thetorontostar--2020-04-02--States demand ventilators as feds ration limited supply

WASHINGTON - Two weeks ago , the Pentagon promised to make as many as 2,000 military ventilators available as the federal government strains to contend with the coronavirus pandemic .
As of Wednesday , less than half had been allocated , despite a desperate need across the country .
At FEMA , the agency tasked with co-ordinating the federal response to the outbreak , about 9,000 additional ventilators are also on hold as officials seek to determine where they are needed most urgently .
The combination of scarce supply and high need has sent many states onto the open market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from private manufacturers .
Their competition in that bidding process : both the federal government and other states .
“ It ’ s like being on eBay with 50 other states bidding on a ventilator , “ said New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , whose state is the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States .
He urged FEMA to step in and act as a single purchaser of the vital machines .
The slow deployment of ventilators underscores the ways in which the sprawling federal bureaucracy has fallen short in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far outpaces the current supply , and the stockpiles that do exist aren ’ t enough for the hardest hit areas .
That undercuts the air of confidence projected by President Donald Trump at his daily briefings .
Cuomo , whose state has had more than 92,000 cases of COVID-19 , warned Thursday that New York has only 2,200 ventilators in its own stockpile after shipping out 600 to New York City , Westchester and Long Island .
He would run out in six days at this rate .
FEMA has sent 4,400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said they will likely need 20,000 to 40,000 during the crisis .
It ’ s not just ventilators .
FEMA has been able to fill only a fraction of the requests for protective equipment and medical supplies requested by the five Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia , according to documents released by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney , who chairs the Oversight and Reform committee .
The shortfalls include less than 10 % of the requested number of N95 protective masks and none of 15,000 body bags requested .
But ventilators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treating patients .
The machines pump air to a person ’ s lungs through a tube inserted in the windpipe and can be lifesaving for severely ill patients .
The government had 9,961 ventilators as of Thursday , including 9,054 in the stockpile and 907 from the Department of Defence , according to FEMA .
The Health and Human Services Department , which manages the stockpile , said Thursday it has 2,109 ventilators that are undergoing required maintenance .
Those are not included in the tally of machines that can be deployed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintenance by April 30 .
In Louisiana , where coronavirus cases are skyrocketing , Gov .
John Bel Edwards has requested 14,000 ventilators from the federal government and private companies .
To date , the state has received just 442 , including 150 that arrived Wednesday from the national stockpile .
“ The 150 will only get us about a day or so , maybe two if we get really lucky before we ’ ve exceeded that capacity again , ” Edwards said .
FEMA is asking states to answer data-heavy questions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among them : How many usable ventilators , intensive care beds and machines that can be converted into ventilators are available within the state ?
How many anesthesia machines can be converted into ventilators in the state , and has that happened yet ?
“ People who have needed ventilators have been able to get on ventilators and I think that ’ s our goal , with governors and with the mayors , to make sure that continues to happen , ” said Dr. Deborah Brix , the co-ordinator of the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lizzie Litzow said states should not expect any shipments until they are within 72 hours of a crisis situation .
Several states have hit that point .
The federal government has deployed 2,400 ventilators to New York City , and an additional 2,000 for the rest of the state .
FEMA said Wednesday that it was sending machines from the national stockpile to Michigan , New Jersey , Illinois , Connecticut and Louisiana .
Still , the numbers deployed to some of the states pale in comparison to what officials say they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases as of Wednesday , says it will need between 5,000-10,000 machines .
It received 400 ventilators from FEMA on Tuesday .
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said Wednesday that his state has nearly 1,000 ventilators and requested an additional 1,500 from the national stockpile .
It received 50 .
Lawmakers have called repeatedly on the federal government to publicly account for how it is distributing ventilators and personal protective equipment but say they haven ’ t received answers .
The Pentagon ’ s announcement two weeks ago that it had 2,000 ventilators available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that stockpile is earmarked for a pair of hospital ships and military field hospitals being deployed to take some of the patient load off other facilities .
About 900 Pentagon ventilators are sitting idle , waiting for FEMA to ask for access .
FEMA officials say the Pentagon equipment requires additional training beyond what is typically required for hospital-grade equipment .
Rather than begin that training now , the agency says it is focusing on allocating conventional ventilators already in its stockpiles .
FEMA said those are the types commonly used by U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate use.
” It remains unclear how federal officials plan to address the issue of training civilians in local hospitals .
Trump has defended his administration ’ s deployment of ventilators and said the federal government is doing all it can .
He has taken steps to compel General Motors to make more of the machines , though the company was already moving in that direction before the president ’ s order .
He issued an order Thursday under the Defence Production Act aimed at ensuring manufacturers have the supplies to make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Ventec last week that they expect to deliver the first ventilators within weeks and will initially produce more than 10,000 per month .
Ford , in collaboration with GE Healthcare , said Tuesday it expects to produce 50,000 of the ventilators within the next 100 days .
Associated Press writers Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge , Louisiana , David Eggert in Lansing , Michigan , Mike Catalini in Trenton , New Jersey , and Marina Villeneuve in New York contributed to this report .

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Robert Burns And Ben Fox - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Navy fires captain who sought help for virus-stricken ship

WASHINGTON - The captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier facing a growing outbreak of the coronavirus on his ship was fired Thursday by Navy leaders who said he created a panic by sending his memo pleading for help to too many people .
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said the ship ’ s commander , Capt .
Brett Crozier “ demonstrated extremely poor judgment ” in the middle of a crisis .
He said the captain copied too many people on the memo , which was leaked to a California newspaper and quickly spread to many news outlets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as ship commander was immediately condemned by members of the House Armed Services Committee , who called it a “ destabilizing move ” that will “ likely put our service members at greater risk and jeopardize our fleet ’ s readiness.
“ Modly told Pentagon reporters during an abruptly called press conference Thursday that Crozier should have gone directly to his immediate commanders , who were already moving to help the ship .
And he said Crozier created a panic by suggesting 50 sailors could die .
The USS Theodore Roosevelt , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ docked in Guam , and the Navy has said as many as 3,000 will be taken off the ship and quarantined by Friday .
More than 100 sailors on the ship have tested positive for the virus , but none are hospitalized at this point .
“ What it does , it undermines our efforts and the chain of command ’ s efforts to address this problem and creates a panic and creates the perception that the Navy is not on the job , the government is not on the job , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Modly said .
He complained that Crozier sent the memo to people outside his chain of command and in a non-secure , unclassified email .
And , he said he concluded that the captain ’ s ability to react professionally was overwhelmed by the virus challenge , “ when acting professionally was what was needed most .
We do , and we should , expect more from the commanding officers of our aircraft carriers.
” Earlier this week , Modly told reporters that Crozier would not be relieved of duty for trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door open for punishment if the captain leaked the memo to the press .
On Thursday , Modly said he has no information to suggest that Crozier leaked the memo to the press .
He said that if Crozier had communicated only with his leadership and not widely distributed the memo , he would likely still have a job .
He took sole responsibility for the decision to fire Crozier , and said he got no pressure from the White House to do so .
Democrats on the House committee issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They said that while the captain went outside his chain of command , the pandemic presents a new set of challenges .
“ Captain Crozier was justifiably concerned about the health and safety of his crew , but he did not handle the immense pressure appropriately , ” the lawmakers said .
“ However , relieving him of his command is an overreaction.
” Sen. Jack Reed , top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee , said he told Modly that Navy leaders must make it clear that the decision to fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking steps to protect their sailors and Marines .
And he said the incident “ raised critical questions ” about the Navy ’ s strategy to combat the virus across the fleet .
Crozier , in his memo , raised warnings the ship was facing a growing outbreak of the coronavirus and asked permission to isolate the bulk of his crew members on shore , an extraordinary move to take a carrier out of duty in an effort to save lives .
He said that removing all but 10 % of the crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to stop the spread of the virus .
“ We are not at war .
Sailors do not need to die .
If we do not act now , we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset , our sailors , ” said Crozier .
As of Thursday , the Navy said 31 % of the USS Theodore Roosevelt crew have been tested for the virus , and 114 tested positive .
The 180 Sailors that tested negative so far will move into Guam hotels for quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will keep enough sailors on board to sustain essential services and sanitize the ship in port .

Lolita C. Baldor And Robert Burns - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Virus hits NYC hardest in a few working-class neighbourhoods

NEW YORK - The coronavirus pandemic has hit especially hard in a few poorer New York City neighbourhoods where telecommuting isn ’ t an option for many workers and there are more likely to be many people living under one roof .
Residents of the immigrant-rich Jackson Heights , Elmhurst and Corona sections of Queens have tested positive for the virus in greater numbers than in other parts of the city , according to data released Wednesday by city health officials .
People living in one Queens zip code just south of LaGuardia Airport were roughly four times as likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gentrified section of Brooklyn that Mayor Bill de Blasio calls home .
A disproportionately high number of people have also tested positive for COVID-19 in certain Brooklyn neighbourhoods that are home to many Orthodox Jews , for whom large families and frequent communal gatherings could have led to easier transmission of the virus .
Yet other places , just as poor and just as crowded , have had it easier .
An Associated Press demographic analysis of the more than 170 zip codes where New York City has reported COVID-19 cases shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse .
The areas of New York that have a larger share of households with people over 65 had higher rates of confirmed cases per 1,000 people , the AP found .
But other demographic variables – from high household incomes to large shares of foreign-born populations to areas with large numbers of overcrowded housing units – saw no significant link to COVID-19 case trends .
The numbers do help explain something that has seemed obvious to people living in the hard-hit Queens neighbourhoods served by Elmhurst Hospital , where long lines of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been one of the defining images of the pandemic .
Verónica Domínguez , a 48-year-old Mexican immigrant who lives with seven relatives in a three-room apartment in Corona , Queens , has been too scared to go out for the last two weeks .
“ I fear for the kids .
I don ’ t want to keep working , get sick and pass the virus to them .
The oldest has asthma , ” she said in Spanish , referring to a 12-year-old granddaughter .
“ There are hard moments in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooped up anymore .
But then I see the news , and I see how bad this area has been hit , and I repeat to myself that is better to stay home , ” she said .
Asked about why some areas had been hit harder than others , Dr. Mitchell Katz , chief executive of the city-run hospital system , said crowded housing could play a role .
“ We know that in Queens , many families , because of poverty , live together in very close quarters .
So that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing , you may have multiple families living together in a very small apartment .
And so it ’ s easy to understand why there ’ s a lot of transmission of COVID occurring , ” he said .
Yet some neighbourhoods with significant numbers of poorer immigrants , like the bustling Chinese community in Flushing , Queens , have had as few positive tests per capita as any wealthy , whiter part of the city .
As of Thursday morning , the city had recorded 1,397 deaths from the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for COVID-19 .
The true number of people sickened by the virus is likely much higher because officials have been rationing tests and encouraging all but the most seriously ill people not to seek treatment and instead ride it out at home .
Jackson Heights resident Guillermo Pintero is one of them .
Even though the virus has him feverish and struggling for enough air to finish his sentences , he ’ s stayed out of the hospital and is riding it out in the studio apartment he shares with his three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said through a translator that his family is unable to bring in much money .
“ My son , he was called in to work two days last week , but since then they haven ’ t called him .
I haven ’ t worked for much longer than that .
Right now , we ’ re trying to make do with the savings that we have.
” U.S. Rep. Grace Meng , who represents the part of Queens suffering the most , said many of her constituents do not have the luxury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A lot of my constituents are considered essential workers .
A very high percentage of them are in the service industry , and so they aren ’ t able to just stay home , ” she said .
“ Or they might be living with a relative who is an essential worker , a front-line worker that might not be able to self-quarantine either.
” Katz said people getting sick in western Queens face a second problem , which is that their part of the city has half as many hospital beds per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , co-executive director of the anti-poverty group Make the Road New York , added that in communities like Corona and Elmhurst “ far too many residents lack access to adequate health care and live in overcrowded conditions .
Safe , affordable housing is out of reach , and they are facing extreme vulnerability at this moment.
” The city ’ s public hospital system has been trying to ease the burden on Elmhurst Hospital by moving some patients out and moving additional staff in .
It also increased its number of intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 days .
Most people who get the virus experience mild or moderate symptoms , including fever and cough .
Others develop pneumonia , sometimes requiring hospitalization .
The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems .
The AP ’ s analysis used the city ’ s zip code data as of 5 p.m. on April 1 and multiple variables from the American Community Survey regarding housing , age , race , immigration status and income .

Deepti Hajela, Claudia Torrens And Meghan Hoyer - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--State copes with jobless surge, more prison workers infected

HARTFORD , Conn. - Connecticut officials are struggling to handle an overwhelming number of unemployment claims stemming from the coronavirus outbreak that has grown to more than 220,000 in roughly two weeks , Gov .
Ned Lamont said Thursday .
The Democrat said his administration has been “ throwing more and more people “ at the huge task of processing claims , including hiring back retired state employees , to try and reduce a backlog , while at the same time trying to upgrade the state Department of Labor ’ s aging computer system to speed up process .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s going on right here .
And right now it ’ s a backlog of five or six weeks and it ’ s absolutely unacceptable , ” Lamont said .
“ Give us a four or five days .
We ’ re working on an end-around , working out with a fix that would allow us to have an expedited process.
” State Department of Labor officials said earlier Thursday that the agency has received over 200,000 unemployment claims in just over two weeks , a number it usually receives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has processed more than 80,000 of the new applications .
Lamont also signed an executive order late Thursday prohibiting hotels , motels , bed and breakfasts and other short-term rentals from renting for leisure or vacation purposes .
As of Wednesday , more than 100 Connecticut resident have died from COVID-19 .
For most people , the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough , that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In other developments related to the outbreak : The state Department of Correction said 16 staff members at prisons across the state have tested positive for COVID-19 , a sharp increase from the three positive tests among staff reported earlier this week .
The department puts the number of infected inmates at eight , including five at the Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution in Enfield and three at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Uncasville .
Both prisons have been locked down .
The infected staff members include three who worked at the Hartford Correctional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Correctional Institution , MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield , New Haven Correctional Center , York Correctional Institution for women in Uncasville and the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield .
The department reports single infections among staff at Corrigan-Radgowski , the Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown and the the Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers .
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says there are 41 people being treated in the Connecticut veteran ’ s health care system for COVID-19 .
That includes 13 patients who have been hospitalized and 28 being treated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Haven and Newington .
The Lamont administration plans to move some residents living in Connecticut ’ s long-term care facilities to create dedicated spaces for those who have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 .
Under an executive order issued Wednesday night , anyone diagnosed positive in a hospital and later admitted to a nursing home will be monitored and assessed for 14 days in a segregated area with other residents who tested positive .
Meanwhile , any residents of some long-term care facilities who either test negative or display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer to facilities where there are no residents with the virus .
Also , under Lamont ’ s plan , some nursing homes will house only infected individuals .
There are plans to create space in nursing homes that have recently closed , as well .
Advocates for immigrants being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New England rallied in Hartford on Thursday , arguing the detainees are being held in unsafe conditions because of the outbreak .
A convoy of vehicles , decorated with protest signs , circled outside U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and calling for ICE to free Connecticut residents being held in the Bristol County Correctional Center in Dartmouth , Massachusetts .
A lawsuit filed with the help of Yale Law School ’ s Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy clinic argues the inmates there are being kept in unsanitary bunk rooms where social distancing is not possible .
“ The more people ICE continues to arrest , the greater likelihood that COVID-19 sweeps through Bristol County , if it is not there already , “ said Megan Yan , a Yale law student intern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued detention is unjust , inhumane and unconstitutional.
” Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson has dismissed the suit as “ completely frivolous.
“ ICE officials have said they continue “ to maintain confidence ” in the jail but declined to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit .
Melissa McCaw , Lamont ’ s budget director , predicted the state ’ s current fiscal year may end on June 30 with a $ 500 million budget deficit .
The following fiscal year could end up being $ 1.4 billion in the red .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs associated with addressing the coronavirus pandemic in Connecticut and anticipated sharp declines in revenues from income and sales taxes .
Lamont said Connecticut will be receiving $ 1.45 billion from the latest federal stimulus bill , but that won ’ t make up for the revenue losses .
Connecticut currently have a budget reserve account with $ 2.5 billion that will likely have to be tapped at some point .
Associated Press writers Pat Eaton-Robb and Chris Ehrmann contributed to this report .
Ehrmann is a corps member for Report for America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news coverage , in a partnership with The Associated Press for Connecticut .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Susan Haigh And Dave Collins - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Central Park houses hospital ward as NY races to add beds

NEW YORK - There is a coronavirus ward in tents in Central Park .
A makeshift hospital has been set up in a Manhattan convention centre .
Over the next few weeks , spaces including pro tennis courts , college dorms and a cruise ship terminal are supposed to start housing patients as New York state races to roughly triple its hospital capacity .
And still , officials worry whether the massive effort will be enough in the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic .
A recent state chart tallying the planned hospital beds ended with question marks about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes .
Some hospital and city leaders have questioned whether too much temporary hospital space is being reserved for patients who don ’ t have the virus that causes COVID-19 , though there are now plans to shift one big temporary site ’ s focus to caring for them .
And officials underscore that beds alone can ’ t solve a problem growing by more than 1,000 hospitalizations a day .
“ Beds , we can find .
Not easy , but we can find them .
The harder components are the staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo said Thursday .
As he spoke , over 13,300 coronavirus patients were hospitalized and more than 3,300 needed intensive care around the state , though mostly in New York City .
The outbreak ’ s expected peak was still seven to 30 days away , the Democrat said .
When that happens , New York expects to need 140,000 hospital beds — compared to the 53,000 it had when the crisis began .
So many seriously ill patients are anticipated that New York City is preparing to turn all its 20,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while trying to add 65,000 temporary beds for other patients .
For most people , the new virus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with chronic health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and can be fatal .
It has killed over 2,300 people in New York state so far , according to the governor .
The scramble for hospital space , staff and ventilators is intended to ward off a dire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swamped that some people die whose lives could otherwise be saved .
Even though they are working to squeeze in thousands of extra beds , some New York City facilities have been overloaded at times , transferring patients around the city and sometimes as far away as the Albany area .
Emergency rooms at Mount Sinai Health System ’ s Brooklyn and Queens hospitals started getting backed up over the weekend , emergency medicine chair Dr. Brendan Carr said .
Patient transfers to larger Mount Sinai hospitals ultimately eased the crunch .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our hospitals would be in terrible distress , ” he said Wednesday .
“ That can ’ t keep going .
We ’ re continuing to grow capacity at all these hospitals , but at some point , we run out of space , ” he said .
Some relief is now in sight , even from the windows of Mount Sinai ’ s flagship hospital in Manhattan .
Across Fifth Avenue , white tents now cover much of Central Park ’ s East Meadow .
They form a 68-bed emergency field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nine patients were being cared for Thursday , according to Samaritan ’ s Purse , the evangelical Christian relief group running the operation .
The group ’ s opposition to same-sex marriage sparked concern among some of New York ’ s Democratic political leaders .
The organization ’ s CEO , the Rev .
Franklin Graham , told Fox News on Monday that “ we ’ re going to give the best health care we can to all New Yorkers — it doesn ’ t matter who they are or what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials say they have lined up — and in some cases , opened — dozens of additional spots for temporary hospitals around the metropolitan area .
A Navy hospital ship , the USNS Comfort , is docked in Manhattan with 750 beds , three of them occupied as of Thursday , commanding officer Capt .
Patrick Amersbach said in a telephone news briefing .
The Javits Center , a glassy convention facility where such events as New York Comic Con and the New York International Auto Show usually take place , now houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of Thursday , according to Cuomo .
Officials also are tapping colleges , the Aqueduct horse-racing track , a part of the tennis centre that hosts the U.S. Open , a Brooklyn cruise terminal , and 20 hotels so far .
Decisions on routing patients to the temporary hospitals are made from a state-run operations hub set up in the Javits Center , according to city Emergency Management Office spokesman Omar Bourne .
A similar system has been used before during such disasters as Superstorm Sandy .
Some facilities are intended for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not intensive care .
Others , including the Comfort and the Javits Center , were designated for patients who don ’ t have the virus but need care for other reasons — though President Donald Trump said Thursday evening that the Javits would switch to caring for coronavirus patients .
New York officials and hospital leaders had urged a change in focus .
“ You ’ re only going to help if you take the patients that we need help with , which is COVID patients , ” Michael Dowling , CEO of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s announcement .
“ If they don ’ t relieve us of the pressure that we ’ re under , then I ’ m not sure the utility.
” While scouring for temporary hospital space , state and city officials are also sounding even more urgent calls for ventilators , medical personnel and protective gear for them .
Cuomo warned Thursday that the state ’ s supply of breathing machines could be exhausted in six days if the current rate of critical COVID-19 illness continues .
Democratic New York Mayor Bill de Blasio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply 1,000 nurses , 150 doctors and 300 respiratory therapists by Sunday .
“ The bed , ” he said , “ is only as good as the supplies , the equipment , and especially the people that go with it.
” Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York , Marina Villeneuve in Albany , New York , and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Ships with coronavirus patients dock in Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - A cruise ship that had at least two passengers die of coronavirus while barred from South American ports finally docked Thursday in Florida after two weeks at sea and days of negotiations with initially resistant local officials .
The Zaandam and a sister ship sent to help it , the Rotterdam , were both given permission to unload passengers at Port Everglades after hammering out an agreement with officials who feared it would divert needed resources from a region that has seen a spike in virus cases .
Broward County officials and Holland America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that an agreement had been reached shortly before the ships were seen pulling into port .
Holland America initially said 45 people who were mildly ill would stay on board until they recovered , but the docking plan released later Thursday indicated that 26 passengers and 50 crew members were ill .
The plan noted that the company had secured access at two local hospitals for 13 passengers and a crew member who needed medical care .
For nearly three weeks , passengers have not been able to step on dry land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zaandam , at least two from COVID-19 , said William Burke , chief maritime officer for Carnival Corp. , which owns the ships .
Nine people had tested positive for the new coronavirus , Burke said earlier this week .
There were 442 guests and 603 crew on the Zaandam , and 808 guests and 583 crew on the Rotterdam .
The Rotterdam was sent last week to take in some of the passengers and provide assistance to the Zaandam since it was denied permission to dock at ports in South America .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ since March 22 , including 17 aboard the Rotterdam , according to the docking plan .
Originally firmly opposed to the ships ’ arrival , Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that he had a change of heart after realizing many passengers were U.S. citizens and about 50 of them Floridians .
He went further on Thursday , telling Fox News that allowing the ships to dock and transferring critically ill patients to hospitals was “ the humanitarian thing to do.
” “ I think the accommodations have been made , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be done very thoughtfully , ” he said later Thursday at a news conference .
” It ’ s going to be a very controlled exit from these ships.
” The docking plan indicated that Florida residents would leave the ship first , with the disembarkation of all passengers not concluding until Friday night .
Passengers who have no symptoms of the virus will be bused to airports and will not be allowed inside the terminals , but will instead be put directly on charter flights , DeSantis said .
Guests have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have self-isolated in their staterooms since March 22 , the company said .
Emily Spindler Brazell , of Tappahannock , Virginia , was still in her cabin waiting for instructions from the Rotterdam ’ s captain but said she was relieved to be back home .
“ People greeted us , came out to their balconies , blew air horns and shouted , ‘ Welcome home !
’ ” she said .
“ It was surprising .
We went to many countries that said , ‘ We are not going to talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would not be comfortable until she disembarked .
She was transferred to the Rotterdam last Saturday , along with husband Juan Huergo and other passengers not showing signs of illness .
“ Many broken promises so far , so I ’ ll believe it when I see it , ” she told The Associated Press via a WhatsApp message .
Gabaroni and Huergo , both defence contractors in Orlando , set sail on a dream vacation aboard the Zaandam the day before the U.S. State Department advised people to avoid cruise travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in Florida .
The Zaandam set sail from Buenos Aires on March 7 and was originally scheduled to end the first leg of the voyage at San Antonio , Chile , on March 21 before departing again for Fort Lauderdale .
The cruise was stranded off the coast of Panama after it was not allowed to dock in Chile and other ports along its path .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbrea k .

Adriana Gomez Licon And Freida Frisaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Trump admin moves toward promoting broader use of face masks

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is formalizing new guidance to recommend that many Americans wear face coverings in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus , as the president is aggressively defending his response to the public health crisis .
The recommendations , still being finalized Thursday , were expected to apply to those who live in areas hard-hit by community transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 .
A person familiar with the White House coronavirus task force ’ s discussion said officials would suggest that non-medical masks , T-shirts or bandannas be used to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home — for instance , at the grocery store or pharmacy .
Medical-grade masks , particularly short-in-supply N95 masks , would be reserved for those dealing directly with the sick .
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the proposed guidance before its public release .
President Donald Trump , who was tested again for coronavirus Thursday using a new rapid test , indicated he would support such a recommendation .
“ If people wanted to wear them , they can , “ he said .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a period of time , ” Trump had said earlier in the week .
The White House said Trump ’ s latest test returned a negative result in 15 minutes , and said Trump was “ healthy and without symptoms.
” Dr. Deborah Birx , the task force ’ s co-ordinator , told reporters the White House was concerned that the mask guidance would lead to a “ false sense of security ” for Americans .
She said new data show that the administration ’ s social-distancing guidelines were not being followed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a minimum .
The discussions on face masks came as the White House moved aggressively to defend its handling of the coronavirus pandemic , particularly its efforts to speed the distribution of ventilators and protective equipment needed by medical professionals .
Trump sent a politically tinged letter to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York objecting to his criticism of the administration ’ s response .
“ The Federal Government is merely a back-up for state governments , ” Trump wrote .
“ Unfortunately , your state needed far more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said states should have done more to stockpile medical supplies before the pandemic .
Vice-President Mike Pence also announced Thursday that the White House was considering direct payments to hospitals to cover COVID-19 treatment costs for uninsured Americans .
The emerging guidance on masks appeared to be more limited than a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention draft of the guidance , which suggested the recommendation apply to nearly all Americans , all over the country , according to a federal official who has seen the draft but was not authorized to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its geographic scope to just those areas where the virus was spreading rapidly , the official said .
The formal announcement was expected as soon as Friday .
Under the previous guidance , only the sick or those at high risk of complications from the respiratory illness were advised to wear masks .
The new proposal was driven by research showing that some infections are being spread by people who seem to be healthy .
On Wednesday , Eric Garcetti , the mayor of Los Angeles , urged his city ’ s 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re in public .
On Thursday , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio followed suit in his city , the epicenter of the virus ’ spread in the U.S .
In response to recent studies , the CDC on Wednesday changed how it was defining the risk of infection for Americans .
It essentially says anyone may be a considered a carrier , whether they have symptoms or not .
The virus spreads mostly through droplets from coughs or sneezes , though experts stress that the germ is still not fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to stay at home as much as possible , and keep at least 6 feet ( 2 metres ) away from others when they do go out .
Other advice includes frequent hand washing and not touching your face .
But until now federal officials have stopped short of telling people to cover their faces out in public .
Scientists can ’ t rule out that infected people sometimes exhale COVID-19 virus particles , rather than just when coughing or sneezing , but there isn ’ t enough evidence to show if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a committee convened by the National Academies of Sciences , Engineering and Medicine to advise the White House .
The question has to do with whether the new coronavirus spreads mostly by droplets that don ’ t linger for long in the air , or also by tinier “ aerosolized ” particles .
Certain medical procedures , such as inserting breathing tubes , can create those tiny particles , which is why health care workers wear close-fitting N95 masks during such care .
The committee cited one study that detected airborne viral RNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooms , but noted that it was unclear if that could infect someone .
U.S .
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has repeatedly admonished Americans not to wear face masks , saying they don ’ t prevent the people who wear them from catching the virus .
He and other officials have stressed that surgical face masks and other protective medical equipment have been in short supply and must be prioritized for people such as health-care workers .
The World Health Organization on Monday reiterated its advice that the general population doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re sick .
Since the epidemic began in China , the WHO has said masks are for the sick and people caring for them .
“ There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any particular benefit , “ WHO ’ s epidemic chief Dr. Mike Ryan said during a news conference .
” In fact , there ’ s some evidence to suggest the opposite , ” he added , noting risks from an improperly fitted mask or improperly putting it on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s in addition to the problem that health care workers who do need masks are facing “ a massive global shortage , ” Ryan said .
“ The thought of them not having masks is horrific , so we have to be very careful on supply , but that is not the primary reason why WHO has advised against using masks.
” Many people have taken it upon themselves to make their own masks , but one North Carolina health system found that such DIY products vary in how well they work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested 13 different designs made by community volunteers .
They found that some were better at filtering than off-the-shelf surgical masks but others were barely better than wearing no mask at all .
Separately , a 2013 study tested whether homemade masks might help during a flu pandemic .
It found surgical masks were three times more effective in catching droplets from coughing people than masks made from cotton T-shirts , though it ’ s not clear if the new coronavirus behaves exactly like flu viruses .

Zeke Miller And Mike Stobbe - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Testing issues cloud scope of California’s virus outbreak

LOS ANGELES - California is ramping up testing for coronavirus even as a backlog of 59,000 pending tests is growing , delaying some people from getting results for up to 12 days and leaving an incomplete picture of how widespread the outbreak is in the state .
Testing rolled out slowly in California but is accelerating now .
More than 90,000 tests have been administered statewide , but nearly two-thirds of those results were still pending , according to state figures .
“ The backlogs are not necessarily getting better , in real time , but we ’ re hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Newsom said it was a national problem — as is the shortage of tests and a lack of the masks , gloves and other protection healthcare workers must wear to administer tests from people who are possibly carrying the highly contagious virus .
The state may be able to fast-track test results as more people receive blood-based tests , Newsom said .
Testing that relies on taking nasal swabs , the most prominent initial testing measure , is primarily responsible for delays .
The average wait time in Los Angeles County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some results have taken 10 or 12 days , said Dr. Barbara Ferrer , the county health director .
The county uses a mix of privately and publicly run labs .
Increasing testing “ doesn ’ t really help us as much as it ought to if there are really long waits for people to find out whether they are positive , ” Ferrer said .
“ It ’ s really important for us to know if they ’ re positive — both for their medical treatment but also so that we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify their close contacts and have their close contacts quarantining.
” The coronavirus mainly is spread though coughs and sneezes .
For most people , it causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough , that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
California has surpassed 10,000 cases and 233 deaths , according to a global tally by Johns Hopkins University .
State health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases they expect in mid-May and could fill all the state ’ s 75,000 hospital beds and 66,000 emergency beds being assembled now in hospitals and other locations .
Newsom has emphasized for weeks that the state needs to flatten the curve of cases so the peak arrives as late as possible and the state has time to prepare for it .
Having accurate and up—to-date data from testing is key to tracking that curve .
Newsom said he ’ s put together a new task force on testing and expects to announce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantially increase California ’ s testing capacity .
Currently the state has prioritized that the tests be used on the most symptomatic and vulnerable patients , along with health care workers and some others .
That further clouds a picture of an outbreak .
“ Testing is uneven , which is to put it kindly , “ said Dr. David Eisenman , director of the Center of Public Health and Disasters at the University of California , Los Angeles .
“ The number of cases identified is not an accurate count of anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of people who get the testing done.
” Dr. Shawn Nasseri , a Beverly Hills doctor who treats patients with respiratory problems , said it ’ s frustrating and disheartening to try to diagnose patients when he has been rationed only a few test kits a week .
He was able to administer six tests in a drive-thru line in the alley behind his office a week ago and was still awaiting results Thursday from one of those .
“ We ’ re all flying blind .
We ’ re hoping and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Nasseri said .
“ We have absolutely no idea how many people are truly infected at this point.
” Marin County north of San Francisco said it was only able to test 50 people a day because that ’ s the limit imposed by the state lab that processes its results , spokeswoman Laine Hendricks said .
Last week , San Francisco Bay Area health officials issued an order that requires private labs to report positive , negative and inconclusive testing results to public health authorities .
Labs need to report the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to report information that helps health officials locate the person tested .
Orange County ’ s own lab aims for a two-day turnaround for the 80 to 100 tests it handles a day , but often completes them in 12 to 24 hours , said Megan Crumpler , director of Orange County ’ s Public Health Laboratory .
“ We ’ re just fortunate that we ’ re not getting inundated , ” Crumpler said .
Crumpler said the county ’ s testing is limited because of shortages of the preferred type of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ type of test and a limit of kits that extract viral genetic material .
It ’ s trying to get more of both .
Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco , Kathleen Ronayne and Adam Beam in Sacramento , Amy Taxin in Orange County and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Economic fallout mounts, worldwide cases top 1 million

NEW YORK - The coronavirus outbreak has thrown 10 million Americans out of work in just two weeks , the swiftest , most stunning collapse the U.S. job market has ever witnessed , and economists warn unemployment could reach levels not seen since the Depression , as the economic damage piles up around the world .
The bleak news Thursday — a record-shattering 6.6 million new unemployment claims on top of last week ’ s unprecedented 3.3 million — came as the competition for scarce ventilators , masks and other protective gear seemed to grow more desperate and deaths mounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New York , the most lethal hot spot in the nation , with nearly 2,400 lives lost .
Worldwide the number of confirmed infections hit another gloomy milestone — 1 million , with more than 50,000 deaths , according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University .
But the true numbers are believed to be much higher , because of testing shortages , many mild cases that have gone unreported , and suspicions that some countries are covering up the extent of their outbreaks .
The mounting economic fallout almost certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with job losses that are likely to dwarf those of the Great Recession more than a decade ago .
“ My anxiety is through the roof right now , not knowing what ’ s going to happen , ” said Laura Wieder , laid off from her job managing a now-closed sports bar in Bellefontaine , Ohio .
About half of all working Americans report some kind of income loss affecting them or a member of their household because of the epidemic , and poor people and those without college degrees are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
With over 240,000 people infected in the U.S. and the death toll topping 5,800 , sobering preparations were under way .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency asked the Pentagon for 100,000 body bags because of the possibility funeral homes will be overwhelmed , the military said .
The Democratic Party pushed its nominating convention back a month , to mid-August .
Federal authorities proposed a $ 611,000 fine against the Seattle-area nursing home connected to at least 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that included failure to report and rapidly manage the outbreak .
And a days-long standoff in Florida was resolved when passengers aboard two cruise ships that have had several coronavirus cases and four deaths won permission to come ashore .
Elsewhere around the world , the number of people applying for welfare benefits in Britain increased nearly tenfold to almost 1 million in the past couple of weeks .
At least a million in Europe are estimated to have lost their jobs over the same period , and the actual number is probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300,000 to its unemployment rolls in March .
But the job losses there appear to be far smaller than in the U.S. because of Europe ’ s greater social safety nets , including government programs to reduce workers ’ hours without laying them off , in the hope of bringing them back quickly once the crisis passes .
With its health care system in dire shape , Spain reported a record one-day number of deaths , 950 , bringing its overall toll to about 10,000 , despite signs that the infection rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for a total of 13,900 , the worst of any country , but new infections continued to level off .
France recorded a running total of about 4,500 deaths in hospitals , 471 just in the past day .
But officials expect the overall toll to jump significantly because they are only now starting to count deaths in nursing homes and other facilities for older people .
More than 880 such deaths have been tallied .
The competition for ventilators , masks and other vital supplies was cutthroat .
In New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state could run out of breathing machines in six days .
He complained that the 50 states are competing against each other for protective gear and breathing machines , or are being outbid by the federal government , in a competition he likened to being on eBay .
At FEMA , the agency tasked with co-ordinating the federal response to the outbreak , about 9,000 additional ventilators are on hold as officials seek to determine where they are needed most urgently .
States have been warned not to expect any shipments until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
In France , a top health official in the country ’ s hard-hit eastern region said American officials swooped in at a Chinese airport to spirit away a planeload of masks that France had ordered .
Nine leading European university hospitals warned they will run out of essential medicines for COVID-19 patients in intensive care in less than two weeks .
A shipment of nearly 5,900 medical masks that Alabama ’ s Montgomery County received from the U.S. government stockpile was unusable because of dry rot , the emergency management director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expiration date , according to the city of Montgomery .
The Trump administration was formalizing new guidance to recommend that Americans wear coverings such as non-medical masks , T-shirts or bandannas over their mouths and noses when out in public , while reserving medical-grade masks , particularly the short-in-supply N95 variety , for those dealing directly with the sick .
Trump invoked the Defence Production Act on Thursday in hopes of boosting production of medical-grade masks by Minnesota-based 3M to assist first responders .
Washington is also trying to crack down on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the price of protective medical supplies , Defence Production Act policy co-ordinator Peter Navarro said .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
But for others , especially older adults and people with health problems , it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia .
Over 200,000 people worldwide have recovered , by Johns Hopkins ’ count .
With large portions of America under lockdown , job losses for the world ’ s biggest economy could double to 20 million and unemployment could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the end of the month , many economists have said .
Unemployment in the U.S. hasn ’ t been that high since the tail end of the Depression , just before the U.S. entered World War II .
Roughly 90 % of the U.S. population is now under stay-at-home orders , and many factories , restaurants , stores and other businesses are closed or have seen sales shrivel .
Laid-off workers can tap money made available in the $ 2.2 trillion rescue measure passed by Congress .
It adds $ 600 a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 39 weeks and for the first time wraps in part-timers and workers in the so-called gig economy , such as Uber drivers .
Achsa Febrero , a Subway worker at a rest stop Fairfield , Conn. , is among the millions laid off and now waiting for unemployment benefits to kick in , which could take weeks .
She said she is on a payment plan to keep her phone connected and unsure how she ’ ll pay for groceries — and deeply frustrated at the billions benefiting corporations in the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government relief , government relief , “ Febrero said .
“ They could afford to pay us more than what we ’ re getting .
They could support us through this time , and they ’ re not .
We ’ re human .
What makes them better than us ?
” Hinnant reported from Paris .
Sherman reported from Washington .
Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Fairfield , Connecticut , and writers around the world contributed .
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https @ @ @

Michael R. Sisak, Lori Hinnant And Mark Sherman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--NYC residents should cover face when in public, mayor says

ALBANY , N.Y. - As coronavirus cases soared , New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio asked New Yorkers on Thursday to wear a face covering when they go outside to prevent the spread of the virus .
Gov .
Andrew Cuomo warned that the state ’ s supply of breathing machines could be exhausted in six days .
And the COVID-19 death toll climbed to at least 2,400 .
While New York City remained a hotspot , there were troublesome trends around the state as the outbreak spread to every county .
Unemployment filings skyrocketed too , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developments in New York : New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio asked New Yorkers to wear a face covering when they go outside and will be near other people .
He cited research showing asymptomatic people could be spreading the virus without realizing it .
“ When you put on that face covering , you ’ re protecting everyone else , ” he said .
The mayor said it could be a scarf or a bandanna or anything homemade , but it should not be a surgical mask needed by medical workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 symptoms .
A bandanna might not prevent someone from coming into contact with the virus , but it could help a person who has it not give it to others when the sneeze , cough or breathe .
The mayor of Los Angeles also told everyone in the city to start wearing masks on Wednesday .
Cuomo warned New York could be six days away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state reported 432 deaths in the past 24 hours , bringing the death toll to nearly 2,400 .
More than 13,300 people were hospitalized statewide with about 3,400 in intensive care .
Ventilators have become the crucial piece of equipment sought by state and city officials as hundreds of patients a day are admitted to intensive care units .
The state sent 400 ventilators to New York City and another 200 to its suburbs .
But the governor saw problems ahead .
“ At the current burn rate , we have about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the governor said at a briefing at the Capitol .
If supplies run short , the state is ready to use anesthesia and converted BiPAP machines , usually used to treat sleep apnea , or put more than one patient on a single ventilator .
More than 92,000 state residents have tested positive for the coronavirus .
The true number is likely much higher because officials have rationed tests and encouraged all but the most seriously ill people not to seek treatment and instead ride it out at home .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or moderate symptoms , including fever and cough .
Others , though , develop pneumonia , sometimes requiring hospitalization .
The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems .
More than 464,000 people have filed for unemployment in New York state in the three weeks since the pandemic shattered the economy , an increase of over 1,000 % from the same period last year , according to the state Department of Labor .
Last week alone , more than 369,000 unemployment claims were filed , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time last year .
The Department of Labor ’ s unemployment filing system has seen a 16,000 % increase in phone calls and a nearly 900 % increase in web traffic in recent weeks .
Cases have now been confirmed in every county , with worrisome trends in some regions .
Cuomo said Thursday that there ’ s a “ troubling rise ” in suburban Long Island and Westchester County .
At the other end of the state , Buffalo and surrounding Erie County reporting 19 deaths and about 730 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Buffalo is Common Council President Darius Pridgen , along with three of his adult children .
His daughter was taken off a ventilator late Wednesday and began breathing on her own just before Pridgen went live on Facebook to offer an update from his own quarantine , frequently coughing and his voice hoarse .
“ It was pretty rough for a couple of days , ” he said of his daughter .
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center could be used as an intensive-care hospital if needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or early May .
Sandra Santos-Vizcaino , who taught third grade at an elementary school in Brooklyn , is the first New York City school teacher reported to have died of COVID-19 .
“ This is a devastating tragedy , ” schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said Thursday .
“ Sandra was a beloved teacher at P.S .
9.
” Santos-Vizcaino , 54 , was a more than 20-year veteran of the city ’ s school system .
She was recognized for her contributions to education in the Dominican Republic and won a grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The notion that we ’ ve lost a teacher is very painful , ” Mayor Bill de Blasio said .
“ We lost a principal last week , a young woman full of extraordinary promise.
” Brooklyn principal Dez-Ann Romain was the first city education employee reported to have died of the virus .
Students in New York City haven ’ t been to school since March 13 .
Administrators of the state prison system said they will allow guards to wear masks on duty .
Staff had been prohibited from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , inmates subject to quarantine will be issued a surgical-type mask to further reduce the risk of any secondary transmission , officials said .
The state corrections department said Thursday that 176 employees and 24 inmates have had confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
That includes Harvey Weinstein , the film producer serving 23 years for rape and sexual assault .
The virus hasn ’ t spared any part of New York City , but new data shows that a few poorer neighbourhoods in Queens , the Bronx and Brooklyn are getting hit especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included a live video appearance by his younger brother , CNN anchor Chris Cuomo , who has tested positive for coronavirus .
New York state is racing to roughly triple its hospital capacity as coronavirus cases surge .
Officials worry the massive effort won ’ t be enough in the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic .
Associated Press writers Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo and Mary Esch in Albany contributed to this report .

Marina Villeneuve And Michael Hill - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Patriots use team plane to help Mass., fly N95 in from China

BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker found himself in need of an assist to help the state fight the coronavirus pandemic .
He called on the New England Patriots .
The team ’ s private plane landed in Boston from China on Thursday evening carrying more than a million masks critical to health care providers fighting to control the spread of the virus.. Members of the Massachusetts National Guard met the plane and offloaded the containers of masks onto waiting trucks for transport to warehouses for distribution .
Baker secured the N95 masks from Chinese manufacturers but had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He reached out to Patriots owner Robert Kraft , who loaned the Boeing 767 painted in the team ’ s colours and logo that is usually used to carry the team to and from NFL games .
Baker detailed the joint venture in a news conference Thursday , at one point getting emotional as the thanked the Kraft family for their assistance .
“ The Krafts were terrific , “ the Republican governor said .
” They were a phone call away and immediately went to work on the logistics associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could make it happen .
This was a total team effort on every level.
” Kraft Sports and Entertainment chief operating officer Jim Nolan said in an interview on Patriots.com radio that the Chinese government didn ’ t officially sign off on the trip until March 27 .
Nolan said the hurdles included legal logistics that were only cleared thanks to co-operation involving multiple state , U.S. and international entities .
Chinese technology company Tencent was a huge help in the process , Nolan said .
It agreed to gather the masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stayed with them to ensure their security and eventually their movement on to the Patriots ’ plane .
“ This isn ’ t in their wheelhouse , but they thought it was the right thing to do , ” Nolan said .
There was little margin for error once the airplane arrived in China , which granted the Patriots three hours to fill the plane with the masks .
They were on the ground for 2 hours , 57 minutes according to flight tracker data Nolan monitored .
Tencent looked after approximately 1.7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took on 1.2 million , Nolan said .
They are working with Tencent to bring additional equipment back from China via a cargo plane The masks will be going into Massachusetts ’ stockpile for distribution to medical personnel .
Nolan said 300,000 of the masks will also be going to New York to help medical personnel there .
Baker said Rhode Island will also receive some of the masks .
Patriots running back James White said in a conference call Thursday that he wasn ’ t surprised Kraft stepped up to help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the building , you see how much the Kraft family does helping out not only the Boston community but the community across the world and it makes you want to help others , ” White said .
Associated Press writers Steve LeBlanc and Mark Pratt contributed to this report .
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Biden wants to talk to Trump about lessons from past crises

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden said Thursday that he wants to speak with President Donald Trump in the hope that the president can “ learn some lessons ” from the Obama administration on how to deal with the coronavirus outbreak .
“ We ’ ve been through this in a slightly different way in the past , and I hope they can learn some lessons from what we did right and maybe what we did wrong , ” the former vice-president said during a virtual press briefing .
Biden ’ s aides have said they ’ re working to arrange a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus response .
The president said Wednesday he would “ love ” to speak with Biden .
The prospective Democratic presidential nominee has touted his work in addressing the Ebola crisis that unfolded in 2014 as a possible model for how the federal government should deal with the current pandemic .
The current coronavirus outbreak has sickened and killed exponentially more individuals nationwide , with the infection rate topping 1 million on Thursday .
In recent weeks , Biden has offered his own proposals , which include expanding health care access , bolstering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies to hospitals faster .
Biden said on Thursday that he hoped Trump would expand use of the Defence Production Act , shifting U.S. manufacturing capabilities toward urgently needed medical supplies .
But he said if he spoke with Trump , he wouldn ’ t try to claim credit for the president ’ s moves .
“ I think there ’ s things that the president can use early on from the experience we had before ... and if he did , I wasn ’ t going to be out there saying he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
” It ’ s a matter of the president doing what can most effectively get things done now.
” Biden repeated his willingness to talk to Trump during a virtual fundraiser later Thursday with 115 plaintiffs ’ attorneys .
“ I ’ m happy to hear he ’ ll take my call , ” Biden said .
Earlier Thursday with reporters , Biden casually mentioned previous conversations with Trump , calling them “ respectful ” and “ straightforward.
” Trump and Biden would have encountered each other between Trump ’ s 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden aide confirmed after Thursday ’ s briefing that the two have not spoken since the former vice-president launched his presidential bid last April .
Separately , Biden dismissed efforts from his last-remaining primary rival , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , to turn the pandemic into a new justification for his “ Medicare for All ” government insurance plan .
Biden praised Sanders as “ passionate ” but said Medicare for All wouldn ’ t “ make a difference ” in the nation ’ s ability to combat COVID-19 .
Biden maintains that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ –- a “ public option –- to existing private health insurance markets would allow the U.S. to reach universal coverage without disrupting the health care delivery system as much as a single-payer overhaul .
And he said Thursday that a government-run system also would face challenges in responding to the pandemic .
“ The idea that this would have stopped the virus from occurring , the idea it would have been able to be implemented earlier , the idea it would have fundamentally changed anything — it ’ s just not accurate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made his renewed push for Medicare for All a theme of his new virtual campaign as he , like Biden , holds online town halls and makes the rounds on cable news and late-night talk shows .
“ People are asking , ‘ How does it happen where we spend twice as much per person on health care as any other nation , and yet our public health system is so weak ?
’ ” Sanders said on NBC ’ s “ Late Night with Seth Meyers ” earlier this week .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ displacing private insurance and ending individuals ’ out-of-pocket costs .
Biden ’ s approach expands subsidies for private insurance premiums and the proposed “ Medicare-like ” public plan for certain middle-income Americans , with cost-free enrolment in the public plan for low-income residents .
Policy differences aside , Biden was careful Thursday when a donor asked him about the prospects of Sanders conceding .
“ Our staffs have been talking , Bernie ’ s staff and mine .
I don ’ t know where it ’ s going to go , ” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant respect for Sen. Sanders and his supporters ” and said he knows “ first-hand ... what a personal decision ” it is for a candidate to end a White House bid .
Biden , meanwhile , criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s stated opposition to a fourth coronavirus response package .
Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have discussed a massive infrastructure plan , with the president floating a $ 2 trillion price tag .
“ The majority leader of the Senate was wrong and slow last time around , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2.2 trillion economic aid package Trump recently signed , “ and he ’ s wrong and slow this time around.
” Even as Biden insisted he wanted a good-faith call with Trump and would be happy for the president to take his recommendations on dealing with the crisis , he continued to criticize Trump ’ s response to the crisis and suggested it was difficult for Americans to trust him .
Implementing the package Trump signed last week , Biden said , “ takes more than tweets and press conferences.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record so far when it comes to delivering real help to the American people in a timely fashion , “ Biden added .
“ I hope this time is different.
” Biden also left little doubt about what kind of tone he expects between now and Election Day , even if he and Trump manage a cordial telephone chat .
“ I think it ’ s going to be an ugly campaign , ” he told his video assembly of donors .

Alexandra Jaffe And Bill Barrow - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Judge lets rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine go home, citing COVID-19

NEW YORK - Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was ordered immediately freed from a Manhattan federal lockup four months early Thursday by a judge who cited his asthma and the greater danger he would face behind bars during the coronavirus outbreak .
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer made the ruling a day after telling lawyers on both sides that he intended to do so .
He cited “ a raging and virulent pandemic that has entered federal prisons in New York City.
” Prosecutors did not oppose the action .
“ In light of the heightened medical risk presented to Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are extraordinary and compelling reasons to reduce Mr. Hernandez ’ s sentence , ” he said .
Last week , the judge said he would have sentenced the 23-year-old performer , whose real name is Daniel Hernandez , to home confinement rather than prison when he announced the sentence in December had he known then of the coronavirus .
Engelmayer ordered the release the same day that he asked lawyers to advise what should be done after a former associate of Tekashi 6ix9ine who was released from jail because of the coronavirus threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars .
The judge said a video of Kintea McKenzie , who pleaded guilty in the case and was awaiting sentencing , “ appears to reflect Mr. McKenzie partying in very close proximity to numerous others.
” Engelmayer said he was concerned because the activity might reflect a violation of McKenzie ’ s terms of pre-sentence release and because “ the conduct depicted on the video suggests a complete lack of concern by Mr. McKenzie for avoidance of contagion of himself and others.
” For Tekashi 6ix9ine , testimony against members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leniency from charges that could have subjected him to a mandatory minimum 37 years in prison for crimes that included orchestrating a shooting in which an innocent bystander was wounded .
The rapper is serving his sentence in a private jail because he co-operated with prosecutors and because the government has control of him as a co-operator .
He was expected to be released July 31 .
He will be subject to electronic monitoring until he is released from home confinement .
Until then , he can visit only his lawyer or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosed in October with bronchitis and sinusitis .
In 2018 , Tekashi 6ix9ine had a multiplatinum hit song , “ Fefe , ” with Nicki Minaj , which peaked at No .
3 on the pop charts , and “ Stoopid , ” featuring imprisoned rapper Bobby Shmurda .


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--US judge dismisses New Mexico’s immigration lawsuit

ALBUQUERQUE , N.M. - A U.S. judge has granting a motion to dismiss claims by New Mexico that immigration officials shirked their duties by quickly releasing thousands of mostly Central American migrants into communities after they crossed into the United States .
New Mexico had claimed in a lawsuit filed nearly a year ago that the practice left communities to pick up the tab for housing and feeding the asylum-seekers until they moved on to find relatives or other hosts elsewhere in the U.S. U.S. District Judge James Browning on Tuesday found that the Department of Homeland Security had complied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers and discretion and that sovereign immunity protected the federal government from liability .
Browning also determined that the federal government ’ s policies satisfied due process and other constitutional standards .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if the state planned to appeal .
In addition to seeking an end to the catch-and-release practice , New Mexico had sought reimbursement for humanitarian efforts to temporarily shelter migrants .
Las Cruces , Deming and other communities used their own resources to house and feed the immigrants , and the state resorted to issuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the costs .
Democratic Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham , an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and his immigration policies , cited a “ derogation of duty ” when she announced the lawsuit last June against then-acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan and top immigration officials .
The city of Albuquerque was a co-plaintiff .
The complaint resembled a suit filed previously by San Diego County in California that challenged the cancellation of a federal program that helped migrants with phone calls and other travel logistics as they sought final destinations across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Mexico came as the border was inundated with migrants seeking asylum .
At times , groups of 300 or more people showed up at remote outposts , including the crossings at Antelope Wells and Sunland Park , closer to El Paso , Texas .
Attorneys for the state and the city told the judge during a hearing last year that hundreds of people were dropped off in Deming in the middle of summer and it wasn ’ t an option to ignore them given the state ’ s responsibility for ensuring public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its jurisdiction .
Deputy City Attorney Winter Torres argued that local officials had only 10 to 12 hours of notification before some 300 migrants were released on Easter weekend in 2019 .
She had suggested that the federal government was targeting Albuquerque because of its immigrant-friendly policies .
Attorneys for the government argued in court that New Mexico and the city had no standing to bring the lawsuit because the previous safe release policy was not something that was ever formally adopted through regulations or statute and thus left to the discretion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional delegation did secure $ 30 million in grants for communities and organizations that aided asylum seekers .

Susan Montoya Bryan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Trump says he expects Russia, Saudis to cut oil production

DUBAI CITY , United Arab Emirates - President Donald Trump said Thursday that he expects Saudi Arabia and Russia will dramatically cut production and end an oil war that sent energy prices to record lows .
But the Kremlin disputed part of his tweet , leading to skepticism that a deal was imminent .
A global glut in production , coupled with an economy reeling from the coronavirus pandemic , has sent energy prices to lows not seen since 2002 .
Trump tweeted Thursday that he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman , just days after talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter .
Trump tweeted ; “ I expect & hope that they will be cutting back approximately 10 Million Barrels , and maybe substantially more which , if it happens , will be GREAT for the oil & gas industry !
” He also tweeted that Prince Mohammed bin Salman had spoken with Putin , and later tweeted the presumed production cut could be as high as 15 million barrels .
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and the prince have not spoken recently .
“ No , there wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Russian state news agency Tass .
Nevertheless , U.S. benchmark crude climbed more than 20 % Thursday after Trump ’ s tweet .
Even with those gains , prices are down 60 % from the start of the year .
Saudi Arabia called for an urgent meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC producers Thursday , just weeks after triggering the price war with Russia that sent oil prices plummeting .
Russia ’ s refusal last month to extend and deepen production cuts with OPEC and its de facto leader Saudi Arabia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil policy is largely dictated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman .
The kingdom slashed oil prices last month and vowed to ramp up production to more than 12 million barrels a day .
The clash is taking place during a period of vastly reduced energy demand .
The pandemic arrived with the global economy entering a cycle of slower growth .
The confluence has pushed Brent crude oil prices to below $ 30 a barrel , far below what Saudi Arabia or Russia need to balance their budgets .
The price of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point in history , plunging more than 65 % , to around $ 20 per barrel , lower than what many U.S. shale companies can withstand .
In a statement carried on the state-run Saudi Press Agency Thursday , the kingdom said its call for a meeting of major oil producers indicates the country ’ s support for the global economy at this time , and is “ in appreciation of ” Trump and the request made by the United States .
It said the purpose of calling a meeting is aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the oil market .
The state-run news agency in Saudi Arabia noted that a call took place between Trump and the crown prince , but made no mention of Trump ’ s specific call on Saudi Arabia to cut production .
Trump also has said he will meet with U.S. oil and gas company executives Friday .
There is skepticism over an international deal , however .
“ There ’ s going to be resistance from all parties to making a cutback that ’ s really going to make a difference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strategic Energy & Economic Research .
Trump ’ s engagement could persuade Saudi Arabia , if not the Kremlin , to relent , said Kevin Book , managing director at Clearview Energy Partners .
But an agreement to reduce output by 10 million or 15 million barrels per day would likely require U.S. cuts , too , he said .
One oil industry regulator in Texas , Ryan Sitton , has been discussing the possibility of pro-rating production in his state , although a formal proposal hasn ’ t been made .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what that might look like , ” Sitton said in an interview .
“ If the president were to step into a deal or step into negotiations and help get a deal done , if I can give him a tool to bring to the table then I ’ d like to explore it.
” Low crude prices make many drilling operations in the U.S. unsustainable , and in response companies have announced thousands of layoffs and furloughs .
At the same time , for most consumers , falling oil prices can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling gasoline for less than $ 1 a gallon , though the national average is closer to $ 2 , and many Americans staying home won ’ t see a benefit from low gas prices .
Batrawy reported from Dubai and Bussewitz reported from New York .
James Heintz in Moscow and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report .

Aya Batrawy And Cathy Bussewitz - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Memo: Some in US may not get stimulus checks until August

WASHINGTON - The federal government expects to begin making payments to millions of Americans under the new stimulus law in mid-April , but some people without direct deposit information may not get checks until mid-August or later , according to a memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press .
The document from the House Ways and Means Committee says the IRS will make about 60 million payments to Americans through direct deposit in mid-April , likely the week of April 13 .
The IRS has direct deposit information for these individuals from their 2018 or 2019 tax returns .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the IRS will begin issuing paper checks to individuals , the memo says .
The paper checks will be issued at a rate of about 5 million per week , which means it could take up to 20 weeks to get all the checks out .
That timeline would delay some checks until the week of Aug. 17 .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that while he initially pledged to get payments started within three weeks of the law ’ s adoption , “ I ’ m now committing to two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our commitments.
“ The IRS , which he oversees , will ensure that “ within two weeks the first money will be in people ’ s accounts , ” Mnuchin said during a White House briefing .
“ This money does people no good if it shows up in four months , ” he added .
The memo from the committee ’ s Democratic majority says the timeline it made public Thursday was based on “ extensive conversations with the IRS and the Department of Treasury.
’ ’ The timeline is subject to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Trump administration .
“ The Committee remains focused on ensuring all eligible Americans receive their payment as quickly as possible , ’ ’ the memo says .
The payments are part of the $ 2.2 trillion rescue package signed into law March 27 by President Donald Trump aimed at combating the economic ravages of the coronavirus outbreak .
Most people don ’ t need to do anything to get the money .
Reversing an earlier position , the government said this week that Social Security recipients who are not required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to file a very simplified tax return to receive their government stimulus check .
The Treasury Department said Wednesday that the IRS will use the information on the Form SSA-1099 and Form RRB-1099 to generate the $ 1,200 checks to Social Security recipients who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019 .
The checks will be issued in reverse order of adjusted gross income , meaning that people with the lowest income will get payments first .
The committee estimates that there are 150 million to 170 million U.S. taxpayers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayers who are either filers or nonfilers but about whom the IRS wants information .
The filers will need to receive a paper check unless their direct deposit information can be updated in the IRS portal .
Nonfilers may need to file the simple tax return and likely include direct deposit information if they want to receive their rebates quickly .
The IRS is encouraging taxpayers to file their 2019 returns as soon as possible .
The IRS expects to create a portal in late April or early May that will allow taxpayers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebate payment and update direct deposit information , the memo says .
Anyone earning up to $ 75,000 in adjusted gross income and who has a Social Security number will receive a $ 1,200 payment .
That means married couples filing joint returns will receive the full payment — $ 2,400 — if their adjusted gross income , which is what they report on their taxes , is under $ 150,000 .
The payment steadily declines for those who make more .
Those earning more than $ 99,000 , or $ 198,000 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The thresholds are slightly different for those who file as a head of household .
Parents will also receive $ 500 for each qualifying child .
The IRS did not respond to a request for comment Thursday .
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Mayor taps ex-Dallas chief to head Chicago police force

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday named former Dallas police Chief David Brown to head the police force in the nation ’ s third largest city , touting his humility and calling him “ a leader who commands respect.
” Lightfoot introduced Brown as the next superintendent of the Chicago Police Department during a news conference , saying he ’ s the right man for the job .
“ We are Chicago and we deserve the best .
And in this time , this moment , David Brown is the absolute best.
” The announcement came hours after Lightfoot announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had died of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus and the news conference was tinged with sadness — with Lightfoot pointing out that , just as Beck had this week to deal with the loss of one of his officers , Brown has known the pain of losing a fellow officer .
“ Death has come directly to David Brown ’ s doorstep , ” said the mayor , who spoke of Brown losing a former partner and other officers under his command , and even his son and a brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was one of two African Americans named as a finalist for the job , has more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement .
The 59-year-old Brown , who retired from the Dallas force in 2016 , drew widespread attention that year after five of his officers were killed in an ambush-style rifle attack and he directed officers to kill the suspect using a remote-controlled robot fixed with explosives .
Brown was the only of the three finalists with experience leading a large police force .
One of the other finalists was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago suburb of Aurora .
The third was Ernest Cato , a deputy chief on the Chicago police force .
Cato , who is also African American , was only recently promoted to deputy chief by Beck .
Still , it will be an adjustment from Brown , who comes from a department of about 3,500 officers to one with about 13,000 .
Brown ’ s experience made him the logical choice for Lightfoot , with the mayor saying one of the things that most impressed her about Brown was that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Chicago department is now trying to implement .
But he ’ s also an outsider who is far less familiar than the other two candidates .
And he also comes to a police department where the rank-and-file has not always welcomed outsiders .
Both Jody Weis , a former FBI special agent , and Garry McCarthy , a former high ranking member of the New York City Police Department , were not popular with the troops .
Brown said his experience and devotion to his job , along with the officers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leader .
“ My life and career has taken place in the city of Dallas but the call to service ... is one that is heard across the nation , and it is that call that has driven everything that I have done in my career as an officer and as a public servant , ” he said .
Brown ’ s selection comes at a tumultuous time for the country and the department .
Like other departments , the Chicago police force has see several of its officers test positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the world .
Brown ’ s selection comes as Beck and Johnson before him scrambled to regain public trust that was shattered in large part by the late-2015 release of a video of a white police officer shooting a black teenager , Laquan McDonald , 16 times the year before .
The officer , Jason Van Dyke , was later convicted of murder and sent to prison , but the handling of the shooting by the department and City Hall led to the firing of then-Superintendent Garry McCarthy , a federal probe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department has also faced a period of uncertainty since late last year .
In December , just days after Johnson announced his retirement and Lightfoot named Beck as the interim superintendent , the mayor abruptly fired Johnson .
Citing what she called “ ethical lapses ” on Johnson ’ s part , Lightfoot said that Johnson had lied to her about an incident in October in which Johnson was found asleep at the wheel of his vehicle after having drinks .
She said Johnson ’ s explanation was fundamentally different than “ what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revelations that Johnson could be seen on surveillance video drinking with a woman who was not his wife at a downtown bar — something Johnson did not tell the mayor .
Beck made it clear from the beginning that he did not want to be the permanent superintendent , and Lightfoot initiated a national search that led to 25 people applying for the job before the police board whittled that number down to three finalists .
Brown ’ s appointment must be approved by the City Council .
Lightfoot said she hoped that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the job by the end of the month .


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Judge won’t delay Wisconsin election but extends voting

MADISON , Wis. - A federal judge on Thursday declined to postpone Wisconsin ’ s presidential primary as the coronavirus spreads , but he ordered that people be given an extra six days beyond Tuesday ’ s election for absentee voting .
U.S. District Judge William Conley ’ s order essentially extends the election by nearly a week .
He blasted state leaders ’ decision not to delay the election to protect people ’ s health but refused to postpone it himself , saying a federal judge shouldn ’ t act as the state ’ s health officer .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Wisconsin Legislature and Governor consider the public health ahead of any political considerations , that does not appear in the cards .
Nor is it appropriate for a federal district court to act as the state ’ s chief health official by taking that step for them , ” Conley wrote .
The deadline for voters to get absentee ballots to local clerks had been 8 p.m. on Tuesday , but Conley ’ s order shifted that to 4 p.m. on April 13 .
Conley also extended the deadline for voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 p.m. this Friday .
The judge also lifted a witness requirement for absentee ballot applications , writing that voters can provide a written affirmation that they could not safely obtain a witness signature due to coronavirus fears .
The ruling marks a partial victory for Democrats and liberal groups who argued that thousands of voters might be disenfranchised because time is running out to file absentee ballots .
The party and the groups had filed three lawsuits demanding that Conley postpone in-person voting , extend the deadlines for filing absentee ballots and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IDs with their ballot applications and get a witness to sign the ballot before returning it .
“ Every voter must count , even during crises , and this ruling gives voters critical time to vote safely by mail , ” state Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler said .
Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers called it “ great news ” that people would have more time to request and submit absentee ballots .
The Republican National Committee and the state Republican Party had urged Conley to allow the election to proceed as planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to email messages seeking comment on the order .
Several states have postponed elections or shifted to all mail in the face of the pandemic .
But Evers and Republican leaders have been committed to Wisconsin ’ s date .
They argued there ’ s no guarantee conditions will improve in a couple of months and postponing the election risks leaving many local offices unfilled for an extended period .
Evers ’ position on the election has shifted over the last few weeks .
During the early days of the outbreak he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , a stance that drew considerable criticism from Democratic allies .
As it became clear that Evers lacks authority to change election law he asked the Republican-controlled Legislature to mail absentee ballots to all registered voters , a request the GOP rejected .
On Wednesday he said for the first time that if he could move the election he would .
The decision to press forward has drawn widespread criticism .
Poll workers have been quitting in droves .
The Wisconsin Election Commission reported Tuesday that more than 100 municipalities lack enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and requests for absentee ballots have been setting new records daily .
As of Thursday , local clerks had issued 1.1 million ballots , with some clerks facing backlogs of requests .
Meanwhile , they ’ re bracing for an avalanche of returns that could take days to count .
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on Wednesday called for the state to postpone the election .
Rival Joe Biden said Thursday that it ’ s up to Wisconsin courts to decide what to do but he didn ’ t have a problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee announced earlier in the day that it was pushing back its national convention in Milwaukee from mid-July to mid-August .
Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Canadians were stuck on COVID-19-infected ships. Donald Trump came to their rescue

WASHINGTON , DC—It was President Donald Trump who finally , publicly at least , broke the logjam of an unfolding humanitarian nightmare .
“ We have to help the people , ” Trump said Wednesday evening , addressing the fate of the almost 1,200 passengers , including 147 Canadians , stranded at sea on the cruise ships Zaandam and Rotterdam .
“ I mean , they ’ re dying .
So we have to do something.
” The sentiment may seem simple enough but it came after those on board the ships were refused help for weeks , after four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some point as many as 200 passengers and crew were showing possible symptoms of COVID-19 .
At sea since March 7 , the vessels had been refused by more than a dozen countries .
Authorities in Fort Lauderdale , Florida this week said they didn ’ t want them to dock , fearful the local health system would be overrun and the virus would spread .
“ We do not want to see people dumped in southern Florida right now , ” Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said on Fox News Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn into another Voyage of the Damned .
Indeed , the history of the MS St. Louis , in which Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany were denied entry to both the U.S. and Canada before being turned back to Europe , was invoked by Florida Rep. Donna Shalala Thursday morning .
“ We Americans don ’ t turn people away .
We did once , ” Shalala told CNN .
“ We will never recover from that shame.
” You can see the deep regret for that episode at both the Holocaust Museum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maritime Museum in Halifax .
Reminders to both countries of the cruel indifference we are capable of in a crisis .
Reminders to do better .
The message is echoed in the grave statues in Ireland Park on Toronto ’ s waterfront .
The park commemorates the time in 1847 , when the city ’ s population was only 20,000 , that the city accepted more than 38,000 refugees on ships fleeing the Irish potato famine .
Many of them were stricken with typhus , a deadly disease .
The Toronto memorial is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost .
More than 1,100 died if typhus on the shores of Lake Ontario , including the head of the city ’ s newly created public health agency , many other local medical staff , and Michael Power , the Catholic bishop who had urged Toronto to take the refugees and who helped tend to them .
Then as now , “ there is no easy solution , ” as DeSantis said on Fox News Thursday morning .
A day earlier Trump said he ’ d spoken to DeSantis about the ships .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the governor knows that , too , ” he said .
And on Fox News DeSantis announced a deal was close .
“ I think we have a plan , ” he said , negotiated among the cruise ship operators at Holland America Line , the coast guard , and local Florida officials .
Details were still being ironed out Thursday afternoon , as ambulances lined the streets near the Fort Lauderdale port and passengers were advised to prepare to disembark .
Late in the afternoon , the ships were granted permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fear and frustration was at hand for the passengers and their families .
Trump said foreign nationals were to be immediately flown home .
“ We have Canada notified .
A lot of Canadians , a lot of British on the ship .
And they ’ re coming to take the people that are on the ship back to their homeland .
Canada is coming .
The UK is coming.
” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement they were “ engaging with U.S. officials , ” to determine the docking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship operator “ to co-ordinate travel for Canadian citizens back to Canada upon disembarkation.
” “ I ’ m going to do what ’ s right not only for us but for humanity , ” Trump said about the ships at his briefing on Tuesday , expressing uncharacteristic moral clarity .
It was a theme that continued Wednesday , just before the deal came together .
“ They don ’ t want to take them , but we have to , from a humane standpoint .
We don ’ t have a choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to .
People are dying .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-02--Alaska court seeks briefings on a claim in recall case

JUNEAU , Alaska - The Alaska Supreme Court on Thursday requested additional briefing on one of the proposed grounds for recall of Gov .
Mike Dunleavy .
The Recall Dunleavy campaign has stated four claims against Dunleavy .
The court wants to hear more about the claim that Dunleavy violated separation of powers by using his veto power to “ attack the judiciary and the rule of law.
” Justices set out a schedule with filings to be completed by April 20 .
The state Division of Elections had appealed a Superior Court judge ’ s ruling that the recall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the matter last week .
Dunleavy last year cut from the court budget an amount the administration said was commensurate to state funding for abortions .
This happened after the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional a state law and regulation seeking to define what constitutes medically necessary abortions for Medicaid funding .
The administration separately is being sued over this veto .
Anger over the governor ’ s proposed budget cuts and vetoes helped fuel the push .
Dunleavy has said the recall effort is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin a new signature-gathering phase while it considers the appeal .
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