washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Murphy Oil Corp. in El Dorado moves headquarters to Houston

EL DORADO , Ark .
( AP ) - A century ago , in the wake of a pandemic that killed 50 million people , oil was struck near El Dorado , turning a small farming community into a boomtown .
On Wednesday , in the throes of a new pandemic , Murphy Oil Corp. announced that it was moving its headquarters from El Dorado to Houston , according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette .
For 70 years , Murphy Oil has been based in El Dorado .
The company and city are so intertwined that people can ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Murphy is El Dorado , ” said Jim Tucker , superintendent of El Dorado Public Schools .
“ You feel like part of your family is leaving.
” “ Murphy has been synonymous with El Dorado , ” said Matthew Shepherd , speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives and an El Dorado native .
“ It ’ s certainly bad news for El Dorado , but El Dorado is a resilient community.
” Veronica Smith-Creer , the mayor of El Dorado , said she hasn ’ t known a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
“ El Dorado and Murphy Oil have been almost synonymous for years , ” she said .
“ I ’ m 50 , so I don ’ t remember a time when Murphy Oil was not here in El Dorado .
It ’ s been here all my life.
” Smith-Creer said she ’ s known for years that the move was imminent because of economic conditions .
Murphy Oil said the coronavirus pandemic and plummeting oil prices was the deciding factors .
Murphy Oil reported a net loss of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , compared with a net income of $ 40 million in the first quarter of 2019 .
“ It ’ s been in the making for a long time , ” Smith-Creer said .
“ They probably could have pulled out years ago and made that change.
” Charles Haywood Murphy Sr. arrived in El Dorado in 1904 , according to a Murphy Oil timeline .
He had twice been elected sheriff of Union Parish , La.
, and lost part of his hand in a farming accident , according to Frank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When he got tired of sheriffing , Murphy moved 35 miles north to El Dorado , where he had a variety of business interests , including timber , banking and oil exploration .
His son , Charles H. Murphy Jr. , founded Murphy Corp. in 1950 , and the name was changed to Murphy Oil Corp. in 1964 .
Besides closing the El Dorado headquarters , Murphy Oil also announced that it is closing its operation in Calgary , Alberta , Canada , which has about 110 employees .
“ Consequently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities to its existing office location in Houston , Texas , as the new corporate headquarters , ” according to a news release from Murphy Oil .
The news release mentions “ severance agreements ” but doesn ’ t provide details on the number of jobs that will be eliminated in the consolidation .
“ We have not provided details of how many employees could potentially be impacted , ” Kelly Whitley , vice president of investor relations and communications for Murphy Oil , said in an email .
The office closures are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter of the year .
In announcing the closures Wednesday , Murphy Oil board chairman Claiborne Deming said “ The El Dorado office closure is particularly painful and difficult because the company was founded here by C.H .
Murphy Jr. and has been an integral and important part of the community for many years.
” C.H .
Murphy Jr. died in 2002 in El Dorado at the age of 82 .
Once described by Financial World magazine as “ half-Southern gentleman , half-Irish imp , ” C.H .
Murphy Jr. never went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely and built a worldwide corporation from its unlikely base in El Dorado .
Gov .
Asa Hutchinson said he was sad to hear that El Dorado would be losing 82 jobs with the closure of the corporate office , but 600 jobs would remain in El Dorado with Murphy USA .
Murphy Oil Corp. , an oil and gas producer , spun off Murphy USA in 2013 .
Murphy USA operates more than 1,470 retail gas stations in 26 states under the brands Murphy USA and Murphy Express .
Most of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he heard the news Wednesday before it was announced publicly .
“ My heart goes out to the employees and the families that are affected during this time of transition , ” he said .
“ But we also understand particularly when it comes to the oil and gas industry that there ’ s a lot of uncertainty and difficulty in that industry right now.
” Murphy Oil has been to El Dorado what Walmart has been to Bentonville — a large corporation that invested in the small town where it began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way .
The Murphy Arts District is one benefactor of that generosity .
It prompted Rolling Stone magazine to call El Dorado “ Arkansas ’ New Boom ” in a 2018 article .
The story ’ s subhead read : “ Why the Murphy Arts District , a multimillion-dollar development in the middle-of-nowhere , is betting 2Chainz and Toby Keith can bring a struggling town back to life.
” Arts district coming shows include the Avett Brothers on Aug. 8 , the Allman Betts Band on Sept. 24 and Snoop Dogg on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a unique scholarship program for El Dorado students .
The El Dorado Promise started in 2007 with a $ 50 million pledge .
It funds part of college tuition for El Dorado High School graduates who attend school there from the ninth through 12th grades and 100 % of tuition for students who attend school in El Dorado from kindergarten through the 12th grade .
In a news release , Murphy Oil said it would continue to fund El Dorado Promise .
Tucker said the program has allowed many El Dorado natives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , then return to El Dorado to work , often without the burden of student loans to repay .
“ They ’ ve done a lot for El Dorado and the school district , ” Tucker said of the company .
“ They ’ re a very giving corporation.
” Shepherd said the Murphy legacy — the Murphy name — will live on in El Dorado through Murphy USA and the Murphy Arts District .
“ There are still members of the Murphy family that continue to make El Dorado home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is heavily based in the oil and gas and the timber industries .
We ’ ve seen our ups and downs .
El Dorado has always bounced back , no matter what the challenge .
I fully expect that to happen here .
You will see El Dorado bounce back , but no doubt about it , we will miss Murphy Oil.
” Known as “ Arkansas ’ s Original Boomtown , ” El Dorado was the heart of the 1920s oil boom in south Arkansas , according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 10 , 1921 .
On that day , the Busey No .
1 well was completed .
“ The ‘ discovery well ’ touched off a wave of speculators into the area , seeking fame and fortune from oil , ” according to the encyclopedia article by Kenneth Bridges of South Arkansas Community College .
El Dorado was quickly transformed from an isolated agricultural town of about 4,000 residents to the oil capital of Arkansas , Bridges wrote .
By 1923 , El Dorado had 59 oil contracting companies , 13 oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production companies , according to the encyclopedia .
“ The city was flooded with so many people that no bed space was available for them , leading to whole neighborhoods of tents and hastily constructed shacks to be erected throughout the city , ” Bridges wrote .
Frank McWilliams knew El Dorado in its oil-boom heyday .
His family moved there from Texarkana in 1921 , when he was 6 years old .
“ People were living in tents and sleeping on the street or on the sidewalk , and there was quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McWilliams said in a 2007 interview with the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History .
McWilliams died in 2013 .
The city ’ s population hit a high of about 30,000 in 1925 during the boom , Bridges wrote .
“ By 1930 , El Dorado was the wealthiest town in America , a cosmopolitan respite in the vast flatness of middle America , ” wrote Sarah Grant for Rolling Stone .
“ The only hint of that glory today , is the opulent top half of an obsolete theater that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain-link fence.
” Since then , El Dorado ’ s population has dropped to fewer than 20,000 people , and the company for which it is known is moving to Texas .

EL DORADO, Ark. (AP) - A century ago, in the wake of a pandemic that killed 50 million people, oil was struck near El Dorado, turning a small farming community into a boomtown.
On Wednesday, in the throes of a new pandemic, Murphy Oil Corp. announced that it was moving its headquarters from El Dorado to Houston, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
For 70 years, Murphy Oil has been based in El Dorado.
The company and city are so intertwined that people can’t think of one without thinking of the other.
“Murphy is El Dorado,” said Jim Tucker, superintendent of El Dorado Public Schools. “You feel like part of your family is leaving.”
“Murphy has been synonymous with El Dorado,” said Matthew Shepherd, speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives and an El Dorado native. “It’s certainly bad news for El Dorado, but El Dorado is a resilient community.”
Veronica Smith-Creer, the mayor of El Dorado, said she hasn’t known a time when Murphy Oil wasn’t headquartered there.
“El Dorado and Murphy Oil have been almost synonymous for years,” she said. “I’m 50, so I don’t remember a time when Murphy Oil was not here in El Dorado. It’s been here all my life.”
Smith-Creer said she’s known for years that the move was imminent because of economic conditions. Murphy Oil said the coronavirus pandemic and plummeting oil prices was the deciding factors.
Murphy Oil reported a net loss of $416 million in the first quarter of 2020, compared with a net income of $40 million in the first quarter of 2019.
“It’s been in the making for a long time,” Smith-Creer said. “They probably could have pulled out years ago and made that change.”
Charles Haywood Murphy Sr. arrived in El Dorado in 1904, according to a Murphy Oil timeline. He had twice been elected sheriff of Union Parish, La., and lost part of his hand in a farming accident, according to Frank McWilliams, who knew the senior Murphy.
When he got tired of sheriffing, Murphy moved 35 miles north to El Dorado, where he had a variety of business interests, including timber, banking and oil exploration.
His son, Charles H. Murphy Jr., founded Murphy Corp. in 1950, and the name was changed to Murphy Oil Corp. in 1964.
Besides closing the El Dorado headquarters, Murphy Oil also announced that it is closing its operation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which has about 110 employees.
“Consequently, it will be consolidating all worldwide staff activities to its existing office location in Houston, Texas, as the new corporate headquarters,” according to a news release from Murphy Oil.
The news release mentions “severance agreements” but doesn’t provide details on the number of jobs that will be eliminated in the consolidation.
“We have not provided details of how many employees could potentially be impacted,” Kelly Whitley, vice president of investor relations and communications for Murphy Oil, said in an email.
The office closures are expected to be completed in the third quarter of the year.
In announcing the closures Wednesday, Murphy Oil board chairman Claiborne Deming said “The El Dorado office closure is particularly painful and difficult because the company was founded here by C.H. Murphy Jr. and has been an integral and important part of the community for many years.”
C.H. Murphy Jr. died in 2002 in El Dorado at the age of 82.
Once described by Financial World magazine as “half-Southern gentleman, half-Irish imp,” C.H. Murphy Jr. never went to college but spoke three languages, read widely and built a worldwide corporation from its unlikely base in El Dorado.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he was sad to hear that El Dorado would be losing 82 jobs with the closure of the corporate office, but 600 jobs would remain in El Dorado with Murphy USA.
Murphy Oil Corp., an oil and gas producer, spun off Murphy USA in 2013.
Murphy USA operates more than 1,470 retail gas stations in 26 states under the brands Murphy USA and Murphy Express. Most of them are located near Walmart stores.
Shepherd said he heard the news Wednesday before it was announced publicly.
“My heart goes out to the employees and the families that are affected during this time of transition,” he said. “But we also understand particularly when it comes to the oil and gas industry that there’s a lot of uncertainty and difficulty in that industry right now.”
Murphy Oil has been to El Dorado what Walmart has been to Bentonville — a large corporation that invested in the small town where it began, improving the quality of life along the way.
The Murphy Arts District is one benefactor of that generosity. It prompted Rolling Stone magazine to call El Dorado “Arkansas’ New Boom” in a 2018 article. The story’s subhead read: “Why the Murphy Arts District, a multimillion-dollar development in the middle-of-nowhere, is betting 2Chainz and Toby Keith can bring a struggling town back to life.”
Arts district coming shows include the Avett Brothers on Aug. 8, the Allman Betts Band on Sept. 24 and Snoop Dogg on Oct. 3.
Murphy Oil also funded a unique scholarship program for El Dorado students. The El Dorado Promise started in 2007 with a $50 million pledge.
It funds part of college tuition for El Dorado High School graduates who attend school there from the ninth through 12th grades and 100% of tuition for students who attend school in El Dorado from kindergarten through the 12th grade.
In a news release, Murphy Oil said it would continue to fund El Dorado Promise.
Tucker said the program has allowed many El Dorado natives to go to college, even out of state, then return to El Dorado to work, often without the burden of student loans to repay.
“They’ve done a lot for El Dorado and the school district,” Tucker said of the company. “They’re a very giving corporation.”
Shepherd said the Murphy legacy — the Murphy name — will live on in El Dorado through Murphy USA and the Murphy Arts District.
“There are still members of the Murphy family that continue to make El Dorado home,” he said. “Our economy is heavily based in the oil and gas and the timber industries. We’ve seen our ups and downs. El Dorado has always bounced back, no matter what the challenge. I fully expect that to happen here. You will see El Dorado bounce back, but no doubt about it, we will miss Murphy Oil.”
Known as “Arkansas’s Original Boomtown,” El Dorado was the heart of the 1920s oil boom in south Arkansas, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
El Dorado was forever changed on Jan. 10, 1921. On that day, the Busey No. 1 well was completed.
“The ‘discovery well’ touched off a wave of speculators into the area, seeking fame and fortune from oil,” according to the encyclopedia article by Kenneth Bridges of South Arkansas Community College.
El Dorado was quickly transformed from an isolated agricultural town of about 4,000 residents to the oil capital of Arkansas, Bridges wrote.
By 1923, El Dorado had 59 oil contracting companies, 13 oil distributors and refiners, and 22 oil production companies, according to the encyclopedia.
“The city was flooded with so many people that no bed space was available for them, leading to whole neighborhoods of tents and hastily constructed shacks to be erected throughout the city,” Bridges wrote.
Frank McWilliams knew El Dorado in its oil-boom heyday. His family moved there from Texarkana in 1921, when he was 6 years old.
“People were living in tents and sleeping on the street or on the sidewalk, and there was quite a bit of criminal activity,” McWilliams said in a 2007 interview with the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History. McWilliams died in 2013.
The city’s population hit a high of about 30,000 in 1925 during the boom, Bridges wrote.
“By 1930, El Dorado was the wealthiest town in America, a cosmopolitan respite in the vast flatness of middle America,” wrote Sarah Grant for Rolling Stone. “The only hint of that glory today, is the opulent top half of an obsolete theater that peaks out from behind a tall, chain-link fence.”
Since then, El Dorado’s population has dropped to fewer than 20,000 people, and the company for which it is known is moving to Texas.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Contact tracing is key to limiting virus spread in Nebraska

LINCOLN , Neb .
( AP ) - To bring the coronavirus under heel , particularly as the measures that effectively closed Nebraska are lifted , public health agencies across the state will use a tried and true tool used for decades to help control infectious disease outbreaks .
Contact tracing , a kind of connect-the-dots for tracking how a disease spreads in a community , has been deployed to manage everything from outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases to a recent flare up of the measles in New York .
The goal is to identify positive cases in the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home or elsewhere , and to identify any one else they may have come into contact with since becoming infected , according to the Lincoln Journal Star .
That ’ s not necessarily easy , said Dr .
Crystal Watson of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University , particularly when efforts to perform more tests are showing the virus continues to spread quickly throughout a population .
Nationally , estimates for the number of contact tracers needed in the ongoing response range between 100,000 to as many as 300,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it ’ s a tool states will want to have in place before this fall , Watson said , when infectious disease experts anticipate a resurgence of coronavirus cases across the country .
“ This capacity is really needed to break those chains of transmission , ” Watson said at a recent SciLine briefing on contact tracing for reporters .
“ But more importantly , at a population level , it ’ s to manage this epidemic on an ongoing , low level in different places around the country.
” Contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several communities across the state , including Lincoln , which has seen its total cases rise by 148 % this week alone .
On Friday , the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department deployed 16 contact tracers by phone to begin connecting the dots between newly confirmed cases in the county , and any residents they might have exposed to the virus .
Some of the tracers have worked in the health department ’ s clinic before the pandemic and were reassigned to the virus-stopping mission , while school nurses from Lincoln Public Schools have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as needed .
Tim Timmons , the health department ’ s communicable disease coordinator , said the caseload of the pandemic has required more public health nurses to trace contacts , but said the work itself differs little from other contact tracing done outside of the global pandemic .
The investigations can be painstaking , and a time-consuming process , however .
Done by phone , interviews with those who are infected can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours , and cases requiring an interpreter often take twice as long , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managing contact tracers for the department .
Other times , the movements of an individual - people can be contagious for several days before they begin to show symptoms - of the index case set the parameters for how many potentially exposed people need to be called .
“ If they have been here , there and everywhere , there ’ s going to be a lot more contacts to track down , so to speak , ” Afuh said .
Nebraska will raise an army of 1,000 contact tracers for local public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , Gov .
Pete Ricketts announced in April , as it also seeks to expand coronavirus testing capacity and provide accommodations for individuals who need to self-quarantine .
The state recently contracted with three Utah companies to expand testing capacity by some 540,000 tests this year , and has secured the use of University of Nebraska residence halls and hotels to help individuals quarantine as needed .
To begin in the third prong of its pandemic plan , more than 200 employees from the Department of Health and Human Services were temporarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part in a three-hour online seminar before being deployed remotely to hot spots such as Hall and Dawson counties .
Dannette Smith , CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services , said a total of 325 employees who work in the divisions of Public Health , Child and Family Services , and Development Disabilities - all areas where they have experience in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA ) compliance - will be working as contact tracers by the end of this week .
“ Contact tracing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are taking a proactive stance on how we are monitoring and supporting people who have the potential to have COVID-19 , ” Smith said at a news conference .
Tracers will call individuals with lab-confirmed coronavirus infections to ask basic demographic questions , when they experienced an onset of symptoms , if they ’ ve seen a doctor or been hospitalized , and who they may have come into close contact with recently .
That information will be entered into the Nebraska Electronic Disease Surveillance System , a database shared with the Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leah Bucco-White , a spokeswoman for the department .
Contact tracers can enter data into the system , but can not access information stored there , Bucco-White added .
The first team of new contact tracers started placing phone calls in coordination with the hard-hit Central District Health Department last week , said Teresa Anderson , the department ’ s health director .
At first , the department ’ s in-house team of contact tracers was able to keep up with the caseload , Anderson said , but once the growth in new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mid-April , making Grand Island a national hot spot and account for roughly a quarter of all cases in the state , that work fell behind .
“ As we have more tests available , that has increased our need for personnel to assist us with contact tracing , ” Anderson said .
The DHHS team has been working under the direction of Anderson ’ s staff to broaden their capacity , making contact with those who are tested to remind them to hunker down until results come back , to notify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about their daily lives , and to run positive cases through a battery of questions to learn who else may be in danger for contracting the disease .
Contact tracing is also an important piece to ensuring those who are in quarantine stay there for the recommended 14 days , Anderson said , and follow up with positive cases as they recover .
“ It allows us to keep working with them , asking if they have everything they need to stay in quarantine , if their family has what they need and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ It ’ s just a bigger safety net.
” Peeling off DHHS employees from their normal duties to contact tracing duties is a short-term solution to a long-term problem , however .
“ We ’ re getting really scrappy really fast by pulling these resources from other divisions in DHHS so we can very quickly ramp up , ” said Jason Jackson , director of the Department of Administrative Services .
Nebraska wants to have a team in place capable of quickly scaling up if case numbers spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tamp down its workforce if new cases slow over the next 1-2 years , a flexibility to respond to the outbreak ’ s ebbs and flows .
Call centers - which have capabilities to connect with people in multiple languages , training on HIPAA compliance , and the technological infrastructure to reach people - have reached out to the state about helping assist with contact tracing in the intermediate term .
“ They are seeking a way to keep their workers engaged and employed , and altruistically , to help with this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For the long haul ahead , Jackson said the state wants to strike a balance between keeping some of its contact tracing efforts inside DHHS ’ Division of Public Health , where the state ’ s epidemiologists and infectious disease experts could consult as needed , Jackson said , and using a third-party vendor .
The state could begin looking for a company to serve those long-term needs by end of year .
Jackson said it ’ s unclear how much a contract could cost at this point .
Watson said as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of shelter-in-place orders and limits to public life , other countries , including South Korea and Singapore , should serve as a model .
Both countries managed surges of coronavirus using an effective contact tracing effort in conjunction with expanded testing and isolation of positive cases .
“ These are the tools we need to develop , ” she said .
“ We need to put resources towards this , and we need to prioritize this at a national level because this is how we get back to work and do it @ @ @

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - To bring the coronavirus under heel, particularly as the measures that effectively closed Nebraska are lifted, public health agencies across the state will use a tried and true tool used for decades to help control infectious disease outbreaks.
Contact tracing, a kind of connect-the-dots for tracking how a disease spreads in a community, has been deployed to manage everything from outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases to a recent flare up of the measles in New York.
The goal is to identify positive cases in the population, ask those individuals to isolate at home or elsewhere, and to identify any one else they may have come into contact with since becoming infected, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
That’s not necessarily easy, said Dr. Crystal Watson of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, particularly when efforts to perform more tests are showing the virus continues to spread quickly throughout a population.
Nationally, estimates for the number of contact tracers needed in the ongoing response range between 100,000 to as many as 300,000, costing billions of dollars to deploy.
But it’s a tool states will want to have in place before this fall, Watson said, when infectious disease experts anticipate a resurgence of coronavirus cases across the country.
“This capacity is really needed to break those chains of transmission,” Watson said at a recent SciLine briefing on contact tracing for reporters. “But more importantly, at a population level, it’s to manage this epidemic on an ongoing, low level in different places around the country.”
Contact tracing efforts are already in place in several communities across the state, including Lincoln, which has seen its total cases rise by 148% this week alone.
On Friday, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department deployed 16 contact tracers by phone to begin connecting the dots between newly confirmed cases in the county, and any residents they might have exposed to the virus.
Some of the tracers have worked in the health department’s clinic before the pandemic and were reassigned to the virus-stopping mission, while school nurses from Lincoln Public Schools have also offered to help with the effort as needed.
Tim Timmons, the health department’s communicable disease coordinator, said the caseload of the pandemic has required more public health nurses to trace contacts, but said the work itself differs little from other contact tracing done outside of the global pandemic.
The investigations can be painstaking, and a time-consuming process, however.
Done by phone, interviews with those who are infected can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, and cases requiring an interpreter often take twice as long, said Bernice Afuh, who’s managing contact tracers for the department.
Other times, the movements of an individual - people can be contagious for several days before they begin to show symptoms - of the index case set the parameters for how many potentially exposed people need to be called.
“If they have been here, there and everywhere, there’s going to be a lot more contacts to track down, so to speak,” Afuh said.
Nebraska will raise an army of 1,000 contact tracers for local public health districts in the coming weeks and months, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced in April, as it also seeks to expand coronavirus testing capacity and provide accommodations for individuals who need to self-quarantine.
The state recently contracted with three Utah companies to expand testing capacity by some 540,000 tests this year, and has secured the use of University of Nebraska residence halls and hotels to help individuals quarantine as needed.
To begin in the third prong of its pandemic plan, more than 200 employees from the Department of Health and Human Services were temporarily reassigned to contact tracing duty, taking part in a three-hour online seminar before being deployed remotely to hot spots such as Hall and Dawson counties.
Dannette Smith, CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said a total of 325 employees who work in the divisions of Public Health, Child and Family Services, and Development Disabilities - all areas where they have experience in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance - will be working as contact tracers by the end of this week.
“Contact tracing is absolutely important to make sure that we are taking a proactive stance on how we are monitoring and supporting people who have the potential to have COVID-19,” Smith said at a news conference.
Tracers will call individuals with lab-confirmed coronavirus infections to ask basic demographic questions, when they experienced an onset of symptoms, if they’ve seen a doctor or been hospitalized, and who they may have come into close contact with recently.
That information will be entered into the Nebraska Electronic Disease Surveillance System, a database shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Leah Bucco-White, a spokeswoman for the department.
Contact tracers can enter data into the system, but cannot access information stored there, Bucco-White added.
The first team of new contact tracers started placing phone calls in coordination with the hard-hit Central District Health Department last week, said Teresa Anderson, the department’s health director.
At first, the department’s in-house team of contact tracers was able to keep up with the caseload, Anderson said, but once the growth in new cases began to double every few days in mid-April, making Grand Island a national hot spot and account for roughly a quarter of all cases in the state, that work fell behind.
“As we have more tests available, that has increased our need for personnel to assist us with contact tracing,” Anderson said.
The DHHS team has been working under the direction of Anderson’s staff to broaden their capacity, making contact with those who are tested to remind them to hunker down until results come back, to notify those who test negative they can go about their daily lives, and to run positive cases through a battery of questions to learn who else may be in danger for contracting the disease.
Ricketts promises Test Nebraska data won’t be sold
Contact tracing is also an important piece to ensuring those who are in quarantine stay there for the recommended 14 days, Anderson said, and follow up with positive cases as they recover.
“It allows us to keep working with them, asking if they have everything they need to stay in quarantine, if their family has what they need and to connect them with community resources,” she said. “It’s just a bigger safety net.”
Peeling off DHHS employees from their normal duties to contact tracing duties is a short-term solution to a long-term problem, however.
“We’re getting really scrappy really fast by pulling these resources from other divisions in DHHS so we can very quickly ramp up,” said Jason Jackson, director of the Department of Administrative Services.
Nebraska wants to have a team in place capable of quickly scaling up if case numbers spike and additional investigations are needed, or to tamp down its workforce if new cases slow over the next 1-2 years, a flexibility to respond to the outbreak’s ebbs and flows.
Call centers - which have capabilities to connect with people in multiple languages, training on HIPAA compliance, and the technological infrastructure to reach people - have reached out to the state about helping assist with contact tracing in the intermediate term.
“They are seeking a way to keep their workers engaged and employed, and altruistically, to help with this broader pandemic fight,” he said.
For the long haul ahead, Jackson said the state wants to strike a balance between keeping some of its contact tracing efforts inside DHHS’ Division of Public Health, where the state’s epidemiologists and infectious disease experts could consult as needed, Jackson said, and using a third-party vendor.
The state could begin looking for a company to serve those long-term needs by end of year. Jackson said it’s unclear how much a contract could cost at this point.
Watson said as the United States begins to reopen after weeks of shelter-in-place orders and limits to public life, other countries, including South Korea and Singapore, should serve as a model.
Both countries managed surges of coronavirus using an effective contact tracing effort in conjunction with expanded testing and isolation of positive cases.
“These are the tools we need to develop,” she said. “We need to put resources towards this, and we need to prioritize this at a national level because this is how we get back to work and do it safely.”


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Waterloo theme park moving ahead with big expansion

WATERLOO , Iowa ( AP ) - Plans for the Lost Island Theme Park are moving forward even as the coronavirus pandemic threatens the opening of a related Waterloo water park .
“ When something like this happens it gives you pause , ” Gary Bertch told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier .
“ But we ’ re in so deep , we ’ ve already committed so much already.
” Bertch and his family operate the Lost Island Waterpark , which is waiting to see if and when it will be able to open for the summer season given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bertches are still moving forward with grading and construction of a planned $ 100 million , 90-acre theme park across Shaulis Road from the water park , expected to open in 2022 with thrill rides and other family entertainment offerings .
The pandemic ’ s social distancing requirements have caused other theme parks to close temporarily , including Walt Disney World and Disneyland , and pushed back the opening of Adventureland in Altoona .
But Bertch said the situation so far hasn ’ t had a negative impact on the Lost Island construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , a new video report produced by Chicago-based YouTube channel Park Pros may help build more excitement for the theme park .
That video contains some educated guesses , based off of the drawings and site plans released to date , on what kind of rides Lost Island will feature .
“ It ’ s all speculation on that guy ’ s part and we ’ re not going to confirm any of it , ” Bertch said of the video .
“ But some of them are pretty obvious .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that.
” One exception is a roller coaster Lost Island confirmed it purchased from the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg , Sweden .
Coaster enthusiasts on internet forums have already been discussing the steel Intamin Launch Coaster formerly known as Kanonen that opened in 2005 .
“ There ’ s quite a following for that particular ride , ” Bertch said .
“ It was one of the first launch coasters to open.
” Park Pros also speculated that Lost Island bought a second roller coaster from Ratanga Junction in Cape Town , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Lost Island bought Cobra , a steel inverted roller coaster with five inversions .
Lost Island plans to release more detailed information over time about rides and park features as the opening approaches .
But Bertch was pleased with the excitement the Park Pros video could build .
“ Based on the concept art alone the theming looks phenomenal , ” the narrator of the Park Pros video said .
“ If they do wind up following through with the theming and story-telling , this park could really be something special .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening with the craziest roller coasters or rides , I ’ m genuinely impressed with how many rides they seem to be opening with ; and not only that , but how well-rounded their collection will for a brand new park , ” he continued .
“ They seem to have the perfect balance of thrill , family and kids rides , and their placement of everything looks really well thought-out.
” But for now , the Bertches are watching the coronavirus news closely and trying to determine whether the water park and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We need to be making a decision on that , ” Bertch said .
“ We ’ re still hoping the campgrounds and the water park are going to be allowed to open.
” Lost Island ’ s go-carts and miniature golf course , originally slated to open this weekend , are likely closed through the middle of May .
The water park still anticipates a June 5 opening .
Bertch said Lost Island has been discussing ways to open the park with social distancing in place and has been talking with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation .
“ Our other issue is staff , ” Bertch said .
“ We have 80 lifeguards that have to be trained before we can open .
”

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - Plans for the Lost Island Theme Park are moving forward even as the coronavirus pandemic threatens the opening of a related Waterloo water park.
“When something like this happens it gives you pause,” Gary Bertch told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. “But we’re in so deep, we’ve already committed so much already.”
Bertch and his family operate the Lost Island Waterpark, which is waiting to see if and when it will be able to open for the summer season given the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Bertches are still moving forward with grading and construction of a planned $100 million, 90-acre theme park across Shaulis Road from the water park, expected to open in 2022 with thrill rides and other family entertainment offerings.
The pandemic’s social distancing requirements have caused other theme parks to close temporarily, including Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and pushed back the opening of Adventureland in Altoona.
But Bertch said the situation so far hasn’t had a negative impact on the Lost Island construction process or contracts for planned rides.
In fact, a new video report produced by Chicago-based YouTube channel Park Pros may help build more excitement for the theme park. That video contains some educated guesses, based off of the drawings and site plans released to date, on what kind of rides Lost Island will feature.
“It’s all speculation on that guy’s part and we’re not going to confirm any of it,” Bertch said of the video. “But some of them are pretty obvious. We weren’t trying to hide that.”
One exception is a roller coaster Lost Island confirmed it purchased from the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. Coaster enthusiasts on internet forums have already been discussing the steel Intamin Launch Coaster formerly known as Kanonen that opened in 2005.
“There’s quite a following for that particular ride,” Bertch said. “It was one of the first launch coasters to open.”
Park Pros also speculated that Lost Island bought a second roller coaster from Ratanga Junction in Cape Town, South Africa. Bertch declined to confirm whether Lost Island bought Cobra, a steel inverted roller coaster with five inversions.
Lost Island plans to release more detailed information over time about rides and park features as the opening approaches. But Bertch was pleased with the excitement the Park Pros video could build.
“Based on the concept art alone the theming looks phenomenal,” the narrator of the Park Pros video said. “If they do wind up following through with the theming and story-telling, this park could really be something special.
“While this park isn’t opening with the craziest roller coasters or rides, I’m genuinely impressed with how many rides they seem to be opening with; and not only that, but how well-rounded their collection will for a brand new park,” he continued. “They seem to have the perfect balance of thrill, family and kids rides, and their placement of everything looks really well thought-out.”
But for now, the Bertches are watching the coronavirus news closely and trying to determine whether the water park and adjacent Bamboo Ridge Campgrounds can open.
“We need to be making a decision on that,” Bertch said. “We’re still hoping the campgrounds and the water park are going to be allowed to open.”
Lost Island’s go-carts and miniature golf course, originally slated to open this weekend, are likely closed through the middle of May. The water park still anticipates a June 5 opening.
Bertch said Lost Island has been discussing ways to open the park with social distancing in place and has been talking with similar facilities around the country about the situation.
“Our other issue is staff,” Bertch said. “We have 80 lifeguards that have to be trained before we can open.”


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--UN says 3 peacekeepers killed, 4 wounded in Mali attacks

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - The United Nations said three peacekeepers from Chad were killed and four others seriously @ @ @ @ @ a U.N. convoy in northern Mali using improvised explosive devices .
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric @ @ @ @ @ the attacks near Aguelhok in the Kidal region , which may constitute war crimes under @ @ @ @ @ calls on Malian authorities “ to spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of these @ @ @ @ @ be brought to justice swiftly , ” Dujarric said .
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in @ @ @ @ @ to help stabilize the northwestern African nation .
Dujarric said : “ The secretary-general reaffirms @ @ @ @ @ not deter the United Nations from its resolve to continue supporting the people and Government @ @ @ @ @ of peace and stability.
” Despite a 2015 peace agreement between the government and one-time @ @ @ @ @ escaped violence .
Jihadists have repeatedly targeted the U.N. base there , and a 2016 @ @ @ @ @

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations said three peacekeepers from Chad were killed and four others seriously injured Sunday in attacks against a U.N. convoy in northern Mali using improvised explosive devices.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attacks near Aguelhok in the Kidal region, which may constitute war crimes under international law.
The secretary-general calls on Malian authorities “to spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of these attacks so that they can be brought to justice swiftly,” Dujarric said.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali was established in 2013 to help stabilize the northwestern African nation.
Dujarric said: “The secretary-general reaffirms that such cowardly acts will not deter the United Nations from its resolve to continue supporting the people and Government of Mali in their pursuit of peace and stability.”
Despite a 2015 peace agreement between the government and one-time separatists, Kidal has not escaped violence. Jihadists have repeatedly targeted the U.N. base there, and a 2016 attack killed seven peacekeepers.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Labor force participation rate lowest in five decades

The 14.7 % unemployment figure released last week was bad enough , but even worse news was tucked inside the Labor Department ’ s report : The labor force participation rate tumbled to 60.2 % , the lowest rate since 1973 , when women were joining en masse .
All of the numbers from the first full coronavirus-infected labor report were shocking .
April had the worst unemployment rates on record for every major demographic save black workers .
The employment-to-population ratio is the lowest in records dating back to 1948 .
If prognosticators are right , the unemployment problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Budget Office says the participation rate — those 16 and older who are either working or seeking a job — will slip to 59.8 % over the summer .
It hasn ’ t been below that rate since 1969 .
“ Whenever you hit a threshold like that , it certainly is significant , ” said Brian T. Kench , dean of the College of Business at the University of New Haven .
In Washington , the politicians lined up on predictable sides .
Republicans said the historically bad numbers were more reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as safely as possible .
President Trump , whose three years of relatively strong economic advancements have disappeared in weeks , said the country will “ have to start all over again .
“ It ’ s going to be a transition to greatness , ” he said at the White House .
Democrats , meanwhile , said Mr. Trump has bungled the response to the coronavirus , leaving Americans feeling uncertain and unsafe .
Until they have confidence they can return to the workforce with little chance of infection , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Economists pondered how much of the joblessness will snap back once the economy gears up and how much is likely to be persistent .
“ Does every job that was furloughed come back ?
It ’ s an open question , ” said Mr. Kench .
He said companies are quickly learning about their core business needs and figuring out where they were bloated before the pandemic .
Other companies are learning that they are just not solvent anymore .
If they succumb , those jobs probably aren ’ t coming back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Recession , when businesses looking for cuts axed older men from their payrolls .
Economists dubbed it the “ Mancession.
” Some of those who were old enough chose early retirement , taking them out of the labor force before they planned .
That didn ’ t necessarily change long-term numbers , but it did shape the demographics of the workforce , said Stephanie Aaronson , vice president and director of the economic studies program at the Brookings Institution .
The labor force participation rate peaked at 67.3 % in 2000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It hovered at about 66 % through President George W. Bush ’ s tenure and then began a steady slide during President Obama ’ s term , after the Great Recession , and hovered just below 63 % when he left .
Under Mr. Trump , participation ticked back up and reached 63.4 % in February .
The coronavirus outbreak then sent the rate plummeting to 60.2 % and headed down to 59.8 % this summer , CBO says .
Those few percentage points may not seem like much , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who will no longer be in the labor force .
Fewer people in the labor force generally means a smaller base of taxpayers working to support those using social safety net programs — what economists call the “ dependency ration.
” A short-term blip is unlikely to do much damage , but the longer the participation rate remains low , the more dangerous it is to the health of the economy and the government ’ s finances .
CBO projects that most workers chased from the labor force will rejoin by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
Some 6 million fewer people will be in the labor force compared with projections earlier this year .
Ms. Aaronson said she doesn ’ t make much of the comparison with the labor force of the 1970s .
For one thing , she said , the number of people out of the labor force could be particularly high because of shutdown orders .
Parents who find themselves at home caring for children not in school may not be looking for work , so rather than unemployed , they show up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force .
The downturn also doesn ’ t explain the long and fairly steady slide in participation rates since 2000 , but Ms. Aaronson said history suggests some things to look for .
During the Great Recession , some people with young children decided to stay out of the workforce longer .
This time , Ms. Aaronson said , COVID-19 ’ s devastating impact on nursing homes could persuade some people pushed out of the labor force to stay out and take care of their parents themselves .
She called those “ sticky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions , “ not necessarily permanently but for several years.
” “ We don ’ t know yet what the economy ’ s going to look like afterwards , ” Ms. Aaronson said .
“ What ’ s schooling going to look like ?
What ’ s child care going to look like ?
So it ’ s hard to say what changes there are going to be in labor participation.
” Workers themselves appear somewhat optimistic that they are out only for the short term .
Of the immediate job losses the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , about 20 million of them were deemed “ temporary ” layoffs .
Only about 3.5 million were “ permanent job losers , ” in Labor ’ s verbiage .
But Mr. Kench pointed to the four years it took to move the participation rate a couple of percentage points after the Great Recession .
“ There ’ s a lot of behavioral stuff that ’ s going to happen that ’ s going to slow the snapback , ” he said .
“ I ’ m more pessimistic .
I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , “ The virus is in charge , is the short answer .
”

The 14.7% unemployment figure released last week was bad enough, but even worse news was tucked inside the Labor Department’s report: The labor force participation rate tumbled to 60.2%, the lowest rate since 1973, when women were joining en masse.
All of the numbers from the first full coronavirus-infected labor report were shocking.
April had the worst unemployment rates on record for every major demographic save black workers. The employment-to-population ratio is the lowest in records dating back to 1948.
If prognosticators are right, the unemployment problem will get even worse. The Congressional Budget Office says the participation rate — those 16 and older who are either working or seeking a job — will slip to 59.8% over the summer. It hasn’t been below that rate since 1969.
“Whenever you hit a threshold like that, it certainly is significant,” said Brian T. Kench, dean of the College of Business at the University of New Haven.
In Washington, the politicians lined up on predictable sides. Republicans said the historically bad numbers were more reason to find ways to open the economy, as safely as possible.
President Trump, whose three years of relatively strong economic advancements have disappeared in weeks, said the country will “have to start all over again.
“It’s going to be a transition to greatness,” he said at the White House.
Democrats, meanwhile, said Mr. Trump has bungled the response to the coronavirus, leaving Americans feeling uncertain and unsafe. Until they have confidence they can return to the workforce with little chance of infection, the economy will remain moribund, they said.
Economists pondered how much of the joblessness will snap back once the economy gears up and how much is likely to be persistent.
“Does every job that was furloughed come back? It’s an open question,” said Mr. Kench.
He said companies are quickly learning about their core business needs and figuring out where they were bloated before the pandemic. Other companies are learning that they are just not solvent anymore. If they succumb, those jobs probably aren’t coming back.
The same thing happened during the Great Recession, when businesses looking for cuts axed older men from their payrolls. Economists dubbed it the “Mancession.”
Some of those who were old enough chose early retirement, taking them out of the labor force before they planned. That didn’t necessarily change long-term numbers, but it did shape the demographics of the workforce, said Stephanie Aaronson, vice president and director of the economic studies program at the Brookings Institution.
The labor force participation rate peaked at 67.3% in 2000, just as the dot-com bubble was bursting. It hovered at about 66% through President George W. Bush’s tenure and then began a steady slide during President Obama’s term, after the Great Recession, and hovered just below 63% when he left.
Under Mr. Trump, participation ticked back up and reached 63.4% in February. The coronavirus outbreak then sent the rate plummeting to 60.2% and headed down to 59.8% this summer, CBO says.
Those few percentage points may not seem like much, but the CBO says it accounts for 28 million people who will no longer be in the labor force.
Fewer people in the labor force generally means a smaller base of taxpayers working to support those using social safety net programs — what economists call the “dependency ration.”
A short-term blip is unlikely to do much damage, but the longer the participation rate remains low, the more dangerous it is to the health of the economy and the government’s finances.
CBO projects that most workers chased from the labor force will rejoin by the end of next year, but not all. Some 6 million fewer people will be in the labor force compared with projections earlier this year.
Ms. Aaronson said she doesn’t make much of the comparison with the labor force of the 1970s.
For one thing, she said, the number of people out of the labor force could be particularly high because of shutdown orders. Parents who find themselves at home caring for children not in school may not be looking for work, so rather than unemployed, they show up in the numbers as out of the labor force.
The downturn also doesn’t explain the long and fairly steady slide in participation rates since 2000, but Ms. Aaronson said history suggests some things to look for.
During the Great Recession, some people with young children decided to stay out of the workforce longer.
This time, Ms. Aaronson said, COVID-19’s devastating impact on nursing homes could persuade some people pushed out of the labor force to stay out and take care of their parents themselves.
She called those “sticky” factors that affect people’s decisions, “not necessarily permanently but for several years.”
“We don’t know yet what the economy’s going to look like afterwards,” Ms. Aaronson said. “What’s schooling going to look like? What’s child care going to look like? So it’s hard to say what changes there are going to be in labor participation.”
Workers themselves appear somewhat optimistic that they are out only for the short term.
Of the immediate job losses the Labor Department recorded in March and April, about 20 million of them were deemed “temporary” layoffs. Only about 3.5 million were “permanent job losers,” in Labor’s verbiage.
But Mr. Kench pointed to the four years it took to move the participation rate a couple of percentage points after the Great Recession.
“There’s a lot of behavioral stuff that’s going to happen that’s going to slow the snapback,” he said. “I’m more pessimistic. I don’t see a quick snapback.”
He added, “The virus is in charge, is the short answer.”
⦁ Dave Boyer contributed to this report.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Rashawn Smith arrested over threats against Ahmaud Arbery killing protesters

ATLANTA — A 20-year-old man was arrested in Georgia on Sunday after an investigation into an online threat made against @ @ @ @ @ Ahmaud Arbery , a black man who authorities say died at the hands of two @ @ @ @ @ through a neighborhood .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that @ @ @ @ @ custody in Midway , a town about 50 miles north of Brunswick , where Arbery @ @ @ @ @ the day , the GBI said it “ has been made aware of a Facebook @ @ @ @ @ to future protests related to Ahmaud Arbery .
We are actively investigating this situation and @ @ @ @ @ necessary.
” National outrage over the case swelled last week after video surfaced that appeared @ @ @ @ @

ATLANTA — A 20-year-old man was arrested in Georgia on Sunday after an investigation into an online threat made against people protesting the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who authorities say died at the hands of two white men as he ran through a neighborhood.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that Rashawn Smith was taken into custody in Midway, a town about 50 miles north of Brunswick, where Arbery was killed.
Earlier in the day, the GBI said it “has been made aware of a Facebook post that contains a threat to future protests related to Ahmaud Arbery. We are actively investigating this situation and will provide pertinent updates as necessary.”
National outrage over the case swelled last week after video surfaced that appeared to show the shooting.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Colorado sheriff's deputies kill suspect who set fire to car

DENVER ( AP ) - Colorado sheriff ’ s deputies shot and killed a man after he fled police , set fire to the inside of his vehicle and brandished a gun , authorities said .
The Clear Creek County Sheriff ’ s Office did not immediately identify the man who was killed or the two deputies involved in the shooting , who are on administrative leave , The Denver Post reports .
Clear Creek County Undersheriff Bruce Snelling said in an email that a driver fled after being pulled over in Idaho Springs around 10 p.m. Saturday .
Deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 103 .
During a pursuit that followed , the suspect set fire to the car , Snelling said .
The vehicle stopped southwest of Idaho Springs , 33 miles ( 53 kilometers ) west of Denver .
The driver , who was the sole occupant , got out of the vehicle with a gun , Snelling said .
The deputies fired an unspecified number of shots and killed the suspect .
The deputies were not injured , Snelling said .
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation will review the shooting , Snelling said .

DENVER (AP) - Colorado sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man after he fled police, set fire to the inside of his vehicle and brandished a gun, authorities said.
The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately identify the man who was killed or the two deputies involved in the shooting, who are on administrative leave, The Denver Post reports.
Clear Creek County Undersheriff Bruce Snelling said in an email that a driver fled after being pulled over in Idaho Springs around 10 p.m. Saturday.
Deputies spotted the vehicle on Colorado State Highway 103. During a pursuit that followed, the suspect set fire to the car, Snelling said.
The vehicle stopped southwest of Idaho Springs, 33 miles (53 kilometers) west of Denver.
The driver, who was the sole occupant, got out of the vehicle with a gun, Snelling said.
The deputies fired an unspecified number of shots and killed the suspect. The deputies were not injured, Snelling said.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation will review the shooting, Snelling said.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Chris Carr, Georgia attorney general, seeks federal probe of handling of Ahmaud Arbery case

ATLANTA — Georgia ’ s attorney general on Sunday requested a federal investigation into the handling of the death of @ @ @ @ @ man who authorities say died at the hands of two white men as he ran @ @ @ @ @ a news release , Attorney General Christopher Carr said he had formally asked the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine , to conduct the @ @ @ @ @ s death was handled .
“ We are committed to a complete and transparent review @ @ @ @ @ case was handled from the outset , ” said Attorney General Chris Carr .
“ @ @ @ @ @ and the state of Georgia deserve answers , and we will work with others in @ @ @ @ @ and federal level to find those answers.
” National outrage over the case swelled last @ @ @ @ @ appeared to show the shooting .

ATLANTA — Georgia’s attorney general on Sunday requested a federal investigation into the handling of the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who authorities say died at the hands of two white men as he ran through a neighborhood.
In a news release, Attorney General Christopher Carr said he had formally asked the U.S. Department of Justice, led by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine, to conduct the investigation into how Arbery’s death was handled.
“We are committed to a complete and transparent review of how the Ahmaud Arbery case was handled from the outset,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “The family, the community and the state of Georgia deserve answers, and we will work with others in law enforcement at the state and federal level to find those answers.”
National outrage over the case swelled last week after video surfaced that appeared to show the shooting.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Prison changes, lottery bills postponed as session cut short

Alabama lawmakers began the 2020 legislative session with several big-ticket items before them , including a prison overhaul , a possible state lottery and medical marijuana legislation .
Those issues fell by the wayside as the coronavirus outbreak interrupted the legislative session .
House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said it is “ very possible ” that the governor will call them into special session at some point to deal with prisons or other issues .
The U.S. Department of Justice last year said that male inmates live in violent prisons that violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless conditions improve .
“ When you look at all the important issues that we talked about , legislation that we have not addressed .
And then you put in there all of the issues that we are going to be concerned with when it comes to corrections - that ’ s a lot of work to be done.
” Lawmakers used their abbreviated meeting time to focus on state budgets and passing a $ 1.25 billion bond issue to fund school construction .
Here is a look at what passed and failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lawmakers approved a $ 1.25 billion bond issue to fund capital projects at public K-12 schools , two-year colleges and universities .
Every K-12 school system will be given at least $ 400,000 .
Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey proposed the bond issue in her State of the State address earlier this year .
Lawmakers approved pared-down Education Trust Fund and General Fund budgets .
Both budgets have spending increases , but lawmakers trimmed back planned increases - including pay raises for teachers and state employees - because of the expected hit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama lawmakers swiftly approved a ban on cities implementing new occupational taxes without legislative approval .
Lawmakers rushed passage of the bill as the city of Montgomery considered an occupational tax .
Lawmakers approved a funding increase for the Alabama Department of Corrections , but plans for a package of reform bills , including enhanced educational programs for inmates and making changes to mandatory sentencing laws , did not get votes .
Alabama lawmakers and the governor had hoped to give pay raises to public school employees and state employees .
The raises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the expected cuts to state revenue during the virus outbreak .
Proposals to establish a state lottery and to allow the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to have casinos did not get floor votes .
Even before the pandemic interrupted the session , the Republican Ivey attempted to press the pause button on gambling debate by creating a new work group to study gambling proposals and revenue projections .
The Alabama Senate approved the bill that would have authorized the use of medical marijuana for certain conditions , but it did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Representatives .
Proponents were optimistic about the bill ’ s chances this year even though it has faced past opposition in the House .
A bill would have limited the powers of the state health officer to order closures .
It would require the governor to sign off on the state health officer ’ s orders during a virus outbreak .
The bill would have required legislative approval to extend any state of emergency issued by the governor beyond 14 days .
Supporters said it put “ checks and balances ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics over science in managing a public health emergency .

Alabama lawmakers began the 2020 legislative session with several big-ticket items before them, including a prison overhaul, a possible state lottery and medical marijuana legislation.
Those issues fell by the wayside as the coronavirus outbreak interrupted the legislative session.
House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said it is “very possible” that the governor will call them into special session at some point to deal with prisons or other issues. The U.S. Department of Justice last year said that male inmates live in violent prisons that violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The Justice Department threatened to sue Alabama unless conditions improve.
“When you look at all the important issues that we talked about, legislation that we have not addressed. And then you put in there all of the issues that we are going to be concerned with when it comes to corrections - that’s a lot of work to be done.”
Lawmakers used their abbreviated meeting time to focus on state budgets and passing a $1.25 billion bond issue to fund school construction.
Here is a look at what passed and failed in the 2020 regular legislative session:
WHAT PASSED:
SCHOOL BOND ISSUE
Lawmakers approved a $1.25 billion bond issue to fund capital projects at public K-12 schools, two-year colleges and universities. Every K-12 school system will be given at least $400,000. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey proposed the bond issue in her State of the State address earlier this year.
STATE BUDGETS
Lawmakers approved pared-down Education Trust Fund and General Fund budgets. Both budgets have spending increases, but lawmakers trimmed back planned increases - including pay raises for teachers and state employees - because of the expected hit to state revenue during the virus outbreak.
OCCUPATIONAL TAX BAN
Alabama lawmakers swiftly approved a ban on cities implementing new occupational taxes without legislative approval. Lawmakers rushed passage of the bill as the city of Montgomery considered an occupational tax.
WHAT FAILED
PRISON POLICY CHANGES
Lawmakers approved a funding increase for the Alabama Department of Corrections, but plans for a package of reform bills, including enhanced educational programs for inmates and making changes to mandatory sentencing laws, did not get votes.
PAY RAISES
Alabama lawmakers and the governor had hoped to give pay raises to public school employees and state employees. The raises were jettisoned as lawmakers scaled back spending because of the expected cuts to state revenue during the virus outbreak.
GAMBLING
Proposals to establish a state lottery and to allow the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to have casinos did not get floor votes. Even before the pandemic interrupted the session, the Republican Ivey attempted to press the pause button on gambling debate by creating a new work group to study gambling proposals and revenue projections.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
The Alabama Senate approved the bill that would have authorized the use of medical marijuana for certain conditions, but it did not get a vote in the House of Representatives. Proponents were optimistic about the bill’s chances this year even though it has faced past opposition in the House.
PANDEMIC POWERS
A bill would have limited the powers of the state health officer to order closures. It would require the governor to sign off on the state health officer’s orders during a virus outbreak. The bill would have required legislative approval to extend any state of emergency issued by the governor beyond 14 days. Supporters said it put “checks and balances” in the process but opponents said it put politics over science in managing a public health emergency.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Magnitude 4.5 quake shakes the desert east of San Diego

SAN DIEGO ( AP ) - A moderate earthquake shook a remote desert area east of San Diego Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ reports of damages or injuries .
The magnitude 4.5 quake struck at 3:07 p.m. and @ @ @ @ @ southeast of Ocotillo Wells , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The USGS says @ @ @ @ @ of San Diego County and along the U.S.-Mexico border .
A sheriff ’ s lieutenant @ @ @ @ @ reports of damages or injuries .

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A moderate earthquake shook a remote desert area east of San Diego Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.
The magnitude 4.5 quake struck at 3:07 p.m. and was centered about 11 miles southeast of Ocotillo Wells, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS says shaking was felt across much of San Diego County and along the U.S.-Mexico border.
A sheriff’s lieutenant said there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--5 shot and wounded near convenience store in Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE , La .
( AP ) - Five people have been injured in a shooting near a convenience @ @ @ @ @ capital city .
Baton Rouge police tell local news outlets that four adults and a @ @ @ @ @ .
The gunfire broke out near Carlins Food Market on the city ’ s north @ @ @ @ @ .
Four of the victims were brought to the hospital , and one was in @ @ @ @ @ Medical Services spokesperson Brad Harris A fifth person was brought to the hospital in a @ @ @ @ @ person ’ s condition was unknown , Harris said .
It wasn ’ t immediately @ @ @ @ @ shooting .

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Five people have been injured in a shooting near a convenience store in Louisiana’s capital city.
Baton Rouge police tell local news outlets that four adults and a juvenile are among those shot.
The gunfire broke out near Carlins Food Market on the city’s north side after 3 p.m. Sunday.
Four of the victims were brought to the hospital, and one was in critical condition, said Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Brad Harris
A fifth person was brought to the hospital in a private vehicle, though the person’s condition was unknown, Harris said.
It wasn’t immediately known what led to the shooting.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Mike Pence 'not in quarantine,' VP office says downing 'self isolation' reports

Vice President Mike Pence is not in quarantine after his press secretary tested positive for the COVID-19 illness , his office said Sunday night , pushing back on reports that Mr. Pence is self-isolating .
“ Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine , ” said Pence spokesman Devin O ’ Malley .
“ Additionally , Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow.
” Katie Miller , press secretary to the vice president , tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
Mrs. Miller is married to Stephen Miller , one of President Trump ’ s key advisers .
Mr. Pence , who traveled to Iowa on Friday did not attend a White House meeting on Saturday with the president and the Joint Chief of Staff .
NBC reported that the vice president skipped the meeting out of an abundance of caution .
Three top health officials who are members of the White House coronavirus task force led by Mr. Pence said this weekend they would self-isolate .
Food and Drug Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said they ’ ll self-quarantine .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said he will undertake a “ modified ” quarantine .

Vice President Mike Pence is not in quarantine after his press secretary tested positive for the COVID-19 illness, his office said Sunday night, pushing back on reports that Mr. Pence is self-isolating.
“Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine,” said Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley. “Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow.”
Katie Miller, press secretary to the vice president, tested positive on Friday for the illness caused by the coronavirus. Mrs. Miller is married to Stephen Miller, one of President Trump’s key advisers.
Mr. Pence, who traveled to Iowa on Friday did not attend a White House meeting on Saturday with the president and the Joint Chief of Staff. NBC reported that the vice president skipped the meeting out of an abundance of caution.
Three top health officials who are members of the White House coronavirus task force led by Mr. Pence said this weekend they would self-isolate.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said they’ll self-quarantine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he will undertake a “modified” quarantine.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--3 wounded in shooting in northeast Mississippi, 1 in custody

WOODLAND , Miss .
( AP ) - Three people have been shot and wounded at a house in northeast @ @ @ @ @ Eddie Scott told local news outlets that the shooting happened around 5 p.m. Saturday in @ @ @ @ @ the county .
The victims were taken to hospitals in West Point and Tupelo .
@ @ @ @ @ wounded .
Scott said deputies have someone in custory , but didn ’ t release @ @ @ @ @ charges had been filed .
He promises a further update Monday .
Online jail records @ @ @ @ @ showed no one in custody matching the description of the incident .

WOODLAND, Miss. (AP) - Three people have been shot and wounded at a house in northeast Mississippi.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott told local news outlets that the shooting happened around 5 p.m. Saturday in the rural northern reaches of the county.
The victims were taken to hospitals in West Point and Tupelo. At least two were seriously wounded.
Scott said deputies have someone in custory, but didn’t release a name and said no charges had been filed. He promises a further update Monday. Online jail records for Clay County on Sunday showed no one in custody matching the description of the incident.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Northeast Louisiana juvenile lockup sees another mass escape

MONROE , La .
( AP ) - Six of eight juveniles who escaped from a youth center in northeast Louisiana have been recaptured .
The eight broke out of the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe before dawn Saturday morning , KNOE-TV reports .
It ’ s at least the third escape from Swanson in the five weeks .
Two juveniles escaped April 6 , while 11 juveniles broke out days later .
The Bridge City Center for Youth near New Orleans saw a riot in April involving dozens of youth that left two guards with minor injuries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state should release more juveniles from custody in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and a number of confirmed cases inside facilities .
Monroe police say the two who are still on the run are Kristen Carter and Jarrett Lane .
Carter was jailed on charges including armed robbery and first-degree robbery .
Lane was jailed on charges including theft of a firearm , aggravated second-degree battery and cruelty to the infirm .
They were both entered into the National Crime Information Center database .
Police say both Carter and Lane were last seen @ @ @ @ @

MONROE, La. (AP) - Six of eight juveniles who escaped from a youth center in northeast Louisiana have been recaptured.
The eight broke out of the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe before dawn Saturday morning, KNOE-TV reports.
It’s at least the third escape from Swanson in the five weeks. Two juveniles escaped April 6, while 11 juveniles broke out days later.
The Bridge City Center for Youth near New Orleans saw a riot in April involving dozens of youth that left two guards with minor injuries.
Advocates for youth have been arguing the state should release more juveniles from custody in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and a number of confirmed cases inside facilities.
Monroe police say the two who are still on the run are Kristen Carter and Jarrett Lane.
Carter was jailed on charges including armed robbery and first-degree robbery. Lane was jailed on charges including theft of a firearm, aggravated second-degree battery and cruelty to the infirm.
They were both entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Police say both Carter and Lane were last seen running from the facility.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Inside the Beltway: CNN, MSNBC indulge in dramatics, still lag behind Fox News

Be careful what you wish for .
In the absence of regular press briefings , a pair of cable new networks have badgered the White House about access to President Trump for quite some time .
But now silence ?
Here ’ s what happened a mere 72 hours ago , give or take a few minutes .
“ CNN and MSNBC demanded White House briefings — then decided not to air them , ” writes Steve Krakauer , a former CNN producer who has since become a media analyst , offering a daily column called Fourth Watch .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continually called out the Trump administration for refusing to hold a White House briefing .
And they were correct — briefings are important for the public to get answers from their elected officials .
When Stephanie Grisham , the feckless press secretary who never held a briefing in her near-year in the job , left and Kayleigh McEnany replaced her , the return of the briefing was promising .
On Friday , McEnany held her third briefing in the past two weeks , ” Mr. Krakauer notes .
“ And CNN and MSNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
It was a curious , pathetic display — after months of calls to restart the briefing , what possible reason would the media have to avoid airing it ?
” he asks .
The networks aired counter programming instead .
CNN featured more “ fear-mongering ” about coronavirus lockdown restrictions while MSNBC offered an interview with actor Julie Andrews .
Both networks continued to showcase New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s pandemic briefings .
Fox News , however , did air Ms. McEnany ’ s press briefing — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Krakauer points out that it was the “ wrong decision ” of CNN and MSNBC to omit the press event .
“ With Fox News airing the briefing , it showed that , for 30 minutes on Friday afternoon , Fox was the only news channel on cable TV , ” he says .
But it also underscores the reasons why Fox News has trounced CNN and MSNBC in the ratings — besting the two rivals non-stop for 18 consecutive years .
Yes , that ’ s 18 years in a row @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoyed an average of 3.7 million nightly primetime viewers during the month of April , compared to 2 million for MSNBC and 1.3 million for CNN , according to Nielsen .
So the journalists must now consider the aforementioned Kayleigh McEnany .
According to early reports , she is deft at wrangling journalists .
Here ’ s what the press says about her , as told in recent headlines from the last 48 hours : “ Kayleigh McEnany — the ‘ acceptable ’ face of Trumpism who infuriates liberals ” ( the Guardian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shameless start at Trump ’ s White House , but she ’ s better than nothing ” ( USA Today ) ; Kayleigh McEnany calls out CNN for having guests who pushed Russia collusion ” ( Fox News ) ; “ A single Kayleigh McEnany quote gives away the game , ” ( Washington Post ) ; and “ Kayleigh McEnany : Michael Flynn revelations should be taken ‘ very seriously ’ ” ( New York Post ) .
Much of the news media continues to bash President Trump , producing repetitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rude , unpresidential or unhinged .
The old “ stole the election ” narrative is still percolating as well .
So if you think you ’ ve read the same anti-Trump column over and over again , you are not alone .
“ Could the media please stop publishing the exact same Never Trump column over and over again ?
It is said that the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result .
In media , NeverTrumpism is writing the same column over and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to disappear , ” writes Mollie Hemingway , a senior editor at the Federalist .
But there is greater political fallout to consider , outside of voter fatigue with all the Trump-bashing coverage .
“ Publishing identical Never Trump columns about Trump unraveling month after month and year after year is yet another way to treat conservative Americans as second-class citizens .
And failing to air and engage with the substantive arguments of tens of millions of people is also a form of election interference , albeit one engaged in by a wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hemingway notes .
He has 1,400 hours of operational flight time in a an F-18 as a 20-year Navy fighter pilot with combat time in the Middle East .
Now an executive with Raytheon , Mike Garcia has some 24 hours until a potentially life-changing experience in the political arena begins .
He is running for Congress as the Republican nominee in the 25th District of California .
The special election pitting Mr. Garcia against state Assemblywoman Christy Smith , a Democrat , is Tuesday .
President Trump has endorsed Mr. Garcia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a red shockwave ” across the country by retaking the California seat for Republicans .
“ If not me , who ?
” Mr. Garcia asks in his campaign message .
“ I think people are realizing just how far this Democrat Party has gone , and the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the moderate in the room should scare the heck out of the entire country , ” the candidate tells Breitbart News .
“ There ’ s definitely a renaissance here in California .
The implications of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be the first congressional seat we claw back in California for a Republican in 22 years .
It ’ s not just a state thing , it ’ s not just a local thing , but it ’ s also a national level fight .
All eyes are on this , ” Mr. Garcia says .
• 83 % of U.S. adults have confidence that the military will act in the best interest of the public ; 92 % of Republicans and 76 % of Democrats agree .
• 83 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act in the public ’ s best interest ; 87 % of Republicans and 71 % of Democrats agree .
• 63 % overall have confidence that religious leaders will act in the public ’ s best interest ; 77 % of Republicans and 51 % of Democrats agree .
• 48 % overall have confidence that journalists will act in the public ’ s best interest ; 23 % of Republicans and 70 % of Democrats agree .
• 37 % overall have confidence that elected officials will act in the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republicans and 37 % of Democrats agree .
Source : A Pew Research Center poll of 10,139 U.S. adults conducted April 20-26 and released Friday .

NEWS AND OPINION:
Be careful what you wish for. In the absence of regular press briefings, a pair of cable new networks have badgered the White House about access to President Trump for quite some time. But now silence? Here’s what happened a mere 72 hours ago, give or take a few minutes.
“CNN and MSNBC demanded White House briefings — then decided not to air them,” writes Steve Krakauer, a former CNN producer who has since become a media analyst, offering a daily column called Fourth Watch.
“For nearly a year, the media continually called out the Trump administration for refusing to hold a White House briefing. And they were correct — briefings are important for the public to get answers from their elected officials. When Stephanie Grisham, the feckless press secretary who never held a briefing in her near-year in the job, left and Kayleigh McEnany replaced her, the return of the briefing was promising. On Friday, McEnany held her third briefing in the past two weeks,” Mr. Krakauer notes.
“And CNN and MSNBC didn’t cover a second of it. It was a curious, pathetic display — after months of calls to restart the briefing, what possible reason would the media have to avoid airing it?” he asks.
The networks aired counter programming instead. CNN featured more “fear-mongering” about coronavirus lockdown restrictions while MSNBC offered an interview with actor Julie Andrews. Both networks continued to showcase New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s pandemic briefings.
Fox News, however, did air Ms. McEnany’s press briefing — and to the network’s benefit.
Mr. Krakauer points out that it was the “wrong decision” of CNN and MSNBC to omit the press event.
“With Fox News airing the briefing, it showed that, for 30 minutes on Friday afternoon, Fox was the only news channel on cable TV,” he says.
He has a point.
But it also underscores the reasons why Fox News has trounced CNN and MSNBC in the ratings — besting the two rivals non-stop for 18 consecutive years. Yes, that’s 18 years in a row. At the moment, Fox News enjoyed an average of 3.7 million nightly primetime viewers during the month of April, compared to 2 million for MSNBC and 1.3 million for CNN, according to Nielsen.
THE KAYLEIGH PRESS
So the journalists must now consider the aforementioned Kayleigh McEnany. According to early reports, she is deft at wrangling journalists. Here’s what the press says about her, as told in recent headlines from the last 48 hours:
“Kayleigh McEnany — the ‘acceptable’ face of Trumpism who infuriates liberals” (the Guardian); “McEnany is off to a shameless start at Trump’s White House, but she’s better than nothing” (USA Today); Kayleigh McEnany calls out CNN for having guests who pushed Russia collusion” (Fox News); “A single Kayleigh McEnany quote gives away the game,” (Washington Post); and “Kayleigh McEnany: Michael Flynn revelations should be taken ‘very seriously’” (New York Post).
CRITICIZE TRUMP, RINSE AND REPEAT
Much of the news media continues to bash President Trump, producing repetitive material that claims Mr. Trump is unraveling, rude, unpresidential or unhinged. The old “stole the election” narrative is still percolating as well. So if you think you’ve read the same anti-Trump column over and over again, you are not alone.
“Could the media please stop publishing the exact same Never Trump column over and over again? It is said that the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result. In media, NeverTrumpism is writing the same column over and over and expecting the Orange Bad Man to disappear,” writes Mollie Hemingway, a senior editor at the Federalist.
But there is greater political fallout to consider, outside of voter fatigue with all the Trump-bashing coverage.
“Publishing identical Never Trump columns about Trump unraveling month after month and year after year is yet another way to treat conservative Americans as second-class citizens. And failing to air and engage with the substantive arguments of tens of millions of people is also a form of election interference, albeit one engaged in by a wide variety of our media,” Ms. Hemingway notes.
GARCIA IN FOCUS
He has 1,400 hours of operational flight time in a an F-18 as a 20-year Navy fighter pilot with combat time in the Middle East. Now an executive with Raytheon, Mike Garcia has some 24 hours until a potentially life-changing experience in the political arena begins. He is running for Congress as the Republican nominee in the 25th District of California.
The special election pitting Mr. Garcia against state Assemblywoman Christy Smith, a Democrat, is Tuesday.
President Trump has endorsed Mr. Garcia, who now says he hopes to lead “a red shockwave” across the country by retaking the California seat for Republicans.
“If not me, who?” Mr. Garcia asks in his campaign message.
“I think people are realizing just how far this Democrat Party has gone, and the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the moderate in the room should scare the heck out of the entire country,” the candidate tells Breitbart News.
“There’s definitely a renaissance here in California. The implications of this in California are significant as well because it will be the first congressional seat we claw back in California for a Republican in 22 years. It’s not just a state thing, it’s not just a local thing, but it’s also a national level fight. All eyes are on this,” Mr. Garcia says.
POLL DU JOUR
• 83% of U.S. adults have confidence that the military will act in the best interest of the public; 92% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats agree.
• 83% overall have confidence that police officers will act in the public’s best interest; 87% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats agree.
• 63% overall have confidence that religious leaders will act in the public’s best interest; 77% of Republicans and 51% of Democrats agree.
• 48% overall have confidence that journalists will act in the public’s best interest; 23% of Republicans and 70% of Democrats agree.
• 37% overall have confidence that elected officials will act in the public’s best interest; 37% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats agree.
Source: A Pew Research Center poll of 10,139 U.S. adults conducted April 20-26 and released Friday.
• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-10--Semiconductor companies consider new plants in the U.S.

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Intel and a Taiwanese company are talking to the Trump administration about building new semiconductor plants in the United States amid concern about relying on suppliers in Asia for chips used in a wide variety of electronics .
A spokesman for Intel , the biggest American chip maker , said Sunday that the company is in discussions with the Defense Department about improving domestic technology sources .
Spokesman William Moss said Santa Clara , California-based Intel is well-positioned to work with the government “ to operate a U.S.-owned commercial foundry.
” Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside of Taiwan and has talked with the Commerce Department , a spokeswoman said .
“ We are actively evaluating all the suitable locations , including in the U.S. , but there is no concrete plan yet , ” said the TSMC spokeswoman , Nina Kao .
The discussions were first reported by The Wall Street Journal , which said TSMC is also talking with Apple Inc. , one of its biggest customers , about building a plant in the U.S .
The newspaper said the coronavirus pandemic has heightened worries about global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are particularly concerned about the growing reliance on Taiwan , the self-ruled island that is claimed by China .
Intel CEO Bob Swan said in a letter last month to two Pentagon officials that strengthening U.S. production “ is more important than ever , given the uncertainty created by the current geopolitical environment.
” He said it would be in the best interests of the United States and Intel to explore how the company could build a plant .
Concern about relying so heavily on chips from Taiwan , South Korea and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Pentagon and the Government Accountability Office issued reports on the matter last year .
The GAO said that when U.S. companies shift operations overseas it can mean lower prices for components and technology used in weapons systems .
However , having global sources “ can also make it harder for ( the Pentagon ) to get what it needs if , for example , other countries cut off U.S. access to critical supplies , ” the GAO said in a report last September .

NEW YORK (AP) - Intel and a Taiwanese company are talking to the Trump administration about building new semiconductor plants in the United States amid concern about relying on suppliers in Asia for chips used in a wide variety of electronics.
A spokesman for Intel, the biggest American chip maker, said Sunday that the company is in discussions with the Defense Department about improving domestic technology sources. Spokesman William Moss said Santa Clara, California-based Intel is well-positioned to work with the government “to operate a U.S.-owned commercial foundry.”
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is open to building a plant outside of Taiwan and has talked with the Commerce Department, a spokeswoman said.
“We are actively evaluating all the suitable locations, including in the U.S., but there is no concrete plan yet,” said the TSMC spokeswoman, Nina Kao.
The discussions were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said TSMC is also talking with Apple Inc., one of its biggest customers, about building a plant in the U.S.
The newspaper said the coronavirus pandemic has heightened worries about global supply chains, and that U.S. officials are particularly concerned about the growing reliance on Taiwan, the self-ruled island that is claimed by China.
Intel CEO Bob Swan said in a letter last month to two Pentagon officials that strengthening U.S. production “is more important than ever, given the uncertainty created by the current geopolitical environment.” He said it would be in the best interests of the United States and Intel to explore how the company could build a plant.
Concern about relying so heavily on chips from Taiwan, South Korea and China started even before the coronavirus outbreak.
The Pentagon and the Government Accountability Office issued reports on the matter last year. The GAO said that when U.S. companies shift operations overseas it can mean lower prices for components and technology used in weapons systems. However, having global sources “can also make it harder for (the Pentagon) to get what it needs if, for example, other countries cut off U.S. access to critical supplies,” the GAO said in a report last September.