COVID-19 SPURS DROP IN GLOBAL CLIMATE INVESTMENT

WASHINGTON – According to the International Energy Agency, “The coronavirus pandemic could cause the steepest decline in global energy investment in history.” The agency expects global energy investment to drop by one-fifth — or about $400 billion — compared with 2019, with global spending on oil potentially falling by $1 trillion this year. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol called the investment drop "deeply troubling" in a statement, adding it could undermine "the much-needed transition to more resilient and sustainable energy systems."

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THE MOST EFFECTIVE BIOTERRORIST

WASHINGTON - National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told health care reporter Zachary Brennan today that the coronavirus is “absolutely not” man-made but also that he could not rule out the idea that it escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China.

Collins said, “Nature created this virus, and has proven once again to be the most effective bioterrorist.” Collins refused to comment on his agency’s decision to pull funding from researchers studying how coronaviruses spread from bats to people.

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LASTING SCARS

WASHINGTON - The vast majority of Covid patients make full recoveries from the disease. But doctors are worried about the long-term damage from severe infections. The military isn’t taking any chances: The Pentagon says Covid survivors are barred from joining. And as cases continue to grow, more and more people will survive Covid but suffer from lasting health effects. Your host spoke with three physicians today who are on the frontlines of treating Covid patients and managing their recovery to talk about what they know so far about the virus’ lasting impact.

Additionally, recovering in isolation could heighten depression and other mental health disorders faced by Covid survivors, said Aaron Bunnell, a physician at the University of Washington’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Already about half of people admitted to the ICU with acute respiratory distress syndrome, which many Covid patients get, don’t return to work within a year, probably because of decreased endurance and physical function and impaired cognition and mental health, Bunnell said.

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CVS TO OPEN COVID-19 DRIVE THROUGH TESTING SITES IN LINCOLN

LINCOLN - CVS has announced plans to set up four drive-thru COVID-19 testing locations in Lincoln and three in the Omaha area.

The tests will be performed at drive-up windows at the sites via a self swab. People getting tested will be handed a testing kit and will swab themselves with direction from a CVS pharmacy employee. CVS will send tests to a commercial lab, and results usually come back in 2-4 days.

Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health said, “Opening access to testing in more locations using our drive-thru window represents an important milestone in our response to the pandemic.” The CVS sites will add to other drive-thru testing sites in Lincoln run by Bryan Health, CHI Health, Test Nebraska and other health providers.

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ANOTHER 5,875 NEBRASKANS FILE JOBLESS CLAIMS DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

OMAHA - Another 5,875 Nebraskans filed first-time unemployment claims last week, as economic woes caused by the coronavirus continue. The state saw 60,296 continuing claims, down from 62,962 the previous week. The number of initial filings has plummeted from the all-time record of 27,054, set in the week ending April 4.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SYSTEM CONSIDERS ENDING FALL SEMESTER BEFORE THANKSGIVING

OMAHA - The University of Nebraska is considering starting its fall semester in early August and concluding before Thanksgiving in order to avoid classes during a potential second wave of the coronavirus. When talking about the proposal, President Carter said "We studied it. I'm going to be putting a proposal in front of our Board of Regents here very soon and we'll be ready to make an announcement.”

Creighton and other Nebraska colleges have already committed to a similar plan.

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NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE EXPECTED TO RECONVENE IN JULY

LINCOLN - The speaker of the Legislature notified state senators Monday he intends to call them back into session beginning July 20 to work on state budget changes, priority bills, and property tax cuts.

His decision, Speaker Jim Scheer said, was based on the current belief that the COVID-19 cases will have peaked by that time and that it will not surge again midsummer as restrictions are gradually loosened. If everything goes as planned, the session would run through Aug. 13. The plan is to meet two full weeks in July, Aug. 3-6, and Aug. 11-13.

However, Speaker Scheer has made it clear that he can alter the dates for unforeseen challenges. Because there are a number of priority bills to debate in the 17 remaining days, including adjustments to the 2020-21 state budget, Scheer is scheduling late-night sessions, sometimes as late as 10 p.m., except for the last day of each workweek.

Procedures used in March when the Legislature met for three days to pass emergency COVID-19 funding will be continued. Those included no media on the floor of the Legislature and no notes coming in from the lobby.

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SEN. PATTY PANSING BROOKS SEEKS REMOTE VOTING FOR WHEN THE LEGISLATURE RESUMES IN JULY

OMAHA – Senator Patty Pansing Brooks called for a legislative rule change that would allow state senators to vote on bills remotely when this year's session resumes on July 20. The proposal was outlined in a memo written to fellow lawmakers. However, legislative leaders have said the Nebraska Constitution requires state lawmakers to vote in-person.

Pansing Brooks made a similar argument in March, just before lawmakers briefly reconvened to approve emergency state funding to fight the coronavirus. Lawmakers still met in person those days, but Speaker Jim Scheer imposed rules to restrict their movement and limit access to the legislative chamber. A few senators chose not to attend, and Pansing Brooks argued that the constituents of those lawmakers need to be represented.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced earlier this week that local city councils, county commissions, and school boards will have to meet in-person starting in July. He previously issued an executive order to let them meet through online video-conferencing but said he will let that order expire at the end of June.

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FIRST PIECE OF DISPUTED KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE FINISHED IN MONTANA

BILLINGS, Mont. — A Canadian company has built the first piece of the disputed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline across the U.S. border and started work on labor camps in Montana and South Dakota. But it has not resolved a courtroom setback that would make it hard to finish the $8 billion project.

The 1,200-mile pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska was stalled for much of the past decade before President Donald Trump was elected and began trying to push it through to completion. Work finally started in April at the border crossing in remote northern Montana. That 1.2-mile section has now been completed except for some site reclamation activity, TC Energy spokeswoman Sara Rabern said.

The Calgary-based company has started site work for labor camps near Baker, Montana, and Philip, South Dakota, but it has not set a date to occupy them.

Earlier this week Vice-President Biden's campaign said that if elected he will rescind the Keystone XL Pipeline permit, which was initially killed during the Obama administration. The proposed 1,200-mile, $8 billion pipeline would carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska, where it would then be transferred to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. 

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FOCUS GROUPS REVEAL NEBRASKANS SUPPORT INCREASED IMMIGRATION AND TRADE

LINCOLN - Nebraskans expressed strong support for increased trade and legal immigration in a comprehensive study undertaken by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in partnership with the Yeutter Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

More than 130 people participated in focus groups in Scottsbluff, North Platte, Kearney, Columbus, Lincoln, and Omaha.

The study reports that workforce shortage in Nebraska combined with the important role played by immigrants in filling labor needs, perhaps most dramatically in the state's large meat processing industry, were viewed as key factors shaping immigration opinions in Nebraska.

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TRUMP PUSHES FOR MORE DEREGULATION

WASHINGTON - The president signed an executive order on Tuesday directing federal agencies to increase their deregulatory efforts and ease up on enforcement of existing rules to help the economy recover from the steep downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The order directs agencies to identify rules that could "inhibit" economic recovery and do whatever possible to repeal, waive, or ease the rules for regulated businesses. 

The Office of Management and Budget is expected to issue a more detailed memo on how to implement the order in the coming weeks or months.

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GOV. RICKETTS ANNOUNCES JUNE DIRECTED HEALTH MEASURES: BARS, TRAVEL QUARANTINE, SPORTS, AND GATHERINGS ALL SEE LOOSENED RESTRICTIONS

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday announced a further easing of restrictions on public gatherings in 89 counties. Counties not entiering what is referred to as "Phase 2" of the Directed Health Measures are: Dakota, Merrick, Hall, and Hamilton. These counties can see a loosening of restrictions to the level currently seen in other counties- such as opening of restaurants and small group gatherings with social distancing. All other counties will move into "Phase 2" which includes the following changes:

-Most travelers who leave the state, including over Memorial Day weekend, will not be required to quarantine upon their return to Nebraska unless they have traveled internationally. 

-Bars will be allowed to reopen under the same rules that apply to restaurants, including 6 feet of space between tables and no more than six people at a table. Bar activities such as darts and pool tables will be prohibited.

-Sports teams with low contact level between participants, such as tennis, rodeo, and volleyball will be allowed to begin practice on June 1st, and hold games on June 18th. Sports such as football, wrestling, and basketball are still prohibited due to a high level of contact

-Gatherings will be limited to 25 people, or — in the cases of stadiums, arenas, festivals, zoos, and other large venues — 25% of the venue's rated occupancy, but no more than 3,000 people. 

-Health clubs will be allowed to host 25 people or 50% of their rated capacity (whichever is greater)

A state senator urged caution Thursday, saying the state still hasn’t reached the level of testing for the coronavirus that has been recommended before loosening restrictions.

“There are other states who have started to do this, and it would probably benefit us to be more cautious and see what their experience is until we stumble into another infection,” said Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha. The new rules are going to be hard to enforce, Lathrop predicted, especially because some people think the pandemic “is nonsense.”

Read the Governor's full DHM release HERE

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CONTACT-TRACING APPS ON THE RISE BUT FACE UPHILL BATTLE WITH PUBLIC

WASHINGTON - Apple and Google released software today that mobile-app developers can use to create contact-tracing apps for state and national governments. States have already poured millions of dollars into paying armies of public health workers to try to manually track the contacts of people who test positive for COVID.

A recent Washington Post-University of Maryland poll found that nearly 60 percent of Americans said they couldn’t or wouldn’t use apps designed using Apple's and Google's technology. With public wariness about surveillance high, the effectiveness of the apps seems likely to be limited.This type of technology hasn’t been used before, at least not for this purpose and at this scale, so it’s unproven to say the least. If it does work, it has the potential to slow the spread of the disease.

Apple and Google have been very firm about not gathering location data despite requests from states who think that’ll give them a better picture.

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COVID DAMAGE LONG LASTING TO BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES

WASHINGTON - Minority business owners say they’re struggling to stay afloat. Some 45 percent of black and Latino small business owners anticipate closing within six months, according to a poll released Monday by Global Strategy Group for the nonprofit and civil rights advocacy groups Color of Change and Unidos US. The survey of more than 500 minority business owners, black workers, and Latino workers found 51 percent of black and Latino small business owners applied for less than $20,000 in federal relief each. But just 12 percent say they received the full amount of assistance requested.

A Latino Decisions poll conducted for SOMOS, Unidos US, and MoveOn scheduled to be released Wednesday found 31 percent of U.S.-born Latinos, and 45 percent of immigrants did not receive a stimulus check.

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COVID-19 LEADS TO A 17% DROP IN EMISSIONS

WASHINGTON - Daily global carbon dioxide emissions fell as much as 17 percent in April compared with last year, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change on Tuesday. The study said annual global CO2 emissions would fall 4 percent for the year if social distancing efforts end in mid-June, or 7 percent if such restrictions remain in force through the end of 2020, Pro's Zack Colman reports. That range would reflect the largest single-year decline since World War II.

Most researchers agree that emissions are all but certain to bounce back once countries reopen. Already, demand for energy is resuming as people return to the roads and as many U.S. states begin easing stay-at-home orders that drove the price per gallon of gasoline to less than $1 at some pumps.

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NEBRASKA LATINO LEADERS ASK FOR MORE HELP FOR MEATPACKING WORKERS

OMAHA - Nebraska Latino leaders said coronavirus testing should be expanded, testing data should be transparent to the public and Gov. Pete Ricketts needs to meet with front-line workers.

Larry Bradley of the American G.I. Forum and a former USDA slaughterhouse inspector said, “Packinghouse workers should be treated as heroes for their sacrifice and what they’re doing for the whole community, the whole food industry, United States and the whole world.”

Nebraska has not released case data based on race, but Douglas County Health Director Adi Pour and officials with other health departments have said that minorities have been disproportionately affected because of the jobs they hold. In Douglas County, nearly half of confirmed positive cases are among Latinos, even though they make up about 12 percent of the population.

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RICKETTS ‘VERY PLEASED’ WITH TEST NEBRASKA DESPITE NOT MAKING TEST GOALS

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts said he’s “very pleased” with the state’s $27 million COVID-19 testing program even though TestNebraska is falling far short of meeting a goal of providing an average of 500 tests per site per day. On Tuesday, four mobile TestNebraska sites swabbed 1,197 coronavirus tests, which is about 300 tests per site.

The testing program, set up by a group of Utah high-tech firms, had set a goal of averaging 500 tests per site, and ramping up to 3,000 tests per day, at six mobile sites, by the end of May. However, TestNebraska may not meet that goal as up to 15% of those scheduled for testing are not showing up.

Ricketts said, “Certainly, you can find things that need to be improved — that happens in any operation. I want to continue to push the team for 3,000 tests per day.”

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COVID-19 WILL MEAN MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONIES TAKING ON A DIFFERENT LOOK THIS YEAR

SCOTTSBLUFF - In Scottsbluff County, Memorial Day services are traditionally held at a number of cemeteries, the West Nebraska Veterans Home, and other locations. However,County Veterans Service Officer John Brehm said that many of those ceremonies won’t be held this year.Some of the venues typically involved in ceremonies have prior limitations in place, such as the veterans' home and the cemeteries, aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Eldon Kramer, of the Gering American Legion Honor Guard, said a ceremony will be held on Monday, 10 a.m. at West Lawn Cemetery in Gering. Social distancing will be required. Kramer said members of the Honor Guard are planning to wear masks and Mary Bowman, of the American Legion, said that attendees are also requested to wear masks

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DOUGLAS COUNTY REPORTS ANOTHER 126 CASES OF COVID-19

OMAHA – An additional 126 people have tested positive in Douglas County. The Douglas County Health Department also reported that tests this week have come back positive at a rate of 11.4%, which represents a decline from recent weeks. In total, Douglas County has seen 2,841 cases since the outbreak started.

A total of 24 people with COVID-19 have died in Douglas County, and 514 people have recovered.

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UNL FREEZES PAY FOR EMPLOYEES, ANNOUNCES SOME REOPENING GUIDELINES

LINCOLN - Lost revenue and potential future impacts on state funding led UNL to freeze salaries for the year. Promotional increases — for faculty who gain or advance in tenure status, for example — will still be awarded.

Freezing salaries are expected to save $7 million for the 2020-21 fiscal year. NU administrators estimate COVID-19 could result in a $50 million fiscal hit across the university system and its campuses in Lincoln, Omaha, and Kearney.

Restrictions limiting who had access to campus buildings will be lifted beginning June 1, he said. Previously, only employees whose physical presence was necessary could enter campus buildings. The bookstore in the Nebraska Union on City Campus will open June 8 with limited hours, while the 24-hour computer lab will also open for students with an NCard.

UNL will begin installing hand sanitizer stations across campus, "with the goal of providing hand sanitizer in all buildings by August.

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