WASHINGTON (AP) — Weighing the risks, the Senate reopened on Monday as the coronavirus crisis rages and the House stays shuttered, an approach that leaves Congress as divided as the nation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to convene 100 senators at the Capitol during a pandemic gives President Donald Trump the imagery he wants of America getting back to work, despite health worries and a lack of testing.

Yet, the Washington region remains under stay-at-home orders as a virus hot spot. Gathering senators for the first time since March risks lawmakers as well the cooks, cleaners, police officers and other workers who keep the lights on at the Capitol complex.

“We will continue to stand together for the American people — even as we stand 6 feet apart,” McConnell said ahead of the opening.

Trump himself offered Congress access to the instant virus test system used to screen visitors to the White House. But in an extraordinary rebuff, McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Saturday that they would “respectfully decline” the offer and instead direct resources to the front lines “where they can do the most good.”

For Senate Republicans, returning to session is an attempt to set the terms of debate as Democrats push for another pricey coronavirus relief bill. Frustrated after Pelosi boosted Democratic priorities in earlier aid packages, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f7927456d58b4c29c843252506685e02">unprecedented $3 trillion&nbsp;</a>in emergency spending, they are resisting more. Republicans are counting on the country’s reopening and an economic rebound as their best hope to limit a new round of big spending on virus aid.

As the Senate gavels in and the 430-member House stays away on the Capitol physician’s advice, the Congress provides a snapshot of divided America struggling to confront the COVID-19 crisis. Some states are reopening, others are staying closed and questions abound.

Senators face few new rules for operating in the pandemic beyond the recommendations that they wear masks — blue face coverings will be available for free — keep their distance and leave most staff at home. Hand sanitizer is back in stock. But public access will be limited, including at public hearings. The Capitol itself remains closed to visitors and tours.

Democrats complain they are returning to a noticeably light agenda, packed with confirmation hearings for Trump’s judicial and executive branch nominees, but with little emphasis on the pandemic and Great Depression-level economic collapse.

“Democrats are going to fight like hell,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on a conference call with Latino leaders. “We’re going to make sure people have enough money to live and get back on their feet.”

In making his snap decision to return, McConnell said the Senate cannot “sit on the sidelines.” He compared the senators to the essential work force of grocery clerks, truck drivers and others keeping Americans fed during the crisis.

But Capitol Hill erupted in the days after the attending physician, facing questions from top GOP officials, said the health office did not have the means to perform instant virus tests on returning lawmakers.

“There is tremendous CoronaVirus testing capacity in Washington for the Senators returning to Capital Hill on Monday,” Trump tweeted.

Ninety minutes later, Health Secretary Alex Azar tweeted that the administration would be sending three machines and 1,000 virus tests to Capitol Hill.

In the rare joint statement, the congressional leaders said Congress will use the existing protocols from the Capitol physician “until these speedier technologies become more widely available.”

Hours later Trump tweeted a response that insulted Pelosi but didn’t mention McConnell: “No reason to turn it down, except politics. We have plenty of testing. Maybe you need a new Doctor over there. Crazy Nancy will use it as an excuse not to show up to work!”

The haphazard approach — to testing, health guidelines and the broader reopening — is what Democrats say is inadequate in the Republican response to the crisis.

With more than 65,000 U.S. deaths due to the virus and 30 million Americans suddenly unemployed, Democratic senators say the focus needs to be singular — to ease this crisis and prevent a second wave of infections.

“If we’re going to go back, let’s do something about COVID,” Schumer said.

Instead, the agenda is focused on the president’s nominees. Among them is Justin Walker, a conservative, McConnell-backed pick to be a federal judge on the U.S. Courts of Appeal in the District of Columbia Circuit, which is seen as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.

A nomination hearing also is scheduled for John Ratcliffe, the Texas Republican congressman who is Trump’s choice to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Several committees will meet to debate issues related to the virus outbreak, including the nominee for a new oversight commission. The Health Committee will hold a session on potential cures and the Commerce Committee a hearing on the airline industry.

Yet as much as the world has changed during the global pandemic, the Senate remains a place of traditions.

Republican senators still plan to sit down for their regular luncheons, though the physician’s social distancing guidance limits them to three to a table. It was after one of their lunches in March that several senators went into self-quarantine because of their exposure to fellow GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tested positive.

Democrats, who will meet for lunch over conference call, are assessing whether to appear in person for the committee hearings or dial in remotely.

The physician’s office sent guidelines late Friday encouraging Senate offices to minimize staff presence and reschedule any visitors who are visibly ill with “shaking chills” or “vomiting.”

Politically, operating the Senate even in a diminished capacity aligns with Trump’s effort to return to a sense of normalcy.

It also draws a stark contrast with Pelosi’s House, its return date uncertain. Trump has mocked House Democrats as enjoying a “vacation.”

Republicans worry that support for Trump is drifting as he responds to the coronavirus, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e8f52f811364b38e4bf02ba0225e1a48">drag on the GOP&nbsp;</a>that threatens McConnell’s majority. Confronting his own reelection in fall, McConnell is eager to show the Senate is working.

Drawing GOP senators back to Washington, McConnell can more directly involve them in the new round of deliberations.

“I look forward to seeing my colleagues on Monday,” he said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588625034610.png" alt="U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black wore gloves and no mask during his opening prayer in the Senate Chamber Monday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black wore gloves and no mask during his opening prayer in the Senate Chamber Monday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Weighing the risks, the Senate reopened on Monday as the coronavirus crisis rages and the House stays shuttered, an approach that leaves Congress as divided as the nation.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to convene 100 senators at the Capitol during a pandemic gives President Donald Trump the imagery he wants of America getting back to work, despite health worries and a lack of testing.Yet, the Washington region remains under stay-at-home orders as a virus hot spot. Gathering senators for the first time since March risks lawmakers as well the cooks, cleaners, police officers and other workers who keep the lights on at the Capitol complex.“We will continue to stand together for the American people — even as we stand 6 feet apart,” McConnell said ahead of the opening.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588625064258.png" alt="Senate staff, most wearing masks, during opening moments of the Monday's business-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senate staff, most wearing masks, during opening moments of the Monday's business-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump himself offered Congress access to the instant virus test system used to screen visitors to the White House. But in an extraordinary rebuff, McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Saturday that they would “respectfully decline” the offer and instead direct resources to the front lines “where they can do the most good.”For Senate Republicans, returning to session is an attempt to set the terms of debate as Democrats push for another pricey coronavirus relief bill. Frustrated after Pelosi boosted Democratic priorities in earlier aid packages, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f7927456d58b4c29c843252506685e02">unprecedented $3 trillion&nbsp;</a>in emergency spending, they are resisting more. Republicans are counting on the country’s reopening and an economic rebound as their best hope to limit a new round of big spending on virus aid.As the Senate gavels in and the 430-member House stays away on the Capitol physician’s advice, the Congress provides a snapshot of divided America struggling to confront the COVID-19 crisis. Some states are reopening, others are staying closed and questions abound.Senators face few new rules for operating in the pandemic beyond the recommendations that they wear masks — blue face coverings will be available for free — keep their distance and leave most staff at home. Hand sanitizer is back in stock. But public access will be limited, including at public hearings. The Capitol itself remains closed to visitors and tours.Democrats complain they are returning to a noticeably light agenda, packed with confirmation hearings for Trump’s judicial and executive branch nominees, but with little emphasis on the pandemic and Great Depression-level economic collapse.“Democrats are going to fight like hell,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on a conference call with Latino leaders. “We’re going to make sure people have enough money to live and get back on their feet.”In making his snap decision to return, McConnell said the Senate cannot “sit on the sidelines.” He compared the senators to the essential work force of grocery clerks, truck drivers and others keeping Americans fed during the crisis.But Capitol Hill erupted in the days after the attending physician, facing questions from top GOP officials, said the health office did not have the means to perform instant virus tests on returning lawmakers.On Saturday, Trump stepped in.“There is tremendous CoronaVirus testing capacity in Washington for the Senators returning to Capital Hill on Monday,” Trump tweeted.Ninety minutes later, Health Secretary Alex Azar tweeted that the administration would be sending three machines and 1,000 virus tests to Capitol Hill.In the rare joint statement, the congressional leaders said Congress will use the existing protocols from the Capitol physician “until these speedier technologies become more widely available.”Hours later Trump tweeted a response that insulted Pelosi but didn’t mention McConnell: “No reason to turn it down, except politics. We have plenty of testing. Maybe you need a new Doctor over there. Crazy Nancy will use it as an excuse not to show up to work!”The haphazard approach — to testing, health guidelines and the broader reopening — is what Democrats say is inadequate in the Republican response to the crisis.With more than 65,000 U.S. deaths due to the virus and 30 million Americans suddenly unemployed, Democratic senators say the focus needs to be singular — to ease this crisis and prevent a second wave of infections.“If we’re going to go back, let’s do something about COVID,” Schumer said.Instead, the agenda is focused on the president’s nominees. Among them is Justin Walker, a conservative, McConnell-backed pick to be a federal judge on the U.S. Courts of Appeal in the District of Columbia Circuit, which is seen as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.A nomination hearing also is scheduled for John Ratcliffe, the Texas Republican congressman who is Trump’s choice to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.Several committees will meet to debate issues related to the virus outbreak, including the nominee for a new oversight commission. The Health Committee will hold a session on potential cures and the Commerce Committee a hearing on the airline industry.Yet as much as the world has changed during the global pandemic, the Senate remains a place of traditions.Republican senators still plan to sit down for their regular luncheons, though the physician’s social distancing guidance limits them to three to a table. It was after one of their lunches in March that several senators went into self-quarantine because of their exposure to fellow GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tested positive.Democrats, who will meet for lunch over conference call, are assessing whether to appear in person for the committee hearings or dial in remotely.The physician’s office sent guidelines late Friday encouraging Senate offices to minimize staff presence and reschedule any visitors who are visibly ill with “shaking chills” or “vomiting.”Politically, operating the Senate even in a diminished capacity aligns with Trump’s effort to return to a sense of normalcy.It also draws a stark contrast with Pelosi’s House, its return date uncertain. Trump has mocked House Democrats as enjoying a “vacation.”Republicans worry that support for Trump is drifting as he responds to the coronavirus, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e8f52f811364b38e4bf02ba0225e1a48">drag on the GOP&nbsp;</a>that threatens McConnell’s majority. Confronting his own reelection in fall, McConnell is eager to show the Senate is working.Drawing GOP senators back to Washington, McConnell can more directly involve them in the new round of deliberations.“I look forward to seeing my colleagues on Monday,” he said in a statement.

Back in session: Senate risks a return but House stays away

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 215 to a total of 5245, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 215 to a total of 5245, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 136<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588612157775.png" alt="May 4, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 4, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a morning of firsts for the Supreme Court, the&nbsp;<a href="http://appodcasts.com/virtual-justice-supreme-court-allows-phone-arguments/" target="_blank">first time audio</a>&nbsp;of the court’s arguments can be heard live by the world and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6ef92c67a26a3bca985ca76c3d414eac">first arguments by telephone</a>.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471417-1/supreme-court-oral-argument-patent-trademark-office-v-bookingcom">Click here </a>to listen to a replay of Monday's oral arguments.

<a href="https://apnews.com/19b82f029dcb760dc7f0c644472192fb">The changes</a>&nbsp;are a result of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>, which has made holding courtroom sessions unsafe, especially with six justices aged 65 or older and at risk of getting seriously sick from the virus.

The historic session began at the usual time of 10 a.m. EDT, when Marshal Pamela Talkin called the court to order and Chief Justice John Roberts announced the day’s case.

“Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!” Talkin began, dropping the words commanding people “to draw near” to reflect the unusual circumstances.

Arguments, scheduled to last an hour as they would generally in the courtroom, ran 17 minutes long, but without serious problems. The justices asked roughly two questions apiece at a time, and Roberts occasionally interjected to keep things moving.

And there was one mild surprise: Justice Clarence Thomas asked questions for the first time in more than a year.

Several justices said “good morning” to the lawyers, a telephone nicety not often heard in the courtroom. The justices also did not interrupt each other, as they frequently do in court, and instead took turns asking questions.

The court’s plaza, normally bustling on the mornings of arguments, was deserted Monday, as it has been since the building was closed to the public in mid-March because of the virus outbreak. Two months of arguments were postponed before the court decided to hear 10 cases over six days in May.

<a href="https://apnews.com/b6f1a7b77b2f8d0d6f0d0c416d9f8454">The experiment</a>&nbsp;could propel the court to routinely livestream its arguments. Or it could just be an extraordinary exception to the court’s sustained opposition to broadening the audience that can hear, if not see, its work live.

Cases that will be heard over the next two weeks include President Donald Trump’s effort to shield tax and other financial records and whether presidential electors have to cast their Electoral College ballots for the candidate who wins the popular vote in their state.

The court chose a somewhat obscure case about whether the travel website Booking.com can trademark its name for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/fd1da7f539b1f244196fefc3d570a19d">its first foray into remote arguments</a>. The lawyers on both sides are well known to the justices and experienced in arguing before the nation’s highest court.

Justice Department lawyer Erica Ross, who once served as a law clerk to Justice Elena Kagan, was first up. She last argued at the court in late February. She delivered this Supreme Court argument, her sixth, from a Justice Department conference room.

She was followed by Lisa Blatt, a onetime government lawyer who will be arguing her 40th Supreme Court case. Blatt will be at her Washington-area home, she told The Washington Post.

She is known for her colorful writing and speaking style and for her ability to engage in a healthy give and take with the justices. She was also a prominent liberal supporter of Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8234f0b8a6194d8b89ff79f9b0c94f35">contentious Senate confirmation hearings</a>&nbsp;for the Supreme Court.

Blatt, representing Booking.com, got Justice Sonia Sotomayor to laugh out loud when she told the justice, “It looks like we would have lost if you were the trial judge.”

Each lawyer got two uninterrupted minutes to make an opening statement, after which Roberts kicked off the questioning. After that, the justices asked questions in order of seniority. Kavanaugh, who joined the court in 2018, went last.

The court sometimes issues opinions at the start of argument sessions, with the justice who wrote for the majority reading a summary of the opinion and, more rarely, a second justice summarizing a dissent. But in another change wrought by the virus outbreak, opinions are being posted online without any statements from justices. The court will next issue opinions on Thursday.

The session ended as it always does in the courtroom. Roberts said, “The case is submitted.”

Talkin followed: “The honorable court is now adjourned until tomorrow at 10 o’clock.”

The live session session was scheduled to last until approximately 10a.m. CDT.

The historic session began at the usual time of 10 a.m. EDT, when Marshal Pamela Talkin called the court to order and Chief Justice John Roberts announced the day’s case. Arguments are scheduled to last an hour as they would generally in the courtroom.

Justice Department lawyer Erica Ross, who once served as a law clerk to Justice Elena Kagan, was first up. She last argued at the court in late February. She’s planning to deliver this Supreme Court argument, her sixth, from a Justice Department conference room.

She will be followed by Lisa Blatt, a onetime government lawyer who will be arguing her 40th Supreme Court case. Blatt will be at her Washington-area home, she told The Washington Post.

Each lawyer will get two uninterrupted minutes to make an opening statement, after which Roberts will kick off the questioning. After that, the justices will ask questions in order of seniority, although the longest-serving justice, Clarence Thomas, almost never questions lawyers. Kavanaugh, who joined the court in 2018, will go last.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571309298669.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a morning of firsts for the Supreme Court, the&nbsp;<a href="http://appodcasts.com/virtual-justice-supreme-court-allows-phone-arguments/" target="_blank">first time audio</a>&nbsp;of the court’s arguments can be heard live by the world and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6ef92c67a26a3bca985ca76c3d414eac">first arguments by telephone</a>.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471417-1/supreme-court-oral-argument-patent-trademark-office-v-bookingcom">Click here </a>to listen to a replay of Monday's oral arguments.<a href="https://apnews.com/19b82f029dcb760dc7f0c644472192fb">The changes</a>&nbsp;are a result of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>, which has made holding courtroom sessions unsafe, especially with six justices aged 65 or older and at risk of getting seriously sick from the virus.The historic session began at the usual time of 10 a.m. EDT, when Marshal Pamela Talkin called the court to order and Chief Justice John Roberts announced the day’s case.“Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!” Talkin began, dropping the words commanding people “to draw near” to reflect the unusual circumstances.Arguments, scheduled to last an hour as they would generally in the courtroom, ran 17 minutes long, but without serious problems. The justices asked roughly two questions apiece at a time, and Roberts occasionally interjected to keep things moving.And there was one mild surprise: Justice Clarence Thomas asked questions for the first time in more than a year.Several justices said “good morning” to the lawyers, a telephone nicety not often heard in the courtroom. The justices also did not interrupt each other, as they frequently do in court, and instead took turns asking questions.The court’s plaza, normally bustling on the mornings of arguments, was deserted Monday, as it has been since the building was closed to the public in mid-March because of the virus outbreak. Two months of arguments were postponed before the court decided to hear 10 cases over six days in May.<a href="https://apnews.com/b6f1a7b77b2f8d0d6f0d0c416d9f8454">The experiment</a>&nbsp;could propel the court to routinely livestream its arguments. Or it could just be an extraordinary exception to the court’s sustained opposition to broadening the audience that can hear, if not see, its work live.Cases that will be heard over the next two weeks include President Donald Trump’s effort to shield tax and other financial records and whether presidential electors have to cast their Electoral College ballots for the candidate who wins the popular vote in their state.The court chose a somewhat obscure case about whether the travel website Booking.com can trademark its name for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/fd1da7f539b1f244196fefc3d570a19d">its first foray into remote arguments</a>. The lawyers on both sides are well known to the justices and experienced in arguing before the nation’s highest court.Justice Department lawyer Erica Ross, who once served as a law clerk to Justice Elena Kagan, was first up. She last argued at the court in late February. She delivered this Supreme Court argument, her sixth, from a Justice Department conference room.She was followed by Lisa Blatt, a onetime government lawyer who will be arguing her 40th Supreme Court case. Blatt will be at her Washington-area home, she told The Washington Post.She is known for her colorful writing and speaking style and for her ability to engage in a healthy give and take with the justices. She was also a prominent liberal supporter of Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8234f0b8a6194d8b89ff79f9b0c94f35">contentious Senate confirmation hearings</a>&nbsp;for the Supreme Court.ADVERTISEMENTBlatt, representing Booking.com, got Justice Sonia Sotomayor to laugh out loud when she told the justice, “It looks like we would have lost if you were the trial judge.”Each lawyer got two uninterrupted minutes to make an opening statement, after which Roberts kicked off the questioning. After that, the justices asked questions in order of seniority. Kavanaugh, who joined the court in 2018, went last.The court sometimes issues opinions at the start of argument sessions, with the justice who wrote for the majority reading a summary of the opinion and, more rarely, a second justice summarizing a dissent. But in another change wrought by the virus outbreak, opinions are being posted online without any statements from justices. The court will next issue opinions on Thursday.The session ended as it always does in the courtroom. Roberts said, “The case is submitted.”Talkin followed: “The honorable court is now adjourned until tomorrow at 10 o’clock.”___WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a morning of firsts for the Supreme Court, the&nbsp;<a href="http://appodcasts.com/virtual-justice-supreme-court-allows-phone-arguments/" target="_blank">first time audio</a>&nbsp;of the court’s arguments can be heard live by the world and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6ef92c67a26a3bca985ca76c3d414eac">first arguments by telephone</a>.The live session session was scheduled to last until approximately 10a.m. CDT.<a href="https://apnews.com/19b82f029dcb760dc7f0c644472192fb">The changes</a>&nbsp;are a result of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>, which has made holding courtroom sessions unsafe, especially with six justices aged 65 or older and at risk of getting seriously sick from the virus.The historic session began at the usual time of 10 a.m. EDT, when Marshal Pamela Talkin called the court to order and Chief Justice John Roberts announced the day’s case. Arguments are scheduled to last an hour as they would generally in the courtroom.“Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!” Talkin began, dropping the words commanding people “to draw near” to reflect the unusual circumstances.The court’s plaza, normally bustling on the mornings of arguments, was deserted Monday, as it has been since the building was closed to the public in mid-March because of the virus outbreak. Two months of arguments were postponed before the court decided to hear 10 cases over six days in May.<a href="https://apnews.com/b6f1a7b77b2f8d0d6f0d0c416d9f8454">The experiment</a>&nbsp;could propel the court to routinely livestream its arguments. Or it could just be an extraordinary exception to the court’s sustained opposition to broadening the audience that can hear, if not see, its work live.Cases that will be heard over the next two weeks include President Donald Trump’s effort to shield tax and other financial records and whether presidential electors have to cast their Electoral College ballots for the candidate who wins the popular vote in their state.The court chose a somewhat obscure case about whether the travel website Booking.com can trademark its name for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/fd1da7f539b1f244196fefc3d570a19d">its first foray into remote arguments</a>. The lawyers on both sides are well known to the justices and experienced in arguing before the nation’s highest court.Justice Department lawyer Erica Ross, who once served as a law clerk to Justice Elena Kagan, was first up. She last argued at the court in late February. She’s planning to deliver this Supreme Court argument, her sixth, from a Justice Department conference room.She will be followed by Lisa Blatt, a onetime government lawyer who will be arguing her 40th Supreme Court case. Blatt will be at her Washington-area home, she told The Washington Post.She is known for her colorful writing and speaking style and for her ability to engage in a healthy give and take with the justices. She was also a prominent liberal supporter of Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8234f0b8a6194d8b89ff79f9b0c94f35">contentious Senate confirmation hearings</a>&nbsp;for the Supreme Court.Each lawyer will get two uninterrupted minutes to make an opening statement, after which Roberts will kick off the questioning. After that, the justices will ask questions in order of seniority, although the longest-serving justice, Clarence Thomas, almost never questions lawyers. Kavanaugh, who joined the court in 2018, will go last.The court sometimes issues opinions at the start of argument sessions, with the justice who wrote for the majority reading a summary of the opinion and, more rarely, a second justice summarizing a dissent. But in another change wrought by the virus outbreak, opinions are being posted online without any statements from justices. The court will next issue opinions on Thursday.

🎤 History: Supreme Court holds 1st arguments by phone

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident and have made an arrest.

A 1997 Mazda 2300 pickup driven by Wesley Spragg, 38, Salina, was westbound on Old Highway 40 at North Marymount Road just after 5a.m. Sunday, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

The vehicle traveled onto the shoulder and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle crossed the highway and rolled into the south ditch.

Spragg left the scene on foot, but was located by deputies nearby and arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; Felony DUI, Driving while suspended, Possession of marijuana, Possession of paraphernalia, Leaving the scene of an accident and Obstruction, according to Soldan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588599673055.jpeg" alt="Spragg&nbsp;Photo&nbsp; Saline County&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Spragg&nbsp;Photo&nbsp; Saline County&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident and have made an arrest.A 1997 Mazda 2300 pickup driven by Wesley Spragg, 38, Salina, was westbound on Old Highway 40 at North Marymount Road just after 5a.m. Sunday, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588605832499.jpeg" alt="Weekend crash scene -Photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Weekend crash scene -Photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The vehicle traveled onto the shoulder and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle crossed the highway and rolled into the south ditch.Spragg left the scene on foot, but was located by deputies nearby and arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; Felony DUI, Driving while suspended, Possession of marijuana, Possession of paraphernalia, Leaving the scene of an accident and Obstruction, according to Soldan.

Kan. man jailed after he walks away from rollover crash

By
NICK GOSNELL,&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch
Post</a>


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Kansas voters still do not need documentary proof of citizenship 
to register to vote. The claims of the ACLU were once again found to be 
valid by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals last week.

"In the 
prior 10 years, only 39 non-citizens had ever successfully registered 
to vote, none of them actually, in fact, voted," said KU Law Professor 
Lumen "Lou" Mulligan. "That represented .002% of Kansas voters. These 
are all the facts as found by the federal courts. After then Secretary 
of State Kobach enacted these new regulations 31,000 people were found 
to be ineligible to vote. The trial court found that well over 99% of 
those 31,000 people were indeed citizens. The courts found that the 
number would have been higher, but for the fact that the trial court 
issued preliminary injunctions early in the case and that this 31,000 
number represented 12.4% of all newly registered voters."

The 
court affirmed that the policy was a violation of the federal motor 
voter act and a violation of the equal protection clause of the U.S. 
Constitution. 

"The test is one of balancing," Mulligan said. "You
 need to balance the injury to citizens on their right to vote versus 
the legitimate state interest in protecting the integrity of the vote. 
The court said, on these facts, not a hard call."

The decision is 
binding to the states under the 10th Circuit, including Kansas, 
Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588604317484.jpeg" alt="KU Law Professor Lou Mulligan" />
 <figcaption>KU Law Professor Lou Mulligan</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL,&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch
Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Kansas voters still do not need documentary proof of citizenship 
to register to vote. The claims of the ACLU were once again found to be 
valid by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals last week."In the 
prior 10 years, only 39 non-citizens had ever successfully registered 
to vote, none of them actually, in fact, voted," said KU Law Professor 
Lumen "Lou" Mulligan. "That represented .002% of Kansas voters. These 
are all the facts as found by the federal courts. After then Secretary 
of State Kobach enacted these new regulations 31,000 people were found 
to be ineligible to vote. The trial court found that well over 99% of 
those 31,000 people were indeed citizens. The courts found that the 
number would have been higher, but for the fact that the trial court 
issued preliminary injunctions early in the case and that this 31,000 
number represented 12.4% of all newly registered voters."The 
court affirmed that the policy was a violation of the federal motor 
voter act and a violation of the equal protection clause of the U.S. 
Constitution. "The test is one of balancing," Mulligan said. "You
 need to balance the injury to citizens on their right to vote versus 
the legitimate state interest in protecting the integrity of the vote. 
The court said, on these facts, not a hard call."The decision is 
binding to the states under the 10th Circuit, including Kansas, 
Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.

KU prof: Ruling affirms injunctions against proof-of-citizenship law

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash and have identified the victim as 67-year-old Bruce Reed of Wichita.

Just after 3:15 p.m. Sunday, a Hyundai Tuscon driven by a 66-year-old woman was southbound on Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. The Hyundai struck a westbound Chevy Malibu driven by a 65-year-old woman at East 2nd Street.

EMS transported Reed, who was a rear-passenger in the Malibu, to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

EMS transported both drivers to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to Wheeler.

Police released no additional details including the name's of the drivers early Monday.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash and have identified the victim as 67-year-old Bruce Reed of Wichita.Just after 3:15 p.m. Sunday, a Hyundai Tuscon driven by a 66-year-old woman was southbound on Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. The Hyundai struck a westbound Chevy Malibu driven by a 65-year-old woman at East 2nd Street.EMS transported Reed, who was a rear-passenger in the Malibu, to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.EMS transported both drivers to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to Wheeler.Police released no additional details including the name's of the drivers early Monday.

Police ID Kansas man who died in Sunday crash

TOPEKA, Kansas – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced Monday that one staff member working at Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) tested positive for COVID-19, according to a media release.

This is the sixth KDOC facility with confirmed cases, including Lansing Correctional Facility, Wichita Work Release Facility, Topeka Correctional Facility, Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex and El Dorado Correctional Facility.

The staff member is a male over the age of 50. In order to protect the identity of the staff member, no other information will be released.

The KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address these circumstances. As a result of that consultation with KDHE, the following steps are being implemented immediately:

“With this being the first-reported case in Ellsworth County, I want to reassure the community that we will be diligent in our efforts to mitigate the effects this virus has on our staff and population,” Zmuda said. “We are working very closely with KDHE and will continue to follow their guidance on the best ways to manage a virus like COVID-19 within the prison setting.”

The Ellsworth Correctional Facility opened in 1988. Serving only males, the Central Unit provides housing for 820 multi-custody residents and the East Unit provides housing for 95 minimum-custody residents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588601090961.png" alt="Ellsworth Correctional Facility-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Ellsworth Correctional Facility-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kansas – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced Monday that one staff member working at Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) tested positive for COVID-19, according to a media release.This is the sixth KDOC facility with confirmed cases, including Lansing Correctional Facility, Wichita Work Release Facility, Topeka Correctional Facility, Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex and El Dorado Correctional Facility.The staff member is a male over the age of 50. In order to protect the identity of the staff member, no other information will be released.The KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address these circumstances. As a result of that consultation with KDHE, the following steps are being implemented immediately:<ol>
 <li>KDHE conducted contact tracing to determine who among our staff and residents have been in close contact with this individual</li><li>The Ellsworth County Health Department conducted contact tracing to identify anyone outside of ECF who may have been in close contact with this individual and will notify those persons</li><li>KDOC will remain diligent in monitoring other staff and residents for symptoms</li>
 </ol>“With this being the first-reported case in Ellsworth County, I want to reassure the community that we will be diligent in our efforts to mitigate the effects this virus has on our staff and population,” Zmuda said. “We are working very closely with KDHE and will continue to follow their guidance on the best ways to manage a virus like COVID-19 within the prison setting.”The Ellsworth Correctional Facility opened in 1988. Serving only males, the Central Unit provides housing for 820 multi-custody residents and the East Unit provides housing for 95 minimum-custody residents.

6th Kan. correctional facility reports case of coronavirus

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A shootout in Kansas left both a police officer and a hit-and-run suspect dead, authorities said.

Overland Park police Officer Mike Mosher died at a hospital Sunday evening, Police Chief Frank Donchez said. Mosher was off-duty but in uniform when he saw an apparent hit-and-run and pursued the suspect, which led to a shootout, police spokesman Officer John Lacy told news outlets.

The suspect died at the scene, Donchez said. Police didn’t immediately release a name. An interagency Johnson County team tasked with investigating police shootings will handle the case, the police chief said.

Police didn’t immediately say what led to the exchange of gunfire.

Mosher had been with the Overland Park department for nearly 15 years, and was named officer of the year in 2019. He is survived by a wife and daughter.

“But I know that I speak for Mike when I say that he was proud to be a police officer. It’s all he ever wanted to do. He loved what he did,” Donchez said, adding that Mosher was good at his job.

The police department had not lost an officer in the line of duty since 1985, news outlets reported Lacy said.

Mosher’s death “is a tragic reminder of the enormous debt of gratitude we owe the men and women in law enforcement for protecting our communities,” Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement.”

Overland Park is near the Missouri state line and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588588773753.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation Sunday -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation Sunday -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A shootout in Kansas left both a police officer and a hit-and-run suspect dead, authorities said.Overland Park police Officer Mike Mosher died at a hospital Sunday evening, Police Chief Frank Donchez said. Mosher was off-duty but in uniform when he saw an apparent hit-and-run and pursued the suspect, which led to a shootout, police spokesman Officer John Lacy told news outlets.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOverlandParkPoliceDepartment%2Fposts%2F1617384548415439%3A0&width=500" width="500" height="752" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>The suspect died at the scene, Donchez said. Police didn’t immediately release a name. An interagency Johnson County team tasked with investigating police shootings will handle the case, the police chief said.Police didn’t immediately say what led to the exchange of gunfire.Mosher had been with the Overland Park department for nearly 15 years, and was named officer of the year in 2019. He is survived by a wife and daughter.“But I know that I speak for Mike when I say that he was proud to be a police officer. It’s all he ever wanted to do. He loved what he did,” Donchez said, adding that Mosher was good at his job.The police department had not lost an officer in the line of duty since 1985, news outlets reported Lacy said.Mosher’s death “is a tragic reminder of the enormous debt of gratitude we owe the men and women in law enforcement for protecting our communities,” Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement.”Overland Park is near the Missouri state line and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.--------OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A shootout in Kansas left both a police officer and a hit-and-run suspect dead, authorities said.Overland Park police Officer Mike Mosher died at a hospital Sunday evening, Police Chief Frank Donchez said. Mosher was off-duty but in uniform when he saw an apparent hit-and-run and pursued the suspect, which led to a shootout, police spokesman Officer John Lacy told news outlets.The suspect died at the scene, Donchez said. Police didn’t immediately release a name. An interagency Johnson County team tasked with investigating police shootings will handle the case, the police chief said.Police didn’t immediately say what led to the exchange of gunfire.Mosher had been with the Overland Park department for nearly 15 years, and was named officer of the year in 2019. He is survived by a wife and daughter.“But I know that I speak for Mike when I say that he was proud to be a police officer. It’s all he ever wanted to do. He loved what he did,” Donchez said, adding that Mosher was good at his job.The police department had not lost an officer in the line of duty since 1985, news outlets reported Lacy said.Overland Park is near the Missouri state line and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Update: Shootout leaves Kansas officer, suspect dead 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shuttered retailers, dine-in restaurants and offices in some parts of Kansas are reopening Monday as Gov. Laura Kelly gradually begins lifting the state’s stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Social distancing still must be observed, and masks are strongly encouraged under the first reopening phase. Many businesses, including bars, gyms, theaters, barbershops, hair and nail salons or state-owned casinos, must remain closed until the second phase, which is expected to begin on May 18. That’s when the 10-person mass gathering limit will begin to gradually increase, rising to 30 until June 1 and 90 until June 15.

Churches, however, will be exempted from the mass-gathering rules, although worshipers must spread out and not pass collection plates.

There will be no immediate change in some counties, including hard-hit Johnson and Wyandotte in the Kansas City area. Kelly’s order allows local officials to set their own stricter rules, and both of those counties chose to keep stay-at-home orders in effect for another week.

The Democratic governor has been under pressure from the Republican-controlled Legislature to lift restrictions as unemployment claims soar and tax revenues drop.

Kelly described her plan last week as an effort to balance “non-negotiable public health considerations with jaw-dropping, unsustainable economic realities.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588352476511.png" alt="Kansas Governor Larua Kelly during her televised address April 30" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Larua Kelly during her televised address April 30</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shuttered retailers, dine-in restaurants and offices in some parts of Kansas are reopening Monday as Gov. Laura Kelly gradually begins lifting the state’s stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus outbreak.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588351991326.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Social distancing still must be observed, and masks are strongly encouraged under the first reopening phase. Many businesses, including bars, gyms, theaters, barbershops, hair and nail salons or state-owned casinos, must remain closed until the second phase, which is expected to begin on May 18. That’s when the 10-person mass gathering limit will begin to gradually increase, rising to 30 until June 1 and 90 until June 15.Churches, however, will be exempted from the mass-gathering rules, although worshipers must spread out and not pass collection plates.There will be no immediate change in some counties, including hard-hit Johnson and Wyandotte in the Kansas City area. Kelly’s order allows local officials to set their own stricter rules, and both of those counties chose to keep stay-at-home orders in effect for another week.The Democratic governor has been under pressure from the Republican-controlled Legislature to lift restrictions as unemployment claims soar and tax revenues drop.Kelly described her plan last week as an effort to balance “non-negotiable public health considerations with jaw-dropping, unsustainable economic realities.”

Kansas takes first step toward reopening its economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials believe China covered up the extent of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus outbreak</a>&nbsp;— and how contagious the disease is — to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show.

Chinese leaders “intentionally concealed the severity” of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland Security intelligence report dated May 1 and obtained by The Associated Press. The revelation comes as the Trump administration has intensified its criticism of China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that that country was responsible for the spread of disease and must be held accountable.

The sharper rhetoric coincides with administration critics saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6a8f85aad99607f313cca6ab1398e04d">the government’s response to the virus was slow</a>&nbsp;and inadequate. President Donald Trump’s political opponents have accused him of lashing out at China, a geopolitical foe but critical U.S. trade partner, in an attempt to deflect criticism at home.

Not classified but marked “for official use only,” the DHS analysis states that, while downplaying the severity of the coronavirus, China increased imports and decreased exports of medical supplies. It attempted to cover up doing so by “denying there were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of its trade data,” the analysis states.

The report also says China held off informing the World Health Organization that the coronavirus “was a contagion” for much of January so it could order medical supplies from abroad — and that its imports of face masks and surgical gowns and gloves increased sharply.

Those conclusions are based on the 95% probability that China’s changes in imports and export behavior were not within normal range, according to the report.

China informed the WHO of the outbreak on Dec. 31. It contacted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Jan. 3 and publicly identified the pathogen as a novel coronavirus on Jan. 8.

Chinese officials muffled doctors who warned about the virus early on and repeatedly downplayed the threat of the outbreak. However, many of the Chinese government’s missteps appear to have been due to bureaucratic hurdles, tight controls on information and officials hesitant to report bad news. There is no public evidence to suggest it was an intentional plot to buy up the world’s medical supplies.

In a tweet on Sunday, the president appeared to blame U.S. intelligence officials for not making clearer sooner just how dangerous a potential coronavirus outbreak could be. Trump has been defensive over whether he failed to act after receiving early warnings from intelligence officials and others about the coronavirus and its potential impact.

“Intelligence has just reported to me that I was correct, and that they did NOT bring up the CoronaVirus subject matter until late into January, just prior to my banning China from the U.S.,” Trump wrote without citing specifics. “Also, they only spoke of the Virus in a very non-threatening, or matter of fact, manner.”

Trump had previously speculated that China may have unleashed the coronavirus due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c9499f7b8ab2ae7097c8588f1ccdddea">some kind of horrible “mistake.”</a>&nbsp;His intelligence agencies say they are still examining a notion put forward by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab.

Speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Pompeo said he had no reason to believe that the virus was deliberately spread. But he added, “Remember, China has a history of infecting the world, and they have a history of running substandard laboratories.”

“These are not the first times that we’ve had a world exposed to viruses as a result of failures in a Chinese lab,” Pompeo said. “And so, while the intelligence community continues to do its work, they should continue to do that, and verify so that we are certain, I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan.”

The secretary of state appeared to be referring to previous outbreaks of respiratory viruses, like SARS, which started in China. His remark may be seen as offensive in China. Still, Pompeo repeated the same assertion hours later, via a tweet Sunday afternoon.

Experts say the virus arose naturally in bats, and make it clear that they believe it wasn’t human-made. Many virologists say the chance that the outbreak was caused by a lab accident is very low, though scientists are still working to determine a point at which it may have jumped from animals to humans.

Beijing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/887c6ae4116951bb9bc7375e3dc8b158">has repeatedly pushed back</a>&nbsp;on U.S. accusations that the outbreak was China’s fault, pointing to many missteps made by American officials in their own fight against the outbreak. China’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9">public announcement on Jan. 20</a>&nbsp;that the virus was transmissible from person to person left the U.S. nearly two months to prepare for the pandemic, during which the U.S. government failed to bolster medical supplies and deployed flawed testing kits.

“The U.S. government has ignored the facts, diverted public attention and engaged in buck-passing in an attempt to shirk its responsibility for incompetence in the fight against the epidemic,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586382948325.png" alt="Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greets President Trump during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing last month -White House image" />
 <figcaption>Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greets President Trump during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing last month -White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials believe China covered up the extent of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus outbreak</a>&nbsp;— and how contagious the disease is — to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show.Chinese leaders “intentionally concealed the severity” of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland Security intelligence report dated May 1 and obtained by The Associated Press. The revelation comes as the Trump administration has intensified its criticism of China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that that country was responsible for the spread of disease and must be held accountable.The sharper rhetoric coincides with administration critics saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6a8f85aad99607f313cca6ab1398e04d">the government’s response to the virus was slow</a>&nbsp;and inadequate. President Donald Trump’s political opponents have accused him of lashing out at China, a geopolitical foe but critical U.S. trade partner, in an attempt to deflect criticism at home.Not classified but marked “for official use only,” the DHS analysis states that, while downplaying the severity of the coronavirus, China increased imports and decreased exports of medical supplies. It attempted to cover up doing so by “denying there were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of its trade data,” the analysis states.The report also says China held off informing the World Health Organization that the coronavirus “was a contagion” for much of January so it could order medical supplies from abroad — and that its imports of face masks and surgical gowns and gloves increased sharply.Those conclusions are based on the 95% probability that China’s changes in imports and export behavior were not within normal range, according to the report.China informed the WHO of the outbreak on Dec. 31. It contacted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Jan. 3 and publicly identified the pathogen as a novel coronavirus on Jan. 8.Chinese officials muffled doctors who warned about the virus early on and repeatedly downplayed the threat of the outbreak. However, many of the Chinese government’s missteps appear to have been due to bureaucratic hurdles, tight controls on information and officials hesitant to report bad news. There is no public evidence to suggest it was an intentional plot to buy up the world’s medical supplies.In a tweet on Sunday, the president appeared to blame U.S. intelligence officials for not making clearer sooner just how dangerous a potential coronavirus outbreak could be. Trump has been defensive over whether he failed to act after receiving early warnings from intelligence officials and others about the coronavirus and its potential impact.“Intelligence has just reported to me that I was correct, and that they did NOT bring up the CoronaVirus subject matter until late into January, just prior to my banning China from the U.S.,” Trump wrote without citing specifics. “Also, they only spoke of the Virus in a very non-threatening, or matter of fact, manner.”Trump had previously speculated that China may have unleashed the coronavirus due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c9499f7b8ab2ae7097c8588f1ccdddea">some kind of horrible “mistake.”</a>&nbsp;His intelligence agencies say they are still examining a notion put forward by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab.Speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Pompeo said he had no reason to believe that the virus was deliberately spread. But he added, “Remember, China has a history of infecting the world, and they have a history of running substandard laboratories.”“These are not the first times that we’ve had a world exposed to viruses as a result of failures in a Chinese lab,” Pompeo said. “And so, while the intelligence community continues to do its work, they should continue to do that, and verify so that we are certain, I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan.”The secretary of state appeared to be referring to previous outbreaks of respiratory viruses, like SARS, which started in China. His remark may be seen as offensive in China. Still, Pompeo repeated the same assertion hours later, via a tweet Sunday afternoon.Experts say the virus arose naturally in bats, and make it clear that they believe it wasn’t human-made. Many virologists say the chance that the outbreak was caused by a lab accident is very low, though scientists are still working to determine a point at which it may have jumped from animals to humans.Beijing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/887c6ae4116951bb9bc7375e3dc8b158">has repeatedly pushed back</a>&nbsp;on U.S. accusations that the outbreak was China’s fault, pointing to many missteps made by American officials in their own fight against the outbreak. China’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9">public announcement on Jan. 20</a>&nbsp;that the virus was transmissible from person to person left the U.S. nearly two months to prepare for the pandemic, during which the U.S. government failed to bolster medical supplies and deployed flawed testing kits.“The U.S. government has ignored the facts, diverted public attention and engaged in buck-passing in an attempt to shirk its responsibility for incompetence in the fight against the epidemic,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday.___

Report: China hid coronavirus' severity to hoard supplies

RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man who was sentenced to life in prison will see his case go before the Kansas Supreme Court on Monday.

Thirty-five-year-old Quinton Moore of Hutchison was sentenced to prison after a conviction of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 42-year-old Clarence Allen in September of 2017. Under the sentence, Moore won't be eligible for parole for 51 1/2 years.

Allen was found shot multiple times at home in his bed in the 1700 block of East 30th in Hutchinson. Moore fled the scene of the shooting but was taken into custody. Under Miranda, Moore admitted to the shooting. Moore had been Allen's on-again, off-again roommate before the shooting.

In his appeal, Moore contends the district court erred by denying his motion to suppress his confession and his request for a voluntary intoxication jury instruction. Moore also claims the state committed a reversible error during closing argument and that those cumulative errors denied him a fair trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588538074492.png" alt="Moore is being held in the Lansing Correctional Facility, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Moore is being held in the Lansing Correctional Facility, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY — A Kansas man who was sentenced to life in prison will see his case go before the Kansas Supreme Court on Monday.Thirty-five-year-old Quinton Moore of Hutchison was sentenced to prison after a conviction of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 42-year-old Clarence Allen in September of 2017. Under the sentence, Moore won't be eligible for parole for 51 1/2 years.Allen was found shot multiple times at home in his bed in the 1700 block of East 30th in Hutchinson. Moore fled the scene of the shooting but was taken into custody. Under Miranda, Moore admitted to the shooting. Moore had been Allen's on-again, off-again roommate before the shooting.In his appeal, Moore contends the district court erred by denying his motion to suppress his confession and his request for a voluntary intoxication jury instruction. Moore also claims the state committed a reversible error during closing argument and that those cumulative errors denied him a fair trial.

Court will review case of Kan. man who murdered sleeping roommate

NEW YORK (AP) — Faced with 20,000 coronavirus deaths and counting, the nation’s nursing homes are pushing back against a potential flood of lawsuits with a sweeping lobbying effort to get states to grant them emergency protection from claims of inadequate care.

At least 15 states have enacted laws or governors’ orders that explicitly or apparently provide nursing homes and long-term care facilities some protection from lawsuits arising from the crisis. And in the case of New York, which leads the nation in deaths in such facilities, a lobbying group wrote the first draft of a measure that apparently makes it the only state with specific protection from both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution.

Now the industry is forging ahead with a campaign to get other states on board with a simple argument: This was an unprecedented crisis and nursing homes should not be liable for events beyond their control, such as shortages of protective equipment and testing, shifting directives from authorities, and sicknesses that have decimated staffs.

“As our care providers make these difficult decisions, they need to know they will not be prosecuted or persecuted,” read a letter sent this month from several major hospital and nursing home groups to their next big goal, California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to make a decision. Other states in their sights include Florida, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Watchdogs, patient advocates and lawyers argue that immunity orders are misguided. At a time when the crisis is laying bare such chronic industry problems as staffing shortages and poor infection control, they say legal liability is the last safety net to keep facilities accountable.

They also contend nursing homes are taking advantage of the crisis to protect their bottom lines. Almost 70% of the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes are run by for-profit companies, and hundreds have been bought and sold in recent years by private-equity firms.

“What you’re really looking at is an industry that always wanted immunity and now has the opportunity to ask for it under the cloak of saying, ‘Let’s protect our heroes,’” said Mike Dark, an attorney for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

“This has very little to do with the hard work being done by health care providers,” he said, “and everything to do with protecting the financial interests of these big operators.”

Nowhere have the industry’s efforts played out more starkly than in New York, which has about a fifth of the nation’s known nursing home and long-term care deaths and has had at least seven facilities with outbreaks of 40 deaths or more, including one home in Manhattan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0e8c1c97df30f81321fdc114437f268f">that reported&nbsp;</a>

New York’s immunity law signed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo was drafted by the Greater New York Hospital Association, an influential lobbying group for both hospitals and nursing homes that donated more than $1 million to the state Democratic Party in 2018 and has pumped more than $7 million into lobbying over the past three years.

While the law covering both hospital and nursing care workers doesn’t cover intentional misconduct, gross negligence and other such acts, it makes clear those exceptions don’t include “decisions resulting from a resource or staffing shortage.”

Cuomo’s administration said the measure was a necessary part of getting the state’s entire health care apparatus to work together to respond to the crisis.

“It was a decision made on the merits to help ensure we had every available resource to save lives,” said Rich Azzopardi, a senior advisor to Cuomo. “Suggesting any other motivation is simply grotesque.”

Nationally, the lobbying effort is being led by the American Health Care Association, which represents nearly all of the nation’s nursing homes and has spent $23 million on lobbying efforts in the past six years.

Other states that have emergency immunity measures are Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts; Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Their provisions vary but largely apply to injuries, deaths and care decisions, sometimes even to property damage. But there are limitations: Most make exceptions for gross negligence and willful misconduct, and they generally apply only during the emergency.

Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy is troubled that homes are getting legal protections while family members aren’t being allowed to visit and routine government inspections have been scaled back.

“Nobody is looking at what’s happening,” she said, adding that immunity declarations could make even gross or willful negligence suits harder since homes could argue any deficiencies were somehow tied to the pandemic.

“Everything can’t be blamed on COVID-19. Other things can happen that are terrible,” she said. “Just to say we’re in this pandemic so anything goes, that seems too far.”

Among the situations for which lawyers say nursing homes should be held to account: Homes that flouted federal guidelines to screen workers, cut off visitations and end group activities; those that failed to inform residents and relatives of an outbreak; those that disregarded test results; and homes like one in California, where at least a dozen employees did not show up for work for two straight days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/55f8d0158d97de75cf138a6ba8198204">prompting residents to be evacuated</a>.

“Just because you have a pandemic doesn’t mean you give a pass on people exercising common sense,” said Dr. Roderick Edmond, an Atlanta lawyer representing families suing over COVID-19 deaths in an assisted-living facility.

“If you take the power of suing away from the families, then anything goes,” said Stella Kazantzas whose husband died in a Massachusetts nursing home with the same owners as the home hit by the nation’s first such outbreak near Seattle, which killed 43 people.

“They already knew in Washington how quickly this would spread,” she said. “They should have taken extreme measures, sensible measures. And they were not taken.”

While the federal government has yet to release numbers on how the coronavirus has ravaged the industry, The Associated Press has been keeping its own tally based on state health departments and media reports, finding 20,058 deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities nationwide.

All the new immunity laws notwithstanding, there is a potential wave of lawsuits coming. Illinois lawyer Steven Levin said he’s received dozens of calls from people considering suing homes over the outbreak. Florida lawyer Michael Brevda said his firm gets 10 to 20 calls a day. And a lawyer in Massachusetts said he’s gotten maybe 70 from families with relatives at homes struck by the virus.

“We’re getting inundated,” said David Hoey, whose practice near Boston has been suing homes for 25 years. “They’re grieving and they’re confused. … ‘My loved one just died from COVID. What can I do?’”

American Health Care Association CEO Mark Parkinson said the notion of lawyers gearing up for lawsuits in the “middle of a battle to save the elderly” is “pathetic” and doesn’t consider the hardships nursing home workers have endured.

“The second-guessing of people after a tragedy, if those people did the best that they could under the circumstances, is just wrong,” said Jim Cobb, the New Orleans attorney who successfully defended nursing home owners charged in the deaths of 35 residents who drowned in Hurricane Katrina.

“There’s a lot to be said for someone acting in good faith in the face of a natural disaster and state of emergency, and they should have criminal immunity.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585657534018.png" alt="Life Care Center of Burlington, Kansas reported dozens of coronavirus infections among residents and staff. One resident with the virus was the 10th&nbsp; reported death in Kansas from the virus. Google image" />
 <figcaption>Life Care Center of Burlington, Kansas reported dozens of coronavirus infections among residents and staff. One resident with the virus was the 10th&nbsp; reported death in Kansas from the virus. Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Faced with 20,000 coronavirus deaths and counting, the nation’s nursing homes are pushing back against a potential flood of lawsuits with a sweeping lobbying effort to get states to grant them emergency protection from claims of inadequate care.At least 15 states have enacted laws or governors’ orders that explicitly or apparently provide nursing homes and long-term care facilities some protection from lawsuits arising from the crisis. And in the case of New York, which leads the nation in deaths in such facilities, a lobbying group wrote the first draft of a measure that apparently makes it the only state with specific protection from both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution.Now the industry is forging ahead with a campaign to get other states on board with a simple argument: This was an unprecedented crisis and nursing homes should not be liable for events beyond their control, such as shortages of protective equipment and testing, shifting directives from authorities, and sicknesses that have decimated staffs.“As our care providers make these difficult decisions, they need to know they will not be prosecuted or persecuted,” read a letter sent this month from several major hospital and nursing home groups to their next big goal, California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to make a decision. Other states in their sights include Florida, Pennsylvania and Missouri.Watchdogs, patient advocates and lawyers argue that immunity orders are misguided. At a time when the crisis is laying bare such chronic industry problems as staffing shortages and poor infection control, they say legal liability is the last safety net to keep facilities accountable.They also contend nursing homes are taking advantage of the crisis to protect their bottom lines. Almost 70% of the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes are run by for-profit companies, and hundreds have been bought and sold in recent years by private-equity firms.“What you’re really looking at is an industry that always wanted immunity and now has the opportunity to ask for it under the cloak of saying, ‘Let’s protect our heroes,’” said Mike Dark, an attorney for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.“This has very little to do with the hard work being done by health care providers,” he said, “and everything to do with protecting the financial interests of these big operators.”Nowhere have the industry’s efforts played out more starkly than in New York, which has about a fifth of the nation’s known nursing home and long-term care deaths and has had at least seven facilities with outbreaks of 40 deaths or more, including one home in Manhattan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0e8c1c97df30f81321fdc114437f268f">that reported&nbsp;</a>New York’s immunity law signed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo was drafted by the Greater New York Hospital Association, an influential lobbying group for both hospitals and nursing homes that donated more than $1 million to the state Democratic Party in 2018 and has pumped more than $7 million into lobbying over the past three years.While the law covering both hospital and nursing care workers doesn’t cover intentional misconduct, gross negligence and other such acts, it makes clear those exceptions don’t include “decisions resulting from a resource or staffing shortage.”Cuomo’s administration said the measure was a necessary part of getting the state’s entire health care apparatus to work together to respond to the crisis.“It was a decision made on the merits to help ensure we had every available resource to save lives,” said Rich Azzopardi, a senior advisor to Cuomo. “Suggesting any other motivation is simply grotesque.”Nationally, the lobbying effort is being led by the American Health Care Association, which represents nearly all of the nation’s nursing homes and has spent $23 million on lobbying efforts in the past six years.Other states that have emergency immunity measures are Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts; Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.Their provisions vary but largely apply to injuries, deaths and care decisions, sometimes even to property damage. But there are limitations: Most make exceptions for gross negligence and willful misconduct, and they generally apply only during the emergency.Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy is troubled that homes are getting legal protections while family members aren’t being allowed to visit and routine government inspections have been scaled back.“Nobody is looking at what’s happening,” she said, adding that immunity declarations could make even gross or willful negligence suits harder since homes could argue any deficiencies were somehow tied to the pandemic.“Everything can’t be blamed on COVID-19. Other things can happen that are terrible,” she said. “Just to say we’re in this pandemic so anything goes, that seems too far.”Among the situations for which lawyers say nursing homes should be held to account: Homes that flouted federal guidelines to screen workers, cut off visitations and end group activities; those that failed to inform residents and relatives of an outbreak; those that disregarded test results; and homes like one in California, where at least a dozen employees did not show up for work for two straight days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/55f8d0158d97de75cf138a6ba8198204">prompting residents to be evacuated</a>.“Just because you have a pandemic doesn’t mean you give a pass on people exercising common sense,” said Dr. Roderick Edmond, an Atlanta lawyer representing families suing over COVID-19 deaths in an assisted-living facility.“If you take the power of suing away from the families, then anything goes,” said Stella Kazantzas whose husband died in a Massachusetts nursing home with the same owners as the home hit by the nation’s first such outbreak near Seattle, which killed 43 people.“They already knew in Washington how quickly this would spread,” she said. “They should have taken extreme measures, sensible measures. And they were not taken.”While the federal government has yet to release numbers on how the coronavirus has ravaged the industry, The Associated Press has been keeping its own tally based on state health departments and media reports, finding 20,058 deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities nationwide.All the new immunity laws notwithstanding, there is a potential wave of lawsuits coming. Illinois lawyer Steven Levin said he’s received dozens of calls from people considering suing homes over the outbreak. Florida lawyer Michael Brevda said his firm gets 10 to 20 calls a day. And a lawyer in Massachusetts said he’s gotten maybe 70 from families with relatives at homes struck by the virus.“We’re getting inundated,” said David Hoey, whose practice near Boston has been suing homes for 25 years. “They’re grieving and they’re confused. … ‘My loved one just died from COVID. What can I do?’”American Health Care Association CEO Mark Parkinson said the notion of lawyers gearing up for lawsuits in the “middle of a battle to save the elderly” is “pathetic” and doesn’t consider the hardships nursing home workers have endured.“The second-guessing of people after a tragedy, if those people did the best that they could under the circumstances, is just wrong,” said Jim Cobb, the New Orleans attorney who successfully defended nursing home owners charged in the deaths of 35 residents who drowned in Hurricane Katrina.“There’s a lot to be said for someone acting in good faith in the face of a natural disaster and state of emergency, and they should have criminal immunity.”

Faced with 20,000 dead, care homes seek shield from lawsuits

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on drug distribution allegations.&nbsp;

Just after 8:30 a.m. Friday, the Wichita Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team executed a search warrant at a room at the Afton Motel, 855 South Broadway, regarding an ongoing narcotics investigation, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Police located 32-year-old Sterling Flemming inside and arrested him&nbsp; without further incident.&nbsp; During the investigation, officers recovered crack cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a handgun, ammunition, and cash.

He is being held on requested charges that include&nbsp;possession of narcotics with the intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana with the intent to sell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588364728529.png" alt="Flemming photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Flemming photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on drug distribution allegations.&nbsp;Just after 8:30 a.m. Friday, the Wichita Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team executed a search warrant at a room at the Afton Motel, 855 South Broadway, regarding an ongoing narcotics investigation, according to officer Charley Davidson.Police located 32-year-old Sterling Flemming inside and arrested him&nbsp; without further incident.&nbsp; During the investigation, officers recovered crack cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a handgun, ammunition, and cash.He is being held on requested charges that include&nbsp;possession of narcotics with the intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana with the intent to sell.

SWAT team helps arrest alleged Kan. drug dealer

For millions of people around the world dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, sleep brings no relief.

The horrors of COVID-19, and the surreal and frightening ways it has upended daily life, are infecting dreams and exposing feelings of fear, loss, isolation and grief that transcend culture, language and national boundaries.

Everyone from a college teacher in Pakistan to a mall cashier in Canada to an Episcopalian priest in Florida is confronting the same daytime demon. Each is waking up in a sweat in the dead of night.

Experts say humanity has rarely experienced “collective dreaming” on such a broad scale in recorded history — and certainly never while also being able to share those nightmares in real time.

“It’s that alarming feeling of when you wake up and think, ‘Thank heavens I woke up,’” said Holly Smith, an elementary school librarian in Detroit. “Once it hits your dreams, you think, ‘Great, now I can’t even escape there.’”

The psychological toll is staggering, particularly for health care workers whose dreams show similarities to those of combat veterans and 9/11 responders, said Deirdre Barrett, a Harvard University professor who is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B8S75CN" target="_blank">surveying</a>&nbsp;COVID dreamers worldwide. She has collected 6,000 dream samples from about 2,400 people.

So many people are sharing accounts of dreams online that there’s a Twitter account dedicated to gathering them in a virtual library under the handle “I Dream of COVID.”

“As far as I know, no one has dream samples from the flu pandemic of 1918 — and that would probably be the most comparable thing,” said Barrett, who has studied the dreams of 9/11 survivors and British prisoners of war in World War II. “Now we just all have our smartphones by our bed, so you can just reach over and speak it or type it down. Recording our dreams has never been easier.”

The dreams are also exposing what is bothering us the most about the pandemic. The themes seem universal.

Dreams of a safe place suddenly overtaken by the virus speak to contagion’s terrifying invisibility, says Cathy Caruth, a professor at Cornell University who has studied trauma for 30 years. Pandemic dreams, she says, are reminiscent of the experience of Hiroshima survivors, who worried about invisible radiation exposure, and also of some nightmares described by Vietnam veterans.

“They seem to be in part about things that are hard to grasp, what it means that anybody can be a threat and you can be a threat to everybody,” Caruth said.

Episcopalian priest Mary Alice Mathison dreamed 500 people showed up for a funeral in her church and wouldn’t go home. Other dreams underscore that no one knows how the pandemic will end. In those, the dreamer wakes with a start before learning how it turned out.

Ashley Trevino is still trying to process one terrifying dream. The 24-year-old barista is out of work due to the pandemic and was spooked when officials announced the first COVID-19 death in her central Texas county.

A few days later, she dreamed she and her girlfriend were in line to enter a dark, metal warehouse where they’d be injected with the new coronavirus by government workers wearing Hazmat suits. Fluorescent lights in the parking lot cast an eerie glow as she watched her partner get the shot and gasp for breath. Then she got the shot, too.

“I watched her kind of collapse against the wall and while I was trying to fight the effects of it and not pass out myself, I was like ... ‘Is she dead now?’”

Trevino woke up whimpering. She immediately felt an impulse to share her nightmare with someone — anyone — and tweeted it to the world from her bed.

In Pakistan’s Punjab province, a college literature teacher described dreaming she was one of only 100 people left on the planet who didn’t have COVID-19. The infected population had gained political control and was chasing the uninfected “so the world would become the same for everyone,” said Roha Rafiq, 28.

Rafiq is terrified for her elderly father, who insists on going to prayers every day despite a cough and a stay-at-home order. “I think,” she said in a Twitter direct message, “this anxiety has given me this dream.”

According to Barrett, many people dream they are sick with COVID-19 or of being overcome by what seem to be stand-ins for the virus: swarms of bugs, slithering worms, witches, grasshoppers with fangs. Others dream of being in crowded public places without a mask or proper social distancing.

Still others dream of losing control. In one such dream, the dreamer was held down by infected people who coughed on her. In another, the dreamer came across bands of people shooting at random strangers.

Most are lower-level anxiety dreams, not trauma-induced nightmares. But that changes dramatically for frontline health workers, Barrett says.

“The health care providers are the ones who look like a trauma population. They are having flat-out nightmares that reenact the things they’re experiencing and … they all have the theme that ‘I am responsible for saving this person’s life and I’m not succeeding and this person is about to die,’” she said.

“And when they dream about their child or parent getting it, for the care providers there’s always the next step in the dream where they realize ... ‘I gave it to them.’”

Even the simple, unadorned dreams — far from the drama of the ICU — seem poignant right now. Some people dream of getting a hug, attending a party, getting a haircut, going to the library.

Lauren Nickols, 30, an avid reader, stocked up on library books before Ohio’s stay-at-home order. Now her supply is running low. She recently dreamed her dresser was piled with books. She found the dream reassuring, but a reminder of the mundane things that have been lost.

“I guess it’s a bit of a sense of shared community, but it’s also really sad that we’re all missing things. It really shows you all the things you do without realizing it,” she says. “And now that you can’t, it’s a shock to the system.”

By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated PressFor millions of people around the world dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, sleep brings no relief.The horrors of COVID-19, and the surreal and frightening ways it has upended daily life, are infecting dreams and exposing feelings of fear, loss, isolation and grief that transcend culture, language and national boundaries.Everyone from a college teacher in Pakistan to a mall cashier in Canada to an Episcopalian priest in Florida is confronting the same daytime demon. Each is waking up in a sweat in the dead of night.Experts say humanity has rarely experienced “collective dreaming” on such a broad scale in recorded history — and certainly never while also being able to share those nightmares in real time.“It’s that alarming feeling of when you wake up and think, ‘Thank heavens I woke up,’” said Holly Smith, an elementary school librarian in Detroit. “Once it hits your dreams, you think, ‘Great, now I can’t even escape there.’”The psychological toll is staggering, particularly for health care workers whose dreams show similarities to those of combat veterans and 9/11 responders, said Deirdre Barrett, a Harvard University professor who is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B8S75CN" target="_blank">surveying</a>&nbsp;COVID dreamers worldwide. She has collected 6,000 dream samples from about 2,400 people.So many people are sharing accounts of dreams online that there’s a Twitter account dedicated to gathering them in a virtual library under the handle “I Dream of COVID.”“As far as I know, no one has dream samples from the flu pandemic of 1918 — and that would probably be the most comparable thing,” said Barrett, who has studied the dreams of 9/11 survivors and British prisoners of war in World War II. “Now we just all have our smartphones by our bed, so you can just reach over and speak it or type it down. Recording our dreams has never been easier.”The dreams are also exposing what is bothering us the most about the pandemic. The themes seem universal.Dreams of a safe place suddenly overtaken by the virus speak to contagion’s terrifying invisibility, says Cathy Caruth, a professor at Cornell University who has studied trauma for 30 years. Pandemic dreams, she says, are reminiscent of the experience of Hiroshima survivors, who worried about invisible radiation exposure, and also of some nightmares described by Vietnam veterans.“They seem to be in part about things that are hard to grasp, what it means that anybody can be a threat and you can be a threat to everybody,” Caruth said.Episcopalian priest Mary Alice Mathison dreamed 500 people showed up for a funeral in her church and wouldn’t go home. Other dreams underscore that no one knows how the pandemic will end. In those, the dreamer wakes with a start before learning how it turned out.Ashley Trevino is still trying to process one terrifying dream. The 24-year-old barista is out of work due to the pandemic and was spooked when officials announced the first COVID-19 death in her central Texas county.A few days later, she dreamed she and her girlfriend were in line to enter a dark, metal warehouse where they’d be injected with the new coronavirus by government workers wearing Hazmat suits. Fluorescent lights in the parking lot cast an eerie glow as she watched her partner get the shot and gasp for breath. Then she got the shot, too.“I watched her kind of collapse against the wall and while I was trying to fight the effects of it and not pass out myself, I was like ... ‘Is she dead now?’”Trevino woke up whimpering. She immediately felt an impulse to share her nightmare with someone — anyone — and tweeted it to the world from her bed.In Pakistan’s Punjab province, a college literature teacher described dreaming she was one of only 100 people left on the planet who didn’t have COVID-19. The infected population had gained political control and was chasing the uninfected “so the world would become the same for everyone,” said Roha Rafiq, 28.Rafiq is terrified for her elderly father, who insists on going to prayers every day despite a cough and a stay-at-home order. “I think,” she said in a Twitter direct message, “this anxiety has given me this dream.”According to Barrett, many people dream they are sick with COVID-19 or of being overcome by what seem to be stand-ins for the virus: swarms of bugs, slithering worms, witches, grasshoppers with fangs. Others dream of being in crowded public places without a mask or proper social distancing.Still others dream of losing control. In one such dream, the dreamer was held down by infected people who coughed on her. In another, the dreamer came across bands of people shooting at random strangers.Most are lower-level anxiety dreams, not trauma-induced nightmares. But that changes dramatically for frontline health workers, Barrett says.“The health care providers are the ones who look like a trauma population. They are having flat-out nightmares that reenact the things they’re experiencing and … they all have the theme that ‘I am responsible for saving this person’s life and I’m not succeeding and this person is about to die,’” she said.“And when they dream about their child or parent getting it, for the care providers there’s always the next step in the dream where they realize ... ‘I gave it to them.’”Even the simple, unadorned dreams — far from the drama of the ICU — seem poignant right now. Some people dream of getting a hug, attending a party, getting a haircut, going to the library.Lauren Nickols, 30, an avid reader, stocked up on library books before Ohio’s stay-at-home order. Now her supply is running low. She recently dreamed her dresser was piled with books. She found the dream reassuring, but a reminder of the mundane things that have been lost.“I guess it’s a bit of a sense of shared community, but it’s also really sad that we’re all missing things. It really shows you all the things you do without realizing it,” she says. “And now that you can’t, it’s a shock to the system.”