April 2020 Archive
Most Illinois School Districts Did Not Have Approved E-learning Plans Before the Pandemic
Despite encouragement from Illinois education officials to have remote e-learning plans, many school districts scrambled to design them before the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close.
Health Officials Recommended Canceling Events with 10-50 People. Then 33,000 Fans Attended a Major League Soccer Game.
As COVID-19 fears grew, public officials and sports execs contemplated health risks — and debated a PR message — but let 33,000 fans into a Seattle Sounders soccer match, emails show.
Seattle Allowed 33,000 Fans to Attend a Soccer Game as COVID-19 Cases Increased
Hundreds of pages of emails show officials debating how seriously to take the spreading virus.
Coronavirus Advice From Abroad: 7 Lessons America’s Governors Should Not Ignore as They Reopen Their Economies
We spoke to frontline experts from around the globe and have compiled a list of recommendations for reopening U.S. states. Their consensus? It’s tough to find policies that simultaneously save lives and livelihoods.
A Nurse’s Hospital Wouldn’t Let Her Wear an N95 Mask. She Hasn’t Been Back to Work in Weeks.
As the coronavirus spreads, hitting health care providers especially hard, doctors and nurses across the country report inadequate protective measures from their hospitals. Some feel they’ve been forced out of work — right when the country needs them most.
Without Federal Help, New York Doctors Had to Ask Medical Supply Execs for Dialysis Supplies
The novel coronavirus, a respiratory illness, is damaging kidneys at an unexpectedly high rate, according to experts. A shortage of dialysis materials has forced New York doctors to directly lobby corporate executives for help.
Internal Documents Show Federal Agencies Supported the WHO Before Trump Was Against It
In a battle between China and the U.S. over global leadership, American diplomats and aid officials cited U.S. funding of the World Health Organization as key and relied heavily on the agency for help. When Trump cut its funding, he upended all that.
What’s the Deal With Coronavirus Stimulus Checks, and How Do I Get One?
The IRS is responsible for dispersing coronavirus stimulus checks to Americans who qualify and has started doing so as of mid-April 2020. But for many people, lots of questions lie between them and their “checks.” Here’s what you need to know.
Chicago Lakeshore Hospital Closes After Years of Abuse Allegations but Cites “the COVID-19 Pandemic”
A long-troubled psychiatric facility, which has treated hundreds of children in state care, shuts down but says the move is temporary.
Coronavirus in Illinois: Are There Enough Ventilators and Hospital Beds Near Me?
Use our tool to see how hospitals in your region and county are handling the coronavirus pandemic, based on data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Millions of Essential Workers Are Being Left Out of COVID-19 Workplace Safety Protections, Thanks to OSHA
Even as the federal worker-safety agency has been inundated with complaints, it has rolled back safety standards and virtually eliminated non-health care workplaces from government protection.
Congress Is Investigating Whether a Ventilator Company Is Gouging the U.S. — and Why the Government Is Letting It Happen
A congressional subcommittee is questioning a federal decision to pay quadruple the price for the commercial version of a ventilator Royal Philips N.V. had developed with taxpayer funds.
2020 Political Ad Collector
How Political Advertisers Target You on Facebook
Despite Federal Ban, Landlords Are Still Moving to Evict People During the Pandemic
ProPublica found landlords in at least four states have violated the ban, which was put in place by the CARES Act but has no clear enforcement mechanism.
Trump Administration Officials Warned Against Halting Funding to WHO, Leaked Memo Shows
A draft State Department memo says the move would “cede ground” to China and hobble the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The CDC and WHO Have Already Said Mosquitoes Don’t Spread Coronavirus. Now USDA Will Study It, Too.
An adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association says the possibility of mosquito transmission of the coronavirus is “nil.”
Attorney General Barr Refuses to Release 9/11 Documents to Families of the Victims
The move comes after President Donald Trump promised to help families, who accuse Saudi Arabia of complicity in the attacks. Barr says he cannot even explain why the material must stay secret without putting national security at risk.
Al menos 37 menores en un albergue de Chicago para inmigrantes detenidos han dado positivo en pruebas de COVID-19
Un brote de coronavirus en una instalación de Heartland Alliance en la zona sur de Chicago puede ser el brote más grande en cualquier albergue para menores inmigrantes en el país. Al menos 37 menores y dos empleados han dado positivo.
Ventilators Aren’t Going to Cure COVID-19. Here’s What They Can Do.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, ventilators have been a key focus of the media, politicians and the president. But most of these references miss some key points. This is what ProPublica’s Caroline Chen has learned in her reporting.
