Thursday, May 28, 2020
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Click here to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues.
Democratic congressional leaders expressed alarm Wednesday at a sudden acceleration in the deportation of migrant children and in a strongly worded letter requested that the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement “cease this practice immediately.”
The letter signed by five key House leaders overseeing immigration cited a May 18 ProPublica/Texas Tribune story that found the U.S. government has aggressively begun to rush the deportations of unaccompanied children in its care to countries where they have been raped, beaten or had a parent killed, according to attorneys, court filings and congressional staff.
That comes on top of more than 900 unaccompanied children the government has turned back at the border under an emergency declaration in March by President Donald Trump’s administration to stop the spread of COVID-19. Usually children traveling alone qualify for expansive protections under the law.
This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Click here to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues.
Democratic congressional leaders expressed alarm Wednesday at a sudden acceleration in the deportation of migrant children and in a strongly worded letter requested that the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement “cease this practice immediately.”
The letter signed by five key House leaders overseeing immigration cited a May 18 ProPublica/Texas Tribune story that found the U.S. government has aggressively begun to rush the deportations of unaccompanied children in its care to countries where they have been raped, beaten or had a parent killed, according to attorneys, court filings and congressional staff.
That comes on top of more than 900 unaccompanied children the government has turned back at the border under an emergency declaration in March by President Donald Trump’s administration to stop the spread of COVID-19. Usually children traveling alone qualify for expansive protections under the law.
Don’t panic if you see fireworks tonight over the Oro Valley sky around 8:30 p.m. Thursday night, it’s just the town testing this year’s Fourth of July fireworks display.
Unfortunately, this year’s Independence Day won’t include the normal community event and public fanfare residents are used to enjoying due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news, according to Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Director Kristy Diaz-Trahan, is that the town is hosting an “epic” fireworks show from the community center.
“We will be using larger shells that will soar higher into the night sky. We really wanted to host a July Fourth celebration this year,” Diaz-Trahan said in the town’s announcement. “This community needs it, but ultimately the decision is about public safety.”
The fireworks test shot will take place this Thursday, May 28, beginning at 8:30 p.m. The launch will take place from the fairway of Hole 1, just west of the community center. Residents should look in that direction and sort out the best vantage point for the July 4 show.
No on-site spectators will be permitted. For more information, email [email protected].
Unfortunately, this year’s Independence Day won’t include the normal community event and public fanfare residents are used to enjoying due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news, according to Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Director Kristy Diaz-Trahan, is that the town is hosting an “epic” fireworks show from the community center.
“We will be using larger shells that will soar higher into the night sky. We really wanted to host a July Fourth celebration this year,” Diaz-Trahan said in the town’s announcement. “This community needs it, but ultimately the decision is about public safety.”
The fireworks test shot will take place this Thursday, May 28, beginning at 8:30 p.m. The launch will take place from the fairway of Hole 1, just west of the community center. Residents should look in that direction and sort out the best vantage point for the July 4 show.
No on-site spectators will be permitted. For more information, email [email protected].
The Pima County Board of Supervisors has taken several steps in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Pima County, including voting on March 19 to close down all nonessential businesses, and later when the state reopened the economy, voting to implement and then revise new health regulations for restaurants and bars offering dine-in service once again.
The board’s decisions have been met with criticism across the political spectrum. Democratic supervisors Ramon Valadez, Sharon Bronson and Betty Villegas said they voted for the regulations to ensure public safety, while Republicans Steve Christy and Ally Miller say the new rules make it harder for beleaguered businesses to reopen. At the request of three GOP lawmakers, Attorney General Mark Brnovich investigated if the measures imposed by the board exceeded their authority, but the complaint was dismissed yesterday on a legal technicality because the Board of Supervisors released the proclamation that was the source of the complaint when they passed revised regulations.
Tucson Weekly asked the candidates running for Board of Supervisors seats this year if they approved of those decisions and if they would have done anything differently. Here’s what the candidates in District 3 had to say.
In the District 3 Democratic primary, six-term Supervisor Sharon Bronson is facing Juan Padres, who is making his first run for public office. Padres, who previously worked for the autonomous trucking company TuSimple, is now operating his own business, a courier service between Tucson and Nogales. He is also involved in bringing Mexican craft beers to the Tucson market.
Bronson, who voted in favor of closing bars and limiting restaurants to take out and delivery in March, said responding to the virus has been challenging because of a lack of resources coming from federal agencies.
Courtesy Photo
Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson: “The primary concern that I have for rural communities is that we ensure that they have some food security."
Tucson Weekly asked the candidates running for Board of Supervisors seats this year if they approved of those decisions and if they would have done anything differently. Here’s what the candidates in District 3 had to say.
In the District 3 Democratic primary, six-term Supervisor Sharon Bronson is facing Juan Padres, who is making his first run for public office. Padres, who previously worked for the autonomous trucking company TuSimple, is now operating his own business, a courier service between Tucson and Nogales. He is also involved in bringing Mexican craft beers to the Tucson market.
Bronson, who voted in favor of closing bars and limiting restaurants to take out and delivery in March, said responding to the virus has been challenging because of a lack of resources coming from federal agencies.
The Arizona Attorney General's office is closing the investigation requested by three state lawmakers into whether the Pima County Board of Supervisors violated Gov. Doug Ducey's executive order after approving new regulations to the county's health code.
But the closure was based on a legal technicality, not on the merits of the complaints.
In a letter addressed to state Sen. Vince Leach along with state Reps. Mark Finchem and Bret Roberts, Government Accountability Unit Chief Council Linley Wilson said the AG's office "determined the impending investigation was moot" after the Board of Supervisors repealed their May 13 proclamation during last Thursday's Board of Supervisors meeting.
The three lawmakers filed a compliant with Brnovich's office on May 15, asking the AG to investigate citing Pima County's proclamation was exceeding its authority by creating additional regulations after Gov. Ducey issued his May 12 executive order allowing restaurants and bars to reopen.
Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney Andrew Flagg responded to the complaint last Friday via letter pointing out that the lawmaker's case was "moot" since the May 13 proclamation had been repealed. It would appear Brnovich's office agrees with Pima County.
But the closure was based on a legal technicality, not on the merits of the complaints.
In a letter addressed to state Sen. Vince Leach along with state Reps. Mark Finchem and Bret Roberts, Government Accountability Unit Chief Council Linley Wilson said the AG's office "determined the impending investigation was moot" after the Board of Supervisors repealed their May 13 proclamation during last Thursday's Board of Supervisors meeting.
The three lawmakers filed a compliant with Brnovich's office on May 15, asking the AG to investigate citing Pima County's proclamation was exceeding its authority by creating additional regulations after Gov. Ducey issued his May 12 executive order allowing restaurants and bars to reopen.
Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney Andrew Flagg responded to the complaint last Friday via letter pointing out that the lawmaker's case was "moot" since the May 13 proclamation had been repealed. It would appear Brnovich's office agrees with Pima County.
SAN CARLOS – As she looked at the Disney characters decorating the walls of the San Carlos Apache Healthcare Dental Clinic and at the smiling, laughing children watching dental health demonstrations, Suzanne Haney thought back to what a trip to the dentist used to be.
“Back then, it was so different, it was in the ‘70s you know, the treatment wasn’t great,” said Haney, a grandmother and primary caretaker for three children under age 8. “It made you afraid to come to the dentist.”
That was just one of the challenges facing health care officials on the San Carlos Apache reservation as they struggled to improve dental health of tribe members.
While 36% of kindergartners in the U.S. experienced tooth decay, according to the 2016 edition of the First Things First’s Children’s Oral Health Report, the average in Arizona was 52%, and among Native children it was even higher. Numbers specific to the San Carlos Apache were not available, but the report said that 76% of Native American kindergartners nationwide had experienced tooth decay.
The San Carlos Apache tribe is looking to change those numbers with events like the Oral Health Month program that Haney and close to 300 others attended in February.
“We decorate the place, and we spend most of the day bringing Head Start children and the community members and let them go through and see the dental department in an environment which is fun rather than stressful,” said Dr. Gregory Waite, the chief of the San Carlos Apache dental program.
“Back then, it was so different, it was in the ‘70s you know, the treatment wasn’t great,” said Haney, a grandmother and primary caretaker for three children under age 8. “It made you afraid to come to the dentist.”
That was just one of the challenges facing health care officials on the San Carlos Apache reservation as they struggled to improve dental health of tribe members.
While 36% of kindergartners in the U.S. experienced tooth decay, according to the 2016 edition of the First Things First’s Children’s Oral Health Report, the average in Arizona was 52%, and among Native children it was even higher. Numbers specific to the San Carlos Apache were not available, but the report said that 76% of Native American kindergartners nationwide had experienced tooth decay.
The San Carlos Apache tribe is looking to change those numbers with events like the Oral Health Month program that Haney and close to 300 others attended in February.
“We decorate the place, and we spend most of the day bringing Head Start children and the community members and let them go through and see the dental department in an environment which is fun rather than stressful,” said Dr. Gregory Waite, the chief of the San Carlos Apache dental program.
Lindy Reilly
Fire N' Smoke's Farlow's Revenge—1/3 lbs. house-ground patty topped BBQ rib patty (yes, you read that right), bacon, pecorino & truffle cheese, grilled onions, spicy pickles, and chipotle sauce.
National Hamburger Day is upon the Republic and it is every citizen's duty to devour at least one at every meal today—including breakfast, especially if it's got a fried egg on top. While a burger is traditionally defined as a beef patty, fictitious lawmakers have loosened the definition allowing turkey, pork and meatless patties to be acceptable despite objections from the White House.
Here are a few places around the Old Pueblo that are more than willing to help you fulfill your civic duty:
Tags: burger , eats , chow , national , yum , delicious , Image
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 17,763 as of Thursday, May 28, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 2,167 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 857 people statewide, including 186 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 8,896.
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.
Less than two week after Gov. Doug Ducey lifted Arizona's stay-at-home order, Arizona hospitals are reporting their largest 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, 945 Arizonans were hospitalized. A record number of 600 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptom on May 27, according to the report.
As Pima County emerges from the state's stay-at-home order, many establishments have reopened and more are planning to in the weeks to come as local elected officials attempt to enact emergency regulations or otherwise advise people how to safely avoid COVID-19 infection.
Dr. Bob England, Pima County's Interim Health Director, said the next few weeks will show healthcare experts two things: The degree to which our population has developed an immunity to COVID-19 and the seasonality of the disease. He said if the virus behaves really seasonally and cases continue to drop since Arizona’s stay-home order was lifted May 15, that’s good news in the short run. However, he said there could be bad news later in the year.
“But in the long run, that may mean we’re in for it in the winter because if it comes back with a vengeance during the time we have other respiratory viruses and flus circulating, that could be a real mess for all of us,” England said.
England said now was the time to prepare, both as residents and healthcare providers, for any potential resurgence. England added that if COVID-19 behaves like other coronaviruses, and if our immune system behaves as it does with other illnesses caused by coronaviruses, “then maybe we’ve got a couple of years worth of protection to look forward to. That means this may be an every winter phenomenon.”
• Pima County Justice Court is set to start hearing eviction cases next week, with 500 on the docket. Evictions had been delayed as a result of the spread COVID-19 and the subsequent economic meltdown, but as the moratorium nears its end and Arizona hits triple-digit temperatures, many people in Pima County are now facing losing their home. An eviction prevention fair is happening today. Details here.
Pima County had 2,167 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 857 people statewide, including 186 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 8,896.
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.
Less than two week after Gov. Doug Ducey lifted Arizona's stay-at-home order, Arizona hospitals are reporting their largest 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, 945 Arizonans were hospitalized. A record number of 600 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptom on May 27, according to the report.
As Pima County emerges from the state's stay-at-home order, many establishments have reopened and more are planning to in the weeks to come as local elected officials attempt to enact emergency regulations or otherwise advise people how to safely avoid COVID-19 infection.
Dr. Bob England, Pima County's Interim Health Director, said the next few weeks will show healthcare experts two things: The degree to which our population has developed an immunity to COVID-19 and the seasonality of the disease. He said if the virus behaves really seasonally and cases continue to drop since Arizona’s stay-home order was lifted May 15, that’s good news in the short run. However, he said there could be bad news later in the year.
“But in the long run, that may mean we’re in for it in the winter because if it comes back with a vengeance during the time we have other respiratory viruses and flus circulating, that could be a real mess for all of us,” England said.
England said now was the time to prepare, both as residents and healthcare providers, for any potential resurgence. England added that if COVID-19 behaves like other coronaviruses, and if our immune system behaves as it does with other illnesses caused by coronaviruses, “then maybe we’ve got a couple of years worth of protection to look forward to. That means this may be an every winter phenomenon.”
• Pima County Justice Court is set to start hearing eviction cases next week, with 500 on the docket. Evictions had been delayed as a result of the spread COVID-19 and the subsequent economic meltdown, but as the moratorium nears its end and Arizona hits triple-digit temperatures, many people in Pima County are now facing losing their home. An eviction prevention fair is happening today. Details here.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Halfway through the week! Let's take a look at the stories we covered for you today:
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 17,000 as of Wednesday, May 27, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- Retired astronaut Mark Kelly holds a 10-percentage-point lead over appointed U.S. Sen. Martha McSally, according to a new survey.
- SpaceX and NASA were supposed to launch two NASA astronauts to the Internation Space Station from U.S. soil today—the first time since NASA shelved its shuttle program in 2011. NASA has delayed the May 27 launch until Saturday, May 30 at 12:22 MST due to weather concerns.
- COVID-19 can’t stop Muslims from celebrating Eid – with some tweaks.
- Memorial Day weekend crowds that one official said were “off the charts” at Arizona vacation spots have health experts worried that tourist behavior could lead to an increase of COVID-19 of cases.
- This coming weekend is the next scheduled date for the Arizona Department of Health Services' COVID-19 Testing Blitz. Several medical locations throughout Pima are offering testing, both to existing patients and the general public.
- District 5 Board of Supes Candidates Grijalva and Hernandez React To New County Regs and COVID-19.
- The U.S. health care system and federal agencies were woefully unprepared for the pandemic. As novel coronavirus infections surged in March, hospitals quickly ran short of N95 respirator masks, gowns and other protective gear for front-line workers. The National Strategic Stockpile became depleted within weeks, and every level of government has struggled to restock.
- The Pima County Justice Court will begin processing 500 evictions beginning Monday, June 1. These evictions were delayed for several weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now they’re about to be resumed.
- University of Arizona President Dr. Robert Robbins was joined by a panel of university leaders from different disciplines to talk about their plan to reopen the campus on August 24.
- The Indian Health Service acknowledged on Wednesday that 1 million respirator masks it purchased from a former Trump White House official do not meet Food and Drug Administration standards for “use in healthcare settings by health care providers.”
- A senior Democratic congressman on Tuesday called for a watchdog probe into a $3 million Indian Health Service contract given to a former White House official to provide masks to Navajo Nation hospitals hit hard by the coronavirus.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
A senior Democratic congressman on Tuesday called for a watchdog probe into a $3 million Indian Health Service contract given to a former White House official to provide masks to Navajo Nation hospitals hit hard by the coronavirus.
ProPublica reported on Friday that IHS granted the contract for 1 million respirator masks to Zach Fuentes, a former deputy chief of staff to President Donald Trump, 11 days after Fuentes formed his company. The contract was granted with limited competitive bidding.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
The Indian Health Service acknowledged on Wednesday that 1 million respirator masks it purchased from a former Trump White House official do not meet Food and Drug Administration standards for “use in healthcare settings by health care providers.”
The IHS statement calls into question why the agency purchased expensive medical gear that it now cannot use as intended. The masks were purchased as part of a frantic agency push to supply Navajo hospitals with desperately needed protective equipment in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
ProPublica revealed last week that Zach Fuentes, President Donald Trump’s former deputy chief of staff, formed a company in early April and 11 days later won a $3 million contract with IHS to provide specialized respirator masks to the agency for use in Navajo hospitals. The contract was granted with limited competitive bidding.
The Indian Health Service acknowledged on Wednesday that 1 million respirator masks it purchased from a former Trump White House official do not meet Food and Drug Administration standards for “use in healthcare settings by health care providers.”
The IHS statement calls into question why the agency purchased expensive medical gear that it now cannot use as intended. The masks were purchased as part of a frantic agency push to supply Navajo hospitals with desperately needed protective equipment in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
ProPublica revealed last week that Zach Fuentes, President Donald Trump’s former deputy chief of staff, formed a company in early April and 11 days later won a $3 million contract with IHS to provide specialized respirator masks to the agency for use in Navajo hospitals. The contract was granted with limited competitive bidding.
