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Friday, May 29 2020

Full Issue

Perfect Storm?: Experts Warn As Reopenings Begin, Mass Shootings Could Start Again

“You’ve got a lot of alienated and frustrated individuals who have been cooped up at home and perhaps have been using this time to be online, getting radicalized,” said James Densley, co-author of "The Violence Project'' a study of mass shooters. More public health stores are on safe offices and day care centers, uneven social distancing enforcement, growing interest in bird watching, concerns of new moms, shelter-in-place with strangers, and recovering at age 103 with a beer, as well.

Martín Quezada was on a Zoom call with constituents when he heard loud bangs echoing across the open-air mall below, and the Arizona state senator rushed to his third-floor apartment window. He saw people fleeing and a man carrying a long object about 50 yards away, walking toward his building. “My first thought was, ‘Those are gunshots,’ ” said Quezada, who represents the 29th Legislative District, which includes the Glendale mall. “But I was hoping that it wasn’t gunshots. I was hoping that it was something else, like firecrackers.” (Klemko, 5/28)

Upon arriving at work, employees should get a temperature and symptom check. Inside the office, desks should be six feet apart. If that isn’t possible, employers should consider erecting plastic shields around desks. Seating should be barred in common areas. And face coverings should be worn at all times. (Richtel, 5/28)

Venice Ray was eager to return to work when Texas announced last week that child care centers, like the one she was laid off from in March, could immediately reopen. But re-enrolling her 4-year-old son? That gave her pause. As many restaurants, hair salons and shopping malls across the country welcome back customers, some states are allowing day care centers and preschools to reopen, acknowledging that child care plays a foundational role in the American economy. But for millions of working parents like Ms. Ray, the choice to send their children back to a place known for spreading germs, even in more normal times, is not an easy one. (Goldstein and Bosman, 5/29)

In New York City, a police officer caught on video appeared to slap, punch and then drag a dark-skinned man. Police said that they had spotted the man filming officers who were arresting a couple for allegedly violating the city’s social distancing orders and that he had taken a “fighting stance.” In Chicago, police set up checkpoints, checked IDs and barred nonresidents from entering four city blocks with a culture of casual street-corner gatherings and, police say, open-air drug markets. The area’s population is mostly black, and civil liberties advocates questioned the legality of singling out one neighborhood. But police say disrupting all gatherings is part of their new public health mandate. (Ross, 5/28)

The adult male scarlet tanager is a medium-size songbird with glaring crimson feathers and jet-black wings. It can be hard to spot, because the species tends to forage among the upper branches of tall trees. But it does come down to earth, and sometimes can be caught hanging out with pigeons outside of the Freeport Wild Bird Supply store in Maine. It is the kind of sighting that can spark a lifelong interest in bird-watching, said Derek Lovitch, 42, a birder and biologist who runs the store with his wife, Jeannette. (Fortin, 5/29)

Breastfeeding advocates have seen an increased interest in nursing during this time of coronavirus, but they say the pandemic may be creating more challenges and concerns for new moms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of mothers generally do not end up breastfeeding for as long as they had originally planned to. Factors reducing the duration are varied and may include unsupportive hospital or work policies, problems with lactation or latching, or concerns about the baby's weight, the organization says. (Deliso, 5/29)

It has been said that disasters are relationship accelerators. They can cause a spike in marriage and babies — and they can also trigger divorce. Most of us are hunkering down with people we already had some sort of relationship with. But a few have chosen to ride it out with practical strangers. Gali Beeri is 37 and works as an executive assistant. Joshua Boliver is 42 and creates visual effects for movies. (Richman, 5/28)

Jennie Stejna made the ultimate comeback. The 103-year-old became seriously ill from the coronavirus but managed to make a full recovery. To celebrate, she enjoyed an ice cold bottle of Bud Light. (Sweeney, 5/28)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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