Tampa Bay Times: ‘Small victory’: Florida waives work requirements for food stamp recipients for another month. “Facing a workforce still grappling with the coronavirus crisis, Florida officials said [July 28] that they would extend for another month a waiver of job search requirements residents must comply with so that they can get aid to buy food.”
state government
Beaver County Times: State launches database to track, reduce firearm deaths
Beaver County Times: State launches database to track, reduce firearm deaths. “A new state database sheds light on the more than 1,600 Pennsylvanians who died by firearm in 2018 to help local policymakers reduce gun violence. Pennsylvania’s Department of Health on Monday launched a violence data dashboard to collect information on populations affected by gun violence following Gov. Tom Wolf’s executive order last year. The portal examines the number of gun violence victims by both homicide and suicide, rates at which violence occurs in locations, frequency and factors such as gender, race and age.”
Seven Days Vermont: Revamped Vermont Guidance for Schools Could Allow Three Feet of Distancing Instead of Six
Seven Days Vermont: Revamped Vermont Guidance for Schools Could Allow Three Feet of Distancing Instead of Six. “At a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott told Vermonters that he’d sign an executive order declaring September 8 the first day of class for schools around the state. ”
Montgomery Advertiser: Gov. Kay Ivey extends Alabama mask order through August as coronavirus pandemic continues
Montgomery Advertiser: Gov. Kay Ivey extends Alabama mask order through August as coronavirus pandemic continues. “Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday extended a statewide mask order for four weeks on Wednesday as COVID-19 continued to batter Alabama. The state’s safer-at-home order, which includes the mask mandate, will now expire Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. The amended order also includes an order mandating masks in schools and colleges for employees and students in second grade and above.”
WUSF: State Prisons Chief, Top Aide Test Positive For Coronavirus
WUSF: State Prisons Chief, Top Aide Test Positive For Coronavirus. “As COVID-19 spreads throughout the state’s prison system, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch and one of his top lieutenants have tested positive for the virus, the state agency announced late Friday night.”
CPO Magazine: Illinois Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Facial Recognition Databases Violate Biometric Privacy Law, Could Cost Tech Giants $5,000 Per Incident
CPO Magazine: Illinois Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Facial Recognition Databases Violate Biometric Privacy Law, Could Cost Tech Giants $5,000 Per Incident. “The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) made national news recently when it drove Clearview AI out of the state, due to a pending lawsuit over the company’s scraping of social media pictures and videos for its facial recognition database. It may now be a problem for some of tech’s biggest names as well. A new biometric privacy lawsuit has emerged that names Amazon, Google parent company Alphabet and Microsoft as violators of the state law as well.”
The Hill: Georgia governor withdraws request for emergency hearing to block Atlanta mask order
The Hill: Georgia governor withdraws request for emergency hearing to block Atlanta mask order. “Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) withdrew a request for an emergency hearing in a lawsuit that aims to block his state’s largest city from ordering people to wear masks in public or imposing other pandemic-related restrictions. Kemp spokesperson Cody Hall told The Hill Tuesday morning that the governor was heartened by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’s (D) recent decision to impose economic restrictions on restaurants on a voluntary basis.”
New York Times: Read the Latest Federal Report on States’ Response to the Virus
New York Times: Read the Latest Federal Report on States’ Response to the Virus. “The federal government prepares regular reports on the response to the coronavirus. The following report, dated July 26, was distributed to states by the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force.”
University of Texas at Austin: New Tool to Guide Decisions on Social Distancing Uses Hospital Data and Emphasizes Protecting the Vulnerable
University of Texas at Austin: New Tool to Guide Decisions on Social Distancing Uses Hospital Data and Emphasizes Protecting the Vulnerable. “With communities throughout the United States combating surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Northwestern University have created a framework that helps policymakers determine which data to track and when to take action to protect their communities. The model specifies a series of trigger points to help local entities know when to tighten social distancing measures to prevent hospitals from being overrun by virus patients. The method also aims to minimize the economic impact to communities by suggesting the earliest times for safely relaxing restrictions.”
Tennessean: White House is recommending Tennessee close all bars. Gov. Bill Lee says no.
Tennessean: White House is recommending Tennessee close all bars. Gov. Bill Lee says no.. “Dr. Deborah Birx, a White House adviser who is among the top coronavirus officials in the nation, said Monday that Tennessee should close bars and limit indoor restaurant dining to prevent a looming escalation of the coronavirus outbreak. Moments later, Gov. Bill Lee said he had no plans to follow this recommendation. Lee said he would not close bars or limit restaurants or give county mayors the authority to take these actions locally.”
NBC News: Governors who took the virus seriously from the start get a boost
NBC News: Governors who took the virus seriously from the start get a boost. “Our new NBC News/Marist polls of Arizona and North Carolina tell a pretty similar story — President Trump trails in both battlegrounds, as does the incumbent GOP senator. But there’s a significant difference between the two polls: North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper holds a 59 percent approval rating among voters in his state, while Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has a 39 percent rating in his state.”
IndyStar: Gov. Holcomb removes criminal penalties from mask order after pushback from his own party
IndyStar: Gov. Holcomb removes criminal penalties from mask order after pushback from his own party. “Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order Friday mandating masks statewide, but in a departure from his original plan, Holcomb didn’t include criminal penalties in the mandate.”
Mistake by Florida on child COVID-19 rate raises question: Can Florida’s numbers be trusted? (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Mistake by Florida on child COVID-19 rate raises question: Can Florida’s numbers be trusted?. “An error by the Florida Department of Health produced a COVID-19 positivity rate for children of nearly one-third, a stunning figure that played into the debate over whether schools should reopen. A week after issuing that statistic, the department took it back without explanation. The next weekly report on children and COVID-19 showed the rate had plunged to 13.4%.”
AP: Nevada scraps phased reopening plan, unveils new approach
AP: Nevada scraps phased reopening plan, unveils new approach. “Gov. Steve Sisolak announced plans to implement a long-term reopening strategy that allows for more granular decision-making as the coronavirus continues to spread and leaves Nevada unable to follow its original reopening plan.”
KUTV: How are you feeling? Utah releases pandemic mental health assessment
KUTV: How are you feeling? Utah releases pandemic mental health assessment. “Utah’s Coronavirus Community Task Force says taking care of your mental health right now is just as important as looking after your physical health. The state’s Department of Human Services launched a new tool to help you do just that.”
