Monday, May 18
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Sen. Ben Sasse Criticized for “Demoralizing,” “Weird” Commencement Speech
In a series of jokes that seemed to miss their marks, Sasse upset those studying mental health, took shots at China and made comments about people named Jeremy.
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Good morning,
Today we have stories about demand for testing in South Omaha exceeding the county’s supply, Sen. Ben Sasse under fire for comments he made during a commencement speech for graduating Fremont seniors and emerging COVID-19 symptoms appearing in children.
Your Top Local Stories
Check out an interactive version of this map on our website.
In Omaha
- A drive-thru testing site in South Omaha reached its capacity within an hour. Testing there, the county’s hardest-hit zip code, will resume today.
- Summer camps, neighborhood grants and some overtime pay are the first of many cuts Stothert said the city needs to make to balance a budget thumped by COVID-19.
- A New York photographer had planned to document her sister giving birth in Omaha but had to figure out other methods once the coronavirus halted movement.
- As school sports sit in limbo, officials look toward June and the rest of the summer to make decisions for the fall.
- Sen. Ben Sasse faced criticism over the weekend for a commencement speech he delivered for graduating seniors in Fremont.
- Doctors warn of an alarming decrease in vaccinations compared to the same time last year.
- Douglas County saw a large jump in cases over the weekend following large-scale testing.
- A senior care facility in Elkhorn that’s seen an outbreak recently reported five new COVID-19 cases among its staff. Officials said they would be able to move any sick people. The facility has reported 73 total cases.
- A Susie Buffet-linked foundation has been slowly buying up $4 million in North Omaha property.
- As many businesses shutter their doors and fear financial ruin, a furniture store in Dundee has picked late May to open.
- Even with the pandemic, construction permits doubled in the first three months of 2020 compared to the same time last year.
- A third inmate at the Community Corrections Center in Omaha tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday.
- Time to plug the meter again; Park Omaha will resume parking enforcement today.
Around the State
- Tax revenue across the state fell nearly 50% below projections in April.
- Ricketts’ executive order asking landlords to freeze evictions is set to expire and many, still dealing with the effects of the pandemic, worry about making rent.
- Iowa has replenished its PPE supplies, buying $45 million worth of materials directly from China.
- More federal money arrives to fix levee systems damaged by 2019 floods.
- A retired astronaut, who grew up in Ashland and now lives in Texas, says he has some experience with isolation that might help others during the pandemic.
- Gov. Ricketts to hold daily press briefing today
What to do during quarantine?
From our list of things to do during quarantine:
Start a “Movie Club” with Friends Over Social Media/Texting
Who needs Hollywood to tell us what to watch? Take turns picking stream-able flicks with friends and discuss. Hit up twitter.com/thereaderfilm if you need discussion questions.
What’s Happening In The United States?
- The first coronavirus vaccine tested in people has shown early promise, creating antibodies in eight healthy people. The next stage will include 600 people. If that goes well, their third stage could start in July.
‘Straight Up Fire’ in Their Veins, New Symptom of COVID-19 in Kids
- Severe inflammatory conditions caused by the coronavirus have started to appear in kids across the country, shaking confidence that young people were largely spared from the pandemic.
- A New York Times map shows counties with high rates of chronic health conditions, largely concentrated in the South, that could be dangerously impacted by COVID-19 outbreaks.
As Testing Becomes Widespread, Some States Lack Participants
- As some states reach or near testing targets, they’re falling short in an unexpected category: not enough people want to see if they have COVID-19.
Traveling Far To Protest Lockdowns and Maybe Spreading COVID-19, Too
- Cell phone data shows that some traveled hundreds of miles to protest their or other states’ stay-at-home orders. Some worry the increased travel could bring infections to places that have largely been spared so far.
What’s Happening Across The World?
China Backs WHO Probe into COVID-19 Origin and Pledges $2 Billion
- China has announced its support for the global health organization while some, like Trump, have pulled funding and publicly criticized it. Today, all 194 countries will meet virtually and tensions between the United States and China may take center stage.
Omaha, NE 68107