Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Here are the stories we covered today.
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 21,250 as of Tuesday, June 2, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- Scientists from the University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx space mission have released new findings on the origins of small astronomical bodies based on observation of the asteroid Bennu.
- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have become the public faces of the $3 trillion federal coronavirus bailout. Behind the scenes, however, the Treasury’s responsibilities have fallen largely to the 42-year-old deputy secretary, Justin Muzinich.
- We've checked in with more than 100 local restaurants to find out which are now open for dine-in service, which are still only offering take-out, and which are planning on opening in the near future.
- After days of clashes between protesters and police, Arizona spent a relatively quiet night Sunday under a statewide dusk-to-dawn curfew that was ordered Sunday afternoon by Gov. Doug Ducey.
- A cry of “I can’t breathe” in Minneapolis has reverberated thousands of miles away in Arizona, where protesters for several days have marched in sorrow and rage – peacefully for the most part, but sometimes clashing with police and looting and vandalizing several businesses in Phoenix and Scottsdale.
- A candlelight vigil for George Floyd in pictures.
- There are more than 26,000 people currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities across the United States. Only 2,300 people in that group have been tested for COVID-19, but 1,201 have tested positive.
There are more than 26,000 people currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities across the United States. Only 2,300 people in that group have been tested for COVID-19, but 1,201 have tested positive.
With testing numbers this low and positive cases becoming prevalent, immigration and human rights advocates are reaffirming their push to get people released from ICE detention and prevent further infections and deaths.
Keep Tucson Together, the legal clinic of the advocacy group No More Deaths, has been able to get seven people in ICE detention released on bond, and two others released on humanitarian parole.
All nine people were tested for COVID-19 after their release, and three tested positive. KTT believes the infection rate within ICE detention facilities is much higher than what is currently being reported.
KTT said ICE keeps detained people in close proximity, has a lack of hygiene supplies and “rampant medical negligence” which have resulted in the high COVID-19 infection rate. They reported hunger strikes and other demonstrations from within these facilities in protest of their current living conditions. These actions have been met with rubber bullets, teargas and solitary confinement.
Tags: COVID19 , Coronavirus , Immigration , ICE , Detention Center , Eloy , La Palma , Keep Tucson Together , Margo Cowan , Image
After days of clashes between protesters and police, Arizona spent a relatively quiet night Sunday under a statewide dusk-to-dawn curfew that was ordered Sunday afternoon by Gov. Doug Ducey.
It’s unclear how much impact the 8 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew had on the situation – and it’s unclear how strictly it will be enforced.
Response from law enforcement agencies around the state ranged from departments that said they do not expect to enforce the curfew to others that said they would if needed, while citing exemptions that will allow people to be out after curfew.
“We aren’t actually enforcing that curfew,” said Mark Crandell, chief deputy of the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office.
More were like officials in Mohave County, who recognized the curfew but in a statement said they do not expect to have to enforce it over the next week.
“As the governor stated in his press release, this is a tool for law enforcement to address potential lawlessness,” Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster said.
“Having said this, this order will not interfere with the otherwise legal movement of our citizens, regardless of time of day, and the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office will continue to actively address criminal behavior brought to our attention,” the statement said.
It’s unclear how much impact the 8 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew had on the situation – and it’s unclear how strictly it will be enforced.
Response from law enforcement agencies around the state ranged from departments that said they do not expect to enforce the curfew to others that said they would if needed, while citing exemptions that will allow people to be out after curfew.
“We aren’t actually enforcing that curfew,” said Mark Crandell, chief deputy of the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office.
More were like officials in Mohave County, who recognized the curfew but in a statement said they do not expect to have to enforce it over the next week.
“As the governor stated in his press release, this is a tool for law enforcement to address potential lawlessness,” Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster said.
“Having said this, this order will not interfere with the otherwise legal movement of our citizens, regardless of time of day, and the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office will continue to actively address criminal behavior brought to our attention,” the statement said.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have become the public faces of the $3 trillion federal coronavirus bailout. Behind the scenes, however, the Treasury’s responsibilities have fallen largely to the 42-year-old deputy secretary, Justin Muzinich.
A major beneficiary of that bailout so far: Muzinich & Co., the asset manager founded by his father where Justin served as president before joining the administration. He reported owning a stake worth at least $60 million when he entered government in 2017.
Today, Muzinich retains financial ties to the firm through an opaque transaction in which he transferred his shares in the privately held company to his father. Ethics experts say the arrangement is troubling because his father received the shares for no money up front, and it appears possible that Muzinich can simply get his stake back after leaving government.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have become the public faces of the $3 trillion federal coronavirus bailout. Behind the scenes, however, the Treasury’s responsibilities have fallen largely to the 42-year-old deputy secretary, Justin Muzinich.
A major beneficiary of that bailout so far: Muzinich & Co., the asset manager founded by his father where Justin served as president before joining the administration. He reported owning a stake worth at least $60 million when he entered government in 2017.
Today, Muzinich retains financial ties to the firm through an opaque transaction in which he transferred his shares in the privately held company to his father. Ethics experts say the arrangement is troubling because his father received the shares for no money up front, and it appears possible that Muzinich can simply get his stake back after leaving government.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 21,250 as of Tuesday, June 2, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 2,496 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 941 people statewide, including 191 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 10,536.
Because symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
• Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on March 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that through yesterday, 1,009 Arizonans were hospitalized. A total of 569 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 1, according to the report.
Pima County had 2,496 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 941 people statewide, including 191 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 10,536.
Because symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
• Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on March 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that through yesterday, 1,009 Arizonans were hospitalized. A total of 569 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 1, according to the report.
Monday, June 1, 2020
Here are the stories we covered for you today.
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 20K as of Monday, June 1, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- The secret, absurd world of coronavirus mask traders and middlemen trying to get rich off government money.
- Several leaders of the African-American community will be co-hosting a candlelight vigil to honor the memory of George Floyd from 6 to 7:45 p.m. tonight at The Dunbar Pavilion.
- If you were expecting a few summer celebrations this year in the form of Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance’s legendary food and drink fests, prepare to be disappointed.
- Despite promising trends last week, the Navajo Department of Health reported a spike in COVID-19 cases Monday, with 98 new cases and five additional deaths.
- Families looking to keep their children fed with the help of local school pantries recently received support in the form of a $25,000 grant from Fry’s Food Stores to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
PHOENIX – Despite promising trends last week, the Navajo Department of Health reported a spike in COVID-19 cases Monday, with 98 new cases and five additional deaths.
As of Sunday, the total number of deaths on the Navajo Nation reservation was 246. Officials said 5,348 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, and they estimated 1,840 people have recovered.
“During this difficult time, we ask our citizens to practice preventive measures to minimize COVID-19 exposure,” Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer said in a statement. In addition to urging tribal members to disinfect items that come into their homes, wear masks and use hand sanitizer, Lizer said, “Remember to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others and allow elders and others at high risk of severe illness to move up in shopping lines to lessen their exposure of COVID-19.”
Navajo leaders urged tribal members to stay diligent because Operation First of the Month, a program in partnership with Basha’s food stores that allows elderly Navajo to shop safely when their monthly benefit checks arrive, is in effect.
As of Sunday, the total number of deaths on the Navajo Nation reservation was 246. Officials said 5,348 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, and they estimated 1,840 people have recovered.
“During this difficult time, we ask our citizens to practice preventive measures to minimize COVID-19 exposure,” Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer said in a statement. In addition to urging tribal members to disinfect items that come into their homes, wear masks and use hand sanitizer, Lizer said, “Remember to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others and allow elders and others at high risk of severe illness to move up in shopping lines to lessen their exposure of COVID-19.”
Navajo leaders urged tribal members to stay diligent because Operation First of the Month, a program in partnership with Basha’s food stores that allows elderly Navajo to shop safely when their monthly benefit checks arrive, is in effect.
In a June 1 statement, SAACA executive director Kate Marquez said the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the organization’s ability to raise funds and host programming. The nonprofit closed the Catalyst center in the Tucson Mall in the spring and has since shifted its efforts to streaming online resources, partnering with local companies to host virtual art exhibitions, and compiling care packages for local assisted living and veterans care facilities.
In addition to closing Catalyst, SAACA also canceled nearly every significant revenue-generating event since early March and expects that trend to continue through the fall.
“Although the organization remains in a bit of a holding pattern today, we want you to know that we spend most days making active plans for the future,” Marquez said in a company press release.
The Tucson 23 Festival, scheduled to take place at the JW Marriott Starr Pass, celebrates Visit Tucson’s campaign marking the “best 23 miles of Mexican food” in the U.S. The event brings together dozens of restaurants, breweries, and distilleries for a celebration of the Old Pueblo’s culinary traditions.
The World Margarita Challenge has been a venture alongside Tucson Originals Restaurants for the better part of a decade and pits the region’s most experienced mixologists against one another in a battle for alcoholic excellence.
Much like the margarita challenge, the Southern Arizona Salsa, Tequila & Taco Challenge allows guests to sample and vote on a wide array of delicious drinks (and food) in an effort to see how really prepares Tucson’s best taco.
SAACA aims to bring these events back in the future, and the organization said it will donate marketing resources for those projects back to the restaurants and chefs “who have generously supported our work for the past 20-plus years.”
In the meantime, the arts nonprofit is working to create short- and long-term changes to its programming and general operations to adapt to the fluid COVID-19 situation. That will includes developing a new calendar for 2020-21, capacity, sanitation and layout modifications to events and facilities, and creating new art experiences and opportunities for local artists.
“We will continue to communicate, collaborate and inform you as we move through these very difficult times ahead, continuing to make investments and decisions which will become more mission and vision-centric than ever before,” Marquez said.
Despite closures, SAACA is “cautiously” moving forward with some of its fall and winter schedule, including the Patagonia Fall Festival (Oct. 1 and 11), La Encantada Fall Fine Arts Festival (Oct. 24 and 25) and the Oro Valley Holiday Festival of the Arts (Dec. 5 and 6).
As for the Catalyst Arts & Maker Space in the Tucson Mall, SAACA will keep the facility closed to the public, including drop-in and group activities, through Sept. 1 or until further notice. Space will be available to smaller groups for private events and reserved classes later this summer. Private rentals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
It was 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, and I was watching footage of secret stockpiles of N95 masks, so-called proof-of-life videos sent to me by strangers, when Tim, the juicer salesman, called.
“My name is Tim, and I heard you’re looking into VPL,” the man said in a squeaky, nervous timbre. “I distanced myself from the company because they weren’t delivering what they said.”
A few hours earlier, I had called the owner of VPL Medical LLC, a company outside Los Angeles that had gotten a $6.4 million contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs to supply 8 million three-ply surgical masks to hospitals dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. My call freaked them out, Tim said, and someone at the company had passed my number along to him.
What was his interest in the story, I asked.
“I went and got myself $8,000 in cash. I was on my way with the money in a briefcase…,” he began.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 20K as of Monday, June 1, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 2,382 of the state's 20,123 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 917 people statewide, including 185 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 9,937.
Because symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
• Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on March 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that through yesterday, 961 Arizonans were hospitalized. 540 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on May 31, according to the report—a drop of 79 from the day prior.
• A protest against police violence turned violent in downtown Tucson on Friday night when rioters smashed windows, painted graffiti, and others went wild in downtown Tucson. The protest was one of many across the country following the killing of George Floyd, who died in police custody after a Minneapolis Police Officer kneeled on his neck as the black man gasped for air and said he couldn't breathe. Following Friday's riot, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus asked the public to not attend a Saturday protest. A few hundred people still turned out on Saturday night for a protest march that went smoothly until protestors attempted to match back downtown and clashed with police.
Pima County had 2,382 of the state's 20,123 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 917 people statewide, including 185 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 9,937.
Because symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
• Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on March 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that through yesterday, 961 Arizonans were hospitalized. 540 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on May 31, according to the report—a drop of 79 from the day prior.
• A protest against police violence turned violent in downtown Tucson on Friday night when rioters smashed windows, painted graffiti, and others went wild in downtown Tucson. The protest was one of many across the country following the killing of George Floyd, who died in police custody after a Minneapolis Police Officer kneeled on his neck as the black man gasped for air and said he couldn't breathe. Following Friday's riot, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus asked the public to not attend a Saturday protest. A few hundred people still turned out on Saturday night for a protest march that went smoothly until protestors attempted to match back downtown and clashed with police.
