Compiled by Nyadenya Inyagwa

Arkansas Times (Arkansas)

Return to work or lose your unemployment benefits. States are getting tough.

The suggestion is that Donald Trump will favor states who take the hard line.The suggestion is that Donald Trump will favor states who take the hard line.

Austin Chronicle (Texas)

The Blanton’s #MuseumFromHome Offers Tours, Talks, and More From Its Collection Just cuz you’re at home doesn’t mean you can’t get some culture

The museum hosts Curated Conversations, live Q&A sessions with the Blanton staff via Zoom every Tuesday…Also live are downloadable coloring pages and the #ArtWhereYouAre Studio, a series of instructional at-home artmaking videos taught by Blanton educator Monique Piñon O’Neil.

Chicago Reader (Illinois)

INTERVIEW: Billy Helmkamp, co-owner of the Whistler and Sleeping Village 

“This is gonna devastate our industry. We were the first to close; we’re gonna be the last to reopen. A lot of venues aren’t gonna make it.”

City Beat (Ohio)

Airbnb Bans Guests from Throwing Parties in Cincinnati Rentals 

Airbnb says it will not allow “any type of party in Cincinnati until further notice,” and it will cooperate with Cincinnati Police into any investigations “relating to parties and violations of public health mandates.” While house parties may be out, Airbnb has been seeing its hosts offering thousands of places to stay across the globe for health care workers and those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis via its Airbnb’s Frontline Stays program.

Cleveland Scene (Ohio)

Early Data Shows Black People Are Being Disproportionally Arrested in Ohio for Social Distancing Violations

The state has also seen some of the most prominent protests against state stay-at-home orders, as large crowds gather on the statehouse steps to flout the directives. But the protesters, most of them white, have not faced arrest. Rather, in three large Ohio jurisdictions ProPublica examined, charges of violating the order appear to have fallen disproportionately on black people.

Coachella Valley Independent (California)

Pandemic Stories: The Living Desert Prepared for a Disaster; Now the Palm Desert Zoo Is Figuring Out How to Safely Reopen When It’s Time

These animals are here as ambassadors for their species, and we’ve got really strong commitments for their care. We have to make sure that we can accommodate those, no matter what the situation might be.”…Unfortunately, one of The Living Desert’s first actions was laying off about two-thirds of the park’s workforce, mostly guest-services personnel.

Creative Loafing (Florida)

The Florida Aquarium reopens to public on May 15, but reservations are required

“Currently there are no time restrictions, however we will continue to evaluate to ensure physical distancing,” German added.

DigBoston (Massachusetts)

Major newspapers should give back Facebook coronavirus grants

These execrable business practices hurt virtually all newspapers to some degree, but truly savaged the local independents. The optics were so bad that Facebook eventually felt the need to start a funding program for public relations purposes that pretended to help the news media it was busily trying to kill. Proffering mere millions of dollars to somehow make up for the hundreds of millions in former ad (and other) revenue that it continues to cart away from the dwindling number of surviving newspapers every year

Erie Reader (Pennsylvania)

The Ultimate Guide to Grocery Store Avoidance

In the age of social distancing, the routine trip to the grocery store has become something of a harrowing experience. It’s a claustrophobic, passive-aggressive game of keepaway with strangers in the toiletries aisle. It’s multiple fly-bys past a fast-dwindling meat case, in anticipation of that one perfect opening — and gods be good, they’ve spared you 14.5 ounces of farm-fresh haggis for your anniversary dinner. Delectable.

Eugene Weekly (Oregon)

Gov. Kate Brown Extends State of Emergency — What That Means A state of emergency is the ‘legal underpinning’ of Brown’s executive orders, Governor’s Office says

The state of emergency also allows Brown to make executive orders to tackle economic impacts related to COVID-19 social distancing, such as a moratorium on residential and commercial evictions. Those orders stay in effect by extending the declaration.

Gambit Weekly (Louisiana)

Dickie Brennan & Co. opens a facility already repurposed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus shutdown changed those plans and effectively flipped them. The Commissary opened April 30. With the group’s restaurants temporarily closed, the Commissary will start operations by supplying meals for home and also meals for those in need.

Icepeople (Svalbard)

Hurtigruten hopes to resume Svalbard cruises in late June/early July, return of large cruise lines unlikely this year

Given that Longyearbyen has essentially lost all tourism income since the pandemic hit (the only hotel open since quarantine restrictions were enacted reported a 99 percent drop in revenue in April compared to last year), the cruise/ferry company’s presence may at least give legitimate hope to local political and business leaders exploring ways to maximize the area’s appeal to domestic travellers since in-country travel may essentially be the only major activity in Norway this summer (and the highly-watched cruise around Svalbard on NRK’s “Minute-by-Minute” earlier this year may give the company’s sailings higher profile).

Inlander (Washington)

What will Northern Quest Resort & Casino look like when it reopens Tuesday?

“The casino is an essential business for the Kalipsel Tribe, and Indian gaming is essential to tribes,” Pierre says, noting that he’s been in touch with officials from the Coeur d’Alene tribe since it reopened last week. “It provides all the funding for our government — our police, our fire, medical, dental social services. It provides all the funding for that. Without it, we can’t operate.”

Isthmus (Wisconsin)

When the virus breaks After a trip to New Orleans, Madison couple among the first in Dane County to test positive for the coronavirus

Feeling better, the couple heard about ways to help aid coronavirus research. They were the first to participate in a study by UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and UW Health that is testing the effectiveness of using plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient to treat someone seriously ill from the disease.  

Jackson Free Press (Mississippi)

2020 Session to Reconvene Thursday, Legislators Release Plan to Help Small Businesses

Legislative leadership is also working now on establishing protocol for working within and visiting the Capitol as shelter-in-place restrictions begin to be lifted.

Lansing City Pulse (Michigan)

Universities provide online sexual assault counseling

Northern is still reaching out with the same email and resources, but now it offers to meet over the phone, Zoom or in person while practicing social distancing if a student wishes. Greer said many students do choose to meet.

LEO Weekly (Kentucky)

National lockdown and 5G: Why coronavirus misinformation spreads easily

Fostering their suspicion is that scientists do not fully understand the virus yet and, therefore, they have changed their recommendations for how to protect ourselves against it.

Little Village (Iowa)

Reynolds says Iowa is in ‘the recovery phase of COVID-19’ as it sees its highest one-day death toll from the virus

Even though cases of COVID-19 have been reported at half of the state’s 18 meat processing plants, only one other plant met IDPH’s definition of an outbreak.

Memphis Flyer (Tennessee) 

Navigating Addiction and Recovery in Quarantine

“So, all the fellowships are seeing it. All the casinos are closed now, what about the gambling addicts? Is it a flip of the coin, literally, for a gambler — ‘do I go to an online meeting or an online gambling site?’”

Monterey County NOW (California)

Doctor denied green card while treating Covid-19 patients

Dr. Julia Iafrate is a sponsored immigrant volunteering to help save the lives of coronavirus patients in the ICU, and says she was denied a green card despite her extensive credentials.

Orlando Weekly (Florida)

Privacy is disappearing faster than we realize, and the coronavirus isn’t helping

Or, what if there was a global pandemic, and a company you’d never heard of revealed a map of cellphone locations showing that you hadn’t been doing your part to stay away from others and slow the spread of the deadly virus? Could that become enforceable? Could you be fined? Publicly shamed?

Pittsburgh City Paper (Pennsylvania)

Pittsburgh International Airport sees the light with ultraviolet robotic clean-up crew

The robots are designed to avoid running into passengers and objects blocking their path and can be piloted manually if needed.

While the effects of UVC on COVID-19 are not yet known, reports have shown that the method can kill other forms of the coronavirus, including severe acute respiratory syndrome, more commonly known as SARS.

Pittsburgh Current (Pennsylvania)

State Officials Urge Pennsylvanians To ‘Apply Today’ For Mail-In Ballots For June 2 Primary Election

Pennsylvanians have until May 18 to register to vote in Pennsylvania’s June 2 primary. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the primary is May 26 by 5 p.m. 

Random Lengths News (California)

Spanish “Flu” Reaches Town on Schedule, Public Meetings Taboo and Halls and Churches Ordered Closed

No theater may open its doors after 6 o’clock this evening. The same rule applies to churches. Public meetings of any sort are forbidden. This spoils an entertainment and dance that the Knights of Columbus had planned for tonight In Liberty Auditorium, at which Joseph Scott was to be the speaker. 

The Reader (Nebraska)

Six Confirmed COVID-19 Cases at Open Door Mission

After the tests were confirmed Friday, 30 members of the National Guard tested 84 percent of the staff and residents on campus at 23rd Street East and East Locust Street. The shelter, which has a 917-bed capacity, is now awaiting those results as they prepare more quarantine areas.

The River (New York)

Mutual Aid to the Rescue

“We quickly grew to over 300 volunteers and 500 people,” says Silverman. The group is now serving food, providing emotional support, and doing prescription pickups for about 475 people a week.

Rochester City Newspaper (New York)

Hudson Valley Political Events ‘Zoombombed’ With Racist Comments, Child Pornography Virtual town halls by Rockland County Congressional candidates Mondaire Jones and Evelyn Farkas were targeted by online trolls last week

The issue of Zoombombing came to the Hudson Valley this week, when intruders played child pornography during a virtual town hall hosted by Congressional candidate Mondaire Jones.

Sacramento News & Review (California)

Bracing for financial impact

However, the Sacramento city attorney’s office informed Steinberg at the meeting that it needed more time to complete its legal research. District 3 Councilman Jeff Harris mentioned he’d received a letter outlining concerns from the Sacramento Association of Realtors about banning evictions. Without elaborating, Harris asked city attorneys to read it while they were finishing their research.

Santa Fe Reporter (New Mexico)

For Native College Students, Online Classes Could be a Deal Breaker Spotty internet in Indian Country is just one hurdle to true connectivity

The percentage of households with broadband is lower in New Mexico than any state or territory except Mississippi and Puerto Rico, according to a November, 2019 report by the state Legislative Finance Committee.

Santa Barbara Independent (California)

Santa Barbara County To Begin Reopening Economy County Creeps Closer Towards Opening Certain Retail Businesses

She estimated there to be about 300 stakeholders involved from sectors like educational institutions, faith institutions, lodging and hotels, agriculture, building and development, the beverage and restaurant industries, and others. Although there will be time for public input soon, she said the roundtable discussions are informal and not subject to the Brown Act, therefore most discussions are not required to be open to the public.

Seven Days (Vermont)

South Burlington Aircraft Firm Turns Attention to Ventilators

The AutoVENT, one of several mechanical ventilators invented by Vermonters in recent months, is now undergoing emergency review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

SLO New Times (California)

Pandemic slows down Santa Maria affordable housing project

“It has been challenging of course with COVID and not being able to meet with people face to face with the regularity we normally would,” Riggs said. “So we’ve had to do things on the telephone, via email, via online, via fax.”

Despite this change, Riggs said the authority hasn’t experienced a slowdown in the number of people applying to live in the apartments. 

Source Weekly (Oregon)

Are We Ready To Reopen? 

The governor will decide whether to approve Deschutes County’s proposal to open restaurants, salons and retail stores next Friday

The Stranger (Washington)

Artists Talk About the Uncertain Future of Live Music Members of Death Cab for Cutie, Shabazz Palaces, and Tacocat weigh in on what they think is going to happen.

“”It’s going to be like this: You get an app or a subscription like Netflix, but for concerts,” says Butler. “And those who own the platform will pay artists for their content. So, instead of live venues there will be studios where the artist plays, records, and is seen playing and recording, and sells what they have shown and made.”

Toledo City Paper (Ohio)

LEADERSHIP IN THE AGE OF COVID-19: WHO WILL TAKE THE REINS IN CITY POLITICS?

The turnout in Lucas County was around sixteen point seven per cent, which is a record low for a recent Presidential primary.  

Triad City Beat (North Carolina)

Honda Aircraft lays off 204 contract workers, one tested positive for COVID-19

Several weeks before the worker had tested positive, the statement said, Honda Aircraft Co. had already implemented cleaning and sanitizing all its facilities multiple times a day. 

Volume One (Michigan)

During a Pandemic, Doctors and Nurses Are Essential Workers. So Are Those of Us in Grocery Stores

My job? I never thought my job was very important, but now I know that it’s essential. I’m a grocery store worker, and I am on the front lines of the coronavirus.

Washington City Paper (Washington, DC)

D.C. Council Pulls Provision That Would Have Compelled Insurers to Pay Up

“While we’d have a good argument, it’s not a slam dunk and the insurance companies would have a good argument.”

Willamette Week (Oregon)

Frontline Workers Need Their Jobs the Most. They’re Also the Most Likely to Get Sick When the State Reopens. These service industry workers are disproportionately people of color.

Instead, they’ll let service workers test the waters first.

BONUS

Cleveland Scene: Record Store Day Postponed to Three Separate Dates, With the First in Late August

Record Store Day Drops of quantities of select exclusives will happen in phases on Aug. 29, Sept. 26 and Oct. 24.