May 31, 2020

Seattle epidemiologist finds spike of coronavirus cases in those under age 40

SEATTLE — As Governor Inslee relaxes some of his benchmarks for reopening the state, an epidemiologist with the University of Washington says she’s concerned about coronavirus infections rising among people under 40 years of age.

“I think that we need to make it clear that it's an equal opportunity disease,” said Dr. Judith Malmgren, who teaches at the University of Washington.

She posted a pre-release of her report last week. She studied the infection rates for those 60-years-old or older compared to those under 40 after the virus “peaked” in March.

“The number of cases in children continuously increased, and that's number and proportion. And then in 20 to 39-year-olds, it didn't decline as much as the other group,” she said.

Read more: https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/seattle-epidemiologist-concerned-about-spike-of-coronavirus-in-those-under-40/281-1845991d-a1f0-4530-932a-cb29ae06be7f

May 31, 2020

Kid at Seattle Protest Was Allegedly Maced by Cop

Protesters say this kid was Maced by an officer right before the video below was taken. SCREENSHOT FROM EVAN HREHA'S VIDEO


Protesters allege that this kid was Maced by a police officer while protesting in the streets of downtown Seattle today.

The protesters say the officer who Maced this kid is J Campbell, according to images of his uniform provided to The Stranger. The video appears to show various people treating the girl's face.

Watch:


This video was provided to The Stranger by a protester named Evan Hreha. Regarding the alleged Macing, Hreha says:

There was a row about two people deep facing the line of officers when it happened, about 100 yards away from the main protest. She got maced by Officer Campbell and ran away to get sprayed down and have milk poured on her eyes when I started recording.

Read more: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/05/30/43799417/kid-at-seattle-protest-was-allegedly-maced-by-cop

May 31, 2020

Still waiting for unemployment payments? Some Idahoans have gone without for 11 weeks

Some jobless Idahoans still await unemployment compensation 11 weeks after Gov. Brad Little declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic.

The Idaho Department of Labor, struggling with the surge in claims that began in mid-March, appears to be making progress. It began paying $600 federally funded supplements to the state’s regular weekly payments in late April. In mid-May, it began making federally funded payments to self-employed people not normally eligible for unemployment compensation.

Late Friday, the department issued a news release saying that it has contracted with a call center to handle questions from claimants starting Monday.

Complaints to the Statesman from Idahoans worried because they haven’t been paid have diminished in recent weeks, though they’re still coming. Claims are falling as some Idahoans return to work, but the department’s phone lines remain jammed, with some users reporting that the phone system hangs up on them automatically after they wait on hold for nearly an hour.

Read more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/rebuild/article243114136.html

May 31, 2020

Ada Co. GOP chair used party funds on private expense, allowed questionable audit

Ryan Davidson, chairman of the Ada County Republican Central Committee, used his own party’s money to pay for advice related to his private lobbying business in 2018.

Recently under his watch, a review of the organization’s finances has also been conducted by an insider who pleaded guilty to misusing public money in the past.

Facebook messages obtained by Boise State Public Radio show Davidson admitting he “inadvertently” paid $100 from county Republican funds to Holly Cook, a public relations professional and political consultant.

Cook most recently worked as Paulette Jordan’s interim campaign manager during her bid for the Democratic nomination to unseat Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho. Cook quit earlier this month because Jordan fell behind on payroll, among other reasons, she said.

Read more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article243065336.html

May 31, 2020

Idaho primary votes will be counted Tuesday night -- but these may not be. This is why

Idaho voters got extra time to request their absentee ballots for the primary election, but they may not receive those ballots in time to actually vote.

Chad Houck, Idaho’s deputy secretary of state, says about 14,000 additional people were able to request ballots after a federal judge extended the deadline to request ballots by a week following last-minute problems with the Idaho Votes website, where voters were supposed to be able to request ballots for the primary.

That’s about 3% of the 429,000 total absentee ballots Houck said voters requested.

But Houck said that because U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill opted not to also extend the deadline for when ballots may be returned to be counted, it is possible that some voters will receive their ballots after the deadline for returning them: next Tuesday, June 2.

Read more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article243087971.html

May 31, 2020

Nevada can never let its guard down against Trump on nuke tests, waste

Donald Trump’s presidency poses a danger to Nevada on nuclear waste and weapons, and it will remain one until he steps out of office.

Trump upped the toxic ante with last week’s revelation that he remains enthralled by the idea of conducting nuclear bomb testing in our state.

Trump’s lunatic notion was first reported by Time magazine back in 2018, but it seemed to vanish after fierce pushback from Nevada’s state and congressional leaders. Then-Gov. Brian Sandoval said at the time that he had received “100% confirmation” from the administration that it wouldn’t restart bomb tests here.

It was yet another 100% worthless promise from a 100% untrustworthy White House.

Read more: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2020/may/31/nevada-can-never-let-its-guard-down-against-trump/

May 31, 2020

Lawmakers told redistricting will demand special session in 2021

The Nevada Legislature will need to call a special session next year to finalize redrawing its political districts, a task that was scheduled for completion during the planned 2021 Legislative Session but is now on a delayed timeline because of the coronavirus pandemic.

If the state doesn’t voluntarily hold a special session, it will be at “significant risk” for a lawsuit and court intervention, state attorneys told lawmakers Wednesday.

Nationwide shutdowns prompted by COVID-19 forced the U.S. Census Bureau to slow or halt operations, which involves extensive door-to-door outreach to homes where residents fail to complete the census survey on their own. The Census Bureau has extended the deadline for completing the census to Oct. 31. That in turn has pushed back the date when states expect to receive the population information they need to redistrict. They were originally expected to receive their finalized data by the end of April, which would fall during Nevada’s 2021 Legislative Session. States now expect to receive the info by the end of July 2021, possibly almost two months after the legislative session ends.

Legal analysts from the Legislative Counsel Bureau told lawmakers on the interim redistricting committee that the timing poses a problem for Nevada, where the state Legislature only meets every other year.

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2020/05/28/lawmakers-told-redistricting-will-demand-special-session-in-2021/

May 31, 2020

Cortez Masto bows out of consideration to be Biden's running mate, citing Nevada's economic crisis

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has withdrawn her name from consideration to be presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate.

Cortez Masto, in a statement Thursday, expressed her gratitude at being considered for the vice presidential position but said that her focus is on helping Nevada through the economic crisis amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Nevada’s senior senator was one of a few women believed to be on the short list for vice president, and her predecessor, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, had encouraged Biden to consider her for the post.

“It is an honor to be considered as a potential running mate but I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration,” Cortez Masto said. “Nevada’s economy is one of the hardest hit by the current crisis and I will continue to focus on getting Nevadans the support they need to get back on their feet.”

Cortez Masto’s withdrawal from consideration for the position of vice president was first reported by the Associated Press.

Read more: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/cortez-masto-bows-out-of-consideration-to-be-bidens-running-mate-citing-nevadas-economic-crisis

May 31, 2020

As casinos prepare to reopen, the Culinary Union remains uneasy about worker safety

Earlier this week, the chain reaction that will wake the gaming industry from its virus-induced slumber began.

Gov. Steve Sisolak announced casinos could reopen June 4. Then the Nevada Gaming Control Board updated its health and safety policy, which outlines requirements aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19. Gaming companies quickly followed suit and unveiled which of their properties would be reopening along with some of the steps they’re taking to protect both workers and guests.

But the process hasn’t appeased the powerful Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents roughly 60,000 employees who work in casinos-resort properties as guest room attendants, cooks, porters, baristas, bartenders and cashiers, among other roles. Several thousand union members are expected to join a caravan on the Las Vegas Strip Friday evening to demand worker safety.

Union spokeswoman Bethany Khan said casino reopening plans submitted to the Gaming Control Board should be publicly available. (The regulatory agency says they’re deemed confidential by Nevada law, although gaming companies are free to share their plans if they desire.)

Read more: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/as-casinos-prepare-to-reopen-the-culinary-union-remains-uneasy-about-worker-safety

May 31, 2020

Black Lives Matter protests turn chaotic in Reno, Las Vegas

What started out as peaceful Black Lives Matter protests in Reno and Las Vegas took a chaotic turn Saturday night, with demonstrators smashing out the windows of Reno City Hall, facing off with police on the streets of downtown Las Vegas and prompting Gov. Steve Sisolak to deploy the National Guard to protect public property.

Saturday marked the second day of large demonstrations in Nevada following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Protests Friday led to some 80 arrests in Las Vegas and injuries to 12 police officers.

Scenes of protesters breaking windows with baseball bats and setting fires inside Reno City Hall Saturday afternoon drew an immediate call by local leaders for a city-wide and later Washoe County-wide curfew, with Sisolak eventually calling in the state’s National Guard late Saturday to assist local law enforcement.

“I know our communities are reeling from the injustice and heartbreak,” Sisolak said in a tweet. “As I said today, we respect and defend the right to protest, but we need people to express themselves peacefully.”

Read more: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/photos-black-lives-matter-protests-turns-violent-in-reno-las-vegas