COVID
Digital surveillance can help bring the coronavirus pandemic under control – but also threatens privacy
Apple and Google are collaborating on new technology that will alert smartphone users who have come in sustained contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Users will need to opt-in to the contract tracing system, which will use Bluetooth technology in both iPhone and Android phones in ways designed to protect privacy. The […]
‘Ambulances leaving at all hours’ from Ohio federal prison, a COVID-19 hotbed
Craig Wilson, 42, is about halfway through a 10-year prison sentence for possession of methamphetamine and a firearm. He’s afraid he won’t survive until early 2026, when he’s slated for release. “I feel like I’ve been handed a death sentence,” Wilson said in a recent court filing. He’s one of about 2,400 inmates currently incarcerated […]
The long history of U.S. racism against Asian Americans, from ‘yellow peril’ to ‘model minority’ to the ‘Chinese virus’
In a recent Washington Post op-ed, former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang called upon Asian Americans to become part of the solution against COVID-19. In the face of rising anti-Asian racist actions – now at about 100 reported cases per day – Yang implores Asian Americans to “wear red, white, and blue” in their efforts […]
COVID-19 may hit rural residents hard, and that spells trouble because of lack of rural health care
The burden of COVID-19 in rural areas has been under the radar, as the toll of the disease so far has been heaviest in dense urban areas. But up to 30% of the U.S. population lives in rural America, which already has experienced more than 128 hospital closures since 2010, including 19 last year. COVID-19 […]
A coronavirus long-view: taking vaccines seriously
Like all Americans, Ohioans are understandably anxious to return to school, work, and recreation. Gov. Mike DeWine has repeatedly assured us that he won’t keep the state-at-home order in place a day longer than necessary. But the COVID-19 pandemic presents us with a moment of decision. We had better decide wisely. It’s becoming increasingly clear […]
GOP lawmakers push to reopen, Ohio’s budget, and Trump’s task force
Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. Catching Our Eye: Pressure to reopen. Cleveland.com’s Andrew J. Tobias is reporting, “Gov. Mike DeWine facing increasing pressure from […]
What you need to know about utilities in the time of COVID-19
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, laws, rules and policies governing public utilities have been in a state of constant change. Utility laws affect almost all Ohioans and those facing financial hardship will benefit from staying up to date on recent changes and assistance opportunities. PUCO-Regulated Utility Customers In March, the Public Utilities Commission of […]
Voting by mail gains traction, but advocates warn it’s not ‘a panacea’
WASHINGTON — As the COVID-19 virus continues to sweep the country, voting rights advocates are demanding Congress fully fund a national vote-by-mail program so people aren’t forced to choose between their health and their right to vote. But for large swaths of the population, voting by mail isn’t a viable option. The voting debacle in […]
COVID-19 is hitting black and poor communities the hardest, underscoring fault lines in access and care for those on margins
As the COVID-19 epidemic continues to ravage the American public, an unsurprising story emerges: Poor communities are hot spots for COVID transmission. The death rate from COVID-19 appears to be staggeringly high among African Americans compared to whites. The Washington Post reports, for example, that while 14% of the Michigan population is black, 40% of […]
Here’s how Americans coped during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyday life for Americans. How well are people across the country dealing with the new reality of closed businesses, shuttered schools, social distancing and the threat of the coronavirus itself? As psychology researchers, we decided to conduct an online survey to find out. On March 26, we asked 500 adults […]
Trump’s attacks on independent oversight tell you all you need to know about his priorities
President Donald Trump’s twin dismissals, just days apart, of two, highly respected government watchdogs, and an attack on still another, is a reminder of a fundamental truth: When it comes to making the key policy and political decisions that affect us all, Trump is guided by his own political self-preservation, not the well-being of the […]
Impending recession puts state in budget squeeze
Social distancing has its benefits. Most economists who have analyzed these policies seem to think the benefits gained in lives saved outweigh the costs they exact in economic damage using standard valuation techniques. Nonetheless, the costs are substantial. Last week, the Congressional Budget Office released projections that the United State gross domestic product will fall […]