Monday, August 24, 2020
“Over the past week, my office has heard from over 18,000 Arizonans about the importance of the Postal Service,” but many also said that the service is getting worse, the Arizona Democrat said during the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.
DeJoy has come under fire for several cost-cutting changes that have led to disruptions and delays in deliveries, and raised fears about the agency’s ability to deliver mail-in ballots in this fall’s presidential election.
DeJoy defended the changes that he said were made to cut costs and have long-term efficiency benefits at an agency that stands to lose $11 billion this year, after losing $9 billion in fiscal 2019.
He told lawmakers that there “will be absolutely no issue” with mail-in ballots, noting that the Postal Service handles two to three times as much mail in a single day as it expects to handle during election week.
DeJoy also said he has ordered a pause in some changes until after Election Day “given recent customer concerns.” But the House is scheduled to vote Saturday on a bill that would mandate that freeze until the end of the year or the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
John Kasich, the Republican former governor of Ohio, got four minutes to speak, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, got just 60 seconds.
For Joseph Garcia, director of Chicanos Por La Causa in Arizona, the numbers were not surprising.
“The message is not: Yes, we welcome you into the party,” Garcia said of the number of Latino speakers. “Part of it is figuring, ‘Latinos got nowhere to go. They have to vote for us because they’re not going to vote for Republicans with their harsh line on immigration and other issues.'”
The message that Arizona convention delegate Leyna Negron heard was that the party values her vote, but not her voice.
“We need to be included in more than just discussions of ‘get out the vote.’ We need to be seen in leadership positions,” Leyna Negron said. “And that’s not happening.”
But Jessica Mejia insists that’s not the case. Mejia, the Arizona state director for Biden for President, said this year’s DNC was the “most diverse national political convention in history.”
Pima County had seen 20,535 of the state’s 198,414 confirmed cases.
With 0 new deaths reported today, a total of 4,771 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 24 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 23, 908 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, the lowest that number has been since June 1, when 1,009 people were hospitalized. That number peaked at 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 896 people visited ERs on Aug. 23 with COVID symptoms. That number, which peaked at 2,008 on July 7, has been on a plateau for most of this month, bouncing between 1,100 and 900 since Aug. 8.
A total of 345 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Aug. 23, with lows rivaling numbers since May 25, when 337 people were in ICU. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
In Pima County, the week-by-week counting of cases peaked the week ending July 4 with 2,398 cases, according to an Aug. 19 report from the Pima County Health Department. Those numbers have dropped with Pima County requiring the wearing of masks in public but they have plateaued in recent weeks, with 832 cases in the week ending Aug. 8 and 819 cases in the week ending Aug. 15. (Not all recent cases may have been reported.)
Deaths in Pima County are down from a peak of 54 in the week ending July 4 to 19 for the week ending Aug. 8.
Hospitalization peaked the week ending July 18 with 247 COVID patients in Pima County hospitals. For the week ending Aug. 8, 88 COVID patients were in Pima County hospitals.
Ducey: Stay the Course
In a brief press conference last week that did not include Ducey’s usual PowerPoint presentation regarding statistics, Gov. Doug Ducey thanks the Trump administration, local authorities and the National Guard for their work during the pandemic.
Ducey said the state was making progress in the fight against the virus and Arizonans should continue taking precautions such as avoiding large gatherings, staying home when possible, washing hands and wearing a mask.
“We’re going to continue to be guided by the data and the doctors,” Ducey said. “Returning our kids to the classroom, reuniting with our loved ones, all of these depend on continued responsible behavior you have demonstrated so well for so long. So I urge everyone to stay the course, stay physical distanced, stay smart and healthy and continue to mask up.”
Unemployment numbers creeping upward
Friday, August 21, 2020
A longtime Tucson resident, Roach is a pioneering figure in modern ambient and electronic music. Over more than three decades, he's experimented with spacious drones, tribal rhythms and futuristic synthesizers, occasionally blending all these styles together.
His exploratory art has landed him multiple accolades, including two Grammy nominations. He's also performed his trance-inducing music at Tucson's All Souls Procession closing ceremony.
Read our review of Roach's album Trance Archaeology on our best local albums of 2019 list.
The livestream beings at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22.
As we move closer to theaters opening back up, The Loft continues to offer you the opportunity to view the films that would normally grace their big screens in the comfort of your home. To stream this week's new films, along with the many films currently on the roster, click here for Loft Streaming Selects.
And the week's new streaming films are...
The Prostate On-Site Project, a Mesa-based nonprofit, is coming to the University of Arizona on Wednesday, Sept. 9, to administer mobile cancer screenings.
POP accepts Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Health Net, Humana and United Health Care insurances. If a patient does not have health insurance, a prostate cancer screening is $81 due at time of service. Medicare is not covered.
The 15-minute test is recommended annually for all men 40 years of age or older, and especially to men with a family history of prostate cancer. The test include a prostate specific antigen blood test, a digital exam, testicular exam and physician consultation.
Space is limited and appointments are required. The POP will be at the east side of the Main Library at UA from 7 to 11 a.m. on Sept. 9, and then will be at Tucson State Offices (400 W. Congress Street) from noon to 3 p.m. the same day.
To schedule an appointment, call (480) 964-3013 or (800) 828-6139. For more information, visit
The Oro Valley branch of the Tucson Children’s Museum launching a fundraiser that will allow families to have play time in the museum by themselves for a donation fee.
The program, called Oro Valley Outing, is intended to allow families to have a fun and enriching time away from the home while staying safe from COVID-19 and supporting the museum financially.
Beginning Sept. 9, families and social bubbles of up to 10 people can sign up for private 1.5 hour reservations at the museum for a $150 donation. While it seems like a steep price, the museum had to close back in March when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and hasn't been able to bring in the admission revenue that helps them pay the rent and other expenses, so the donations keep the museum going until it can fully reopen.
Oro Valley Outings follows the museum’s successful summer fundraiser at the downtown Tucson location, which raised more than $20,000.
“It’s important to younger children to have an outlet for curiosity and play, and we know that some parents are anxious to get out of the home,” said Executive Director Hilary Van Alsburg in a press release. “With its focus on Early Childhood Education, Children’s Museum Oro Valley offers a great opportunity for those parents to visit a place that’s safe, fun and advances learning for their kids.”
The museum will be cleaned for each visiting group, allowing children to have the full hands-on experience of the museum. Oro Valley Outings will be available Wednesdays through Sundays from Sept. 9 to Sept. 30. Families who are unable to donate the $150 can register to win a free session on Give Back Tuesdays.
Find details here.
Tags: Children's Museum , Oro Valley , Outings , Fundraiser , COVID-19 , Image
The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases closed in on 197,000 as of Friday, Aug 21, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 20,173 of the state’s 196,899 confirmed cases.
With four new deaths reported today, a total of 4,688 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 21 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 20, 1,068 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, the lowest that number has been since June 1, when 1,009 people were hospitalized. That number peaked at 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 982 people visited ERs on Aug. 20 with COVID symptoms. That number, which peaked at 2,008 on July 7, has been on a plateau for most of this month, bouncing between 1,100 and 900 since Aug. 8.
A total of 365 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Aug. 20, the lowest that number has been since May 25, when 337 people were in ICU. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Ducey: "Stay the Course"
In a brief press conference yesterday that did not include Ducey’s usual PowerPoint presentation regarding statistics, Gov. Doug Ducey thanks the Trump administration, local authorities and the National Guard for their work during the pandemic.
Ducey said the state was making progress in the fight against the virus and Arizonans should continue taking precautions such as avoiding large gatherings, staying home when possible, washing hands and wearing a mask.
“We’re going to continue to be guided by the data and the doctors,” Ducey said. “Returning our kids to the classroom, reuniting with our loved ones, all of these depend on continued responsible behavior you have demonstrated so well for so long. So I urge everyone to stay the course, stay physical distanced, stay smart and healthy and continue to mask up.”
City of Tucson offering rental assistance, grants for those affected by pandemic
The City of Tucson has allocated $4.5 million of federal CARES Act funding for an emergency rent and utility assistance program available to city residents.
To be eligible for the financial assistance, participating renters must have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the household income cannot exceed $68,400.
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