Trump threatens funds for states easing voting in pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to hold up federal funds for two election battleground states that are trying to make it easier and safer to vote during the coronavirus pandemic.

The president's tweets targeting Michigan and Nevada marked an escalation in his campaign against voting by mail, a practice that he has publicly worried will lead so many people to vote that Republicans will lose in November. Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends mail voting as a safe option during the pandemic, Trump has opposed the spread of the practice.

Wednesday marked the first time he has ried to use federal dollars to beat it back.

Trump began by targeting Michigan, with a false description of Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's announcement Tuesday that she would send applications for absentee ballots to every voter in the state.

"Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election," Trump tweeted Wednesday morning, That brought strong criticism from Michigan and elsewhere, pointing out that the state was sending applications, not actual ballots.

___

What you need to know today about the virus outbreak

As the U.S. and other countries loosen their coronavirus restrictions, it´s back to business, but not business as usual. The gradual relaxing of stay-at-home orders imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus has come with new restrictions on just about everything: shopping, going to the beach, religious services or a day at school.

In Connecticut, restaurants are reopening with outdoor-only dining and tables 6 feet apart. In Beverly Hills, California, the rich and glamorous are doing their shopping from the curb along Rodeo Drive. And preschools around the U.S. If you enjoyed this article and you would certainly such as to receive more facts concerning We are Medical Billing Professionals - https://www.artfire.com/, kindly browse through our web-site. plan to turn social distancing into an arts-and-crafts project by teaching kids how to "create their own space" with yarn and masking tape. In Italy, once-packed restaurants and cafes are facing a huge financial hit as they reopen with strict social distancing rules.

In Fredericksburg, Virginia, one restaurant that recently reopened its patio has taken an extra step to reassure diners - it's taking staff members´ temperatures at the start of their shifts and posting the results for patrons to see.

Here are some of AP´s top stories Wednesday on the world´s coronavirus pandemic. Follow APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for updates through the day and APNews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak for stories explaining some of its complexities.

WHAT´S HAPPENING TODAY:

___

AP-NORC poll: Americans harbor strong fear of new infections

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Strong concern about a second wave of coronavirus infections is reinforcing widespread opposition among Americans to reopening public places, a new poll finds, even as many state leaders step up efforts to return to life before the pandemic.

Yet support for public health restrictions imposed to control the virus´ spread is no longer overwhelming. It has been eroded over the past month by a widening partisan divide, with Democrats more cautious and Republicans less anxious as President Donald Trump urges states to "open up our country," according to the new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The poll finds that 83% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned that lifting restrictions in their area will lead to additional infections, with 54% saying they are very or extremely concerned that such steps will result in a spike of COVID-19 cases.

"Oh, I´d like to get my hair and nails done. It´s one of those little pleasures you take for granted," said Kathy Bishop, a 59-year-old billing specialist who battled pneumonia two years ago. "But I´m just going to suck it up. It´s not worth the risk."

Bishop lives in the western suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, a state where Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is among the state chief executives leading a gradual reopening of businesses such as salons, barbershops, restaurants and bars. But even after nine weeks spent cloistered at home, Bishop is among the solid majority of Americans who support rigorous criteria for economic reopening that goes beyond wearing masks in public places and continued social distancing.

___

In Brazil Amazon, help a flight away for many virus patients

SANTO ANTONIO DO ICA, Brazil (AP) - Residents of Santo Antonio do Ica hid from the sun under umbrellas as they waited anxiously for the twin turboprop plane to land in their town in the farthest reaches of the Brazilian Amazon.

Aboard the aircraft, doctor Daniel Siqueira and nurse Janete Vieira prepared for the day´s mission: the evacuation of two patients from the municipality of some 22,000 people. Because COVID-19 has slammed its small population, with almost 500 cases, the town has the highest incidence per capita of any Brazilian municipality, according to a compilation of official data by the G1 news portal.

The lives of 89-year-old Sildomar Castelo Branco and the town´s mayor, Abraão Lasmar, would be in the health workers´ hands until they landed in state capital of Manaus, some 550 miles (880 kilometers) away.

The sparsely populated but vast rainforest region is among Brazil´s hardest hit, with scattered riverside towns completely unprepared to cope with the virus that crept upriver from Manaus. Some towns can´t get oxygen tanks refilled or don't have breathing machines, forcing nurses to manually pump air into lungs. When they do have machines, power cuts frequently shut them down.

Many patients need higher level care - so they must wait for the puddlejumper to take them to Manaus, the only place in the state of 4 million people that has full intensive care units. While they wait, their conditions worsen.

___

Reopening: It's back to business, but not business as usual

NEW YORK (AP) - This is what "normal" will look like for the foreseeable future.

In Connecticut, restaurants are reopening with outdoor-only dining and tables 6 feet (2 meters) apart. In Beverly Hills, California, the rich and glamorous are doing their shopping from the curb along Rodeo Drive. And preschools around the U.S. plan to turn social distancing into an arts-and-crafts project by teaching kids how to "create their own space" with things like yarn and masking tape.

As the U.S. and other countries loosen their coronavirus restrictions, it´s back to business, but not business as usual. In fact, it is becoming all too clear that without a vaccine against the scourge, the disruptions could be long-lasting and the economy won´t be bouncing right back.

In Italy, where good food is an essential part of life, once-packed restaurants and cafes are facing a huge financial hit as they reopen with strict social distancing rules after a 10-week shutdown.

Experts warned that as many as one-third of the country's restaurants and bars could go out of business, up to 300,000 jobs in the sector could vanish and losses could reach 30 billion euros ($32 billion) this year.

___

A pastor fights for flock in war against an invisible enemy

NEW YORK (AP) - Fabian Arias arrived in New York City from his native Argentina for what was supposed to be a six-month trip. But the hardships of the Latino immigrant communities he encountered overwhelmed him, and inspired a life-long mission.

"I was young and upset and I listened to God´s voice, and he said that this is my place in this moment in my life," Arias said.

Eighteen years later, he's an ordained Lutheran pastor of Saint Peter´s Church in Manhattan. And he reflects on the pressures of consoling the living and performing funeral rites for the dead during a pandemic that has disproportionately affected the city´s Hispanic community.

"It´s very difficult for me to take a normal life and I can´t sleep," said Arias, 56.

"I don´t know why but I feel more strength, as if God put it there in me, when I see people in a bad situation."

___

Watchdog cites persistent infection lapses in nursing homes

WASHINGTON (AP) - Before COVID-19 killed thousands of nursing home residents, about 4 in 10 homes inspected were cited for infection control problems, according to a government watchdog report Wednesday that finds a "persistent" pattern of lapses.

In light of the pandemic, seemingly minor cutting of corners such as an employee caring for residents while battling a cold has taken on new significance.

"Warning signs were ignored and nursing homes were unprepared to face a pandemic," said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on a committee that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. "There need to be big changes in the way nursing homes care for seniors."

The report from the Government Accountability Office found that state inspectors who help enforce federal nursing home standards classified the overwhelming majority of violations as not severe, generally meaning there was no actual harm to residents. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services carried out enforcement actions for 1% of violations classified as not severe from 2013-2017, the report said.

Nursing homes ended up bearing the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak. About 1.4 million people live in some 15,500 facilities in the United States. Most of those people were already at higher risk due to age and medical history, and they also shared dining rooms, recreation areas, bathrooms and sleeping quarters.

___

Michigan flood displaces thousands, threatens chemical plant

MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) - Floodwaters have overtaken dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people from communities in central Michigan, where the governor warned that Dow Chemical Co.'s hometown could end up under 9 feet of water by Wednesday evening and said the state will investigate the dam operators.

Families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home Tuesday evening, the second time in less than 24 hours. By Wednesday morning, water several feet deep covered streets, parking lots and parkland and had reached a hotel near the river in downtown Midland.

No injuries or fatalities related to the flooding have been reported, city spokeswoman Selina Tisdale said.

The river topped a previous record of 33.9 feet (10.3 meters) set during flooding in 1986, the National Weather Service said. Its flood stage is 24 feet (7.3 meters), and it was expected to crest by day's end at about 38 feet (11.6 meters).

The Weather Service urged anyone near the river to seek higher ground following "catastrophic dam failures" at the Edenville Dam, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of Detroit, and the Sanford Dam, about seven miles (11 kilometers) downriver.

___

Largest yet: $1.3 billion contract for border wall awarded

PHOENIX (AP) - A North Dakota construction company favored by President Donald Trump has received the largest contract to date to build a section of Trump´s signature wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota confirmed the $1.3 billion contract for building the 42-mile section of wall through "really tough terrain in the mountains" in Arizona. That's about $30 million per mile.

Cramer said Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. offered the lowest price for the project. He did not know how many companies bid.

Trump has promised to build 450 miles of wall along the border with Mexico by the end of the year. So far, the government has awarded millions of dollars in contracts for construction of 30-foot-tall barriers, along with new lighting, technology and infrastructure. The Trump administration says it has already built 187 miles of wall. Some of it is new, but most is replacing old, much shorter barriers that officials say were not sufficient.

The Army Corp of Engineers said Wednesday that there was no set date to start or complete construction on the latest award. Construction will take place near Nogales, Arizona, and Sasabe, Arizona.

___

Astronauts arrive for NASA's 1st home launch in decade

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The two astronauts who will end a nine-year launch drought for NASA arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, exactly one week before their historic SpaceX flight.

It will be the first time a private company, rather than a national government, sends astronauts into orbit.

NASA test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken flew to Florida from Houston aboard one of the space agency's jets.

"It´s an incredible time for NASA and the space program, once again launching U.S. crews from Florida and hopefully in just a week from about right now," Hurley told reporters minutes after arriving.

Hurley was one of the four astronauts who arrived at Kennedy on July 4, 2011, for the final space shuttle flight, "so it´s incredibly humbling to be here to start out the next launch from the United States."



Advertisement