Lincoln— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested a Georgia man following a pursuit early Monday morning on Interstate 80 near Lincoln.

At approximately 12:25 a.m. this morning, a trooper observed a westbound Chevrolet Camaro speeding on I-80 in Lincoln, near mile marker 400. The trooper clocked the vehicle traveling at 128 miles per hour in the 65 miles per hour zone. The trooper attempted to perform a traffic stop, but the vehicle increased speed and fled.

The trooper initiated a pursuit as the Camaro fled westbound on I-80. After a short time, troopers were able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle. The Camaro then came to a stop at mile marker 381. The driver was immediately taken into custody.

The entire pursuit lasted less than ten minutes. During the pursuit, the Camaro reached speeds in excess of 155 miles per hour.

The driver, Jamell Martinez, 33, of Hinesville, Georgia, was arrested for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, and traffic violations. He was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

Lincoln— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested a Georgia man following a pursuit early Monday morning on Interstate 80 near Lincoln.At approximately 12:25 a.m. this morning, a trooper observed a westbound Chevrolet Camaro speeding on I-80 in Lincoln, near mile marker 400. The trooper clocked the vehicle traveling at 128 miles per hour in the 65 miles per hour zone. The trooper attempted to perform a traffic stop, but the vehicle increased speed and fled.The trooper initiated a pursuit as the Camaro fled westbound on I-80. After a short time, troopers were able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle. The Camaro then came to a stop at mile marker 381. The driver was immediately taken into custody.The entire pursuit lasted less than ten minutes. During the pursuit, the Camaro reached speeds in excess of 155 miles per hour.The driver, Jamell Martinez, 33, of Hinesville, Georgia, was arrested for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, and traffic violations. He was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

Driver arrested following pursuit with speeds above 155 MPH

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A woman killed in a western Iowa crash last week was an Omaha elementary school educator, officials said.

Cathy Vazquez, 56, of Omaha, was killed in the Friday evening crash in Crescent, television station KETV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/woman-killed-in-pottawattamie-county-crash-identified-as-beloved-elementary-school-employee/33757751" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Pottawattamie County investigators said Vazquez was driving northbound along Old Lincoln Highway when an oncoming car crossed the center line and hit her car head-on. Vazquez was rushed to an Omaha hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Vazquez was a special education paraprofessional at Saddlebrook Elementary School in Omaha.

The driver of the other car, a 21-year-old man from Omaha, also was injured and taken to an Omaha hospital, investigators said.

Sheriff's officials said they were investigating whether speed and alcohol use factored into the crash.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A woman killed in a western Iowa crash last week was an Omaha elementary school educator, officials said.Cathy Vazquez, 56, of Omaha, was killed in the Friday evening crash in Crescent, television station KETV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/woman-killed-in-pottawattamie-county-crash-identified-as-beloved-elementary-school-employee/33757751" target="_blank">reported</a>.Pottawattamie County investigators said Vazquez was driving northbound along Old Lincoln Highway when an oncoming car crossed the center line and hit her car head-on. Vazquez was rushed to an Omaha hospital, where she was pronounced dead.Vazquez was a special education paraprofessional at Saddlebrook Elementary School in Omaha.The driver of the other car, a 21-year-old man from Omaha, also was injured and taken to an Omaha hospital, investigators said.Sheriff's officials said they were investigating whether speed and alcohol use factored into the crash.

Woman killed in western Iowa crash was Omaha teacher

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Republican Party formally nominated&nbsp;<a href="https://fox8.com/tag/donald-trump/">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;for a second term in the White House Monday, one of the first acts of a GOP convention that has been dramatically scaled down to prevent the spread of the&nbsp;<a href="https://fox8.com/tag/coronavirus/">coronavirus.</a>

Trump has sought to minimize the toll of the pandemic, but its impact was evident as proceedings began in Charlotte. Instead of the thousands of people who were expected to converge on this city for a week-long extravaganza, just 336 delegates participated in a roll-call vote from a Charlotte Convention Center ballroom.

Earlier, the convention renominated Vice President Mike Pence, and he thanked the delegates in person.

“The choice in this election has never been clearer and the stakes have never been higher,” Pence said. “We’re going to make American great again. Again.”

Party Chair Ronna McDaniel said as she began the proceedings: “We are obviously disappointed we could not hold this event in the same way we had originally planned,” But she thanked the city for allowing the convention to move forward in its truncated form.

Many of the usual trappings of a convention were present, including signs designating each state and gift bags with Republican swag. But chairs on the ballroom floor were arranged with lots of space between them and convention organizers told participants to wear masks, though adherence to the rule was uneven. Still, the fact an in-person meeting was held at all marked a sharp contrast with Democrats.

Last week, the Democrats created a well-received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1d43f47dfe9dd79a42caca46eb34d374">roll call via video montage</a>&nbsp;with diverse officials and others from states across the country. The Republicans, overwhelmingly white, spoke from the ballroom floor.

After Trump’s renomination, much of the action is shifting to Washington, where Republicans will spend the week trying to convince the American people that the president deserves a second term.

The GOP convention is a crucial moment for Trump, who is trailing in national and battleground state polls and under intense pressure to turn the race around. Just 23% think the country is heading in the right direction, while 75% think it’s on the wrong path, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a464966595a326a6b2e4c6f9888f7d8c">new poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Aides want the convention to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c9f91ff4110ce2d0b98cc11cde0ac99f">recast the story</a>&nbsp;of Trump’s presidency and present the election as a choice between his vision for America’s future and the one presented by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/de0107b02c0373105b86d5c4d3d9a302">Democratic nominee Joe Biden.</a>

McDaniel worked to highlight that contrast, accusing Biden of embracing a radical left agenda and pushing back on Democrats’ efforts to demonstrate Biden’s empathy and kindness.

“The truth is there’s only one person who has empathized with everyday Americans and actually been fighting for them every single day over the past four years, and that’s President Donald J. Trump,” she said.

For both sides, it’s an unconventional convention year.

The parties’ election year gatherings are typically massive events, drawing thousands of delegates, party leaders, donors, journalists and political junkies for a week of speeches, parties and after-parties that inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy and deliver a multiday infomercial for the nominee.

The coronavirus has changed all that, as much as Trump has resisted. Just 336 delegates — six from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories — have been invited to cast proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 regular delegates. And stringent safety measures have been put in place guided by a 42-page health and safety plan developed by a hired doctor.

Attendees were asked to practice enhanced social distancing and get tested prior to travel, fill out a pre-travel health questionnaire and participate in a daily symptom tracker. They’re also being tested onsite, have been asked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a87da6ce7831863152f0d904b9d1abe1">maintain a 6-foot (1.8-meter) distance from other people and to use face coverings</a>&nbsp;as a condition of participation — though many attendees were seen openly flouting those rules Monday morning. The RNC has also committed to contacting every participant five, 14 and 21 days after the event to check on potential symptoms.

The event had been met with protests, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bc7c82ad0ec2617e725a64940227df05">police have made several arrests.</a>

Besides the formal nomination roll call, the party is also spending time in Charlotte approving a handful of new resolutions, including one that backs Columbus Day as a federal holiday and one that labels the Southern Poverty Law Center, which catalogs the country’s hate groups, as a “radical organization.” Another bemoans “cancel culture,” warning that it “has grown into erasing of history, encouraging lawlessness, muting citizens and violating free exchange of ideas, thoughts, and speech.”

But they will not vote on a new 2020 platform, after a unanimous vote to forgo one this year.

“RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda,” a resolution instead reads, in part.

After the Charlotte kickoff, most of the GOP convention will take place in Washington, D.C., at and around the White House, as well as by video. It will feature remarks from well-known Trump supporters, including members of the Trump family, outspoken conservatives and everyday Americans who campaign officials say have been helped by Trump’s policies.

First lady Melania Trump will speak Tuesday from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8c96b29080281470cf6a5ae06a62b81d">the Rose Garden</a>, Pence will appear from Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday and Trump will deliver his marquee acceptance speech on Thursday from the South Lawn before a crowd of supporters — blurring the lines between governing and campaigning yet again.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598289860619.png" alt="Nebraska GOP Chair Dan Welch announced all 36 of the state's votes for Trump during Monday's roll call -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska GOP Chair Dan Welch announced all 36 of the state's votes for Trump during Monday's roll call -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Republican Party formally nominated&nbsp;<a href="https://fox8.com/tag/donald-trump/">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;for a second term in the White House Monday, one of the first acts of a GOP convention that has been dramatically scaled down to prevent the spread of the&nbsp;<a href="https://fox8.com/tag/coronavirus/">coronavirus.</a>Trump has sought to minimize the toll of the pandemic, but its impact was evident as proceedings began in Charlotte. Instead of the thousands of people who were expected to converge on this city for a week-long extravaganza, just 336 delegates participated in a roll-call vote from a Charlotte Convention Center ballroom.Earlier, the convention renominated Vice President Mike Pence, and he thanked the delegates in person.“The choice in this election has never been clearer and the stakes have never been higher,” Pence said. “We’re going to make American great again. Again.”Party Chair Ronna McDaniel said as she began the proceedings: “We are obviously disappointed we could not hold this event in the same way we had originally planned,” But she thanked the city for allowing the convention to move forward in its truncated form.Many of the usual trappings of a convention were present, including signs designating each state and gift bags with Republican swag. But chairs on the ballroom floor were arranged with lots of space between them and convention organizers told participants to wear masks, though adherence to the rule was uneven. Still, the fact an in-person meeting was held at all marked a sharp contrast with Democrats.Last week, the Democrats created a well-received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1d43f47dfe9dd79a42caca46eb34d374">roll call via video montage</a>&nbsp;with diverse officials and others from states across the country. The Republicans, overwhelmingly white, spoke from the ballroom floor.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598288443238.png" alt="President Trump in North Carolina to address delegates Monday morning-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump in North Carolina to address delegates Monday morning-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>After Trump’s renomination, much of the action is shifting to Washington, where Republicans will spend the week trying to convince the American people that the president deserves a second term.The GOP convention is a crucial moment for Trump, who is trailing in national and battleground state polls and under intense pressure to turn the race around. Just 23% think the country is heading in the right direction, while 75% think it’s on the wrong path, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a464966595a326a6b2e4c6f9888f7d8c">new poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Aides want the convention to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c9f91ff4110ce2d0b98cc11cde0ac99f">recast the story</a>&nbsp;of Trump’s presidency and present the election as a choice between his vision for America’s future and the one presented by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/de0107b02c0373105b86d5c4d3d9a302">Democratic nominee Joe Biden.</a>McDaniel worked to highlight that contrast, accusing Biden of embracing a radical left agenda and pushing back on Democrats’ efforts to demonstrate Biden’s empathy and kindness.“The truth is there’s only one person who has empathized with everyday Americans and actually been fighting for them every single day over the past four years, and that’s President Donald J. Trump,” she said.For both sides, it’s an unconventional convention year.The parties’ election year gatherings are typically massive events, drawing thousands of delegates, party leaders, donors, journalists and political junkies for a week of speeches, parties and after-parties that inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy and deliver a multiday infomercial for the nominee.The coronavirus has changed all that, as much as Trump has resisted. Just 336 delegates — six from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories — have been invited to cast proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 regular delegates. And stringent safety measures have been put in place guided by a 42-page health and safety plan developed by a hired doctor.Attendees were asked to practice enhanced social distancing and get tested prior to travel, fill out a pre-travel health questionnaire and participate in a daily symptom tracker. They’re also being tested onsite, have been asked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a87da6ce7831863152f0d904b9d1abe1">maintain a 6-foot (1.8-meter) distance from other people and to use face coverings</a>&nbsp;as a condition of participation — though many attendees were seen openly flouting those rules Monday morning. The RNC has also committed to contacting every participant five, 14 and 21 days after the event to check on potential symptoms.The event had been met with protests, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bc7c82ad0ec2617e725a64940227df05">police have made several arrests.</a>Besides the formal nomination roll call, the party is also spending time in Charlotte approving a handful of new resolutions, including one that backs Columbus Day as a federal holiday and one that labels the Southern Poverty Law Center, which catalogs the country’s hate groups, as a “radical organization.” Another bemoans “cancel culture,” warning that it “has grown into erasing of history, encouraging lawlessness, muting citizens and violating free exchange of ideas, thoughts, and speech.”But they will not vote on a new 2020 platform, after a unanimous vote to forgo one this year.“RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda,” a resolution instead reads, in part.After the Charlotte kickoff, most of the GOP convention will take place in Washington, D.C., at and around the White House, as well as by video. It will feature remarks from well-known Trump supporters, including members of the Trump family, outspoken conservatives and everyday Americans who campaign officials say have been helped by Trump’s policies.First lady Melania Trump will speak Tuesday from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8c96b29080281470cf6a5ae06a62b81d">the Rose Garden</a>, Pence will appear from Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday and Trump will deliver his marquee acceptance speech on Thursday from the South Lawn before a crowd of supporters — blurring the lines between governing and campaigning yet again.CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Republican Party formally nominated&nbsp;<a href="https://fox8.com/tag/donald-trump/">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;for a second term in the White House Monday, one of the first acts of a GOP convention that has been dramatically scaled down to prevent the spread of the&nbsp;<a href="https://fox8.com/tag/coronavirus/">coronavirus.</a>Trump has sought to minimize the toll of the pandemic, but its impact was evident as proceedings began in Charlotte. Instead of the thousands of people who were expected to converge on this city for a week-long extravaganza, just 336 delegates participated in a roll-call vote from a Charlotte Convention Center ballroom.Earlier, the convention renominated Vice President Mike Pence, and he thanked the delegates in person.“The choice in this election has never been clearer and the stakes have never been higher,” Pence said. “We’re going to make American great again. Again.”Party Chair Ronna McDaniel said as she began the proceedings: “We are obviously disappointed we could not hold this event in the same way we had originally planned,” But she thanked the city for allowing the convention to move forward in its truncated form.Many of the usual trappings of a convention were present, including signs designating each state and gift bags with Republican swag. But chairs on the ballroom floor were arranged with lots of space between them and convention organizers told participants to wear masks, though adherence to the rule was uneven. Still, the fact an in-person meeting was held at all marked a sharp contrast with Democrats.Last week, the Democrats created a well-received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1d43f47dfe9dd79a42caca46eb34d374">roll call via video montage</a>&nbsp;with diverse officials and others from states across the country. The Republicans, overwhelmingly white, spoke from the ballroom floor.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598288443238.png" alt="President Trump in North Carolina to address delegates Monday morning-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump in North Carolina to address delegates Monday morning-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>After Trump’s renomination, much of the action is shifting to Washington, where Republicans will spend the week trying to convince the American people that the president deserves a second term.The GOP convention is a crucial moment for Trump, who is trailing in national and battleground state polls and under intense pressure to turn the race around. Just 23% think the country is heading in the right direction, while 75% think it’s on the wrong path, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a464966595a326a6b2e4c6f9888f7d8c">new poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Aides want the convention to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c9f91ff4110ce2d0b98cc11cde0ac99f">recast the story</a>&nbsp;of Trump’s presidency and present the election as a choice between his vision for America’s future and the one presented by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/de0107b02c0373105b86d5c4d3d9a302">Democratic nominee Joe Biden.</a>McDaniel worked to highlight that contrast, accusing Biden of embracing a radical left agenda and pushing back on Democrats’ efforts to demonstrate Biden’s empathy and kindness.“The truth is there’s only one person who has empathized with everyday Americans and actually been fighting for them every single day over the past four years, and that’s President Donald J. Trump,” she said.For both sides, it’s an unconventional convention year.The parties’ election year gatherings are typically massive events, drawing thousands of delegates, party leaders, donors, journalists and political junkies for a week of speeches, parties and after-parties that inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy and deliver a multiday infomercial for the nominee.The coronavirus has changed all that, as much as Trump has resisted. Just 336 delegates — six from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories — have been invited to cast proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 regular delegates. And stringent safety measures have been put in place guided by a 42-page health and safety plan developed by a hired doctor.Attendees were asked to practice enhanced social distancing and get tested prior to travel, fill out a pre-travel health questionnaire and participate in a daily symptom tracker. They’re also being tested onsite, have been asked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a87da6ce7831863152f0d904b9d1abe1">maintain a 6-foot (1.8-meter) distance from other people and to use face coverings</a>&nbsp;as a condition of participation — though many attendees were seen openly flouting those rules Monday morning. The RNC has also committed to contacting every participant five, 14 and 21 days after the event to check on potential symptoms.The event had been met with protests, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bc7c82ad0ec2617e725a64940227df05">police have made several arrests.</a>Besides the formal nomination roll call, the party is also spending time in Charlotte approving a handful of new resolutions, including one that backs Columbus Day as a federal holiday and one that labels the Southern Poverty Law Center, which catalogs the country’s hate groups, as a “radical organization.” Another bemoans “cancel culture,” warning that it “has grown into erasing of history, encouraging lawlessness, muting citizens and violating free exchange of ideas, thoughts, and speech.”But they will not vote on a new 2020 platform, after a unanimous vote to forgo one this year.“RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda,” a resolution instead reads, in part.After the Charlotte kickoff, most of the GOP convention will take place in Washington, D.C., at and around the White House, as well as by video. It will feature remarks from well-known Trump supporters, including members of the Trump family, outspoken conservatives and everyday Americans who campaign officials say have been helped by Trump’s policies.First lady Melania Trump will speak Tuesday from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8c96b29080281470cf6a5ae06a62b81d">the Rose Garden</a>, Pence will appear from Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday and Trump will deliver his marquee acceptance speech on Thursday from the South Lawn before a crowd of supporters — blurring the lines between governing and campaigning yet again.

Nebraska GOP chair casts votes; Trump nominated to face Biden

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The owner of a an Omaha funeral home says a fire that broke out at the business over the weekend did not disturb the remains of people being stored inside. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the fire at Good Shepherd Funeral Home was reported just after midnight Saturday and was under control within an hour. 

Owner Michael Hoy says the blaze displaced three people living in an apartment above the business, but did not disturb two bodies or any cremated remains being held within the funeral home. 

Hoy says the fire was contained mostly to the business' office area. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The owner of a an Omaha funeral home says a fire that broke out at the business over the weekend did not disturb the remains of people being stored inside. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the fire at Good Shepherd Funeral Home was reported just after midnight Saturday and was under control within an hour. Owner Michael Hoy says the blaze displaced three people living in an apartment above the business, but did not disturb two bodies or any cremated remains being held within the funeral home. Hoy says the fire was contained mostly to the business' office area. No injuries were reported.

Owner: Fire at Omaha funeral home spares bodies, remains

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A leader of a July 3 protest before President Donald Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore says he wants his case to go to trial after a judge found probable cause for his felony charges. 

Nick Tilsen says charges against him are unfounded and he won't take any plea deals.

  Evidence in court included a video that showed Tilsen taking a shield from a National Guard soldier. 

  Former South Dakota U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson is one of Tilsen’s defense lawyers.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A leader of a July 3 protest before President Donald Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore says he wants his case to go to trial after a judge found probable cause for his felony charges. Nick Tilsen says charges against him are unfounded and he won't take any plea deals. Evidence in court included a video that showed Tilsen taking a shield from a National Guard soldier. Tilsen faces up to 16 years in prison. Former South Dakota U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson is one of Tilsen’s defense lawyers.

Mount Rushmore protest leader wants case to go to trial

BY JOCELYN GECKER AND&nbsp;MICHAEL LIEDTKE, Associated Press

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Schools across the United States are facing shortages and long delays, of up to several months, in getting this year’s most crucial back-to-school supplies: the laptops and other equipment needed for online learning, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The world’s three biggest computer companies, Lenovo, HP and Dell, have told school districts they have a shortage of nearly 5 million laptops, in some cases exacerbated by Trump administration sanctions on Chinese suppliers, according to interviews with over two dozen U.S. schools, districts in 15 states, suppliers, computer companies and industry analysts.

As the school year begins virtually in many places because of the coronavirus, educators nationwide worry that computer shortfalls will compound the inequities — and the headaches for students, families and teachers.

The Wichita Kansas school district has only received two-thirds of the computers and tablets it has ordered to equip students for distance learning because of worldwide supply chain problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the supply and demand problem clears up, USD 259 is prioritizing its distribution of the 8,000 devices it has received out of an order of 24,000.

“This is going to be like asking an artist to paint a picture without paint. You can’t have a kid do distance learning without a computer,” said Tom Baumgarten, superintendent of the Morongo County School District in California’s Mojave Desert, where all 8,000 students qualify for free lunch and most need computers for distance learning.

Baumgarten was set to order 5,000 Lenovo Chromebooks in July when his vendor called him off, saying Lenovos were getting “stopped by a government agency because of a component from China that’s not allowed here,” he said. He switched to HPs and was told they would arrive in time for the first day of school Aug. 26. The delivery date then changed to September, then October. The district has about 4,000 old laptops that can serve roughly half of students, but what about the rest, Baumgarten asks rhetorically. “I’m very concerned that I’m not going to be able to get everyone a computer.”

Chromebooks and other low-cost PCs are the computers of choice for most budget-strapped schools. The delays started in the spring and intensified because of high demand and disruptions of supply chains, the same reasons that toilet paper and other pandemic necessities flew off shelves a few months ago. Then came the Trump administration's July 20 announcement targeting Chinese companies it says were implicated in forced labor or other human rights abuses against a Muslim minority population, the Uighurs. The Commerce Department imposed sanctions on 11 Chinese companies, including the manufacturer of multiple models of Lenovo laptops, which the company says will add several weeks to existing delays, according to a letter Lenovo sent to customers.

School districts are pleading with the Trump administration to resolve the issue, saying that distance learning without laptops will amount to no learning for some of the country’s most vulnerable students.

“It's a tough one because I’m not condoning child slave labor for computers, but can we not hurt more children in the process?” said Matt Bartenhagen, IT director for Williston Public Schools in North Dakota, a district of 4,600 waiting on an order for 2,000 Lenovo Chromebooks. “They were supposed to be delivered in July. Then August. Then late August. The current shipping estimate is ‘hopefully" by the end of the year.

The Denver Public Schools district, the largest in Colorado, is waiting for 12,500 Lenovo Chromebooks ordered in April and May. The district has scrambled to find machines, settled for whatever is available and is handing out everything they get to students that need them. Still, when school starts Wednesday, they will be about 3,000 devices short, says Lara Hussain, an IT director for the district.

“We were promised devices. Our students need devices. And as a result of not receiving devices we will have students starting the school year unable to participate. It’s unconscionable,” said Hussain.

Lenovo had informed Denver and other districts over the spring and summer of supply chain delays. In late July, Lenovo sent a letter to customers to say the “trade controls” announced by the Commerce Department would cause another slowdown of at least several weeks.

“This delay is a new development and is unrelated to supply constraints previously communicated,” Matthew Zielinski, president of Lenovo North America said in the letter, which referred to the sanctions on a Chinese supplier, Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co. Ltd. The letter listed 23 Lenovo models for education and corporate customers made by Bitland.

“Effective immediately, we are no longer manufacturing these devices at Bitland,” the letter said, adding that Lenovo is working on “a transition plan” to shift production to other sites.

A Lenovo official told California’s Department of Education the company has a backlog of more than 3 million Chromebooks, said Daniel Thigpen, the department’s spokesman.

Lenovo declined to respond to repeated questions from AP seeking confirmation of the backlog and details on the numbers of devices delayed, replying only to deny a question on whether computers were seized by U.S. customs, as some schools were told by suppliers.

U.S. government agencies said they have no knowledge of the computers' whereabouts and also deny any were seized.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not have any record of detained laptops matching this description,” the agency said in a statement.

The Department of Commerce said it added Hefei Bitland to its so-called Entity List, which restricts the export and in-country transfer of items by sanctioned companies. “It does not apply to the importation of Chromebooks from China,” the department said in a statement, adding, however, “we should all agree that American school children should not be using computers from China that were produced from forced labor.”

There are no nationwide tallies on the numbers of laptops and other devices that schools are waiting for. The Associated Press found that some of America’s biggest school districts are among those with outstanding orders of Chromebooks, other laptops or hotspots for internet connections, including Los Angeles, Clark County, Nevada, Wake County, North Carolina, Houston, Palm Beach and Hawaii, the nation’s only statewide school district.

A recent poll of California's 1,100 districts showed schools across the state are waiting on at least 300,000 backordered computers, said Mary Nicely, a senior policy advisor to the state superintendent. A survey in Alabama found that about 20 schools were waiting on 33,000 computers, said Ryan Hollingsworth, director of the School Superintendents of Alabama.

Smaller districts in Montana, New York, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, New Hampshire and elsewhere are also waiting on laptop orders, with delivery dates that have become moving targets.

Some of the school districts, like Los Angeles, say the outstanding orders are for replacement devices and all students who need a computer will have one. Many districts are asking parents with the means to buy devices for their children but realize that's not an option for many families.

It's also not an easy task with supplies at commercial stores running out. Best Buy's website shows 36 models of new and used Chromebooks priced under $500, the low-cost models that are popular for students. As of this week, 33 of those models were sold out.

The backlog and delays have become so widespread that some students will be forced to start the semester without an essential piece of technology for remote learning, said Michael Flood, senior vice president of Kajeet, which works with more than 2,000 school districts in the U.S. and Canada.

Some school administrators told Flood their laptop and Chromebook suppliers hope deliveries will only be delayed by a month or so. But others are being told their machines may not be available until early 2021.

The shortage stems from exceptionally high demand at a time when the personal computer industry is still recovering from pandemic-driven precautions that shut down the factories of major PC suppliers in China during February and March. Just as the supply chain started ramping back up, new orders poured in from huge companies and government agencies with large numbers of employees working from home — in addition to school districts scrambling to secure machines, said Mikako Kitagawa, research director at Gartner Inc., which closely follows the PC industry.

“The bottom line is everyone seems to want a laptop or Chromebook right now and there just isn’t enough supply of it,” Kitagawa said. “It’s a case of very bad timing.”

To make matters worse, many school districts underestimated their needs during spring ordering, assuming that traditional in-person classes would resume in the fall.

In California, most schools were planning for some form of in-person classes in the fall but only learned in July that wouldn’t be possible, when Gov. Gavin Newsom effectively ordered the majority of schools to start with remote learning. It created a mad dash for computers.

Tom Quiambao, director of technology for the Tracy Unified School District in Northern California, said he and his vendor contacted HP directly to ask why his July order for 10,000 HP laptops would take three months to be delivered. He was told, “HP is short 1.7 million units of laptops” because of production shortages in a variety of components made in China, including processors, touchscreens, motherboards and others, Quiambao said.

An HP spokeswoman declined to confirm or deny that number, saying only “we are continuing to leverage our global supply chain to meet the changing needs of our customer.”

Dell offered a similarly brief response to detailed questions about a backlog.

“We can’t comment on demand and supply specifically,” Dell said in an emailed statement, adding the company was seeing increased orders due to virtual learning and trying “to fulfill orders as efficiently as possible.”

With so many customers ordering laptops at the same time, PC manufacturers may be put in the uncomfortable position of deciding who gets them first, said Linn Huang, an analyst for the research firm International Data Corp. Those kind of pecking orders threaten to push small school districts to the back of the laptop line.

That’s part of the problem for the central Texas district of Abilene, where they are waiting for 6,000 Dell Chromebooks, ordered in May and June but not expected until November.

“In Texas, there are over 1,200 school districts and they’re all ordering,” said district spokesman Lance Fleming. Schools are trying to get disinfecting supplies, too. “Who would have ever thought that computers and Clorox Wipes would be on the same level of need in our country.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598006130627.png" alt="The school board in Wichita voted Thursday night to have 6-12 grade students begin the school year with online learning- photo courtesy USD 259." />
 <figcaption>The school board in Wichita voted Thursday night to have 6-12 grade students begin the school year with online learning- photo courtesy USD 259.</figcaption>
 </figure>BY JOCELYN GECKER AND&nbsp;MICHAEL LIEDTKE, Associated PressKANSAS CITY (AP) — Schools across the United States are facing shortages and long delays, of up to several months, in getting this year’s most crucial back-to-school supplies: the laptops and other equipment needed for online learning, an Associated Press investigation has found.The world’s three biggest computer companies, Lenovo, HP and Dell, have told school districts they have a shortage of nearly 5 million laptops, in some cases exacerbated by Trump administration sanctions on Chinese suppliers, according to interviews with over two dozen U.S. schools, districts in 15 states, suppliers, computer companies and industry analysts.As the school year begins virtually in many places because of the coronavirus, educators nationwide worry that computer shortfalls will compound the inequities — and the headaches for students, families and teachers.The Wichita Kansas school district has only received two-thirds of the computers and tablets it has ordered to equip students for distance learning because of worldwide supply chain problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the supply and demand problem clears up, USD 259 is prioritizing its distribution of the 8,000 devices it has received out of an order of 24,000.“This is going to be like asking an artist to paint a picture without paint. You can’t have a kid do distance learning without a computer,” said Tom Baumgarten, superintendent of the Morongo County School District in California’s Mojave Desert, where all 8,000 students qualify for free lunch and most need computers for distance learning.Baumgarten was set to order 5,000 Lenovo Chromebooks in July when his vendor called him off, saying Lenovos were getting “stopped by a government agency because of a component from China that’s not allowed here,” he said. He switched to HPs and was told they would arrive in time for the first day of school Aug. 26. The delivery date then changed to September, then October. The district has about 4,000 old laptops that can serve roughly half of students, but what about the rest, Baumgarten asks rhetorically. “I’m very concerned that I’m not going to be able to get everyone a computer.”Chromebooks and other low-cost PCs are the computers of choice for most budget-strapped schools. The delays started in the spring and intensified because of high demand and disruptions of supply chains, the same reasons that toilet paper and other pandemic necessities flew off shelves a few months ago. Then came the Trump administration's July 20 announcement targeting Chinese companies it says were implicated in forced labor or other human rights abuses against a Muslim minority population, the Uighurs. The Commerce Department imposed sanctions on 11 Chinese companies, including the manufacturer of multiple models of Lenovo laptops, which the company says will add several weeks to existing delays, according to a letter Lenovo sent to customers.School districts are pleading with the Trump administration to resolve the issue, saying that distance learning without laptops will amount to no learning for some of the country’s most vulnerable students.“It's a tough one because I’m not condoning child slave labor for computers, but can we not hurt more children in the process?” said Matt Bartenhagen, IT director for Williston Public Schools in North Dakota, a district of 4,600 waiting on an order for 2,000 Lenovo Chromebooks. “They were supposed to be delivered in July. Then August. Then late August. The current shipping estimate is ‘hopefully" by the end of the year.The Denver Public Schools district, the largest in Colorado, is waiting for 12,500 Lenovo Chromebooks ordered in April and May. The district has scrambled to find machines, settled for whatever is available and is handing out everything they get to students that need them. Still, when school starts Wednesday, they will be about 3,000 devices short, says Lara Hussain, an IT director for the district.“We were promised devices. Our students need devices. And as a result of not receiving devices we will have students starting the school year unable to participate. It’s unconscionable,” said Hussain.Lenovo had informed Denver and other districts over the spring and summer of supply chain delays. In late July, Lenovo sent a letter to customers to say the “trade controls” announced by the Commerce Department would cause another slowdown of at least several weeks.“This delay is a new development and is unrelated to supply constraints previously communicated,” Matthew Zielinski, president of Lenovo North America said in the letter, which referred to the sanctions on a Chinese supplier, Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co. Ltd. The letter listed 23 Lenovo models for education and corporate customers made by Bitland.“Effective immediately, we are no longer manufacturing these devices at Bitland,” the letter said, adding that Lenovo is working on “a transition plan” to shift production to other sites.A Lenovo official told California’s Department of Education the company has a backlog of more than 3 million Chromebooks, said Daniel Thigpen, the department’s spokesman.Lenovo declined to respond to repeated questions from AP seeking confirmation of the backlog and details on the numbers of devices delayed, replying only to deny a question on whether computers were seized by U.S. customs, as some schools were told by suppliers.U.S. government agencies said they have no knowledge of the computers' whereabouts and also deny any were seized.“U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not have any record of detained laptops matching this description,” the agency said in a statement.The Department of Commerce said it added Hefei Bitland to its so-called Entity List, which restricts the export and in-country transfer of items by sanctioned companies. “It does not apply to the importation of Chromebooks from China,” the department said in a statement, adding, however, “we should all agree that American school children should not be using computers from China that were produced from forced labor.”There are no nationwide tallies on the numbers of laptops and other devices that schools are waiting for. The Associated Press found that some of America’s biggest school districts are among those with outstanding orders of Chromebooks, other laptops or hotspots for internet connections, including Los Angeles, Clark County, Nevada, Wake County, North Carolina, Houston, Palm Beach and Hawaii, the nation’s only statewide school district.A recent poll of California's 1,100 districts showed schools across the state are waiting on at least 300,000 backordered computers, said Mary Nicely, a senior policy advisor to the state superintendent. A survey in Alabama found that about 20 schools were waiting on 33,000 computers, said Ryan Hollingsworth, director of the School Superintendents of Alabama.Smaller districts in Montana, New York, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, New Hampshire and elsewhere are also waiting on laptop orders, with delivery dates that have become moving targets.Some of the school districts, like Los Angeles, say the outstanding orders are for replacement devices and all students who need a computer will have one. Many districts are asking parents with the means to buy devices for their children but realize that's not an option for many families.It's also not an easy task with supplies at commercial stores running out. Best Buy's website shows 36 models of new and used Chromebooks priced under $500, the low-cost models that are popular for students. As of this week, 33 of those models were sold out.The backlog and delays have become so widespread that some students will be forced to start the semester without an essential piece of technology for remote learning, said Michael Flood, senior vice president of Kajeet, which works with more than 2,000 school districts in the U.S. and Canada.Some school administrators told Flood their laptop and Chromebook suppliers hope deliveries will only be delayed by a month or so. But others are being told their machines may not be available until early 2021.The shortage stems from exceptionally high demand at a time when the personal computer industry is still recovering from pandemic-driven precautions that shut down the factories of major PC suppliers in China during February and March. Just as the supply chain started ramping back up, new orders poured in from huge companies and government agencies with large numbers of employees working from home — in addition to school districts scrambling to secure machines, said Mikako Kitagawa, research director at Gartner Inc., which closely follows the PC industry.“The bottom line is everyone seems to want a laptop or Chromebook right now and there just isn’t enough supply of it,” Kitagawa said. “It’s a case of very bad timing.”To make matters worse, many school districts underestimated their needs during spring ordering, assuming that traditional in-person classes would resume in the fall.In California, most schools were planning for some form of in-person classes in the fall but only learned in July that wouldn’t be possible, when Gov. Gavin Newsom effectively ordered the majority of schools to start with remote learning. It created a mad dash for computers.Tom Quiambao, director of technology for the Tracy Unified School District in Northern California, said he and his vendor contacted HP directly to ask why his July order for 10,000 HP laptops would take three months to be delivered. He was told, “HP is short 1.7 million units of laptops” because of production shortages in a variety of components made in China, including processors, touchscreens, motherboards and others, Quiambao said.An HP spokeswoman declined to confirm or deny that number, saying only “we are continuing to leverage our global supply chain to meet the changing needs of our customer.”Dell offered a similarly brief response to detailed questions about a backlog.“We can’t comment on demand and supply specifically,” Dell said in an emailed statement, adding the company was seeing increased orders due to virtual learning and trying “to fulfill orders as efficiently as possible.”With so many customers ordering laptops at the same time, PC manufacturers may be put in the uncomfortable position of deciding who gets them first, said Linn Huang, an analyst for the research firm International Data Corp. Those kind of pecking orders threaten to push small school districts to the back of the laptop line.That’s part of the problem for the central Texas district of Abilene, where they are waiting for 6,000 Dell Chromebooks, ordered in May and June but not expected until November.“In Texas, there are over 1,200 school districts and they’re all ordering,” said district spokesman Lance Fleming. Schools are trying to get disinfecting supplies, too. “Who would have ever thought that computers and Clorox Wipes would be on the same level of need in our country.”___

US faces back-to-school laptop shortage

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma — a move he called “a breakthrough,” one of his top health officials called “promising” and other health experts said needs more study before it’s celebrated.

The announcement came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.

On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump put himself at the center of the FDA’s announcement of the authorization at a news conference Sunday evening. The authorization makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval.

The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling the disease. But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.

In a letter describing the emergency authorization, the chief scientist for the FDA, Denise Hinton, said: “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.”

But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager to showcase good news in the battle against the virus, and the timing allowed him to head into his convention with momentum. He and aides billed it as a “major” development and used the White House briefing room to make the announcement.

Trump also displayed some rare discipline in the evening news conference, sticking to his talking points, deferring to the head of the FDA, Stephen Hahn, and only taking three questions from reporters.

The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval. The accusations of an FDA slowdown, which were presented without evidence, were just the latest assault from Trump’s team on what he refers to as the “deep state” bureaucracy. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows did not deal in specifics, but said that “we’ve looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it.”

“This president is about cutting red tape,” Meadows said in an interview Sunday on “This Week” on ABC. “He had to make sure that they felt the heat. If they don’t see the light, they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering.”

During Sunday’s 18-minute press conference, Trump said he thought there had been a “logjam” at the FDA over granting the emergency authorization. He alleged there are people at the FDA “that can see things being held up ... and that’s for political reasons.”

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said the statement, and Hahn’s silence while Trump said it, “was disgraceful.”

“The FDA commissioner basically allowed the president to mischaracterize the decision and attack the integrity of FDA employees. I was horrified,” said Sharfstein, a vice dean at John Hopkins University’s school of public health who was a top FDA official during the Obama administration.

“This is a promising therapy that has not been fully established,” he said

The push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus, which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection chances. The White House has sunk vast resources into an expedited process to develop a vaccine, and Trump aides have been banking on it being an “October surprise” that could help the president make up ground in the polls.

“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics,” Trump tweeted. “Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!”

Earlier this month, Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other infected patients recover. But it wasn’t considered proof.

More than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma, a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines. It’s a go-to tactic when new diseases come along, and history suggests it works against some, but not all, infections.

The Mayo Clinic reported preliminary data from 35,000 coronavirus patients treated with plasma, and said there were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis, and also among those given plasma containing the highest levels of virus-fighting antibodies.

But it wasn’t a formal study. The patients were treated in different ways in hospitals around the country as part of an FDA program designed to speed access to the experimental therapy. That “expanded access” program tracks what happens to the recipients, but it cannot prove the plasma — and not other care they received — was the real reason for improvement.

Administration officials, in a call with reporters Sunday, discussed a benefit for patients who were within three days of admission to a hospital and were not on a respirator, and were given ‘high-titer’ convalescent plasma containing higher concentrations of antibodies. They were then compared to similar patients who were given lower-titer plasma. The findings suggest deaths were 35% lower in the high-titer group.

There’s been little data on how effective it is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.

Aiming to ward off a possible a run on convalescent plasma after the announcement, government officials have been working to obtain plasma and to team with corporate partners and nonprofit organizations to generate interest among previously infected patients to donate.

Hahn, who called the development “promising,” said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement. He said “this has been in the works for several weeks.”

But some health experts were skeptical. Benjamin Corb, of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, called it “conspicuous timing.”

“President Trump is once again putting his political goals ahead of the health and well-being of the American public,” Corb said.

Rigorous studies are under way around the country, comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care. But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities. Also, some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead.

Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb dismissed the suggestion of a slowdown.

“I firmly reject the idea they would slow-walk anything or accelerate anything based on any political consideration or any consideration other than what is best for the public health and a real sense of mission to patients,” Gottlieb told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Trump, in news conferences, “has made all kinds of therapeutic suggestions” that have not proven to be supported by science — and are even dangerous, Schaffner said. That includes statements about the possible value of treating COVID-19 patients with ultraviolet light and disinfectant. Trump reportedly also recently became enthusiastic about oleandrin, a plant extract derived from a toxic shrub that scientists immediately warned against.

But the president is perhaps best known for his early and ardent embrace of the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.

Earlier this month, Hahn emphasized that routine evaluation procedures will remain in place to evaluate COVID vaccine candidates.

“I think this administration has put more pressure on the Food and Drug Administration than I can remember” ever happening in the past, Schaffner said.

“Everybody is just a little bit nervous,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients, in a move he called “a breakthrough,” one of his top health officials called “promising,” and other health experts said needs more study before it’s celebrated.

The announcement came after days of White House officials suggesting there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.

On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump put himself at the center of the FDA’s announcement of the authorization — it makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment — in a news conference Sunday evening.

The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling with the disease. But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.

In a letter describing the emergency authorization, the chief scientist for the FDA, Denise Hinton, noted: “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.”

An emergency use authorization is not the same as full FDA approval.

In the authorization letter, FDA officials emphasized convalescent plasma is still under investigation. “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months,” it said.

But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager for a piece of good news on the battle of the pandemic, and the timing allowed him to head into the convention with momentum. He and aides billed it as a “major” development and utilized the White House briefing room to make the announcement.

The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval, but the accusations of a slowdown, which were presented without evidence, were just the latest assault from Trump’s team on the “deep state” bureaucracy. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows did not deal in specifics, but said that “we’ve looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it.”

There’s no solid evidence yet that it fights the coronavirus and, if so, how best to use it.

Hahn, who called the development “promising,” said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement, which comes just before a pivotal week for the president’s reelection chances. Hahn said “this has been in the works for several weeks” and came after a data validation for which the agency had been waiting.

Rigorous studies underway around the country are designed to get that proof, by comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care. But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities. Also, some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead.

Hundreds of drugs are currently being developed as possible treatments against the coronavirus infection, taking a range of approaches.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598222952199.png" alt="President Trump took only 3 questions during the Sunday evening press conference-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump took only 3 questions during the Sunday evening press conference-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma — a move he called “a breakthrough,” one of his top health officials called “promising” and other health experts said needs more study before it’s celebrated.The announcement came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump put himself at the center of the FDA’s announcement of the authorization at a news conference Sunday evening. The authorization makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval.The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling the disease. But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.In a letter describing the emergency authorization, the chief scientist for the FDA, Denise Hinton, said: “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.”But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager to showcase good news in the battle against the virus, and the timing allowed him to head into his convention with momentum. He and aides billed it as a “major” development and used the White House briefing room to make the announcement.Trump also displayed some rare discipline in the evening news conference, sticking to his talking points, deferring to the head of the FDA, Stephen Hahn, and only taking three questions from reporters.The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval. The accusations of an FDA slowdown, which were presented without evidence, were just the latest assault from Trump’s team on what he refers to as the “deep state” bureaucracy. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows did not deal in specifics, but said that “we’ve looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it.”“This president is about cutting red tape,” Meadows said in an interview Sunday on “This Week” on ABC. “He had to make sure that they felt the heat. If they don’t see the light, they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598222686256.png" alt="President Donald Trump accompanied by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, center and HHS Secretary Alex Azar during a media briefing Sunday -photo Courtesy White House." />
 <figcaption>President Donald Trump accompanied by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, center and HHS Secretary Alex Azar during a media briefing Sunday -photo Courtesy White House.</figcaption>
 </figure>During Sunday’s 18-minute press conference, Trump said he thought there had been a “logjam” at the FDA over granting the emergency authorization. He alleged there are people at the FDA “that can see things being held up ... and that’s for political reasons.”Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said the statement, and Hahn’s silence while Trump said it, “was disgraceful.”“The FDA commissioner basically allowed the president to mischaracterize the decision and attack the integrity of FDA employees. I was horrified,” said Sharfstein, a vice dean at John Hopkins University’s school of public health who was a top FDA official during the Obama administration.“This is a promising therapy that has not been fully established,” he saidThe push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus, which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection chances. The White House has sunk vast resources into an expedited process to develop a vaccine, and Trump aides have been banking on it being an “October surprise” that could help the president make up ground in the polls.“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics,” Trump tweeted. “Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!”Earlier this month, Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other infected patients recover. But it wasn’t considered proof.More than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma, a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines. It’s a go-to tactic when new diseases come along, and history suggests it works against some, but not all, infections.The Mayo Clinic reported preliminary data from 35,000 coronavirus patients treated with plasma, and said there were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis, and also among those given plasma containing the highest levels of virus-fighting antibodies.But it wasn’t a formal study. The patients were treated in different ways in hospitals around the country as part of an FDA program designed to speed access to the experimental therapy. That “expanded access” program tracks what happens to the recipients, but it cannot prove the plasma — and not other care they received — was the real reason for improvement.Administration officials, in a call with reporters Sunday, discussed a benefit for patients who were within three days of admission to a hospital and were not on a respirator, and were given ‘high-titer’ convalescent plasma containing higher concentrations of antibodies. They were then compared to similar patients who were given lower-titer plasma. The findings suggest deaths were 35% lower in the high-titer group.There’s been little data on how effective it is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.Aiming to ward off a possible a run on convalescent plasma after the announcement, government officials have been working to obtain plasma and to team with corporate partners and nonprofit organizations to generate interest among previously infected patients to donate.Hahn, who called the development “promising,” said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement. He said “this has been in the works for several weeks.”But some health experts were skeptical. Benjamin Corb, of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, called it “conspicuous timing.”“President Trump is once again putting his political goals ahead of the health and well-being of the American public,” Corb said.Rigorous studies are under way around the country, comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care. But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities. Also, some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead.Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb dismissed the suggestion of a slowdown.“I firmly reject the idea they would slow-walk anything or accelerate anything based on any political consideration or any consideration other than what is best for the public health and a real sense of mission to patients,” Gottlieb told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598218807664.png" alt="President Trump during the Sunday evening news conference -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during the Sunday evening news conference -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump, in news conferences, “has made all kinds of therapeutic suggestions” that have not proven to be supported by science — and are even dangerous, Schaffner said. That includes statements about the possible value of treating COVID-19 patients with ultraviolet light and disinfectant. Trump reportedly also recently became enthusiastic about oleandrin, a plant extract derived from a toxic shrub that scientists immediately warned against.But the president is perhaps best known for his early and ardent embrace of the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.Earlier this month, Hahn emphasized that routine evaluation procedures will remain in place to evaluate COVID vaccine candidates.“I think this administration has put more pressure on the Food and Drug Administration than I can remember” ever happening in the past, Schaffner said.“Everybody is just a little bit nervous,” he said.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients, in a move he called “a breakthrough,” one of his top health officials called “promising,” and other health experts said needs more study before it’s celebrated.The announcement came after days of White House officials suggesting there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump put himself at the center of the FDA’s announcement of the authorization — it makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment — in a news conference Sunday evening.The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling with the disease. But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.In a letter describing the emergency authorization, the chief scientist for the FDA, Denise Hinton, noted: “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.”An emergency use authorization is not the same as full FDA approval.In the authorization letter, FDA officials emphasized convalescent plasma is still under investigation. “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months,” it said.But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager for a piece of good news on the battle of the pandemic, and the timing allowed him to head into the convention with momentum. He and aides billed it as a “major” development and utilized the White House briefing room to make the announcement.Trump also displayed some rare discipline in the evening news conference, sticking to his talking points, deferring to the head of the FDA, Stephen Hahn, and only taking three questions from reporters.The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval, but the accusations of a slowdown, which were presented without evidence, were just the latest assault from Trump’s team on the “deep state” bureaucracy. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows did not deal in specifics, but said that “we’ve looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it.”“This president is about cutting red tape,” Meadows said in an interview Sunday on “This Week” on ABC. “He had to make sure that they felt the heat. If they don’t see the light, they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering.”The push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus, which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection chances. The White House has sunk vast resources into an expedited process to develop a vaccine, and Trump aides have been banking on it being an “October surprise” that could help the president make up ground in the polls.“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics,” Trump tweeted. “Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!”Earlier this month, Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other infected patients recover. But it wasn’t considered proof.More than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma, a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines. It’s a go-to tactic when new diseases come along, and history suggests it works against some, but not all, infections.There’s no solid evidence yet that it fights the coronavirus and, if so, how best to use it.The Mayo Clinic reported preliminary data from 35,000 coronavirus patients treated with plasma, and said there were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis, and also among those given plasma containing the highest levels of virus-fighting antibodies.But it wasn’t a formal study. The patients were treated in different ways in hospitals around the country as part of an FDA program designed to speed access to the experimental therapy. That “expanded access” program tracks what happens to the recipients, but it cannot prove the plasma — and not other care they received — was the real reason for improvement.Administration officials, in a call with reporters Sunday, discussed a benefit for patients who were within three days of admission to a hospital and were not on a respirator, and were given ‘high-titer’ convalescent plasma containing higher concentrations of antibodies. They were then compared to similar patients who were given lower-titer plasma. The findings suggest deaths were 35% lower in the high-titer group.There’s been little data on how effective it is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.Aiming to ward off a possible a run on convalescent plasma after the announcement, government officials have been working to obtain plasma and to team with corporate partners and nonprofit organizations to generate interest among previously infected patients to donate.Hahn, who called the development “promising,” said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement, which comes just before a pivotal week for the president’s reelection chances. Hahn said “this has been in the works for several weeks” and came after a data validation for which the agency had been waiting.But some health experts were skeptical. Benjamin Corb, of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, called it “conspicuous timing.”“President Trump is once again putting his political goals ahead of the health and well-being of the American public,” Corb said.Rigorous studies underway around the country are designed to get that proof, by comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care. But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities. Also, some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead.Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb dismissed the suggestion of a slowdown.ADVERTISEMENT“I firmly reject the idea they would slow-walk anything or accelerate anything based on any political consideration or any consideration other than what is best for the public health and a real sense of mission to patients,” Gottlieb told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”Hundreds of drugs are currently being developed as possible treatments against the coronavirus infection, taking a range of approaches.Trump, in news conferences, “has made all kinds of therapeutic suggestions” that have not proven to be supported by science — and are even dangerous, Schaffner said. That includes statements about the possible value of treating COVID-19 patients with ultraviolet light and disinfectant. Trump reportedly also recently became enthusiastic about oleandrin, a plant extract derived from a toxic shrub that scientists immediately warned against.But the president is perhaps best known for his early and ardent embrace of the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.Earlier this month, Hahn emphasized that routine evaluation procedures will remain in place to evaluate COVID vaccine candidates.“I think this administration has put more pressure on the Food and Drug Administration than I can remember” ever happening in the past, Schaffner said.“Everybody is just a little bit nervous,” he said.----

Trump: Plasma treatment for COVID-19 a breakthrough

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — The FBI is investigating a data breach that may have compromised the identity of people with the coronavirus in South Dakota. 

The Rapid City Journal reports that South Dakota Fusion Center Director Paul Niedringhaus sent a letter to people who may have been affected by the June 19 breach.

 The letter, dated Monday, says the state’s fusion center used Netsential.com’s services to build a secure online portal this spring to help first responders identify people who had tested positive for the coronavirus so they could take precautions while responding to emergency calls. 

Houston-based Netsential previously confirmed that its server was breached.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — The FBI is investigating a data breach that may have compromised the identity of people with the coronavirus in South Dakota. The Rapid City Journal reports that South Dakota Fusion Center Director Paul Niedringhaus sent a letter to people who may have been affected by the June 19 breach. The letter, dated Monday, says the state’s fusion center used Netsential.com’s services to build a secure online portal this spring to help first responders identify people who had tested positive for the coronavirus so they could take precautions while responding to emergency calls. Houston-based Netsential previously confirmed that its server was breached.

FBI investigating COVID-19 data breach in South Dakota

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine the cause of a fire at a funeral home in southeastern Omaha. 

The Omaha Fire Department said crews responded to the fire at Good Sheperd Funeral Home shortly after midnight Saturday, and the fire was under control within an hour. 

The funeral home’s owner, Michael Hoy, said Sunday that the fire primarily affected the office area and didn’t disturb two bodies or any cremated remains inside. 

Three residents of an apartment above the funeral home were displaced.

 Hoy said two funerals that had been planned Saturday were held at other locations.&nbsp;

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine the cause of a fire at a funeral home in southeastern Omaha. The Omaha Fire Department said crews responded to the fire at Good Sheperd Funeral Home shortly after midnight Saturday, and the fire was under control within an hour. No injuries were reported. The funeral home’s owner, Michael Hoy, said Sunday that the fire primarily affected the office area and didn’t disturb two bodies or any cremated remains inside. Three residents of an apartment above the funeral home were displaced. Hoy said two funerals that had been planned Saturday were held at other locations.&nbsp;

Fire damages Omaha funeral home but doesn't delay services

WASHINGTON (AP) — A widely used coronavirus test is under scrutiny this week after federal health officials warned that it could deliver inaccurate results if laboratory technicians don’t follow the the latest updates from the manufacturer.

The Food and Drug Administration’s warning over Thermo Fisher’s TaqPath test underscores the complexity of COVID-19 tests and how easily they can be skewed by faulty processing and equipment.

The FDA action follows a report last month by Connecticut public health officials that the test resulted in at least 90 people receiving false positive results for the coronavirus.

Thermo Fisher’s test is one of the standard tools used to screen for COVID-19, run on large, automated machines found in many U.S. hospitals and laboratories. The FDA flagged two separate issues that could potentially result in false results: the chemical mixing process and computer software that runs on the company’s machine. Thermo Fisher has provided new instructions for mixing. And a software update fixes the second problem, the FDA said.

For all positive results, FDA said labs should review the instrument settings.

Thermo Fisher said in a statement that its data shows the issues are rare and most users get accurate results by following company directions.

No test is 100% accurate and all medical tests are expected to deliver a certain small portion of false results. Less is known about the accuracy of COVID-19 tests because of how quickly they were rushed through the regulatory process because of the pandemic.

Thermo Fisher’s test uses molecular technology that is considered the gold standard for detecting the COVID-19 virus and other viruses. The test uses chemicals to extract the genetic material of the virus from a nasal swab, then amplifies it many times until it is detectable with a computer.

Thermo Fisher’s test was among the first granted emergency use by the FDA in mid-March. Like other companies, it got the OK based on laboratory experiments it submitted to regulators. The test successfully detected coronavirus in 60 lab-made samples of the virus, and successfully ruled out the virus in 60 samples that didn’t contain the virus. That was sufficient to meet FDA requirements..

However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/38967d1644ef374d1bcbc7806b383b8e">experts have warned</a>&nbsp;that these laboratory measures are very different from the large patient studies that assess the real-world performance of a test. Those studies can reveal factors that can skew results, such as faulty samples or incorrect processing .

The biggest concern during infectious disease outbreaks is usually avoiding false negatives, or when the test fails to catch people who are actually infected. That can result in some people unknowingly spreading the virus.

But Dr. Albert Ko of Yale’s School of Public Health noted that false positives can also create problems, particularly in places like nursing homes and prisons where people are grouped together based on test results.

“You may wind up putting someone who hasn’t been infected together with people who may be infected and are contagious,” Ko said.

Test results can be affected by a variety of factors, including the type of test used, the quality of the sample and when it was taken during the course of any infection.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A widely used coronavirus test is under scrutiny this week after federal health officials warned that it could deliver inaccurate results if laboratory technicians don’t follow the the latest updates from the manufacturer.The Food and Drug Administration’s warning over Thermo Fisher’s TaqPath test underscores the complexity of COVID-19 tests and how easily they can be skewed by faulty processing and equipment.The FDA action follows a report last month by Connecticut public health officials that the test resulted in at least 90 people receiving false positive results for the coronavirus.WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TEST?Thermo Fisher’s test is one of the standard tools used to screen for COVID-19, run on large, automated machines found in many U.S. hospitals and laboratories. The FDA flagged two separate issues that could potentially result in false results: the chemical mixing process and computer software that runs on the company’s machine. Thermo Fisher has provided new instructions for mixing. And a software update fixes the second problem, the FDA said.For all positive results, FDA said labs should review the instrument settings.Thermo Fisher said in a statement that its data shows the issues are rare and most users get accurate results by following company directions.HOW ACCURATE ARE COVID-19 TESTS?No test is 100% accurate and all medical tests are expected to deliver a certain small portion of false results. Less is known about the accuracy of COVID-19 tests because of how quickly they were rushed through the regulatory process because of the pandemic.Thermo Fisher’s test uses molecular technology that is considered the gold standard for detecting the COVID-19 virus and other viruses. The test uses chemicals to extract the genetic material of the virus from a nasal swab, then amplifies it many times until it is detectable with a computer.Thermo Fisher’s test was among the first granted emergency use by the FDA in mid-March. Like other companies, it got the OK based on laboratory experiments it submitted to regulators. The test successfully detected coronavirus in 60 lab-made samples of the virus, and successfully ruled out the virus in 60 samples that didn’t contain the virus. That was sufficient to meet FDA requirements..However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/38967d1644ef374d1bcbc7806b383b8e">experts have warned</a>&nbsp;that these laboratory measures are very different from the large patient studies that assess the real-world performance of a test. Those studies can reveal factors that can skew results, such as faulty samples or incorrect processing .HOW SIGNIFICANT ARE FALSE RESULTS?The biggest concern during infectious disease outbreaks is usually avoiding false negatives, or when the test fails to catch people who are actually infected. That can result in some people unknowingly spreading the virus.But Dr. Albert Ko of Yale’s School of Public Health noted that false positives can also create problems, particularly in places like nursing homes and prisons where people are grouped together based on test results.“You may wind up putting someone who hasn’t been infected together with people who may be infected and are contagious,” Ko said.Test results can be affected by a variety of factors, including the type of test used, the quality of the sample and when it was taken during the course of any infection.___

Many steps needed for accurate COVID-19 test results

Kansas City (AP) — With her baby brother in her arms, Kara Apuzzo tried to follow along in an online class as he squirmed or slept. Other times, the 18-year-old rushed to get ready for work at a front-line job at Target as her virtual high school lessons were still wrapping up.

Last school year was further complicated by computer issues that kept her from logging in and online tools that bedeviled even her teachers. Before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>, Apuzzo, who lives in New Haven, Connecticut, knew she wanted to go to college right after high school. Now, she’s not so sure.

“Right now, I don’t know where I want to go with my life,” she said. “I feel so behind when it comes to what do college kids actually do. ... It’s scary, it’s so new — I don’t have any idea what I’m even doing.”

Educational disruptions forced by the pandemic are hurting teenagers at a time when many families also are struggling with layoffs and child care for young kids — challenges that are expected to persist as a new school year gets underway, largely with remote learning.

Some teens have to share computers with siblings or sign in to classes in crowded households or from their cars. Others have been laid off from after-school jobs that help provide for their families or work extra hours in essential industries, leaving less time for school. Students whose parents can’t work from home also have less structure to push them to get their work done.

“They’re at home being their own teachers,” said Nick Mathern, vice president of K-12 Partnerships for the nonprofit Achieving the Dream, which helps students complete degrees through community colleges.

The transition from high school to college can be rocky for many teens, and the coronavirus crisis could widen the gap between kids with wealthier, college-educated parents and their lower-income peers, Mathern said.

“That’s a real danger when it comes to increasing inequality in our country,” he said.

Mathern’s group works with hundreds of U.S. institutions and is affiliated with Gateway to College, which helped Apuzzo improve her grades before the pandemic. Now, she’s planning to work for a year before enrolling in college.

Schools and organizations like his, Mathern says, will have to get more creative in figuring out how to help older students like Apuzzo who are facing a new set of challenges.

Hope Spann, 19, had some of the same difficulties. She spent the last few months of the school year in Chicago, balancing her classwork from Beloit College in Wisconsin with watching her two nieces, ages 3 and 6, while her siblings worked at Walmart and Wendy’s.

Separating squabbles and getting snacks between writing class and art history left the aspiring film designer with migraines and panic attacks.

“It’s definitely interrupting my life. At the same time, I’m doing the things I need to, to keep me healthy and keep my family together,” Spann said.

She’s now started a job at a nursing home and plans to balance it with online classwork when the school year starts.

In Philadelphia, 18-year-old Kayla Hammond works two jobs while helping watch her younger brother and sister. After a shooting near her high school last year, she started an alternative dual-enrollment program to get college credit while finishing high school. Subjects like chemistry and Chinese became overwhelming as she moved back home and looked for new work during the pandemic. She got through it and is planning to return to Philadelphia Community College remotely next month.

“I’m pretty much the only one out of my friends who is still in school,” she said. “They had dreams of going to a four-year college. COVID put that on hold for them.”

A recent report from Measure of America, a project of the New York-based nonprofit Social Science Research Council, says the number of people ages 16 to 24 who are disconnected from both work and school could spike to almost one in four, erasing a decade of gains and hitting levels higher than the Great Recession.

In the Salt Lake City suburb of Magna, 16-year-old Brianne Harmon struggled to find a secluded place for online lessons in a house with several relatives. With a heavy load of homework, she found herself in danger of failing three classes.

“I’m trying not to let my family down, not to let myself down to keep going with my career, but it gets hard with everything piling on,” Harmon said at the time.

That put her at risk of being barred from the drill dance team, a sport she loves. She retreated to her grandmother’s house and stayed up all night to pass her classes. She’s going back to a hybrid of online and in-person school in the fall.

“I’m definitely nervous, but I’m excited to have something else stable in my life right now,” Harmon said.

Her math teacher, Michele Jones, said she heard from a number of students like Harmon.

“The stories you hear are just heartbreaking: ‘I’m taking care of three young siblings, I don’t have time to do school. I really don’t feel safe at home, Mom and Dad lost their jobs, there’s a lot of just stress,’” Jones said.

Along with the pandemic, her students also dealt with an earthquake and a temporary contamination in the water supply this spring. Remote attendance in her class dropped to 20% at times, a worrying number at a key time for math education.

“I do think this is recoverable academically,” Jones said. “For me, what I’m more concerned about is kids being really traumatized by this time. Feeling lost and abandoned and hopeless.”

Kansas City (AP) — With her baby brother in her arms, Kara Apuzzo tried to follow along in an online class as he squirmed or slept. Other times, the 18-year-old rushed to get ready for work at a front-line job at Target as her virtual high school lessons were still wrapping up.Last school year was further complicated by computer issues that kept her from logging in and online tools that bedeviled even her teachers. Before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>, Apuzzo, who lives in New Haven, Connecticut, knew she wanted to go to college right after high school. Now, she’s not so sure.“Right now, I don’t know where I want to go with my life,” she said. “I feel so behind when it comes to what do college kids actually do. ... It’s scary, it’s so new — I don’t have any idea what I’m even doing.”Educational disruptions forced by the pandemic are hurting teenagers at a time when many families also are struggling with layoffs and child care for young kids — challenges that are expected to persist as a new school year gets underway, largely with remote learning.Some teens have to share computers with siblings or sign in to classes in crowded households or from their cars. Others have been laid off from after-school jobs that help provide for their families or work extra hours in essential industries, leaving less time for school. Students whose parents can’t work from home also have less structure to push them to get their work done.“They’re at home being their own teachers,” said Nick Mathern, vice president of K-12 Partnerships for the nonprofit Achieving the Dream, which helps students complete degrees through community colleges.The transition from high school to college can be rocky for many teens, and the coronavirus crisis could widen the gap between kids with wealthier, college-educated parents and their lower-income peers, Mathern said.“That’s a real danger when it comes to increasing inequality in our country,” he said.Mathern’s group works with hundreds of U.S. institutions and is affiliated with Gateway to College, which helped Apuzzo improve her grades before the pandemic. Now, she’s planning to work for a year before enrolling in college.Schools and organizations like his, Mathern says, will have to get more creative in figuring out how to help older students like Apuzzo who are facing a new set of challenges.Hope Spann, 19, had some of the same difficulties. She spent the last few months of the school year in Chicago, balancing her classwork from Beloit College in Wisconsin with watching her two nieces, ages 3 and 6, while her siblings worked at Walmart and Wendy’s.Separating squabbles and getting snacks between writing class and art history left the aspiring film designer with migraines and panic attacks.“It’s definitely interrupting my life. At the same time, I’m doing the things I need to, to keep me healthy and keep my family together,” Spann said.She’s now started a job at a nursing home and plans to balance it with online classwork when the school year starts.In Philadelphia, 18-year-old Kayla Hammond works two jobs while helping watch her younger brother and sister. After a shooting near her high school last year, she started an alternative dual-enrollment program to get college credit while finishing high school. Subjects like chemistry and Chinese became overwhelming as she moved back home and looked for new work during the pandemic. She got through it and is planning to return to Philadelphia Community College remotely next month.“I’m pretty much the only one out of my friends who is still in school,” she said. “They had dreams of going to a four-year college. COVID put that on hold for them.”A recent report from Measure of America, a project of the New York-based nonprofit Social Science Research Council, says the number of people ages 16 to 24 who are disconnected from both work and school could spike to almost one in four, erasing a decade of gains and hitting levels higher than the Great Recession.In the Salt Lake City suburb of Magna, 16-year-old Brianne Harmon struggled to find a secluded place for online lessons in a house with several relatives. With a heavy load of homework, she found herself in danger of failing three classes.“I’m trying not to let my family down, not to let myself down to keep going with my career, but it gets hard with everything piling on,” Harmon said at the time.That put her at risk of being barred from the drill dance team, a sport she loves. She retreated to her grandmother’s house and stayed up all night to pass her classes. She’s going back to a hybrid of online and in-person school in the fall.“I’m definitely nervous, but I’m excited to have something else stable in my life right now,” Harmon said.Her math teacher, Michele Jones, said she heard from a number of students like Harmon.“The stories you hear are just heartbreaking: ‘I’m taking care of three young siblings, I don’t have time to do school. I really don’t feel safe at home, Mom and Dad lost their jobs, there’s a lot of just stress,’” Jones said.Along with the pandemic, her students also dealt with an earthquake and a temporary contamination in the water supply this spring. Remote attendance in her class dropped to 20% at times, a worrying number at a key time for math education.“I do think this is recoverable academically,” Jones said. “For me, what I’m more concerned about is kids being really traumatized by this time. Feeling lost and abandoned and hopeless.”

Teens struggle to balance school, family, work amid COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) — One in five U.S. nursing homes faced severe shortages of protective gear like N95 masks this summer even as the Trump administration pledged to help, according to a study released Thursday that finds facilities in areas hard-hit by COVID-19 also struggled to keep staff.

Significantly, there was no improvement from May to July in the shortages of personal protective equipment, known as PPE, or in the staffing shortfalls, according to the analysis of federal data by academic researchers. The summer has seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ae2b6d71bdc3a9391ae02910d8f0491f">the coronavirus surge across the South, and much of the West and Midwest.</a>

People living in long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but account for 43% of coronavirus deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Similar glaring disparities have been seen with nursing home residents in other countries, but in the U.S. the issue has become politically sensitive for President Donald Trump, who is trying to hang on to support from older voters in his reelection bid.

“A study that shows that 1 in 5 nursing homes has a severe shortage of PPE and a shortage of staff, and that it did not change from May to July, should be a massive red flag,” said Terry Fulmer, president of the John A. Hartford Foundation, a nonprofit that works to improve care for older adults.

“We have had no coherent federal response,” added Fulmer, who was not involved in the research.

Reacting to the study, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement that the Trump administration “has provided nursing homes the tools they need to stop the virus’ spread and, ultimately, each nursing home is responsible for its residents’ safety.” CMS sets nursing home standards and pays for much of the care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589905440854.png" alt="Over two dozen residents at Brighton Gardens Senior Living Center in Prairie Village, Kansas died from the virus.- google image" />
 <figcaption>Over two dozen residents at Brighton Gardens Senior Living Center in Prairie Village, Kansas died from the virus.- google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — One in five U.S. nursing homes faced severe shortages of protective gear like N95 masks this summer even as the Trump administration pledged to help, according to a study released Thursday that finds facilities in areas hard-hit by COVID-19 also struggled to keep staff.Significantly, there was no improvement from May to July in the shortages of personal protective equipment, known as PPE, or in the staffing shortfalls, according to the analysis of federal data by academic researchers. The summer has seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ae2b6d71bdc3a9391ae02910d8f0491f">the coronavirus surge across the South, and much of the West and Midwest.</a>People living in long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but account for 43% of coronavirus deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Similar glaring disparities have been seen with nursing home residents in other countries, but in the U.S. the issue has become politically sensitive for President Donald Trump, who is trying to hang on to support from older voters in his reelection bid.“A study that shows that 1 in 5 nursing homes has a severe shortage of PPE and a shortage of staff, and that it did not change from May to July, should be a massive red flag,” said Terry Fulmer, president of the John A. Hartford Foundation, a nonprofit that works to improve care for older adults.“We have had no coherent federal response,” added Fulmer, who was not involved in the research.Reacting to the study, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement that the Trump administration “has provided nursing homes the tools they need to stop the virus’ spread and, ultimately, each nursing home is responsible for its residents’ safety.” CMS sets nursing home standards and pays for much of the care.<a href="https://health-policy.healthaffairs.org/covid-19/mcgarry" target="_blank">The study published in the journal Health Affairs</a>&nbsp;looked at two periods of four weeks each earlier this summer, from mid-May to mid-June, and from the latter part of June to mid-July. Large outbreaks in nursing homes have been reported in many states since the end of February.Researchers from the University of Rochester in New York, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed data provided by nursing homes to the government at the behest of the Medicare and Medicaid agency, CMS.They found that during the early part of the summer, 20.7% percent of nursing homes reported a severe PPE shortage, with one week or less of available supply. Shortages of N95 masks — recommended for health care providers — were the most common. The situation had barely changed by midsummer, with 19.1% of nursing homes reporting severe shortages.As far as staff shortages, 20.8% of nursing homes reported deficiencies in early summer. Commonly those involved nurses and nursing aides. By midsummer, 21.9% of nursing homes reported staff shortages.Adequate levels of protective equipment and nursing staff are essential components in any infection control plan, experts say, and persistent shortages can feed a vicious cycle that raises risks both for residents and staff.The study found that high rates of PPE shortages were seen in Iowa, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee, which have struggled to contain the virus this summer.Nursing homes that reported PPE shortages were more likely to be for-profit, part of a chain, and to have COVID-19 cases among residents and staff.The report found high rates of staff shortages clustered in the South and Midwest, especially Louisiana, Alabama, eastern Texas and Georgia.Facilities that were government-owned, received higher shares of their earnings from Medicaid, and had lower quality ratings were more likely to confront staffing shortages.“We have been slow to provide resources to nursing homes, and when we have provided them, they have been inadequate,” said Harvard health policy professor David Grabowski, one of the study authors.<a href="https://apnews.com/94fe093a6367bd03dc5c61899af4b9ee">An initial federal effort to supply PPE was widely panned by nursing homes</a>, and Grabowski said a new push to supply N95 masks will probably come up short unless it is sustained. There are about 1 million shifts a day total in nursing homes, he said, and that means very large quantities of N95 masks are needed.Separately, the Trump administration is trying to supply 14,000 nursing homes with fast-test machines to screen residents and staff for COVID-19. That effort is underway, but isn’t scheduled to be completed until the end of September.“The federal government should really own this issue,” Grabowski said.Addressing staffing shortages is seen as the more difficult problem, since nursing home pay is low, and with COVID-19, health risks to workers are high. Grabowski said Congress should earmark money to raise the wages of caregivers. But coronavirus legislation is stalled.Foundation executive Fulmer said she’s forecasting that the staffing shortage in nursing homes will only get worse.“These individuals are putting themselves and their families at risk, when they can get minimum wage in other ways,” Fulmer said. “People are just going to say, ‘Enough is enough.’”