronavirus pandemic brings society to a grinding halt and threatens economic collapse.Donald Trump attempted to pivot away from the deadly outbreak in his latest press briefing on Wednesday – a day on which the country's death toll hit 5,000 from 216,000 cases - threatening Iran, questioning China's figures and attacking Fox News reporter John Roberts for asking him about a "false story".
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| Trump Administration Has Turned Immigration Court Into ‘Public Health Hazard’ Posted: 02 Apr 2020 01:30 AM PDT  In a country ground to a standstill by the coronavirus pandemic, there is one place normalcy reigns: immigration courts.Overburdened judges oversee packed proceedings; attorneys shuttle clients and paperwork from room to room, often with interpreters in tow; aspiring legal citizens, or at least residents, follow closely, sitting through hearings famously described as death-penalty cases held in a traffic court.The courts, along with visa applications, detention hearings and other immigration related bureaucracy, are seemingly the lone part of the federal government still expected to function as if a global pandemic hasn't upended nearly every facet of American life. But those tasked with keeping the machine running say that they have received little guidance about how to keep the system running in the era of social isolation, and even less protection despite fears that immigration proceedings put some of the most vulnerable people in the country in the impossible position of choosing between their health or their home.The Trump administration has refused to allow immigration courts and visa hearings to comply with the same social isolation standards followed by nearly every other civil aspect of government, and has not allowed for previously scheduled hearings to be postponed. The administration has also issued little in the way of guidance for judges, immigration attorneys or immigrants, whose hearings—which often take years to schedule—directly conflict with stay-at-home orders across the county."The immigration court's refusal to adopt policies that protect the health of respondents, lawyers, judges and immigration court staff during the current pandemic forces immigrant families and their lawyers to make an impossible decision: endanger public health or risk being deported," said Nadia Dahab, senior litigation attorney at Innovation Law Lab, one of half a dozen immigrants-rights groups that on Friday filed an emergency order challenging the operation of immigration courts despite the crisis."We are in the middle of a global pandemic, but the immigration court system is continuing to operate as if it's business as usual," said Melissa Crow, senior supervising attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project. "The government has turned the court system into a public health hazard."Is ICE's 'Risk Tool' Sentencing Innocents to COVID-19 Death?A similar dilemma faces individuals who are up against imminent deadlines to apply for or renew their visas. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has so far declined to extend deadlines for the filing of key documents, putting visa hopefuls in the difficult position of running afoul of shelter-in-place mandates, not to mention risking their own and others' health, in order to get everything in on time. Failing to do so could do long-term damage for a person's eligibility for legal residence or put them in another dilemma—figuring out how to get back to another country in a time of unprecedented travel restriction."These are not trivial issues," said León Rodríguez, who ran USCIS during the Obama administration. "They're not bureaucratic issues. These issues have a lot to do with what a person's future is, their ability to do business, so people are doing what they need to do. They're being careful. But right now, people are going to the office where they otherwise wouldn't need to, in an effort to get their fillings done the right way and on time. If we're in a national emergency… that means it's time to protect as many people as we can."In a Wednesday letter to USCIS acting Director Ken Cuccinelli, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, urged "immediate action" to extend the deadlines, saying that the failure to do so forces "families to take unnecessary risks to their health and the health of our communities.""I would hope now, if ever, this administration would find some compassion and patience to serve the totality of the people of this country," Pocan said in a statement to The Daily Beast. The Trump administration has eased up some visa procedures; current biometrics, like a fingerprint scan, are no longer required for applicants on account of health concerns. USCIS is also implementing a 60-day extension for individuals to respond to some items, like requests for additional evidence to support an application. But the agency is still urging applicants to submit information "on time and in accordance with existing instructions" so as to "prevent a lapse in immigration status."A spokesperson for USCIS said: "We continue to monitor this evolving pandemic and remain prepared to take necessary steps in order to protect the health and safety of our employees, applicants and the nation." But the apparent reluctance to take additional steps—or the failure to provide specific guidance in some cases—stands in stark contrast to swift action from the Trump administration to, for example, push back Tax Day or extend Securities and Exchange Commission filing deadlines. To immigrants and their advocates, the evident lack of concern for those who are put at risk by the lack of uniform social distancing in immigration proceedings is just the latest in a long line of indignities."For whatever reason, USCIS has become an outlier," said Jesse Bless, director of federal litigation for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "Every federal agency is stopping time, and yet USCIS, who may have the largest population of people they serve, they have said it's business as usual."What little guidance there has been has largely put the onus of properly preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus on immigration judges—already the "sacrificial lamb" of the American immigration system. Last Wednesday, Executive Office of Immigration Review Director James McHenry issued a policy memo saying that it was effectively up to individual judges to make the decision to allow attorneys to appear by phone for proceedings and reduce the number of attendees "on a case-by-case basis," and allowing—but not requiring—judges to wave the presence of undocumented immigrants during proceedings and to conduct hearings by teleconference.Immigration proceedings, the National Association of Immigration Judges said in response, are an epidemiologist's worst nightmare for coronavirus transmission, with judges and court staff working "shoulder-to-shoulder," interpreters flying around the country to attend different proceedings, and people in immigration detention being moved in large groups with almost zero chance of proper social distance. The analogue nature of the paper-based immigration court system, too, makes the risk of transmission of infectious disease particularly acute."EOIR's refusal to close detained courts causes a cascade of social interaction that puts all of us at risk," the union said in a statement. "The immigration courts are in the midst of a crisis created by EOIR."One member stated that the crisis demonstrates that the office needs "to be gutted and rebuilt from the ashes.""I've never witnessed an utter lack of concern for people like I have here," the judge said. "In my former life, we treated captured Taliban and ISIS with more humanity. Moreover, I've never seen worse leadership. A crisis usually brings good and bad to the light. We have nothing but darkness."According to immigration advocates, the guidance actually heightens the risk of infection for migrants, as well as their families, attorneys, and the immigration judges presiding over the proceedings."McHenry should reinstate previously rescinded guidelines for telephonic appearances and allow all advocates to appear telephonically for court," said Laura Rivera, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative.Democratic lawmakers say they are keeping close watch on the situation. "Coronavirus has exposed how the most vulnerable experience the most injustice during a crisis," Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus told The Daily Beast. "Instead of listening to CDC guidelines on social distancing, and state and local stay-at-home orders, several immigration courts remain open. This is not only risking the lives of judges, attorneys, and immigrants, but also their loved ones and entire communities."Immigration lawyers describe a similarly difficult and muddled situation for those who are attempting to apply for visas or get them renewed. Thousands of foreign nationals currently in the U.S. will see their legal status expire in coming months, and making those deadlines requires individuals to be in close cooperation with lawyers, as well as workplace H.R. departments, to navigate a complicated and paper-intensive process.That USCIS has not yet extended key deadlines due to the coronavirus emergency forces a set of difficult choices on applicants and their lawyers. Attorneys, said AILA's Bless, are in a Catch-22: meeting their clients in person and gathering evidence may help them make a deadline, but it also puts them in violation of shelter-in-place mandates in effect in many states—and risks spreading the virus.And if applicants, meanwhile, miss deadlines while remaining in the U.S., it can negatively impact their eligibility for legal status down the road. But leaving the country is currently difficult, not to mention dangerous. "From a practical standpoint, how can individuals protect themselves when they can't leave the U.S. and they can't file applications and get evidence to their employer or attorney right now?" asked Bless. "Whether you're an attorney or an individual, the USCIS position is, if nothing else, ramping up and contributing to what is a once in a lifetime stressful situation." The agency's decision to waive the need for new biometrics—and its decision to extend deadlines on some forms of documentation—has been interpreted by advocates as a signal that the administration is aware of the new problems the COVID-19 outbreak is posing for their normal functioning. USCIS has halted all face-to-face engagement with applicants at their offices through at least May 3. Some watchdogs are anticipating that USCIS will end up leaning on existing exceptions for "natural catastrophes and other extreme situations" to provide wiggle room to migrants on a case-by-case basis, according to a congressional source. But advocates are baffled that isn't translating into a broader extension for the many people impacted by the public health emergency. Rodríguez, the former USCIS director, told The Daily Beast that the administration doesn't "have to do anything magical" to make this happen."They have legal tools to do it," Rodríguez said. "I'd think that a global pandemic is an extraordinary circumstance—probably one of most compelling I can think of."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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