April 2020 Archive
COVID-19 Put Her Husband in the ICU. She Had to Be Hospitalized Next. The State Demanded to Know: Who Would Care for Their Children?
When Laura Whalen went to a hospital with COVID-19, she brought her kids. Her husband was already in an ICU, and she couldn’t risk them exposing their grandma. But the state told her to find someone to take them or it would.
Millions of Americans Might Not Get Stimulus Checks. Some Might Be Tricked Into Paying TurboTax to Get Theirs.
Congress gave the IRS the job of sending out coronavirus rescue checks. But the underfunded agency is struggling, while for-profit companies like Intuit have started circling, hoping to convert Americans in need into paying customers.
There’s Been a Spike in People Dying at Home in Several Cities. That Suggests Coronavirus Deaths Are Higher Than Reported.
Coronavirus death counts are based on positive tests and driven by hospital deaths. But data from major metropolitan areas shows a spike in at-home deaths, prompting one expert to say current numbers were just “the tip of the iceberg.”
Senator Richard Burr Sold D.C. Townhouse to Donor at a Rich Price
In a private transaction, Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina, sold the townhouse to lobbyists who had business before his committees.
She Came to New York to Help Fight COVID. She Walked Into a “War Movie.”
Sarah Higgins, a dermatology nurse, arrived in late March and was assigned to the hard-hit Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. These are her words.
Postal Workers Say USPS Isn’t Telling Them When Colleagues Test Positive for COVID-19, Despite Promising To
The CDC says people who have been exposed to COVID-19 should quarantine. Many postal workers say they have no way of knowing if that’s them.
At Least 19 Children at a Chicago Shelter for Immigrant Detainees Have Tested Positive for COVID-19
A coronavirus outbreak at a Heartland Alliance facility on Chicago’s South Side may be the largest outbreak of the virus in any shelter for immigrant youth in the country. At least 19 children and two staff have tested positive.
Walmart Hid That It Was Under Criminal Investigation for Its Opioid Sales, Lawyers Say
States and counties suing the giant retailer over its drug sales accused it in court of failing to hand over huge quantities of documents — including about the criminal case — whose existence was revealed in a recent ProPublica investigation.
What Is the New Deadline to File Taxes? A Coronavirus Update.
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. income tax deadline has been extended from April 15 to July 15, 2020, to allow Americans more time to file their taxes. Here’s everything you need to know about the new deadline.
Climate Change Won’t Stop for the Coronavirus Pandemic
The next several months could bring hurricanes, floods and fire, on top of the pandemic currently raging through the country. How do you shelter in place during an evacuation?
How Panic Buying Has Put an Incredible Strain on Food Banks Even As the Need for Them Explodes
Here’s the dismal equation for food banks: Panic shopping and hoarding have led to supply shortages. Volunteers frightened of the virus have stopped showing up. And a newly jobless population has sent demand soaring.
How a School Stopped Relying on Restraining and Isolating Students — and What Others Can Learn From It
Some Illinois schools say they need to keep using dangerous forms of physical restraint and student isolation. Here’s how one school system in Virginia successfully shifted its entire approach to safety — from face-down holds to bubble baths.
Lessons Learned From Running ICUs in Disaster Zones
We talked to a doctor about what hospitals in the throes of the coronavirus epidemic could learn from far less developed hospital systems in times of crisis and came away with three main points.
Coronavirus Tests Are Being Fast-Tracked by the FDA, but It’s Unclear How Accurate They Are.
“What good is a test if you don’t know it’s giving you reliable results?” one expert said. Concerns are mounting that a lack of accurate testing will make it more difficult for America to relax social distancing.
He Spent $500,000 to Buy Coronavirus Tests. Health Officials Say They’re Unreliable.
An ER owner bought 20,000 rapid COVID-19 tests, but a week later they were seized by the federal government. It’s a bitter example of what can go wrong when local governments try to buy supplies on the open market from unknown manufacturers.
The White House Pushed FEMA To Give its Biggest Coronavirus Contract to a Company That Never Had to Bid
The Trump administration has rushed through more than $760 million in contracts outside the usual bidding process during its haphazard coronavirus response. It’s highly unusual for the White House to step into FEMA’s supply bidding process.
Medical Staffing Companies Owned by Rich Investors Cut Doctor Pay and Now Want Bailout Money
Companies that employ emergency room medical personnel, many owned by private equity firms, say they are reeling from vanishing demand for non-coronavirus care. But critics worry that bailout money would be a windfall for rich investors.
Rationing Protective Gear Means Checking on Coronavirus Patients Less Often. This Can Be Deadly.
Low on essential supplies and fearing they’ll get sick, doctors and nurses told ProPublica in-person care for coronavirus patients has been scaled back. In some cases, it’s causing serious harm.
Trump Removed the Head of the Coronavirus Bailout Oversight Board. Its Members Could Be Next.
Democrats are scrambling to stop the president from replacing independent government watchdogs after he quickly pushed aside the leader of coronavirus bailout oversight.
