upi--2020-05-27--Bertha weakens to a depression as it spreads heavy rain over Carolinas

May 27 ( UPI ) -- Still days away from the official start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and the Southeast coast of the U.S. on Wednesday was dealing with its second named tropical system in less than two weeks .
A disturbance that left Miami streets underwater over the Memorial Day weekend rapidly strengthened off of the South Carolina coast Tuesday night and was named Tropical Storm Bertha for several hours on Wednesday .
Unlike Tropical Storm Arthur , which flirted with the North Carolina coast on May 18 before making a right turn and heading out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the South Carolina coast about 20 miles east of Charleston .
Satellite and radar images showed a definitive spin near the center of the system just offshore of the South Carolina coast during Wednesday morning , a sign that the tropical storm was forming .
Winds offshore were sustained in the 35 mph to 40 mph range with gusts between 40 mph and 50 mph early Wednesday morning .
A tropical storm has sustained winds of 39 mph or greater .
Based on this , and the visible circulation , the National Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bertha just prior to 8 a.m. Bertha made landfall around 9:30 a.m. about 20 miles east of Charleston with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph .
On the AccuWeather RealImpactScale for Hurricanes , Bertha is categorized as less than 1 with minimal impact from wind .
Flooding is the greatest concern for lives and property at this point .
The feature will bring heavy rain , rough seas , dangerous rip currents and even coastal flooding from the upper coast of South Carolina to the coastal areas of North Carolina into Wednesday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bertha will weaken upon moving well inland with the center of the soon-to-be tropical rainstorm to travel northward and roughly along the Interstate 77 corridor in North Carolina and Virginia .
`` Interaction with land and fast movement will be a great limiting factor with this feature , but the main impact will be a continuation of heavy rain moving forward during the middle of the week over the Carolinas then to some extent farther north over the central Appalachians from later Wednesday night to Thursday , '' AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 3 inches of rain is forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 8 inches over the Carolinas and southwestern Virginia through Wednesday night .
A significant amount of this rain may fall in a matter of a few hours , especially along the coast .
That intensity of rainfall can be enough to trigger flash flooding , including in cities such as Charleston and Myrtle Beach , S.C. , and Fayetteville , Charlotte , Wilmington and Winston-Salem , N.C. '' The problem is this rain will fall on saturated ground from prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be flooding problems all the way from the Carolina coast to at least southwestern Virginia and West Virginia , '' according to AccuWeather meteorologist Randy Adkins .
Heavy rain from Bertha can not only lead to rapid flooding of small streams and at intersections in urban areas , but also significant rises on area rivers .
Torrential rainfall associated from the same storm system produced flooding in South Florida over Memorial Day weekend .
Streets were left inundated across Miami after the downpours struck .
Miami picked up 7.43 inches of rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone , Miami picked up an additional 7.40 inches of rain , 6.35 inches of which fell over the course of 2 hours .
The city has now recorded 18.88 inches of rain during May , more than triple the normal rainfall for the month .
West Palm Beach , Fla. , shattered its daily rainfall record on Monday when 4.44 inches poured down , beating the old record of 1.14 inches set on May 25 , 2018 .
Fort Lauderdale , Fla. , also recorded a new record rainfall on Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily record of 3.51 inches set in 1970 .
As the feature continues to lift northward , lesser rainfall is forecast over West Virginia , Virginia , western Maryland , central and western Pennsylvania and central New York state from later Wednesday night to Thursday evening .
Even though rainfall in the Northeast may be unremarkable in terms of amount , it could certainly spoil the summerlike weather pattern that has developed and limit the duration of sunshine .
The downpours could also briefly become heavy enough to slow travel on the highways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few extreme cases over the Northeast .
Not since 2016 have there been two named tropical systems prior to the official start of hurricane season , which is June 1 .
During 2016 , Alex formed over the central Atlantic during the middle of January , while Bonnie did not follow until late May .
In 2012 , there were two tropical storms , Alberto and Beryl that formed in May .
These storms formed just off the southern Atlantic coast , similar to that of this May .
Alberto never made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , Beryl did move onshore , just like Bertha will soon do .
Are there any other tropical systems on deck ?
AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to monitor a couple of areas in the nearby tropics for trouble into early June as well .
One area of interest will be on the western side of Central America late this week to this weekend .
`` A near-coast tropical depression or storm over the Eastern Pacific could come about and pester areas from Costa Rica to Guatemala , '' Kottlowski said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowly-spinning unsettled conditions , known as a tropical gyre , will develop around Central America over the next week or two , '' he explained .
This large area of disturbed weather can sometimes assist with the spin up of tropical systems on the Pacific and Atlantic sides .
`` There has been some indication that a tropical system may spin up over the western Caribbean Sea to near the Yucatan Peninsula sometime during the first week of June , '' Kottlowski said .
`` But , this far out it is something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
While waters are plenty warm in the region to support a tropical storm , there are other considerations , such as wind shear , or changing wind speeds or direction with altitude , which may prevent a disturbance from developing in the first place .
`` Should multiple computer models get on board with development and those models become fairly consistent with development then we may have something to be concerned about , '' Kottlowski explained .
Development during June in the Atlantic basin typically occurs from the western Caribbean through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few hundred miles along the southeastern coast of the United States .
The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season is on June 1 , but there has already been a tropical storm , Arthur , in the basin .
Arthur formed on May 16 and a couple of days later grazed the coast of North Carolina with gusty winds , drenching rainfall and rough seas , but Arthur never made an official landfall .
Following Bertha , the next name on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic for the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecasters remained concerned for a busy Atlantic hurricane season , which includes the likelihood of several significant storms of impact on the U.S. amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
Concerns for the new coronavirus were already complicating plans for hurricane shelters as officials prepared for the hurricane season ahead .

The storm will bring heavy rain, rough seas, dangerous rip currents and even coastal flooding from the upper coast of South Carolina to the coastal areas of North Carolina into Wednesday night. Image courtesy of NOAA
May 27 (UPI) -- Still days away from the official start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and the Southeast coast of the U.S. on Wednesday was dealing with its second named tropical system in less than two weeks. A disturbance that left Miami streets underwater over the Memorial Day weekend rapidly strengthened off of the South Carolina coast Tuesday night and was named Tropical Storm Bertha for several hours on Wednesday. Advertisement
Unlike Tropical Storm Arthur, which flirted with the North Carolina coast on May 18 before making a right turn and heading out to sea, Bertha made landfall Wednesday on the South Carolina coast about 20 miles east of Charleston.
Satellite and radar images showed a definitive spin near the center of the system just offshore of the South Carolina coast during Wednesday morning, a sign that the tropical storm was forming. Winds offshore were sustained in the 35 mph to 40 mph range with gusts between 40 mph and 50 mph early Wednesday morning. A tropical storm has sustained winds of 39 mph or greater. Based on this, and the visible circulation, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the feature to Tropical Storm Bertha just prior to 8 a.m.
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Bertha made landfall around 9:30 a.m. about 20 miles east of Charleston with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. On the AccuWeather RealImpactScale for Hurricanes, Bertha is categorized as less than 1 with minimal impact from wind. Flooding is the greatest concern for lives and property at this point.
The feature will bring heavy rain, rough seas, dangerous rip currents and even coastal flooding from the upper coast of South Carolina to the coastal areas of North Carolina into Wednesday night.
During Wednesday afternoon and night, Bertha will weaken upon moving well inland with the center of the soon-to-be tropical rainstorm to travel northward and roughly along the Interstate 77 corridor in North Carolina and Virginia.
"Interaction with land and fast movement will be a great limiting factor with this feature, but the main impact will be a continuation of heavy rain moving forward during the middle of the week over the Carolinas then to some extent farther north over the central Appalachians from later Wednesday night to Thursday," AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
A general 1 inch to 3 inches of rain is forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 8 inches over the Carolinas and southwestern Virginia through Wednesday night.
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A significant amount of this rain may fall in a matter of a few hours, especially along the coast. That intensity of rainfall can be enough to trigger flash flooding, including in cities such as Charleston and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Fayetteville, Charlotte, Wilmington and Winston-Salem, N.C.
"The problem is this rain will fall on saturated ground from prior heavy rainfall this month, so there could be flooding problems all the way from the Carolina coast to at least southwestern Virginia and West Virginia," according to AccuWeather meteorologist Randy Adkins.
Heavy rain from Bertha can not only lead to rapid flooding of small streams and at intersections in urban areas, but also significant rises on area rivers.
Torrential rainfall associated from the same storm system produced flooding in South Florida over Memorial Day weekend. Streets were left inundated across Miami after the downpours struck. Miami picked up 7.43 inches of rain over the holiday weekend. On Tuesday alone, Miami picked up an additional 7.40 inches of rain, 6.35 inches of which fell over the course of 2 hours. The city has now recorded 18.88 inches of rain during May, more than triple the normal rainfall for the month.
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West Palm Beach, Fla., shattered its daily rainfall record on Monday when 4.44 inches poured down, beating the old record of 1.14 inches set on May 25, 2018. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., also recorded a new record rainfall on Monday, with 4.03 inches, breaking the old daily record of 3.51 inches set in 1970.
As the feature continues to lift northward, lesser rainfall is forecast over West Virginia, Virginia, western Maryland, central and western Pennsylvania and central New York state from later Wednesday night to Thursday evening.
Even though rainfall in the Northeast may be unremarkable in terms of amount, it could certainly spoil the summerlike weather pattern that has developed and limit the duration of sunshine. The downpours could also briefly become heavy enough to slow travel on the highways and lead to brief urban flooding in a few extreme cases over the Northeast.
Not since 2016 have there been two named tropical systems prior to the official start of hurricane season, which is June 1. During 2016, Alex formed over the central Atlantic during the middle of January, while Bonnie did not follow until late May. In 2012, there were two tropical storms, Alberto and Beryl that formed in May. These storms formed just off the southern Atlantic coast, similar to that of this May. Alberto never made landfall, like Arthur from this year. However, Beryl did move onshore, just like Bertha will soon do.
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Are there any other tropical systems on deck?
AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to monitor a couple of areas in the nearby tropics for trouble into early June as well.
One area of interest will be on the western side of Central America late this week to this weekend.
"A near-coast tropical depression or storm over the Eastern Pacific could come about and pester areas from Costa Rica to Guatemala," Kottlowski said.
"It appears a broad area of slowly-spinning unsettled conditions, known as a tropical gyre, will develop around Central America over the next week or two," he explained.
This large area of disturbed weather can sometimes assist with the spin up of tropical systems on the Pacific and Atlantic sides.
"There has been some indication that a tropical system may spin up over the western Caribbean Sea to near the Yucatan Peninsula sometime during the first week of June," Kottlowski said. "But, this far out it is something we will just keep an eye on."
While waters are plenty warm in the region to support a tropical storm, there are other considerations, such as wind shear, or changing wind speeds or direction with altitude, which may prevent a disturbance from developing in the first place.
Advertisement
"Should multiple computer models get on board with development and those models become fairly consistent with development then we may have something to be concerned about," Kottlowski explained.
Development during June in the Atlantic basin typically occurs from the western Caribbean through the Gulf of Mexico and within a few hundred miles along the southeastern coast of the United States.
The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season is on June 1, but there has already been a tropical storm, Arthur, in the basin. Arthur formed on May 16 and a couple of days later grazed the coast of North Carolina with gusty winds, drenching rainfall and rough seas, but Arthur never made an official landfall.
Following Bertha, the next name on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic for the 2020 season is Cristobal.
AccuWeather's long-range forecasters remained concerned for a busy Atlantic hurricane season, which includes the likelihood of several significant storms of impact on the U.S. amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns for the new coronavirus were already complicating plans for hurricane shelters as officials prepared for the hurricane season ahead.


upi--2020-05-27--Anthony Fauci says hydroxychloroquine ineffective as coronavirus treatment

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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks to reporters at the White House on April 16. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
May 27 (UPI) -- Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that hydroxychloroquine, a drug President Donald Trump said he has taken to ward off the coronavirus, is not an effective treatment based on the latest scientific data. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made his most definitive statement yet against the drug once touted by Trump as a possible treatment. Advertisement
"The scientific data is really quite evident now about the lack of efficacy," Fauci, the White House's top infectious disease expert, said.
His statement comes on the heels of France banning the drug altogether Wednesday and the internationally respected science journal The Lancet publishing a 96,000-patient study that concluded hydroxychloroquine had no effect on COVID-19. But that study was retracted by the authors on Thursday over questions of the validity of the data.
France's decision was published in the country's official legal journal, ending the drug's use as a weapon in the pandemic just weeks after French epidemiologist Dr. Didier Raoult recommended it as a key tool against the coronavirus disease.
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Tuesday, the French High Council of Public Health and National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products said hydroxychloroquine has shown higher rates of death and cardiac arrhythmia in COVID-19 patients.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran ordered the assessments last weekend after the study in The Lancet. The study also reported increased death rates and irregular heartbeat among COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine.
The World Health Organization said Monday it paused medical trials involving the drug.
On Wednesday, Mike Ryan, the executive director of WHO's emergencies program, said there's no evidence hydroxychloroquine and related drug chloroquine work to treat COVID-19.
"There is no empirical evidence at this point that these drugs work in this case either for treatment or for prophylaxis," he said. "We do not advise the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 outside randomized control trials or under appropriate close clinical supervision subject to whatever national regulatory authorities have decided."
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been used as anti-malarial drugs for decades and are sometimes used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Trump and others have said hydroxychloroquine could be a potential treatment for COVID-19 or to prevent infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Heart Association, however, have warned that using it without medical supervision can lead to a greater risk of cardiac arrest.
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This story has been updated to reflect that a study published in The Lancet was retracted.
U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-05-27--Woman wins $127,000 jackpot using money from making face masks

May 27 ( UPI ) -- An Oregon woman who took up sewing face masks when she was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic said the money from her efforts scored her a $ 127,000 lottery jackpot .
Lorna Hewitt of Sisters told Oregon Lottery officials she was laid off from her job at a restaurant due to the coronavirus crisis , so she took a part-time job at a grocery store .
Hewitt said she started sewing face masks for her co-workers at the store .
`` They liked them so much , they started giving me some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So , I started selling them , because my boss could n't order any more , there was a shortage . ''
Hewitt said she used some money from her side business to buy a Keno 8-spot ticket from Sister 's Main Line .
`` I do n't play a lot , but thought I was doing something to help , maybe I would win , '' she said .
Hewitt won a total $ 126,789 , which she said left her feeling a little guilty .
`` I was making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I just happen to get in at a good time , '' she said .
The winner said she plans to use some of her winnings to buy more mask-making supplies so she can continue to give back to the community .
`` My masks are popular , and I want to keep making them -- and maybe some other things , '' she said .

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May 27 (UPI) -- An Oregon woman who took up sewing face masks when she was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic said the money from her efforts scored her a $127,000 lottery jackpot.
Lorna Hewitt of Sisters told Oregon Lottery officials she was laid off from her job at a restaurant due to the coronavirus crisis, so she took a part-time job at a grocery store.
Advertisement
Hewitt said she started sewing face masks for her co-workers at the store.
"They liked them so much, they started giving me some money for them," Hewitt said. "So, I started selling them, because my boss couldn't order any more, there was a shortage."
Hewitt said she used some money from her side business to buy a Keno 8-spot ticket from Sister's Main Line.
"I don't play a lot, but thought I was doing something to help, maybe I would win," she said.
Hewitt won a total $126,789, which she said left her feeling a little guilty.
"I was making the masks with fabric I already had, and I just happen to get in at a good time," she said.
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The winner said she plans to use some of her winnings to buy more mask-making supplies so she can continue to give back to the community.
"My masks are popular, and I want to keep making them -- and maybe some other things," she said.


upi--2020-05-27--Florida's Disney, SeaWorld parks to reopen in June and July

May 27 ( UPI ) -- The Walt Disney Company and SeaWorld announced plans Wednesday to reopen their Florida theme parks over the next two months .
Thomas Smith , editorial content director of Disney Parks , said Magic Kingdom Park and Disney 's Animal Kingdom will begin a phased reopening July 11 , pending an approval by Florida and Orange County .
EPCOT and Disney 's Hollywood Studios will open July 15 under the preliminary plan .
`` In preparing to reopen during this unusual time , we have to manage our theme parks in a very different way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Smith said in a statement .
`` As we begin to reach out to our cast members and call them back to work , they will be focused on operating our parks in a responsible way that continues to give our guests opportunities to create magical Disney memories . ''
Marc Swanson , interim CEO of SeaWorld , told Central Florida leaders at a meeting Wednesday that SeaWorld , Discovery Cove and Aquatica will reopen June 11 .
Disney closed the Walt Disney World Resort parks as well as its theme parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time many states began banning large gatherings of people amid the rising coronavirus spread .
Under the phased reopening plans , the parks will limit attendance to enforce social distancing guidelines .
To that end , large group gatherings for events such as parades and nighttime spectaculars will not immediately take place .
To manage attendance , Walt Disney World Resort will implement reservations for park entrance in advance and is pausing new ticket sales and hotel reservations to focus on allowing entrance for customers will existing tickets and reservations .
While characters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other `` high-touch '' experiences , such as makeovers and playgrounds , will also remain closed .
Both Disney and SeaWorld officials said all employees and guests 3 years old and older -- 2 years old and older at SeaWorld -- must wear face coverings in the parks and hotel common areas .
All guests and workers will also undergo temperature checks to screen for COVID-19 .
And Disney is encouraging all transactions to be cashless .
`` We 're looking forward to reopening our theme parks , Disney Resort hotels and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , '' Smith said .
`` In this spirit , our destinations will continue to follow enhanced safety protocols based upon applicable guidance from health authorities and government agencies . ''
Future reopening plans include Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World and Disney 's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground on June 22 , and Disney Vacation Club resorts in Vero Beach , Fla. , and Hilton Head , S.C. , on June 15 .
Disney has n't released plans for reopening parks in California .
Disney Springs shopping and dining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopened on May 20 .
Earlier this month , a task force of local businesspersons and health officials approved Universal Orlando 's plan to open its parks in early June to invited guests and season-pass holders .
After county officials sign off on the plan , it will go to Florida Gov .
Ron Desantis for his review .
Universal started its reopening effort May 14 with limited guests -- and required masks and temperature checks -- at its free-admission CityWalk area , which features restaurants and retail shops .
Orlando plays host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to state and local tourism officials .
As the world 's top tourism destination , it contributes to a large extent to the local economy .

Guests watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks show at the Walt Disney World theme park and resort October 29. Disney said it plans to reopen the Magic Kingdom on July 11. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
May 27 (UPI) -- The Walt Disney Company and SeaWorld announced plans Wednesday to reopen their Florida theme parks over the next two months. Thomas Smith, editorial content director of Disney Parks, said Magic Kingdom Park and Disney's Animal Kingdom will begin a phased reopening July 11, pending an approval by Florida and Orange County. EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios will open July 15 under the preliminary plan. Advertisement
"In preparing to reopen during this unusual time, we have to manage our theme parks in a very different way from what we've known before," Smith said in a statement. "As we begin to reach out to our cast members and call them back to work, they will be focused on operating our parks in a responsible way that continues to give our guests opportunities to create magical Disney memories."
Marc Swanson, interim CEO of SeaWorld, told Central Florida leaders at a meeting Wednesday that SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica will reopen June 11.
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Disney closed the Walt Disney World Resort parks as well as its theme parks in California in mid-March, around the time many states began banning large gatherings of people amid the rising coronavirus spread.
Under the phased reopening plans, the parks will limit attendance to enforce social distancing guidelines. To that end, large group gatherings for events such as parades and nighttime spectaculars will not immediately take place.
To manage attendance, Walt Disney World Resort will implement reservations for park entrance in advance and is pausing new ticket sales and hotel reservations to focus on allowing entrance for customers will existing tickets and reservations.
While characters will still be in parks, meet-and-greets and other "high-touch" experiences, such as makeovers and playgrounds, will also remain closed.
Both Disney and SeaWorld officials said all employees and guests 3 years old and older -- 2 years old and older at SeaWorld -- must wear face coverings in the parks and hotel common areas. All guests and workers will also undergo temperature checks to screen for COVID-19. And Disney is encouraging all transactions to be cashless.
"We're looking forward to reopening our theme parks, Disney Resort hotels and stores and doing so in a responsible way," Smith said. "In this spirit, our destinations will continue to follow enhanced safety protocols based upon applicable guidance from health authorities and government agencies."
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Future reopening plans include Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground on June 22, and Disney Vacation Club resorts in Vero Beach, Fla., and Hilton Head, S.C., on June 15. Disney hasn't released plans for reopening parks in California.
Disney Springs shopping and dining district in Orlando, Fla., partially reopened on May 20.
Earlier this month, a task force of local businesspersons and health officials approved Universal Orlando's plan to open its parks in early June to invited guests and season-pass holders. After county officials sign off on the plan, it will go to Florida Gov. Ron Desantis for his review.
Universal started its reopening effort May 14 with limited guests -- and required masks and temperature checks -- at its free-admission CityWalk area, which features restaurants and retail shops.
Orlando plays host to 75 million visitors per year, according to state and local tourism officials. As the world's top tourism destination, it contributes to a large extent to the local economy.
World moves to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-05-27--Four-pill drug combo may protect patients with heart failure

Many patients with heart failure might live years longer if they were on a combination of newer medications , a study suggests .
Researchers estimate that if certain heart failure patients were prescribed a four-pill regimen -- including three recently proven therapies -- they could live up to six years longer , compared with the regimen patients commonly use .
The findings , published online recently in the medical journal The Lancet , are projections , not guarantees .
But they do make a strong case for the medication cocktail , said lead author Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan , a cardiologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boston .
`` Combined use of these four pills would be anticipated to keep patients out of the hospital and alive for more years , '' he said .
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart muscle can not pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body 's demands -- causing symptoms such as fatigue , breathlessness and leg swelling .
The new study focused on patients who had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction , which refers to how much blood the heart pushes out with each contraction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart failure patients .
For a long time , the standard medication regimen for those patients was a beta blocker plus an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker ( ARB ) .
All three drugs lower blood pressure and ease the heart 's workload through different mechanisms .
But more recently , clinical trials have found that three other drug types can help patients live longer , beyond standard drugs alone .
One is a medication called Entresto , which combines the ARB valsartan with another drug , sacubitril .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Farxiga ) , which was recently shown to benefit heart failure patients with or without diabetes .
The third drug class is actually an old one : mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists , which include spironolactone and eplerenone .
They help control blood pressure by blocking a hormone called aldosterone .
Despite the positive findings , though , many doctors still do not prescribe those drugs for heart failure , Vaduganathan said .
And there is little evidence on what would happen if patients used all three types of medication .
`` The optimal combination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vaduganathan said .
So his team tried to estimate the benefits of taking the newer therapies , together , over many years .
To do that , they combed shorter-term data from three large clinical trials that tested the drugs against standard treatment .
Then they made some projections : What would happen if patients started on a beta blocker plus the three drug classes , instead of an ACE inhibitor or ARB -- and stuck with the regimen for the long haul ?
For a 55-year-old , the researchers estimate , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of life , and eight years free of hospitalization for heart failure .
For an 80-year-old , the benefits would be smaller but still important -- an extra year of life , on average , and nearly three extra years out of the hospital .
In an `` ideal world , '' all eligible patients would be on the medications , said Dr. Mary Norine Walsh , past president of the American College of Cardiology .
`` But here 's the rub , '' she added .
`` Two of these drugs [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as generics . ''
So , many patients may be unable to afford the pricey medications , even with insurance .
Farxiga costs roughly $ 500 for 30 pills , while Entresto costs about $ 600 for 60 pills , according to an online search .
Beyond cost , not all patients should be on the drugs .
Walsh , who was not involved in the study , stressed that the findings apply only to patients with reduced ejection fraction -- which leaves out half of people with heart failure .
And any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have other health issues that are contraindicated for a given drug .
`` There may be reasons not to take a medication , '' Walsh said .
`` But that should n't stop patients from asking their doctor questions . ''
Specifically , she said , patients who are still on an ACE inhibitor or ARB can ask their doctor why they have not been switched to Entresto -- which guidelines say is the preferred choice .
The diabetes drug Farxiga was only just approved for treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not yet included in treatment guidelines .
The study received no funding , but the researchers report connections to various drug companies that make heart failure medications .
The American Heart Association has more on heart failure treatment .

Many patients with heart failure might live years longer if they were on a combination of newer medications, a study suggests.
Researchers estimate that if certain heart failure patients were prescribed a four-pill regimen -- including three recently proven therapies -- they could live up to six years longer, compared with the regimen patients commonly use.
Advertisement
The findings, published online recently in the medical journal The Lancet, are projections, not guarantees.
But they do make a strong case for the medication cocktail, said lead author Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"Combined use of these four pills would be anticipated to keep patients out of the hospital and alive for more years," he said.
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart muscle cannot pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body's demands -- causing symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and leg swelling.
Advertisement
The new study focused on patients who had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, which refers to how much blood the heart pushes out with each contraction. Reduced ejection fraction affects about half of heart failure patients.
For a long time, the standard medication regimen for those patients was a beta blocker plus an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). All three drugs lower blood pressure and ease the heart's workload through different mechanisms.
But more recently, clinical trials have found that three other drug types can help patients live longer, beyond standard drugs alone.
One is a medication called Entresto, which combines the ARB valsartan with another drug, sacubitril. Another is a diabetes drug called dapagliflozin (Farxiga), which was recently shown to benefit heart failure patients with or without diabetes.
The third drug class is actually an old one: mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, which include spironolactone and eplerenone. They help control blood pressure by blocking a hormone called aldosterone.
Despite the positive findings, though, many doctors still do not prescribe those drugs for heart failure, Vaduganathan said. And there is little evidence on what would happen if patients used all three types of medication.
"The optimal combination really hasn't been studied," Vaduganathan said.
Advertisement
So his team tried to estimate the benefits of taking the newer therapies, together, over many years. To do that, they combed shorter-term data from three large clinical trials that tested the drugs against standard treatment. Then they made some projections: What would happen if patients started on a beta blocker plus the three drug classes, instead of an ACE inhibitor or ARB -- and stuck with the regimen for the long haul?
For a 55-year-old, the researchers estimate, that could translate into an extra six years of life, and eight years free of hospitalization for heart failure.
For an 80-year-old, the benefits would be smaller but still important -- an extra year of life, on average, and nearly three extra years out of the hospital.
In an "ideal world," all eligible patients would be on the medications, said Dr. Mary Norine Walsh, past president of the American College of Cardiology.
"But here's the rub," she added. "Two of these drugs [Entresto and Farxiga] are not available as generics."
So, many patients may be unable to afford the pricey medications, even with insurance. Farxiga costs roughly $500 for 30 pills, while Entresto costs about $600 for 60 pills, according to an online search.
Advertisement
Beyond cost, not all patients should be on the drugs. Walsh, who was not involved in the study, stressed that the findings apply only to patients with reduced ejection fraction -- which leaves out half of people with heart failure.
And any one patient, she said, might have other health issues that are contraindicated for a given drug.
"There may be reasons not to take a medication," Walsh said. "But that shouldn't stop patients from asking their doctor questions."
Specifically, she said, patients who are still on an ACE inhibitor or ARB can ask their doctor why they have not been switched to Entresto -- which guidelines say is the preferred choice.
The diabetes drug Farxiga was only just approved for treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, Vaduganathan noted. So, it's not yet included in treatment guidelines.
The study received no funding, but the researchers report connections to various drug companies that make heart failure medications.
More information
The American Heart Association has more on heart failure treatment.
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upi--2020-05-28--Mexican workers in U.S. sending record money home

May 28 ( UPI ) -- One might think Mexican immigrants in the United States would be sending less money home to their families as a result of the coronavirus .
The 11.2 million people of Mexican origin living in the United States together send upwards of $ 38 billion to Mexico each year .
This money , called remittances , supports the basic necessities and financial investments of 1.6 million Mexican households -- some 10 million people .
In March , analysts at BBVA bank predicted that migrant remittances to Mexico could fall as much as 21 percent because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
Instead , remittances reached a record high in early 2020 , the Bank of Mexico recently reported .
Mexico received $ 4.02 billion in March 2020 , a 35.8 percent increase over March 2019 .
In early May , the Mexican president , Andrés Manuel López Obrador , thanked `` our migrant countrymen '' for sending record remittances in this difficult period , calling them `` living heroes . ''
How is this possible , when the unemployment rate in the United States is 18.6 percent and swaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
My research on remittances finds three reasons .
With all the talk of the U.S. economy being `` closed , '' certain sectors are still going strong -- particularly , as the Mexican American community organizers Rodrigo Camarena and Lorena Korusias wrote in City Limits , those staffed by the Mexican workers doing `` some of the toughest jobs in our economy . ''
Mexican immigrants are more likely than other workers to be employed in the construction , maintenance , service and production industries , according to U.S. Census data .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic economy , though many pay barely above minimum wage .
Employment during this crisis has sustained households that are dependent on every paycheck , both in the United States and back home in Mexico .
These jobs -- which require people to leave home and interact with other people -- have also disproportionately exposed the Latino population to COVID-19 .
In New York City , the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic , 34 percent of all COVID-19 fatalities are Mexican or Latino , while Latinos make up just 27 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Saturday , 1,036 Mexicans living in the United States had died of the virus , according to the Mexican consular records .
Community advocates attribute the disparate rates of infection and mortality among Latinos to their high-risk working conditions , lack of access to government aid , language barriers and discrimination .
These issues are particularly acute for indigenous Mexicans in the United States .
The rise in remittances is also due , in part , to a steep decline in the value of the Mexican peso , according to a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monetary Studies , or CEMLA .
In early March , the purchasing power of $ 1 rose from 19.42 to 25.35 pesos , a 30.5 percent increase in just three weeks .
That means every U.S. dollar sent to Mexico goes farther .
During that same time , the CEMLA report says , the average remittance transfer by Mexican migrants in the United States increased from $ 315 to $ 343 .
This particular increase in sending occurred before shelter-in-place orders took effect in major immigration hubs like California and Texas .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cervantes Gónzalez says migrants took advantage of favorable exchange rates before the economy began closing to maximize their families ' purchasing power .
On Saturday , Mexico began its own gradual shutdown , with the government closing schools , halting many kinds of nonessential business and requiring most people to work from home .
That 's not possible for the estimated 56 percent of Mexicans who work as domestic laborers , in agriculture and in other informal jobs that lack social security .
Their incomes have simply disappeared during the pandemic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have compelled family members working abroad to send more money home , says Gabriela Siller , head economist at Banco BASE , a Mexican bank .
Remittance senders have always felt obligated to their loved ones back home , research shows .
It 's likely such feelings of care and responsibility would only increase in a crisis such as COVID-19 .
In 2019 , the World Bank estimated that global remittances exceeded $ 550 billion -- a massive wealth transfer .
And the U.S.-Mexico remittance corridor is one of the world 's most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiver of remittances .
So far , it 's also proving to be remarkably durable .
Remittances from the United States are down in many other Caribbean and Latin American countries .
There 's reason to think cash transfers to Mexico will stay strong .
Feelings of familial obligation wo n't change due to the pandemic , and the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Mexican peso remains favorable for remittance senders .
These factors should keep funds flowing south .
But this financial relationship may still suffer as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States is hitting Latino service workers and small businesses hard , as are COVID-19 infections .
Eventually , wage loss and sickness could force even the most loving , responsible and reliable person to send less money back home .
Araby Smyth is a Ph.D. candidate and Instructor in geography at the University of Kentucky .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Farmworkers pick strawberries in Marina, Calif., on April 28. Agricultural workers have remained on the job providing produce during the coronavirus pandemic. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
May 28 (UPI) -- One might think Mexican immigrants in the United States would be sending less money home to their families as a result of the coronavirus. The 11.2 million people of Mexican origin living in the United States together send upwards of $38 billion to Mexico each year. This money, called remittances, supports the basic necessities and financial investments of 1.6 million Mexican households -- some 10 million people. Advertisement
In March, analysts at BBVA bank predicted that migrant remittances to Mexico could fall as much as 21 percent because of stay-at-home orders and record unemployment in the United States. Instead, remittances reached a record high in early 2020, the Bank of Mexico recently reported. Mexico received $4.02 billion in March 2020, a 35.8 percent increase over March 2019.
In early May, the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, thanked "our migrant countrymen" for sending record remittances in this difficult period, calling them "living heroes."
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How is this possible, when the unemployment rate in the United States is 18.6 percent and swaths of the American economy are still shut down? My research on remittances finds three reasons.
Essential workers
With all the talk of the U.S. economy being "closed," certain sectors are still going strong -- particularly, as the Mexican American community organizers Rodrigo Camarena and Lorena Korusias wrote in City Limits, those staffed by the Mexican workers doing "some of the toughest jobs in our economy."
Mexican immigrants are more likely than other workers to be employed in the construction, maintenance, service and production industries, according to U.S. Census data. These are all "essential" sectors of the pandemic economy, though many pay barely above minimum wage.
Employment during this crisis has sustained households that are dependent on every paycheck, both in the United States and back home in Mexico.
These jobs -- which require people to leave home and interact with other people -- have also disproportionately exposed the Latino population to COVID-19. In New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, 34 percent of all COVID-19 fatalities are Mexican or Latino, while Latinos make up just 27 percent of the city's population.
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As of Saturday, 1,036 Mexicans living in the United States had died of the virus, according to the Mexican consular records.
Community advocates attribute the disparate rates of infection and mortality among Latinos to their high-risk working conditions, lack of access to government aid, language barriers and discrimination. These issues are particularly acute for indigenous Mexicans in the United States.
Exchange rate
The rise in remittances is also due, in part, to a steep decline in the value of the Mexican peso, according to a recent report by the Center for Latin American Monetary Studies, or CEMLA.
In early March, the purchasing power of $1 rose from 19.42 to 25.35 pesos, a 30.5 percent increase in just three weeks. That means every U.S. dollar sent to Mexico goes farther. During that same time, the CEMLA report says, the average remittance transfer by Mexican migrants in the United States increased from $315 to $343.
This particular increase in sending occurred before shelter-in-place orders took effect in major immigration hubs like California and Texas. In the report, CEMLA economic statistics manager Cervantes Gónzalez says migrants took advantage of favorable exchange rates before the economy began closing to maximize their families' purchasing power.
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Obligation
On Saturday, Mexico began its own gradual shutdown, with the government closing schools, halting many kinds of nonessential business and requiring most people to work from home.
That's not possible for the estimated 56 percent of Mexicans who work as domestic laborers, in agriculture and in other informal jobs that lack social security. Their incomes have simply disappeared during the pandemic.
The decline in economic activity in Mexico may have compelled family members working abroad to send more money home, says Gabriela Siller, head economist at Banco BASE, a Mexican bank.
Remittance senders have always felt obligated to their loved ones back home, research shows. It's likely such feelings of care and responsibility would only increase in a crisis such as COVID-19.
Durable financial relationship
In 2019, the World Bank estimated that global remittances exceeded $550 billion -- a massive wealth transfer. And the U.S.-Mexico remittance corridor is one of the world's most significant, with Mexico being the third-largest receiver of remittances.
So far, it's also proving to be remarkably durable. Remittances from the United States are down in many other Caribbean and Latin American countries.
There's reason to think cash transfers to Mexico will stay strong. Feelings of familial obligation won't change due to the pandemic, and the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Mexican peso remains favorable for remittance senders. These factors should keep funds flowing south.
Advertisement
But this financial relationship may still suffer as a result of COVID-19. Soaring unemployment in the United States is hitting Latino service workers and small businesses hard, as are COVID-19 infections. Eventually, wage loss and sickness could force even the most loving, responsible and reliable person to send less money back home.
Araby Smyth is a Ph.D. candidate and Instructor in geography at the University of Kentucky. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


upi--2020-05-28--WWE NXT: Matt Riddle, Timothy Thatcher battle inside a Fight Pit

May 28 ( UPI ) -- Former tag team partners Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher had the first-ever Fight Pit match on WWE NXT .
The Fight Pit , on Wednesday , consisted of a lowered steel cage that was similar to cages found in MMA .
The structure also featured a small walkway at the top .
WWE Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle served as the special guest referee .
Riddle and Thatcher had a highly competitive and physically brutal match that could only be won by submission or knockout .
The Original Bro and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ring , made their way to the top part of the cage .
Riddle sent Thatcher back down with a Ripcord Knee and then crash landed below onto his rival with the Floating Bro .
Thatcher would recover , however , and locked in the Rear-Naked Choke submission hold onto Riddle .
Thatcher never let go of the hold despite Riddle bumping Thatcher into the cage multiple times .
Also on WWE NXT , Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai teamed up to take on NXT Women 's Champion Charlotte Flair and Chelsea Green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against both Ripley and Shirai in a Triple Threat match at NXT TakeOver : In Your House on June 7 .
Green was a team player and pushed Flair out of harm 's way as Shirai delivered a Springboard Missile Dropkick .
Flair then dodged a second attack from Shirai , causing The Genius of the Sky to accidentally hit Ripley .
Flair took advantage of the situation and quickly pinned Shirai for the victory .
The Queen illegally used the ropes for leverage during the pin but the referee did not see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a virtual meeting with general manager William Regal regarding who will be Cole 's next opponent .
Regal announced that Cole will be defending his title a second time against The Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver : In Your House .
Cole agreed to the rematch on the condition that Dream will never be able to challenge him for the NXT Championship again .
Regal also stated that he will find a special location for the bout to take place .
Other moments from WWE NXT included Johnny Gargano defeating Adrian Alanis during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee and Mia Yim calling out Gargano and his wife Candice LeRae ; Raquel Gonzalez defeating Shotzi Blackheart ; Tommaso Ciampa defeating Leon Ruff before he received a warning message from Karrion Kross ; and Drake Maverick defeating Kushida and Jake Atlas to reach the finals of the Interim Cruiserweight Championship tournament .
Maverick won the match by pinning Kushida while he was busy placing Atlas into the Armband submission hold .
Maverick will now get to face El Hijo del Fantasma for the Interim Cruiserweight Championship .

The only way to win is KNOCKOUT or TAPOUT.@SuperKingofBros & Timothy Thatcher will meet in the #WWENXT FIGHT PIT, NEXT! @RealKurtAngle pic.twitter.com/TapvxmXKeY— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) May 28, 2020
May 28 (UPI) -- Former tag team partners Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher had the first-ever Fight Pit match on WWE NXT.
The Fight Pit, on Wednesday, consisted of a lowered steel cage that was similar to cages found in MMA. The structure also featured a small walkway at the top.
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WWE Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle served as the special guest referee. Riddle and Thatcher had a highly competitive and physically brutal match that could only be won by submission or knockout.
The Original Bro and Thatcher, after trading blows inside the ring, made their way to the top part of the cage. Riddle sent Thatcher back down with a Ripcord Knee and then crash landed below onto his rival with the Floating Bro.
Thatcher would recover, however, and locked in the Rear-Naked Choke submission hold onto Riddle. Thatcher never let go of the hold despite Riddle bumping Thatcher into the cage multiple times.
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Riddle eventually passed out, giving Thatcher the victory.
Also on WWE NXT, Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai teamed up to take on NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair and Chelsea Green. Flair will be defending her title against both Ripley and Shirai in a Triple Threat match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House on June 7.
Green was a team player and pushed Flair out of harm's way as Shirai delivered a Springboard Missile Dropkick. Flair then dodged a second attack from Shirai, causing The Genius of the Sky to accidentally hit Ripley.
Flair took advantage of the situation and quickly pinned Shirai for the victory. The Queen illegally used the ropes for leverage during the pin but the referee did not see it.
NXT Champion Adam Cole had a virtual meeting with general manager William Regal regarding who will be Cole's next opponent.
Regal announced that Cole will be defending his title a second time against The Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.
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Cole agreed to the rematch on the condition that Dream will never be able to challenge him for the NXT Championship again. Regal also stated that he will find a special location for the bout to take place.
Other moments from WWE NXT included Johnny Gargano defeating Adrian Alanis during the first-ever Johnny Gargano Invitational; Keith Lee and Mia Yim calling out Gargano and his wife Candice LeRae; Raquel Gonzalez defeating Shotzi Blackheart; Tommaso Ciampa defeating Leon Ruff before he received a warning message from Karrion Kross; and Drake Maverick defeating Kushida and Jake Atlas to reach the finals of the Interim Cruiserweight Championship tournament.
Maverick won the match by pinning Kushida while he was busy placing Atlas into the Armband submission hold. Maverick will now get to face El Hijo del Fantasma for the Interim Cruiserweight Championship.


upi--2020-05-28--British carrier EasyJet to cut up to 30% of total workforce

May 28 ( UPI ) -- EasyJet said Thursday it plans to cut 4,500 jobs , roughly a third of its entire workforce , as it moves to withstand the economic impact of the coronavirus on the airline industry .
The low-cost airline , based out of London 's Luton Airport , also said it will cut its fleet size by 51 planes as well as the budgets for marketing , ground handling and maintenance .
`` We realize that these are very difficult times and we are having to consider very difficult decisions which will impact our people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs as we can for the long-term , '' EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said in a statement .
EasyJet flies to more than 130 destinations across Europe and the Middle East .
Lundgren added that EasyJet plans to resume flying on June 15 but expects passenger demand to return slowly .
He said it could take as long as three years for the carrier to return to where it was before the pandemic .
`` We remain focused on doing what is right for the company and its long-term health and success , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the last three months to meet the challenges of the virus , '' he said .
Brian Strutton , general secretary of the BALPA pilots union , called EasyJet 's move an `` ill-considered knee-jerk reaction '' to the pandemic and will hurt the airline in the long term .
`` EasyJet staff will be shocked at the scale of this announcement and only two days ago staff got a 'good news ' message from their boss with no mention of job losses , so this is a real kick in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those staff have taken pay cuts to keep the airline afloat and this is the treatment they get in return . ''
British Airways and Ryanair have also recently announced job cuts and U.S. aviation giant Boeing said Wednesday it sent layoff notices to 6,000 workers .

The cuts will affect about 30 percent of EasyJet's total workforce of 15,000 employees. File Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/EPA
May 28 (UPI) -- EasyJet said Thursday it plans to cut 4,500 jobs, roughly a third of its entire workforce, as it moves to withstand the economic impact of the coronavirus on the airline industry. The low-cost airline, based out of London's Luton Airport, also said it will cut its fleet size by 51 planes as well as the budgets for marketing, ground handling and maintenance. Advertisement
"We realize that these are very difficult times and we are having to consider very difficult decisions which will impact our people, but we want to protect as many jobs as we can for the long-term," EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said in a statement.
EasyJet flies to more than 130 destinations across Europe and the Middle East.
Lundgren added that EasyJet plans to resume flying on June 15 but expects passenger demand to return slowly. He said it could take as long as three years for the carrier to return to where it was before the pandemic.
"We remain focused on doing what is right for the company and its long-term health and success, following the swift action we have taken over the last three months to meet the challenges of the virus," he said.
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Brian Strutton, general secretary of the BALPA pilots union, called EasyJet's move an "ill-considered knee-jerk reaction" to the pandemic and will hurt the airline in the long term.
"EasyJet staff will be shocked at the scale of this announcement and only two days ago staff got a 'good news' message from their boss with no mention of job losses, so this is a real kick in the teeth," Strutton said. "Those staff have taken pay cuts to keep the airline afloat and this is the treatment they get in return."
British Airways and Ryanair have also recently announced job cuts and U.S. aviation giant Boeing said Wednesday it sent layoff notices to 6,000 workers.
World moves to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-05-28--Phil Mickelson wants annual 'Match,' with Mahomes, Curry, Jordan

May 28 ( UPI ) -- Phil Mickelson said he wants to see The Match golf tournament played every year , with other athletes like Patrick Mahomes , Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry involved .
Mickelson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady lost The Match : Champions for Charity on Sunday to Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning .
The event was the most-watched golf telecast in cable TV history and raised $ 20 million for coronavirus relief efforts .
`` I think you could showcase guys like Steph Curry and Michael Jordan or Tony Romo and Patrick Mahomes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talents and have great personalities , '' Mickelson told the Los Angeles Times .
`` Those personalities are going to come out with this event .
Or you could have someone who loves the game and is competitive but is really entertaining like Larry David and Bill Murray .
I think that could shine . ''
Mickelson beat Woods and claimed a $ 9 million payday in a 2018 version of The Match , which was played in Las Vegas .
`` Lefty '' also said fellow golfer Justin Thomas could be involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thomas was an on-course correspondent during Sunday 's event at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound , Fla. No fans were allowed to attend the event .
`` What if Tiger and I were to team up and take on two younger players , or what if we were to team up with younger players and have it be a real high-level golf competition ? ''
Mickelson asked .
`` I think there 's a market for that .
`` But you have to have some personality in there , too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how funny he is and he would add a lot to an event like that . ''
The PGA Tour season is scheduled to resume with the Charles Schwab Challenge from June 11 to 14 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth , Texas .

Phil Mickelson thinks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) could be a good fit to participate in a future version of The Match. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
May 28 (UPI) -- Phil Mickelson said he wants to see The Match golf tournament played every year, with other athletes like Patrick Mahomes, Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry participating. Mickelson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady lost The Match: Champions for Charity on Sunday to Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning. The event was the most-watched golf telecast in cable TV history and raised $20 million for coronavirus relief efforts. Advertisement
"I think you could showcase guys like Steph Curry and Michael Jordan or Tony Romo and Patrick Mahomes, who are all good golfers, elite talents and have great personalities," Mickelson told the Los Angeles Times.
"Those personalities are going to come out with this event. Or you could have someone who loves the game and is competitive but is really entertaining like Larry David and Bill Murray. I think that could shine."
Mahomes, the Super Bowl LIV MVP, accepted the tentative invite Thursday on Twitter.
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"I'm ready whenever," the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback tweeted.
Mickelson beat Woods and claimed a $9 million payday in a 2018 version of The Match, which was played in Las Vegas.
"Lefty" also said fellow golfer Justin Thomas could be involved in a future version of The Match. Thomas was an on-course correspondent during Sunday's event at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. No fans were allowed to attend.
"What if Tiger and I were to team up and take on two younger players, or what if we were to team up with younger players and have it be a real high-level golf competition?" Mickelson asked. "I think there's a market for that.
"But you have to have some personality in there, too, so a guy like Justin Thomas showed how funny he is and he would add a lot to an event like that."
The PGA Tour season is scheduled to resume with the Charles Schwab Challenge from June 11 to 14 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.


upi--2020-05-28--NASCAR postpones Cup Series Alsco Uniforms 500 until Thursday night

May 28 ( UPI ) -- Hard rain postponed Wednesday 's Cup Series Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte , N.C .
Drivers will now start their engines for the NASCAR event at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday .
The Alsco Uniforms 500 was set to be the fourth Cup Series event since NASCAR returned from its hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic .
NASCAR also pushed the Xfinity Series Cheddar 's 300 , scheduled for Saturday , to 7 p.m. EDT on Monday .
Both races will air on FS1 and no fans are allowed to attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cup Series standings and Joey Logano , Alex Bowman , Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski are also in the top five .
Harvick won The Real Heroes 400 on May 17 -- the first race of the resumed Cup Series season -- and is the only driver to finish in the top five of the last three races .
Keselowski won Sunday 's Coca-Cola 600 and has finished in the top five of the last two events .
Chase Elliott has finished in the top five in two of the last three Cup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series event in Charlotte .
Cup Series drivers will next head to Bristol , Tenn. , for the Supermarket Heroes 500 , scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. EDT at Bristol Motor Speedway .

Chase Elliott and other Cup Series drivers will race in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday after the evennt was postponed Wednesday due to heavy rain. File Photo by Mike Gentry/UPI | License Photo
May 28 (UPI) -- Hard rain postponed Wednesday's Cup Series Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. Drivers will now start their engines for the NASCAR event at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday. Advertisement
The Alsco Uniforms 500 was set to be the fourth Cup Series event since NASCAR returned from its hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
NASCAR also pushed the Xfinity Series Cheddar's 300, scheduled for Saturday, to 7 p.m. EDT on Monday. Both races will air on FS1 and no fans are allowed to attend either event.
Kevin Harvick leads the Cup Series standings and Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski are also in the top five. Harvick won The Real Heroes 400 on May 17 -- the first race of the resumed Cup Series season -- and is the only driver to finish in the top five of the last three races. Keselowski won Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 and has finished in the top five of the last two events.
Chase Elliott has finished in the top five in two of the last three Cup Series events and won Tuesday's Truck Series event in Charlotte.
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Cup Series drivers will next head to Bristol, Tenn., for the Supermarket Heroes 500, scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. EDT at Bristol Motor Speedway.


upi--2020-05-28--AEW Dynamite: Mike Tyson confronts Chris Jericho

May 28 ( UPI ) -- Boxing great Mike Tyson came face-to-face with Chris Jericho on AEW Dynamite .
Jericho called out the boxer while he was holding a pep rally on Wednesday for this group , The Inner Circle .
Tyson , on Saturday , had presented the new TNT Championship to Cody at pay-per-view event Double or Nothing .
Jericho and The Inner Circle were attempting to cheer each other up after they lost the Stadium Stampede match to The Elite .
Jericho and his crew were introduced by cheerleaders , one of which was professional wrestling personality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his teammates participation trophies while Santana handed out gifts as well including a pair of Timberland boots for Jake Hager .
`` What I really want is Mike Tyson 's head on a platter , '' Jericho said before Tyson arrived onto the scene with his posse which included MMA fighters Henry Cejudo , Victor Belfort and Rashad Evans .
Jericho said he wanted revenge for Tyson knocking him out years earlier .
Tyson responded by calling him a sucker .
Jericho demanded an apology while Tyson ripped off his shirt and flexed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Champion came back with another shove as all hell brooke loose .
Jericho and Tyson had to be restrained by The Inner Circle , Tyson 's posse and members of the AEW locker room .
Also on Dynamite , Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of tag team # FTR made their AEW debut .
The duo previously competed in WWE as The Revival .
Harwood and Wheeler made their appearance after Broken Matt Hardy and The Young Bucks defeated Private Party and Joey Janela in a Six-Man Tag Team match .
The Butcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the match .
# FTR drove into the arena in a truck and headed for the ring where they took out The Butcher and The Blade .
# FTR and The Young Bucks had a standoff in the ring and refused to shake The Young Bucks ' hands .
A Battle Royal was held to determine who will be the first to challenge Cody for the TNT Championship next week on Dynamite .
Wrestlers were eliminated from the match after being thrown over the top rope .
Orange Cassidy , as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was attacked by Santana and Ortiz after Cassidy had interrupted Jericho earlier during an interview .
MJF and his bodyguard Wardlow worked well together and were the final four left along with Jungle Boy and Cassidy .
MJF accidentally hit Wardlow , leading to their elimination .
Jungle Boy wrapped his legs around Cassidy and was able to throw Cassidy over the top rope to win the match .
Other moments from Dynamite included Brian Cage defeating Lee Johnson and staring down AEW World Champion Jon Moxley ; Dr. Britt Baker discussing her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the All Out pay-per-view event in September ; AEW Women 's World Champion Hikaru Shida defeating Christi Jaynes ; Cody stating that he will defend the TNT Championship every week ; and Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc defeating SCU to earn a AEW World Tag Team Championship match against Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page next week .

May 28 (UPI) -- Boxing great Mike Tyson came face-to-face with Chris Jericho on AEW Dynamite.
Jericho called out the boxer while he was holding a pep rally on Wednesday for this group, The Inner Circle. Tyson, on Saturday, had presented the new TNT Championship to Cody at pay-per-view event Double or Nothing.
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Jericho and The Inner Circle were attempting to cheer each other up after they lost the Stadium Stampede match to The Elite. Jericho and his crew were introduced by cheerleaders, one of which was professional wrestling personality Vickie Guerrero.
Member Sammy Guevara gifted his teammates participation trophies while Santana handed out gifts as well including a pair of Timberland boots for Jake Hager.
"What I really want is Mike Tyson's head on a platter," Jericho said before Tyson arrived onto the scene with his posse which included MMA fighters Henry Cejudo, Victor Belfort and Rashad Evans.
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Jericho said he wanted revenge for Tyson knocking him out years earlier. Tyson responded by calling him a sucker. Jericho demanded an apology while Tyson ripped off his shirt and flexed.
Tyson then shoved Jericho and Le Champion came back with another shove as all hell brooke loose. Jericho and Tyson had to be restrained by The Inner Circle, Tyson's posse and members of the AEW locker room.
Also on Dynamite, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of tag team #FTR made their AEW debut. The duo previously competed in WWE as The Revival.
Harwood and Wheeler made their appearance after Broken Matt Hardy and The Young Bucks defeated Private Party and Joey Janela in a Six-Man Tag Team match. The Butcher and The Blade attacked The Young Bucks after the match. #FTR drove into the arena in a truck and headed for the ring where they took out The Butcher and The Blade.
#FTR and The Young Bucks had a standoff in the ring and refused to shake The Young Bucks' hands.
A Battle Royal was held to determine who will be the first to challenge Cody for the TNT Championship next week on Dynamite. Wrestlers were eliminated from the match after being thrown over the top rope.
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Orange Cassidy, as he made his way to the ring, was attacked by Santana and Ortiz after Cassidy had interrupted Jericho earlier during an interview.
MJF and his bodyguard Wardlow worked well together and were the final four left along with Jungle Boy and Cassidy. MJF accidentally hit Wardlow, leading to their elimination.
Jungle Boy wrapped his legs around Cassidy and was able to throw Cassidy over the top rope to win the match.
Other moments from Dynamite included Brian Cage defeating Lee Johnson and staring down AEW World Champion Jon Moxley; Dr. Britt Baker discussing her injury and how she will be back by the All Out pay-per-view event in September; AEW Women's World Champion Hikaru Shida defeating Christi Jaynes; Cody stating that he will defend the TNT Championship every week; and Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc defeating SCU to earn a AEW World Tag Team Championship match against Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page next week.


upi--2020-05-28--GSK to produce 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccine adjuvant

"We believe that more than one vaccine will be needed ... and we are working with partners around the world to do so," a GSK executive said. File Photo by EPA-EFE
May 28 (UPI) -- British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline announced Thursday its plans to make 1 billion doses of a vaccine booster system to aid development of potential COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The use of a booster, or adjuvant, can reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose. GSK said it aims to deliver the doses through 2021. Advertisement
"GSK believes that its pandemic adjuvant technology could make a significant contribution against COVID-19," the company said.
"As demonstrated in the last flu pandemic, GSK's pandemic adjuvant can reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose, which allows more vaccine doses to be produced, contributing to protecting more people."
Adjuvants can also enhance immune response and have been shown to create a stronger and longer-lasting immunity against infections.
GSK struck a deal last month to provide its adjuvant technology for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate now under development by French pharma Sanofi. The company said Thursday, however, it will also provide the technology to any potential vaccine at its own financial risk.
"We believe that more than one vaccine will be needed to address this global pandemic and we are working with partners around the world to do so," Roger Connor, president of GSK Global Vaccines, said in a statement.
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"We believe that our innovative pandemic adjuvant technology has the potential to help improve the efficacy and scale up of multiple COVID-19 vaccines."
GSK said it will expand adjuvant manufacturing sites in Britain, the United States, Canada and Europe for the effort.
"With this significant expansion in our manufacturing capacity, we can help deliver up to 1 billion doses of adjuvanted vaccines through 2021, helping protect many more people and support the global effort to fight COVID-19," Connor added.
Scenes from a pandemic: World copes with COVID-19


upi--2020-05-28--China approves controversial Hong Kong national security law

May 28 ( UPI ) -- China 's legislature on Thursday approved a highly controversial national security law that critics say will deteriorate the rights and freedoms of the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong .
China 's rubber-stamp National People 's Congress passed the resolution with a near-unanimous 2,878 votes to criminalize acts of secession , sedition , subversion , terrorism and conspiring with foreign actors to threaten national security in Hong Kong .
Only one lawmaker voted against the bill while six abstained .
The decision is expected to attract widespread international condemnation and spur further protests throughout Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last June by pro-democracy demonstrations that have often turned into violent clashes with police .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced hours prior to the vote that Hong Kong 's autonomy from China had deteriorated to the point it no longer warranted special trade treatment under U.S. law .
`` No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China , given facts on the ground , '' he said Wednesday .
Earlier this week , Pompeo described the legislation as `` a death knell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised in the U.N.-filed declaration that returned the city from British to Chinese rule in 1997 .
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said in a statement that she welcomes the decision , as the Special Administrative Region is an `` inalienable part of the People 's Republic of China . ''
Referring indirectly to ongoing protests that started against a now-withdrawn extradition bill , Lam said given the difficulty to pass similar legislation there 's a need for the National People 's Congress to enact legislation to `` establish and improve the legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to safeguard national security at the state level . ''
`` The legislation to be enacted for the HKSAR to safeguard national security aims to prevent , curb and sanction an extremely small minority of criminals who threaten national security , safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and maintaining 'One Country , Two Systems , ' '' she said , referring the legal framework which affords the territory freedoms and rights the mainland does not have .
Joshua Wong , a prominent pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong , said the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the will of Hong Kongers as it conflicts with China 's promise to grant autonomy and `` buries '' the One Country , Two Systems framework it purports to protect .
`` I call upon world leaders to urge China to withdraw the bill , '' he tweeted .
`` Since the law casts more doubt on HK 's autonomy , I urge the world to take necessary actions to send a warning signal to China for its reckless move . ''
On Wednesday , China blocked a U.S. effort to hold a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Zhang Jun , China 's ambassador to the United Nations , saying it 's `` purely China 's internal [ affair ] . ''
`` It has nothing to do with the mandate of the Security Council , '' he said .
`` China urges the U.S. to immediately stop its power politics and bullying . ''

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Delegates react to a vote Thursday on the draft resolution for the controversial national security law for Hong Kong, during the closing ceremony of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA-EFE
May 28 (UPI) -- China's legislature on Thursday approved a highly controversial national security law that critics say will deteriorate the rights and freedoms of the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong. China's rubber-stamp National People's Congress passed the resolution with a near-unanimous 2,878 votes to criminalize acts of secession, sedition, subversion, terrorism and conspiring with foreign actors to threaten national security in Hong Kong. Only one lawmaker voted against the bill while six abstained. Advertisement
The decision is expected to attract widespread international condemnation and spur further protests throughout Hong Kong, which has been rocked since last June by pro-democracy demonstrations that have often turned into violent clashes with police.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced hours prior to the vote that Hong Kong's autonomy from China had deteriorated to the point it no longer warranted special trade treatment under U.S. law.
"No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground," he said Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Pompeo described the legislation as "a death knell" for the autonomy Hong Kong was promised in the U.N.-filed declaration that returned the city from British to Chinese rule in 1997.
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said in a statement that she welcomes the decision, as the Special Administrative Region is an "inalienable part of the People's Republic of China."
Referring indirectly to ongoing protests that started against a now-withdrawn extradition bill, Lam said given the difficulty to pass similar legislation there's a need for the National People's Congress to enact legislation to "establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for Hong Kong to safeguard national security at the state level."
"The legislation to be enacted for the HKSAR to safeguard national security aims to prevent, curb and sanction an extremely small minority of criminals who threaten national security, safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and maintaining 'One Country, Two Systems,'" she said, referring the legal framework which affords the territory freedoms and rights the mainland does not have.
Joshua Wong, a prominent pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, said the law is a "direct assault" against the will of Hong Kongers as it conflicts with China's promise to grant autonomy and "buries" the One Country, Two Systems framework it purports to protect.
"I call upon world leaders to urge China to withdraw the bill," he tweeted. "Since the law casts more doubt on HK's autonomy, I urge the world to take necessary actions to send a warning signal to China for its reckless move."
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On Wednesday, China blocked a U.S. effort to hold a U.N. Security Council meeting on the matter, with Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the United Nations, saying it's "purely China's internal [affair]."
"It has nothing to do with the mandate of the Security Council," he said. "China urges the U.S. to immediately stop its power politics and bullying."


upi--2020-05-28--South Korea tightens distancing measures as COVID-19 cases begin to surge again

SEOUL , May 28 ( UPI ) -- South Korea is tightening social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan region as the country reported its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in nearly two months , health minister Park Neung-hoo announced on Thursday afternoon .
Starting Friday , public facilities such as parks , museums and theaters will be closed in the Seoul area , which includes the capital city , neighboring Gyeonggi Province and the nearby port city of Incheon , until June 14 .
Schools , which started resuming offline classes last week , will remain open but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not brought under control , Park said .
`` The [ Seoul ] metropolitan area is seeing a cluster of infections and if we are unable to curb these it could lead to a possible outbreak among schools , thus putting a halt to offline classes , '' Park said at a press briefing on Thursday .
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 79 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday , the highest number since April 5 .
The stricter guidelines come as a coronavirus outbreak linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satellite city west of Seoul , has officials worried that wider community spread may lie ahead .
As of Thursday morning , 82 confirmed cases have been tied to the center , which is operated by Coupang , South Korea 's largest e-commerce company .
The facility was shut down by the company and nearly all of the more than 4,000 people connected to the warehouse have been tested so far , Park said .
Park warned that the coming weeks will be critical in containing further spread of the coronavirus , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea at the beginning of May as daily cases dropped into the low single digits .
`` We are still very worried about possible infections , '' Park said .
`` We are currently exerting our full efforts to trace [ the logistics center ] contacts .
However , there is a large possibility that these infections are already spreading throughout the society .
We believe the following one to two weeks will be crucial . ''
The warehouse cluster is believed to be tied to an outbreak that started in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounted for 261 cases so far , the KCDC said Thursday .
Under the newly enacted distancing guidelines , entertainment facilities will be strongly urged to close , Park said , and those that stay open will be required to follow safety guidelines that include regular disinfection and keeping accurate records of all patrons who enter .
Companies were also advised to adopt flexible work policies and residents were told to avoid unnecessary activities outside the home for the roughly two-week period .
The new distancing rules come just weeks after South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an `` everyday life quarantine '' phase that allowed for greater social and economic activities .
Baseball games started , parks and restaurants were filled with crowds and movie theaters were hoping to draw customers back .
In addition to the warehouse outbreak , officials have expressed concern over a new COVID-19 case that was found at a large call center in Bucheon .
Coupang also confirmed that a worker at its logistics center in the city of Goyang , which neighbors Seoul to the north , tested positive on Wednesday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close their doors , as Incheon suspended the opening of nearly 250 schools and kindergartens on Thursday morning and all schools in Bucheon were closed except for those attended by high school seniors who returned last week .
The 79 new cases reported Thursday brought South Korea 's total number of infections to 11,344 , while the death toll remained at 269 .

Health officials tightened social distancing rules for the Seoul metropolitan area on Thursday as a cluster infection tied to a warehouse has authorities concerned about wider community spread. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
SEOUL, May 28 (UPI) -- South Korea is tightening social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan region as the country reported its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in nearly two months, health minister Park Neung-hoo announced Thursday. Starting Friday, public facilities such as parks, museums and theaters will be closed in the Seoul area, which includes the capital city, neighboring Gyeonggi Province and the nearby port city of Incheon, until June 14. Advertisement
Schools, which started resuming offline classes last week, will remain open but could be closed if the outbreak is not brought under control, Park said.
"The [Seoul] metropolitan area is seeing a cluster of infections and if we are unable to curb these it could lead to a possible outbreak among schools, thus putting a halt to offline classes," Park said at a press briefing Thursday.
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The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 79 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the highest number since April 5.
The stricter guidelines come as a coronavirus outbreak linked to a logistics center in Bucheon, a satellite city west of Seoul, has officials worried that wider community spread may lie ahead.
As of Thursday morning, 82 confirmed cases have been tied to the center, which is operated by Coupang, South Korea's largest e-commerce company. The facility was shut down by the company and most of the more than 4,000 people connected to the warehouse have been tested, Park said.
Park warned that the coming weeks will be critical in containing further spread of the coronavirus, which had appeared to be under control in South Korea at the beginning of May as daily cases dropped into the low single digits.
"We are still very worried about possible infections," Park said. "We are currently exerting our full efforts to trace [the logistics center] contacts. However, there is a large possibility that these infections are already spreading throughout the society. We believe the following one to two weeks will be crucial."
The warehouse cluster is believed to be tied to an outbreak that started in early May at Seoul nightclubs and which has accounted for 261 cases so far, the KCDC said Thursday.
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Under the newly enacted distancing guidelines, entertainment facilities will be strongly urged to close, Park said, and those that stay open will be required to follow safety guidelines that include regular disinfection and keeping accurate records of all patrons who enter.
Companies were also advised to adopt flexible work policies and residents were told to avoid unnecessary activities outside the home for the roughly two-week period.
The new distancing rules come just weeks after South Korea relaxed guidelines in what the government called an "everyday life quarantine" phase that allowed for greater social and economic activities. Baseball games started, parks and restaurants were filled with crowds and movie theaters were hoping to draw customers back.
In addition to the warehouse outbreak, officials have expressed concern over a new COVID-19 case that was found at a large call center in Bucheon. Coupang also confirmed that a worker at its logistics center in the city of Goyang, which neighbors Seoul to the north, tested positive on Wednesday.
The infections have caused some schools to close their doors, as Incheon suspended the opening of nearly 250 schools and kindergartens on Thursday morning and all schools in Bucheon were closed except for those attended by high school seniors who returned last week.
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The 79 new cases reported Thursday brought South Korea's total number of infections to 11,344, while the death toll remained at 269.


upi--2020-05-28--High diabetes rates put Native Americans at greater risk for heart disease, AHA says

May 28 ( UPI ) -- Native Americans and Alaska Natives are up to three times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes , according to a scientific statement published Thursday by the journal Circulation .
And diabetes contributes to higher rates of heart disease , heart attacks and strokes among these populations , the authors said .
Heart disease rates are approximately 50 percent higher among the 5.2 million Americans who self-identify as American Indian and Alaska Native compared to white Americans .
And more than one-third of deaths attributed to heart disease in these communities occurs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an overview for the public , health care providers and policy makers about the major challenges faced by this population , which has one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the United States .
`` There are urgent cardiovascular health risks for American Indians and Alaska Natives that health care professionals and policy makers should not ignore , '' Dr. Khadijah Breathett , chair of the writing committee for the Scientific statement , said in a press release .
`` We strongly encourage patients , health care professionals and most importantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent and fight cardiovascular disease , '' added Breathett , who is an assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Arizona and a cardiologist at Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson .
Access to healthcare for American Indians and Alaska natives is limited , according to the American Heart Association .
In 2017 , 19 percent of this population did not have health insurance .
While the federal health program , Indian Health Service , provides healthcare for 1.6 million people , that accounts for less than one-third of the total American Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , the authors of the statement said .
Currently , 21 percent of American Indians also live below the federal poverty line , according to the AHA .
Overall health , researchers say , is an issue in these communities .
Obesity , a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes , affects up to 40 percent of American Indians , the authors of the statement said .
The Strong Heart Study , cited in the statement , found that some of the risk for obesity and diabetes is genetically inherited within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives use tobacco , a rate almost twice as high as other ethnic populations in the United States , the authors said .
Community-based , culturally appropriate interventions are needed to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in these communities .
These , the authors said , should include specific focus on improving dietary and health decisions , as well as addressing groundwater contamination issues in many of the areas American Indians live .
`` To better prevent and treat cardiovascular disease in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's imperative to control risk factors and implement community-based interventions that address social determinants of health , '' Chiadi E. Ndumele , Robert Meyerhoff assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University , said in a commentary published with the scientific statement .

May 28 (UPI) -- Native Americans and Alaska Natives are up to three times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to a scientific statement published Thursday by the journal Circulation.
And diabetes contributes to higher rates of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes among these populations, the authors said.
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Heart disease rates are approximately 50 percent higher among the 5.2 million Americans who self-identify as American Indian and Alaska Native compared to white Americans.
And more than one-third of deaths attributed to heart disease in these communities occurs before age 65.
The statement provides an overview for the public, health care providers and policy makers about the major challenges faced by this population, which has one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the United States.
"There are urgent cardiovascular health risks for American Indians and Alaska Natives that health care professionals and policy makers should not ignore," Dr. Khadijah Breathett, chair of the writing committee for the Scientific statement, said in a press release.
"We strongly encourage patients, health care professionals and most importantly, community leaders to take steps to prevent and fight cardiovascular disease," added Breathett, who is an assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Arizona and a cardiologist at Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson.
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Access to healthcare for American Indians and Alaska natives is limited, according to the American Heart Association.
In 2017, 19 percent of this population did not have health insurance. While the federal health program, Indian Health Service, provides healthcare for 1.6 million people, that accounts for less than one-third of the total American Indian and Alaska Native population in the United States, the authors of the statement said.
Currently, 21 percent of American Indians also live below the federal poverty line, according to the AHA.
Overall health, researchers say, is an issue in these communities. Obesity, a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, affects up to 40 percent of American Indians, the authors of the statement said. The Strong Heart Study, cited in the statement, found that some of the risk for obesity and diabetes is genetically inherited within these communities.
In addition, nearly 32 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives use tobacco, a rate almost twice as high as other ethnic populations in the United States, the authors said.
Community-based, culturally appropriate interventions are needed to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in these communities. These, the authors said, should include specific focus on improving dietary and health decisions, as well as addressing groundwater contamination issues in many of the areas American Indians live.
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"To better prevent and treat cardiovascular disease in American Indians and Alaska Natives, it's imperative to control risk factors and implement community-based interventions that address social determinants of health," Chiadi E. Ndumele, Robert Meyerhoff assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, said in a commentary published with the scientific statement.


upi--2020-05-28--Police: Kansas soldier drives over gunman saving 'countless lives'

May 28 ( UPI ) -- A solider stationed in Kansas saved `` countless lives '' when he drove his vehicle over a gunman who was shooting randomly at people from a bridge in Leavenworth , authorities said .
Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens told reporters one person , also a soldier stationed at the Leavenworth base , was shot by the gunman and was taken to a local hospital .
Authorities from multiple agencies descended upon the Centennial Bridge that connects Kansas to Missouri after receiving several calls of shots fired , possibly the result of a road rage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but arrived to discover that the shooter , armed with multiple guns , had opened fire at random .
Officers found the shooter trapped under the vehicle of a soldier who had been in traffic when the incident unfolded and decided to take action by running the gunman over , Kitchens said , `` likely saving countless lives . ''
Both the suspect , a Platte County , Mo.
, man whose identity was not revealed , and the gunshot victim were transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by gunfire , he said , adding the wounded soldier was not specifically targeted .
`` There does n't appear to be a specific target , '' Kitchens said .
`` The person was simply randomly firing at vehicles as they passed by . ''
The motive was under investigation with authorities `` evaluating the person 's history with the community , '' he said , adding two weapons , a handgun and a semiautomatic rifle , were recovered from the scene .
`` What was a very , very dangerous situation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
The bridge , which was closed due to the investigation , has since reopened .

May 28 (UPI) -- A solider stationed in Kansas saved "countless lives" when he drove his vehicle over a gunman who was shooting randomly at people from a bridge in Leavenworth, authorities said.
Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens told reporters one person, also a soldier stationed at the Leavenworth base, was shot by the gunman and was taken to a local hospital.
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Authorities from multiple agencies descended upon the Centennial Bridge that connects Kansas to Missouri after receiving several calls of shots fired, possibly the result of a road rage incident, at around 11 a.m. Wednesday but arrived to discover that the shooter, armed with multiple guns, had opened fire at random.
Officers found the shooter trapped under the vehicle of a soldier who had been in traffic when the incident unfolded and decided to take action by running the gunman over, Kitchens said, "likely saving countless lives."
Both the suspect, a Platte County, Mo., man whose identity was not revealed, and the gunshot victim were transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition, he said.
Two vehicles were struck by gunfire, he said, adding the wounded soldier was not specifically targeted.
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"There doesn't appear to be a specific target," Kitchens said. "The person was simply randomly firing at vehicles as they passed by."
The motive was under investigation with authorities "evaluating the person's history with the community," he said, adding two weapons, a handgun and a semiautomatic rifle, were recovered from the scene.
"What was a very, very dangerous situation, fortunately, was ended quite quickly," he said.
The bridge, which was closed due to the investigation, has since reopened.