washingtontimes--2020-05-17--A high school journalist pushes toward one last deadline

TAMPA , Fla. ( AP ) - The March issue had been a solid one , forged in the usual stress and tears of Room 506 .
The plan for April was the same : Put out a good newspaper .
Only it would be Marin Fehl ’ s last .
Marin , 18 , has been editor-in-chief since the spring of her sophomore year at Hillsborough High School , where she ’ s also an A student .
She will admit she is pretty much always losing her mind .
The main culprits are International Baccalaureate , bottomless iced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stymies her newspaper plans .
It ’ s worth it , though , to hold those crisp pages and feel the hard-won pride : We made this .
She had overseen coverage as the coronavirus grew from a brief into a news story and then the full-blown cover .
With her best friend , she had dropped stacks in classrooms March 12 , then hyped the online edition on the 13th , the uneventful day before spring break .
Marin was exhausted , but there was a giddy sense that break might stretch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At a friend ’ s house that night , Marin thought , weird - that might have been my last day of high school .
Four days later , the governor called off classes at least through mid-April , and Marin messaged her staff through tears : Even if March might have been our last issue… I ’ m proud of all of you .
In successive blows came the death of prom and playoffs and all the year-end pageantry of senior dreams .
Even those crazy-grueling three weeks of IB essay exams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for four years - and yes , anticipating - were canceled .
No more IB banquet or senior picnic .
No more deadline nights in Room 506 .
After 13 issues and 244 pages - she counted - her tenure at the Red & Black seemed to be falling away .
As the losses piled up , Marin got a text from a friend and former newspaper mentor .
Neither could believe it was all over , just like that .
“ But wait , ” Marin wrote .
“ Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I want to publish a digital magazine .
We need the Red & Black , pandemic edition.
” Joe Humphrey , journalism teacher and newspaper adviser , already knew Marin ’ s answer when he cautioned : “ It ’ s a lot of work .
Are you sure ?
” There was a legacy to uphold .
The Red & Black , begun in 1889 , is the state ’ s oldest high school newspaper .
Marin wasn ’ t going to let an issue pass her by .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallied .
They were covering pandemic news for their website , HHSToday.com .
For this last edition , Marin imagined something evergreen , beyond the statistics - words and images that captured their suspended lives .
There would be essays and profiles .
It would be a first draft of history , in a historic time .
She and Jaden Shemesh , the web editor , hashed out a plan and gave the staff a GroupMe pep talk : “ We ’ re right there with you and we ’ re here for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s innate and endless drive , her constant need to pour herself into a project , didn ’ t always work in her favor .
Often , it meant unspeakable bedtimes and shouldering way too much work - newspaper included .
Journalism was an elective , like band , and students had to opt in .
But not everybody knelt alongside Marin at the altar of The New York Times and The Washington Post or had done a life-altering , fifth-grade book report on investigative reporter Ida B .
Wells .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or dreamed of vicious edits on their copy .
So time and again , she was handed Word files two weeks late with no quotes and no photos .
This last edition would be no different , she knew , and maybe even worse .
She saw a supercut of her future : The nights she ’ d text Jaden in a panic , the shoddy drafts that would make her cry out , “ Oh , my God , please.
” It would be like the March issue - a mess until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her : “ One more , Marin.
” On April 14 , two weeks from when Marin hoped to publish , she carried her laptop to the downstairs guest room , closer to the wellspring of WiFi , and sat on the rug .
With each new Zoom sign-on came glimpses of teenage bedrooms in pixelated frames : Walls in pink and teal , stuffed animals and Lionel Messi posters .
The journalists wore scrunchies and AirPods , waiting out the stop-start silences .
“ Ladies and gentlemen , one of the top-performing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as one student futzed with his video and others logged on late .
Marin laid out the timeline : Once stories were submitted , she would critique , and writers would address her comments .
When edits were done , a skeleton crew of page designers would work on layout , then Marin would review it all - line by line , loose thread by loose thread .
For now , they had space to fill .
Her staff called out ideas : What about “ Tiger King ” and Animal Crossing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic campaign ?
Essential workers ?
Jaden floated quizzes like “ Which Zoom Virtual Background Are You ?
” “ I ’ m getting so good at recognizing your voices , ” Marin said .
Her glasses glinted beneath blunt , brown bangs .
There was so much to cover .
Students were pouring stress into new hobbies - like Marin with her homemade sourdough - and buckling under the weight of online classes , part-time jobs , siblings ’ needs and Bright Futures hours .
It was their job to bottle all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reporting process is kind of sucky right now because we ’ re sitting in our homes and you can ’ t just go grab random people on the H patio , ” she said .
“ Anything that students are currently talking about and are angry about , we want to be covering.
” She smiled , shoulders tense .
If they needed help , she said , call her , FaceTime , text - anything .
School plodded on .
Marin ’ s psych teacher assigned discussion board posts about children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teacher wanted 400 words on “ The Things They Carried ” .
For biology , she drew diagrams of the digestive system .
Then there was the magazine .
Over the years , Marin had sometimes wondered why she subjected herself to journalism ’ s pressure cooker .
She ’ d been a shy kid , crying behind her mom when people talked to her .
It was her middle school English teacher who had encouraged Marin to own her voice .
In high school , she learned to be a fly on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel an editor ’ s pride in helping a fledgling writer craft a good story .
Stories were the “ why , ” and campus had no shortage .
Many of the 17 staff members were new , leaving Marin and a few others , like Jaden , as the harried veterans .
Like the industry itself , they had adapted .
There used to be a copy editor ; now , it was Marin .
Everyone came together once a month before the paper went to press , staying late in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , caffeinating .
These days , Marin felt guilty .
She used to be able to lean over a newbie ’ s shoulder or host game nights with boba tea where everyone vented and laughed .
Quarantined in suburban Odessa , stuck behind a screen , Marin was always accessible - but never enough .
In her worst moments , she wondered if this even mattered .
Soon , she ’ d be packing up to study journalism in a faraway state - if college began as planned .
Even Jaden , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaos , had low moments .
Their generation already shared a fatalistic streak , growing up in the specter of climate collapse and mass shootings .
To pile on a global pandemic ?
Jaden had planned to steer coronavirus coverage online , but the shutdown cost his dad ’ s business 90 % of its revenue .
Jaden told Marin he needed to step back , so he could help his family , tacking on DoorDash deliveries for extra cash .
Other staffers knew the pain .
Asher Montgomery , next year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mom ’ s Seminole Heights bar , sending emails and prepping food deliveries in between her reporting .
Leaning against the pink guest bed in Odessa , Marin could hear her mom lecturing college students on fine arts and her dad corralling fourth-graders through a virtual drawing lesson .
Her dogs , Juno and Olive , crowded her lap .
Some days , she escaped to her old Acura with her laptop to edit in peace .
There were days marked by the red cells on her Excel spreadsheet - too many missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t call her back , when she ate only half a banana and drowned in her phone ’ s to-do list .
She refused to be shy about wanting a paper so good , she ’ d be proud to frame it .
You want to be able to prove to your reader that what you wrote is worth reading within the first couple of sentences , Editor Marin commented on one story .
Especially with high schoolers .
To herself , sitting half a day straight at her desk , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t spiral .
Keep typing .
Pretend you ’ re a machine.
” “ Oh , look .
My prom dress is hanging up in the closet just six feet away .
No , don ’ t feel upset about that .
You aren ’ t Kim Kardashian ; you know that there are people that are dying.
” “ I don ’ t want to do my job .
But I do .
I want to do my job more than I ’ ve ever wanted to before.
” Late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouted to each other over the phone in a stress-fueled harmony that rose higher and higher until they had it : They would call the issue Pause .
The theme echoed the 36 pages of stories they ’ d begun laying out , which had turned out more personal than planned .
Essays and nostalgic photos were threaded throughout , individual voices speaking to a collective moment of life on hold .
They had lined up stories of students braving the cash register at Publix and a 400-meter sprinter robbed of his last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweatpants , mostly ) , letters from teachers and Humans of New York-style features .
Marin capped it off with an open letter to COVID-19 : Your biggest symptom , it seems , is a goodbye that we never got to say .
She signed it : Sincerely , Class of 2020 .
“ What we ’ re doing is important , ” Marin told her crew , shyly pleased , on a late April video chat .
“ I don ’ t give inspirational speeches - but you ’ re great.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early May .
Marin had not conceded the delay easily .
But Humphrey had a pitch .
They could print the edition and mail it out , he told the class .
At least to every senior , and hopefully to the whole school .
They had some money left over .
Students ’ eyebrows shot up .
Marin nodded , her smile almost mischievous .
Soon they ’ d go back to work , chipping away at the layout .
Marin would keep fine-tuning , subsisting on cold brew coffee , until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re having a deadline night in 506 , ” she told them .
Everything was wrong : She ’ d soon snap on gloves to pick up her cap and gown at a drive-through .
She ’ d return her textbooks early and take home an unsigned yearbook .
Graduation could end up on a live stream .
But there would be a magazine .

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The March issue had been a solid one, forged in the usual stress and tears of Room 506. The plan for April was the same: Put out a good newspaper. Only it would be Marin Fehl’s last.
Marin, 18, has been editor-in-chief since the spring of her sophomore year at Hillsborough High School, where she’s also an A student. She will admit she is pretty much always losing her mind. The main culprits are International Baccalaureate, bottomless iced lattes and all the ways the world stymies her newspaper plans. It’s worth it, though, to hold those crisp pages and feel the hard-won pride: We made this.
She had overseen coverage as the coronavirus grew from a brief into a news story and then the full-blown cover. With her best friend, she had dropped stacks in classrooms March 12, then hyped the online edition on the 13th, the uneventful day before spring break. Marin was exhausted, but there was a giddy sense that break might stretch out an extra week or so.
At a friend’s house that night, Marin thought, weird - that might have been my last day of high school.
Four days later, the governor called off classes at least through mid-April, and Marin messaged her staff through tears: Even if March might have been our last issue… I’m proud of all of you.
In successive blows came the death of prom and playoffs and all the year-end pageantry of senior dreams. Even those crazy-grueling three weeks of IB essay exams, which Marin had been grinding toward for four years - and yes, anticipating - were canceled. No more IB banquet or senior picnic. No more deadline nights in Room 506. After 13 issues and 244 pages - she counted - her tenure at the Red & Black seemed to be falling away.
As the losses piled up, Marin got a text from a friend and former newspaper mentor. Neither could believe it was all over, just like that. “But wait,” Marin wrote.
Thirty minutes later, she made a call.
“Here’s what I want,” Marin said. “I want to publish a digital magazine. We need the Red & Black, pandemic edition.”
Joe Humphrey, journalism teacher and newspaper adviser, already knew Marin’s answer when he cautioned: “It’s a lot of work. Are you sure?”
There was a legacy to uphold. The Red & Black, begun in 1889, is the state’s oldest high school newspaper. Marin wasn’t going to let an issue pass her by.
The students, she knew, could be rallied. They were covering pandemic news for their website, HHSToday.com. For this last edition, Marin imagined something evergreen, beyond the statistics - words and images that captured their suspended lives. There would be essays and profiles. It would be a first draft of history, in a historic time.
She and Jaden Shemesh, the web editor, hashed out a plan and gave the staff a GroupMe pep talk: “We’re right there with you and we’re here for you,” Marin wrote.
Marin’s innate and endless drive, her constant need to pour herself into a project, didn’t always work in her favor. Often, it meant unspeakable bedtimes and shouldering way too much work - newspaper included.
Journalism was an elective, like band, and students had to opt in. But not everybody knelt alongside Marin at the altar of The New York Times and The Washington Post or had done a life-altering, fifth-grade book report on investigative reporter Ida B. Wells. Not everybody had written college essays about journalism or dreamed of vicious edits on their copy.
So time and again, she was handed Word files two weeks late with no quotes and no photos. This last edition would be no different, she knew, and maybe even worse. She saw a supercut of her future: The nights she’d text Jaden in a panic, the shoddy drafts that would make her cry out, “Oh, my God, please.” It would be like the March issue - a mess until it wasn’t. Humphrey texted her: “One more, Marin.”
On April 14, two weeks from when Marin hoped to publish, she carried her laptop to the downstairs guest room, closer to the wellspring of WiFi, and sat on the rug.
With each new Zoom sign-on came glimpses of teenage bedrooms in pixelated frames: Walls in pink and teal, stuffed animals and Lionel Messi posters. The journalists wore scrunchies and AirPods, waiting out the stop-start silences.
“Ladies and gentlemen, one of the top-performing newspapers in America,” Humphrey deadpanned, as one student futzed with his video and others logged on late.
Marin laid out the timeline: Once stories were submitted, she would critique, and writers would address her comments. When edits were done, a skeleton crew of page designers would work on layout, then Marin would review it all - line by line, loose thread by loose thread.
For now, they had space to fill. Her staff called out ideas: What about “Tiger King” and Animal Crossing, our universal homebound culture? The Democratic campaign? Essential workers? Jaden floated quizzes like “Which Zoom Virtual Background Are You?”
“I’m getting so good at recognizing your voices,” Marin said. Her glasses glinted beneath blunt, brown bangs.
There was so much to cover. Students were pouring stress into new hobbies - like Marin with her homemade sourdough - and buckling under the weight of online classes, part-time jobs, siblings’ needs and Bright Futures hours. It was their job to bottle all of it.
“I know that the reporting process is kind of sucky right now because we’re sitting in our homes and you can’t just go grab random people on the H patio,” she said. “Anything that students are currently talking about and are angry about, we want to be covering.”
She smiled, shoulders tense. If they needed help, she said, call her, FaceTime, text - anything.
School plodded on. Marin’s psych teacher assigned discussion board posts about children’s cognitive development. Her English teacher wanted 400 words on “The Things They Carried”. For biology, she drew diagrams of the digestive system.
Then there was the magazine.
Over the years, Marin had sometimes wondered why she subjected herself to journalism’s pressure cooker. She’d been a shy kid, crying behind her mom when people talked to her. It was her middle school English teacher who had encouraged Marin to own her voice. In high school, she learned to be a fly on the wall to report features and to feel an editor’s pride in helping a fledgling writer craft a good story. Stories were the “why,” and campus had no shortage.
Many of the 17 staff members were new, leaving Marin and a few others, like Jaden, as the harried veterans. Like the industry itself, they had adapted. There used to be a copy editor; now, it was Marin. Everyone came together once a month before the paper went to press, staying late in the darkened high school, yelling, panicking, caffeinating.
These days, Marin felt guilty. She used to be able to lean over a newbie’s shoulder or host game nights with boba tea where everyone vented and laughed. Quarantined in suburban Odessa, stuck behind a screen, Marin was always accessible - but never enough. In her worst moments, she wondered if this even mattered. Soon, she’d be packing up to study journalism in a faraway state - if college began as planned.
Even Jaden, whose steady optimism tempered Marin’s good-hearted chaos, had low moments. Their generation already shared a fatalistic streak, growing up in the specter of climate collapse and mass shootings. To pile on a global pandemic?
Jaden had planned to steer coronavirus coverage online, but the shutdown cost his dad’s business 90% of its revenue. Jaden told Marin he needed to step back, so he could help his family, tacking on DoorDash deliveries for extra cash. Other staffers knew the pain. Asher Montgomery, next year’s editor-in-chief, hung out at her mom’s Seminole Heights bar, sending emails and prepping food deliveries in between her reporting.
Leaning against the pink guest bed in Odessa, Marin could hear her mom lecturing college students on fine arts and her dad corralling fourth-graders through a virtual drawing lesson. Her dogs, Juno and Olive, crowded her lap. Some days, she escaped to her old Acura with her laptop to edit in peace.
There were days marked by the red cells on her Excel spreadsheet - too many missing stories. Days when staff members wouldn’t call her back, when she ate only half a banana and drowned in her phone’s to-do list. She refused to be shy about wanting a paper so good, she’d be proud to frame it. You want to be able to prove to your reader that what you wrote is worth reading within the first couple of sentences, Editor Marin commented on one story. Especially with high schoolers.
To herself, sitting half a day straight at her desk, she said: “No, Marin, don’t spiral. Keep typing. Pretend you’re a machine.”
“Oh, look. My prom dress is hanging up in the closet just six feet away. No, don’t feel upset about that. You aren’t Kim Kardashian; you know that there are people that are dying.”
“I don’t want to do my job. But I do. I want to do my job more than I’ve ever wanted to before.”
Late one Friday night, Marin and Jaden shouted to each other over the phone in a stress-fueled harmony that rose higher and higher until they had it: They would call the issue Pause.
The theme echoed the 36 pages of stories they’d begun laying out, which had turned out more personal than planned. Essays and nostalgic photos were threaded throughout, individual voices speaking to a collective moment of life on hold.
They had lined up stories of students braving the cash register at Publix and a 400-meter sprinter robbed of his last season. They had quarantine fashion (sweatpants, mostly), letters from teachers and Humans of New York-style features. Marin capped it off with an open letter to COVID-19: Your biggest symptom, it seems, is a goodbye that we never got to say. She signed it: Sincerely, Class of 2020.
“What we’re doing is important,” Marin told her crew, shyly pleased, on a late April video chat. “I don’t give inspirational speeches - but you’re great.”
Their deadline had passed, slipping into early May. Marin had not conceded the delay easily. But Humphrey had a pitch.
They could print the edition and mail it out, he told the class. At least to every senior, and hopefully to the whole school. They had some money left over. Students’ eyebrows shot up. Marin nodded, her smile almost mischievous.
Soon they’d go back to work, chipping away at the layout. Marin would keep fine-tuning, subsisting on cold brew coffee, until it was done.
“Pretend that we’re having a deadline night in 506,” she told them.
Everything was wrong: She’d soon snap on gloves to pick up her cap and gown at a drive-through. She’d return her textbooks early and take home an unsigned yearbook. Graduation could end up on a live stream.
But there would be a magazine.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Inside the Beltway: Trump campaign launches investigative website

Never underestimate President Trump ’ s very proactive reelection campaign , which constantly seeks new ways to circumvent both the hostile news media and assorted political foes .
In the past 24 hours , Donald J. Trump for President Inc. has activated TheTruthOverFacts.com , an investigative website which showcases Joseph R. Biden ’ s “ never-ending , seemingly incomprehensible statements ” during his quest for White House .
The new project features a well-produced daily video featuring assorted hosts , some snappy humor and experts who parse out the statements .
“ The website takes a closer look at Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in experts to discern if there is hidden meaning behind the muddled declarations that most normal people would miss , ” the campaign advises .
The site also seeks tips from the public .
Meanwhile , the campaign continues to produce its own daily news and commentary shows featuring such campaign luminaries as Donald Trump Jr. and Lara Trump .
Streamed on Twitter and other social media sites , the shows have already accrued over 1 million views and currently feature voter outreach for such groups as Latinos for Trump , Women for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voices for Trump .
The big numbers continue elsewhere .
The Trump campaign now boasts 1 million volunteers , a staff of 1,100 , voter contacts topping 30 million — and a war chest of $ 742 million .
The Republican National Convention to reelect the president , incidentally , is going full steam ahead , to be staged in Charlotte , North Carolina in late August .
Some 50,000 guests and 15,000 journalists are expected .
Find the president ’ s intricate campaign at Donaldjtrump.com .
A new phrase coined by former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who now suggests that the U.S. government should send all citizens a check for $ 1,000 every two weeks , at a coast of $ 500 billion .
Mr. Cuban cautions that recipients must “ use it or lose it ” — and spend the entire amount within 10 days .
“ The only thing that will save businesses is consumer demand .
No amount of loans to businesses will save them or jobs if their customers aren ’ t buying , ” Mr. Cuban tweeted Monday .
Members of the news media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ anti-Trump spy operation ” and the “ implosion of the Russian collusion conspiracy theory ” need to get a hold of themselves , says Mollie Hemingway , a senior editor for The Federalist .
Recent revelations revealed by declassified documents , investigative reports and the dismissal of perjury charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn have changed the landscape .
“ Reporters are clearly kowtowing to Democrats in fear that if they win in 2020 , they ’ ll act with vengeance against any reporter who failed to follow their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If reporters think they can continue to ignore the very real concerns about politicization of intelligence agencies under President Obama , or gaslight Americans by claiming such spying and leaking is normal and even good , they should wake up , ” she later continued , predicting that more evidence could be forthcoming .
“ It was one thing to spin the Russia collusion hoax during a time of mass elite freakout .
But now everyone knows it was false .
The truth is an existential threat to journalists , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrambling to kill the story and paint it as a distraction .
These reporters won book contracts , TV gigs , promotions , and political success by peddling the hoax .
They truly can ’ t be honest about it , ” Ms. Hemingway notes .
The summer season may be looming , but that doesn ’ t mean Americans are in a warm weather to spend money and socialize .
“ The U.S. economy isn ’ t like the movie ‘ Field of Dreams ’ : If you reopen it , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” advised a new survey from Bankrate.com , an online personal finance resource which suggests that much of the public remains leery about patronizing restaurants , bars and theaters .
Except Republicans .
There are some stark differences in opinion .
“ While governments are giving the go-ahead to Americans to venture out of their homes to resume a semblance of their lives before the lockdowns , a majority believe this is happening too soon .
The nation ’ s political divide is in full view here with 3 of 4 Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening businesses compared to about 1 in 3 Republicans , ” says Mark Hamrick , a senior economic analyst for the organization .
Over half of the respondents — 55 % — say businesses are reopening too soon , while 43 % say they expect to shop less in public than they did before the outbreak .
“ Republicans and Democrats are on opposite sides of both of those issues , ” the poll analysis noted .
The survey found that 35 % of Republicans and 75 % of Democrats said businesses were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republicans are ready to visit retailers with added safety measures in place during Memorial Day week — compared to 7 % of Democrats and 22 % of U.S. adults overall .
Another 56 % of Republicans would be comfortable visiting businesses in under one month ; 20 % of Democrats and 35 % of Americans overall agree .
“ It suggests the U.S. economy can ’ t be flipped on and off like a light switch , as experts far-and-wide echo concerns that the pandemic might wreak a toll on consumer spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
It also highlights one of the most pressing pick-your-poisons in modern times that ’ s left both sides of the aisle divided : Saving lives or the economy , ” the analysis says .
• 26 % of U.S. adults never or rarely wear a face mask against coronavirus .
• 45 % of this group say it is their “ freedom of choice ” not to wear a mask .
• 35 % say there is no coronavirus cases where they live ; 34 % say they are healthy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just being promoted by liberals and the media.
” • 22 % say they are making a statement they are “ not afraid.
” Source : A CBS News poll of 2,000 U.s. adults conducted May 11-13 .
The survey allowed for multiple answers .

NEWS AND OPINION:
Never underestimate President Trump‘s very proactive reelection campaign, which constantly seeks new ways to circumvent both the hostile news media and assorted political foes. In the past 24 hours, Donald J. Trump for President Inc. has activated TheTruthOverFacts.com, an investigative website which showcases Joseph R. Biden‘s “never-ending, seemingly incomprehensible statements” during his quest for White House.
The new project features a well-produced daily video featuring assorted hosts, some snappy humor and experts who parse out the statements.
“The website takes a closer look at Biden’s words and phrasing and brings in experts to discern if there is hidden meaning behind the muddled declarations that most normal people would miss,” the campaign advises.
The site also seeks tips from the public.
Meanwhile, the campaign continues to produce its own daily news and commentary shows featuring such campaign luminaries as Donald Trump Jr. and Lara Trump. Streamed on Twitter and other social media sites, the shows have already accrued over 1 million views and currently feature voter outreach for such groups as Latinos for Trump, Women for Trump, Army for Trump and Black Voices for Trump.
The big numbers continue elsewhere. The Trump campaign now boasts 1 million volunteers, a staff of 1,100, voter contacts topping 30 million — and a war chest of $742 million. The Republican National Convention to reelect the president, incidentally, is going full steam ahead, to be staged in Charlotte, North Carolina in late August. Some 50,000 guests and 15,000 journalists are expected.
Find the president’s intricate campaign at Donaldjtrump.com.
FOR THE LEXICON
“Trickle up economics”
A new phrase coined by former presidential hopeful and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who now suggests that the U.S. government should send all citizens a check for $1,000 every two weeks, at a coast of $500 billion. Mr. Cuban cautions that recipients must “use it or lose it” — and spend the entire amount within 10 days.
“The only thing that will save businesses is consumer demand. No amount of loans to businesses will save them or jobs if their customers aren’t buying,” Mr. Cuban tweeted Monday.
TIME TO COVER IT
Members of the news media who are not particularly interested in covering the “anti-Trump spy operation” and the “implosion of the Russian collusion conspiracy theory” need to get a hold of themselves, says Mollie Hemingway, a senior editor for The Federalist.
Recent revelations revealed by declassified documents, investigative reports and the dismissal of perjury charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn have changed the landscape.
“Reporters are clearly kowtowing to Democrats in fear that if they win in 2020, they’ll act with vengeance against any reporter who failed to follow their dictates,” writes Ms. Hemingway.
“If reporters think they can continue to ignore the very real concerns about politicization of intelligence agencies under President Obama, or gaslight Americans by claiming such spying and leaking is normal and even good, they should wake up,” she later continued, predicting that more evidence could be forthcoming.
“It was one thing to spin the Russia collusion hoax during a time of mass elite freakout. But now everyone knows it was false. The truth is an existential threat to journalists, which is why the more activist among them are scrambling to kill the story and paint it as a distraction. These reporters won book contracts, TV gigs, promotions, and political success by peddling the hoax. They truly can’t be honest about it,” Ms. Hemingway notes.
SAVING LIVES OR THE ECONOMY?
The summer season may be looming, but that doesn’t mean Americans are in a warm weather to spend money and socialize.
“The U.S. economy isn’t like the movie ‘Field of Dreams’: If you reopen it, there’s no guarantee anyone will come,” advised a new survey from Bankrate.com, an online personal finance resource which suggests that much of the public remains leery about patronizing restaurants, bars and theaters.
Except Republicans. There are some stark differences in opinion.
“While governments are giving the go-ahead to Americans to venture out of their homes to resume a semblance of their lives before the lockdowns, a majority believe this is happening too soon. The nation’s political divide is in full view here with 3 of 4 Democrats saying it is too soon to be reopening businesses compared to about 1 in 3 Republicans,” says Mark Hamrick, a senior economic analyst for the organization.
Over half of the respondents — 55% — say businesses are reopening too soon, while 43% say they expect to shop less in public than they did before the outbreak.
“Republicans and Democrats are on opposite sides of both of those issues,” the poll analysis noted.
The survey found that 35% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats said businesses were opening too soon. Another 38% of Republicans are ready to visit retailers with added safety measures in place during Memorial Day week — compared to 7% of Democrats and 22% of U.S. adults overall. Another 56% of Republicans would be comfortable visiting businesses in under one month; 20% of Democrats and 35% of Americans overall agree.
“It suggests the U.S. economy can’t be flipped on and off like a light switch, as experts far-and-wide echo concerns that the pandemic might wreak a toll on consumer spending that can’t immediately be made up. It also highlights one of the most pressing pick-your-poisons in modern times that’s left both sides of the aisle divided: Saving lives or the economy,” the analysis says.
POLL DU JOUR
• 26% of U.S. adults never or rarely wear a face mask against coronavirus.
• 45% of this group say it is their “freedom of choice” not to wear a mask.
• 35% say there is no coronavirus cases where they live; 34% say they are healthy.
• 24% say “masks are just being promoted by liberals and the media.”
• 22% say they are making a statement they are “not afraid.”
Source: A CBS News poll of 2,000 U.s. adults conducted May 11-13. The survey allowed for multiple answers.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Lebanese man pleads guilty to drone parts export conspiracy

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) - A Lebanese man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Minnesota to conspiring to export @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. to Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon .
U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald said @ @ @ @ @ 55 , pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export goods and technology .
His brother @ @ @ @ @ guilty in March in federal court in Minnesota .
Prosecutors said the brothers acquired sophisticated @ @ @ @ @ to 2013 and illegally exported them to Hezbollah , which the U.S. considers a terrorist @ @ @ @ @ arrested in February 2018 in South Africa and were extradited to the U.S. last fall @ @ @ @ @ , the parts included inertial measurement units , which can be used to track an @ @ @ @ @ and digital compasses , which can be paired with the inertial measurement units for drone @ @ @ @ @ also included a jet engine and 20 piston engines .

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Lebanese man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Minnesota to conspiring to export drone parts and technology from the U.S. to Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald said Monday that Usama Hamade, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export goods and technology.
His brother, Issam Hamade, pleaded guilty in March in federal court in Minnesota.
Prosecutors said the brothers acquired sophisticated technology for drones from 2009 to 2013 and illegally exported them to Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.
The Hamades were arrested in February 2018 in South Africa and were extradited to the U.S. last fall.
According to an indictment, the parts included inertial measurement units, which can be used to track an aircraft’s position, and digital compasses, which can be paired with the inertial measurement units for drone guidance systems. The parts also included a jet engine and 20 piston engines.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Fox's Cavuto urges viewers not to take drug like Trump

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto strongly urged viewers on Monday not to follow the example of President Donald Trump , who revealed that he is taking a malaria drug to protect against the coronavirus .
Trump said he has been taking the drug hydroxychloroquine for about a week and a half .
The president , and some Fox News personalities , had earlier promoted the drug as a potential treatment for COVID-19 , but the government has warned of potentially fatal side effects .
Cavuto , who has multiple sclerosis and other health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunning .
He warned viewers in vulnerable health that they could face serious consequences if they followed the president ’ s example .
“ This is a leap that that should not be taken casually by those watching at home or assuming , well , the president of the United States says it ’ s okay , ” Cavuto said .
He said he was saying it “ not to make a political point here , but a life and death point .
Be very , very careful.
” Cavuto ’ s words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network of choice for many of the president ’ s supporters .
Earlier this spring , the network was initially reluctant to criticize Trump following a news conference where he suggested injections of disinfectant could potentially help coronavirus victims .

NEW YORK (AP) - Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto strongly urged viewers on Monday not to follow the example of President Donald Trump, who revealed that he is taking a malaria drug to protect against the coronavirus.
Trump said he has been taking the drug hydroxychloroquine for about a week and a half. The president, and some Fox News personalities, had earlier promoted the drug as a potential treatment for COVID-19, but the government has warned of potentially fatal side effects.
Cavuto, who has multiple sclerosis and other health issues, called Trump’s admission stunning. He warned viewers in vulnerable health that they could face serious consequences if they followed the president’s example.
“This is a leap that that should not be taken casually by those watching at home or assuming, well, the president of the United States says it’s okay,” Cavuto said.
He said he was saying it “not to make a political point here, but a life and death point. Be very, very careful.”
Trump responded on Twitter late Monday by reposting a series of tweets in which his supporters called Cavuto “irresponsible,” “foolish” and “gullible.” The president added that Fox News “is no longer the same” and said he was “Looking for a new outlet!”
Cavuto’s words carry weight because Fox News is the network of choice for many of the president’s supporters. Earlier this spring, the network was initially reluctant to criticize Trump following a news conference where he suggested injections of disinfectant could potentially help coronavirus victims.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Lawmaker says Hawaii tax revenue down 1/3 in April

HONOLULU ( AP ) - Hawaii tax revenue sank 33 % in April compared to the same month a year earlier as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic spread , the chairman of the state Senate Ways and Means Committee said Monday .
Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz told reporters during a video news conference that the state reported $ 810 million in general fund tax revenue last month .
That compares to $ 540 million in April 2019 .
Revenues reported in April reflect taxes collected in March , which is when tourism to Hawaii began to drop precipitously amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 26 , the state began requiring that travelers to Hawaii observe 14 days of quarantine .
“ You can see that ’ s a big difference already .
We ’ re expecting the May report to be even lower , ” Dela Cruz said .
Dela Cruz said as long as tourism stays low and the state maintains its traveler quarantine , Hawaii will need to depend on the federal government for assistance , look to special funds and consider budget cuts .
Asked whether pay cuts for state workers were on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It just depends .
If tourism rebounds much faster because they can get a hold of the situation and the public feels safe , then probably not .
”

HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii Gov. David Ige on Monday laid out a framework that counties may follow for opening more businesses and operations, including gyms, dine-in restaurants and churches as the state eases restrictions to control the spread of the coronavirus. But people will still have to observe social distancing to limit the disease.
The state is now able to move from a “safer at home” stage, where businesses including shopping malls and pet groomers were allowed to reopen, to an “act with care” phase that allows for so-called medium-risk businesses to operate.
There aren’t specific dates for when certain businesses may open and counties will be able to set their own timelines, Ige said. For example, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has said dine-in restaurant service, with certain restrictions, is approved to begin June 5.
It hasn’t bee determined when large venues, bars and clubs will be allowed to reopen.
The state reported no new cases of coronavirus on Monday, keeping Hawaii’s total number of cases at 640. There have been 17 deaths.
If cases increase, Ige warned, the state will consider closing businesses and reverting to stricter restrictions.
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on Hawaii’s economy.
The chairman of the state Senate Ways and Means Committee said Hawaii tax revenue sank 33% in April compared to the same month a year earlier.
Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz told reporters during a video news conference that the state reported $540 million in general fund tax revenue last month. That compares to $810 million in April 2019.
Revenues reported in April reflect taxes collected in March, which is when tourism to Hawaii began to drop precipitously amid measures to slow the virus. On March 26, the state began requiring that travelers to Hawaii observe 14 days of quarantine.
“You can see that’s a big difference already. We’re expecting the May report to be even lower,” Dela Cruz said.
Dela Cruz said as long as tourism stays low and the state maintains its traveler quarantine, Hawaii will need to depend on the federal government for assistance, look to special funds and consider budget cuts.
Asked whether pay cuts for state workers were on the table, Dela Cruz said, “It just depends. If tourism rebounds much faster because they can get a hold of the situation and the public feels safe, then probably not.”
Ige on Monday extended the 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving in the state through June 30.
____
This story has been corrected to show tax revenue figures were $540 million last month and $810 million in April 2019. The figures were transposed in an earlier version of the story.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Nancy Pelosi: Donald Trump 'morbidly obese,' shouldn't take hydroxychloroquine

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to President Trump as “ morbidly obese ” during an appearance Monday night on CNN .
Mrs. Pelosi , California Democrat , made the remark in an appearance on “ Anderson Cooper 360 ” during which she was asked about Mr. Trump ’ s taking the drug hydroxychloroquine , which he ’ d revealed earlier in the day .
She said taking that drug was not a good idea for the president because of his “ age group ” and his “ weight group , ” which she described as “ morbidly obese.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidential succession line behind Vice President Mike Pence , said she would “ rather the president not to take something not approved by the scientists.
” To be considered “ morbidly obese , ” a person would have to be 100 pounds over his ideal body weight and have a BMI of 40 or more , or 35 or more if he also has obesity-related health conditions , such as diabetes of high blood pressure .
Those conditions would not seem to apply to Mr. Trump .
His body-mass index , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30.4 , which is considered “ obese , ” but not morbidly so .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to President Trump as “morbidly obese” during an appearance Monday night on CNN and said he shouldn’t be taking hydroxychloroquine to stave off coronavirus.
Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, made the remark in an appearance on “Anderson Cooper 360” during which she was asked about Mr. Trump’s taking the drug, which he’d revealed earlier in the day.
She said taking that drug was not a good idea for the president because of his “age group and in his, shall we say, weight group,” which she described as “morbidly obese.”
Speaker Pelosi says that President @realDonaldTrump should not take Hydroxychloroquine because he is “morbidly obese.” pic.twitter.com/2a1XDw1Gvg — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 19, 2020
The 80-year-old speaker, who is second in the presidential succession line behind Vice President Mike Pence, said she would “rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists.”
To be considered “morbidly obese,” a technical term, a person would have to be 100 pounds over his ideal body weight and have a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more if he also has obesity-related health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Those conditions would not seem to apply to Mr. Trump.
His body-mass index, according to a 2019 medical examination, is 30.4, which is considered “obese,” but not morbidly so.
At 6-foot-3, his 243-pound weight isn’t close to 100 pounds too much, and the same physical put him in “very good health overall” with a resting pulse rate of 70 and a blood pressure reading of 118/80 — all three figures well within normal range.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Police: man, woman found shot to death inside a Phoenix home

PHOENIX ( AP ) - A man and woman were found fatally shot inside a Phoenix home Monday and police @ @ @ @ @ identify a suspect .
They said officers were called to the scene about 3 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ after neighbors reported hearing gunshots .
Officers found the door to the home open and @ @ @ @ @ the house with gunshot wounds .
Phoenix Fire Department crews confirmed the victims were dead @ @ @ @ @ names of the man and woman weren ’ t immediately released by police , who @ @ @ @ @ determine what led to the shooting .

PHOENIX (AP) - A man and woman were found fatally shot inside a Phoenix home Monday and police said they were trying to identify a suspect.
They said officers were called to the scene about 3 p.m. Monday for a welfare check after neighbors reported hearing gunshots.
Officers found the door to the home open and a man and woman inside the house with gunshot wounds.
Phoenix Fire Department crews confirmed the victims were dead at the scene.
The names of the man and woman weren’t immediately released by police, who said they are trying to determine what led to the shooting.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--States cancelling July 4 firework displays out of abundance of caution

With Memorial Day just around the corner , Anita Brown says “ it ’ s a scary time ” to be a seller of fireworks , as social distancing protocols dampen hopes of summertime pyrotechnic displays across the country .
“ There are some people who sell fireworks year-round , but the majority are pop-ups , ” said Mrs. Brown , office manager of the wholesale firm Tennessee Alabama Fireworks in Kimball , Tennessee .
“ They ’ ve been doing it for generation after generation.
” Nothing brings people together like fireworks — which is why jurisdictions from Galveston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevada , to New York City have cancelled pyrotechnics displays to adhere to social distancing guidelines .
Even as states ease their stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies , get-togethers at a park , lake or parking lot for staring up at rockets bursting in air is still a no-go for many event planners .
“ There is just too much uncertainty , ” said Lee Tillery , director of parks and recreation in High Point , North Carolina .
Mr. Tillery said local officials had to cancel this year ’ s Fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attracts more than 10,000 people , out of an abundance of caution in accordance with Gov .
Roy Cooper ’ s phased reopening of the state .
“ We ’ ve had basically a positive response , but obviously there ’ s always disappointment , ” Mr. Tillery said .
It ’ s a similar story in Pittsburgh , where Mayor Bill Peduto has cancelled Fourth of July fireworks to ensure residents keep their distance from one another .
Officials in Racine , Wisconsin , and El Cerrito , California , have done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rhode Island , say they have postponed their fireworks show for later this summer .
Meanwhile , a decision about Chicago ’ s Navy Pier is still up-in-the-air .
“ Traditionally , there are 16,000 Independence Day shows nationwide , ” said Julie Heckman , executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association .
“ We ’ re trying to remain optimistic and hopeful , but the number of displays occurring are few and far between the ones who are no longer a go.
” After cancelling fireworks in Akron , Ohio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into sponsoring smaller displays around the city .
Most of the Independence Day festivities in the town of Wanamingo , Minnesota , have been cancelled , but its fireworks display will still go on as planned , officials said .
And Fourth of July fireworks are slated to return to Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota — with President Trump promising to attend .
“ We are planning as though there will be an audience in attendance but are prepared for there not to be one — in which case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a spokesman for South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem said in an email .
Ms. Heckman , of the pyrotechnics association , said the fireworks industry is facing unprecedented stress .
Before the outbreak of the coronavirus , an accident at a factory in China in December temporarily strained supply lines to the U.S. Now suppliers have “ more product for public display than we can use , ” Ms. Heckman said , noting that celebrations as diverse as the Coachella music festival and sporting events have cancelled fireworks displays .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sellers who will start up in earnest Memorial Day weekend .
Tennessee Alabama Fireworks mostly sells to pop-up stand proprietors for folks who like to celebrate with sparklers , bottle rockets and Roman candles in their backyards , Mrs. Brown said .
“ If things stay going in a good direction , then they ’ re excited because Memorial Day weekend starts on Saturday and they feel like people will be staying home this summer , more than traveling away , and we hope it works out to sell to them , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business .

With Memorial Day just around the corner, Anita Brown says “it’s a scary time” to be a seller of fireworks, as social distancing protocols dampen hopes of summertime pyrotechnic displays across the country.
“There are some people who sell fireworks year-round, but the majority are pop-ups,” said Mrs. Brown, office manager of the wholesale firm Tennessee Alabama Fireworks in Kimball, Tennessee. “They’ve been doing it for generation after generation.”
Nothing brings people together like fireworks — which is why jurisdictions from Galveston, Texas, to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, to New York City have cancelled pyrotechnics displays to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Even as states ease their stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies, get-togethers at a park, lake or parking lot for staring up at rockets bursting in air is still a no-go for many event planners.
“There is just too much uncertainty,” said Lee Tillery, director of parks and recreation in High Point, North Carolina.
Mr. Tillery said local officials had to cancel this year’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration, which typically attracts more than 10,000 people, out of an abundance of caution in accordance with Gov. Roy Cooper’s phased reopening of the state.
“We’ve had basically a positive response, but obviously there’s always disappointment,” Mr. Tillery said.
It’s a similar story in Pittsburgh, where Mayor Bill Peduto has cancelled Fourth of July fireworks to ensure residents keep their distance from one another. Officials in Racine, Wisconsin, and El Cerrito, California, have done likewise, while city leaders in Newport, Rhode Island, say they have postponed their fireworks show for later this summer.
Meanwhile, a decision about Chicago’s Navy Pier is still up-in-the-air.
“Traditionally, there are 16,000 Independence Day shows nationwide,” said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association. “We’re trying to remain optimistic and hopeful, but the number of displays occurring are few and far between the ones who are no longer a go.”
After cancelling fireworks in Akron, Ohio, elected leaders said they’re looking into sponsoring smaller displays around the city.
Most of the Independence Day festivities in the town of Wanamingo, Minnesota, have been cancelled, but its fireworks display will still go on as planned, officials said.
And Fourth of July fireworks are slated to return to Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota — with President Trump promising to attend.
“We are planning as though there will be an audience in attendance but are prepared for there not to be one — in which case the fireworks would be broadcast worldwide,” a spokesman for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said in an email.
Ms. Heckman, of the pyrotechnics association, said the fireworks industry is facing unprecedented stress. Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, an accident at a factory in China in December temporarily strained supply lines to the U.S.
Now suppliers have “more product for public display than we can use,” Ms. Heckman said, noting that celebrations as diverse as the Coachella music festival and sporting events have cancelled fireworks displays.
One area for hope is in the direct-to-consumer sellers who will start up in earnest Memorial Day weekend.
Tennessee Alabama Fireworks mostly sells to pop-up stand proprietors for folks who like to celebrate with sparklers, bottle rockets and Roman candles in their backyards, Mrs. Brown said.
“If things stay going in a good direction, then they’re excited because Memorial Day weekend starts on Saturday and they feel like people will be staying home this summer, more than traveling away, and we hope it works out to sell to them,” she said of her family’s business.
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Couple arrested in cross-border kidnapping that left 2 dead

SAN DIEGO ( AP ) - A Southern California woman and her boyfriend have been arrested on suspicion of collecting ransom in a kidnapping that killed two of three U.S. citizens held in Mexico , federal prosecutors said Monday .
Leslie Briana Matla , 20 , and Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez , 25 , are charged with one count each of money laundering conspiracy , the U.S. Department of Justice said .
It ’ s not immediately known if they have attorneys .
Matla picked up ransom payments in Southern California from family members of kidnapping victims held in Tijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint .
Records show Sanchez received wire transfers from two of the kidnapping victims , the complaint alleges .
Three men - residents of San Diego , Norwalk and Pasadena - were kidnapped separately in Tijuana while on business or visiting family , prosecutors said .
The victims ’ families were notified via a caller with a Mexican telephone number to deposit ransom money at specific locations , prosecutors allege .
Mexican authorities found the San Diego victim ’ s body on March 29 - one day after the man ’ s adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside the women ’ s restroom of a McDonald ’ s in the California community of San Ysidro near the border , officials said .
The body of the Norwalk victim was found in Mexico on April 14 .
A day earlier , the victim ’ s family unsuccessfully tried to pay a $ 25,000 ransom to a woman whom law enforcement believe was Matla at a Southern California Lowe ’ s parking lot , according to court documents .
On April 22 , a woman from Pasadena called law enforcement to report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return of a family member held in Mexico .
One of the kidnappers , calling from a Mexican phone number , informed the Pasadena victim ’ s family that a woman would pick up the cash at a Food 4 Less parking lot in Lynwood , a city near LA .
That same day , law enforcement rescued the victim , who was being held hostage at the same Tijuana hotel as the first two kidnapping victims .
Nine suspects were arrested by Mexican authorities at the hotel , U.S. officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ border crossing records and social media led law enforcement to identify Matla as the woman sent to San Ysidro , Norwalk and Lynwood to pick up the ransom money on the dates in question , the affidavit alleges .
If convicted of the charge , Matla and Sanchez could face up to life in federal prison .
Matla is from the Southern California city of Colton , but lives in Tijuana , where Sanchez is from .

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A Southern California woman and her boyfriend have been arrested on suspicion of collecting ransom in a kidnapping that killed two of three U.S. citizens held in Mexico, federal prosecutors said Monday.
Leslie Briana Matla, 20, and Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez, 25, are charged with one count each of money laundering conspiracy, the U.S. Department of Justice said. It’s not immediately known if they have attorneys.
Matla picked up ransom payments in Southern California from family members of kidnapping victims held in Tijuana, Mexico, according to the criminal complaint.
Records show Sanchez received wire transfers from two of the kidnapping victims, the complaint alleges.
Three men - residents of San Diego, Norwalk and Pasadena - were kidnapped separately in Tijuana while on business or visiting family, prosecutors said. The victims’ families were notified via a caller with a Mexican telephone number to deposit ransom money at specific locations, prosecutors allege.
Mexican authorities found the San Diego victim’s body on March 29 - one day after the man’s adult son placed a bag containing $25,000 inside the women’s restroom of a McDonald’s in the California community of San Ysidro near the border, officials said.
The body of the Norwalk victim was found in Mexico on April 14. A day earlier, the victim’s family unsuccessfully tried to pay a $25,000 ransom to a woman whom law enforcement believe was Matla at a Southern California Lowe’s parking lot, according to court documents.
On April 22, a woman from Pasadena called law enforcement to report that kidnappers demanded $20,000 for the return of a family member held in Mexico.
One of the kidnappers, calling from a Mexican phone number, informed the Pasadena victim’s family that a woman would pick up the cash at a Food 4 Less parking lot in Lynwood, a city near LA. That same day, law enforcement rescued the victim, who was being held hostage at the same Tijuana hotel as the first two kidnapping victims.
Nine suspects were arrested by Mexican authorities at the hotel, U.S. officials said.
A review of security camera footage, border crossing records and social media led law enforcement to identify Matla as the woman sent to San Ysidro, Norwalk and Lynwood to pick up the ransom money on the dates in question, the affidavit alleges.
If convicted of the charge, Matla and Sanchez could face up to life in federal prison. Matla is from the Southern California city of Colton, but lives in Tijuana, where Sanchez is from.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Coronavirus 'probable' cases in December move up U.S timeline

The record shows that the first confirmed U.S. case of the novel coronavirus was Jan. 21 in Snohomish County , Washington , but not even the county health officer believes that anymore , calling it “ clearly false.
” The county has found two “ probable ” cases of COVID-19 that date back to December , marking what may be the first time that the devastating illness has been traced in the United States before Jan. 1 , before the Chinese government alerted the World Health Organization to the virus ’ s existence on Dec. 31 .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reports like the ones that we had and others around the country that the introduction may have occurred prior to mid-January , as we initially suspected , ” Snohomish County health officer Dr. Chris Spitters said at a Friday press briefing .
He said recent serological testing revealed that 35 residents carry coronavirus antibodies , which reveal that the carrier has contracted and recovered from the illness .
Those people also may hold some degree of resistance to a second infection , although WHO has stressed that there is “ no evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of research on the recently detected pathogen .
Subsequent interviews showed that two suffered in December from “ a constellation of symptoms that sound like it could have been COVID-19 , ” raising more doubts about the U.S. “ patient zero , ” the 35-year-old Snohomish County man who tested positive Jan. 21 after visiting Wuhan .
“ [ T ] wo of those individuals with the positive serologic results reported a Covid-like illness back in December of 2019 , which as you know is about a month or so prior to when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Snohomish County in the individual who had arrived from China , ” said Dr. Spitters .
“ That of course raises a lot of questions about when things really did begin in the U.S. ” He said the finding “ doesn ’ t really change where we sit today ” in terms of treating patients , but the implications for public health and foreign policy could be profound .
From a public health perspective , the earlier the disease ’ s date of U.S. onset , the greater the number of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contagion .
That would suggest that the disease is far more prevalent as well as less deadly than previously feared .
An initial outbreak on U.S. shores dating back to December instead of January would also add another layer of doubt on the Chinese Communist Party ’ s official version of the virus ’ s progress .
On the last day of 2019 , the WHO China Country Office said the Chinese government reported “ cases of pneumonia unknown etiology , ” calling the disease “ preventable and controllable , ” while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viral pneumonia traced back to a seafood market .
The Chinese government already has faced widespread condemnation for cracking down on Chinese doctors who tried to spread the word about the outbreak in December ; waiting six days from Jan. 14 to Jan. 20 to warn the public about the contagious new coronavirus strain , and for reportedly concealing the disease ’ s severity in order to hoard international supplies .
The Snohomish findings come as states and counties continue to roll back their initial estimates on the first onset of the novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have announced that their first cases of novel coronavirus were likely in January , not March , as previously thought .
In Michigan , recent state data shows the disease was already established by the time the first case was reported March 10 , according to the Bridge .
In California , university studies released in April out of Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties — which have not yet been peer-reviewed — found the infection far more prevalent that previously realized based on antibody testing .
Jeff Smith , chief executive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an April briefing that the virus was “ freewheeling in our community and has probably been here for quite some time , ” saying it likely arrived “ back in December.
” “ This wasn ’ t recognized because we were having a severe flu season , ” Mr. Smith told the Los Angeles Times .
“ Symptoms are very much like the flu .
If you got a mild case of COVID , you didn ’ t really notice .
You didn ’ t even go to the doctor .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it because they presumed it was the flu.
” Other countries are also moving up their timelines .
In Brazil , molecular testing by researchers at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation found that a man in Rio de Janeiro likely died of COVID-19 between Jan. 19-25 , shaving two months off the previously recorded first death of March 16 , the BBC reported .
In Snohomish County , Dr. Spitters was cautious about the finding , emphasizing the residents who were sick in December were not tested for COVID-19 , and that their symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ There ’ s a saying in medicine , when you hear hoofbeats , think horses , not zebras , ” he said .
“ The horse in that scenario would be that they had a non-COVID infection in December , and then subsequently got infected with Covid but didn ’ t know it , developed antibodies , and here they are.
” He said that molecular epidemiological analysis have shown that there are different strains of the novel coronavirus that were apparently introduced in different states .
“ Although that strain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dominant one in this Pacific Northwest region or in Washington , there are other strains that are dominant in other parts of the country , ” he said .
“ So this is a multi-focal problem , not something that just spread from a single introduction .
”

The record shows that the first confirmed U.S. case of the novel coronavirus was Jan. 21 in Snohomish County, Washington, but not even the county health officer believes that anymore, calling it “clearly false.”
The county has found two “probable” cases of COVID-19 that date back to December, marking what may be the first time that the devastating illness has been traced in the United States before Jan. 1, before the Chinese government alerted the World Health Organization to the virus’s existence on Dec. 31.
“I think it’s reasonable to assume given the reports like the ones that we had and others around the country that the introduction may have occurred prior to mid-January, as we initially suspected,” Snohomish County health officer Dr. Chris Spitters said at a Friday press briefing.
He said recent serological testing revealed that 35 residents carry coronavirus antibodies, which reveal that the carrier has contracted and recovered from the illness. Those people also may hold some degree of resistance to a second infection, although WHO has stressed that there is “no evidence” of immunity, given the lack of research on the recently detected pathogen.
Subsequent interviews showed that two suffered in December from “a constellation of symptoms that sound like it could have been COVID-19,” raising more doubts about the U.S. “patient zero,” the 35-year-old Snohomish County man who tested positive Jan. 21 after visiting Wuhan.
“[T]wo of those individuals with the positive serologic results reported a Covid-like illness back in December of 2019, which as you know is about a month or so prior to when we first recognized the initial detected case in Snohomish County in the individual who had arrived from China,” said Dr. Spitters. “That of course raises a lot of questions about when things really did begin in the U.S.”
He said the finding “doesn’t really change where we sit today” in terms of treating patients, but the implications for public health and foreign policy could be profound.
From a public health perspective, the earlier the disease’s date of U.S. onset, the greater the number of Americans who have likely been infected with the contagion. That would suggest that the disease is far more prevalent as well as less deadly than previously feared.
An initial outbreak on U.S. shores dating back to December instead of January would also add another layer of doubt on the Chinese Communist Party’s official version of the virus’s progress.
On the last day of 2019, the WHO China Country Office said the Chinese government reported “cases of pneumonia unknown etiology,” calling the disease “preventable and controllable,” while the Wuhan health office announced 27 cases of viral pneumonia traced back to a seafood market.
The Chinese government already has faced widespread condemnation for cracking down on Chinese doctors who tried to spread the word about the outbreak in December; waiting six days from Jan. 14 to Jan. 20 to warn the public about the contagious new coronavirus strain, and for reportedly concealing the disease’s severity in order to hoard international supplies.
The Snohomish findings come as states and counties continue to roll back their initial estimates on the first onset of the novel coronavirus.
Governors in Colorado and Ohio have announced that their first cases of novel coronavirus were likely in January, not March, as previously thought. In Michigan, recent state data shows the disease was already established by the time the first case was reported March 10, according to the Bridge.
In California, university studies released in April out of Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties — which have not yet been peer-reviewed — found the infection far more prevalent that previously realized based on antibody testing.
Jeff Smith, chief executive of Santa Clara County, told county leaders at an April briefing that the virus was “freewheeling in our community and has probably been here for quite some time,” saying it likely arrived “back in December.”
“This wasn’t recognized because we were having a severe flu season,” Mr. Smith told the Los Angeles Times. “Symptoms are very much like the flu. If you got a mild case of COVID, you didn’t really notice. You didn’t even go to the doctor. The doctor maybe didn’t even do it because they presumed it was the flu.”
Other countries are also moving up their timelines. In Brazil, molecular testing by researchers at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation found that a man in Rio de Janeiro likely died of COVID-19 between Jan. 19-25, shaving two months off the previously recorded first death of March 16, the BBC reported.
In Snohomish County, Dr. Spitters was cautious about the finding, emphasizing the residents who were sick in December were not tested for COVID-19, and that their symptoms “overlapped greatly with other respiratory infections.”
“There’s a saying in medicine, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras,” he said. “The horse in that scenario would be that they had a non-COVID infection in December, and then subsequently got infected with Covid but didn’t know it, developed antibodies, and here they are.”
He said that molecular epidemiological analysis have shown that there are different strains of the novel coronavirus that were apparently introduced in different states.
“Although that strain introduced or apparently introduced in mid-January is the dominant one in this Pacific Northwest region or in Washington, there are other strains that are dominant in other parts of the country,” he said. “So this is a multi-focal problem, not something that just spread from a single introduction.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Hospital system proposes $14M outpatient surgery center

TOPSHAM , Maine ( AP ) - A Maine hospital system has outlined its plan to build a $ 14 million outpatient surgery center in Topsham .
Central Maine Healthcare sent a letter of intent to the state for a 20,000-square-foot facility on Topsham Fair Mall Road , the Sun Journal reported Monday .
The center would include two operating rooms and four procedure rooms for cancer , orthopedics , gastroenterology , urology , ear , nose and throat , and breast issues .
The hospital system believes the surgical center will fill the necessary void of specialty services in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide local access to a “ high quality , low-cost surgical setting , ” according to the letter of intent sent earlier this month .
The potential center is the second major project proposed by Central Maine Healthcare in the past six months .
The hospital system won state approval in April for a $ 35 million cancer center in Lewiston .
CMHC spokeswoman Kate Carlisle said the system plans to file its application to the state soon .
The proposal comes as the hospital system , like all health systems in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
CMHC furloughed 300 workers in April , and also temporarily consolidated several medical practices and reduced their hours .
Senior executives , including the system ’ s CEO , took temporary pay cuts while other leaders deferred 5 % to 10 % of their pay .
Carlise said the project “ has been in the works for some time.
” In a statement released Monday , CMHC said no resources have been or will be diverted from its response to the pandemic or from care @ @ @ @ @

TOPSHAM, Maine (AP) - A Maine hospital system has outlined its plan to build a $14 million outpatient surgery center in Topsham.
Central Maine Healthcare sent a letter of intent to the state for a 20,000-square-foot facility on Topsham Fair Mall Road, the Sun Journal reported Monday.
The center would include two operating rooms and four procedure rooms for cancer, orthopedics, gastroenterology, urology, ear, nose and throat, and breast issues.
The hospital system believes the surgical center will fill the necessary void of specialty services in the Topsham area.
It will also provide local access to a “high quality, low-cost surgical setting,” according to the letter of intent sent earlier this month.
The potential center is the second major project proposed by Central Maine Healthcare in the past six months. The hospital system won state approval in April for a $35 million cancer center in Lewiston.
CMHC spokeswoman Kate Carlisle said the system plans to file its application to the state soon.
The proposal comes as the hospital system, like all health systems in the state, are suffering from financial issues as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
CMHC furloughed 300 workers in April, and also temporarily consolidated several medical practices and reduced their hours. Senior executives, including the system’s CEO, took temporary pay cuts while other leaders deferred 5% to 10% of their pay.
Carlise said the project “has been in the works for some time.” In a statement released Monday, CMHC said no resources have been or will be diverted from its response to the pandemic or from care at its other facilities.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Doomsday coronavirus plans relied on 'lottery' for triage care

State governments crafted plans behind closed doors for how health care facilities must allocate life-sustaining treatment in a doomsday COVID-19 scenario , raising alarm that bureaucrats will decide who lives and who dies .
Crisis standards of care in some states have scoring systems and a “ lottery ” to determine who would win medical treatment and who would lose out .
These triage decisions , critics say , are best left to front-line physicians .
As the coronavirus crisis emerged , governors enacted various standards through executive orders .
Hospitals applied their own standards to address issues such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care units .
Exactly who created these standards and which hospitals deployed them is not fully known .
In Massachusetts , the crisis standards of care guidelines announced in April ignited a firestorm of criticism from across the political spectrum .
Rep. Ayanna Pressley , Massachusetts Democrat , sounded the alarm of potential discrimination , and the free market think tank Pioneer Institute raised concerns that vulnerable populations had no opportunity to vet the process that could determine whether they live or die .
Gov .
Charlie Baker , a Republican , issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The guidelines included a color-coded scoring system that took into account “ life cycle considerations , ” or how much longer coronavirus-infected patients would be projected to live after undergoing treatment .
In the event of a scoring “ tie , ” life-sustaining treatment would be allocated according to a “ lottery.
” Barbara Anthony , a health policy scholar at the Pioneer Institute , said she thinks the revised guidelines are still insufficient because they remove the decision-making process about medical care from the clinician treating the patient .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s playing God with incomplete information , ” Ms. Anthony said .
“ You can have a 75-year-old who may live , especially if you ’ re in my family , another 15 or 20 years , and to pit that against a 40-year-old who smokes , for example , who could drop dead of a heart attack in six or seven years , we don ’ t , there are so many variables involved that I just take complete issue with these forecasts based on criteria .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Ms. Anthony , a former undersecretary at the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation .
The criteria states use to predict COVID-19 patients ’ life spans are closely guarded .
The Massachusetts governor ’ s office and the state Department of Public Health refused to answer questions about the standards from The Washington Times .
Disability rights advocates filed complaints in March about crisis standards adopted in Alabama and Washington state , including with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .
Roger Severino , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his office would work to protect Americans from the “ ruthless utilitarianism ” resulting from life-and-death decisions during the coronavirus outbreak .
The Trump administration issued recommendations for crisis standards for state officials to consider .
The White House enlisted a 12-member Crisis Standards of Care group led by Dr. John Hick of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota and Dr. Dan Hanfling of In-Q-Tel , the CIA-contracted venture capital fund , under the auspices of the National Academies of Sciences , Engineering and Medicine .
The working group ’ s recommendations provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short of ordering measures such as lotteries for life-sustaining care .
“ It is neither appropriate nor feasible for us to detail actual choices and preferences that apply to specific situations , each of which depends on the exigencies of the epidemic relative to locally available facilities , equipment , personnel , and other needed resources , ” the working group wrote .
“ Rather , this document describes the basis upon which to carry out such decision making whenever it has to happen.
” Virginia considered the working group ’ s recommendations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parham Jaberi , Virginia Department of Public Health chief deputy commissioner for public health and preparedness .
“ The document was informative , but I do not recall pulling any specifics from that report into our guide , ” he said .
Virginia has not fully disclosed how life-and-death decisions would be made under its crisis standards .
Officials keep under wraps how limited medical resources would be allocated and whether a lottery or other process would settle a tie when two patients qualify for limited treatment .
The state ’ s COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for planning alternative sites if health care facilities are overrun and for developing strategies to manage and mitigate a surge in patients .
Virginia has not met the threshold for enacting crisis standards of care , such as staffing shortages at health care facilities , lack of life-sustaining resources or complete depletion of medical countermeasures , officials say .
HHS has emphasized that the federal government is not forcing states to adopt its crisis standards of care recommendations , nor is it bothering to track whether anyone is .
“ There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said HHS spokeswoman Gretchen B. Michael .
“ Decisions about scarce resources can be extremely challenging , ” Ms. Michael said .
“ State and local authorities , as well as health care facilities , have greater insight into the needs of their communities and are best positioned to make these difficult decisions.
” Although states apply different standards , they are generally operating under conventional , contingency or crisis standards of care .
Virginia adopted contingency standards of care on March 20 .
The crisis standards pertain to a sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emergency room .
If doctors begin entering patients into state-developed lotteries for their lives , it is not clear whether the public would have any warning .
HHS said it does not track whether crisis standards of care are implemented , and states do not have a uniform approach .
Massachusetts ’ latest guidelines require hospitals to notify the Department of Public Health upon enacting crisis standards , but whether the list of hospitals using crisis standards will ever become public is unknown .
Many states and hospitals have avoided operating under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may have more difficulty delaying implementation as states reopen .

State governments crafted plans behind closed doors for how health care facilities must allocate life-sustaining treatment in a doomsday COVID-19 scenario, raising alarm that bureaucrats will decide who lives and who dies.
Crisis standards of care in some states have scoring systems and a “lottery” to determine who would win medical treatment and who would lose out. These triage decisions, critics say, are best left to front-line physicians.
As the coronavirus crisis emerged, governors enacted various standards through executive orders.
Hospitals applied their own standards to address issues such as who gets ventilators and beds in intensive care units.
Exactly who created these standards and which hospitals deployed them is not fully known.
In Massachusetts, the crisis standards of care guidelines announced in April ignited a firestorm of criticism from across the political spectrum.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts Democrat, sounded the alarm of potential discrimination, and the free market think tank Pioneer Institute raised concerns that vulnerable populations had no opportunity to vet the process that could determine whether they live or die.
Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, issued revised guidelines at the end of April. The guidelines included a color-coded scoring system that took into account “life cycle considerations,” or how much longer coronavirus-infected patients would be projected to live after undergoing treatment. In the event of a scoring “tie,” life-sustaining treatment would be allocated according to a “lottery.”
Barbara Anthony, a health policy scholar at the Pioneer Institute, said she thinks the revised guidelines are still insufficient because they remove the decision-making process about medical care from the clinician treating the patient.
“That’s really playing God, and I think it’s playing God with incomplete information,” Ms. Anthony said. “You can have a 75-year-old who may live, especially if you’re in my family, another 15 or 20 years, and to pit that against a 40-year-old who smokes, for example, who could drop dead of a heart attack in six or seven years, we don’t, there are so many variables involved that I just take complete issue with these forecasts based on criteria. The rules should and can be rewritten,” said Ms. Anthony, a former undersecretary at the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
The criteria states use to predict COVID-19 patients’ life spans are closely guarded. The Massachusetts governor’s office and the state Department of Public Health refused to answer questions about the standards from The Washington Times.
Disability rights advocates filed complaints in March about crisis standards adopted in Alabama and Washington state, including with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Roger Severino, director of the HHS office for civil rights, said his office would work to protect Americans from the “ruthless utilitarianism” resulting from life-and-death decisions during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Trump administration issued recommendations for crisis standards for state officials to consider.
The White House enlisted a 12-member Crisis Standards of Care group led by Dr. John Hick of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota and Dr. Dan Hanfling of In-Q-Tel, the CIA-contracted venture capital fund, under the auspices of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
The working group’s recommendations provide “principles and guidance” but stop short of ordering measures such as lotteries for life-sustaining care.
“It is neither appropriate nor feasible for us to detail actual choices and preferences that apply to specific situations, each of which depends on the exigencies of the epidemic relative to locally available facilities, equipment, personnel, and other needed resources,” the working group wrote. “Rather, this document describes the basis upon which to carry out such decision making whenever it has to happen.”
Virginia considered the working group’s recommendations when developing its plans, said Dr. Parham Jaberi, Virginia Department of Public Health chief deputy commissioner for public health and preparedness.
“The document was informative, but I do not recall pulling any specifics from that report into our guide,” he said.
Virginia has not fully disclosed how life-and-death decisions would be made under its crisis standards. Officials keep under wraps how limited medical resources would be allocated and whether a lottery or other process would settle a tie when two patients qualify for limited treatment.
The state’s COVID-19 unified command structure includes a task force responsible for planning alternative sites if health care facilities are overrun and for developing strategies to manage and mitigate a surge in patients.
Virginia has not met the threshold for enacting crisis standards of care, such as staffing shortages at health care facilities, lack of life-sustaining resources or complete depletion of medical countermeasures, officials say.
HHS has emphasized that the federal government is not forcing states to adopt its crisis standards of care recommendations, nor is it bothering to track whether anyone is.
“There are no federal crisis standards of care authority,” said HHS spokeswoman Gretchen B. Michael.
“Decisions about scarce resources can be extremely challenging,” Ms. Michael said. “State and local authorities, as well as health care facilities, have greater insight into the needs of their communities and are best positioned to make these difficult decisions.”
Although states apply different standards, they are generally operating under conventional, contingency or crisis standards of care.
Virginia adopted contingency standards of care on March 20. The crisis standards pertain to a sustained catastrophe rather than a busy night in the emergency room.
If doctors begin entering patients into state-developed lotteries for their lives, it is not clear whether the public would have any warning. HHS said it does not track whether crisis standards of care are implemented, and states do not have a uniform approach.
Massachusetts’ latest guidelines require hospitals to notify the Department of Public Health upon enacting crisis standards, but whether the list of hospitals using crisis standards will ever become public is unknown.
Many states and hospitals have avoided operating under crisis standards during the pandemic, but they may have more difficulty delaying implementation as states reopen.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--UW Medicine furloughs 1,500 staffers, with more possible

SEATTLE ( AP ) - Furloughs due to the pandemic have been announced by UW Medicine , which has been at the forefront of local and global COVID-19 efforts including the creation of widely used outbreak models and processing most of Washington state ’ s diagnostic tests .
CEO Dr. Paul Ramsey last week announced an unprecedented $ 500 million budget shortfall .
On Monday , UW Medicine officials announced one- to eight-week furloughs for 1,500 professional staff , which includes management and administrative workers , The Seattle Times reported .
Management and unions will bargain over furloughs for unionized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later this week , according to Dr. Lisa Brandenburg , president of UW Medicine Hospitals and Clinics .
Additional proposed cost-saving measures include reduced pay for senior leadership , pausing some capital projects , a hiring freeze for jobs not associated with patient care , and a halt to discretionary spending .
The system pays about $ 90 million a month in wages .
The furloughs are expected to save $ 15 million between now and August .
“ What we are doing right now is taking these temporary measures to preserve as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
UW Medicine has cemented itself as a key resource in connection with SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 .
The medical school ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has about 90 people working on virus modeling for all 50 states and for some European nations , with plans to create models for every county in the United States .
“ Continuing our response to COVID-19 is a perfect fit with our mission to improve health , ” Ramsey said .
The moves being made now are “ intended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that work can continue , he said .
At the core of UW Medicine ’ s financial trouble is a loss of revenue from elective surgeries , which were paused at the height of the surge of COVID-19 patients into hospitals .
Revenue shortfalls account for about $ 327 million of the estimated losses since March , according to a report given last week to the UW Board of Regents .
The system had been doing well financially heading into March , with UW Medical Center about $ 10 million ahead of budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have some of its losses covered by federal and state programs , including FEMA , the government ’ s $ 2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package and the Medicare advance payment program , Ramsey wrote in an email obtained by The Seattle Times .
It will also pursue philanthropic donations through its Emergency Response Fund , he wrote .
Whatever UW Medicine does get from the state or Congress won ’ t be enough to cover its losses .
The most important factor will be getting elective procedures and clinical patients back , Ramsey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowly begin this week .
UW Medicine expects to be doing about 10 % of its normal amount of elective work by the end of the month and could be fully operating by September , the system ’ s CFO told the Board of Regents .

SEATTLE (AP) - Furloughs due to the pandemic have been announced by UW Medicine, which has been at the forefront of local and global COVID-19 efforts including the creation of widely used outbreak models and processing most of Washington state’s diagnostic tests.
CEO Dr. Paul Ramsey last week announced an unprecedented $500 million budget shortfall. On Monday, UW Medicine officials announced one- to eight-week furloughs for 1,500 professional staff, which includes management and administrative workers, The Seattle Times reported.
Management and unions will bargain over furloughs for unionized staffers and could have an agreement by later this week, according to Dr. Lisa Brandenburg, president of UW Medicine Hospitals and Clinics.
Additional proposed cost-saving measures include reduced pay for senior leadership, pausing some capital projects, a hiring freeze for jobs not associated with patient care, and a halt to discretionary spending.
The system pays about $90 million a month in wages. The furloughs are expected to save $15 million between now and August.
“What we are doing right now is taking these temporary measures to preserve as many jobs as possible,” Brandenburg said.
UW Medicine has cemented itself as a key resource in connection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The medical school’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has about 90 people working on virus modeling for all 50 states and for some European nations, with plans to create models for every county in the United States.
“Continuing our response to COVID-19 is a perfect fit with our mission to improve health,” Ramsey said. The moves being made now are “intended to stabilize our financial foundation” so that work can continue, he said.
At the core of UW Medicine’s financial trouble is a loss of revenue from elective surgeries, which were paused at the height of the surge of COVID-19 patients into hospitals. Revenue shortfalls account for about $327 million of the estimated losses since March, according to a report given last week to the UW Board of Regents.
The system had been doing well financially heading into March, with UW Medical Center about $10 million ahead of budget forecasts.
UW Medicine will try to have some of its losses covered by federal and state programs, including FEMA, the government’s $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package and the Medicare advance payment program, Ramsey wrote in an email obtained by The Seattle Times. It will also pursue philanthropic donations through its Emergency Response Fund, he wrote.
Whatever UW Medicine does get from the state or Congress won’t be enough to cover its losses. The most important factor will be getting elective procedures and clinical patients back, Ramsey said.
Elective work is set to slowly begin this week. UW Medicine expects to be doing about 10% of its normal amount of elective work by the end of the month and could be fully operating by September, the system’s CFO told the Board of Regents.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Wendy Williams pauses talk show because of health condition

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Wendy Williams is taking a break from her daytime talk show to receive treatment for a previously announced health condition .
Williams has has been experiencing fatigue because of symptoms from Graves ‘ disease , a spokesperson for “ The Wendy Williams Show ” said Monday .
As a precautionary measure , the spokesperson said , Williams is taking time off from the show that she ’ s been taping remotely from her home in New York City during the pandemic .
“ We look forward to welcoming Wendy back soon and continuing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a statement from the show .
No return date has been announced .
Reruns of Williams ‘ show will air during her absence .
In 2018 , Williams announced that she had Graves ‘ disease , which leads to the overproduction of thyroid hormones and can cause wide-ranging symptoms and affect overall health .
Her show stopped production for several weeks at that time , and it was on hiatus again early last year as Williams dealt with the disorder and a shoulder injury .
In October 2017 , Williams fainted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later she became overheated while wearing a bulky Halloween costume .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Wendy Williams is taking a break from her daytime talk show to receive treatment for a previously announced health condition.
Williams has has been experiencing fatigue because of symptoms from Graves’ disease, a spokesperson for “The Wendy Williams Show” said Monday.
As a precautionary measure, the spokesperson said, Williams is taking time off from the show that she’s been taping remotely from her home in New York City during the pandemic.
“We look forward to welcoming Wendy back soon and continuing the Wendy@Home shows,” according to a statement from the show. No return date has been announced.
Reruns of Williams’ show will air during her absence.
In 2018, Williams announced that she had Graves’ disease, which leads to the overproduction of thyroid hormones and can cause wide-ranging symptoms and affect overall health.
Her show stopped production for several weeks at that time, and it was on hiatus again early last year as Williams dealt with the disorder and a shoulder injury.
In October 2017, Williams fainted on stage during her show, saying later she became overheated while wearing a bulky Halloween costume.


washingtontimes--2020-05-18--Large crowds return to Alabama beaches

Large crowds return to Alabama beaches

GULF SHORES , Ala. ( AP ) - Large crowds have returned to Alabama beaches as the state loosened restrictions on restaurants and social gatherings .
WKRG-TV reports that beaches are seeing sizeable crowds .
Alabama beaches opened this month after being closed for six weeks .
The state last week allowed restaurants to reopen dining rooms if social distancing measures were being followed .
“ Each weekend has gotten bigger than the one before , ” said Herb Malone with Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Tourism .
Malone said hotel and condo rentals are seeing big numbers for this time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they were right at a 100 percent for their occupancy , ” Malone said .
He said the tourism industry is looking forward to a good Memorial Day weekend .
“ People have been cooped up inside for two months so getting a little stir crazy , ” said Louisiana resident Sandy Wiggins as she sat out on the Alabama beach .
Alabama last week allowed on-site restaurant dining to resume , another boost for tourism .
Lulu ’ s restaurant , the massive beach restaurant owned by Jimmy Buffett ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first 30 minutes , WKRG reported .
“ The tables are stretched out a little bit .
All of our servers are in masks and anybody bring food to you - they are going to try to keep a little distance .
We ’ re adhering to the governor ’ s recommendations and we are taking temperatures of our servers before they come in , ” Lucy Buffett told the station .
As of Monday , more than 12,000 people in the state had tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 480 people statewide had died .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) - Large crowds have returned to Alabama beaches as the state loosened restrictions on restaurants and social gatherings.
WKRG-TV reports that beaches are seeing sizeable crowds. Alabama beaches opened this month after being closed for six weeks. The state last week allowed restaurants to reopen dining rooms if social distancing measures were being followed.
“Each weekend has gotten bigger than the one before,” said Herb Malone with Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Tourism.
Malone said hotel and condo rentals are seeing big numbers for this time of year.
“Some businesses reporting in that they were right at a 100 percent for their occupancy,” Malone said.
He said the tourism industry is looking forward to a good Memorial Day weekend.
“People have been cooped up inside for two months so getting a little stir crazy,” said Louisiana resident Sandy Wiggins as she sat out on the Alabama beach.
Alabama last week allowed on-site restaurant dining to resume, another boost for tourism.
Lulu’s restaurant, the massive beach restaurant owned by Jimmy Buffett’s sister, seated more than 100 guests in the first 30 minutes, WKRG reported.
“The tables are stretched out a little bit. All of our servers are in masks and anybody bring food to you - they are going to try to keep a little distance. We’re adhering to the governor’s recommendations and we are taking temperatures of our servers before they come in,” Lucy Buffett told the station.
As of Monday, more than 12,000 people in the state had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and about 480 people statewide had died.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.