huffpost--2020-03-14--Big Business Gets A Pass On Sick Leave In White House-Dem Coronavirus Aid Deal

The problem is , there ’ s a fairly huge exemption in the bill : Big businesses don ’ t have to comply .
Companies with more than 500 employees are not required to give workers sick leave or family leave under the bill .
And small companies with 50 employers or fewer can seek hardship exemptions from the paid family and medical leave policy , narrowing its impact even more .
Millions of workers are left out , increasing the risk that they ’ ll do their jobs while sick and further the spread of this virus .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor did they support leave for everyone .
It was a clear nonstarter for them , ” said the source , who requested anonymity to comment on the discussions .
“ Democrats preferred to have something rather than nothing .
That was the choice we faced.
” The private sector has played an outsize role in President Donald Trump ’ s so far haphazard and inadequate response to the pandemic .
At a press conference about the coronavirus on Friday , Trump seemed to be actively promoting large companies , applauding them for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leaving the federal government ’ s response in big business ’ s hands .
It ’ s clear the fingerprints of the business lobby are all over the exclusions in the bill .
It ’ s a real wake-up call about the power the big business lobby has in our politics and our policymaking .
Vicki Shabo , a senior fellow at New America and a longtime advocate for paid leave About 47 % of workers in the private sector in the U.S. are employed by companies with 500 employees or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Labor Statistics .
About 11 % of those companies do not offer paid sick leave , leaving out about 6.5 million workers .
“ It ’ s clear the fingerprints of the business lobby are all over the exclusions in the bill , ” said Vicki Shabo , a senior fellow at New America and a longtime advocate for paid leave .
“ It ’ s a real wake-up call about the power the big business lobby has in our politics and our policymaking.
” McDonald ’ s for example is only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate stores , but that covers only about 10 % of its restaurants .
It ’ s unclear if franchise restaurants will be included in sick leave provisions .
Other large employers , like Waffle House , Subway , Chick-fil-A , Cracker Barrel , Outback Steakhouse and the Cheesecake Factory , don ’ t have a policy , according to a Saturday editorial in The New York Times .
The compromise reached Friday would offer 10 days ’ emergency paid sick leave for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , have symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are under quarantine .
( Democrats had originally proposed 14 days . )
Sick leave would also be available for those exposed to someone else with the disease .
However , the bill would not cover leave for high-risk workers who wish to avoid exposure to the virus on the job .
“ On sick days and paid leave , these are temporary measures , ” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro ( D-Conn. ) , one of the most die-hard leave advocates in the House , in a statement .
“ While this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left out .
So , I will build on these programs .
It should not , and must not , take a pandemic to get working people the economic relief and stability they need.
” The bill is also not as good for female workers as it is for male ones .
Workers who take the sick leave for themselves would get 100 % wage replacement .
Those who take time off for caregiving ― a majority of whom will likely be women ― because a loved one is sick or their child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get two-thirds wage replacement .

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Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.
The U.S. took a step closer to the rest of the world early Saturday morning when the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan coronavirus emergency bill that includes provisions for 10 days of paid sick leave and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for those affected by COVID-19.
Even though the leave guarantees would be temporary, it was still a significant move for the U.S., which has long stood alone as the only wealthy country that doesn’t require paid time off for sick workers.
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The problem is, there’s a fairly huge exemption in the bill: Big businesses don’t have to comply. Companies with more than 500 employees are not required to give workers sick leave or family leave under the bill. And small companies with 50 employers or fewer can seek hardship exemptions from the paid family and medical leave policy, narrowing its impact even more. Millions of workers are left out, increasing the risk that they’ll do their jobs while sick and further the spread of this virus.
The leave issue gained momentum as the epidemic worsened and health experts urged people to self-isolate to slow the spread of the virus. While some lucky higher-income workers can telecommute, many others don’t have that luxury.
Democrats compromised on their original proposal, which would have mandated leave for everyone, under pressure from the White House, a Democratic source close to the negotiations told HuffPost.
“Republicans didn’t support the mandate nor did they support leave for everyone. It was a clear nonstarter for them,” said the source, who requested anonymity to comment on the discussions. “Democrats preferred to have something rather than nothing. That was the choice we faced.”
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) negotiated closely with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to work out a deal palatable to the president and Republicans in the Senate, which is expected to vote on the measure Monday.
Pelosi said in a tweet late Saturday that she doesn’t support taxpayer money “subsidizing corporations to provide benefits to workers that they should already be providing.”
I don’t support U.S. taxpayer money subsidizing corporations to provide benefits to workers that they should already be providing. House Democrats will continue to prioritize strong emergency leave policies as we fight to put #FamiliesFirst. https://t.co/GIoCJAKE1M — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 15, 2020
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why large employers were left out.
The private sector has played an outsize role in President Donald Trump’s so far haphazard and inadequate response to the pandemic. At a press conference about the coronavirus on Friday, Trump seemed to be actively promoting large companies, applauding them for their response to the public health crisis and leaving the federal government’s response in big business’s hands.
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“It’s clear the fingerprints of the business lobby are all over the exclusions in the bill. It’s a real wake-up call about the power the big business lobby has in our politics and our policymaking.” - Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow at New America and a longtime advocate for paid leave
Leave advocates told HuffPost they were pleased to see bipartisan support for some kind of paid leave, but disappointed that so few Americans would see coverage.
About 47% of workers in the private sector in the U.S. are employed by companies with 500 employees or more, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 11% of those companies do not offer paid sick leave, leaving out about 6.5 million workers.
While that’s not a huge percentage, the lack of leave falls disproportionately on low-wage workers. While 94% of Americans who hold management jobs have paid sick leave, only 58% of service-sector workers (think retail and fast-food) have access.
At large companies that do offer sick leave, the median number of days on offer is eight, according to labor department data compiled by the Center for American Progress. That hardly seems enough to recover from COVID-19.
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Paid family and medical leave is far less common. Only 27% of private sector companies offer paid time off for caregiving leave, according to data from the group Paid Leave for the United States, which tracks private companies’ policies.
“It’s clear the fingerprints of the business lobby are all over the exclusions in the bill,” said Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow at New America and a longtime advocate for paid leave. “It’s a real wake-up call about the power the big business lobby has in our politics and our policymaking.”
A few large companies have put coronavirus emergency sick leave policies in place, giving workers paid time off if they’re diagnosed or quarantined. But these policies aren’t as good as they might seem in press releases.
McDonald’s for example is only offering emergency leave to workers in its corporate stores, but that covers only about 10% of its restaurants. It’s unclear if franchise restaurants will be included in sick leave provisions. Other large employers, like Waffle House, Subway, Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel, Outback Steakhouse and the Cheesecake Factory, don’t have a policy, according to a Saturday editorial in The New York Times.
Many workers must first test positive for COVID-19 to obtain paid leave or officially be placed under quarantine, but getting a test in the U.S. is still difficult.
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The compromise reached Friday would offer 10 days’ emergency paid sick leave for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, have symptoms, need to be tested, or who are under quarantine. (Democrats had originally proposed 14 days.) Sick leave would also be available for those exposed to someone else with the disease. However, the bill would not cover leave for high-risk workers who wish to avoid exposure to the virus on the job.
The bill would also provide the time off to workers regardless of how long they’ve been with their firms. That’s different from many corporate policies that require workers to “earn” paid time off by working.
Workers would also be able to tap 12 weeks’ paid leave for themselves or a sick family member, and receive two-thirds of their wages. The provisions would be paid for through tax credits for businesses.
This is a short-term bill only meant to offer relief to families dealing with the coronavirus. Other provisions include money for making coronavirus tests more widely available and expanded unemployment insurance.
The leave provisions would also only last for one year to deal with the crisis. Then the U.S. will go back to guaranteeing workers nothing.
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“On sick days and paid leave, these are temporary measures,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), one of the most die-hard leave advocates in the House, in a statement. “While this will help millions, millions are still left out. So, I will build on these programs. It should not, and must not, take a pandemic to get working people the economic relief and stability they need.”
The bill is also not as good for female workers as it is for male ones. Workers who take the sick leave for themselves would get 100% wage replacement. Those who take time off for caregiving ― a majority of whom will likely be women ― because a loved one is sick or their child’s school is closed would only get two-thirds wage replacement.
Still, advocates are applauding Pelosi for negotiating something with this White House, and pushing for the bill’s passage.


huffpost--2020-03-14--Utilities Face Pressure To Stop Shutting Off Services Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

By February , the 33-year-old said , she paid off all but $ 74 of the nearly $ 600 she owed the utility and stayed current on her monthly bills .
But one night last month , she came home and discovered Con Edison had cut her power off anyway .
She charged her dead phone on a nearly drained laptop battery and called the company , demanding it turn the power back on after failing to give proper notice .
Staying awake by candlelight , she finally reached an operator at 1 a.m .
The utility restored electricity the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulators in at least eight states and five cities had directed utilities to maintain connections to ratepayers struggling to keep up with bills as officials urged Americans to stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
Nearly 50 more companies voluntarily pledged to postpone shutoffs , according to a survey by a watchdog group .
Yet not every American could count on uninterrupted light , heat or water service .
Nearly a dozen more utilities , including some that operate monopolies in major markets , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue service terminations , with at least one going as far as to email indebted customers a collections reminder on Friday .
The disparity exposed what advocates say is a hole in the legal framework that governs when utilities are allowed to cut off services considered basic modern necessities during crises .
In states such as Ohio , New York and New Jersey , state regulators said all major utilities volunteered to pause shutoffs .
The investor-owned Arizona Public Service , the largest electricity provider in the Southwestern state , told the Phoenix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all nonpayment “ for the immediate future.
” Pacific Gas & Electric Co. , the troubled utility responsible for California ’ s most destructive wildfire in modern history , issued a press release vowing to stop all disconnects “ until further notice.
” It ’ s such a cruel way of thinking , worrying that someone is trying to take advantage of a moment of crisis to not pay their bills .
David Pomerantz , executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute “ I would ask for that answer to come today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as utility chair , is one of the few City Council members in the country to directly oversee a power company , which usually falls under state jurisdiction .
“ We really would expect the answer to be yes.
” The company told HuffPost the policy only applied to New Orleans at the moment as it waited for directions from state agencies .
Corporate spokesman Neal Kirby said the New Orleans division was still “ determining ” how to assess whether nonpayment was the result of coronavirus but claimed there were no shutoffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laid off or furloughed or they ’ re a small-business owner who has less money coming in and was already living paycheck to paycheck , is Entergy really going to ask for receipts here ?
” he said by phone .
“ It ’ s such a cruel way of thinking , worrying that someone is trying to take advantage of a moment of crisis to not pay their bills.
” The fact that so many utilities curtailed shutoffs voluntarily , as opposed to waiting for orders from regulators , highlights the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services during a pandemic , he said .
Most states bar utilities from shutting off power or gas if temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 95 degrees , but the “ offering of this protection varies by state , ” according to a 2017 report from the NAACP .
Yet nine states ― Alaska , California , Colorado , Connecticut , Florida , North Dakota , Oregon , Tennessee and Virginia ― do not provide any state-regulated seasonal protections , the report found .
The Edison Electric Institute , an industry-funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very basic guide to planning for a pandemic , urging member companies to conduct new training , review policies on hygiene and sanitation , and communicate with workers , regulators and other “ stakeholders.
” But the eight-page memo made no mention of shutoffs , though a spokesman for the group said the document was meant to “ explain to the public the steps companies take to prepare for a pandemic ― once there is one , they consider things like disconnects , often in consultation with their regulators.
” “ When a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emergency , the oversight is so much stronger than having to rely on pressure on private utilities that are still about making profits for shareholders rather than providing in a time of crisis , ” said Aaron Eisenberg , a campaigner with the New York chapter of Democratic Socialists of America , which is pushing for the public takeover of Con Edison .
“ This crisis showcases the public power argument .
”

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A breakup doubled Andrea Guinn’s living expenses overnight. Saddled with the bills and rent for the apartment she once shared with her ex in Queens, she fell behind on payments to Consolidated Edison, the $29 billion investor-owned utility that enjoys a monopoly on electricity in New York City.
By February, the 33-year-old said, she paid off all but $74 of the nearly $600 she owed the utility and stayed current on her monthly bills. But one night last month, she came home and discovered Con Edison had cut her power off anyway. She charged her dead phone on a nearly drained laptop battery and called the company, demanding it turn the power back on after failing to give proper notice. Staying awake by candlelight, she finally reached an operator at 1 a.m. The utility restored electricity the next day.
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So as the coronavirus outbreak cascaded into a full-blown economic and public health crisis this week, Guinn was relieved when New York regulators said Friday that electrical and gas utilities across the state had agreed to stop disconnecting services for nonpayment.
“It shouldn’t take a pandemic for people to realize that energy should be a right,” said Guinn, 33, who works in Manhattan as a graphic designer. “Even briefly having that interrupted made me realize how precarious our system is… it’s terrifying.”
Utilities nationwide announced plans to maintain service as Americans were urged to stay home to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Andre Coelho via Getty Images
By Friday evening, regulators in at least eight states and five cities had directed utilities to maintain connections to ratepayers struggling to keep up with bills as officials urged Americans to stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Nearly 50 more companies voluntarily pledged to postpone shutoffs, according to a survey by a watchdog group.
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The illness, which the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on Wednesday, and its economic fallout have paid borders no heed, spreading to at least 123 countries, with confirmed cases in nearly every state and Puerto Rico.
Yet not every American could count on uninterrupted light, heat or water service. Nearly a dozen more utilities, including some that operate monopolies in major markets, either announced no such plans or vowed to continue service terminations, with at least one going as far as to email indebted customers a collections reminder on Friday. The disparity exposed what advocates say is a hole in the legal framework that governs when utilities are allowed to cut off services considered basic modern necessities during crises.
In states such as Ohio, New York and New Jersey, state regulators said all major utilities volunteered to pause shutoffs. The investor-owned Arizona Public Service, the largest electricity provider in the Southwestern state, told the Phoenix New Times it suspended customer disconnects for all nonpayment “for the immediate future.” Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the troubled utility responsible for California’s most destructive wildfire in modern history, issued a press release vowing to stop all disconnects “until further notice.”
The announcements came under mounting pressure from public officials seeking relief for workers facing layoffs or reduced income as the economy slowed and federal lawmakers debated the merits of basic employee protections, such as paid sick leave.
“It’s such a cruel way of thinking, worrying that someone is trying to take advantage of a moment of crisis to not pay their bills.” - David Pomerantz, executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute
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Utilities refused to provide such relief. Florida Power & Light, one of the state’s largest utility monopolies, sent its millions of customers an email about its preparedness for the pandemic but directed those “experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19” to a webpage offering payment plans and online billing.
In Arizona, Salt River Project, a public agency that sells electricity, declined to suspend disconnections, instead agreeing to “make every effort to work with our customers to avoid disconnections,” it told The New Times.
In New Orleans, City Council members pressed Entergy Corp., the nearly $21 billion company that provides the city’s power, to suspend shutoffs as the national crisis rapidly worsened Thursday.
“That is something we’re considering,” Brian Guillot, Entergy New Orleans’ vice president of regulatory affairs, told Councilwoman Helena Moreno, according to a report in The Lens.
“I would ask for that answer to come today,” replied Moreno, who, as utility chair, is one of the few City Council members in the country to directly oversee a power company, which usually falls under state jurisdiction. “We really would expect the answer to be yes.”
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Later that day, the company sent a letter to the council agreeing to temporarily suspend disconnecting only some customers for the next 30 days when “nonpayment is the result of the COVID-19 virus.”
“We will continue to monitor the situation and extend if necessary,” read the letter, signed by Entergy New Orleans CEO David Ellis.
The company told HuffPost the policy only applied to New Orleans at the moment as it waited for directions from state agencies. Corporate spokesman Neal Kirby said the New Orleans division was still “determining” how to assess whether nonpayment was the result of coronavirus but claimed there were no shutoffs this week.
Enforcing specific criteria could prove difficult and amounts to a “dangerous hedging,” said David Pomerantz, executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, a utility watchdog.
“If someone gets laid off or furloughed or they’re a small-business owner who has less money coming in and was already living paycheck to paycheck, is Entergy really going to ask for receipts here?” he said by phone. “It’s such a cruel way of thinking, worrying that someone is trying to take advantage of a moment of crisis to not pay their bills.”
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Advocates warn that a pandemic is a dangerous time to tinker with utility access. Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
His San Francisco-based nonprofit is running an informal survey to determine which utilities are continuing to halt services, and why, and posted the findings here.
The fact that so many utilities curtailed shutoffs voluntarily, as opposed to waiting for orders from regulators, highlights the lack of legal protections requiring companies to maintain services during a pandemic, he said. Most states bar utilities from shutting off power or gas if temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 95 degrees, but the “offering of this protection varies by state,” according to a 2017 report from the NAACP. Yet nine states ― Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee and Virginia ― do not provide any state-regulated seasonal protections, the report found.
The report, which described the need to reform shutoff policy as a “human rights matter,” made no mention of pandemics but noted that exposure to extreme temperatures risked causing illness.
The Edison Electric Institute, an industry-funded trade group for utilities, outlined a very basic guide to planning for a pandemic, urging member companies to conduct new training, review policies on hygiene and sanitation, and communicate with workers, regulators and other “stakeholders.” But the eight-page memo made no mention of shutoffs, though a spokesman for the group said the document was meant to “explain to the public the steps companies take to prepare for a pandemic ― once there is one, they consider things like disconnects, often in consultation with their regulators.”
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“Electric companies across the country are working with their communities and their regulators to identify ways to assist customers during this health emergency,” Brian Reil, the spokesperson, wrote in an email.
The panic over the coronavirus could spur the decentralized but growing campaigns in many cities and states, including New York and California, to bring investor-owned utilities under government control. Austin Energy, the city-owned power company in the Texas capital, announced its moratorium on shutoffs a day after its City Council raised electricity access as an issue.
“Regardless of ownership model, if the utility is not suspending disconnects, then I’d expect them to have a lot of political problems immediately,” Pomerantz said. “And they would deserve those problems.”
The public power movement is largely predicated on the idea that a publicly owned utility can be transitioned off fossil fuels faster than a private company, a premise that climate policy experts debate. But the Trump administration’s bungled response to the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrated the threat of an ideological overreliance on the private sector to solve a global crisis and could fuel calls for more public control over utilities.
“When a state or federal agency declares a state of emergency, the oversight is so much stronger than having to rely on pressure on private utilities that are still about making profits for shareholders rather than providing in a time of crisis,” said Aaron Eisenberg, a campaigner with the New York chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, which is pushing for the public takeover of Con Edison. “This crisis showcases the public power argument.”


huffpost--2020-03-14--Kentucky’s Coronavirus Response Is What Happens When A Sensible Person Is In Charge

AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear ( D ) announces the state ’ s first confirmed case of the new coronavirus at a press conference on March 6 , 2020 , in Frankfort , Kentucky .
As President Donald Trump takes intense criticism for his hamfisted response to the rapidly worsening coronavirus crisis , many are lamenting what might have been if the United States were led by an experienced and rational executive , rather than a conspiratorial buffoon .
Kentucky offers the same stark contrast ― but in reverse .
The state is not the epicenter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or even the site of that many cases ― there were 14 confirmed as of Friday evening .
But since then , Gov .
Andy Beshear , a Democrat who is only four months into his term , has held near-daily news conferences to update reporters and Kentucky residents on the state ’ s response to the COVID-19 outbreak .
He has struck a calm but urgent tone and empowered Kentucky ’ s public health officials to speak frankly and clearly about the depth of the outbreak in the Bluegrass State , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the steps his government is taking to mitigate it .
Beshear has called on public schools to close , warned Kentuckians to avoid large crowds , and even urged them to avoid going to church ― which he acknowledged was risky in a deeply religious state .
The moves might seem drastic , especially to those who still believe this is all a result of media-driven panic or a conspiracy to bring down Trump .
But they follow the recommendations of national public health officials and experts who have warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limiting people-to-people contact is currently the best way to deal with it .
Bevin faced plenty of criticism during his four years as governor , most of which he earned himself thanks to his bullying approach to the job .
But it was another public health crisis that might have marked the low point of Bevin ’ s single term in office and his shoot-from-the-hip style of governing .
The comment was unrelated to the hepatitis A outbreak , but it came amid scrutiny of the state ’ s handling of the epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentuckians getting hepatitis A vaccines .
“ Is a time when Kentucky is in the grips of the worst hepatitis A outbreak in the nation and already 44 people have died from the disease , which is also preventable by a vaccine , the best time to be arguing against mandated vaccinations ?
” one newspaper editorial board in Kentucky asked .
Kentucky ’ s health secretary said at the time that there was no “ hesitancy ” to “ recommend , purchase or distribute ” vaccinations for hepatitis A , despite Bevin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself didn ’ t publicly urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against hepatitis A until a week later .
At that point , the crisis had already reached its peak : By June 2019 , more than 4,000 Kentuckians had been infected and nearly 60 had died .
The Bluegrass State alone was home to one-third of the nationwide deaths tied to the hepatitis A outbreak .
Kentucky faced widespread criticism for its response , or lack thereof .
The state was too slow to act at the outset , critics alleged , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outbreak that could have been contained was turning into an epidemic .
Kentucky didn ’ t act strongly enough once it did respond : In 2018 , the state ’ s head of infectious diseases requested $ 10 million to supplement vaccination programs and local health departments , which had actually earned praise for their response but needed help .
Bevin ’ s administration provided just $ 3 million to combat the crisis , according to the Louisville Courier-Journal .
Kentucky never declared a state of emergency .
Trump has entertained conspiracies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The drastic action necessary to combat COVID-19 never happened , meaning even more drastic measures are necessary now .
The current outbreak is only going to get worse , but even as Trump has begun to realize that , he ’ s incapable of delivering anything resembling a clear , coherent or calming message to the public .
The United States still isn ’ t conducting enough tests or providing enough funding to strapped local health departments that are doing their best .
Trump ’ s slow response will put countless Americans at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and has left more responsible public officials ― including both Republican and Democratic governors ― to deliver the sort of response the president isn ’ t capable of .
And the man Trump put in charge ?
Vice President Mike Pence , as governor of Indiana , once oversaw an HIV outbreak that his response only made worse .
Beshear won November ’ s election by fewer than 5,000 votes , a margin so thin that it ’ s impossible to attribute to any one factor , especially in a state rattled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s term in office .
Regardless , it meant that when COVID-19 hit the United States , Kentuckians didn ’ t have to worry that their governor had already botched the response to one outbreak and would only respond to this one with more conspiratorial innuendo , blame for the media and a bad joke about toilet paper .

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announces the state’s first confirmed case of the new coronavirus at a press conference on March 6, 2020, in Frankfort, Kentucky. AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner
As President Donald Trump takes intense criticism for his hamfisted response to the rapidly worsening coronavirus crisis, many are lamenting what might have been if the United States were led by an experienced and rational executive, rather than a conspiratorial buffoon.
Kentucky offers the same stark contrast ― but in reverse. The state is not the epicenter of the United States’ novel coronavirus outbreak, or even the site of that many cases ― there were 14 confirmed as of Friday evening. But since then, Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat who is only four months into his term, has held near-daily news conferences to update reporters and Kentucky residents on the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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He has struck a calm but urgent tone and empowered Kentucky’s public health officials to speak frankly and clearly about the depth of the outbreak in the Bluegrass State, the potential for it to get worse, and the steps his government is taking to mitigate it.
Beshear has called on public schools to close, warned Kentuckians to avoid large crowds, and even urged them to avoid going to church ― which he acknowledged was risky in a deeply religious state. The moves might seem drastic, especially to those who still believe this is all a result of media-driven panic or a conspiracy to bring down Trump. But they follow the recommendations of national public health officials and experts who have warned that the crisis will get worse and that limiting people-to-people contact is currently the best way to deal with it.
Beshear’s response has earned praise even from top Republicans in the state, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported this week.
The man Beshear just defeated in a tight election last November, meanwhile, reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak like this:
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BREAKING NEWS:
Chicken Little has just confirmed that the sky IS indeed falling...
Everyone is advised to take cover immediately and to bring lots of toilet paper with them when they do so... — Matt Bevin (@MattBevin) March 11, 2020
Bevin faced plenty of criticism during his four years as governor, most of which he earned himself thanks to his bullying approach to the job. But it was another public health crisis that might have marked the low point of Bevin’s single term in office and his shoot-from-the-hip style of governing.
From 2017 to 2019, a nationwide outbreak of hepatitis A hammered Kentucky, which by mid-2018 had experienced the worst of the epidemic.
In the middle of the crisis, Bevin peddled anti-vaccination conspiracies on a local radio show, saying in March 2019 that he had taken his nine children to a “pox party” in order to intentionally expose them to chickenpox.
The comment was unrelated to the hepatitis A outbreak, but it came amid scrutiny of the state’s handling of the epidemic and efforts to expand the number of Kentuckians getting hepatitis A vaccines. “Is a time when Kentucky is in the grips of the worst hepatitis A outbreak in the nation and already 44 people have died from the disease, which is also preventable by a vaccine, the best time to be arguing against mandated vaccinations?” one newspaper editorial board in Kentucky asked.
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Kentucky’s health secretary said at the time that there was no “hesitancy” to “recommend, purchase or distribute” vaccinations for hepatitis A, despite Bevin’s remark. But the then-governor himself didn’t publicly urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against hepatitis A until a week later.
At that point, the crisis had already reached its peak: By June 2019, more than 4,000 Kentuckians had been infected and nearly 60 had died. The Bluegrass State alone was home to one-third of the nationwide deaths tied to the hepatitis A outbreak.
Kentucky faced widespread criticism for its response, or lack thereof. The state was too slow to act at the outset, critics alleged, even though it had plenty of warning that an outbreak that could have been contained was turning into an epidemic. Kentucky didn’t act strongly enough once it did respond: In 2018, the state’s head of infectious diseases requested $10 million to supplement vaccination programs and local health departments, which had actually earned praise for their response but needed help. Bevin’s administration provided just $3 million to combat the crisis, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Kentucky never declared a state of emergency.
The medical official Bevin’s administration put in charge of infectious diseases, meanwhile, had previously been fired from the Department of Veterans Affairs for “egregious” medical misconduct that the VA said had raised “reasonable concern for the safety of patients.”
There was plenty of blame to go around, but it’s hard to ignore the parallels to the current situation, even if they aren’t exact.
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Trump has entertained conspiracies instead of developing an actual response. The drastic action necessary to combat COVID-19 never happened, meaning even more drastic measures are necessary now. The current outbreak is only going to get worse, but even as Trump has begun to realize that, he’s incapable of delivering anything resembling a clear, coherent or calming message to the public. The United States still isn’t conducting enough tests or providing enough funding to strapped local health departments that are doing their best.
Trump’s slow response will put countless Americans at increased risk of illness and even death, and has left more responsible public officials ― including both Republican and Democratic governors ― to deliver the sort of response the president isn’t capable of. And the man Trump put in charge? Vice President Mike Pence, as governor of Indiana, once oversaw an HIV outbreak that his response only made worse.
Beshear won November’s election by fewer than 5,000 votes, a margin so thin that it’s impossible to attribute to any one factor, especially in a state rattled by protests and upheaval throughout Bevin’s term in office. Regardless, it meant that when COVID-19 hit the United States, Kentuckians didn’t have to worry that their governor had already botched the response to one outbreak and would only respond to this one with more conspiratorial innuendo, blame for the media and a bad joke about toilet paper.
Maybe there’s a lesson there.


huffpost--2020-06-23--The Fed’s Coronavirus Spending On Fossil Fuel Could Dig A $19 Billion Money Pit

The $ 250 billion that Congress authorized the central bank to inject into the bond market helped many otherwise healthy balance sheets weather the sudden financial storm .
Of the $ 1.3 billion in funds whose recipients have been disclosed so far , roughly 8 % went to fossil fuel-related bonds ― even though the oil , gas and coal sector comprises just 3 % of the S & P Composite 1500 stock index .
But the fossil fuel sector ’ s credit rating was spiraling downward well before COVID-19 .
Of that nearly $ 100 million known to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million went to prop up bonds with such low credit ratings they are considered non-investment grade ― “ junk ” bonds .
And fossil fuel bonds in general look likely to become riskier in the future .
If the Fed continues buying the same proportion of fossil fuel bonds for the remainder of the program , the central banking system could own about $ 19 billion worth of high-risk fossil fuel bonds , according to a new analysis published Tuesday by the British nonprofit Influence Map , which tracks corporate lobbying on climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in bonds supporting companies that might under normal market conditions go out of business .
“ This is a sector that ’ s in terminal decline in terms of its credit rating , ” Dylan Tanner , executive director of Influence Map , said by phone on Sunday .
“ The credit agencies collectively think there is a good chance of the companies going into default on their bonds.
” The study tracked changes in credit ratings for companies across the S & P 1500 , which represents 90 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big three credit rating agencies ( S & P , Moody ’ s and Fitch ) , Influence Map ’ s researchers found that the fossil fuel sector ’ s average credit rating deteriorated 8 % over the five years leading up to January 2020 .
Stretching the timeline back two decades , the sector ’ s credit rating had fallen 19 % .
That decline is nearly double that of the second-worst hit sector ― the consumer discretionary category , which includes hotels , airlines and auto sales ― which fell 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over the past five years , the consumer discretionary sector ’ s credit rating fell just 2 % , “ suggesting that COVID-19 was the primary cause of its recent drop in creditworthiness and that recovery seems likely , ” the report stated .
For the consumer discretionary sector as a whole , “ there are dynamics that balance out , ” Tanner said .
As social distancing shoppers started buying more products from home , online retailers ’ credit rating kept rising , even as that of department stores declined .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ & P 1500 ’ s energy sector don ’ t show that kind of diversification .
They are entirely in the fossil fuel industry , ranging from oilfield services and drilling to coal transport and pipeline builders to integrated oil and gas giants , such as Exxon Mobil and Occidental Petroleum .
Solar , wind and battery companies , on the other hand , are distributed between S & P ’ s utilities and technology categories .
The bond-buying program represents only a sliver of the U.S. government support that fossil fuel companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate scientists around the world to dramatically wind down the industry in a bid to avert catastrophic warming scenarios in the coming decades .
In 2015 alone , the United States gave out $ 649 billion in fossil fuel subsidies , according to an International Monetary Fund study published last year .
That places the U.S. , also the world ’ s second-largest emitter of planet-heating carbon dioxide , behind only China , both the top emitter and the provider of $ 1.4 trillion in subsidies .
Since the start of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid to oil companies by purchasing oil and storing it in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve , suspending environmental regulations , and pressuring Russia and Saudi Arabia to cut production .
“ We get the feeling that some U.S. companies are digging in their heels and saying , ‘ We managed to control regulations for two decades and we ’ re going to double down on that , ’ ” Tanner said .

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As the coronavirus pandemic tanked U.S. markets in March, the Federal Reserve started lending directly to companies across a wide range of business sectors by buying up corporate bonds.
The $250 billion that Congress authorized the central bank to inject into the bond market helped many otherwise healthy balance sheets weather the sudden financial storm. Of the $1.3 billion in funds whose recipients have been disclosed so far, roughly 8% went to fossil fuel-related bonds ― even though the oil, gas and coal sector comprises just 3% of the S&P Composite 1500 stock index.
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But the fossil fuel sector’s credit rating was spiraling downward well before COVID-19. Of that nearly $100 million known to be directed to the industry, $22 million went to prop up bonds with such low credit ratings they are considered non-investment grade ― “junk” bonds. And fossil fuel bonds in general look likely to become riskier in the future.
The Federal Reserve's pandemic investment strategy looks hazy. George Rose via Getty Images
If the Fed continues buying the same proportion of fossil fuel bonds for the remainder of the program, the central banking system could own about $19 billion worth of high-risk fossil fuel bonds, according to a new analysis published Tuesday by the British nonprofit Influence Map, which tracks corporate lobbying on climate policy. That could include $4 billion in bonds supporting companies that might under normal market conditions go out of business.
“This is a sector that’s in terminal decline in terms of its credit rating,” Dylan Tanner, executive director of Influence Map, said by phone on Sunday. “The credit agencies collectively think there is a good chance of the companies going into default on their bonds.”
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A chart from Influence Map's report shows credit ratings nosediving in the energy sector, which is entirely made up of fossil fuel companies. Influence Map
The study tracked changes in credit ratings for companies across the S&P 1500, which represents 90% of the U.S. market. Using scores from the big three credit rating agencies (S&P, Moody’s and Fitch), Influence Map’s researchers found that the fossil fuel sector’s average credit rating deteriorated 8% over the five years leading up to January 2020. Stretching the timeline back two decades, the sector’s credit rating had fallen 19%.
Since the start of 2020, fossil fuels declined another 5% after the price of oil and gas plummeted to historic lows as the pandemic crushed demand.
That decline is nearly double that of the second-worst hit sector ― the consumer discretionary category, which includes hotels, airlines and auto sales ― which fell 3% since the start of the year. Over the past five years, the consumer discretionary sector’s credit rating fell just 2%, “suggesting that COVID-19 was the primary cause of its recent drop in creditworthiness and that recovery seems likely,” the report stated.
For the consumer discretionary sector as a whole, “there are dynamics that balance out,” Tanner said. As social distancing shoppers started buying more products from home, online retailers’ credit rating kept rising, even as that of department stores declined.
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But the 81 companies in the S&P 1500’s energy sector don’t show that kind of diversification. They are entirely in the fossil fuel industry, ranging from oilfield services and drilling to coal transport and pipeline builders to integrated oil and gas giants, such as Exxon Mobil and Occidental Petroleum. Solar, wind and battery companies, on the other hand, are distributed between S&P’s utilities and technology categories.
“The Fed keeps allowing otherwise unviable companies and industries to function via supporting their debt,” Tanner said. “That hampers the ability of clean energy competitors to take the market.”
The Fed declined to comment on the record. The American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry’s biggest lobbying group, did not respond to questions emailed Monday morning.
“The Fed keeps allowing otherwise unviable companies and industries to function via supporting their debt. That hampers the ability of clean energy competitors to take the market.” - Dylan Tanner, executive director of Influence Map
The bond-buying program represents only a sliver of the U.S. government support that fossil fuel companies still receive, despite unequivocal calls from climate scientists around the world to dramatically wind down the industry in a bid to avert catastrophic warming scenarios in the coming decades.
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In 2015 alone, the United States gave out $649 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, according to an International Monetary Fund study published last year. That places the U.S., also the world’s second-largest emitter of planet-heating carbon dioxide, behind only China, both the top emitter and the provider of $1.4 trillion in subsidies. Since the start of the pandemic, the Trump administration has provided additional aid to oil companies by purchasing oil and storing it in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, suspending environmental regulations, and pressuring Russia and Saudi Arabia to cut production.
Yet even as many major European oil companies are spending growing shares of their investment on clean energy development, U.S. firms lag far behind.
“We get the feeling that some U.S. companies are digging in their heels and saying, ‘We managed to control regulations for two decades and we’re going to double down on that,’” Tanner said.


huffpost--2020-06-23--Biden Campaign Commits To 3 General Election Debates

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Joe Biden ’ s campaign said Monday that the presumptive Democratic nominee would commit to participating in three debates , and slammed a push by President Trump ’ s advisers for an additional debate as an “ effort to change the subject.
” “ Our position is straightforward and clear : Joe Biden will accept the Commission ’ s debates , on the Commission ’ s dates , under the Commission ’ s established format and the Commission ’ s independent choice of moderators , ” said Biden Campaign Manager Jen O ’ Malley Dillon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidential Debates , the nonprofit group that sponsors general election debates , which was obtained by The Associated Press .
“ Donald Trump and Mike Pence should do the same.
” “ Any ‘ debate proposals ’ in lieu of that are just an effort to change the subject , avoid debates , or create a distracting ‘ debate about debates , ’ ” she added .
The letter , which was first reported by The Washington Post , came in response to a request made by Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to add another , earlier debate to the current schedule of three .
They also proposed that each campaign have a role in selecting the debate moderators .
Trump ’ s team noted absentee and mail voting is being expanded because of the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed concern that some ballots — especially those by elderly voters most at risk to the virus — could be cast before the first debate .
The first is scheduled for Sept. 29 at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana , the second on October 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arbor , and the third for a week later , Oct. 22 , at Belmont University in Nashville , Tenn .
The seeming acceptance that a vast number of this year ’ s votes will be cast by mail marks a change for the campaign .
Both Giuliani and Trump have criticized widespread mail voting and claimed without evidence that mail ballots are ripe for fraud .
In the Monday letter , O ’ Malley Dillon also pointed out that the Trump campaign ’ s request for more debates marked a shift from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump might skip the debates altogether .
That shift comes as Trump ’ s campaign has been seeking to paint Biden as mentally unsuited for the presidency , pointing to some of his verbal flubs on the campaign trail and lambasting the former vice president for campaigning “ from his basement ” during the pandemic , as Trump hit the campaign trail for his first rally during the pandemic this past weekend .
Indeed , in a statement on the Biden campaign ’ s refusal to engage in additional debates , Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aides were “ afraid ” to send the Democrat out in unscripted situations , noting it ’ s been more than 80 days since Biden held a press conference .
“ An earlier and longer debate schedule is necessary so Americans can see the clear difference between President Trump ’ s vibrant leadership and Biden ’ s confused meandering , ” he said .
In the Monday letter , O ’ Malley also asked that the CPD confirm that it ’ s formulating safety plans to ensure that the debates will go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second debate be held in a town hall format , which would allow voters to ask questions of each candidate .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden’s campaign said Monday that the presumptive Democratic nominee would commit to participating in three debates, and slammed a push by President Trump’s advisers for an additional debate as an “effort to change the subject.”
“Our position is straightforward and clear: Joe Biden will accept the Commission’s debates, on the Commission’s dates, under the Commission’s established format and the Commission’s independent choice of moderators,” said Biden Campaign Manager Jen O’Malley Dillon in a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonprofit group that sponsors general election debates, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Donald Trump and Mike Pence should do the same.”
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“Any ‘debate proposals’ in lieu of that are just an effort to change the subject, avoid debates, or create a distracting ‘debate about debates,’” she added.
The letter, which was first reported by The Washington Post, came in response to a request made by Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to add another, earlier debate to the current schedule of three. They also proposed that each campaign have a role in selecting the debate moderators.
Trump’s team noted absentee and mail voting is being expanded because of the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed concern that some ballots — especially those by elderly voters most at risk to the virus — could be cast before the first debate. The first is scheduled for Sept. 29 at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, the second on October 15 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and the third for a week later, Oct. 22, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.
The seeming acceptance that a vast number of this year’s votes will be cast by mail marks a change for the campaign. Both Giuliani and Trump have criticized widespread mail voting and claimed without evidence that mail ballots are ripe for fraud.
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In the Monday letter, O’Malley Dillon also pointed out that the Trump campaign’s request for more debates marked a shift from December, when advisers were threatening that Trump might skip the debates altogether.
That shift comes as Trump’s campaign has been seeking to paint Biden as mentally unsuited for the presidency, pointing to some of his verbal flubs on the campaign trail and lambasting the former vice president for campaigning “from his basement” during the pandemic, as Trump hit the campaign trail for his first rally during the pandemic this past weekend.
Indeed, in a statement on the Biden campaign’s refusal to engage in additional debates, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh charged that his aides were “afraid” to send the Democrat out in unscripted situations, noting it’s been more than 80 days since Biden held a press conference.
“An earlier and longer debate schedule is necessary so Americans can see the clear difference between President Trump’s vibrant leadership and Biden’s confused meandering,” he said.
In the Monday letter, O’Malley also asked that the CPD confirm that it’s formulating safety plans to ensure that the debates will go on despite the coronavirus pandemic, and that the second debate be held in a town hall format, which would allow voters to ask questions of each candidate.
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huffpost--2020-06-23--Companies Giving Time Off To Vote Is A Good Start, But It's Not Enough

Although the majority of Democrats and Republicans in a 2018 survey supported making Election Day a national holiday , numerous congressional efforts have faltered .
In 2019 , when House Democrats introduced legislation to designate the day as a federal holiday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( Ky. ) called the bill a “ power grab.
” So far , no federal bills creating a holiday have passed into law .
In the absence of such a law , multiple states including Virginia , Indiana and Delaware make Election Day in November a paid holiday for state employees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker ( D ) signed legislation to make Election Day a state holiday for employees of all government offices except election authorities and employees in K-12 schools and some post-secondary schools .
There are also a growing number of companies granting paid time off beyond what state law mandates .
Patagonia and Levi Strauss give staff paid time off for employees to vote , and in recent weeks , Twitter and some sports organizations including the NCAA , Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves have all given their workers paid time off to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time off not only for national elections , but for local elections , too .
Maybe your business will soon join them ?
Here ’ s what you need to know about the benefits and limitations of a paid Election Day , plus what you can do if you do enjoy the privilege of taking paid time off to vote .
Flexibility to vote can help address disparities in who gets to vote .
For too many people , voting results in hours of lost time .
In June , thousands of Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines that stretched for blocks during the state ’ s presidential primary , forcing some people to leave without voting .
Economists Keith Chen , Kareem Haggag , Devin Pope and Ryne Rohla used anonymized cellphone location data to determine that polling places where the vast majority of registered voters are Black experience 29 % longer wait times relative to white-majority polling places .
Black Americans were about 74 % more likely to wait more than 30 minutes to vote than their white counterparts .
Chen told HuffPost that the number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m .
These spikes are more pronounced for polling places where a majority of Black registered voters cast ballots , suggesting , “ on average , that African Americans face less flexibility in being able to take time off of work in order to vote , ” Chen said .
This tracks with data that shows only 8 % of Black professionals hold white-collar jobs , at which employees are more likely to enjoy flexibility to leave work for civic engagement like voting .
“ That also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off would allow African Americans to spread out when they would vote ― not have to vote right before work or after work ― that also suggests that holidays presumably allow more African Americans to vote , ” Chen said .
“ It also suggests that spreading out when they could vote throughout the day would reduce racial disparities.
” “ Anything we can do to reduce those lines , especially in the middle of a pandemic when lines are not just an inconvenience but potentially a life-threatening danger , I think it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Chen said .
“ It ’ s really bad in a country that promises to be a democracy.
” “ It ’ s great that states are thinking about it , but they have to think through everything .
Are they thinking about childcare ?
Are they thinking about transportation ?
Are they thinking about people who have disabilities ?
” Calvin said .
“ Just making it a state or national holiday does not solve all the problems of why people don ’ t vote.
“ Inadequate polling places and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem that should not be the responsibility of any one corporation or individual to fix .
But for companies who want to help increase civic engagement on election days , Calvin recommended first conducting an internal survey of what specific voting barriers employees may be facing .
Part of this work is seeing what is preventing employees ’ families from voting , too .
Calvin said a question employers can ask themselves is , “ How are we making sure that it ’ s not just our employees that can vote , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Getting the time and access you need to vote should not be a luxury , but in the United States it is .
If you do have the privilege of paid time off from your job to vote , you can use it to give back to your community .
“ Vote in the morning , drive people to the polls in the afternoon , ” Calvin said .
“ There ’ s so many things that you can do .
Every community has organizations , or churches , or someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Hill Street Studios via Getty Images In America, paid time off to vote is a patchy benefit that isn't available to everyone.
Most states require that employers give employees time off to vote, but that time is not always guaranteed to be paid. Voting days are not federal holidays in the United States.
Although the majority of Democrats and Republicans in a 2018 survey supported making Election Day a national holiday, numerous congressional efforts have faltered. In 2019, when House Democrats introduced legislation to designate the day as a federal holiday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) called the bill a “power grab.” So far, no federal bills creating a holiday have passed into law.
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In the absence of such a law, multiple states including Virginia, Indiana and Delaware make Election Day in November a paid holiday for state employees. This past week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) signed legislation to make Election Day a state holiday for employees of all government offices except election authorities and employees in K-12 schools and some post-secondary schools.
There are also a growing number of companies granting paid time off beyond what state law mandates. Patagonia and Levi Strauss give staff paid time off for employees to vote, and in recent weeks, Twitter and some sports organizations including the NCAA, Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves have all given their workers paid time off to vote. The Grizzlies are now giving paid time off not only for national elections, but for local elections, too.
Maybe your business will soon join them? Here’s what you need to know about the benefits and limitations of a paid Election Day, plus what you can do if you do enjoy the privilege of taking paid time off to vote.
Flexibility to vote can help address disparities in who gets to vote.
For too many people, voting results in hours of lost time. In June, thousands of Georgia voters waited up to seven hours in lines that stretched for blocks during the state’s presidential primary, forcing some people to leave without voting.
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“Black Americans were about 74% more likely to wait more than 30 minutes to vote than their white counterparts.”
Long voting wait times disproportionately impact Black Americans, according to a 2019 study that analyzed voting wait times across a nationwide sample of polling places during the 2016 presidential election.
Economists Keith Chen, Kareem Haggag, Devin Pope and Ryne Rohla used anonymized cellphone location data to determine that polling places where the vast majority of registered voters are Black experience 29% longer wait times relative to white-majority polling places. Black Americans were about 74% more likely to wait more than 30 minutes to vote than their white counterparts.
Chen told HuffPost that the number of people arriving to polling places spikes between 8 and 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. These spikes are more pronounced for polling places where a majority of Black registered voters cast ballots, suggesting, “on average, that African Americans face less flexibility in being able to take time off of work in order to vote,” Chen said. This tracks with data that shows only 8% of Black professionals hold white-collar jobs, at which employees are more likely to enjoy flexibility to leave work for civic engagement like voting.
Before and after work hours, heavily Black polling places see greater wait times, which also suggests systematically fewer resources like voting machines and poll workers, Chen said.
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“That also suggests that to the degree that time off would allow African Americans to spread out when they would vote ― not have to vote right before work or after work ― that also suggests that holidays presumably allow more African Americans to vote,” Chen said. “It also suggests that spreading out when they could vote throughout the day would reduce racial disparities.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, adding flexibility and reducing congestion at polling places is not only a racial justice issue, it’s a matter of public health.
“Anything we can do to reduce those lines, especially in the middle of a pandemic when lines are not just an inconvenience but potentially a life-threatening danger, I think it behooves us to pay attention to that,” Chen said. “It’s really bad in a country that promises to be a democracy.”
Why neither companies nor individuals should stop at paid time off.
“Just making it a state or national holiday does not solve all the problems of why people don’t vote.” - Kat Calvin, founder of Spread the Vote
Simply giving employees time off is not going to solve voter participation, however, said Kat Calvin, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Spread the Vote.
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“It’s great that states are thinking about it, but they have to think through everything. Are they thinking about childcare? Are they thinking about transportation? Are they thinking about people who have disabilities?” Calvin said. “Just making it a state or national holiday does not solve all the problems of why people don’t vote.“
Inadequate polling places and issues with voting equipment are a government-made problem that should not be the responsibility of any one corporation or individual to fix. But for companies who want to help increase civic engagement on election days, Calvin recommended first conducting an internal survey of what specific voting barriers employees may be facing. Part of this work is seeing what is preventing employees’ families from voting, too. Calvin said a question employers can ask themselves is, “How are we making sure that it’s not just our employees that can vote, but also their communities and their families?”
Anticipating long lines is one small help. If employers are going to give employees paid time off to vote, they should give a full day, because “we just don’t know what’s going to happen at [someone’s] polling place,” Calvin said.
Getting the time and access you need to vote should not be a luxury, but in the United States it is. If you do have the privilege of paid time off from your job to vote, you can use it to give back to your community. “Vote in the morning, drive people to the polls in the afternoon,” Calvin said. “There’s so many things that you can do. Every community has organizations, or churches, or someone who is trying to help people vote.”


huffpost--2020-06-23--Miley Cyrus Says She's Been Sober For 6 Months After Vocal Cord Surgery

The 27-year-old actor and singer tells Variety that she quit drinking to undergo vocal cord surgery last fall .
She decided to stay sober after recovering from the procedure , too .
“ I ’ ve been sober sober for the past six months , ” she said .
“ At the beginning , it was just about this vocal surgery .
… But I had been thinking a lot about my mother .
My mom was adopted , and I inherited some of the feelings she had , the abandonment feelings and wanting to prove that you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of family history , which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges , ” she added .
“ So just going through that and asking , ‘ Why am I the way that I am ?
’ By understanding the past , we understand the present and the future much more clearly .
I think therapy is great.
” The Grammy nominee has found creative ways to stay active while hunkering down amid the coronavirus crisis .
In April , she appeared on an “ at-home ” episode of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a haunting version of Pink Floyd ’ s 1975 classic , “ Wish You Were Here.
” She also launched an Instagram Live series , “ Bright Minded : Live With Miley , ” and gave boyfriend Cody Simpson a quarantine makeover for what appeared to be a forthcoming art project with photographer Mert Atlas .
Speaking to Variety on Tuesday , Cyrus said sobriety had helped “ polish up my craft ” but admitted that breaking out of the party-centric mindset of many of her peers was tricky .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s that stigma of ‘ you ’ re no fun , ’ ” she said .
“ It ’ s like , ‘ Honey , you can call me a lot of things , but I know that I ’ m fun.
’ The thing that I love about it is waking up 100 percent , 100 percent of the time .
I don ’ t want to wake up feeling groggy .
I want to wake up feeling ready .
”

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Miley Cyrus has spent the first half of 2020 embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle.
The 27-year-old actor and singer tells Variety that she quit drinking to undergo vocal cord surgery last fall. She decided to stay sober after recovering from the procedure, too.
“I’ve been sober sober for the past six months,” she said. “At the beginning, it was just about this vocal surgery. … But I had been thinking a lot about my mother. My mom was adopted, and I inherited some of the feelings she had, the abandonment feelings and wanting to prove that you’re wanted and valuable.”
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“I did a lot of family history, which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges,” she added. “So just going through that and asking, ‘Why am I the way that I am?’ By understanding the past, we understand the present and the future much more clearly. I think therapy is great.”
The Grammy nominee has found creative ways to stay active while hunkering down amid the coronavirus crisis. In April, she appeared on an “at-home” episode of “Saturday Night Live,” performing a haunting version of Pink Floyd’s 1975 classic, “Wish You Were Here.”
She also launched an Instagram Live series, “Bright Minded: Live With Miley,” and gave boyfriend Cody Simpson a quarantine makeover for what appeared to be a forthcoming art project with photographer Mert Atlas.
Speaking to Variety on Tuesday, Cyrus said sobriety had helped “polish up my craft” but admitted that breaking out of the party-centric mindset of many of her peers was tricky.
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huffpost--2020-02-29--First Coronavirus Death In U.S. Reported In Washington State

Gov .
Jay Inslee directed state agencies to use “ all resources necessary ” to prepare for and respond to the outbreak .
The declaration also allows the use of the Washington National Guard , if necessary .
Health officials in California , Oregon and Washington state worried about the novel coronavirus spreading through West Coast communities after confirming at least three patients were infected by unknown means .
The patients had not visited an area where there was an outbreak , nor apparently been in contact with anyone who had .
Washington state officials issued a terse news release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details and scheduled a news conference .
A spokesperson for EvergreenHealth Medical Center , Kayse Dahl , said the person died in the facility in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland , but gave no other details .
President Donald Trump described the person as being a woman in her late 50s and having a high medical risk .
He said healthy Americans should be able to recover if they contract the new virus .
Washington state and King County health officials said “ new people ( have been ) identified with the infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not say how many new cases there are .
The number of coronavirus cases in the United States is considered small .
But convinced that the number of cases will grow , health agencies are ramping up efforts to identify those who might be sick .
The California Department of Public Health said Friday that the state will receive enough kits from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to test up to 1,200 people a day for the COVID-19 virus — a day after Gov .
Gavin Newsom complained to federal health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its initial 200 test kits .
The U.S. has about 60 confirmed cases .
Worldwide , the number of people sickened by the virus hovered Friday around 83,000 , and there were more than 2,800 deaths , most of them in China .
Most infections result in mild symptoms , including coughing and fever , though some can become more serious and lead to pneumonia .
Older people , especially those with chronic illnesses such as heart or lung disease , are especially vulnerable .
Health officials think it spreads mainly from droplets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , similar to how the flu spreads .
The patients — two in California , a high school student in Everett , Washington , and an employee at a Portland , Oregon-area school — hadn ’ t recently traveled overseas or had any known close contact with a traveler or an infected person , authorities said .
Earlier U.S. cases include three people who were evacuated from the central China city of Wuhan , epicenter of the outbreak ; 14 people who returned from China , or their spouses ; and 42 American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who were flown to U.S. military bases in California and Texas for quarantining .
The U.S. government looked at sending dozens of Californians , several of whom tested positive for the virus , who had been aboard the cruise ship to a state-owned facility in Costa Mesa , California .
Local officials objected , saying they weren ’ t included in the planning and wanting to know what safeguards would be in place to prevent spread of the virus .
The U.S. government said it didn ’ t need to use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon confirmed its first coronavirus case , a person who works at an elementary school in the Portland area .
The Lake Oswego School District sent a robocall to parents saying that Forest Hills Elementary will be closed until Wednesday so it can be deep-cleaned by maintenance workers .

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The governor of Washington state declared a state of emergency Saturday after a person died there of COVID-19, marking the first such reported death in the United States.
Gov. Jay Inslee directed state agencies to use “all resources necessary” to prepare for and respond to the outbreak. The declaration also allows the use of the Washington National Guard, if necessary.
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Health officials in California, Oregon and Washington state worried about the novel coronavirus spreading through West Coast communities after confirming at least three patients were infected by unknown means. The patients had not visited an area where there was an outbreak, nor apparently been in contact with anyone who had.
Washington state officials issued a terse news release announcing the death there, gave no details and scheduled a news conference. A spokesperson for EvergreenHealth Medical Center, Kayse Dahl, said the person died in the facility in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, but gave no other details.
President Donald Trump described the person as being a woman in her late 50s and having a high medical risk. He said healthy Americans should be able to recover if they contract the new virus.
Inslee said in a statement the person who died was a man from Washington state, but then issued another one removing the gender and describing the individual as “a Washingtonian.”
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“We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus,” the governor said.
Washington state and King County health officials said “new people (have been) identified with the infection, one of whom died.” They did not say how many new cases there are.
Amy Reynolds of the Washington state health department said in a brief telephone interview: “We are dealing with an emergency evolving situation.”
The number of coronavirus cases in the United States is considered small. But convinced that the number of cases will grow, health agencies are ramping up efforts to identify those who might be sick.
The California Department of Public Health said Friday that the state will receive enough kits from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to test up to 1,200 people a day for the COVID-19 virus — a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom complained to federal health officials that the state had already exhausted its initial 200 test kits.
Oregon was able to more quickly identify a case — an employee of an elementary school near Portland — because it was able to test a sample locally.
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The U.S. has about 60 confirmed cases. Worldwide, the number of people sickened by the virus hovered Friday around 83,000, and there were more than 2,800 deaths, most of them in China.
Most infections result in mild symptoms, including coughing and fever, though some can become more serious and lead to pneumonia. Older people, especially those with chronic illnesses such as heart or lung disease, are especially vulnerable. Health officials think it spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.
The patients — two in California, a high school student in Everett, Washington, and an employee at a Portland, Oregon-area school — hadn’t recently traveled overseas or had any known close contact with a traveler or an infected person, authorities said.
Earlier U.S. cases include three people who were evacuated from the central China city of Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak; 14 people who returned from China, or their spouses; and 42 American passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, who were flown to U.S. military bases in California and Texas for quarantining.
The U.S. government looked at sending dozens of Californians, several of whom tested positive for the virus, who had been aboard the cruise ship to a state-owned facility in Costa Mesa, California. Local officials objected, saying they weren’t included in the planning and wanting to know what safeguards would be in place to prevent spread of the virus. The U.S. government said it didn’t need to use the facility after all.
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At UC Davis Medical Center in California, at least 124 registered nurses and other health care workers were sent home for “self-quarantine” after a Solano County woman with the virus was admitted, National Nurses United, a nationwide union representing registered nurses, said Friday.
The case “highlights the vulnerability of the nation’s hospitals to this virus,” the union said.
Earlier Friday, Oregon confirmed its first coronavirus case, a person who works at an elementary school in the Portland area. The Lake Oswego School District sent a robocall to parents saying that Forest Hills Elementary will be closed until Wednesday so it can be deep-cleaned by maintenance workers.
Washington state health officials announced two other new coronavirus cases Friday night, including a high school student who attends Jackson High School in Everett, said Dr. Chris Spitters of the Snohomish County Health District.
The other case in Washington was a woman in in King County in her 50s who had recently traveled to South Korea, authorities said. Neither patient was seriously ill.
The COVID-19 cases of unknown origin marks an escalation of the worldwide outbreak in the U.S. because it means the virus could spread beyond the reach of preventative measures like quarantines.
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Federal officials think the coronavirus is spread only through “close contact, being within 6 feet of somebody for what they’re calling a prolonged period of time,” said Dr. James Watt, interim state epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health.
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huffpost--2020-02-29--Second Troubling Mystery Case of Coronavirus Reported In California

An older woman in Santa Clara County , south of San Francisco , tested positive for the virus Thursday .
She has no history of travel to countries with coronavirus nor a known connection with anyone with the disease , county health officials said at a news conference Friday .
Such infections are known as “ community spread , ” which means that people become infected without knowing how or where they caught a virus .
The woman was initially hospitalized for a respiratory illness and was tested at the recommendation of her physician , an infectious disease specialist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is evidence of community transmission , but the extent is still not clear , ” said Dr. Sara Cody , the Santa Clara County public health director .
“ I understand this may be concerning to hear , but this is what we have been preparing for .
Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow down the spread of the disease.
” The case “ does signal to us that it ’ s now time to shift how we respond to the novel coronavirus , ” Cody explained .
Actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health , diligent prevention by citizens to avoid the disease — such as hand washing — and family preparations to stay at home for periods of time in the event of a disease emergency .

An older woman in Santa Clara County, south of San Francisco, tested positive for the virus Thursday. She has no history of travel to countries with coronavirus nor a known connection with anyone with the disease, county health officials said at a news conference Friday. Such infections are known as “community spread,” which means that people become infected without knowing how or where they caught a virus.
The woman was initially hospitalized for a respiratory illness and was tested at the recommendation of her physician, an infectious disease specialist.
“This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission, but the extent is still not clear,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County public health director. “I understand this may be concerning to hear, but this is what we have been preparing for. Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow down the spread of the disease.”
The case “does signal to us that it’s now time to shift how we respond to the novel coronavirus,” Cody explained. Actions must include more “surveillance” of public health, diligent prevention by citizens to avoid the disease — such as hand washing — and family preparations to stay at home for periods of time in the event of a disease emergency.


huffpost--2020-02-29--Trump Adds New Travel Bans But Continues To Downplay Coronavirus Risk

He added that Americans most likely will not contract the virus and those who do will probably not become very ill. “ So healthy people , if you ’ re healthy , you ’ ll probably go through a process and you ’ ll be fine.
” That rosy assessment , though , was contradicted by Dr. Anthony Fauci , the renowned expert who heads up the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
He said that between 75 % and 80 % of people who contract the virus will suffer cold- or flu-like symptoms and then recover .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would likely face more severe symptoms , require hospitalization and “ need advanced medical care.
” Trump also said that when he used the word “ hoax ” regarding the coronavirus on Friday evening at a political rally in South Carolina , he was referring to Democrats who are using the outbreak to attack him .
“ The hoax is on them , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not talking about what ’ s happening here , I ’ m talking what they ’ re doing.
” Most direct travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous sanctions rules , but now any foreign national who has visited Iran in the previous 14 days would not be allowed into the United States .
The U.S. State Department would also issue “ do not travel ” advisories for the parts of South Korea and Italy affected by the virus , and is working with those countries to develop screening protocols for people wanting to travel to the United States .
Trump said other restrictions were also being considered .
“ We are looking also at the southern border , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there might not be any need to impose any such travel restrictions on the Mexican border .
Trump has been consistently downplaying both the severity of the disease as well as the number of Americans who may have it , and instead has mainly praised himself about what a great job he has done by banning travelers from infected areas who are not U.S. citizens from entering the United States .
He said at a news conference on Wednesday that he was surprised to learn that tens of thousands of Americans die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in comparison only 15 Americans had been diagnosed as having the coronavirus .
But those statements elided two key differences .
First , the new coronavirus , according to early estimates , is some 20 times as deadly as the common seasonal flu .
And second , because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially came up with a flawed test for the virus , only several hundred Americans have even been tested for the disease ― meaning there is a possibility that a much larger number of people have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet .
Trump at that earlier news conference also claimed , falsely , that the United States was producing a vaccine “ very rapidly.
” In fact , his own experts at the National Institutes of Health warn that a useable vaccine is at least a year and a half or two years away .
Trump claimed “ it was very much under control , ” that it “ will go away in April ” with the warmer weather , and that , in any event , his administration was doing “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At times he has seemed far more concerned about the virus ’ effect on the stock market than on human beings .
“ Stock Market starting to look very good to me !
” he wrote on Twitter on Monday , while he was in India and as the market was halfway through a deep , two-day slide .
During Saturday ’ s 50-minute news conference , Trump also attacked the Federal Reserve Board for not lowering interest rates enough and praised a new peace agreement with the Taliban rebels in Afghanistan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― the group that once harbored Osama bin Laden ― would now take over the fight against terrorists , and at another point said that invading Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban was a mistake .
Trump also called on the news media and Democrats to tone down their discussions of the outbreak .
“ I would respectfully ask the news media and politicians and everybody else involved not do anything to incite panic .
Because there ’ s no reason to panic , at all .
This is something that ’ s being @ @ @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump during a press briefing on coronavirus at the White House on Saturday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump on Saturday announced new coronavirus-related travel restrictions on Iran, South Korea and Italy, but continued to downplay the threat posed by the virus and laud his own handling of the outbreak.
“We moved very early, and it turned out to be a lifesaver,” he said in a hastily called news conference from the White House.
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He added that Americans most likely will not contract the virus and those who do will probably not become very ill. “So healthy people, if you’re healthy, you’ll probably go through a process and you’ll be fine.”
That rosy assessment, though, was contradicted by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the renowned expert who heads up the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He said that between 75% and 80% of people who contract the virus will suffer cold- or flu-like symptoms and then recover. But the remainder, Fauci said, would likely face more severe symptoms, require hospitalization and “need advanced medical care.”
Trump did acknowledge that death of a patient from the disease in Washington state, news of which was announced just before he began speaking in the White House briefing room. “Unfortunately one person passed away overnight,” he said.
Trump also said that when he used the word “hoax” regarding the coronavirus on Friday evening at a political rally in South Carolina, he was referring to Democrats who are using the outbreak to attack him. “The hoax is on them,” he said. “I’m not talking about what’s happening here, I’m talking what they’re doing.”
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Most direct travel with Iran had already been banned under previous sanctions rules, but now any foreign national who has visited Iran in the previous 14 days would not be allowed into the United States. The U.S. State Department would also issue “do not travel” advisories for the parts of South Korea and Italy affected by the virus, and is working with those countries to develop screening protocols for people wanting to travel to the United States.
Trump said other restrictions were also being considered. “We are looking also at the southern border,” he said ― but just minutes later said there might not be any need to impose any such travel restrictions on the Mexican border.
Trump has been consistently downplaying both the severity of the disease as well as the number of Americans who may have it, and instead has mainly praised himself about what a great job he has done by banning travelers from infected areas who are not U.S. citizens from entering the United States.
He said at a news conference on Wednesday that he was surprised to learn that tens of thousands of Americans die from the flu each year, but that in comparison only 15 Americans had been diagnosed as having the coronavirus.
But those statements elided two key differences. First, the new coronavirus, according to early estimates, is some 20 times as deadly as the common seasonal flu. And second, because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially came up with a flawed test for the virus, only several hundred Americans have even been tested for the disease ― meaning there is a possibility that a much larger number of people have already been infected but do not know it yet.
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Trump at that earlier news conference also claimed, falsely, that the United States was producing a vaccine “very rapidly.” In fact, his own experts at the National Institutes of Health warn that a useable vaccine is at least a year and a half or two years away.
And in days prior to that, Trump was making even more unsupported claims about the disease caused by the virus, now officially named COVID-19.
Trump claimed “it was very much under control,” that it “will go away in April” with the warmer weather, and that, in any event, his administration was doing “a great job” of handling it. At times he has seemed far more concerned about the virus’ effect on the stock market than on human beings. “Stock Market starting to look very good to me!” he wrote on Twitter on Monday, while he was in India and as the market was halfway through a deep, two-day slide.
In fact, Trump eliminated the pandemic response team that predecessor Barack Obama had built following a 2014 Ebola epidemic in west Africa. That decision, health experts said, has hurt his administration’s ability to get up to speed on the coronavirus.
During Saturday’s 50-minute news conference, Trump also attacked the Federal Reserve Board for not lowering interest rates enough and praised a new peace agreement with the Taliban rebels in Afghanistan. At one point he said the Taliban ― the group that once harbored Osama bin Laden ― would now take over the fight against terrorists, and at another point said that invading Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban was a mistake.
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Trump also called on the news media and Democrats to tone down their discussions of the outbreak. “I would respectfully ask the news media and politicians and everybody else involved not do anything to incite panic. Because there’s no reason to panic, at all. This is something that’s being handled professionally,” he said.
That request marked a dramatic reversal from his own criticism of Obama’s handling of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when Trump posted nearly 100 times on Twitter attacking Obama over a three-month period.
“The United States must immediately institute strong travel restrictions or Ebola will be all over the United States-a plague like no other!” Trump wrote on Sept. 30, 2014.
On Oct. 12. 2014, Trump posted: “I don’t know if President Obama isn’t stopping the flights from Ebola torn West Africa because he is stubborn, stupid, or just doesn’t care!”
Obama won praise in the coming months for not only taking actions to prevent the disease from spreading to the United States, but for helping it from spreading further in Africa.


huffpost--2020-02-29--Elementary School Employee Diagnosed With First Coronavirus Case In Oregon

As President Donald Trump continued to insist that mounting fear about the spread of coronavirus was a “ hoax ” pushed by Democrats , four new cases were announced in the U.S. , including the first coronavirus infection in Oregon — of an elementary school employee .
A high school student in Snohomish County and woman in her 50′s in King County in the Seattle area were also diagnosed in Washington state .
The woman , who is recovering , had recently returned from a trip to South Korea .
The Oregon case and the student infection in Washington may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation of “ community transmission ” of the virus , known as COVID-19 , because the affected individuals aren ’ t known to have traveled to a country with the disease or had contact with anyone suffering from the illness .
Such transmission represents a disturbing new evolution of the spread of the disease that ’ s difficult to track and contain .
The three cases are awaiting official confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
California ’ s Santa Clara County south of San Francisco also reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s first suspected community transmitted illness , the second in the state .
The Lake Oswego elementary school of the Oregon employee and the Mill Creek high school of the Washington teen have been closed for “ deep disinfecting , ” and staff and students are being contacted concerning any symptoms they may be suffering , officials said .
The high school student stayed home with symptoms early this week , but returned to school briefly Friday before he was tested .
He is now under quarantine at home and doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first known U.S. case of the virus was diagnosed in a Snohomish County man who returned from Wuhan , China , in January .
He is fully recovered .
There have been no new cases since then until the two reported Friday .
Symptoms began Feb. 19 for the Oregon school employee , and the individual may have exposed staff and students for several days , officials said .
The COVID-19 patient is being treated in isolation in a hospital in the state .
“ Our first concern is for this individual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cared for and is able to recover , ” said Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen .
“ Our next priority is finding out who this individual had contact with and make sure they know about their risks.
” The CDC also reported two more cases of coronavirus among the people evacuated from Diamond Princess cruise ship and taken to San Antonio ’ s Lackland Air Force Base .
That makes eight of the 144 people taken there with the virus .
The total number of evacuees in the U.S. with the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China , is now 44 .
Other than the evacuees , a total of 19 others have now been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the U.S. After weeks quarantined on the Diamond Princess , 328 passengers were flown back to the U.S. on Feb. 17 in an operation including 14 passengers who tested positive for COVID-19 , against strong objections from the CDC .
The CDC was overruled by State Department officials who insisted they could isolate those testing positive behind plastic sheets so as not to infect the others .
A whistleblower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. health workers interacted with the evacuees at the bases without training in infectious diseases and with no protective gear .
They then returned home or to other work , sometimes using commercial airlines to travel .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As President Donald Trump continued to insist that mounting fear about the spread of coronavirus was a “hoax” pushed by Democrats, four new cases were announced in the U.S., including the first coronavirus infection in Oregon — of an elementary school employee.
A high school student in Snohomish County and woman in her 50′s in King County in the Seattle area were also diagnosed in Washington state. The woman, who is recovering, had recently returned from a trip to South Korea.
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The Oregon case and the student infection in Washington may be the third and fourth cases in the nation of “community transmission” of the virus, known as COVID-19, because the affected individuals aren’t known to have traveled to a country with the disease or had contact with anyone suffering from the illness. Such transmission represents a disturbing new evolution of the spread of the disease that’s difficult to track and contain.
The three cases are awaiting official confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California’s Santa Clara County south of San Francisco also reported its third case Friday — and the county’s first suspected community transmitted illness, the second in the state.
The Lake Oswego elementary school of the Oregon employee and the Mill Creek high school of the Washington teen have been closed for “deep disinfecting,” and staff and students are being contacted concerning any symptoms they may be suffering, officials said.
We are taking this seriously and will keep families and community updated as we get direction from DOH and Health District. Go to https://t.co/wlT6LRU7kw for letter sent to families & staff. — Everett Public Schools WA (@EverettSchools) February 29, 2020
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Maintenance crews beginning deep disinfecting tonight, through Monday, March 2. — Everett Public Schools WA (@EverettSchools) February 29, 2020
The high school student stayed home with symptoms early this week, but returned to school briefly Friday before he was tested. He is now under quarantine at home and doing well, according to officials.
“This person did not travel so it is concerning that the individual acquired it in the community,” State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy told KOMO News.
The first known U.S. case of the virus was diagnosed in a Snohomish County man who returned from Wuhan, China, in January. He is fully recovered. There have been no new cases since then until the two reported Friday.
Symptoms began Feb. 19 for the Oregon school employee, and the individual may have exposed staff and students for several days, officials said. The COVID-19 patient is being treated in isolation in a hospital in the state.
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“Our first concern is for this individual, to make sure they’re being cared for and is able to recover,” said Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen. “Our next priority is finding out who this individual had contact with and make sure they know about their risks.”
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown encouraged people to continue to go about their daily lives and wash their hands, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and stay home if sick.
The CDC also reported two more cases of coronavirus among the people evacuated from Diamond Princess cruise ship and taken to San Antonio’s Lackland Air Force Base. That makes eight of the 144 people taken there with the virus. The total number of evacuees in the U.S. with the virus from the cruise ship or from Wuhan, China, is now 44. Other than the evacuees, a total of 19 others have now been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the U.S.
After weeks quarantined on the Diamond Princess, 328 passengers were flown back to the U.S. on Feb. 17 in an operation including 14 passengers who tested positive for COVID-19, against strong objections from the CDC. The CDC was overruled by State Department officials who insisted they could isolate those testing positive behind plastic sheets so as not to infect the others.
The cruise ship passengers are staying at different U.S. military bases for a two-week quarantine that will end March 2.
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