Friday, June 26, 2020
Imagine, if you will, an international farmers market you would likely see in Seattle, San Francisco, or Los Angeles—but located in downtown.
Tucson's beloved 17th Street Market is reopening mid-July and it's expected to be unlike anything the Old Pueblo has ever seen before.
"Basically, it's opening in a different form," Owner Tom Kusian said. "It will be more along the lines of Pike Place Market in Seattle with multiple vendors."
Kusian said the new 17th Street Market will feature stalls vendors can rent out and sell grocery goods from all over the world and will also have a walk-in produce cooler for those hard to find fresh items. They even have plans to bring back their famed fish market, which is great news since Rincon Market recently closed its doors.
Tucson's beloved 17th Street Market is reopening mid-July and it's expected to be unlike anything the Old Pueblo has ever seen before.
"Basically, it's opening in a different form," Owner Tom Kusian said. "It will be more along the lines of Pike Place Market in Seattle with multiple vendors."
Kusian said the new 17th Street Market will feature stalls vendors can rent out and sell grocery goods from all over the world and will also have a walk-in produce cooler for those hard to find fresh items. They even have plans to bring back their famed fish market, which is great news since Rincon Market recently closed its doors.
Just as the Trump administration was asking the Supreme Court to toss out Obamacare, Politifact was out yesterday with a new assessment of appointed Sen. Martha McSally's claim in a recent ad that she "will always protect people with preexisting conditions. Always."
Yesterday, PolitiFact rated that claim, based on McSally's own voting record, as "false."
You can read the details here, but here's the central takeaway:
As much as McSally likes to point to bills that haven't gone anywhere as examples of how she supports preventing insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, her efforts to get rid of the one thing that prevents said discrimination flies in the face of her claim that she's committed to "always" protecting those with pre-existing conditions.
The PolitiFact "false" rating comes the same week as the Trump administration's filing of legal arguments asking the Supreme Court to toss Obamacare—based on that big ol' deficit-doubling tax cut bill supported by McSally that eliminated the penalty for not having health insurance. McSally has repeatedly declined to oppose the lawsuit to toss Obamacare, saying it's none of her business. Again, her actions doesn't sound like she will "always" protect those with pre-existing conditions.
In fact, the Trump administration said in legal filing that McSally, along with the other Republicans who voted in favor of the bill, knew that they were also repealing the Affordable Care Act. As the Washington Post reports:
“Arizona is battling the coronavirus and the last thing we need is for millions of Arizonans with pre-existing conditions to lose their health care protections,” said Kelly in a prepared statement. “As more Arizonans are getting sick and many more lose their jobs and health insurance, we have to make sure all Arizonans can get the testing and health care they need to protect public health and slow the spread of the virus. That’s what our leaders should be working on, not this partisan effort that would throw hundreds of thousands of Arizonans off of their health plans, harm Arizonans with pre-existing conditions, and make our fight against this virus more difficult.”
Yesterday, PolitiFact rated that claim, based on McSally's own voting record, as "false."
You can read the details here, but here's the central takeaway:
In her new TV ad, McSally claims she will "always protect those with preexisting conditions."McSally has been trying to rewrite her history on Obamacare for years now. In 2018, she admitted that she was getting killed on the healthcare issue, mainly because of her voting record: She has repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which protects people with pre-existing conditions. In fact, she urged her fellow House members to repeal it in 2017 with the cry of "Let's get this fucking thing done"—a quote she celebrated in her Senate campaign ads in 2018.
But nothing in her voting record, which tracks closely with the Republican repeal-and-replace philosophy, supports this claim. And she has continually declined opportunities to oppose a pending legal threat to the ACA, including its provisions related to preexisting conditions, by a group of GOP governors and supported by the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, the legislation her campaign cited to justify her stance falls short in terms of meaningfully protecting Americans with preexisting medical conditions.
McSally has not in the past or present taken actions that back up her statement. We rate it False.
As much as McSally likes to point to bills that haven't gone anywhere as examples of how she supports preventing insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, her efforts to get rid of the one thing that prevents said discrimination flies in the face of her claim that she's committed to "always" protecting those with pre-existing conditions.
The PolitiFact "false" rating comes the same week as the Trump administration's filing of legal arguments asking the Supreme Court to toss Obamacare—based on that big ol' deficit-doubling tax cut bill supported by McSally that eliminated the penalty for not having health insurance. McSally has repeatedly declined to oppose the lawsuit to toss Obamacare, saying it's none of her business. Again, her actions doesn't sound like she will "always" protect those with pre-existing conditions.
In fact, the Trump administration said in legal filing that McSally, along with the other Republicans who voted in favor of the bill, knew that they were also repealing the Affordable Care Act. As the Washington Post reports:
The Trump team’s core argument is that every Republican who voted for the tax cuts three years ago knowingly voted to destroy the 2010 law in its entirely, not just to get rid of the mandate that individuals buy health insurance. And, because the Supreme Court previously upheld the constitutionality of the law on the grounds that the individual mandate is a tax, Trump’s lawyers say that the whole system became invalid once Congress got rid of the penalty for not carrying health insurance.Democrat Mark Kelly, the former astronaut who has been leading McSally in the polls, said today that stripping protections from people with pre-existing conditions is a terrible idea, especially in a pandemic.
“Nothing the 2017 Congress did demonstrates it would have intended the rest of the ACA to continue to operate in the absence of these ... integral provisions,” Francisco writes in his brief, which is co-signed by four other Trump appointees at the Justice Department. “The entire ACA thus must fall with the individual mandate.”
“Arizona is battling the coronavirus and the last thing we need is for millions of Arizonans with pre-existing conditions to lose their health care protections,” said Kelly in a prepared statement. “As more Arizonans are getting sick and many more lose their jobs and health insurance, we have to make sure all Arizonans can get the testing and health care they need to protect public health and slow the spread of the virus. That’s what our leaders should be working on, not this partisan effort that would throw hundreds of thousands of Arizonans off of their health plans, harm Arizonans with pre-existing conditions, and make our fight against this virus more difficult.”
PHOENIX – Arizona lawmakers split on party lines Thursday as the House passed a Democrat-backed police reform bill on the one-month anniversary of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would ban chokeholds like the one that killed Floyd, restrict police officers’ qualified legal immunity, require body cameras and more.
The 236-181 vote included support from every House Democrat and just three Republicans – none from Arizona – who broke with their party and voted for the measure.
The vote capped a day of debate during which Democrats repeatedly invoked the memory of victims of police brutality, like Floyd and others, while Republicans charged that the 140-page bill undercuts the ability of police to protect the community.
“Congress heard the cries of the protesters and those who took to the streets demanding reform,” Rep. Grijalva, D-Tucson, said in a statement after the vote. “This legislation reaffirms that Black and Brown lives matter and is a step forward toward ensuring that sentiment is reflected in our local police departments.”
According to the president and CEO of TMC Healthcare, Judy Rich, one of the most important things healthcare workers (and anyone else) can do to improve public health is to become more civically engaged.
That’s the leading message of Tucson Medical Center’s newest campaign, launched in partnership with VotER, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works with healthcare providers to encourage patients and healthcare workers the encouragement and opportunity they need to vote in the upcoming election.
“We are excited about our partnership with VotER and the program’s efforts in empowering potential voters to have their voices heard,” Rich said.
The campaign has already launched through the hospital’s Facebook page, and also includes materials and space for staff to register to vote in time for the presidential election. Voter registration for the August primary closes July 6.
That’s the leading message of Tucson Medical Center’s newest campaign, launched in partnership with VotER, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works with healthcare providers to encourage patients and healthcare workers the encouragement and opportunity they need to vote in the upcoming election.
“We are excited about our partnership with VotER and the program’s efforts in empowering potential voters to have their voices heard,” Rich said.
The campaign has already launched through the hospital’s Facebook page, and also includes materials and space for staff to register to vote in time for the presidential election. Voter registration for the August primary closes July 6.
No, President Trump, Testing Is Not Causing Case Counts to Rise. The Virus Is Just Spreading Faster.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have repeatedly attributed the increase in the coronavirus case count in the United States to an increase in testing.
“We’re doing so much testing, so much more than any other country,” Trump said in an interview with CBN News on Monday. “And to be honest with you, when you do more testing, you find more cases. And then they report our cases are through the roof.”
“I would just encourage you all, as we talk about these things, to make sure and continue to explain to your citizens the magnitude of increase in testing,” Pence said on a call with the nation’s governors last week, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. “And that in most of the cases where we are seeing some marginal rise in number, that’s more a result of the extraordinary work you’re doing.”
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have repeatedly attributed the increase in the coronavirus case count in the United States to an increase in testing.
“We’re doing so much testing, so much more than any other country,” Trump said in an interview with CBN News on Monday. “And to be honest with you, when you do more testing, you find more cases. And then they report our cases are through the roof.”
“I would just encourage you all, as we talk about these things, to make sure and continue to explain to your citizens the magnitude of increase in testing,” Pence said on a call with the nation’s governors last week, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. “And that in most of the cases where we are seeing some marginal rise in number, that’s more a result of the extraordinary work you’re doing.”
PHOENIX – The Verde and the San Pedro rivers are the subject of lawsuits filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and other conservation groups. In Part 1 of this series, Cronkite News explored the impact cattle have had on the Verde River. For the final installment, Cronkite News looks at the health of the San Pedro, one of the few undammed rivers in the Southwest.
Part 2: The San Pedro
The first time Sandy Bahr saw the San Pedro River, she thought someone had gotten the name wrong.
“I thought, ‘Well, that’s not a river,’” said Bahr, who came to Arizona from Michigan about 30 years ago. “That’s like more of a little creek.”
It didn’t take long for Bahr to realize the importance this desert stream holds for the state.
“For me, personally, it represents just how precious water is in a dry place like Arizona, and just how much life it supports,” she said.
Now, in her capacity as director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, she’s fighting to save it. The Sierra Club announced March 30 it is joining the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation groups in two lawsuits to protect the river, which flows 140 miles north from Mexico before emptying into the Gila River near Winkelman.
Part 2: The San Pedro
The first time Sandy Bahr saw the San Pedro River, she thought someone had gotten the name wrong.
“I thought, ‘Well, that’s not a river,’” said Bahr, who came to Arizona from Michigan about 30 years ago. “That’s like more of a little creek.”
It didn’t take long for Bahr to realize the importance this desert stream holds for the state.
“For me, personally, it represents just how precious water is in a dry place like Arizona, and just how much life it supports,” she said.
Now, in her capacity as director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, she’s fighting to save it. The Sierra Club announced March 30 it is joining the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation groups in two lawsuits to protect the river, which flows 140 miles north from Mexico before emptying into the Gila River near Winkelman.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
A company created by a former Pentagon official who describes himself as a White House volunteer for Vice President Mike Pence won a $2.4 million dollar contract in May — its first federal award — to supply the Bureau of Prisons with surgical gowns.
Mathew J. Konkler, who worked in the Department of Defense during the George W. Bush administration, formed BlackPoint Distribution Company LLC in August 2019 in Indiana, state records show, but had won no federal work until May 26. The Bureau of Prisons chose the company with limited competition for a contract to supply surgical gowns to its facilities.
It is at least the second contract awarded to a company formed by an individual who had worked in or volunteered for the Trump administration; a company formed by Zach Fuentes, a former White House deputy chief of staff, won a $3 million contract just days after forming to supply face masks to the Indian Health Service. The masks did not meet FDA standards for use in health care settings, and an IHS spokesman said this week that the agency is trying to return the masks to Fuentes. Members of Congress called for investigations into the contract, and the Government Accountability Office now plans to review the deal “in the coming few months, as staff become available,” spokesman Charles Young said last week.
A company created by a former Pentagon official who describes himself as a White House volunteer for Vice President Mike Pence won a $2.4 million dollar contract in May — its first federal award — to supply the Bureau of Prisons with surgical gowns.
Mathew J. Konkler, who worked in the Department of Defense during the George W. Bush administration, formed BlackPoint Distribution Company LLC in August 2019 in Indiana, state records show, but had won no federal work until May 26. The Bureau of Prisons chose the company with limited competition for a contract to supply surgical gowns to its facilities.
It is at least the second contract awarded to a company formed by an individual who had worked in or volunteered for the Trump administration; a company formed by Zach Fuentes, a former White House deputy chief of staff, won a $3 million contract just days after forming to supply face masks to the Indian Health Service. The masks did not meet FDA standards for use in health care settings, and an IHS spokesman said this week that the agency is trying to return the masks to Fuentes. Members of Congress called for investigations into the contract, and the Government Accountability Office now plans to review the deal “in the coming few months, as staff become available,” spokesman Charles Young said last week.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
What’s essential in a pandemic? Pretty much everything, if you read the tariff appeals of companies that import goods from China.
Canned tuna, which an importer argues is a perfect food to stock up on during infrequent grocery trips. Dietary supplements like ginkgo biloba, needed to bolster immune systems. Fitness machines, now essential equipment for home workouts.
More than 900 businesses, trade associations and individuals have filed comments with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeking relief from steep tariffs now in place for imports from China. The special comment period has been running throughout the coronavirus crisis and ends Thursday.
Plenty of the filers made their appeals based on medical reasons — hand sanitizers, surgical gloves and syringes that are critical to the public health crisis — but others took a more expansive view to convince the agency that their products are essential to the country’s well-being.
Skechers USA asked for an exemption for its Wascana-Athas tactical boots, describing them as ideal for first responders and law enforcement personnel. The Fragrance Creators Association requested exemptions for essential oils and other aromatic compounds, making the case that some are used in disinfectants (although they are also widely used in cosmetics and perfumes).
The duties are known as Section 301 tariffs, after the provision of the 1974 Trade Act that justifies them in retaliation for unfair trade practices. At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak in late February, levies of 7.5% to 25% remained in place on about $330 billion worth of Chinese imports, including critically needed personal protective equipment.
What’s essential in a pandemic? Pretty much everything, if you read the tariff appeals of companies that import goods from China.
Canned tuna, which an importer argues is a perfect food to stock up on during infrequent grocery trips. Dietary supplements like ginkgo biloba, needed to bolster immune systems. Fitness machines, now essential equipment for home workouts.
More than 900 businesses, trade associations and individuals have filed comments with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeking relief from steep tariffs now in place for imports from China. The special comment period has been running throughout the coronavirus crisis and ends Thursday.
Plenty of the filers made their appeals based on medical reasons — hand sanitizers, surgical gloves and syringes that are critical to the public health crisis — but others took a more expansive view to convince the agency that their products are essential to the country’s well-being.
Skechers USA asked for an exemption for its Wascana-Athas tactical boots, describing them as ideal for first responders and law enforcement personnel. The Fragrance Creators Association requested exemptions for essential oils and other aromatic compounds, making the case that some are used in disinfectants (although they are also widely used in cosmetics and perfumes).
The duties are known as Section 301 tariffs, after the provision of the 1974 Trade Act that justifies them in retaliation for unfair trade practices. At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak in late February, levies of 7.5% to 25% remained in place on about $330 billion worth of Chinese imports, including critically needed personal protective equipment.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona crossed the 66,000 threshold as of Friday, June 26, after the state reported 3,428 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 6,836 of the state's 66,458 confirmed cases.
Cases in Arizona have more than tripled since June 1, when the state had 20,123 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,535 people have died after contracting the virus, including 266 in Pima County.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 39,626.
Arizona hospitals saw a drop of several hundred patients with COVID-19 symptoms yesterday , as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, 2,110 Arizonans were hospitalized, more than double the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1 but 343 fewer than Wednesday, June 24.
A record number of 1,249 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 25. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667.
A total of 581 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday, a drop of 30 from the previous day.
If you're out in public in Pima County, you're now expected to wear masks or face coverings if you're older than 5. The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 along party lines to require face masks on Friday, June 19. Likewise, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero issued a proclamation last week that requires face masks and includes a $50 penalty for those who don't mask up, although she said authorities would first try to educate those who don't wear masks and would resort to fines only for report offenders. There are exceptions for those who can't wear a mask for medical reasons.
In his weekly press conference yesterday, Ducey acknowledged that hospitals could soon have to activate their surge plans in order to accommodate the growing number of COVID-19 patients. He noted the greatest growth was among people ages 20 to 44, who generally do not face the worst symptoms of the disease but are capable to transmitting it to parents, grandparents and other elders who do.
“COVID-19 is widespread in Arizona,” Ducey said. “It’s in all 15 of our counties. It’s growing, and it’s growing fast across all age groups and demographics. Anyone can get this virus, and anyone can spread this virus.”
Ducey, who allowed bars and nightclubs to open alongside restaurants in mid-May as long as they had some kind of food services (which could be as minor as a bag of chips behind the bar), said that authorities would begin cracking down on establishments that did not enforce physical distancing recommendations.
Pima County had seen 6,836 of the state's 66,458 confirmed cases.
Cases in Arizona have more than tripled since June 1, when the state had 20,123 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,535 people have died after contracting the virus, including 266 in Pima County.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 39,626.
Arizona hospitals saw a drop of several hundred patients with COVID-19 symptoms yesterday , as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, 2,110 Arizonans were hospitalized, more than double the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1 but 343 fewer than Wednesday, June 24.
A record number of 1,249 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 25. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667.
A total of 581 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday, a drop of 30 from the previous day.
If you're out in public in Pima County, you're now expected to wear masks or face coverings if you're older than 5. The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 along party lines to require face masks on Friday, June 19. Likewise, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero issued a proclamation last week that requires face masks and includes a $50 penalty for those who don't mask up, although she said authorities would first try to educate those who don't wear masks and would resort to fines only for report offenders. There are exceptions for those who can't wear a mask for medical reasons.
In his weekly press conference yesterday, Ducey acknowledged that hospitals could soon have to activate their surge plans in order to accommodate the growing number of COVID-19 patients. He noted the greatest growth was among people ages 20 to 44, who generally do not face the worst symptoms of the disease but are capable to transmitting it to parents, grandparents and other elders who do.
“COVID-19 is widespread in Arizona,” Ducey said. “It’s in all 15 of our counties. It’s growing, and it’s growing fast across all age groups and demographics. Anyone can get this virus, and anyone can spread this virus.”
Ducey, who allowed bars and nightclubs to open alongside restaurants in mid-May as long as they had some kind of food services (which could be as minor as a bag of chips behind the bar), said that authorities would begin cracking down on establishments that did not enforce physical distancing recommendations.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
TEMPE – Arizonans will face a 14-day quarantine if they travel to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, whose governors announced the restriction Wednesday to keep people from COVID-19 “hot spots” from bringing the infection with them.
The quarantine, which took effect at midnight Wednesday, applied to nine states with positive virus test rates above 10% or 10 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. Arizona has been well beyond that threshold for the past three weeks, as the state has regularly set new records for daily infections.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont jointly announced the quarantine Wednesday on travelers from Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah and Texas.
Cuomo said the three Northeast states, which were hit hard by COVID-19 early in the pandemic, “worked very hard to get the viral transmission rate down” and they want to keep it that way.
“We don’t want to see it go up because a lot of people come into this region and they could literally bring the infection with them,” Cuomo said. “It wouldn’t be malicious or malevolent, but it would still be real.”
Murphy said imposing the quarantine is just “a smart thing to do” to protect their states.
The quarantine, which took effect at midnight Wednesday, applied to nine states with positive virus test rates above 10% or 10 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. Arizona has been well beyond that threshold for the past three weeks, as the state has regularly set new records for daily infections.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont jointly announced the quarantine Wednesday on travelers from Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah and Texas.
Cuomo said the three Northeast states, which were hit hard by COVID-19 early in the pandemic, “worked very hard to get the viral transmission rate down” and they want to keep it that way.
“We don’t want to see it go up because a lot of people come into this region and they could literally bring the infection with them,” Cuomo said. “It wouldn’t be malicious or malevolent, but it would still be real.”
Murphy said imposing the quarantine is just “a smart thing to do” to protect their states.
