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Gov. Beshear Provides Update on Fight Against COVID-19

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Gov. Beshear Provides Update on Fight Against COVID-19

The Governor Condemns Tactics Used During A Weekend Demonstration At Capitol

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 26, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday updated Kentuckians on the fight against the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“We are going to get through this together because we are strong, we are resilient, and for the most part over this Memorial Day weekend, we showed that we can continue to do the right thing,” said Gov. Beshear. “Even with the ability to see more people, we know that COVID-19 is still out there, it’s still deadly, it’s still dangerous, but if we can take the Healthy at Work precautions and put those in our muscle memory, we can successfully reopen our economy.”

Gov. Beshear also offered updates about a weekend protest at the Capitol, the need continued social distancing, and efforts to address an outbreak at a Jefferson County facility.

Capitol protest
Gov. Beshear addressed a weekend protest at the Capitol that garnered national attention when a small group marched onto the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion and hung an effigy in a nearby tree.

The Governor talked about the decision to move his family to Frankfort, the first governor’s family – kids and all – to do so in over 30 years.

“I worried about a number of things. How would living in the community – with their dad as governor – affect my kids? What would it feel like to live in a house where people toured several days each week?” Gov. Beshear said. “One thing I never thought about, never questioned, was their personal safety. While I worried kids might be mean to them from time to time, I did not consider they might be bullied or heckled by adults.”

The Governor noted that his administration had offered the demonstrators a drive-up protesting permit but the organizers declined. He described how a right-wing militia group marched onto the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion.

“And there, just a windowpane away from where my kids often played, they chanted and heckled,” Gov. Beshear said. “While they were thankfully not there, I want to remind you my kids are 9- and 10-years old.”

The Governor called out the members of the group for engaging in acts meant to intimidate as well as politicians and officeholders who have encouraged them.

“You cannot fan the flames and condemn the fire,” he said.

Gov. Beshear said he would remain undaunted.

“I owe it to the people of Kentucky to not bow to terror, but keep doing what’s right for our citizens,” the Governor said. “Living my faith means I have to face adversity without losing my values.”

Resiliency urged
Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack talked about the need to continue to follow social distancing rules and to use masks.

“There is no doubt that this infection has taken a horrible toll on humanity, and it will continue to take a toll until we have a vaccine or effective treatment. Until then, we’re left with old-school, old-fashioned public health measures which we know work, but are difficult to implement because they require us to make sacrifices,” Dr. Stack said. “Nobody likes wearing masks, including me. But it’s important that we wear them. The evidence is absolutely overwhelmingly clear that a small number of large events or a small number of large gatherings with one or two infected folks spread this thing like wildfire.”

Facility outbreak
Secretary Eric Friedlander of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services provided an update on efforts to address a coronavirus outbreak at a Jefferson County facility.

Gov. Beshear is closely monitoring the situation at Nazareth Home Clifton, along with Secretary Friedlander and Dr. Stack. State agencies are working with facility operators and Louisville Metro to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect the residents and staff there.

“Long-term care facilities across the world, across the nation and across this state have been and will continue to be a challenge. So we’ve started aggressive testing. We’ve tested over 11,000 staff and residents in facilities across Kentucky. This weekend, we tested an entire facility, Nazareth Clifton, in Louisville. We had many positives, 39 residents and 20 staff,” said Secretary Friedlander. “Over time, it became clear that the facility was going to have a hard time finding enough [healthy] staff to take care of all residents, so we began an aggressive plan to transfer COVID-19 positive residents out to local hospitals. We were able to transfer those residents into the hospitals successfully and stabilize that facility. We made sure we were making the right decisions for everyone there, both staff and residents.”

Case information
As of 5 p.m. May 26, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 8,951 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 387 of which were newly confirmed through the Memorial Day weekend. That included 141 cases reported Sunday, 122 cases reported Monday, and 117 cases reported Tuesday.

“These are some of the lowest daily numbers we have seen,” the Governor said. “But that is fragile, and with a disease that can so easily spread we have to want and put into action our desire to see that downward movement.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear also reported three new deaths Tuesday, raising the total to 394 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

“Let’s remember, every death is tragic,” said Gov. Beshear. “Three new families and 394 families total are still grieving. We’ll be turning our green lights back on at the Mansion on that same front porch. We show compassion there, not anger. We show love there, not hate.”

The deaths reported Tuesday to include an 85-year-old woman from Adair County, a 63-year-old man from Allen County, and a 72-year-old woman from Jefferson County.

At least 3,115 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus. For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race, and ethnicity, click here.

Testing expansion
Gov. Beshear continued to encourage Kentuckians to get tested for COVID-19.

The recommended per capita testing rate is 100 per 100,000. In the seven days ending Tuesday, the daily average of Kentuckians tested per 100,000 residents was significantly higher at 138.

Information on how to register at more than 70 sites throughout the commonwealth can be found at kycovid19.ky.gov.

Absentee Ballot Application Portal online
Gov. Beshear is encouraging all voters to use a new Absentee Ballot Application Portal now available online. A link to the State Board of Elections’ portal can be found at govoteky.com. He urged everyone who plans to vote in next month’s primary elections to go to the portal and request an absentee mail-in ballot.

More information
Read about other key updates, actions, and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media account Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and daily summaries of the Governor’s news conference at tinyurl.com/kygovespanol (Spanish) and tinyurl.com/kygovtranslations (more than 20 additional languages).

“Battle of the Fans: COVID-19 College Challenge” Kicks-Off Starts Today

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“Battle of the Fans: COVID-19 College Challenge” Kicks-Off

Evansville, IN: “Battle of the Fans: COVID-19 College Challenge” begins this week as part of the local effort to raise $6 million for the COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund for the Greater Evansville Region. The Fund is designed to assist with relief, recovery, and restoration in Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties. 31 non-profit agencies have already received grants, and other area not-for-profits from the human services sector are encouraged to apply at www.unitedwayswi.org/nonprofit-applications. 

“Battle of the Fans” will pit the fan bases of 14 colleges and universities with a significant presence in Southwestern Indiana against each other for a fun and competitive fundraising effort. Fans of each university will start on an even playing field at zero dollars apiece. 

“Battle of the Fans” kicks off on Wednesday, May 27, and ends on Friday, June 19. Each Friday will signify the end of a quarter, as in football. There is a countdown clock on the “Battle of the Fans” website (www.Battleofthefans.us). Over the next four weeks, fans can contribute on behalf of their favorite university to put them ahead in the standings. “We hope this friendly competition will fill the void of a sports-less summer and inspire passionate university fan base support to make contributions to a worthy cause,” said Ben Trockman, Commissioner of the “Battle of the Fans”.

The following area residents have agreed to serve as Captains for their schools: Ben Trockman, USI; Anna Hargis and Mike Schopmeyer, UE; Kortney Blaylock, IU; Nate Hahn, Purdue; Dr. Mark Logan, Murray State; Maureen Barton and Terry Clements, WKU; Marci Fenneman Moore, Butler; Bill Bussing, Notre Dame; City Council President, Alex Burton, Indiana State; Brad Byrd and Lance Wilkerson, Ball State; Wayne Hentrup and Brandon Roop, Wabash; Jim Sandgren and Chris Compton, DePauw; Jonas Cueche, Oakland City University; and Ross Chapman, Taylor University.

There is no specific fundraising goal for the challenge, but prior efforts have raised over $4.9 million for the overall effort, led by Old National Bank’s retired chief executive officer, Bob Jones.  The United Way of Southwestern Indiana is serving as the response fund’s fiscal sponsor, but donations are not part of the United Way’s annual campaign. Carl Chapman, former chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Vectren, is chairing the fund’s advisory committee.

The official Press Event for the “Battle of the Fans” will take place on Wednesday, May 27th, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. through WebEx, led by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. The event link is available upon request through the Mayor’s office.  

FOOTNOTE: The Covid-19 Crisis Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Area is an organized and collaborative community effort to support 501(c) (3) organizations in our community during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. In response to the Covid-19 crisis, funding partners established a cross-sector, community-wide Response Fund, primarily Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties. This response is designed to serve the community through the relief, recovery, and restoration. Visit CovidResponseFund.com to do what you can.

Staffing Nursing Homes Was Hard Before the Pandemic. Now It’s Even Tougher

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Staffing Nursing Homes Was Hard Before the Pandemic. Now It’s Even Tougher

By: Sophie Quinton
for Stateline

Read Stateline coverage of the latest state action on coronavirus.

Residents have fallen ill with the new coronavirus in both the Worcester, Massachusetts, nursing homes where Kwaku Tsibo Bondah works. Protective equipment is in short supply, he said, and many of his colleagues have tested positive or are calling in sick because they’re afraid to come to work.

“It’s really challenging … everybody is in a state of anxiety,” said Bondah, a licensed practical nurse. “Because you are going into a room with someone who has COVID-19 there.”

Many nursing homes and assisted living facilities were short-staffed before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Now it’s even harder to recruit and retain nurses needed to care for residents and stop the infection from spreading.

When nurses and nurse aides are stretched thin, they end up cutting corners. They might fail to wash their hands often enough or try to lift a frail person by themselves — harming themselves or the people in their care, advocates, and people who study the direct care workforce say.

“We need to have enough staff to appropriately support the staff in there who are putting their lives on the line,” said Mairead Painter, Connecticut’s long-term care ombudsman. “When you’re working short, you make decisions you may not make on a good day.”

Governors and health agencies nationwide are developing “strike teams” of National Guard members and clinicians to help manage coronavirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities. But some state leaders also are trying to solve longer-term staffing problems.

Massachusetts and Colorado have launched websites to match job seekers with open long-term and residential care positions. Massachusetts is providing $1,000 bonuses for hires who stay on the job for a month, and Arkansas is boosting pay for nurses and other direct care workers from April 5 through the end of May.

Illinois is among the states letting facilities hire nurses with an out-of-state or recently expired credential and temporarily hire unskilled workers to help feed and clothe residents — a role made possible for the time being by looser federal training and certification requirements for nurse aides.

To fix staffing problems over the long term, however, worker advocates say direct care workers need better pay. And that, industry groups and labor unions say, will require more state and federal dollars for long-term care.

“Post-pandemic, I think there needs to be a real conversation about valuing the roles of caregivers,” said Marlishia Aho, regional communications manager for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, a union that represents roughly 2,000 nursing home workers in Massachusetts, including Bondah. “And that requires wages that reflect the work that they are doing.”

Not Enough Nurses

Most U.S. nursing homes don’t have enough staff to provide the 4.1 hours of daily nursing care experts recommend, said Charlene Harrington, an emeritus professor of nursing and sociology at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies long-term care staffing.

“Seventy-five percent of all nursing homes did not meet the professional staffing standards that experts believed they should have before the virus hit,” Harrington said. “So that made them very vulnerable.”

Care is mostly provided by nursing assistants, who have at least 75 hours of training and do everything from feeding residents and giving them medication to helping them move from a bed to a wheelchair.

Instead of employing one nursing assistant for every seven residents — the minimum recommended by experts — some facilities employ one nursing assistant for every 10 or even 15 residents, Harrington said.

There’s no standard federal ratio of staff to residents. A 1987 law requires nursing homes to have a registered nurse on duty eight hours a day, seven days a week; a licensed nurse on duty in the evenings and overnight; and staff “sufficient to meet nursing needs of its residents.”

There are no national data on nursing home staffing during the pandemic because the federal government has suspended staff reporting requirements to give businesses a break from paperwork. Before the pandemic, the average nursing home could provide 3.9 hours a day of nursing care per patient, according to the most recent federal data.

But workers, union leaders, and industry groups say many workers are taking time off because they’ve contracted the virus, have caregiving responsibilities at home, or because they or a family member have a medical condition that makes them vulnerable to a deadly infection.

“Many people are afraid to bring this home to their families,” said Aho of the SEIU.

And jobs that already were empty are proving harder to fill as nursing homes and assisted living communities to emerge as hotspots for coronavirus infections and deaths.

A third of deaths from the virus in the United States have been residents and workers at long-term care facilities, according to The New York Times. In 13 states, including Massachusetts, it has been more than half.

Before the pandemic began, 1 in 7 direct care or nursing jobs at Massachusetts long-term care facilities were vacant, said Jennifer Chen, director of membership and engagement for the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, a trade association for long-term care facilities.

“We’ve seen this shortage of these nursing staff prior to COVID-19,” Chen said, “but the pandemic has really exacerbated the shortages.”

Despite the Massachusetts job website, the state hasn’t attracted enough applicants to meet demand, Chen said.

Some states also are allowing employers to hire temporary unskilled workers to support nurse aides.

Illinois regulators require “temporary nursing assistants” hired during the pandemic to complete 16 hours of instruction and training. Massachusetts workforce development officials are promoting “resident care assistant” jobs that don’t require any prior training or a high school diploma.

Using entry-level hires to perform simple tasks, such as holding up an iPad so isolated residents can video chat with loved ones, isn’t a bad idea, Harrington said. But it doesn’t fix the fundamental problem.

“That would not, in any way, replace the needs for registered nurses or certified nursing assistants,” she said.

Not Enough Money

Worker advocates say long-term care nurses are underpaid. All types of nurses earn less in nursing homes than in hospitals, and low-paid nurse aides can struggle to afford rent and child care.

“We estimate that about 44% of direct care workers live in or near poverty,” said Robert Espinoza, vice president of policy at PHI, a New York City-based organization that works to improve direct care jobs. PHI’s estimate includes people who provide hands-on care in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, residential facilities for people with disabilities, and clients’ own homes.

The average nurse aide earns about $13 an hour in a nursing home or assisted living center, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many long-term care facilities have boosted hourly pay during the pandemic and at least one state, Arkansas, has won permission from federal regulators to offer bonuses: $250 a week for full-time direct care workers, and $500 a week for full-time workers who are caring for a patient who has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Industry groups acknowledge that pay is a problem but say employers’ hands are tied because their revenue depends on how much states pay them to care for people on Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income and disabled people.

In Massachusetts, 7 in 10 nursing home residents rely on Medicaid, Chen said, so state reimbursements dictate business revenue and therefore worker pay. “We can’t make these investments unless the state really makes these investments with us,” she said.

State lawmakers, in turn, say plummeting tax collections will make it hard to increase Medicaid reimbursements anytime soon. Massachusetts’ fiscal 2021 revenue is maybe 15% lower than expected, according to the nonpartisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a Boston-based research organization.

“Staffing and staff pay is at the very center of what we need to do,” said state Sen. Patricia Jehlen, a Democrat and Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs. She said she hopes lawmakers can improve Medicaid rates for long-term care facilities and better police how facilities spend the money.

But in the current budget environment, she said, “it’s going to be a very big challenge.”

Employers can improve direct care jobs without increasing hourly pay, said Katie Lynn-Vecqueray, director of employer membership at WorkLife Partnership, a Denver-based organization that helps employers retain employees.

Long-term care facilities can give care workers free meals, create support groups to help them manage stress or let them take mental health days, for instance. After low pay, Lynn-Vecqueray said, stress is a major reason why direct care workers quit.

Despite the pressure he and nurses like him are under now, Bondah said, he can’t think of any long-term care workers who have quit. He has been a nurse for 20 years, and he said he feels a duty to show people empathy and appreciation at the end of their lives.

“We need to give them good care,” he said of the residents he looks after. “We need to love them.”

 

Anchor Stores Like JCPenney And Macy’s Once Drew Crowds To Suburban Malls

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Anchor Stores Like JCPenney And Macy’s Once Drew Crowds To Suburban Malls. Now Their Struggles Could Push Hundreds Of Malls Into Extinction.

Hayley Peterson
BUSINESS INSIDER
May 24, 2020

Hundreds of department stores are expected to close in the next 18 months, leaving a glut of empty real estate at shopping malls across the US that could be nearly impossible to re-occupy.

Malls will struggle to find new tenants for space occupied by department stores, as businesses pull back sharply on spending and expansion amid the pandemic.

“We expect to see a lot of the space that goes vacant remain vacant for extended periods of time,” said Kevin Cody, senior consultant for the commercial real estate firm CoStar Group.

This means many malls will be stuck with empty anchors. Anchors are the giant, multi-story buildings at mall entrances that have historically been responsible for a large portion of mall sales and foot traffic.

The real estate research firm Green Street Advisors expects more than half of mall-based department stores to close by the end of 2021, leading to “excessive dark mall anchor space.”

“Widespread department store closures will accelerate the demise of many malls,” the firm said in a recent report. “Many malls will be faced with multiple anchor vacancies, a tough place to come back from.”

Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, and department-store operator Stage Stores have all filed for bankruptcy in the last few weeks. Macy’s said this week that its first-quarter sales fell by as much as 45% and that it expects to report a roughly $1 billion operating loss when it reports earnings in July. Nordstrom, another department store chain, has said it will close 19 locations, including 16 full-line department stores.

Other mall-based stores are struggling, as well. J. Crew Group and the shoe chain Aldo filed for bankruptcy this month. L Brands said sales fell 37% in the most recent quarter and it plans to close 251 Victoria’s Secret stores and 50 Bath & Body Works stores.

Experts and analysts say this is just the beginning of a giant wave of closings and bankruptcies expected to sweep the retail industry. UBS recently estimated that about one in five clothing and accessories stores — or roughly 24,000 locations — will close in the next five years and pandemic hammers retailers.

Department store losses can push malls into a downward spiral

When anchors close, malls are put in the challenging position of finding new tenants for their biggest stores or facing sharp declines in business.

Finding new tenants for stores that have multiple floors and take up more than 100,000 square feet will be particularly difficult at a time when most mall-based retailers are halting store growth following weeks of forced store closures.

Even the highest-quality malls — referred to as “A” malls — will have a hard time finding replacement tenants for empty anchors, according to some experts.

The threat of a second wave of infections in the fall will prevent even many stronger retailers from making investments in expansion, he said.

“I don’t see a whole lot of retail sellers of goods reloading and making major capital investitures to open new stores now, not knowing when the social distancing and regulations limiting numbers of people in stores are going to be relaxed and whether we are going to make it through the autumn without a recurrence,” he said.  “I think it would be a pretty aggressive play [to open new stores]. Every retailer that we’ve talked to is trying to conserve cash.”

Hundreds of department stores are expected to close in the next 18 months, leaving a glut of empty real estate at shopping malls across the US that could be nearly impossible to re-occupy.

Malls will struggle to find new tenants for space occupied by department stores, as businesses pull back sharply on spending and expansion amid the pandemic.

“We expect to see a lot of the space that goes vacant remain vacant for extended periods of time,” said Kevin Cody, senior consultant for the commercial real estate firm CoStar Group.

This means many malls will be stuck with empty anchors. Anchors are the giant, multi-story buildings at mall entrances that have historically been responsible for a large portion of mall sales and foot traffic.

The real estate research firm Green Street Advisors expects more than half of mall-based department stores to close by the end of 2021, leading to “excessive dark mall anchor space.”

“Widespread department store closures will accelerate the demise of many malls,” the firm said in a recent report. “Many malls will be faced with multiple anchor vacancies, a tough place to come back from.”

Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, and department-store operator Stage Stores have all filed for bankruptcy in the last few weeks. Macy’s said this week that its first-quarter sales fell by as much as 45% and that it expects to report a roughly $1 billion operating loss when it reports earnings in July. Nordstrom, another department store chain, has said it will close 19 locations, including 16 full-line department stores.

Other mall-based stores are struggling, as well. J. Crew Group and the shoe chain Aldo filed for bankruptcy this month. L Brands said sales fell 37% in the most recent quarter and it plans to close 251 Victoria’s Secret stores and 50 Bath & Body Works stores.

Experts and analysts say this is just the beginning of a giant wave of closings and bankruptcies expected to sweep the retail industry. UBS recently estimated that about one in five clothing and accessories stores — or roughly 24,000 locations — will close in the next five years and pandemic hammers retailers.

The pandemic is accelerating the demise of weaker retailers

In many ways, the pandemic is accelerating the trends that have been upending the retail industry for years.

Department stores and apparel companies have for more than a decade battled weak demand stemming largely from the 2008 recession, evolving shopper habits, and the rise of e-commerce. This triggered a period known as the retail apocalypse for its high level of retail bankruptcies and mass store closures.

The pandemic is now speeding up the shift to e-commerce and further weakening retailers that were already struggling pre-coronavirus.

Manny Chirico, the CEO of PVH Corp., the owner of brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, told CNBC last month that he expects 20% to 25% of all US stores to close in the next two to three years. Before the pandemic, he said he was expecting that level of closures to take place over six years.

For many retail stores and shopping malls, this period will only hasten the inevitable — a large-scale decline in physical locations and in some cases, total extinction.

 

Apple Is Expected To Release A larger iPhone 12 Pro Later This Year

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Apple Is Expected To Release A Larger iPhone 12 Pro Later This Year — Here’s Everything We Know About Apple’s Next High-End iPhones So Far

isa Eadicicco
May 25, 2020, 7:30 AM

It’s not unusual for Apple to release more than one version of its latest iPhone. But this year’s rumored iPhone 12 is expected to come in a whopping four different variants, compared to previous years when Apple would launch two or three versions of its newest smartphone.

Two of those models are expected to be successors to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. If the reports and rumors so far are to be believed, Apple’s next “Pro” iPhone will have a triple-lens camera like last year’s models, a Lidar scanner like the new iPad Pro, and a refreshed design among other changes.

All of Apple’s new iPhones, including the non-Pro models, are expected to come with support for 5G networks and OLED screens instead of LCD displays.

OLED screens are typically only found on Apple’s more expensive iPhones and generally offer deeper blacks and better contrast.

They will come with slightly larger screens compared to the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
The iPhone 11 Pro Max, left, and iPhone 11 Pro.
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Apple is said to be bumping up the screen sizes of its pro-grade iPhones in 2020, according to Kuo as 9to5Mac has reported.

One model will reportedly come in a 6.1-inch size, while a larger version is said to come with a 6.7-inch screen. Bloomberg similarly reported that the most expensive new iPhone will come with a screen that’s slightly larger than that of the current 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max.

The iPhone 12 Pro will reportedly come with a Lidar sensor like the iPad Pro.

iPad Pro Camera
The iPad Pro’s camera and Lidar sensor
Lisa Eadicicco/Business Insider

One of the standout features of the iPhone 12 Pro compared to the standard model is expected to be its Lidar sensor, according to Bloomberg. That sensor, which is already present on the 2020 iPad Pro, is geared toward improving performance in augmented reality apps. It measures the distance between objects by measuring how long it takes for light to reach a subject and reflect back.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
The iPhone 11 Pro’s triple camera
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Apple will continue to outfit its high-end smartphones with a triple-lens camera, according to reports from Bloomberg and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

That would indicate that Apple is taking a similar strategy in 2020 as it did with last year’s iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, which come with a triple-lens camera that includes wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto lenses.

The cheaper models are expected to come with only two cameras, much like the iPhone 11.

ipad pro
An Apple Pencil being used on the iPad Pro
AP Images

Apple may borrow another characteristic from the iPad Pro: ProMotion, the feature that lets the iPad Pro’s refresh rate increase up to 120Hz for smoother, faster scrolling.

That’s according to the YouTube channel Everything Apple Pro, which reports that the iPhone 12 Pro would be getting the feature.

The high refresh rate would put Apple’s high-end iPhones on par with competing for Android phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, which has a screen with a higher refresh rate.

In fact, the iPhone 12 Pro is expected to have a lot in common with the iPad Pro.

iPad Pro
The iPad Pro
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

The iPad Pro seems to be paving the way for Apple’s next high-end iPhone if the rumors and reports are to be believed. In addition to getting the iPad Pro’s Lidar sensor and ProMotion feature, it may also get a refreshed design with flat, stainless steel edges similar to that of the iPad Pro, Bloomberg says.

It’s unclear if all models will get this redesign or just the Pro models, but the report says the new look will be coming to “at least” the Pro models.

 

 

Marriage Licenses Issued For Vanderburgh County

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Marriage Licenses Issued

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE MAY 2020 TAX BULLETIN

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Tax Bulletin Header

May 2020, Issue 15

Customer Walk-In Centers Reopening for Appointment-Only Service

DOR walk-in centers are now open by appointment only, for in-person customer service!

All district office locations and Motor Carrier Services are now available.

Indianapolis walk-in center will be open for appointments starting June 1. To schedule an appointment go to Appts.dor.in.gov. More…

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How ISP Uses State Tax Dollars

Welcome to May’s Money Monday (say that five times fast). But maybe not so fast that you break any laws, as this month’s featured agency is the Indiana State Police (ISP). ISP has approximately 1,700 employees (1,300 are state troopers) who work to protect our lives and property, investigate and deter crime and roadway safety by enforcing Indiana’s laws. Nearly all of ISP’s funding comes from state tax dollars or fees. Read more in our Tax Talk Blog.

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MCS Carrier Connect
E-Newsletter

If you work in the motor carrier industry or have clients who do, take a moment and subscribe to MCS Carrier Connect. You will receive updates on our Motor Carrier Services (MCS) operations, changes to motor carrier laws, upcoming projects and initiatives and more.

Take Advantage of
Free Tax Filing

With less than two months left to file individual state taxes by the extended July 15 deadline, DOR is reminding all eligible Hoosiers to take advantage of the free tax filing program, INfreefile. Reminder: all returning INfreefile users must create a new account for each tax filing year.

DOR’s Tax Talk

Tax Talk is DOR’s weekly blog that discusses tax tips, DOR programs and helpful information. Subscribe today, and be sure to read the blogs below!

Money Monday: How the Indiana State Police Use State Tax Dollars

Additional Filing and Payment Extensions from DOR

Moving Like the Wind: DOR MCS Team Sets Plan to Get Superload to Redkey

The Show Must Go On And
Is for Project NextDOR

The onset of COVID-19 has impacted everyone around the State, DOR is no exception. However, the show must go on for agencies such as DOR because we are considered an essential agency for the state. Therefore, we have found more and more ways to allow us to continue providing support to our Hoosier customers. One of our many focus points is pushing forward with progress surrounding Project NextDOR—DOR’s modernization project.

The Project NextDOR team continues to hit major milestones in the process to prepare for Rollout 2. In other words, Rollout 2 is still scheduled to launch on Sept. 8, 2020. At that time, several new tax types will be incorporated into DOR’s new online e-services portal, INTIME—the Indiana Taxpayer Information Management Engine. For more information regarding the project and Rollout 2, visit ProjectNextDOR.dor.in.gov. Updates are regularly posted, so we encourage customers to “bookmark” the project page to ensure they stay up-to-date on all project progress.

All “Helping Hoosiers”

COVID-19 Relief Services

DOR has created an easy-to-use, document to include all filing and payment deadline changes made as a result of COVID-19. Find it here.

DOR Audit Manual
is Now Updated

The DOR Audit Manual provides general guidance to the public about the procedures employed by DOR’s Audit and Compliance Operations Division. The manual has been updated and is ready for you to view on our website.

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DOR Receives National Awards for Innovation in Training and Communication

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LyondellBasell Donates $50,000 To Tri-State Food Bank

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LyondellBasell Donates $50,000 to Tri-State Food Bank to

Combat Hunger During COVID-19 Pandemic

EVANSVILLE, IN. – May 26, 2020 – LyondellBasell today announced it has donated $50,000 to Tri-State Food Bank. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted various facets of people’s lives and created hardships for many. Food banks all over the world are on the front lines of this international pandemic providing food assistance to millions facing hunger, with demand increasing every day. LyondellBasell aims to help relieve some of the strain with its donation.

“The services the Tri-State Foodbank offers is critical,” said Mark Wargel, Site Manager. “We hope this donation helps them continue their mission during this difficult time when needs are high.”

The contribution to Tri-State Food Bank is part of LyondellBasell’s global $1.3 million in donations to support food banks in 17 countries and communities where the company has major operations.

“The economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic can be felt worldwide,” said Glenn Roberts, Executive Director. “The result of this ongoing crisis is that every day more and more people are finding themselves in need of basic resources like food. Our priority is keeping our community fed, and we appreciate the contribution from LyondellBasell to help us to do just that.”

Donating funds to supply food for those in need is just one way LyondellBasell has responded during this pandemic.

page1image40415616Additionally, LyondellBasell’s materials are found in many applications critical to protecting and preserving health and safety such as medical devices, protective equipment, cleaning products, and various pharmaceutical applications. The company continues to supply its customers with a variety of materials including polypropylene resins, which are used to produce melt-blown fibers that provide filtration in facemasks; masterbatch products are used in breathable films for protective suits; and, polypropylene, ethylene oxide, and propylene oxide are used to make medical syringes, medical test kits, soaps, disinfectants, and many other products.

FOOTNOTE: LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is one of the largest plastics, chemicals, and refining companies in the world. Driven by its employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road, and ensuring the safe and effective functionality in electronics and appliances. LyondellBasell sells products into more than 100 countries and is the world’s largest producer of polypropylene compounds and the largest licensor of polyolefin technologies. In 2020, LyondellBasell was named to Fortune Magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” for the third consecutive year. More information about LyondellBasell can be found at www.lyondellbasell.com.

EPD REPORT

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EPD REPORT

United Way Is Looking for KCampers

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Our ideal target is children who have not had any pre-school experience but will be entering kindergarten this fall.

Children enrolled in the following schools are of particular interest as additional supports can be offered up through 3rd grade:  Caze, Evans, and Chandler Elementary.

But we will serve any child entering kindergarten as space allows.

A registration link can be found in both of these files or can be accessed on our website   https://unitedwayswi.org/k-camp/

 

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