upi--2020-04-28--Limiting COVID-19 spread in prisons benefits inmates, surrounding communities

April 28 ( UPI ) -- Controlling spread of the new coronavirus inside jails and prisons is a unique challenge , public health experts argue in a commentary published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine .
Prisons are designed to keep criminals away from the general public , but if inmates become infected with COVID-19 they face serious potential health consequences , and walls and barbed wire wo n't contain the virus .
People outside prison gates need to be concerned , they say , because it 's easy for a virus to get out and affect the surrounding communities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 because social distancing is virtually impossible , '' co-author Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler , a primary care physician and a professor at the City University of New York 's Hunter College , told UPI .
`` Guards and other prison staff enter and exit from the community daily .
And when prisoners require care , they often must be cared for in an outside hospital . ''
Although there is no specific data on the number of prisoners in the United States that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , the disease caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the numbers available are grim .
More than 1,000 inmates and 300 staff and guards at federal prisons have been infected , according to figures from the Federal Bureau of Prisons , and state and local jails across the country have reported high levels of disease spread as well .
More than 3,000 inmates across four states -- Arkansas , North Carolina , Ohio and Virginia -- have tested positive for the virus , according to reports , while more than 1,000 prisoners in Arizona alone have also been infected .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems , according to the new commentary , because the facilities , by their nature , are designed to be confined spaces .
In the commentary , experts use the analogy of the Diamond Princess cruise ship -- hardly a prison -- but with 3,700 people effectively trapped on board for four weeks , were not surprised that 700 became infected with the highly contagious virus .
America 's prisoners also have several risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19 , the authors said .
More than 130,000 are 55 years of age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent estimates , and about half have at least one chronic condition , like heart disease or asthma .
`` Medical ethics dictates that inmates must be treated with the same care and respect as other patients , but many U.S. prisons force prisoners to make co-payments before seeing a doctor , and these co-payments are often prohibitively expensive for prisoners who earn just pennies per hour when they work , '' Woolhandler said .
`` Prisons , especially those run by for-profit firms , often try to obstruct prisoners from going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the hospital bills take away from the firm 's profits , '' she said .
While applauding efforts to ensure testing and availability of personal protective equipment at jails , the authors of the commentary note that the most effective way to avoid an outbreak is `` to drastically reduce the populations of jails and prisons . ''
This includes reducing what the writers call unnecessary admissions , such as for non-violent offenders , and by expediting the release of prisoners who have completed sentences or qualified for parole .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecution of all drug possession and other minor crimes to keep jail populations down until the pandemic has been contained .
Older patients , they added , should also be considered for early release , given that they are less likely to re-offend .
In addition , once prisoners are released , support services need to be made available to help them successfully re-integrate into their communities , while maintaining their physical and mental health .
`` There are prisoners serving excessive sentences for non-violent offenses , inmates who have never been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention because they are too poor to post bail and inmates re-incarcerated for technical parole violations , '' Woolhandler noted .
`` Releasing such inmates is the only way to reduce overcrowding and make social distancing possible . ''

California's San Quentin State Prison. Inmates in facilities across the U.S., such as at California's San Quentin State Prison, pictured, are at high risk for COVID-19, experts say. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
April 28 (UPI) -- Controlling spread of the new coronavirus inside jails and prisons is a unique challenge, public health experts argue in a commentary published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine. Prisons are designed to keep criminals away from the general public, but if inmates become infected with COVID-19 they face serious potential health consequences, and walls and barbed wire won't contain the virus. Advertisement
People outside prison gates need to be concerned, they say, because it's easy for a virus to get out and affect the surrounding communities.
"Over-crowded prisons and jails are incubators for COVID-19 because social distancing is virtually impossible," co-author Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler, a primary care physician and a professor at the City University of New York's Hunter College, told UPI. "Guards and other prison staff enter and exit from the community daily. And when prisoners require care, they often must be cared for in an outside hospital."
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"Prisoner health is community health," she added.
Although there is no specific data on the number of prisoners in the United States that have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 -- but the numbers available are grim.
More than 1,000 inmates and 300 staff and guards at federal prisons have been infected, according to figures from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and state and local jails across the country have reported high levels of disease spread as well.
More than 3,000 inmates across four states -- Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia -- have tested positive for the virus, according to reports, while more than 1,000 prisoners in Arizona alone have also been infected.
The outbreak has proved particularly problematic across prison systems, according to the new commentary, because the facilities, by their nature, are designed to be confined spaces.
In the commentary, experts use the analogy of the Diamond Princess cruise ship -- hardly a prison -- but with 3,700 people effectively trapped on board for four weeks, were not surprised that 700 became infected with the highly contagious virus.
America's prisoners also have several risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19, the authors said. More than 130,000 are 55 years of age or older, according to the most recent estimates, and about half have at least one chronic condition, like heart disease or asthma.
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"Medical ethics dictates that inmates must be treated with the same care and respect as other patients, but many U.S. prisons force prisoners to make co-payments before seeing a doctor, and these co-payments are often prohibitively expensive for prisoners who earn just pennies per hour when they work," Woolhandler said.
"Prisons, especially those run by for-profit firms, often try to obstruct prisoners from going to outside hospitals, even when medically necessary, because the hospital bills take away from the firm's profits," she said.
While applauding efforts to ensure testing and availability of personal protective equipment at jails, the authors of the commentary note that the most effective way to avoid an outbreak is "to drastically reduce the populations of jails and prisons." This includes reducing what the writers call unnecessary admissions, such as for non-violent offenders, and by expediting the release of prisoners who have completed sentences or qualified for parole.
The commentary highlights Baltimore, which has deferred the prosecution of all drug possession and other minor crimes to keep jail populations down until the pandemic has been contained. Older patients, they added, should also be considered for early release, given that they are less likely to re-offend.
In addition, once prisoners are released, support services need to be made available to help them successfully re-integrate into their communities, while maintaining their physical and mental health.
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"There are prisoners serving excessive sentences for non-violent offenses, inmates who have never been convicted but remain in jail for pre-trial detention because they are too poor to post bail and inmates re-incarcerated for technical parole violations," Woolhandler noted. "Releasing such inmates is the only way to reduce overcrowding and make social distancing possible."


upi--2020-04-29--Joe Biden projected to win Ohio presidential primary

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden was projected early Wednesday to win the Ohio Democratic presidential primary .
With nearly 81 percent of precincts reporting , Biden won 72.8 percent of the vote with 459,318 ballots cast to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ' 16.6 percent , or 104,766 votes , according to an unofficial tally by the Ohio Secretary of State 's office .
As of early Wednesday , Biden has received half of the state 's 136 pledged delegates .
Originally scheduled for March 17 , the Ohio Democratic presidential primary was postponed due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an all-mail vote for Tuesday following a series of litigations .
A day before the primary , Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced in a release that nearly 2 million Ohioans had requested a vote-by-mail ballot with 1.4 million having already cast their votes .
`` In a matter of weeks , we 've done something that 's taken other states years to do -- transform our state into one capable of voting entirely by mail , '' said LaRose .
Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday to be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person voting was open to those with disabilities and those who can not receive mail .
Biden was the expected winner of the contest after Sanders dropped out of the presidential race early this month and then endorsed his former combatant for the country 's highest office .
Meanwhile , President Donald Trump was projected to win the Ohio Republican primary contest as the only candidate on the ballot .
On Tuesday , Biden received the endorsement of former first lady and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton .
The coronavirus , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused businesses to shutter countrywide , has upended the primary season as 15 states and Puerto Rico have pushed back their voting dates or extended vote-by-mail deadlines .
New York , one of the worst-hit states by COVID-19 , took precautions even further on Monday and canceled the contest .

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Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden delivers remakes on the coronavirus in Wilmington, Delaware, on March 12. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden was projected early Wednesday to win the Ohio Democratic presidential primary. With nearly 81 percent of precincts reporting, Biden won 72.8 percent of the vote with 459,318 ballots cast to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' 16.6 percent, or 104,766 votes, according to an unofficial tally by the Ohio Secretary of State's office. Advertisement
As of early Wednesday, Biden has received half of the state's 136 pledged delegates.
Originally scheduled for March 17, the Ohio Democratic presidential primary was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and then reformed as an all-mail vote for Tuesday following a series of litigations.
A day before the primary, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced in a release that nearly 2 million Ohioans had requested a vote-by-mail ballot with 1.4 million having already cast their votes.
"In a matter of weeks, we've done something that's taken other states years to do -- transform our state into one capable of voting entirely by mail," said LaRose.
Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday to be counted, his office said, adding, in-person voting was open to those with disabilities and those who cannot receive mail.
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Biden was the expected winner of the contest after Sanders dropped out of the presidential race early this month and then endorsed his former combatant for the country's highest office.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was projected to win the Ohio Republican primary contest as the only candidate on the ballot.
On Tuesday, Biden received the endorsement of former first lady and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
The coronavirus, which has infected more than 1 million Americans and caused businesses to shutter countrywide, has upended the primary season as 15 states and Puerto Rico have pushed back their voting dates or extended vote-by-mail deadlines.
New York, one of the worst-hit states by COVID-19, took precautions even further on Monday and canceled the contest.


upi--2020-04-29--Reports: Gigi Hadid, Zayn Malik expecting first child

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Supermodel Gigi Hadid and pop music star Zayn Malik are expecting their first child @ @ @ @ @ reported Tuesday by ETOnline.com , UsMagazine.com and TMZ .
Hadid , 25 , and Malik @ @ @ @ @ dating off and on since 2015 .
`` Gigi is pregnant and she and Zayn @ @ @ @ @ '' Us quoted an unnamed source as saying .
`` She 's always wanted to @ @ @ @ @ . ''
An insider also told ETOnline.com the couple is very excited about the pregnancy @ @ @ @ @ the secret close to her family and friends for a while as she 's only @ @ @ @ @ '' the source said .
`` Once Gigi and Zayn got back together at the @ @ @ @ @ was like they never skipped a beat and knew what they had was special .
@ @ @ @ @ are overjoyed . ''
TMZ said Hadid is 20 weeks pregnant and it is unclear @ @ @ @ @ of their baby yet .

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Gigi Hadid reportedly is 20 weeks pregnant with her first child. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Supermodel Gigi Hadid and pop music star Zayn Malik are expecting their first child. The happy news was reported Tuesday by ETOnline.com, UsMagazine.com and TMZ. Advertisement
Hadid, 25, and Malik, 27, have been dating off and on since 2015.
"Gigi is pregnant and she and Zayn are so in love," Us quoted an unnamed source as saying. "She's always wanted to start a family with Zayn."
An insider also told ETOnline.com the couple is very excited about the pregnancy.
"Gigi has kept the secret close to her family and friends for a while as she's only a few months along," the source said. "Once Gigi and Zayn got back together at the end of last year it was like they never skipped a beat and knew what they had was special. The couple and their families are overjoyed."
TMZ said Hadid is 20 weeks pregnant and it is unclear whether they know the sex of their baby yet.


upi--2020-04-29--Watch: Jim Parsons talks 'Hollywood' and picking up painting on 'Kimmel'

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Jim Parsons appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and discussed the fictional and historical aspects of his new show Hollywood .
The new show , from Ryan Murphy , follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they pursue their dreams in Hollywood following World War II .
`` This is a look at Hollywood back in the 1940s , the romance age , the classic era .
We tell a lot of factual tales but then we start spinning in some fiction , '' Parsons said about the limited series which hits Netflix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if certain decisions had been made back then how would society or just even Hollywood look different now .
How would that have affected the world , '' Parsons continued .
David Coronswet , Jeremy Pope , Laura Harrier , Samara Weaving , Darren Criss , Dylan McDermott , Holland Taylor and Patti LuPone also star in Hollywood .
Parsons also discussed how he has starting painting within the past year following the series finale of The Big Bang Theory .
Parsons paints with acrylics due to being unable to get into any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these acrylic classes left which scared me to death .
Anything that comes out of a tube like that , I have this odd fear of staining things but also wasting them , '' Parsons said about using acrylics .
The 47-year-old said displayed two of his pantings to Kimmel which included a painting of a vase and one of his friends walking on the street .

April 29 (UPI) -- Jim Parsons appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and discussed the fictional and historical aspects of his new show Hollywood.
The new show, from Ryan Murphy, follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they pursue their dreams in Hollywood following World War II.
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"This is a look at Hollywood back in the 1940s, the romance age, the classic era. We tell a lot of factual tales but then we start spinning in some fiction," Parsons said about the limited series which hits Netflix on Friday.
"It's about if certain decisions had been made back then how would society or just even Hollywood look different now. How would that have affected the world," Parsons continued.
David Coronswet, Jeremy Pope, Laura Harrier, Samara Weaving, Darren Criss, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor and Patti LuPone also star in Hollywood.
Parsons also discussed how he has starting painting within the past year following the series finale of The Big Bang Theory.
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Parsons paints with acrylics due to being unable to get into any watercolor classes.
"There were only these acrylic classes left which scared me to death. Anything that comes out of a tube like that, I have this odd fear of staining things but also wasting them," Parsons said about using acrylics.
The 47-year-old said displayed two of his pantings to Kimmel which included a painting of a vase and one of his friends walking on the street.


upi--2020-04-29--Israel celebrates 72nd Independence Day in coronavirus isolation

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Israel celebrated its 72nd year of independence on Wednesday as it did Memorial Day a day earlier -- mostly in isolation due to the coronavirus crisis .
The nation formally celebrates the occasion , known as Yom Ha'atzmaut , this year from Tuesday night to Wednesday evening .
It immediately followed Israeli Memorial Day , which was observed from Monday to Tuesday .
Due to coronavirus-related restrictions , many Israelis celebrated Independence Day online via live stream .
Entertainers including Broadway 's Caissie Levy , Israeli pop star Rita and actor Josh Malina sang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Facebook Live .
Israel declared independence on May 14 , 1948 , but the dates for the public holiday change each year based on the Hebrew calendar .
Next year it will be observed from April 14-15 .
In commemorating the start of Israeli Independence Day on Tuesday night , Knesset speaker Benny Gantz was optimistic , but warned that Israelis will have to navigate some tough times in the recovery from the coronavirus crisis .
Gantz said at a torch lighting ceremony on Jerusalem 's Mount Herzl on Tuesday night the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israelis .
`` Now we face an unfamiliar foe , which does n't tell us apart -- Jews , Arabs , Druze and Circassian , Ultra-Orthodox , religious and secular , people on the right and the left , '' he said .
`` It poses an enormous human and medical challenge , and in the process shares a valuable lesson about social responsibility : namely , that we are all our brothers ' keepers .
It is our solidarity and commonality of purpose that guarantee us victory .
It is our communal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help us touch eternity . ''
He added that Israel 's past wars have strengthened and defined the country and the Israel Defense Forces are ready to repel any threat .
Nadav Argaman , head of the Shin Bet security service , compared the coronavirus to a new enemy .
`` Right now , we are in a time of crisis , '' he said Wednesday .
`` Our struggle is not against a security threat , but rather a new enemy that is threatening our health , economy and society .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
`` This is not an ordinary mission and certainly not one we are accustomed to .
But at this time , it 's an inseparable part of the protection of national security . ''

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A man wears a face mask on Tuesday outside a shop displaying multiple Israeli flags to commemorate Memorial Day and Independence Day in Jerusalem. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Israel celebrated its 72nd year of independence on Wednesday as it did Memorial Day a day earlier -- mostly in isolation due to the coronavirus crisis. The nation formally celebrates the occasion, known as Yom Ha'atzmaut, this year from Tuesday night to Wednesday evening. It immediately followed Israeli Memorial Day, which was observed from Monday to Tuesday. Advertisement
Due to coronavirus-related restrictions, many Israelis celebrated Independence Day online via live stream. Entertainers including Broadway's Caissie Levy, Israeli pop star Rita and actor Josh Malina sang and performed for Internet audiences on Zoom and Facebook Live.
Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, but the dates for the public holiday change each year based on the Hebrew calendar. Next year it will be observed from April 14-15.
In commemorating the start of Israeli Independence Day on Tuesday night, Knesset speaker Benny Gantz was optimistic, but warned that Israelis will have to navigate some tough times in the recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
Gantz said at a torch lighting ceremony on Jerusalem's Mount Herzl on Tuesday night the virus poses an immense challenge to all Israelis.
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"Now we face an unfamiliar foe, which doesn't tell us apart -- Jews, Arabs, Druze and Circassian, Ultra-Orthodox, religious and secular, people on the right and the left," he said.
"It poses an enormous human and medical challenge, and in the process shares a valuable lesson about social responsibility: namely, that we are all our brothers' keepers. It is our solidarity and commonality of purpose that guarantee us victory. It is our communal spirit and sense of mutual responsibility that help us touch eternity."
He added that Israel's past wars have strengthened and defined the country and the Israel Defense Forces are ready to repel any threat.
Nadav Argaman, head of the Shin Bet security service, compared the coronavirus to a new enemy.
"Right now, we are in a time of crisis," he said Wednesday. "Our struggle is not against a security threat, but rather a new enemy that is threatening our health, economy and society. The front-line today is the fight against the coronavirus.
"This is not an ordinary mission and certainly not one we are accustomed to. But at this time, it's an inseparable part of the protection of national security."


upi--2020-04-29--Scientists build biobot with a real rat spinal cord

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a biohybrid robot featuring an actual rat spinal cord and a tissue-engineered muscle system .
After culturing the system in the lab for a week , the spinal cord began to generate electrical signals that caused the artificial muscles to contract .
When scientists compared the development of the tissue-engineered spinobot with in vivo spinal cord development , they observed several similarities .
To test the spinobot 's performance , scientist added the neurotransmitter glutamate to the solution in which the organic biobot was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher concentrations of glutamate caused the spinal cord neurons to fire more rapidly , triggering repeated , rhythmic contractions of the synthetic muscle .
`` These neurotransmitters are the cues for the muscle to contract .
Here we chose to use only the most common excitatory neurotransmitter , glutamate , '' Collin Kaufman , neuroscience graduate student at the University of Illinois , told UPI in an email .
`` However , we believe that by creating a neurotransmitter cocktail with a mixture of neurotransmitters in spinal neurons , glutamate and serotonin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pattern of firing . ''
The breakthrough biobot , described Tuesday in the journal APL Bioengineering , could be used to study diseases of the nervous system , such as Lou Gehrig 's disease , also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , or ALS .
`` Most studies of ALS are either behavioral or study specific time-points when the animal was prepared for histology because it is very difficult to study the peripheral nervous system -- neurons that extend from the spinal cord out to all your muscles , '' Kaufman said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spinal cord-synthetic muscle systems like it , scientists could closely study nervous system diseases and their effects on tissue in real time .
`` The modular component of our platform means that we can replace our 'healthy ' tissue with mutant tissue derived from models of any neuro-muscular disease or disorder -- including myasthenia gravis , ALS and muscular dystrophy -- and study how the diseased tissue alters development and function at the junction between neurons and muscle , '' Kaufman said .
In the future , hybrid biobots could also be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students to practice surgeries on real biological tissue .
Eventually , hybrid biobots could become programmable robotic systems .
But while promising , the new biobot is only one very early step in the quest to build sophisticated , life-like robots .
`` This technology is probably not yet ready to scale into what we think of as a walking , talking robot , '' Kaufman said .
`` As tissues get larger , they rely on vascularization ( blood vessels ) to provide the deepest parts of the tissue with nutrients and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labs are working on vascularizing engineered tissues .
This will be a very important step toward being able to grow larger , more complex biological robots . ''
For now , Kaufman and his colleagues are working to create more complex spinal cord-muscle systems , featuring the coordinated control of multiple muscles .

A cross-section of a rat's spinal cord shows the location of neurons and evidence of neuronal stimulation. Photo by Collin D. Kaufman
April 29 (UPI) -- Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a biohybrid robot featuring an actual rat spinal cord and a tissue-engineered muscle system. After culturing the system in the lab for a week, the spinal cord began to generate electrical signals that caused the artificial muscles to contract. Advertisement
When scientists compared the development of the tissue-engineered spinobot with in vivo spinal cord development, they observed several similarities.
To test the spinobot's performance, scientist added the neurotransmitter glutamate to the solution in which the organic biobot was resting. The addition of higher and higher concentrations of glutamate caused the spinal cord neurons to fire more rapidly, triggering repeated, rhythmic contractions of the synthetic muscle.
"These neurotransmitters are the cues for the muscle to contract. Here we chose to use only the most common excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate," Collin Kaufman, neuroscience graduate student at the University of Illinois, told UPI in an email. "However, we believe that by creating a neurotransmitter cocktail with a mixture of neurotransmitters in spinal neurons, glutamate and serotonin, we would be able to change the pattern of firing."
The breakthrough biobot, described Tuesday in the journal APL Bioengineering, could be used to study diseases of the nervous system, such as Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
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"Most studies of ALS are either behavioral or study specific time-points when the animal was prepared for histology because it is very difficult to study the peripheral nervous system -- neurons that extend from the spinal cord out to all your muscles," Kaufman said.
Using the new biobot, or hybrid spinal cord-synthetic muscle systems like it, scientists could closely study nervous system diseases and their effects on tissue in real time.
"The modular component of our platform means that we can replace our 'healthy' tissue with mutant tissue derived from models of any neuro-muscular disease or disorder -- including myasthenia gravis, ALS and muscular dystrophy -- and study how the diseased tissue alters development and function at the junction between neurons and muscle," Kaufman said.
In the future, hybrid biobots could also be used as surgical training models, allowing medical students to practice surgeries on real biological tissue.
Eventually, hybrid biobots could become programmable robotic systems. But while promising, the new biobot is only one very early step in the quest to build sophisticated, life-like robots.
"This technology is probably not yet ready to scale into what we think of as a walking, talking robot," Kaufman said. "As tissues get larger, they rely on vascularization (blood vessels) to provide the deepest parts of the tissue with nutrients and to carry away metabolic waste. Several labs are working on vascularizing engineered tissues. This will be a very important step toward being able to grow larger, more complex biological robots."
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For now, Kaufman and his colleagues are working to create more complex spinal cord-muscle systems, featuring the coordinated control of multiple muscles.


upi--2020-04-29--Steelers pick up option on All-Pro LB T.J. Watt

April 29 ( UPI ) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have picked up the fifth-year option on linebacker T.J. Watt 's @ @ @ @ @ the move Tuesday .
The No .
30 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft @ @ @ @ @ 2021 .
Watt had 55 total tackles , 36 quarterback hits , 14.5 sacks , @ @ @ @ @ , eight passes defensed , a league-high eight forced fumbles , four fumble recoveries and @ @ @ @ @ last season .
He has 177 combined tackles , 70 quarterback hits , 36 tackles @ @ @ @ @ sacks , 18 passes defensed , 15 forced fumbles , four fumble recoveries and three @ @ @ @ @ the Steelers .
Watt has only missed one start since his rookie campaign .
Watt @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.7 million in 2020 .
The Steelers can still negotiate for a long-term contract @ @ @ @ @ picked up the contract option .

Outside linebacker T.J. Watt is now under contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers through the 2021 season after the team picked up his fifth-year option. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have picked up the fifth-year option on linebacker T.J. Watt's rookie contract. Pittsburgh announced the move Tuesday. The No. 30 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft is now under contract through 2021. Advertisement
Watt had 55 total tackles, 36 quarterback hits, 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, eight passes defensed, a league-high eight forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 16 starts last season.
He has 177 combined tackles, 70 quarterback hits, 36 tackles for a loss, 34.5 sacks, 18 passes defensed, 15 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions in three seasons with the Steelers. Watt has only missed one start since his rookie campaign.
Watt has a base salary of $1.7 million in 2020. The Steelers can still negotiate for a long-term contract with the linebacker after they picked up the contract option.


upi--2020-04-29--New 'Goosebumps' TV show in the works

New 'Goosebumps' TV show in the works

April 29 ( UPI ) -- A new live-action TV series based on R.L .
Stine 's best-selling Goosebumps children @ @ @ @ @ the works .
`` Yes , it 's true .
A brand-new Goosebumps TV show @ @ @ @ @ Stine tweeted Tuesday .
The series is a collaboration between Scholastic Entertainment , Sony Pictures @ @ @ @ @ 's Original Film production company .
No casting or network home have been announced yet @ @ @ @ @ the Goosebumps movies and ca n't wait to bring even more of R. L. Stine @ @ @ @ @ through a high-end television series that speaks to both adults and kids alike , '' @ @ @ @ @ .
There are more than 350 million Goosebumps books in print .
A TV adaptation @ @ @ @ @ kids ran for five seasons in the 1990s , and two films starring Jack Black @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .

A new "Goosebumps" TV series is now in the works. Jack Black starred in two films based on the iconic children's books in 2015 and 2018. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- A new live-action TV series based on R.L. Stine's best-selling Goosebumps children's books is now in the works. "Yes, it's true. A brand-new Goosebumps TV show was announced today," Stine tweeted Tuesday. Advertisement
The series is a collaboration between Scholastic Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television and Neal H. Moritz's Original Film production company.
No casting or network home have been announced yet.
"I loved making the Goosebumps movies and can't wait to bring even more of R. L. Stine's incredible stories to life through a high-end television series that speaks to both adults and kids alike," Moritz said in a statement.
There are more than 350 million Goosebumps books in print.
A TV adaptation of the scary stories for kids ran for five seasons in the 1990s, and two films starring Jack Black were released in 2015 and 2018.


upi--2020-04-29--U.N. human rights expert: Myanmar targeting civilians in fight with rebels

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Myanmar 's military is intensifying a bloody campaign against armed rebels and civilians amid the coronavirus pandemic and ignoring a call for cease-fire , a United Nations human rights investigator said Wednesday .
Yanghee Lee , the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar , said its military , the Tatmadaw , has increased attacks against the rebel Arakan Army and is increasingly targeting civilians in the western states of Rakhine and Chin and violating international law .
`` While the world is occupied with the COVID-19 pandemic , the Myanmar military continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , targeting the civilian population , '' she said in a statement .
`` Calls for a cease-fire , including by the Arakan Army , have gone unheeded .
Instead , the Tatmadaw is inflicting immense suffering on the ethnic communities in Rakhine and Chin . ''
Lee called for an investigation into accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Tatmadaw , which she accused of `` systematically violating the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and human rights . ''
Lee said the most recent violence has included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rakhine and Chin States that have killed and injured scores of adults and children , and said the Tatmadaw prevented some of the injured from receiving medical care .
`` Its conduct against the civilian population of Rakhine and Chin States may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity , '' she said .
`` All parties to the conflict , including the Arakan Army , must also protect civilians . ''
Lee said aid workers and journalists are also being targeted by the military .
Hostilities began in 2018 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 157,000 .
A year earlier , the Tatmadaw was held responsible for ethnic violence against Mynamar 's Muslim Rohingya minority after forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to neighboring Bangladesh .
Lee called on leaders to step up efforts to protect civilians , and urged Myanmar to comply with measures in January by the International Court of Justice that ordered emergency measures to prevent Rohingya genocide .

The Myanmar Red Cross moves the body of a World Health Organization worker to an ambulance in Rakhine State, Myanmar, on April 21. The worker died amid ongoing fighting in the largely Rohingya state. Photo by Nyunt Win/EPA-EFE
April 29 (UPI) -- Myanmar's military is intensifying a bloody campaign against armed rebels and civilians amid the coronavirus pandemic and ignoring a call for cease-fire, a United Nations human rights investigator said Wednesday. Yanghee Lee, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said its military, the Tatmadaw, has increased attacks against the rebel Arakan Army and is increasingly targeting civilians in the western states of Rakhine and Chin and violating international law. Advertisement
"While the world is occupied with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Myanmar military continues to escalate its assault in Rakhine state, targeting the civilian population," she said in a statement.
"Calls for a cease-fire, including by the Arakan Army, have gone unheeded. Instead, the Tatmadaw is inflicting immense suffering on the ethnic communities in Rakhine and Chin."
Lee called for an investigation into accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Tatmadaw, which she accused of "systematically violating the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and human rights."
Lee said the most recent violence has included air and artillery strikes in civilian areas of Rakhine and Chin States that have killed and injured scores of adults and children, and said the Tatmadaw prevented some of the injured from receiving medical care.
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"Its conduct against the civilian population of Rakhine and Chin States may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity," she said. "All parties to the conflict, including the Arakan Army, must also protect civilians."
Lee said aid workers and journalists are also being targeted by the military.
Hostilities began in 2018 and have killed and injured hundreds and displaced more than 157,000. A year earlier, the Tatmadaw was held responsible for ethnic violence against Mynamar's Muslim Rohingya minority after forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.
Lee called on leaders to step up efforts to protect civilians, and urged Myanmar to comply with measures in January by the International Court of Justice that ordered emergency measures to prevent Rohingya genocide.


upi--2020-04-29--'Slumdog Millionaire,' 'Jurassic World' actor Irrfan Khan dead at 53

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Indian film star Irrfan Khan died Wednesday of a colon infection after a battle with cancer .
He was 53 .
`` After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer , he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it , '' his family said in a statement .
`` Surrounded by his love , his family for whom he most cared about , he left for heaven abode , leaving behind truly a legacy of his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is at peace .
And to resonate and part with his words he had said , 'As if I was tasting life for the first time , the magical side of it . '
'' Khan 's film credits include Angrezi Medium , Inferno , Jurassic World , The Amazing Spider-Man , Life of Pi , The Namesake , Salaam Bombay , The Warrior , Maqbool , The Lunchbox , Piku and Hindi Medium .
His 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire earned the Best Picture Oscar , and Khan and his cast-mates were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Screen Actors Guild Awards .
He won India 's National Film Award for his performance in the 2013 biopic , Paan Singh Tomar .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Khan 's death `` a loss to the world of cinema and theater . ''
`` He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums .
My thoughts are with his family , friends and admirers .
May his soul rest in peace , '' Modi tweeted .
Khan 's 95-year-old mother Saeeda Begum died Saturday and the actor watched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social-distancing practices in effect to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than 200,000 people .

Left to right, "Slumdog Millionaire" stars Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor were honored at the 2009 SAG Awards. Khan died Wednesday at age 53. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Indian film star Irrfan Khan died Wednesday of a colon infection after a battle with cancer. He was 53. "After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it," his family said in a statement. Advertisement
"Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, 'As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it.'"
Khan's film credits include Angrezi Medium, Inferno, Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi, The Namesake, Salaam Bombay, The Warrior, Maqbool, The Lunchbox, Piku and Hindi Medium.
His 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire earned the Best Picture Oscar, and Khan and his cast-mates were honored as Best Ensemble in a Film at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
He won India's National Film Award for his performance in the 2013 biopic, Paan Singh Tomar.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Khan's death "a loss to the world of cinema and theater."
"He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace," Modi tweeted.
Khan's 95-year-old mother Saeeda Begum died Saturday and the actor watched her funeral via video-conference technology because of social-distancing practices in effect to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 200,000 people.
Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-04-29--Google re-releases Oskar Fischinger music game in latest Doodle

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Google has re-released its 2017 music game based on filmmaker and abstract animator Oskar Fischinger in the latest Doodle .
Google 's homepage features the letter `` O '' in the company 's logo jumping from one square to another which causes the letters `` G '' and the second `` O '' to disappear as musical notes fill the air .
The interactive game allows users to create their own music by clicking on dots on an 11x16 grid .
Each dot represents a musical note that combine to form a musical composition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1967 at the age of 66 .
He was known for producing animated sequences found in Disney 's Fantasia and Pinocchio .
Google will continue to re-release past Doodle games as many stay indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The company re-released its 2017 cricket game on Tuesday .
`` As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world , people and families everywhere are spending more time at home .
In light of this , we 're launching a throwback Doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Google is once again featuring its music game based around filmmaker Oskar Fischinger in the latest Doodle. The company will feature old Doodle games in the coming days. Image courtesy of Google
April 29 (UPI) -- Google has re-released its 2017 music game based on filmmaker and abstract animator Oskar Fischinger in the latest Doodle. Google's homepage features the letter "O" in the company's logo jumping from one square to another which causes the letters "G" and the second "O" to disappear as musical notes fill the air. Advertisement
The interactive game allows users to create their own music by clicking on dots on an 11x16 grid. Each dot represents a musical note that combine to form a musical composition played on a loop.
Fischinger died in 1967 at the age of 66. He was known for producing animated sequences found in Disney's Fantasia and Pinocchio.
Google will continue to re-release past Doodle games as many stay indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company re-released its 2017 cricket game on Tuesday.
"As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we're launching a throwback Doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games," Google said.
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upi--2020-04-29--Florida, Tennessee Wisconsin allow more sectors to reopen Wednesday

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday outlined plans to partially reopen businesses in much of the state beginning on Monday, excluding the state's largest counties -- Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach -- which have been hardest hit by COVID-19. Photo by Doug Mills/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday unveiled plans to begin lifting restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The plan will take effect Monday throughout the state except for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which have experienced the greatest number of coronavirus cases in the state. Advertisement
Under Phase 1 of the plan, retail stores and restaurants will be able to reopen at 25 percent indoor capacity on Monday and outdoor seating will be permitted with 6 feet between patrons to maintain social distancing.
Elective surgeries will also be allowed to resume, but schools, bars, gyms, hair salons, nursing homes and long-term care facilities will remain closed until further notice and schools will continue distance learning.
DeSantis also encouraged Floridians to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and wear face coverings when in public but said people will not face fines for failing to abide by these guidelines.
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He said the plan will proceed to further phases depending on the results under the first phase but added the government is anticipating weeks between phases and not months.
"Our plan from the beginning to fight COVID-19 is going to continue. Nothing's going to change about that. We are going to continue to protect the vulnerable. We are going to continue to increase testing ... we'll continue to promote various forms of social distancing," DeSantis said.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties will reopen parks, marinas, waterways and golf courses on Wednesday. Some pools will also reopen. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Broward Mayor Dale Holness announced the move earlier this week.
Beaches and non-essential workplaces in those three counties, however, will remain closed and social distancing measures will remain in place. Additional restrictions will require boats to remain 50 feet apart and golfers to go onto the courses in their own carts, without caddies.
"The parks, waterways and golf courses will be used in limited ways that require everyone to take personal responsibility and act as if they have the coronavirus," Gimenez said.
The first beaches in southwestern Florida reopened this week, joining others across the state that had reopened. Manatee County, on the central Gulf coast, plans to reopen its beaches on Monday. Like many others in the state, Manatee County will enforce distancing measures on its beaches and limit visitors to 2 hours at a time.
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Tennessee and Wisconsin also began to permit more businesses to open after first easing restrictions on some non-essential businesses over the past several days.
Tennessee retailers will be allowed to open their doors Wednesday, but must limit traffic to 50 percent capacity. Restaurants in the state were allowed to operate with the same conditions under an order signed by Gov. Bill Lee on Friday.
The state has also issued new guidance that says restaurant and retail workers should wear face coverings and businesses should follow hygiene and workplace sanitation standards.
"Tennessee has taken an unprecedented economic hit with families and small businesses feeling the most pain," Lee said. "We must stay vigilant as a state, continue practicing social distancing and engage in best practices at our businesses so that we can stay open."
In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers signed an emergency order allowing non-essential businesses -- including pet groomers, upholstery businesses, outdoor recreational rentals and automatic or self-service car washes -- to reopen to curbside services.
"This order means that every business across our state can do things like deliveries, mailings, curbside pick-up and drop-off and it's an important step in making sure that while folks are staying safer at home, they can also continue to support small businesses across our state," Evers said.
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Wisconsin previously allowed golf courses, and construction and landscaping businesses to operate, as well as curbside service at other businesses such as libraries and other local stores that allow sales online or by phone.
Wisconsin parks are scheduled to reopen Friday.
U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-04-29--China, U.S. are on a collision course

China, U.S. are on a collision course

For good or ill , America and China are on a collision course .
The image of the unsinkable giant ocean liner Titanic and the massive iceberg come to mind with two exceptions .
The first is that either America or China could be the Titanic or the iceberg .
Second , if this collision occurs , both the ship and the berg will sink .
How we got here and where we are headed are the relevant questions .
History may be inevitable in hindsight .
But the future is not .
China dates its beginning back 5,000 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more accurate .
That is still a long time ago compared with 1776 or 1789 .
Since the 13th century , Mongols and , later , the Ming and Qin dynasties that lasted until 1911 , China embraced the `` Middle Kingdom '' philosophy of cultural superiority .
When Lord McCartney was sent by King George to China in 1793 , the Qianlong emperor kept him waiting for months .
During the meeting , the emperor told McCartney that nothing the `` barbarians '' could offer in tribute was needed by China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wars , that cosmic arrogance began the dissolution of the dynasty .
The `` opening '' of China and the `` century of humiliation '' continued until 1949 with the Communist victory over the Nationalists .
Then , China was a backward , impoverished state .
In America , the Truman administration was accused of `` losing China '' as if it was ours to give away .
The Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek were corrupt as well as incompetent .
The next year , Joseph Stalin saw an opportunity in early 1950 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include South Korea in a speech drawing a line against Soviet expansion .
On June 24 , 1950 , North Korean troops poured across the 38th parallel dividing north and south , nearly ejecting U.S. and U.N. forces from the peninsula .
The brilliant amphibious landings at Inchon , the port of Seoul some 30 miles from the DMZ , outflanked the North Korean Army .
U.N. forces under the command of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur raced north .
But as U.N. forces approached the Yalu River and the Chinese border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervene .
MacArthur refused to listen .
On Thanksgiving Day 1950 , China massively attacked , ultimately driving U.N. forces to the 38th parallel and a stalemate ending in the 1953 truce .
Nearly 20 years later , Richard Nixon went to China and a brand new relationship was born .
Successive presidents cultivated that relationship .
George H.W .
Bush , who had been the first de facto ambassador to China , had to cope with the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre .
But relations got back on track .
Bill Clinton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that `` capitalism with a Chinese face , '' as Deng Xiaoping described it , ultimately would lead to a more democratic and open country .
As China rapidly modernized , built up its military , continued to appropriate American intellectual property and took harder edge policies , the Obama administration realized it needed to recalibrate its Asia policy .
With the wars winding down in Afghanistan and Iraq and North Korea 's earlier detonation of a nuclear device , the administration declared a `` strategic pivot '' to Asia in late 2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mishandling managed to offend China and frighten our friends and allies in the Pacific .
The pivot became a `` rebalancing . ''
However , the Obama Pentagon issued its `` 4+1 '' strategy , declaring the United States must deter -- and if war comes , defeat -- China or Russia or North Korea or Iraq .
The Trump administration has continued that strategy focusing on the two near peer competitors , China and Russia , and renaming the Pacific Command , Indo-Pacific .
Angered by continued Chinese IT theft and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration drew a tough line with Beijing .
After withdrawing from the Trans Pacific Partnership , Trump imposed a series of tariffs provoking an unwinnable economic war .
That the coronavirus began in China has been political gasoline poured onto these other fiery disputes .
Despite lack of proof , some believe the virus originated from one of the two infectious disease laboratories in Wuhan .
Regardless , in the 2020 election , Democrats and Republicans will run against China .
China and its President Xi Jinping seem unmoved .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enhance China 's access and influence to markets and resources .
The propaganda war has intensified over COVID-19 and responsibility for the cause .
The tariff war has not been resolved .
And China is flexing its military muscles in its bordering seas while using its handling of the pandemic as a model to contrast with failures elsewhere .
Will Titanic or the iceberg change course ?
Neither skipper seems so inclined .
Harlan Ullman is senior advisor at the Atlantic Council .
His last book is `` Anatomy of Failure : Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

China, under President Xi Jinping (C), continues to build up its military. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
For good or ill, America and China are on a collision course. The image of the unsinkable giant ocean liner Titanic and the massive iceberg come to mind with two exceptions. The first is that either America or China could be the Titanic or the iceberg. Second, if this collision occurs, both the ship and the berg will sink. How we got here and where we are headed are the relevant questions. History may be inevitable in hindsight. But the future is not. Advertisement
China dates its beginning back 5,000 years although 1300 or 1200 B.C. may be more accurate. That is still a long time ago compared with 1776 or 1789.
Since the 13th century, Mongols and, later, the Ming and Qin dynasties that lasted until 1911, China embraced the "Middle Kingdom" philosophy of cultural superiority. When Lord McCartney was sent by King George to China in 1793, the Qianlong emperor kept him waiting for months. During the meeting, the emperor told McCartney that nothing the "barbarians" could offer in tribute was needed by China.
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In the 1840s and the Opium Wars, that cosmic arrogance began the dissolution of the dynasty. The "opening" of China and the "century of humiliation" continued until 1949 with the Communist victory over the Nationalists. Then, China was a backward, impoverished state.
In America, the Truman administration was accused of "losing China" as if it was ours to give away. The Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek were corrupt as well as incompetent. The next year, Joseph Stalin saw an opportunity in early 1950 when Secretary of State Dean Acheson failed to include South Korea in a speech drawing a line against Soviet expansion.
On June 24, 1950, North Korean troops poured across the 38th parallel dividing north and south, nearly ejecting U.S. and U.N. forces from the peninsula. The brilliant amphibious landings at Inchon, the port of Seoul some 30 miles from the DMZ, outflanked the North Korean Army. U.N. forces under the command of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur raced north.
But as U.N. forces approached the Yalu River and the Chinese border that November, China signaled it would intervene. MacArthur refused to listen. On Thanksgiving Day 1950, China massively attacked, ultimately driving U.N. forces to the 38th parallel and a stalemate ending in the 1953 truce.
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Nearly 20 years later, Richard Nixon went to China and a brand new relationship was born. Successive presidents cultivated that relationship. George H.W. Bush, who had been the first de facto ambassador to China, had to cope with the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. But relations got back on track.
Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama assumed that "capitalism with a Chinese face," as Deng Xiaoping described it, ultimately would lead to a more democratic and open country. As China rapidly modernized, built up its military, continued to appropriate American intellectual property and took harder edge policies, the Obama administration realized it needed to recalibrate its Asia policy. With the wars winding down in Afghanistan and Iraq and North Korea's earlier detonation of a nuclear device, the administration declared a "strategic pivot" to Asia in late 2011.
Unfortunately, the announcement and its mishandling managed to offend China and frighten our friends and allies in the Pacific. The pivot became a "rebalancing." However, the Obama Pentagon issued its "4+1" strategy, declaring the United States must deter -- and if war comes, defeat -- China or Russia or North Korea or Iraq. The Trump administration has continued that strategy focusing on the two near peer competitors, China and Russia, and renaming the Pacific Command, Indo-Pacific.
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Angered by continued Chinese IT theft and a $400 billion annual trade deficit, the Trump administration drew a tough line with Beijing. After withdrawing from the Trans Pacific Partnership, Trump imposed a series of tariffs provoking an unwinnable economic war.
That the coronavirus began in China has been political gasoline poured onto these other fiery disputes. Despite lack of proof, some believe the virus originated from one of the two infectious disease laboratories in Wuhan. Regardless, in the 2020 election, Democrats and Republicans will run against China.
China and its President Xi Jinping seem unmoved. The Belt and Road initiative is progressing to enhance China's access and influence to markets and resources. The propaganda war has intensified over COVID-19 and responsibility for the cause. The tariff war has not been resolved. And China is flexing its military muscles in its bordering seas while using its handling of the pandemic as a model to contrast with failures elsewhere.
Will Titanic or the iceberg change course? Neither skipper seems so inclined.
Harlan Ullman is senior advisor at the Atlantic Council. His last book is "Anatomy of Failure: Why America Loses Every War It Starts."


upi--2020-04-29--Australia pushes for independent inquiry over COVID-19 origins in China

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison endorsed an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus on Wednesday amid rising tensions between his nation and China .
During a press briefing in Canberra , Morrison told reporters his government will continue pushing for an independent review of the virus ' origins and China 's early handling of the outbreak .
`` This is a virus that has taken more than 200,000 lives across the world .
It has shut down the global economy .
The implications and impacts of this are extraordinary , '' Morrison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem entirely reasonable and sensible that the world would want to have an independent assessment of how this all occurred , so we can learn the lessons and prevent it from happening again .
I do n't think this is a remarkable suggestion . ''
Tensions between the two have been climbing since Australia joined the United States in calling for an independent review .
In response , China 's ambassador to Australia , Cheng Jingye , warned earlier this week the escalation may lead to a Chinese boycott of Australian products -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic coercion '' and which led Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Frances Adamson to call Cheng .
On Tuesday , the Chinese Embassy in Australia released details of the phone call under the pretext of correcting `` misleading '' statements concerning the exchange in news media and said Adamson `` admitted it is not the time to commence the review . ''
The details said Cheng called on Australia `` to put aside ideological bias , stop political games and do more to promote the bilateral relations . ''
The Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement it will not breach long-standing diplomatic courtesies and professional practices to comment but noted `` with regret '' the Chinese Embassy 's release of the call 's details .
China state-run media has also leveled comments against the Morrison administration 's push for an investigation as `` a panda-bashing campaign . ''
Asked about the comments on Wednesday , Morrison said it 's a position he wo n't abandon .
`` Australia will do what is in our interest , in the global interest and we will , of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a proper independent assessment of what has occurred here , '' he said .

A health worker with the Israeli national emergency service, Magen David Adam, wears protective gear while taking swabs to test for COVID-19 at a drive-through testing center in East Jerusalem on August 26. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison endorsed an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus on Wednesday amid rising tensions between his nation and China. During a press briefing in Canberra, Morrison told reporters his government will continue pushing for an independent review of the virus' origins and China's early handling of the outbreak. Advertisement
"This is a virus that has taken more than 200,000 lives across the world. It has shut down the global economy. The implications and impacts of this are extraordinary," Morrison said. "Now, it would seem entirely reasonable and sensible that the world would want to have an independent assessment of how this all occurred, so we can learn the lessons and prevent it from happening again. I don't think this is a remarkable suggestion."
His comments came as the worldwide COVID-19 death toll hit more than 224,000, with 3.2 million confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been at least 958,000 recoveries.
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In Australia, there have been 6,746 confirmed cases, 90 deaths and at least 5,600 recoveries.
Tensions between Australia and China have been climbing since the former joined the United States in calling for an independent review.
In response, China's ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, warned earlier this week the escalation may lead to a Chinese boycott of Australian products -- remarks Canberra called "a threat of economic coercion" and which led Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Frances Adamson to call Cheng.
On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Australia released details of the phone call under the pretext of correcting "misleading" statements concerning the exchange in news media and said Adamson "admitted it is not the time to commence the review."
The details said Cheng called on Australia "to put aside ideological bias, stop political games and do more to promote the bilateral relations."
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement it will not breach long-standing diplomatic courtesies and professional practices to comment but noted "with regret" the Chinese Embassy's release of the call's details.
China state-run media has also leveled comments against the Morrison administration's push for an investigation as "a panda-bashing campaign." Asked about the comments on Wednesday, Morrison said it's a position he won't abandon.
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"Australia will do what is in our interest, in the global interest and we will, of course, continue to support moves to ensure there is a proper independent assessment of what has occurred here," he said.
Countries in Europe, meanwhile, are announcing plans to lift restrictions put in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Director for Health Emergencies Fernando Simon said they plan to lift restrictions gradually, with Phase 1 coming Monday. The first phase will allow some small businesses to reopen and professional sports training to resume. During this phase, seniors will also be allowed to leave their homes again.
Sanchez said the plan is for life to resume as normal by the end of June. He said he doesn't plan to implement a rule requiring people to wear face coverings because too many people are unable, including people with troubles breathing and anxiety, as well as children.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were nearly 237,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Spain, with 132,900 recoveries and at least 24,000 deaths.
In Switzerland, certain businesses, including restaurants, and cultural and sports institutions, will be allowed to reopen May 11, Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga announced. Schools will also open, border restrictions will ease and public transportation will increase on that day.
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Further restrictions will ease June 8.
Switzerland has nearly 30,000 known cases, with 1,700 deaths and 22,600 recoveries.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said it's too soon to give an exact date on when his country will begin to lift restrictions. Russia has reported nearly 100,000 confirmed cases, 10,200 recoveries and 972 deaths.


upi--2020-04-29--Andrew Yang sues New York over canceled presidential primary

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang has filed a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections for canceling the state 's Democratic presidential primary .
The lawsuit , filed by Yang and seven others who were to serve as his delegates to the Democratic National Convention , argues that the election board 's decision to cancel the vote denies them their fundamental rights as they had qualified for the contest and had not requested their names to be removed from the ballot .
`` This unprecedented and unwarranted move infringes the rights of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party voters , of which there are estimated to be more than 6 million , as it fundamentally denies them the right to choose our next candidate for the office of President of the United States , '' the lawsuit reads .
On Monday , New York state became the first in the nation to effectively cancel its June 23 presidential primary by removing all Democratic candidates from the ballot aside from the presumptive nominee , former Vice President Joe Biden .
Andy Spano , the commissioner of the Democratic Board of Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus , which has infected nearly 300,000 people in the state , according to the New York State Department of Health .
`` We should minimize the number of people on the ballot , minimize the election for the protection of everybody , '' he said .
The decision was derided by some , including the campaign of former presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , which called it an `` outrage '' and `` a blow to American democracy , '' stating President Donald Trump may use it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November .
`` No one asked New York to cancel the election .
The DNC did n't request it .
The Biden Campaign did n't request .
And our campaign communicated that we wanted to remain on the ballot , '' Sanders ' senior advisor Jeff Weaver said in a statement .
`` Given that the primary is months away , the proper response must be to make the election safe -- such as going to all vote by mail -- rather than to eliminating people 's right to vote . ''
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month and has endorsed Biden for president but has left his name on the state ballots as the allocation of delegates influences platforms .
The New York primary was initially scheduled for Tuesday but was delayed weeks ago to June 23 so as to coincide with several congressional , senate , assembly and other local elections that are still slated to continue .
The coronavirus , which has infected more than 1 million people in the country , has rocked the presidential primary , forcing more than a dozen states to adopt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , New York is the only state so far to end the contest .
Yang 's lawsuit alleges that by being the sole state to forego the vote millions of New Yorkers will be disenfranchised through being barred from expressing their preference of president .
It also describes the move as a form of voter suppression as voters will have less incentive to vote in more localized elections `` if they can not cast a vote for the highest office in the land . ''

Former presidential candidate and businessman Andrew Yang is suing the New York State Board of Elections, accusing it of violating his rights when it took his name off the state's Democratic primary ballot. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI. | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang has filed a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections for canceling the state's Democratic presidential primary. The lawsuit, filed by Yang and seven others who were to serve as his delegates to the Democratic National Convention, argues that the election board's decision to cancel the vote denies them their fundamental rights as they had qualified for the contest and had not requested their names to be removed from the ballot. Advertisement
"This unprecedented and unwarranted move infringes the rights of plaintiffs and all New York State Democratic Party voters, of which there are estimated to be more than 6 million, as it fundamentally denies them the right to choose our next candidate for the office of President of the United States," the lawsuit reads.
On Monday, New York state became the first in the nation to effectively cancel its June 23 presidential primary by removing all Democratic candidates from the ballot aside from the presumptive nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden.
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Andy Spano, the commissioner of the Democratic Board of Elections, said the decision was made due to the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 300,000 people in the state, according to the New York State Department of Health.
"We should minimize the number of people on the ballot, minimize the election for the protection of everybody," he said.
The decision was derided by some, including the campaign of former presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, which called it an "outrage" and "a blow to American democracy," stating President Donald Trump may use it as precedent to postpone the general election in November.
"No one asked New York to cancel the election. The DNC didn't request it. The Biden Campaign didn't request. And our campaign communicated that we wanted to remain on the ballot," Sanders' senior advisor Jeff Weaver said in a statement. "Given that the primary is months away, the proper response must be to make the election safe -- such as going to all vote by mail -- rather than to eliminating people's right to vote."
Sanders had dropped out of the race earlier this month and has endorsed Biden for president but has left his name on the state ballots as the allocation of delegates influences platforms.
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The New York primary was initially scheduled for Tuesday but was delayed weeks ago to June 23 so as to coincide with several congressional, senate, assembly and other local elections that are still slated to continue.
The coronavirus, which has infected more than 1 million people in the country, has rocked the presidential primary, forcing more than a dozen states to adopt measures including mail-in votes or postponements. However, New York is the only state so far to end the contest.
Yang's lawsuit alleges that by being the sole state to forego the vote millions of New Yorkers will be disenfranchised through being barred from expressing their preference of president. It also describes the move as a form of voter suppression as voters will have less incentive to vote in more localized elections "if they cannot cast a vote for the highest office in the land."


upi--2020-04-29--Nanotechnology may help fight deadly immune response to COVID-19

For many COVID-19 patients battling for their lives in the ICU , a runaway immune system response -- known as a `` cytokine storm '' -- is their primary foe .
Doctors have few tools to help tame this hyperinflammatory condition , but early research is suggesting that nanotechnology might safely deliver drugs to affected tissues , quieting the storm .
It 's so far only been tested in mice , but researchers in Brazil and France said the approach could be `` a new tool in the fight against the complex and multi-factorial phenomenon of uncontrolled inflammation . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the journal Science Advances .
It 's not clear why some young , robust patients experience life-threatening illness from COVID-19 , while others have either mild or no symptoms .
But when severe illness does strike , it 's often in the form of an out-of-control immune system response .
Inflammatory processes harm cells at multiple sites throughout the body and , if unchecked , this can lead to organ failure and death , noted a team led by Dr. Patrick Couvreur at the Institute Galien Paris-Sud , in France .
Key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between inflammation and oxidative stress , both processes contributing to fuel one another , thereby establishing a vicious cycle , '' Couvreur 's group explained .
Right now , there 's no therapy that 's able to interrupt this dangerous `` crosstalk , '' they said .
For example , anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids have not worked , because of their negative effects on tissue repair .
But the new findings may point the way to a successful treatment .
In their work , Couvreur 's group focused on an extremely tiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an anti-inflammatory compound already produced naturally by the body .
It 's a powerful anti-inflammatory compound -- maybe too powerful .
If simply injected into the body , adenosine can trigger serious side effects , the research team said .
But the new nanotechnology approach appears to get around that , they added .
Couvreur 's team created `` multi-drug nanoparticles '' by adding adenosine to squalene , a type of fat also found naturally in the body .
Then they `` encapsulated '' both in the powerful antioxidant alpha-tocopherol , a type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the researchers then delivered the compounds to the tissues of mice who were in hyperinflammatory states such as sepsis ( blood infection ) or an immunological state resembling the typical `` cytokine storm '' of COVID-19 .
The result : A notable decrease in tissues of a key pro-inflammatory cytokine called tumor necrosis factor alpha , along with a concurrent rise in levels of an anti-inflammatory cytokine called interleukin-10 , the researchers reported .
These changes were observed in important organs such as the lungs and kidneys just four hours after treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team added that the combo treatment -- adenosine plus tocopherol -- appeared more effective than the use of either drug alone .
Of course , this study was conducted in mice , and many therapies that appear promising in animals do n't pan out in humans .
But Dr. Matthew Heinz , an expert in the fight against infectious diseases , said the findings do `` make sense . ''
`` I 'm surprised this was something they were able to do so quickly , '' said Heinz , an internist and hospitalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's pretty encouraging to have evidence that something like this might help some of our more critically ill COVID-19 patients survive the hyperimmune response known as a cytokine storm . ''
Heinz previously worked in the Obama administration 's response to the Ebola crisis , and was the former director of provider outreach in the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs , at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .
Reading over the new findings , he said that `` because the research is COVID-related , it 's quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials a lot quicker than during normal times . ''
Heinz added that `` this is still a relatively early stage -- we have a little ways to go here -- but it 's good to see this kind of research already coming out with some very encouraging results on how to approach this tremendously heartbreaking situation that 's killing tens of thousands of people in the United States . ''
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus .

For many COVID-19 patients battling for their lives in the ICU, a runaway immune system response -- known as a "cytokine storm" -- is their primary foe.
Doctors have few tools to help tame this hyperinflammatory condition, but early research is suggesting that nanotechnology might safely deliver drugs to affected tissues, quieting the storm.
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It's so far only been tested in mice, but researchers in Brazil and France said the approach could be "a new tool in the fight against the complex and multi-factorial phenomenon of uncontrolled inflammation." They reported their findings online April 27 in the journal Science Advances.
It's not clear why some young, robust patients experience life-threatening illness from COVID-19, while others have either mild or no symptoms.
But when severe illness does strike, it's often in the form of an out-of-control immune system response.
Inflammatory processes harm cells at multiple sites throughout the body and, if unchecked, this can lead to organ failure and death, noted a team led by Dr. Patrick Couvreur at the Institute Galien Paris-Sud, in France.
Advertisement
Key to the cytokine storm are connections "between inflammation and oxidative stress, both processes contributing to fuel one another, thereby establishing a vicious cycle," Couvreur's group explained.
Right now, there's no therapy that's able to interrupt this dangerous "crosstalk," they said. For example, anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids have not worked, because of their negative effects on tissue repair.
But the new findings may point the way to a successful treatment.
In their work, Couvreur's group focused on an extremely tiny "nanoparticle" formulation of adenosine, an anti-inflammatory compound already produced naturally by the body.
It's a powerful anti-inflammatory compound -- maybe too powerful. If simply injected into the body, adenosine can trigger serious side effects, the research team said.
But the new nanotechnology approach appears to get around that, they added.
Couvreur's team created "multi-drug nanoparticles" by adding adenosine to squalene, a type of fat also found naturally in the body. Then they "encapsulated" both in the powerful antioxidant alpha-tocopherol, a type of vitamin E.
Using this nanotechnology approach, the researchers then delivered the compounds to the tissues of mice who were in hyperinflammatory states such as sepsis (blood infection) or an immunological state resembling the typical "cytokine storm" of COVID-19.
Advertisement
The result: A notable decrease in tissues of a key pro-inflammatory cytokine called tumor necrosis factor alpha, along with a concurrent rise in levels of an anti-inflammatory cytokine called interleukin-10, the researchers reported.
These changes were observed in important organs such as the lungs and kidneys just four hours after treatment, Couvreur's group said.
The team added that the combo treatment -- adenosine plus tocopherol -- appeared more effective than the use of either drug alone.
Of course, this study was conducted in mice, and many therapies that appear promising in animals don't pan out in humans. But Dr. Matthew Heinz, an expert in the fight against infectious diseases, said the findings do "make sense."
"I'm surprised this was something they were able to do so quickly," said Heinz, an internist and hospitalist at Tucson Medical Center in Arizona. "It's pretty encouraging to have evidence that something like this might help some of our more critically ill COVID-19 patients survive the hyperimmune response known as a cytokine storm."
Heinz previously worked in the Obama administration's response to the Ebola crisis, and was the former director of provider outreach in the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Advertisement
Reading over the new findings, he said that "because the research is COVID-related, it's quite possible this could be moved into human trials a lot quicker than during normal times."
Heinz added that "this is still a relatively early stage -- we have a little ways to go here -- but it's good to see this kind of research already coming out with some very encouraging results on how to approach this tremendously heartbreaking situation that's killing tens of thousands of people in the United States."
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-04-29--On This Day, April 29: U.S. Army liberates Dachau

April 29 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1864 , Ashmun Institute in Pennsylvania , the first college founded solely for African-American students , was officially chartered .
In 1885 , women were admitted for the first time to examinations at England 's Oxford University .
In 1913 , Gideon Sundbach of Hoboken , N.J. , was issued a patent for the zipper .
In 1945 , troops of the U.S .
Seventh Army liberated 32,000 prisoners at the Nazi regime 's Dachau concentration camp near Munich , Germany .
In 1970 , the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , began a major ground operation into Cambodia to destroy Communist North Vietnamese sanctuaries .
In 1975 , helicopters evacuated hundreds of American civilians and military support personnel , and thousands of South Vietnamese from Saigon -- the day before the North Vietnamese overran the city .
In 1985 , four gunmen escaped with nearly $ 8 million in cash stolen from the Wells Fargo armored car company in New York .
In 1986 , an arson fire destroyed more than 1 million books in the Los Angeles Central Library .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a jury in Simi Valley , Calif. , acquitted four white police officers of nearly all charges in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King .
Fifty-three people died in three days of protest and violence .
In 2004 , the final Oldsmobile was manufactured .
The brand had been in existence for 107 years .
In 2010 , U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced a policy change that allows women to serve on submarines .
In 2011 , British Prince William , grandson of Queen Elizabeth II , and college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cambridge , exchanged wedding rings and vows in a regal ceremony at Westminster Abbey before an estimated worldwide audience of 2 billion people .
In 2013 , Jason Collins of the NBA became the first active player in a North American major sports league to announce he is gay .
In 2019 , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 700 cases of measles , the highest number in the United States in 25 years .

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Workers present the stolen iron gate with the slogan "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work will set you free") after its return to the site in Dachau, Germany, Feburary 22, 2017. On April 29, 1945, troops of the U.S. Seventh Army liberated 32,000 prisoners at the Nazi regime's Dachau concentration camp. File Photo by Sebastian Widmann/EPA
April 29 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1864, Ashmun Institute in Pennsylvania, the first college founded solely for African-American students, was officially chartered. Advertisement
In 1885, women were admitted for the first time to examinations at England's Oxford University.
In 1913, Gideon Sundbach of Hoboken, N.J., was issued a patent for the zipper.
In 1945, troops of the U.S. Seventh Army liberated 32,000 prisoners at the Nazi regime's Dachau concentration camp near Munich, Germany.
In 1970, the South Vietnamese, with help from the United States, began a major ground operation into Cambodia to destroy Communist North Vietnamese sanctuaries.
In 1975, helicopters evacuated hundreds of American civilians and military support personnel, and thousands of South Vietnamese from Saigon -- the day before the North Vietnamese overran the city.
File Photo by Hugh Van Es/UPI
In 1985, four gunmen escaped with nearly $8 million in cash stolen from the Wells Fargo armored car company in New York.
In 1986, an arson fire destroyed more than 1 million books in the Los Angeles Central Library.
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In 1991, a typhoon struck Bangladesh, killing some 135,000 people.
In 1992, rioting erupted in Los Angeles after a jury in Simi Valley, Calif., acquitted four white police officers of nearly all charges in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King. Fifty-three people died in three days of protest and violence.
In 2004, the final Oldsmobile was manufactured. The brand had been in existence for 107 years.
In 2010, U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced a policy change that allows women to serve on submarines.
File Photo by Adam K. Thomas/U.S. Navy
In 2011, British Prince William, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, and college sweetheart Kate Middleton, the new duchess of Cambridge, exchanged wedding rings and vows in a regal ceremony at Westminster Abbey before an estimated worldwide audience of 2 billion people.
In 2013, Jason Collins of the NBA became the first active player in a North American major sports league to announce he is gay.
In 2019, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 700 cases of measles, the highest number in the United States in 25 years.
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File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA-EFE


upi--2020-04-29--Famous birthdays for April 29: Uma Thurman, Andre Agassi

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Taurus .

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Uma Thurman arrives on the red carpet at the 2020 National Board Of Review Gala on January 08 in New York City. The actor turns 50 on April 29. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
April 29 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Taurus. They include: Advertisement
-- Publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1863
-- Bandleader and composer Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington in 1899
-- Japanese Emperor Hirohito in 1901
-- Actor Celeste Holm in 1917
-- British skiffle group leader Lonnie Donegan in 1931
-- Country singer Willie Nelson in 1933 (age 87)
File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI
-- Baseball Hall of Fame member Luis Aparicio in 1934 (age 86)
-- Conductor Zubin Mehta in 1936 (age 84)
-- Financier/Ponzi scheme operator Bernard Madoff in 1938 (age 82)
-- Musician Tommy James in 1947 (age 73)
-- Long-distance runner/former U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kan., in 1947 (age 73)
-- Golfer/TV analyst Johnny Miller in 1947 (age 73)
-- Auto racer Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 1951
-- Comedian Nora Dunn in 1952 (age 68)
-- Comedian/actor/producer Jerry Seinfeld in 1954 (age 66)
File Photo by Dennis Van Tine/UPI
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-- Actor Kate Mulgrew in 1955 (age 65)
-- Actor Daniel Day-Lewis in 1957 (age 63)
-- Actor Michelle Pfeiffer in 1958 (age 62)
-- Actor Eve Plumb in 1958 (age 62)
-- Tennis player Andre Agassi in 1970 (age 50)
File Photo by David Silpa/UPI
-- Actor Uma Thurman in 1970 (age 50)
-- Rapper Master P, born Percy Robert Miller, in 1970 (age 50)
-- Tennis doubles specialist Bob Bryan in 1978 (age 42)
-- Tennis doubles specialist Mike Bryan in 1978 (age 42)
-- Actor Katherine Langford in 1996 (age 24)


upi--2020-04-29--Organic food growers see surge in demand during pandemic

April 29 ( UPI ) -- Demand for organic produce and eggs has strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic that causes worker absences and minor supply chain disruptions , growers and industry representatives said .
While many large conventional farms had to destroy millions of pounds of crops , organic producers said customer loyalty and direct sales to retail outlets helped them thrive .
Producers in New Hampshire , California and Florida said this week that their only problem was keeping up with increasing demand and maintaining a healthy labor force to handle that demand .
All organic crop varieties showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms , based in Bakersfield , Calif. , said Jeff Huckaby , the president .
The company is the nation 's largest organic produce grower , based about 100 miles north of Los Angeles .
`` Our business has been very busy , very solid .
I know some farmers are suffering , but we 've seen steady demand and increased demand , '' Huckaby said .
He attributed increased demand to the devotion of customers toward organic products and the need to cook at home when many states banned dining in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Organic growers , in general , tend to sell more product directly to consumers or to retail outlets , rather than to restaurants or other food service establishments , according to Huckaby and the Organic Trade Association , based in Washington , D.C. Cal-Organic 's food-service , which represents 10 percent of sales , declined , but retail sales boomed , Huckaby said .
`` For all crop varieties , it 's a solid 25 percent increase across the board , '' he said , adding that demand might outstrip his supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with the demand amid a deadly pandemic , some employees worked longer hours .
Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms paid `` Feed the Nation '' bonuses to the staff , Huckaby said .
In south Florida , customers at Glaser Organic Farms in the Homestead area bought mangoes , avocados and other food items at normal or higher-than-normal prices , co-owner Tracy Glaser said .
`` I 'm incredibly fortunate that we still have customers and some workers willing to come in '' to help run the business amid ongoing demand despite the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Gerry 's Organic Eggs , based in New Hampshire , said its products sold so fast that they disappeared quickly from some stores .
The company , which partners with 120 farms in 13 states , strove to keep up with demand by collecting and distributing eggs as fast as possible .
`` We 're doing our very best to keep up with increasing demand while keeping our own workers and families safe , '' according to a statement from CEO Jesse Laflamme to customers .
Organic supply chains , because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shocks due to any disaster , including a pandemic , said Johanna Mirenda , farm policy director at the Organic Trade Association .
Due to their increased demand , Mirenda said , some organic growers may not require government stimulus money that is earmarked for farmers .
But , she said , even organic farmers are impacted by the pandemic , despite the increased demand .
That included warehouses being closed temporarily if a worker tests positive for COVID-19 , which could increase transportation or distribution costs or higher labor costs to process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective gear .
Looking ahead , Mirenda said the increased demand for many organic products means growers might have to adjust what they plant next year while trying to determine if increased demand will continue if and when the pandemic subsides .
For consumers , organic produce gives them an added layer of security .
Eating organic vegetables pleases Angela Bishton of the Orlando , Fla. , area because they generally come from local , certified farms .
In a time of uncertainty like the pandemic , she said , she appreciates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she subscribes to deliveries from an organic produce supplier , Orlando Organics .
`` The convenience ca n't be overstated , '' she said .
`` They deliver fresh vegetables to my door , and I believe their values align with mine in terms of using less chemicals and protecting the environment . ''

1/2
Grimmway Farms in California harvests organic carrots this spring. Photo courtesy of Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms
April 29 (UPI) -- Demand for organic produce and eggs has strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic that causes worker absences and minor supply chain disruptions, growers and industry representatives said. While many large conventional farms had to destroy millions of pounds of crops, organic producers said customer loyalty and direct sales to retail outlets helped them thrive. Advertisement
Producers in New Hampshire, California and Florida said this week that their only problem was keeping up with increasing demand and maintaining a healthy labor force to handle that demand.
All organic crop varieties showed a spike in demand in March at Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms, based in Bakersfield, Calif., said Jeff Huckaby, the president. The company is the nation's largest organic produce grower, based about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.
"Our business has been very busy, very solid. I know some farmers are suffering, but we've seen steady demand and increased demand," Huckaby said.
Advertisement
He attributed increased demand to the devotion of customers toward organic products and the need to cook at home when many states banned dining in restaurants and adopted stay-at-home restrictions in March.
Organic growers, in general, tend to sell more product directly to consumers or to retail outlets, rather than to restaurants or other food service establishments, according to Huckaby and the Organic Trade Association, based in Washington, D.C.
Cal-Organic's food-service, which represents 10 percent of sales, declined, but retail sales boomed, Huckaby said.
"For all crop varieties, it's a solid 25 percent increase across the board," he said, adding that demand might outstrip his supply for certain vegetables soon.
To keep up with the demand amid a deadly pandemic, some employees worked longer hours. Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms paid "Feed the Nation" bonuses to the staff, Huckaby said.
In south Florida, customers at Glaser Organic Farms in the Homestead area bought mangoes, avocados and other food items at normal or higher-than-normal prices, co-owner Tracy Glaser said.
"I'm incredibly fortunate that we still have customers and some workers willing to come in" to help run the business amid ongoing demand despite the pandemic, Glaser said.
The head of Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, based in New Hampshire, said its products sold so fast that they disappeared quickly from some stores. The company, which partners with 120 farms in 13 states, strove to keep up with demand by collecting and distributing eggs as fast as possible.
Advertisement
"We're doing our very best to keep up with increasing demand while keeping our own workers and families safe," according to a statement from CEO Jesse Laflamme to customers.
Organic supply chains, because they are certified, are more resilient to shocks due to any disaster, including a pandemic, said Johanna Mirenda, farm policy director at the Organic Trade Association.
Mirenda said even organic farmers are impacted by the pandemic, despite the increased demand. That included warehouses being closed temporarily if a worker tests positive for COVID-19, which could increase transportation or distribution costs or higher labor costs to process the increased demand while providing sanitizer and protective gear.
Looking ahead, Mirenda said the increased demand for many organic products means growers might have to adjust what they plant next year while trying to determine if increased demand will continue if and when the pandemic subsides.
For consumers, organic produce gives them an added layer of security.
Eating organic vegetables pleases Angela Bishton of the Orlando, Fla., area because they generally come from local, certified farms. In a time of uncertainty like the pandemic, she said, she appreciates and trusts that kind of sourcing.
Bishton said she subscribes to deliveries from an organic produce supplier, Orlando Organics. "The convenience can't be overstated," she said. "They deliver fresh vegetables to my door, and I believe their values align with mine in terms of using less chemicals and protecting the environment."