upi--2020-04-29--World's longest predatory dinosaur used its tail to swim

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Paleontologists finally have proof that some dinosaurs were aquatic .
Detailed analysis of the only existing Spinosaurus aegyptiacus remains suggests the world 's longest predatory dinosaur lived in a large river system and used its tail to swim .
The discovery -- published this week in the journal Nature -- marks the first time a tail-propelled swimming locomotion has been reported in a dinosaur .
`` This discovery really opens our eyes to this whole new world of possibilities for dinosaurs , '' lead study author Nizar Ibrahim , professor at the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release .
`` It does n't just add to an existing narrative , it starts a whole new narrative and drastically changes things in terms of what we know dinosaurs could actually do .
There 's nothing like this animal in over 220 million years of dinosaur evolution , which is pretty remarkable . ''
The world 's only Spinosaurus skeleton was found in 2008 in North Africa .
For the new study , researchers returned to the dig site in search of more fossils .
After the initial excavation and fossil analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hunting fish , and was likely adapted to an amphibious lifestyle .
The dinosaur had dense bones , short hind limbs , wide feet and long jaws full of conical teeth .
Despite the evidence of its water-friendly physiology , suggestions that the species was fully adapted to life in the water were n't well-received .
But when Ibrahim and his colleagues returned to the dig site , they recovered several new fossils , including a fin-like tail characterized by long spines .
Analysis of the tail 's unusual structure showed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In other words , Spinosaurus aegyptiacus could wave its tail the way crocodiles do , powering its long body through the water .
To better understand the tail 's functionality , researchers built a 3D model of the tail and attached it to a robot that produces swimming locomotion .
Scientists compared the tail 's performance to those of dinosaur , crocodile and newt tails .
The results showed the tail of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was a powerful swimming tool .
`` This discovery is the nail in the coffin for the idea that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Ibrahim said .
`` This dinosaur was actively pursuing prey in the water column , not just standing in shallow waters waiting for fish to swim by .
It probably spent most of its life in the water . ''
Researchers suspect many of the closest relatives of Spinosaurus successfully adapted to a variety of aquatic environs .

University of Detroit Mercy professor Nizar Ibrahim holds a fossil that he said is evidence that Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was an aquatic dinosaur -- the first time such a thing has been reported. Photo courtesy University of Detroit Mercy
April 29 (UPI) -- Paleontologists finally have proof that some dinosaurs were aquatic. Detailed analysis of the only existing Spinosaurus aegyptiacus remains suggests the world's longest predatory dinosaur lived in a large river system and used its tail to swim. Advertisement
The discovery -- published this week in the journal Nature -- marks the first time a tail-propelled swimming locomotion has been reported in a dinosaur.
"This discovery really opens our eyes to this whole new world of possibilities for dinosaurs," lead study author Nizar Ibrahim, professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, said in a news release. "It doesn't just add to an existing narrative, it starts a whole new narrative and drastically changes things in terms of what we know dinosaurs could actually do. There's nothing like this animal in over 220 million years of dinosaur evolution, which is pretty remarkable."
The world's only Spinosaurus skeleton was found in 2008 in North Africa. For the new study, researchers returned to the dig site in search of more fossils.
After the initial excavation and fossil analysis, scientists concluded that Spinosaurus aegyptiacus specialized in hunting fish, and was likely adapted to an amphibious lifestyle. The dinosaur had dense bones, short hind limbs, wide feet and long jaws full of conical teeth.
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Despite the evidence of its water-friendly physiology, suggestions that the species was fully adapted to life in the water weren't well-received. But when Ibrahim and his colleagues returned to the dig site, they recovered several new fossils, including a fin-like tail characterized by long spines.
Analysis of the tail's unusual structure showed it was capable of extensive lateral movement. In other words, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus could wave its tail the way crocodiles do, powering its long body through the water.
To better understand the tail's functionality, researchers built a 3D model of the tail and attached it to a robot that produces swimming locomotion. Scientists compared the tail's performance to those of dinosaur, crocodile and newt tails.
The results showed the tail of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was a powerful swimming tool.
"This discovery is the nail in the coffin for the idea that non-avian dinosaurs never invaded the aquatic realm," Ibrahim said. "This dinosaur was actively pursuing prey in the water column, not just standing in shallow waters waiting for fish to swim by. It probably spent most of its life in the water."
Researchers suspect many of the closest relatives of Spinosaurus successfully adapted to a variety of aquatic environs.


upi--2020-04-29--U.S. economy shrinks by nearly 5% in first quarter, Fed keeps interest rate near zero

A man walks near a business on April 16 in Pasadena, Calif., that has been boarded up and closed due to coronavirus-related restrictions. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- After a full decade of steady and record growth, the U.S. economy abruptly shrank by almost 5 percent during the first three months of 2020 -- due almost entirely to the coronavirus crisis, the Commerce Department said in its quarterly report Wednesday. The department said the U.S. gross domestic product contracted by 4.8 percent for the first quarter, the first contraction since 2014 and the largest since the Great Recession. Advertisement
The figures show the domestic economy grew over the first two and a half months of the year before coronavirus-related closures brought it to a sudden halt in mid-March.
The contraction is the largest since an 8.4 percent drop in the final quarter of 2008. The U.S. economy grew by 2.1 percent in the previous quarter, Q4 of 2019.
"The decrease in real GDP in the first quarter reflected negative contributions ... that were partly offset by positive contributions," the report said.
The department acknowledged that the global health crisis led to rapid declines in demand and affected a wide swath of the economy -- and cautioned that the second quarter, April through June, will probably show greater losses.
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"The full economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be quantified in the GDP estimate for the first quarter of 2020 because the impacts are generally embedded in source data and cannot be separately identified," the department said.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced it would keep the federal interest rate at zero to 0.25 percent while committing to using its "full range of tools" to support the economy amid the pandemic.
"The forceful measures that we as a country are taking to control the spread of the virus have brought much of the economy to an abrupt halt," said Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. "Many businesses have closed, people have been asked to stay home and basic social interactions are greatly curtailed. People are putting their livelihoods on hold, at significant economic and personal cost."
The coronavirus curve seems to be flattening in the United States and many states are beginning to lift the restrictions, but most analysts say it will be many months before the U.S. economy could return to a period of sustained growth. More than 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment over the last five weeks.
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U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-04-29--Loss of smell associated with milder cases of COVID-19

Loss of smell is more likely to occur in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 than in those with more severe illness , a new study finds .
This information could give healthcare providers an early indication of which patients may require hospitalization , according to the University of California , San Diego Health researchers .
`` One of the immediate challenges for healthcare providers is to determine how to best treat persons infected by the novel coronavirus , '' said study first author Dr. Carol Yan , a rhinologist and head and neck surgeon .
`` If they display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return home to self-quarantine or will they likely require hospitalization ?
These are crucial questions for hospitals trying to efficiently and effectively allocate finite medical resources , '' she said in a university news release .
In previous research , Yan and her colleagues found that loss of smell is a common early symptom , following fever and fatigue .
The new study included 169 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 at UC San Diego Health .
Data on taste and smell were obtained for 128 of the patients , 26 of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely to experience loss of smell ( anosmia ) than those who were n't hospitalized , about 27 percent vs. 67 percent , and similar rates were seen for loss of taste .
`` Patients who reported loss of smell were 10 times less likely to be admitted for COVID-19 compared to those without loss of smell , '' said study senior author Dr. Adam DeConde , a rhinologist and head and neck surgeon .
`` Moreover , anosmia was not associated with any other measures typically related to the decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an independent factor and may serve as a marker for milder manifestations of COVID-19 , '' DeConde said in the release .
The study was published online April 24 in the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology .
`` What 's notable in the new findings is that it appears that loss of smell may be a predictor that a SARS-CoV-2 infection will not be as severe , and less likely to require hospitalization .
If an infected person loses that sense , it seems more likely they will experience milder symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Yan said .
The findings suggest that if the coronavirus first concentrates in the nose and upper airway , the immune system has an opportunity to attack the virus there and prevent more serious illness that affects other areas of the body , according to the researchers .
They said loss of smell might be an indication of a strong immune response against the coronavirus .
`` This is a hypothesis , but it 's also similar to the concept underlying live vaccinations , '' DeConde said .
`` At low dosage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the host can generate an immune response without severe infection . ''
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 .

A new study suggests that if the coronavirus first concentrates in the nose and upper airway, the immune system has an opportunity to attack the virus there and prevent more serious illness that affects other areas of the body. Photo by moritz320/Pixabay
Loss of smell is more likely to occur in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 than in those with more severe illness, a new study finds. This information could give healthcare providers an early indication of which patients may require hospitalization, according to the University of California, San Diego Health researchers. Advertisement
"One of the immediate challenges for healthcare providers is to determine how to best treat persons infected by the novel coronavirus," said study first author Dr. Carol Yan, a rhinologist and head and neck surgeon.
"If they display no or mild symptoms, can they return home to self-quarantine or will they likely require hospitalization? These are crucial questions for hospitals trying to efficiently and effectively allocate finite medical resources," she said in a university news release.
In previous research, Yan and her colleagues found that loss of smell is a common early symptom, following fever and fatigue.
The new study included 169 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 at UC San Diego Health. Data on taste and smell were obtained for 128 of the patients, 26 of whom were hospitalized.
Hospitalized patients were much less likely to experience loss of smell (anosmia) than those who weren't hospitalized, about 27 percent vs. 67 percent, and similar rates were seen for loss of taste.
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"Patients who reported loss of smell were 10 times less likely to be admitted for COVID-19 compared to those without loss of smell," said study senior author Dr. Adam DeConde, a rhinologist and head and neck surgeon.
"Moreover, anosmia was not associated with any other measures typically related to the decision to admit, suggesting that it's truly an independent factor and may serve as a marker for milder manifestations of COVID-19," DeConde said in the release.
The study was published online April 24 in the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology.
"What's notable in the new findings is that it appears that loss of smell may be a predictor that a SARS-CoV-2 infection will not be as severe, and less likely to require hospitalization. If an infected person loses that sense, it seems more likely they will experience milder symptoms, barring other underlying risk factors," Yan said.
The findings suggest that if the coronavirus first concentrates in the nose and upper airway, the immune system has an opportunity to attack the virus there and prevent more serious illness that affects other areas of the body, according to the researchers.
They said loss of smell might be an indication of a strong immune response against the coronavirus.
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"This is a hypothesis, but it's also similar to the concept underlying live vaccinations," DeConde said. "At low dosage and at a distant site of inoculation, the host can generate an immune response without severe infection."
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-04-29--Obamacare may help many laid-off workers get health insurance

Millions of Americans in industries hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic could be eligible for financial help with health insurance , a new study says .
Many of the newly unemployed might not know they can get public insurance or subsidies for coverage through the Affordable Care Act 's insurance marketplaces , according to an analysis published this month by the Urban Institute , a Washington , D.C. , think tank , and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton , N.J .
The study estimated that about 60 percent of the 24 million uninsured workers in the most vulnerable industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicaid or Obamacare insurance subsidies -- even if they 're getting unemployment benefits .
The more than 14 million people in this group include workers in retail , restaurant , hotel , entertainment , dry cleaning , home health , day care and transportation services , the researchers said .
Coverage varies in states that expanded Medicaid and those that did not , however .
Workers are more likely to be eligible for coverage under Medicaid or the Children 's Health Insurance Program ( CHIP ) in expansion states than in nonexpansion states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent versus 14 percent ) .
The differences are even greater if they do n't get unemployment compensation ( 57 percent versus 20 percent ) .
`` Many people who lose their health insurance will be eligible for subsidized coverage , but unfortunately , we will find that many will not , '' said Kathy Hempstead , a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation .
`` The options available to those who lose their coverage will be much leaner in states that did not expand Medicaid , '' Hempstead said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers offered several policy ideas to increase the number of newly eligible unemployed Americans who will have insurance during the crisis .
They included a special open-enrollment period for Obamacare marketplace plans nationwide increasing federal funds for Medicaid support expanding Medicaid eligibility in 15 nonexpansion states and more subsidization of marketplace coverage .
For more on expanded Medicaid , visit HealthCare.gov .

Millions of Americans in industries hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic could be eligible for financial help with health insurance, a new study says.
Many of the newly unemployed might not know they can get public insurance or subsidies for coverage through the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplaces, according to an analysis published this month by the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J.
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The study estimated that about 60 percent of the 24 million uninsured workers in the most vulnerable industries and their family members are eligible for Medicaid or Obamacare insurance subsidies -- even if they're getting unemployment benefits.
The more than 14 million people in this group include workers in retail, restaurant, hotel, entertainment, dry cleaning, home health, day care and transportation services, the researchers said.
Coverage varies in states that expanded Medicaid and those that did not, however.
Workers are more likely to be eligible for coverage under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in expansion states than in nonexpansion states if they get unemployment benefits (37 percent versus 14 percent).
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The differences are even greater if they don't get unemployment compensation (57 percent versus 20 percent).
"Many people who lose their health insurance will be eligible for subsidized coverage, but unfortunately, we will find that many will not," said Kathy Hempstead, a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "The options available to those who lose their coverage will be much leaner in states that did not expand Medicaid," Hempstead said in a foundation news release. The researchers offered several policy ideas to increase the number of newly eligible unemployed Americans who will have insurance during the crisis.
They included a special open-enrollment period for Obamacare marketplace plans nationwide increasing federal funds for Medicaid support expanding Medicaid eligibility in 15 nonexpansion states and more subsidization of marketplace coverage.
More information
For more on expanded Medicaid, visit HealthCare.gov.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-04-29--FDA might grant emergency approval of remdesivir for COVID-19

April 29 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration might grant emergency approval for the antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 following new clinical trial results that suggest the drug could help some patients .
The New York Times and CNBC on Wednesday reported the FDA was working with manufacturer Gilead Sciences to make remdesivir available to patients who have COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 .
Gilead earlier Wednesday announced preliminary results of a trial with COVID-19 patients , which suggests that at least 50 percent of those treated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than half of those enrolled in the study were discharged from the hospital within two weeks of receiving the drug .
The new trial results on remdesivir , a drug originally developed to treat Ebola , appear to contradict those of a trial the World Health Organization posted in error last week .
The study was published Wednesday by The Lancet .
While that study found the drug was safe and adequately tolerated , researchers said it showed minimal benefits over a placebo .
The length of time to clinical improvement and risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remdesivir appeared to shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation required for patients .
Gilead 's announcement of results from the large SIMPLE trials , which will eventually enroll 6,000 COVID-19 patients who are on mechanical ventilation at 180 hospitals worldwide , included 397 hospitalized patients with severe illness from the coronavirus .
Participants received 200 milligrams of remdesivir on the first day , followed by 100 mg. daily for five or 10 days , with all doses delivered intravenously .
The time to clinical improvement for 50 percent of the patients was 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 days in the 10-day treatment group .
At day 14 , 65 percent of the participants in the five-day treatment group and 54 percent in the 10-day treatment group achieved clinical recovery .
Patients who received remdesivir within 10 days of symptom onset had improved outcomes compared with those treated after more than 10 days of symptoms , according to Gilead .
By Day 14 , 62 percent of patients treated early were able to be discharged from the hospital , compared with 49 percent of patients who were treated late , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are encouraging as they indicate that patients who received a shorter , five-day course of remdesivir experienced similar clinical improvement as patients who received a 10-day treatment course , '' study co-author Dr. Aruna Subramanian said in a statement released by the company .
`` While additional data are still needed , these results help to bring a clearer understanding of how treatment with remdesivir may be optimized , if proven safe and effective , '' said Subramanian , who is chief of Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another trial by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases met its main efficacy goal .
However , it did not elaborate .

Multiple studies have yielded mixed results on the effectiveness of Gilead's drug, remdesivir, for the treatment of Covid-19, but a new study announced by the company suggests it could be effective for some patients. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration might grant emergency approval for the antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 following new clinical trial results that suggest the drug could help some patients. The New York Times and CNBC on Wednesday reported the FDA was working with manufacturer Gilead Sciences to make remdesivir available to patients who have COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Advertisement
Gilead earlier Wednesday announced preliminary results of a trial with COVID-19 patients, which suggests that at least 50 percent of those treated with a five-day regimen showed improvement. More than half of those enrolled in the study were discharged from the hospital within two weeks of receiving the drug.
The new trial results on remdesivir, a drug originally developed to treat Ebola, appear to contradict those of a trial the World Health Organization posted in error last week. The study was published Wednesday by The Lancet.
While that study found the drug was safe and adequately tolerated, researchers said it showed minimal benefits over a placebo. The length of time to clinical improvement and risk for death were the same, though remdesivir appeared to shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation required for patients.
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Gilead's announcement of results from the large SIMPLE trials, which will eventually enroll 6,000 COVID-19 patients who are on mechanical ventilation at 180 hospitals worldwide, included 397 hospitalized patients with severe illness from the coronavirus.
Participants received 200 milligrams of remdesivir on the first day, followed by 100 mg. daily for five or 10 days, with all doses delivered intravenously.
The time to clinical improvement for 50 percent of the patients was 10 days in the five-day treatment group and 11 days in the 10-day treatment group. At day 14, 65 percent of the participants in the five-day treatment group and 54 percent in the 10-day treatment group achieved clinical recovery.
Patients who received remdesivir within 10 days of symptom onset had improved outcomes compared with those treated after more than 10 days of symptoms, according to Gilead.
By Day 14, 62 percent of patients treated early were able to be discharged from the hospital, compared with 49 percent of patients who were treated late, the company said.
"These data are encouraging as they indicate that patients who received a shorter, five-day course of remdesivir experienced similar clinical improvement as patients who received a 10-day treatment course," study co-author Dr. Aruna Subramanian said in a statement released by the company.
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"While additional data are still needed, these results help to bring a clearer understanding of how treatment with remdesivir may be optimized, if proven safe and effective," said Subramanian, who is chief of Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Gilead on Wednesday also noted that another trial by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases met its main efficacy goal. However, it did not elaborate.


upi--2020-04-29--Nancy Pelosi announces coronavirus oversight committee members

April 29 ( UPI ) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday announced the six Democrats who will sit on a coronavirus spending oversight committee headed by House Democratic Whip James Clyburn .
The new members of the special panel are Reps. Bill Foster of Illinois , Andy Kim of New Jersey , Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez of New York , Jamie Raskin of Maryland , and Maxine Water of California .
Pelosi announced the new members during a news conference with Clyburn , whom she named as committee chairman in early April while announcing the panel 's creation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will prevent waste , fraud and abuse as the federal government disperses trillions of dollars in aid in response to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic toll on the United States .
`` We must be sure that the money we put forth goes to those who need it most , in a way that addresses disparities in access to health care and credit , '' Pelosi wrote in a letter she sent to House Democrats on Wednesday .
`` We also owe it to the American people to prevent waste , fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and profiteering . ''
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California has n't indicated whether he intends to name up to five GOP members to the panel .
He and other Republicans have criticized Pelosi for its creation .
`` Instead of looking for innovative ways to help the American people , Speaker Pelosi has chosen to pursue 'impeachment 2.0 ' with a partisan and unnecessary oversight committee , '' a McCarthy spokesperson told The Hill .
`` The roster the speaker has chosen makes clear that this is not an honest effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another attempt to politically damage the Trump administration . ''

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Democratic Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., hold a news conference to announce members of the House select committee on the coronavirus, on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday announced the six Democrats who will sit on a coronavirus spending oversight committee headed by House Democratic Whip James Clyburn. The new members of the special panel are Reps. Bill Foster of Illinois, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez of New York, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Maxine Water of California. Advertisement
Pelosi announced the new members during a news conference with Clyburn, whom she named as committee chairman in early April while announcing the panel's creation.
Tune in as @WhipClyburn and I announce the Democratic Members of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis. https://t.co/07ilocZQIS— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 29, 2020
The speaker said the bipartisan committee will prevent waste, fraud and abuse as the federal government disperses trillions of dollars in aid in response to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic toll on the United States.
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"We must be sure that the money we put forth goes to those who need it most, in a way that addresses disparities in access to health care and credit," Pelosi wrote in a letter she sent to House Democrats on Wednesday. "We also owe it to the American people to prevent waste, fraud and abuse and to protect against price-gouging and profiteering."
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California hasn't indicated whether he intends to name up to five GOP members to the panel. He and other Republicans have criticized Pelosi for its creation.
"Instead of looking for innovative ways to help the American people, Speaker Pelosi has chosen to pursue 'impeachment 2.0' with a partisan and unnecessary oversight committee," a McCarthy spokesperson told The Hill.
"The roster the speaker has chosen makes clear that this is not an honest effort at transparency and accountability, but rather another attempt to politically damage the Trump administration."


upi--2020-04-29--Watch: Man takes 43 wet sponge hits to the face for Guinness record

April 29 ( UPI ) -- An Idaho man took 43 hits to the face with wet sponges to break @ @ @ @ @ social distancing .
David Rush , who has broken more than 100 Guinness records to @ @ @ @ @ outside into the middle of his Boise street with Jonathan Hannon to attempt the unusual @ @ @ @ @ wet sponges in the allotted 30-second time period , 43 of which successfully collided with @ @ @ @ @ 43 hits were enough to break the previous record of 36 in the category of @ @ @ @ @ 30 seconds ( team of two ) .
Rush said safety was paramount during the @ @ @ @ @ also no evidence that COVID-19 has ever been spread by a thrown wet sponge , @ @ @ @

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April 29 (UPI) -- An Idaho man took 43 hits to the face with wet sponges to break a Guinness World Record while social distancing.
David Rush, who has broken more than 100 Guinness records to promote STEM education, went outside into the middle of his Boise street with Jonathan Hannon to attempt the unusual record.
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Hannon threw 54 wet sponges in the allotted 30-second time period, 43 of which successfully collided with Rush's face.
The 43 hits were enough to break the previous record of 36 in the category of most wet sponges thrown in 30 seconds (team of two).
Rush said safety was paramount during the attempt: "There is also no evidence that COVID-19 has ever been spread by a thrown wet sponge," he said.


upi--2020-04-29--Biologist rescues dog from cliff over Missouri River

April 29 ( UPI ) -- A fish biologist doing work for a utility company in Montana ended up rescuing @ @ @ @ @ a cliff over the Missouri River .
NorthWestern Energy said a fish biologist names Grant @ @ @ @ @ Great Falls on Friday when he heard the sound of a dog crying .
Grant @ @ @ @ @ the cries and spotted a dog stranded on a cliff ledge over the river .
@ @ @ @ @ able to hike to the dog 's location and carry the canine back to his @ @ @ @ @ microchipped and the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter was able to reunite the pet @ @ @ @

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April 29 (UPI) -- A fish biologist doing work for a utility company in Montana ended up rescuing a dog spotted stranded on a cliff over the Missouri River.
NorthWestern Energy said a fish biologist names Grant G. was doing work near Great Falls on Friday when he heard the sound of a dog crying.
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Grant searched for the source of the cries and spotted a dog stranded on a cliff ledge over the river.
The company said Grant was able to hike to the dog's location and carry the canine back to his boat.
The dog was microchipped and the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter was able to reunite the pet with its owners.


upi--2020-04-29--U.S. marriage rate is at record low

U.S. marriage rate is at record low

April 29 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. marriage rate is lower than at any point in over a century , with only 6.5 unions per 1,000 people , a government statistics agency reported Wednesday .
The National Center for Health Statistics ' National Vital Statistics System , a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , said data for 2018 , the most recent year analyzed , showed a decline from 6.9 marriages per 1,000 people in 2017 .
The 2018 figure is the lowest rate since the federal government began collecting data in 1867 .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly 1980 and 1996 ] are in peak marriage years , their 20s and 30s , and it 's still dropping , '' said Sally Curtin , the report 's lead author .
`` This is historic . ''
Historically , the U.S. marriage rate has seen significant fluctuation , the NCHS noted .
The rates ranged between 9.3 marriages per 1,000 and 12.0 per 1,000 from 1900 to 1929 before declining to 7.9 per thousand in 1932 .
It more than doubled between 1932 and 1946 , the era of the Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached an all-time high of 16.4 per 1,000 .
It declined in the 1950s , increased in the 1960s and then reached 10.9 per thousand in 1972 .
From 1982 to 2009 , marriage rates almost steadily declined , before stabilizing from 2009 to 2017 at a range between 6.8 and 7.0 per 1,000 .
Statistics were compiled by the NVSS from local sources which submitted their data to the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program , which the CDC says `` provides the most complete data on births and deaths in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to the contractual relationship between each state . ''

Newlyweds pose for a photo. The U.S. marriage rate has dropped to the lowest numbers on record, the National Center for Health Statistics said Wednesday. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. marriage rate is lower than at any point in over a century, with only 6.5 unions per 1,000 people, a government statistics agency reported Wednesday. The National Center for Health Statistics' National Vital Statistics System, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said data for 2018, the most recent year analyzed, showed a decline from 6.9 marriages per 1,000 people in 2017. The 2018 figure is the lowest rate since the federal government began collecting data in 1867. Advertisement
"Millennials [referring to those born between roughly 1980 and 1996] are in peak marriage years, their 20s and 30s, and it's still dropping," said Sally Curtin, the report's lead author. "This is historic."
Historically, the U.S. marriage rate has seen significant fluctuation, the NCHS noted. The rates ranged between 9.3 marriages per 1,000 and 12.0 per 1,000 from 1900 to 1929 before declining to 7.9 per thousand in 1932. It more than doubled between 1932 and 1946, the era of the Great Depression and World War II, and reached an all-time high of 16.4 per 1,000. It declined in the 1950s, increased in the 1960s and then reached 10.9 per thousand in 1972. From 1982 to 2009, marriage rates almost steadily declined, before stabilizing from 2009 to 2017 at a range between 6.8 and 7.0 per 1,000.
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Statistics were compiled by the NVSS from local sources which submitted their data to the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program, which the CDC says "provides the most complete data on births and deaths in the United States" and "provides information on issues related to the contractual relationship between each state."


upi--2020-04-30--In photos: U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic

The novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , pandemic is spreading across the United States .
People are discouraged ( even banned @ @ @ @ @ large gatherings , public spaces are closed , store shelves are empty , with long @ @ @ @ @ and travel is limited .
Here are some scenes from across America .

Bass Pro Shops marketing manager David Smith (R) carries a box of donated face masks into Mercy Health in Chesterfield, Mo., on May 13. The company is donating 1 million FDA-approved ASTM Level 1 Procedure Face Masks to healthcare workers and first responders working on the front lines of the pandemic. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI


upi--2020-04-30--Analysts: U.S., China should tread carefully in case of North Korea collapse

NEW YORK , April 30 ( UPI ) -- China plays an outsize role in North Korea 's economy , but its clout in the region does n't mean Beijing can easily intervene in the event of North Korea instability , U.S. analysts say .
Neither should the United States ' 28,500 troops on the peninsula get involved in a crisis scenario , where Kim Jong Un remains missing and no one in Pyongyang , including Kim 's sister Kim Yo Jong , is able to take the reins .
`` Certainly , the United States should play a role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lerner , director of the Institute for Korean Studies at Ohio State University .
`` But a U.S. military presence [ in North Korea ] would likely just exacerbate the situation by inflaming much of the North 's population , which has for so long been fed a steady diet of tales of American atrocities . ''
The United States should provide financial , logistical and intelligence support , but the military needs to stay in the background if at all possible , Lerner told UPI .
Tensions between the United States and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Kim met with President Donald Trump at a historic summit .
Despite several North Korean short-range missile tests , Trump has professed a special relationship with the North Korean leader , whose last reported public appearance was April 11 .
Rumors have swirled that he is in ill health .
But ordinary North Koreans are indoctrinated to deeply resent Americans at an early age for their role in the 1950-53 Korean War , at sites like the Sinchon Museum of American War Atrocities .
Terry Roehrig , professor of national security affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told UPI during a recent Korea Economic Institute webinar that the domestic nature of regime instability rules out external involvement .
`` If there is something wrong with Kim Jong Un 's health , and he passes away , that is an internal political issue , '' Roehrig said .
`` I do n't think the United States should or can necessarily intervene . ''
While the world 's biggest military superpower would be recommended to sit out a potential North Korea collapse , such a scenario could invite China -- which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , to respond -- particularly if it affects Chinese control of its northeastern region .
`` China does have a critical role to play in a North Korean contingency , '' said Soo Kim , a policy analyst at the RAND Corp. `` But Beijing will only consider crossing into the North Korean side of the border if the situation in North Korea interrupts China 's own stability .
`` Should there be instability in North Korea , the benefit of China 's involvement in the contingency to the United States and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the event of a regime downfall or coup , neither Beijing nor Washington , not to mention Seoul , could be ready for what might follow .
U.S.-China relations has reached its lowest point in decades as accusations fly amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Discussing North Korea as COVID-19 cases continue to rise may be the least of Trump 's , and President Xi Jinping 's priorities .
`` It is very important the United States , China and South Korea have had discussions about this , because if we decide to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of room to get in each other 's way , '' Roehrig said .
`` China would perhaps be more willing and certainly better placed to move into North Korea if there was some indication of extreme instability '' in a country that has developed nuclear and chemical weapons , he added .
Lerner , who agrees the Chinese could cross the border in a `` worst-case scenario , '' said the friendship between China and North Korea is somewhat exaggerated .
The North Koreans are wary of Chinese intrusion .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ideological bonds that most Americans seem to think .
And the Kims have always jealously guarded their control of North Korea against Chinese encroachment , '' the analyst said .
`` One suspects that the next leader , whether it is a Kim family member or someone else , will feel the same way . ''
As Kim 's disappearance raises stability questions , the Trump administration may have been raising the risk of decoupling from a key ally , South Korea .
A short-term defense burden-sharing agreement expired at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers at U.S. military bases were furloughed on April 1 , and a reported South Korean offer of a 13 percent increase in contributions has not been formally accepted in Washington .
U.S. officials have asked as much as $ 5 billion annually from Seoul .
`` The worst possible message , but one that is not surprising , '' Lerner said .
`` Trump sees foreign policy only through the lens of dollars and cents . ''
Soo Kim says the policy is sowing doubt and mistrust among South Koreans .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were confined at the top levels only ; it becomes a larger , messier issue once it seeps out to the public .
And it has . ''

China shares an 880-mile border with North Korea, which may be crossed in the event of North Korea instability, U.S. analysts say. File Photo by Stephen Shaver | License Photo
NEW YORK, April 30 (UPI) -- China plays an outsize role in North Korea's economy, but its clout in the region doesn't mean Beijing can easily intervene in the event of North Korea instability, U.S. analysts say. Neither should the United States' 28,500 troops on the peninsula get involved in a crisis scenario, where Kim Jong Un remains missing and no one in Pyongyang, including Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, is able to take the reins. Advertisement
"Certainly, the United States should play a role behind the scenes," said Mitchell Lerner, director of the Institute for Korean Studies at Ohio State University.
"But a U.S. military presence [in North Korea] would likely just exacerbate the situation by inflaming much of the North's population, which has for so long been fed a steady diet of tales of American atrocities."
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The United States should provide financial, logistical and intelligence support, but the military needs to stay in the background if at all possible, Lerner told UPI.
Tensions between the United States and North Korea have receded since 2018, when Kim met with President Donald Trump at a historic summit. Despite several North Korean short-range missile tests, Trump has professed a special relationship with the North Korean leader, whose last reported public appearance was April 11. Rumors have swirled that he is in ill health.
But ordinary North Koreans are indoctrinated to deeply resent Americans at an early age for their role in the 1950-53 Korean War, at sites like the Sinchon Museum of American War Atrocities.
Terry Roehrig, professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, told UPI during a recent Korea Economic Institute webinar that the domestic nature of regime instability rules out external involvement.
"If there is something wrong with Kim Jong Un's health, and he passes away, that is an internal political issue," Roehrig said. "I don't think the United States should or can necessarily intervene."
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While the world's biggest military superpower would be recommended to sit out a potential North Korea collapse, such a scenario could invite China -- which shares an 880-mile border with the reclusive country, to respond -- particularly if it affects Chinese control of its northeastern region.
"China does have a critical role to play in a North Korean contingency," said Soo Kim, a policy analyst at the RAND Corp. "But Beijing will only consider crossing into the North Korean side of the border if the situation in North Korea interrupts China's own stability.
"Should there be instability in North Korea, the benefit of China's involvement in the contingency to the United States and allied interests will be limited."
In the event of a regime downfall or coup, neither Beijing nor Washington, not to mention Seoul, could be ready for what might follow.
U.S.-China relations has reached its lowest point in decades as accusations fly amid the coronavirus pandemic. Discussing North Korea as COVID-19 cases continue to rise may be the least of Trump's, and President Xi Jinping's priorities.
"It is very important the United States, China and South Korea have had discussions about this, because if we decide to act, there's an awful lot of room to get in each other's way," Roehrig said.
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"China would perhaps be more willing and certainly better placed to move into North Korea if there was some indication of extreme instability" in a country that has developed nuclear and chemical weapons, he added.
Lerner, who agrees the Chinese could cross the border in a "worst-case scenario," said the friendship between China and North Korea is somewhat exaggerated. The North Koreans are wary of Chinese intrusion.
"They really don't have the close fraternal and ideological bonds that most Americans seem to think. And the Kims have always jealously guarded their control of North Korea against Chinese encroachment," the analyst said. "One suspects that the next leader, whether it is a Kim family member or someone else, will feel the same way."
As Kim's disappearance raises stability questions, the Trump administration may have been raising the risk of decoupling from a key ally, South Korea. A short-term defense burden-sharing agreement expired at the end of 2019. Meanwhile, South Korean workers at U.S. military bases were furloughed on April 1, and a reported South Korean offer of a 13 percent increase in contributions has not been formally accepted in Washington. U.S. officials have asked as much as $5 billion annually from Seoul.
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"The worst possible message, but one that is not surprising," Lerner said. "Trump sees foreign policy only through the lens of dollars and cents."
Soo Kim says the policy is sowing doubt and mistrust among South Koreans.
"It's one thing if this contention were confined at the top levels only; it becomes a larger, messier issue once it seeps out to the public. And it has."


upi--2020-04-30--Nearly 4 million more Americans file for unemployment

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Nearly 4 million more Americans have filed for new unemployment claims , the Labor Department said in an update Thursday .
The department said 3.8 million filed new claims for the week ending April 25 .
The number is a decrease of about 600,000 from the previous week , which was revised up by about 15,000 applicants .
Most analysts expected around 3.5 million new claims , about half the level from the peak of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this month .
Ten million new claims were filed in the first two weeks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done so in the last six weeks .
By contrast , about 200,000 new claims were filed per week in January and February before the impact of the crisis arrived in the United States .
Experts feel the Labor Department figures are likely lower than true unemployment numbers , since jobless systems in states like New York , New Jersey and Michigan have been overwhelmed by applicants .
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday the U.S. economy shrank by almost 5 percent over the first quarter , from the start of January to the @ @ @ @

An activist holds a sign at the St. Louis County Government Center in Clayton, Mo., during an April 21 rally to oppose the closures of Missouri businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
April 30 (UPI) -- Nearly 4 million more Americans have filed for new unemployment claims, the Labor Department said in an update Thursday. The department said 3.8 million filed new claims for the week ending April 25. The number is a decrease of about 600,000 from the previous week, which was revised up by about 15,000 applicants. Advertisement
Most analysts expected around 3.5 million new claims, about half the level from the peak of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this month. Ten million new claims were filed in the first two weeks of April alone and about 30 million have done so in the last six weeks.
By contrast, about 200,000 new claims were filed per week in January and February before the impact of the crisis arrived in the United States.
Experts feel the Labor Department figures are likely lower than true unemployment numbers, since jobless systems in states like New York, New Jersey and Michigan have been overwhelmed by applicants.
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday the U.S. economy shrank by almost 5 percent over the first quarter, from the start of January to the end of March.


upi--2020-04-30--Watch: Thom Yorke performs new song 'Plasticine Figures' on 'Tonight Show'

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Thom Yorke of Radiohead debuted a new song , titled `` Plasticine Figures , @ @ @ @ @ .
Yorke gave an intimate performance of the track using a piano from his home @ @ @ @ @ malleable/ Plasticine figures/ Mold to suit your taste/ Happy to serve/ Happy to linger/ While @ @ @ @ @ , '' Yorke sang .
`` Plasticine Figures '' was newly completed , The Tonight @ @ @ @ @ Yorke 's last solo album titled Anima , was released in June 2019 .
Yorke @ @ @ @ @ Tomorrow 's Modern Boxes tour to September .
The tour was originally scheduled to begin @ @ @ @ @ back due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Radiohead has started to perform live shows on @ @ @ @ @

April 30 (UPI) -- Thom Yorke of Radiohead debuted a new song, titled "Plasticine Figures," on The Tonight Show.
Yorke gave an intimate performance of the track using a piano from his home on Wednesday.
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"Most malleable/ Plasticine figures/ Mold to suit your taste/ Happy to serve/ Happy to linger/ While you make up your face," Yorke sang.
"Plasticine Figures" was newly completed, The Tonight Show noted on YouTube. Yorke's last solo album titled Anima, was released in June 2019.
Yorke recently postponed his solo, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes tour to September. The tour was originally scheduled to begin in March but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Radiohead has started to perform live shows on YouTube amid the pandemic.


upi--2020-04-30--'Immunity passport' key to containing spread of coronavirus

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Imagine yourself in one of these scenarios .
First : you direct a food preparation and delivery service .
You know that some of your employees have likely had COVID-19 in the past but many have not .
Would it be safer to send out on delivery those who have recovered from infection and are no longer infectious ?
If so , how do you determine who they are ?
Second : You are in charge of immigration and tourism for an island country .
You would love to have visitors , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus back on shore .
How can you prove that those entering are not infected ?
Or are immune to infection ?
Last : You and your team of doctors and nurses need to treat highly contagious COVID-19 patients requiring life support .
You know some of your team has likely had the infection and recovered .
Would it be safer for the doctors and nurses who have recovered from infection to treat those who severely ill and contagious ?
And if so , how do you find them ?
The solution to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an `` immunity passport , '' the demonstrated proof of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 by either recovery or vaccination .
To find this proof , we need a test for both the virus and for immunity .
The ideal test would be one that detected disease shortly after infection but before a patient became contagious -- and one that could demonstrate whether a patient had recovered from infection and was now immune .
There are several tests available for COVID-19 and in isolation all of them fall short of this ideal .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at each test and fit them into a diagnostic framework built upon our growing understanding of the coronavirus and our immune response to it .
What 's more , joining different types of tests into a single approach provides us new insights into how COVID-19 behaves -- and how we can fight it .
The first available test and the test recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization is called Polymerase Chain Reaction testing .
This testing -- also called antigen testing -- detects the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a patient 's nose or saliva .
It is a simple concept and positive results are generally true .
But the test is far from perfect .
It requires special training to perform , special equipment to process and exposes those conducting the test to the virus .
Then there 's the question of its accuracy .
If we test too early or too late , the test can miss the virus .
Perhaps the immune system has removed enough of the virus to make it hard to detect , or maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after infection is too low to detect .
Sometimes the test is n't performed just right and so the results are less accurate .
When we receive a negative test , it is n't clear what to do .
Is the test a true negative or an error ?
And if accurate , that negative does not tell us if a patient has been infected and recovered or if the patient has never been infected at all .
Without that knowledge , it is impossible to know how much of the population has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough of the population is recovered to provide `` herd immunity . ''
Clearly , we need more than this PCR RNA testing if we are to move forward .
The other class of COVID-19 tests look for human antibodies to the coronavirus .
Antibodies are proteins made by the human body to target and neutralize the virus .
There are different types of antibodies , but most tests look for an antibody called IgM , which the body produces first , during active infection , and IgG , which the body creates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term immune response .
These tests have the benefit of being easy to perform , fast , and in many cases can be more accurate than PCR RNA .
The human body builds more and more antibodies as infection continues , which means that antibody testing becomes more accurate as time passes , unlike PCR .
There 's also the ability to demonstrate immunity .
In the case of many other infections , the identification of IgG in the blood indicates that a person is immune .
For example , with varicella zoster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shingles , as well as measles , mumps , rubella and hepatitis A ( just to name a few diseases ) the detection of IgG antibodies is proof of immunity .
In the case of COVID-19 , it is very likely , but not yet proven , that IgG will similarly demonstrate immunity .
We do not know how long that immunity will last , or whether the virus ' mutations will allow it to escape the immune system , like influenza does .
But the only way to know is to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have dismissed antibody testing as insufficiently accurate , with no role other than general population surveillance .
They have deferred wholesale to antigen testing .
The assumption of RT-PCR as being a `` gold standard '' must be clarified .
PCR technology is well established , but PCR nasal or oral swab for COVID-19 diagnosis is new and authorized under emergency like the serologic antibody tests .
However , the ability of either test to predict disease will vary on the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community , no matter how it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that testing for viral RNA alone has severe drawbacks -- a limited accuracy that can diminish over the course of illness and an inability to reveal anything about immune response .
Antibody response is also imperfect , but the caliber of antibody testing is improving , and when combined with RNA testing and clinical judgment , we can advance an understanding of the coronavirus impossible with the use of either test in isolation .
But antibody testing is key .
Only through a study of the body 's antibody response and through continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the important questions : Can we become immune ?
And can we prove immunity through intelligent testing ?
The right solution under the present crisis is to gain as much insight so we can make better informed decision .
Dr. Rashid A. Chotani is an infectious disease epidemiologist and chief science officer at CareLife Medical .
Dr. Syed S. Ashraf is a board-certified internist and managing partner at Carelife Medical .
Dr. Charles Mize is the chief medical officer for U.S. health defense and is an emergency medicine specialist .
Dr. Terry Clark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , executive vice president and chief medical officer for Boston Biopharma .

There are several tests available for COVID-19 and in isolation all of them fall short of the ideal. Image by Felipe Esquivel Reed/Wikimedia Commons
April 30 (UPI) -- Imagine yourself in one of these scenarios. First: you direct a food preparation and delivery service. You know that some of your employees have likely had COVID-19 in the past but many have not. Would it be safer to send out on delivery those who have recovered from infection and are no longer infectious? If so, how do you determine who they are? Second: You are in charge of immigration and tourism for an island country. You would love to have visitors, but not those that are going to bring the virus back on shore. How can you prove that those entering are not infected? Or are immune to infection? Advertisement
Last: You and your team of doctors and nurses need to treat highly contagious COVID-19 patients requiring life support. You know some of your team has likely had the infection and recovered. Would it be safer for the doctors and nurses who have recovered from infection to treat those who severely ill and contagious? And if so, how do you find them?
Advertisement
The solution to these problems and others like them is an "immunity passport," the demonstrated proof of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 by either recovery or vaccination. To find this proof, we need a test for both the virus and for immunity. The ideal test would be one that detected disease shortly after infection but before a patient became contagious -- and one that could demonstrate whether a patient had recovered from infection and was now immune.
There are several tests available for COVID-19 and in isolation all of them fall short of this ideal. However, we get much closer when we look at each test and fit them into a diagnostic framework built upon our growing understanding of the coronavirus and our immune response to it. What's more, joining different types of tests into a single approach provides us new insights into how COVID-19 behaves -- and how we can fight it.
The first available test and the test recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization is called Polymerase Chain Reaction testing. This testing -- also called antigen testing -- detects the virus' genetic code, or RNA, in a patient's nose or saliva. It is a simple concept and positive results are generally true.
Advertisement
But the test is far from perfect. It requires special training to perform, special equipment to process and exposes those conducting the test to the virus. Then there's the question of its accuracy. If we test too early or too late, the test can miss the virus. Perhaps the immune system has removed enough of the virus to make it hard to detect, or maybe the amount of virus during the days after infection is too low to detect.
Sometimes the test isn't performed just right and so the results are less accurate. When we receive a negative test, it isn't clear what to do. Is the test a true negative or an error? And if accurate, that negative does not tell us if a patient has been infected and recovered or if the patient has never been infected at all. Without that knowledge, it is impossible to know how much of the population has been infected and recovered, and if enough of the population is recovered to provide "herd immunity." Clearly, we need more than this PCR RNA testing if we are to move forward.
The other class of COVID-19 tests look for human antibodies to the coronavirus. Antibodies are proteins made by the human body to target and neutralize the virus. There are different types of antibodies, but most tests look for an antibody called IgM, which the body produces first, during active infection, and IgG, which the body creates later as part of a sustained, long-term immune response. These tests have the benefit of being easy to perform, fast, and in many cases can be more accurate than PCR RNA.
Advertisement
The human body builds more and more antibodies as infection continues, which means that antibody testing becomes more accurate as time passes, unlike PCR. There's also the ability to demonstrate immunity. In the case of many other infections, the identification of IgG in the blood indicates that a person is immune. For example, with varicella zoster, the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, as well as measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis A (just to name a few diseases) the detection of IgG antibodies is proof of immunity. In the case of COVID-19, it is very likely, but not yet proven, that IgG will similarly demonstrate immunity. We do not know how long that immunity will last, or whether the virus' mutations will allow it to escape the immune system, like influenza does. But the only way to know is to use these tests and study them.
Some have dismissed antibody testing as insufficiently accurate, with no role other than general population surveillance. They have deferred wholesale to antigen testing. The assumption of RT-PCR as being a "gold standard" must be clarified. PCR technology is well established, but PCR nasal or oral swab for COVID-19 diagnosis is new and authorized under emergency like the serologic antibody tests.
Advertisement
However, the ability of either test to predict disease will vary on the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, no matter how it is conducted. Moreover, we have seen that testing for viral RNA alone has severe drawbacks -- a limited accuracy that can diminish over the course of illness and an inability to reveal anything about immune response.
Antibody response is also imperfect, but the caliber of antibody testing is improving, and when combined with RNA testing and clinical judgment, we can advance an understanding of the coronavirus impossible with the use of either test in isolation. But antibody testing is key. Only through a study of the body's antibody response and through continued use of antibody testing will we answer the important questions: Can we become immune? And can we prove immunity through intelligent testing? The right solution under the present crisis is to gain as much insight so we can make better informed decision.
Dr. Rashid A. Chotani is an infectious disease epidemiologist and chief science officer at CareLife Medical. Dr. Syed S. Ashraf is a board-certified internist and managing partner at Carelife Medical. Dr. Charles Mize is the chief medical officer for U.S. health defense and is an emergency medicine specialist. Dr. Terry Clark is a general surgeon, Fulbright scholar, executive vice president and chief medical officer for Boston Biopharma.


upi--2020-04-30--Monoclonal antibody used for arthritis may help severe COVID-19, study suggests

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Tocilizumab , a drug used to treat some forms of arthritis , might be an effective treatment for those with severe cases of COVID-19 , according to the preliminary findings of a study published Wednesday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
The drug is a monoclonal antibody -- a cloned immune cell -- that is intended to bind to interleukin-6 , or IL-6 , a type of cytokine protein research suggests is part of an overactive immune response that causes serious illness in some of those infected with the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the researchers said , tocilizumab effectively works to disrupt this immune response , allowing patients to recover .
However , the authors , from China , emphasized that the findings are preliminary and need to be confirmed in a larger study .
The drug , made from cloned antibody cells , normally is used to treat autoimmune forms of arthritis , such as rheumatoid arthritis .
The current study looked at 21 patients with serious or critical illness from COVID-19 in Anhui Province .
The study participants were between 25 and 88 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had fever and evidence of lung lesions on CT scans , while 17 had abnormally low lymphocyte percentages and 20 had elevated levels of C-reactive protein , or CRP , an indicator of inflammation .
All but one of the study participants received oxygen therapy before tocilizumab treatment .
After treatment with tocilizumab , all patients ' body temperatures returned to normal on the first day and remained stable thereafter .
Within five days of treatment , 15 patients were able to reduce oxygen intake , and lung lesions were resolved in 19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authors wrote .
All participants were discharged between 10 and 31 days after treatment , and no side effects were reported .
COVID-19 , the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 , has sickened more than 3 million people worldwide , including more than 1 million in the United States .
The virus has killed more than 60,000 Americans to date , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Antibody-based therapies have been suggested as potential treatment for the disease after another study published last month by researchers in China found that blood plasma transfused from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The approach is based on the theory that people who have recovered from the disease develop antibodies to the virus -- present in their blood -- that foster immunity against it .
The World Health Organization , however , last week warned that evidence exists that people with antibodies are immune from being infected more than once .

A healthcare worker consults with a patients who arrives to be tested for Coronavirus in Yonkers, N.Y. on April 17. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
April 30 (UPI) -- Tocilizumab, a drug used to treat some forms of arthritis, might be an effective treatment for those with severe cases of COVID-19, according to the preliminary findings of a study published Wednesday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The drug is a monoclonal antibody -- a cloned immune cell -- that is intended to bind to interleukin-6, or IL-6, a type of cytokine protein research suggests is part of an overactive immune response that causes serious illness in some of those infected with the new coronavirus. Advertisement
By binding to IL-6, the researchers said, tocilizumab effectively works to disrupt this immune response, allowing patients to recover.
However, the authors, from China, emphasized that the findings are preliminary and need to be confirmed in a larger study.
The drug, made from cloned antibody cells, normally is used to treat autoimmune forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The current study looked at 21 patients with serious or critical illness from COVID-19 in Anhui Province. The study participants were between 25 and 88 years old.
Before treatment, all patients had fever and evidence of lung lesions on CT scans, while 17 had abnormally low lymphocyte percentages and 20 had elevated levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, an indicator of inflammation. All but one of the study participants received oxygen therapy before tocilizumab treatment.
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After treatment with tocilizumab, all patients' body temperatures returned to normal on the first day and remained stable thereafter. Within five days of treatment, 15 patients were able to reduce oxygen intake, and lung lesions were resolved in 19 patients after treatment, the study's authors wrote.
All participants were discharged between 10 and 31 days after treatment, and no side effects were reported.
COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has sickened more than 3 million people worldwide, including more than 1 million in the United States. The virus has killed more than 60,000 Americans to date, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Antibody-based therapies have been suggested as potential treatment for the disease after another study published last month by researchers in China found that blood plasma transfused from recovered patients seemed to resolve some symptoms.
The approach is based on the theory that people who have recovered from the disease develop antibodies to the virus -- present in their blood -- that foster immunity against it.
The World Health Organization, however, last week warned that evidence exists that people with antibodies may not be immune from being infected more than once.


upi--2020-04-30--Judge affirms White House plan to suspend visas for child migrants

April 30 ( UPI ) -- A U.S. district judge in Oregon declined late Wednesday to block a White House plan to suspend immigration visas for children of permanent migrant residents due to the coronavirus crisis .
Judge Michael H. Simon ruled against an emergency motion seeking the injunction , saying the plaintiffs -- the Innovation Law Lab , Justice Action Center and American Immigration Lawyers Association -- failed to make their case .
The regulation suspends visas for 60 days for undocumented children of migrants who are now permanent U.S. residents .
The rule is part of a larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago barring certain migrants from U.S. entry as a means to protect the economy from fallout created by the coronavirus pandemic .
`` Just because the court issued orders based on a complaint relating to the processing of immigrant visa applications , that does not mean that the court has the authority ... to stop enforcement of every immigration-related executive order , '' Simon wrote .
The same judge sided with the plaintiffs last fall by blocking a Trump order to deny migrants visas unless they buy health insurance or demonstrate they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Simon said the rule prevented poor migrants from entering the United States and was a violation of U.S. law .
In this case , he said plaintiffs failed to show a connection between the two orders .
Esther Sung , senior attorney for the Justice Action Center , said the new order is a `` Trojan horse '' to force through elements of his immigration policies that have stalled in federal courts .
`` The reality is that our economic recovery will depend on immigrants , '' Sung said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another attempt from the administration to bypass Congress and unconstitutionally obliterate our nation 's longstanding , family-based immigration system . ''

A migrant woman kisses her young son in the middle of the Rio Grande between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on October 26, 2019. File Photo by Justin Hamel/UPI | License Photo
April 30 (UPI) -- A U.S. district judge in Oregon declined late Wednesday to block a White House plan to suspend immigration visas for children of permanent migrant residents due to the coronavirus crisis. Judge Michael H. Simon ruled against an emergency motion seeking the injunction, saying the plaintiffs -- the Innovation Law Lab, Justice Action Center and American Immigration Lawyers Association -- failed to make their case. Advertisement
The regulation suspends visas for 60 days for undocumented children of migrants who are now permanent U.S. residents. The rule is part of a larger plan President Donald Trump announced a week ago barring certain migrants from U.S. entry as a means to protect the economy from fallout created by the coronavirus pandemic.
"Just because the court issued orders based on a complaint relating to the processing of immigrant visa applications, that does not mean that the court has the authority ... to stop enforcement of every immigration-related executive order," Simon wrote.
The same judge sided with the plaintiffs last fall by blocking a Trump order to deny migrants visas unless they buy health insurance or demonstrate they can cover medical costs. In that case, Simon said the rule prevented poor migrants from entering the United States and was a violation of U.S. law. In this case, he said plaintiffs failed to show a connection between the two orders.
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Esther Sung, senior attorney for the Justice Action Center, said the new order is a "Trojan horse" to force through elements of his immigration policies that have stalled in federal courts.
"The reality is that our economic recovery will depend on immigrants," Sung said in a statement last week."It's yet another attempt from the administration to bypass Congress and unconstitutionally obliterate our nation's longstanding, family-based immigration system."


upi--2020-04-30--Serena Williams, Ryan Tannehill, Gigi Hadid to play in 'Mario Tennis' matches for $1M

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Tennis star Serena Williams , Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill and supermodel Gigi Hadid are among the celebrities set to participate in a Mario Tennis Aces tournament for a $ 1 million prize .
The Stay at Home Slam on Nintendo Switch will stream to a live audience at 4 p.m. EDT Sunday on Facebook Gaming and the IMG Tennis Facebook page .
Each participant will receive $ 25,000 donated to the charity of their choice related to COVID-19 relief efforts .
The winner of the tournament will receive an additional $ 1 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be played doubles style , with former tennis star John McEnroe and YouTube star iJustine ( Justine Ezarik ) as commentators .
The field of 16 celebrities also includes : Venus Williams ; Maria Sharapova ; Naomi Osaka ; Kei Nishikori ; Kevin Anderson ; Madison Keys ; Taylor Fritz ; DeAndre Hopkins ; Hailey Bieber ; Karlie Kloss ; Steve Aoki ; Seal ; and Addison Rae .
IMG announced the virtual tennis tournament Wednesday .
Mario Tennis Aces features Mario in tennis battles against several characters from the Mushroom Kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peach and Bowser .
Doubles partners include : Serena and Hadid ; Osaka and Bieber ; Venus and Hopkins ; Sharapova and Kloss ; Nishikori and Aoki ; Key sand Seal ; Fritz and Rae ; and Anderson and Tannehill .
`` I am proud our IMG tennis clients came together so quickly to support a multitude of great causes , '' said Max Eisenbud , SVP of tennis clients at IMG .
`` It is a testament to the people we work with across all our divisions that we were able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short amount of time . ''

Serena Williams (pictured) will team up with supermodel Gigi Hadid in the Stay at Home Slam at 4 p.m. EDT Sunday on the Facebook Gaming and IMG Tennis Facebook pages. File Photo by Ray Stubblebine/UPI | License Photo
April 30 (UPI) -- Tennis star Serena Williams, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill and supermodel Gigi Hadid are among the celebrities set to participate in a Mario Tennis Aces tournament for a $1 million prize. The Stay at Home Slam on Nintendo Switch will stream to a live audience at 4 p.m. EDT Sunday on Facebook Gaming and the IMG Tennis Facebook page. Each participant will receive $25,000 donated to the charity of their choice related to COVID-19 relief efforts. The winner of the tournament will receive an additional $1 million donation for a charity. Advertisement
The tournament will be played doubles style, with former tennis star John McEnroe and YouTube star iJustine (Justine Ezarik) as commentators.
The field of 16 celebrities also includes: Venus Williams; Maria Sharapova; Naomi Osaka; Kei Nishikori; Kevin Anderson; Madison Keys; Taylor Fritz; DeAndre Hopkins; Hailey Bieber; Karlie Kloss; Steve Aoki; Seal; and Addison Rae.
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IMG announced the virtual tennis tournament Wednesday. Mario Tennis Aces features Mario in tennis battles against several characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, including Luigi, Donkey Kong, Peach and Bowser.
Doubles partners include: Serena and Hadid; Osaka and Bieber; Venus and Hopkins; Sharapova and Kloss; Nishikori and Aoki; Key sand Seal; Fritz and Rae; and Anderson and Tannehill.
"I am proud our IMG tennis clients came together so quickly to support a multitude of great causes," said Max Eisenbud, SVP of tennis clients at IMG. "It is a testament to the people we work with across all our divisions that we were able to bring this to life in such a short amount of time."


upi--2020-04-30--AEW Dynamite: Cody, Lance Archer advance to tournament final

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Cody and Lance Archer advanced to the final round in the TNT Championship Tournament on AEW Dynamite .
Cody , on Wednesday , faced off against Darby Allin in a semi final match .
The American Nightmare came to the ring with his wife , Brandi Rhodes .
Cody , early on , tweaked his knee which Allin took advantage of for the rest of the bout .
The battle quickly moved to the outside ring area where Allin inadvertently tackled Brandi Rhodes into a barricade after Cody stepped away from his attack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the highly-competitive match continued .
Allin continued targeting Cody 's knee and Dr. Britt Baker , who was watching the action from behind the barricade , attacked Cody with her shoe .
Allin would use Cody 's own finishing move against him , the Cross Rhodes , but it was n't enough .
Cody would eventually respond with his own Cross Rhodes but Allin kicked out .
Cody then copied Allin 's move the Coffin Drop but Allin countered it by raising his knees up .
Allin tried to finish things with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , Cody was able to suddenly roll Allin up afterwards and pin him for the three count .
Archer faced Cody 's brother Dustin Rhodes in the second semi final match .
Dustin Rhodes was also accompanied to the ring by Brandi Rhodes .
Dustin Rhodes gave Archer his toughest fight in AEW yet but The Murderhawk Monster still dominated the majority of the bout .
Dustin Rhodes started bleeding from the top of his head after Archer kicked a steel chair into his face .
Archer continued to punish Dustin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squared circle with his blood .
Archer removed the top turnbuckle pad and then smashed Dustin Rhodes ' face into it multiple times .
QT Marshall arrived onto the scene and contemplated throwing in the towel but Cody stopped him and attempted to motivate his brother into getting back into the match .
Archer ended things by slamming Dustin Rhodes ' head into the mat and then squeezed his forehead as the ref counted to three .
Archer stared down Cody as AEW went off the air .
Cody and Archer will battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Nothing pay-per-view event on May 23 .
Also on Dynamite , the third installment of Chris Jericho 's The Bubby Bunch aired which also featured Inner Circle members , Sammy Guevara , Jake Hager , Santana and Ortiz video chatting with each other from home .
The Inner Circle played a game known as Manitoba Melee , a virtual brawl where each member would attack the screen and another would act like they got hit before delivering their own blow .
The Manitoba Melee featured a number of cameos from fellow AEW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional wrestling personalities Vickie Guerrero and Virgil and celebrities Lou Ferrigno , Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes , among others .
Other moments from Dynamite included Wardlow defeating Musa ; MJF announcing that he will return next week ; Best Friends with Orange Cassidy defeating Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian with Penelope Ford in a No Disqualification match ; Baker discussing what it takes to be role model from her dentist office ; Shawn Spears defeating Baron Black ; The Exalted One Brodie Lee defeating Marko Stunt ; and AEW World Champion Jon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` Tough times never last forever and I promise one day , we will all be back together , and I will be bleeding and swearing in a seas of fans once again , '' Moxley said before demanding that fans do n't forget to call their grandmother .

April 30 (UPI) -- Cody and Lance Archer advanced to the final round in the TNT Championship Tournament on AEW Dynamite.
Cody, on Wednesday, faced off against Darby Allin in a semi final match. The American Nightmare came to the ring with his wife, Brandi Rhodes. Cody, early on, tweaked his knee which Allin took advantage of for the rest of the bout.
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The battle quickly moved to the outside ring area where Allin inadvertently tackled Brandi Rhodes into a barricade after Cody stepped away from his attack.
Cody, now upset, fought harder as the highly-competitive match continued. Allin continued targeting Cody's knee and Dr. Britt Baker, who was watching the action from behind the barricade, attacked Cody with her shoe.
Allin would use Cody's own finishing move against him, the Cross Rhodes, but it wasn't enough. Cody would eventually respond with his own Cross Rhodes but Allin kicked out. Cody then copied Allin's move the Coffin Drop but Allin countered it by raising his knees up.
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Allin tried to finish things with his own Coffin Drop which connected successfully, however, Cody was able to suddenly roll Allin up afterwards and pin him for the three count.
Archer faced Cody's brother Dustin Rhodes in the second semi final match. Dustin Rhodes was also accompanied to the ring by Brandi Rhodes.
Dustin Rhodes gave Archer his toughest fight in AEW yet but The Murderhawk Monster still dominated the majority of the bout.
Dustin Rhodes started bleeding from the top of his head after Archer kicked a steel chair into his face. Archer continued to punish Dustin Rhodes inside the ring, filling the squared circle with his blood.
Archer removed the top turnbuckle pad and then smashed Dustin Rhodes' face into it multiple times. QT Marshall arrived onto the scene and contemplated throwing in the towel but Cody stopped him and attempted to motivate his brother into getting back into the match.
Archer ended things by slamming Dustin Rhodes' head into the mat and then squeezed his forehead as the ref counted to three. Archer stared down Cody as AEW went off the air.
Cody and Archer will battle for the TNT Championship at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event on May 23.
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Also on Dynamite, the third installment of Chris Jericho's The Bubby Bunch aired which also featured Inner Circle members, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz video chatting with each other from home.
The Inner Circle played a game known as Manitoba Melee, a virtual brawl where each member would attack the screen and another would act like they got hit before delivering their own blow.
The Manitoba Melee featured a number of cameos from fellow AEW stars Jungle Boy and Sonny Kiss, professional wrestling personalities Vickie Guerrero and Virgil and celebrities Lou Ferrigno, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, among others.
Other moments from Dynamite included Wardlow defeating Musa; MJF announcing that he will return next week; Best Friends with Orange Cassidy defeating Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian with Penelope Ford in a No Disqualification match; Baker discussing what it takes to be role model from her dentist office; Shawn Spears defeating Baron Black; The Exalted One Brodie Lee defeating Marko Stunt; and AEW World Champion Jon Moxley giving fans words of encouragement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"Tough times never last forever and I promise one day, we will all be back together, and I will be bleeding and swearing in a seas of fans once again," Moxley said before demanding that fans don't forget to call their grandmother.


upi--2020-04-30--Democratic candidate Joe Biden forms selection committee to choose running mate

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden formed a selection committee Thursday that will ultimately help him choose a vice presidential running mate .
Biden 's campaign announced the new four-person panel includes Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd , Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester , Los Angeles Mayor and campaign co-chair Eric Garcetti and former White House counsel Cynthia Hogan .
`` These four co-chairs reflect the strength and diversity of our party , and will provide tremendous insight and expertise to what will be a rigorous selection and vetting process , '' campaign manager Jen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are grateful for their service to the campaign and for their leadership . ''
Former White House counsel Bob Bauer , Biden campaign attorney Dana Remus and former homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco will also aid in the selection .
Biden said last month his running mate will be a woman , and many names have been floated as possible candidates to join the ticket .
Sens .
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California have both said they would be interested .
Another former candidate , Minnesota Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some Democratic activists are urging Biden to add a minority woman to the ticket , such as Harris or former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams .
Also thought to be high on the list of candidates is Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (L) and Kamala Harris of California, seen here with Biden at a Democratic primary debate in Houston on September 12, 2019, have been mentioned as possible vice presidential candidates who could join the party's 2020 ticket. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
April 30 (UPI) -- Presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden formed a selection committee Thursday that will ultimately help him choose a vice presidential running mate. Biden's campaign announced the new four-person panel includes Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Los Angeles Mayor and campaign co-chair Eric Garcetti and former White House counsel Cynthia Hogan. Advertisement
"These four co-chairs reflect the strength and diversity of our party, and will provide tremendous insight and expertise to what will be a rigorous selection and vetting process," campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement. "We are grateful for their service to the campaign and for their leadership."
Former White House counsel Bob Bauer, Biden campaign attorney Dana Remus and former homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco will also aid in the selection.
Biden said last month his running mate will be a woman, and many names have been floated as possible candidates to join the ticket. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California have both said they would be interested. Another former candidate, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, has also been mentioned.
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Some Democratic activists are urging Biden to add a minority woman to the ticket, such as Harris or former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Also thought to be high on the list of candidates is Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.


upi--2020-04-30--Google brings back Clara Rockmore music game in latest Doodle

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Google has re-released its 2016 music game based on music performer Clara Rockmore in the latest Doodle .
Google 's homepage features the letter `` G '' in the company 's logo singing indoors using Rockmore 's gesture-controlled instrument the theremin .
Musical notes replace the letter `` O '' and a cat is sleeping nearby .
The interactive game tasks users with playing a melody by dragging the mouse through various notes in a specific order .
Afterwards , Rockmore performs onstage in an animated video .
Rockmore , despite electronic music being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1930s , performed as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic , the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony .
Google will continue to re-release past Doodle games as many stay indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The company re-released its 2017 music game based on filmmaker and abstract animator Oskar Fischinger on Wednesday .
`` As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world , people and families everywhere are spending more time at home .
In light of this , we 're launching a throwback Doodle series looking back at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games , Google said .

Google is once again featuring its music game based around Clara Rockmore in the latest Doodle. The company will feature old Doodle games in the coming days. Image courtesy of Google
April 30 (UPI) -- Google has re-released its 2016 music game based on music performer Clara Rockmore in the latest Doodle. Google's homepage features the letter "G" in the company's logo singing indoors using Rockmore's gesture-controlled instrument the theremin. Musical notes replace the letter "O" and a cat is sleeping nearby. Advertisement
The interactive game tasks users with playing a melody by dragging the mouse through various notes in a specific order. Afterwards, Rockmore performs onstage in an animated video.
Rockmore, despite electronic music being uncommon in formal music settings in the 1930s, performed as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony.
Google will continue to re-release past Doodle games as many stay indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company re-released its 2017 music game based on filmmaker and abstract animator Oskar Fischinger on Wednesday.
"As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we're launching a throwback Doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games, Google said.


upi--2020-04-30--Canadian military helicopter crashes in Mediterranean off Greece

April 30 ( UPI ) -- A Canadian military helicopter that was involved in NATO exercises has crashed off the coast of Greece , government officials said Thursday .
The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter had been involved in Operation Reassurance in Central and Eastern Europe to reinforce collective NATO defense when it went down .
It had been deployed upon the HMCS Fredericton and lost contact during allied exercises off the Greek coastline .
The Greek National Defense General Staff said Thursday a search and rescue operation is underway .
Greek state television ERT reported wreckage had been located in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't initially reported how many crew were aboard the twin-engine helicopter .
Wednesday night , the Canadian military and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the crash .
`` The CAF confirms we have contacted all primary family members of those who were on board the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter that was involved in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea , '' the military tweeted .
The CH-148 Cyclone is a modified military version of the Sikorsky S-92 that was manufactured specifically for the Canadian Armed Forces .
It is used mainly by the Royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Royal Canadian Navy .
The helicopter was introduced into service in 2018 .

State television said debris from the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter had been located in the waters off Cephalonia. Photo courtesy Dennis Jarvis/ Wikimedia Commons
April 30 (UPI) -- A Canadian military helicopter that was involved in NATO exercises has crashed off the coast of Greece, government officials said Thursday. The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter had been involved in Operation Reassurance in Central and Eastern Europe to reinforce collective NATO defense when it went down. It had been deployed upon the HMCS Fredericton and lost contact during allied exercises off the Greek coastline. Advertisement
The Greek National Defense General Staff said Thursday a search and rescue operation is underway. Greek state television ERT reported wreckage had been located in the waters off Cephalonia.
It wasn't initially reported how many crew were aboard the twin-engine helicopter.
Wednesday night, the Canadian military and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the crash.
"The CAF confirms we have contacted all primary family members of those who were on board the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter that was involved in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea," the military tweeted.
The CH-148 Cyclone is a modified military version of the Sikorsky S-92 that was manufactured specifically for the Canadian Armed Forces. It is used mainly by the Royal Canadian Air Force but is also available to the Royal Canadian Navy. The helicopter was introduced into service in 2018.
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upi--2020-04-30--Germany designates Hezbollah a 'terrorist organization'

April 30 ( UPI ) -- Germany on Thursday banned activities by the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group and designated it a terrorist organization .
Spokesman Steve Alter said interior minister Horst Seehofer outlawed the Iran-backed militant group he called a `` Shiite terrorist organization . ''
He said police raids in several states early Thursday targeted group operations .
`` The rule of law can also act in times of crisis , '' he said .
Jeremy Issacharoff , Israel 's ambassador to Germany , said Jerusalem welcomed the ban as an `` extremely significant and meaningful step by Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure by Germany is also important given the ongoing attempts by Hezbollah to threaten Israel and undermine regional stability , '' Issacharoff said .
`` This decision , that is already being implemented on the ground by the German police , should be adopted by all members of the European Union . ''
The United States and Israel have long pushed Germany to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization .
During a visit to Germany last fall by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , German foreign minister Heiko Maas told reporters his government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American officials and was looking for `` a European answer . ''
`` We have been witnessing developments in the region and in Lebanon that gives us cause to be seriously concerned , '' Maas said .
`` And , as I said , we will be engaging with our European partners with an eye to a possible listing of Hezbollah , but this presupposes European unanimity . ''
German Parliament passed a motion in December urging Chancellor Angela Merkel 's government to ban the militant group .
Britain barred Hezbollah last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so after the Netherlands .
Canada added the group to its terror list in 2002 .
The United States designated it a foreign terrorist group in 1997 and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist four years later .
The European Union has designated Hezbollah 's military wing as a terrorist organization but not its political arm .
The American Jewish Committee urged the EU to label Hezbollah 's political faction a terrorist organization .
`` Permitting its 'political ' wing to operate on European soil allows for active recruitment , fundraising and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention sending a European message of hesitation and indecisiveness , '' AJC CEO David Harris said in a statement .

The German interior minister said police raids in several states targeted Hezbollah activities. File Photo by Clemens Bilan/EPA-EFE
April 30 (UPI) -- Germany on Thursday banned activities by the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group and designated it a terrorist organization. Spokesman Steve Alter said interior minister Horst Seehofer outlawed the Iran-backed militant group he called a "Shiite terrorist organization." He said police raids in several states early Thursday targeted group operations. Advertisement
"The rule of law can also act in times of crisis," he said.
Jeremy Issacharoff, Israel's ambassador to Germany, said Jerusalem welcomed the ban as an "extremely significant and meaningful step by Germany" in fighting terrorism.
"This measure by Germany is also important given the ongoing attempts by Hezbollah to threaten Israel and undermine regional stability," Issacharoff said. "This decision, that is already being implemented on the ground by the German police, should be adopted by all members of the European Union."
The United States and Israel have long pushed Germany to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
During a visit to Germany last fall by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, German foreign minister Heiko Maas told reporters his government had discussed the issue with Israeli and American officials and was looking for "a European answer."
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"We have been witnessing developments in the region and in Lebanon that gives us cause to be seriously concerned," Maas said. "And, as I said, we will be engaging with our European partners with an eye to a possible listing of Hezbollah, but this presupposes European unanimity."
German Parliament passed a motion in December urging Chancellor Angela Merkel's government to ban the militant group.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "commended" Germany for the move.
"Obstructing this terrorist organization's ability to plot terrorist attacks and to raise money will further reduce Iran's malign behavior and influence," he said in a statement.
Britain barred Hezbollah last year and was the second European country to do so after the Netherlands. Canada added the group to its terror list in 2002. The United States designated it a foreign terrorist group in 1997 and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist four years later.
The European Union has designated Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist organization but not its political arm.
The American Jewish Committee urged the EU to label Hezbollah's political faction a terrorist organization.
"Permitting its 'political' wing to operate on European soil allows for active recruitment, fundraising and the poisonous spread of antisemitism, not to mention sending a European message of hesitation and indecisiveness," AJC CEO David Harris said in a statement.