ey Associate Attorney General West Delivers Remarks at the Legal Services Corporation 40th Anniversary Kick-off Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:25:55 EDT Thank you, John, not only for that kind introduction but also for your exemplary leadership as chair of the LSC Board. LSC really exemplifies that spirit Attorney General Robert Kennedy used to talk about – that as lawyers, we have an obligation to enlist our skills and ourselves in engagements that reach beyond the horizons of our parochial legal practices. And over the last five-and-a-half years I’ve served in this Administration, I’ve been fortunate to get to know John and LSC President Jim Sandman, and I know the movement for expanding access to justice in this country is better and stronger because they’re helping to lead this effort, so my thanks to them. Full Article Speech
ey Attorney General Holder Announces Partnership with Department of Housing and Urban Development to Improve Civil Legal Aid for Juveniles By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:05:14 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder is set to announce a partnership between the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD will offer new grants to support collaborations between HUD-funded organizations, and civil legal aid programs and public defender offices. The grant funded collaborations will focus on expunging and sealing juvenile records – improving the chances that reentering youth will be able to obtain degrees, find work and secure housing. The announcement is set to be made this evening during the Attorney General’s remarks to the Legal Services Corporation 40th anniversary celebration. Full Article OPA Press Releases
ey Remarks by Attorney General Eric Holder at the Legal Services Corporation 40th Anniversary Event By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:08:47 EDT Thank you, Dean [Martha] Minow, for those kind words – and thank you all for being here. I also want to recognize, and thank, my good friends John Levi and Jim Sandman for their leadership of the Legal Services Corporation over the years – and for the lifetimes of tireless work that they have dedicated to vulnerable populations from coast to coast. Finally, I want to thank each and every one of you – the dedicated men and women who are making LSC’s work possible; who are helping to shine a light on the current challenges facing the legal aid community; and who are leading us to redouble our efforts to forge the more just society that all Americans deserve. It’s gratifying to see so many diverse people and interests – from academia and government service, to private practice and corporate enterprise – converging to support equal justice under law. Full Article Speech
ey Remarks by Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Leslie R. Caldwell at the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 10:26:29 EDT Qui tam cases are a vital part of the Criminal Division’s future efforts. We encourage you to reach out to criminal authorities in appropriate cases, even when you are discussing the case with civil authorities. The sooner we on the criminal side learn about potential criminal conduct, the sooner we can investigate. Full Article Speech
ey Remarks by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Marshall L. Miller at the Global Investigation Review Program By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:54:10 EDT A true cooperator – whether a mobster or a company – must forthrightly provide all the available facts and evidence so that the most culpable individuals can be prosecuted. If a corporation wants credit for cooperation, it must engage in comprehensive and timely cooperation; lip service simply will not do. Corporations do not act criminally, but for the actions of individuals. The Criminal Division intends to prosecute those individuals, whether they’re sitting on a sales desk or in a corporate suite. Full Article Speech
ey Attorney General Holder Remarks on Financial Fraud Prosecutions at NYU School of Law By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:28:51 EDT Thank you, Professor [Jennifer] Arlen, for those kind words – and thank you all for being here. It’s a privilege to be at New York University this afternoon Full Article Speech
ey Justice Department Announces National Effort to Build Trust Between Law Enforcement and the Communities They Serve By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 11:01:37 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the launch of the Justice Department’s National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice. Full Article OPA Press Releases
ey Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates Delivers Remarks at New York University School of Law Announcing New Policy on Individual Liability in Matters of Corporate Wrongdoing By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 11:45:41 EST Remarks as prepared for delivery Thank you, Professor [Jennifer] Arlen, for that kind introduction and for everything you and your colleagues have accomplished at NYU Full Article Speech
ey Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates Delivers Remarks at American Banking Association and American Bar Association Money Laundering Enforcement Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 11:45:40 EST Remarks as prepared for delivery Thank you, Buddy [Wilmer Parker], for that kind introduction Full Article Speech
ey Former California Attorney Pleads Guilty in International Investment Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 25 Nov 2015 08:45:26 EST A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy for his role in an investment fraud scheme that promoted fraudulent investment opportunities and caused more than $5 million in losses to investors Full Article OPA Press Releases
ey Morgan Stanley Agrees to Pay $2.6 Billion Penalty in Connection with Its Sale of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 19:56:23 EST The Justice Department today announced that Morgan Stanley will pay a $2 Full Article OPA Press Releases
ey Former California Attorney Sentenced to 60 Months for His Role in International Investment Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 23 Feb 2016 20:45:29 EST A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his role in an investment fraud scheme that promoted fraudulent investment opportunities and caused more than $5 million in losses to investors Full Article OPA Press Releases
ey ARDS In COVID-19 Battle, AKBA's Kidney Disease Drug Hits Goals, VAPO On A Roll By www.rttnews.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 05:15:35 GMT Today's Daily Dose brings you news about the acquisition of Portola by Alexion; encouraging results from TG Therapeutics' chronic lymphocytic leukemia trial; Akebia's INNO2VATE trial results; and Vapotherm's Q1 financial results. Full Article
ey Vapotherm's (VAPO) Journey From $9 To $22 In 6 Months, More In Store? By www.rttnews.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 07:52:11 GMT These are exciting times for Vapotherm Inc. (VAPO) whose share price has almost doubled in value since the beginning of this year. Full Article
ey LIFE In COVID-19 Battle, LH On Watch, CARA Keeps KALM, All Eyes On MYOV By www.rttnews.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 04:56:54 GMT Today's Daily Dose brings you news about aTyr Pharma joining the COVID-19 battle; Cara's pivotal KALM-2 trial; LabCorp's at-home collection kit for COVID-19 testing securing Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA, and Myovant's much-awaited clinical trial catalyst. Full Article
ey The Invaluable Role of Antibiotics—in a Pandemic and Beyond By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 09:31:00 -0400 The COVID-19 pandemic is providing a grim reminder of an unfortunate truism: Public health often does not receive the attention it deserves until a disaster hits. Full Article
ey New Study Highlights OptiMSM's Influence on Key Metabolic Reactions By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:09:00 GMT Bergstrom Nutrition, manufacturer of OptiMSM®, a branded form of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), recently published an article detailing how the small intestine absorbs MSM, particularly in relation to sulfur. Full Article
ey APEC Needs to Look Beyond Numbers, Bring Concrete Benefits to People By www.apec.org Published On :: Thu, 20 Feb 2020 16:32:00 +0800 Enable trade and investments to generate concrete outcomes for the people. Full Article
ey These Workers Packed Lip Gloss and Pandora Charm Bracelets. They Were Labeled “Essential” but Didn’t Feel Safe. By tracking.feedpress.it Published On :: 2020-05-02T09:00:00-04:00 by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This article was produced in partnership with MLK50, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On her first day at her new warehouse job, Daria Meeks assumed the business would provide face coverings. It didn’t. She assumed her fellow workers would be spread out to account for the new coronavirus. They weren’t. There wasn’t even soap in the bathroom. Instead, on March 28, her first day at PFS, which packages and ships makeup and jewelry, Meeks found herself standing alongside four other new workers at a station the size of a card table as a trainer showed them how to properly tuck tissue paper into gift boxes. The following day, Meeks, 29, was just two hours into her shift when she heard that a worker had thrown up. “They said her blood pressure had went up and she was just nauseated, but when we turned around, everybody who was permanent that worked for PFS had on gloves and masks,” Meeks said. Temporary workers like her weren’t offered either. Since then, workers have been told twice that coworkers have tested positive for the coronavirus. The first time was April 10 at a warehouse just across the state line in Southaven, Mississippi. The next was April 16 at the warehouse in southeast Memphis where Meeks worked, several temporary and permanent workers told MLK50: Justice Through Journalism and ProPublica. In interviews, the workers complained of a crowded environment where they shared devices and weren’t provided personal protective equipment. The company has about 500 employees at its four Memphis-area locations, according to the Memphis Business Journal. In right-to-work states such as Tennessee and Mississippi, where union membership is low, manual laborers have long said they are vulnerable, and workers’ rights advocates say the global pandemic has underscored just how few protections they have. A spokesman for Tennessee’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed that the department received an anonymous complaint about PFS in April. “A few of (sic) people have tested positive for Covid-19 and the company has not taken precaution to prevent employees from contracting the coronavirus,” the complainant wrote. “As of today (04/13/2020) no one have (sic) come to clean or sanitize the building.” In response, the spokesman said TOSHA sent the company a letter “informing them of measures they may take to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.” PFS did not answer specific questions about the number of workers infected at its facilities or about specific precautions it takes. Instead the company released a short statement that said PFS “is committed to the safety and well-being of its employees.” It also said it performs temperature checks at the door and supplies workers with masks, gloves and face shields. But workers said none of these measures were in effect as late as the middle of April, when Shelby County, Tennessee, and DeSoto County, Mississippi, each home to two PFS facilities, were reporting more than 1,600 coronavirus infections and 30 deaths. (As of Friday, there are more than 2,750 infections and 50 deaths in the two counties.) A current employee said the company now provides gloves and masks, but they’re optional, as are the temperature checks. When Meeks started at PFS, cases in the county were still at a trickle. But she didn’t stick around long. On her third day at work, workers were split into two groups for lunch, but the break room was still full. “You could barely pull out a chair, that’s how crowded it was,” she said. “Everybody was shoulder to shoulder.” Meeks said she asked the security guard at the front desk if she could eat her lunch in the empty lobby but was told no. “I said, this is just not going to work,” said Meeks, who was paid $9 an hour. “You got different people coughing, sneezing, allergies — you never know what’s going on with a person.” She left during her break and didn’t come back. Economy Dominated by Low-Wage Industry, Jobs In cities across the country, workers at Amazon facilities and other warehouses have been infected with COVID-19, as have workers at meatpacking plants nationwide. What makes Memphis different is the outsized share of the workforce in the logistics industry, which includes warehouses and distribution centers. The Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce boasts on its website that the logistics industry employs 1 in 6 workers in the Memphis metro area, a higher share than anywhere else in the country. The high concentration of these low-wage jobs is a testament to the city’s decades-old campaign to brand itself as “America’s Distribution Center.” Memphis is home to FedEx’s headquarters and its world distribution hub, which is undergoing a $1.5 billion expansion, as well as to Nike’s largest global distribution center, a sprawling 2.8 million-square-foot facility. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 58,000 workers in the Memphis metro area fill and stock orders, package materials and move materials by hand. In Memphis, workers at distribution centers for FedEx, Nike and Kroger have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Shelby County Health Department received 64 complaints about businesses between April 1 and April 29, but could not say how many were about warehouses. Interim guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls for employers to notify workers of positive cases. But it is voluntary. The federal OSHA has no such requirement, and neither does Tennessee’s OSHA. Although Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provides two weeks paid sick leave for coronavirus-affected or infected workers, it doesn’t apply to many warehouse and temporary employees, said Laura Padin, senior staff attorney at the Washington-based National Employment Law Project, which advocates for better public policy for workers, particularly low-wage workers. “The big issue is that it exempts so many employers, especially employers with over 500 employees,” Padin said. “And the vast majority of temp workers and many warehouse workers work for employers with more than 500 employees.” The coronavirus has disproportionately affected people of color, the very group that makes up the bulk of the warehouse and temporary workforce. “Black workers make up 12% of the workforce but 26% of temp workers, and Latino workers make up 16% of the workforce but 25% of temp workers,” said Padin, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data released in 2018. Add to that the yawning racial wealth gap and low-wage workers like Meeks are in an untenable situation, Padin said. “They either stay home and they risk their financial security,” Padin said, “or they go to work and risk their lives.” “You Can Always Go Back” PFS, a distribution center whose clients include the jewelry brand Pandora, was initially exempt from Memphis’ “Safer At Home” executive order. (Brandon Dill for ProPublica) With 1.45 million square feet of warehouse space among its four area locations, PFS is the ninth-largest third-party distribution operation in the metro area, according to the Memphis Business Journal’s 2020 Book of Lists. PFS doesn’t sell products under its own name but rather fulfills orders for better-known companies. Pandora, which is perhaps best known for its charm bracelets, is one of PFS’s clients. “Each item shipped for PANDORA is wrapped in customized, branded, and sometimes seasonal packing materials, making every purchase a gift,” PFS’s website says. Meeks’ favorite part of her job was taking each customer’s personal message, tucking it into a tiny envelope and then into the gift package. “When we were sending out these Pandora bracelets and these Chanel gifts, I sat there and read all my cards,” said Meeks, who like all of the workers interviewed for this story, is black. “They were so cute.” One Pandora customer sent a note to “beloved mother,” Meeks said, and another seemed to be from someone in a long-distance relationship. “He was like: Even though I’m miles and miles away, I always think about you,” Meeks said. He wrote that he hoped the jewelry would “glitter in your eyes, or something like that.” The day Meeks quit PFS, she said she called Prestigious Placement, the temporary agency that sent her there, asking for another job. The temporary agency representative “was like, ‘Well, you can always go back to PFS until we get something else,’ and I was like, ‘No.’” “She said, ‘Well, we haven’t had anyone to get sick,’” Meeks recalled. Meeks said she tried to explain that regardless of whether some workers had tested positive, the company wasn’t taking enough steps, in her opinion, to keep current workers safe. The representative said she’d ask the agency’s on-site manager about Meeks’ concerns, but Meeks said that there was no on-site manager present on her second or third day. Prestigious Placement did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. A local labor leader said Meeks’ experience illustrates the tough situation for temporary workers at warehouses. “They tend not to have benefits, sick time and insurance and all the things that allow us to keep our whole community safe during a pandemic,” said Jeffrey Lichtenstein, executive secretary of the Memphis Labor Council, a federation of around 40 union locals. Unlike companies such as Nike and FedEx, which have reputations to protect, the general public doesn’t know who PFS is or what it does, he said. “They have no brand vulnerability,” he said. With little leverage to exert on businesses, these workers are up against a regional business model that mires them in dead-end, low-wage jobs, Lichtenstein said. The city’s power brokers, he said, “have a couple of main tenets of their economic philosophy. One, logistics is really, really important, and two, cheap labor is very, very important.” “Nothing Essential About It” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland issued a “Safer At Home” executive order on March 23, mirroring those put in place elsewhere. But the order specifically exempted warehouses and distribution centers from COVID-19 restrictions. PFS gave workers a letter that cited Strickland’s order and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s guidance that “transportation and logistics are deemed a critical infrastructure that must be maintained during the COVID-19 crisis,” according to a copy reviewed by MLK50. If they were stopped by authorities on the way to work, employees were told, this letter would ease their passage. PFS told employees that if they were stopped by authorities on their way to work, this letter would ease their passage. The employee’s name has been redacted. (Obtained by ProPublica and MLK50) Some workers questioned whether the distribution center should be open at all. “I don’t see nothing essential about it,” said one employee who asked to remain anonymous for fear she’d be fired for talking to a journalist. “It don’t got nothing to do with nurses or health.” When a worker tested positive at a PFS distribution center in southeast Memphis, the employee, who worked at a Southaven, Mississippi, location about eight miles away, worried that the virus could spread if workers were shuffled between sites. A manager assured her that workers would stay put, the employee said. But on April 16, a supervisor told workers that two Memphis workers, who had been brought in to the employee’s Southaven facility, had tested positive for the coronavirus. “I said, ‘Well, since y’all got everybody in here messed up, can’t you call and get everyone in there a COVID-19 test?’” she remembered. “They said if you don’t feel safe, you can go home.” She can’t risk taking the virus home to a relative, who has chronic illnesses, and she can’t afford not to work. “I’m concerned for my health,” she said. “I don’t want to die.” Padin, who works with workers’ rights centers across the country, said she’s not aware of much being done by advocates to narrow the list of businesses considered essential. “I do think some of these essential worker orders are quite broad,” she said. “Our sense is that it’s a little arbitrary and just seems to be a result of lobbying.” She pointed to the success of meat processing plants, which were declared “critical infrastructure” by President Donald Trump despite coronavirus outbreaks that sickened thousands and killed dozens. Days before Trump’s declaration, meatpacking giant Tyson ran a full-page ad in The New York Times saying “The food supply chain is breaking.” In Memphis, an amended executive order, signed by the mayor April 21, clarified which distribution centers and warehouses could remain in operation, including ones that handle medical supplies, food and hygiene products. The order would seem to exclude facilities such as PFS. “Products and services for and in industries that are not otherwise identified in this provision constitute non-essential goods and services,” reads the order, which is set to expire at midnight Tuesday. On Monday, Memphis will move into the first phase of its “Back to Business” plan, which means nonessential businesses can operate with face masks, social distancing in the workplace, and symptom checks. “No Social Distancing” Because the turnover in warehouses like PFS is high, the need for a steady flow of labor is paramount. And temp agencies are a major source of employees. One Memphis mother saw a job posting on Facebook for PFS. A family member’s workplace had closed because of the coronavirus, so the woman rushed to find work to make up for the lost household income. She was hired in late March by Paramount Staffing and sent to a warehouse in Southaven, Mississippi. She wanted to remain anonymous for fear of job retaliation. From the moment workers entered the building, she said, they were close together. A single-file line funneled workers past several time clocks, one for PFS’s permanent workers and one for each staffing agency with temporary workers there. “Some people have masks on, some don’t,” said the worker, who earned $9 an hour. Workers weren’t provided any personal protective equipment. She opted to be a packer, a mostly stationary job, but she had to use a shared tape dispenser to seal boxes and her co-workers were within arm’s reach. Her other job option was as a picker, but they’re in motion most of the shift, selecting products for individual orders from totes and using a shared scan gun. Pickers send the completed orders to packers. “It’s basically no social distancing at that warehouse,” she said. “They’re gonna have to work on that.” About two hours before her shift ended April 10, a manager huddled workers in her area together for an announcement. “He said, ‘Well, we’re just letting y’all know that we have an employee here who tested positive and we are asking everyone here to leave the building immediately and we will clock y’all out,’” the worker recalled. The manager instructed them not to touch anything as they left, “just go straight out the door and we will let y’all know when to return,” she recalled. The warehouse was closed for the next day and reopened the following day. “It makes me nervous because my health is important to me, but at the same time, it’s like that’s the only thing I can do right now,” she said. She’s grateful for the job but insists she won’t be there long. “I’m going to try to get in a couple more checks and then I’m going to quit.” She left about a week ago, but hasn’t found another job yet. Paramount Staffing, which sent the worker to PFS, relies on the client to provide personal protective equipment to workers, said company president Matthew Schubert. “My understanding is that they’ve been taking temperatures as employees walk in,” Schubert said, plus performing more frequent cleanings and coaching the workers on social distancing, but he acknowledged he didn’t know when any of those measures began. “What we want to make sure is that they’re doing everything in their power to follow the CDC guidelines,” said Schubert, who estimates Paramount has 75 to 80 workers at PFS’s area warehouses. “We’re limited as to what we can and cannot do, because it’s not our facility.” Both Lichtenstein and Padin say it’s the worksite employer’s responsibility to provide personal protective equipment. A Perfect Combination: Higher Pay and Less Risk Just days after Meeks quit PFS, she turned to a different agency and was sent to a Memphis warehouse that labels and ships cleaning products. Her first day was April 17, and she was impressed by the precautions the employer takes. Before workers enter the building, Meeks said, their temperatures are taken in a white tent outside. If they don’t have a fever, they get a wristband that is a different color each day. The company provides masks, gloves and goggles, she said, and there are even kickstands on the bathroom doors, so they can be opened by foot. Working the third shift means fewer people, Meeks said. “We’re not working close to each other.” Meeks said she wouldn’t put a price on her health, but at her new job, the risks are lower and the pay higher — up from $9 to $11.50 an hour. Wendi C. Thomas is the editor of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Email her at wendicthomas@mlk50.com and follow her on Twitter at @wendi_c_thomas. Do you work at a warehouse or distribution center in the Memphis area? MLK50 and ProPublica want to hear from you. Call or text us: (901) 633-3638 Email us: memphis@propublica.org Full Article
ey Did Your Company Get Bailout Money? Are the Employees Benefiting From It? By tracking.feedpress.it Published On :: 2020-05-06T08:00:00-04:00 by Justin Elliott, Paul Kiel and Lydia DePillis Through programs like the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program and the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program, the federal government is deploying hundreds of billions of dollars in grants, loans and bond purchases to help businesses amid the coronavirus-sparked economic crisis. Each program comes with different strings, but their basic purpose is to keep workers on the payroll. We want to know what this means for your workplace. How has your company treated its workers during the crisis? Have you or your colleagues been laid off, furloughed or otherwise affected? Have you seen money used in surprising ways? What do you think we should be reporting on? We are the only ones reading what you submit. If you would prefer to use an encrypted app, here is what we suggest. Send questions to bailout@propublica.org. ') This form requires JavaScript to complete. Powered by CityBase. Full Article
ey The State Attorney General Is Scrutinizing This Assisted Living Facility Over Its Handling of COVID-19. Some Residents Are Suing It, Too. By tracking.feedpress.it Published On :: 2020-05-08T06:00:00-04:00 by Joaquin Sapien ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This story is co-published with PBS Frontline. New York Attorney General Letitia James is looking into allegations that a Queens adult care facility has failed to protect residents from the deadly coronavirus and misled families about its spread, according to two lawmakers who asked for the inquiry and a relative of a resident who spoke to an investigator with the attorney general’s office. In a separate action Tuesday, three residents of the Queens Adult Care Center sued the facility in federal court over similar allegations. Both developments were prompted largely by ProPublica’s recent coverage of the facility, which houses both frail elderly residents and those with mental health issues. On April 2, we reported that workers and residents at the home were becoming ill with the coronavirus as residents wandered in and out of the home without any personal protective equipment. Family members later told ProPublica the management said no residents were sick with the virus at the time. On April 25, ProPublica published a story and a short film with the PBS series Frontline about the harrowing experience of Natasha Roland, who rescued her father in the middle of the night as he suffered coronavirus symptoms so severe he could barely breathe. Roland, in heart-wrenching detail, described how the management of the Queens Adult Care Center repeatedly assured her that her 82-year-old father, Willie Roland, was safe, even as the virus swept through the facility. She said workers were too scared to care for him, forcing his girlfriend, Annetta King-Simpson, to do so. King-Simpson later fell ill herself. Roland and King-Simpson are now suing the facility in federal court. Joe Singer and Katie Campbell/ProPublica In an interview, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, whose district covers Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, said she was troubled by what ProPublica reported. She said she hoped the attorney general can determine whether the Queens Adult Care Center had broken any laws. “It didn’t sit right with me. I thought something was off here. So I said let’s have the experts look at whether there was a crime or a civil violation,” she said. “Folks who live in this adult home deserve the same dignity as everyone else, and if their rights have been violated, someone needs to pay for that.” Cruz said she had been suspicious of the facility for several years and had come across a community Facebook page where people posted complaints about treatment of residents at the center. When she saw the ProPublica stories, she said she decided to take action, along with City Council member Daniel Dromm, who had already written to the New York State Department of Health and the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo about the spread of the coronavirus in the facility on several occasions. “The plight of those living in adult care centers during this crisis was highlighted in a recent article published by ProPublica, which focused on the perils faced by the residents at the Queens Adult Day Care Center,” the lawmakers wrote in their April 27 letter to the attorney general and the governor’s office. “Failure to inform families about the health of loved ones, to lying and covering up deaths have become regular concerns we have received. We are aware that adult care centers are struggling to keep COVID-19 from affecting their residents and we also know that minorities have been disproportionately affected by the virus. It seems to us that management at this particular center have struggled to implement procedures and policies to protect the lives of its residents.” Cruz said she received an update from the attorney general’s office on May 5, saying it was looking into the matter but would not provide specific details. Days after the lawmakers sent the letter, Natasha Roland, 35, said she received a phone call from an investigator with the attorney general’s office. Roland said she recapped what she had previously told ProPublica: She began to worry about her father’s safety when nearby Elmhurst Hospital became a viral hot spot, but the management repeatedly told her there were no coronavirus cases in the facility. She said she only found out the truth weeks later when a worker she was friendly with advised her to come and pick up her father because the virus was raging through the facility and aides were becoming too scared to check on residents. In a subsequent interview, that worker denied telling Roland to pick up her dad. A spokesperson for the attorney general would not confirm or deny a specific, active investigation into the Queens Adult Care Center, but said James has received hundreds of complaints related to COVID-19 inside nursing homes and adult care facilities across the state and is investigating many of them. For its part, the Queens Adult Care Center has denied any wrongdoing and repeated its belief that Roland’s allegations are “baseless.” “Sadly, select elected officials and ProPublica have been intentionally misled with baseless assertions and utter fabrications crafted by the daughter of one of our long-term residents,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a crisis communications spokesperson hired by the facility. “We have strong reason to believe that this individual is seeking to use her father and other select residents as pawns in an attempt to extort the facility. We are considering our legal options.” He said the facility has “worked tirelessly” to protect its residents and is unaware of a “potential investigation,” but understood that “the AG’s office has contacted many nursing homes, adult care, and assisted living facilities seeking information. We are glad to be a resource to the AG’s office and have nothing to hide.” Bruce Schoengood’s 61-year-old brother, Bryan, lives in the facility and shared a room with one of the first residents to become infected with COVID-19 and subsequently die of the disease. Bruce told ProPublica he only learned that his brother’s roommate had died by happenstance during a casual conversation with his brother, and that he has complained for more than a month about a lack of communication from the facility. He said he had not yet heard from anyone with the attorney general’s office but would welcome such a conversation. In the meantime, Bryan Schoengood, Willie Roland and King-Simpson are suing the facility under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In a 59-page complaint, the group has asked a federal judge to appoint a special master to oversee the facility at the home’s expense to ensure that residents there are safe. The lawsuit argues that residents have experienced a “gross failure to provide the most basic level of care to safeguard their health and safety in the context of a global health pandemic. People with disabilities are exposed to high risks of contracting the virus with no or few preventative measures in place. Residents who fall sick are left to languish in their room without proper access to medical care.” The lawsuit claims that because the facility has failed to follow state and federal guidelines, “COVID-19 is rampant in the facility among residents and staff alike.” Alan Fuchsberg is the Manhattan-based personal injury and civil rights attorney representing the three Queens Adult Care Center residents. In an interview, he said that the facility may not have the resources to properly follow the guidelines, which is why a special master should be assigned to work with a team of outside experts to make sure it can. “Right now the residents are in a tinderbox,” he said. “And if you drop a match in there, all hell breaks loose. It should be run right. We don’t need dozens of people dying in all our nursing homes and adult care facilities. Some are running better than others and QACC sounds like a place that is not run up to standards.” He and Bruce Schoengood pointed out that they are not currently suing for damages, but rather to persuade a court to immediately intervene and offer support to the facility’s roughly 350 residents. Schoengood said the goals of the lawsuit are twofold. “I think it is both short term and long term,” he said. “Immediate intervention to put proper protocols in place to treat the sick and stop the spread of coronavirus and to communicate with family members. And in the long term I would like to see this facility much better prepared to handle another pandemic or a second wave.” Responding to the charges in the lawsuit, Sheinkopf again said that “the allegations are baseless and utter fabrications. Queens Adult Care Center (QACC) continues to meet all state issued guidelines.” Full Article
ey Pharmacies' dispensing increases by up to a third as a result of COVID-19, survey finds By feeds.pjonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:22 GMT Pharmacies dispensed approximately 35% more prescriptions in March 2020, compared with the previous month, according to a survey by the National Pharmacy Association. To read the whole article click on the headline Full Article
ey One in three pharmacists unable to access PPE, finds RPS survey By feeds.pjonline.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 14:05 GMT A third of pharmacists cannot obtain continuous supplies of personal protective equipment, according to a survey conducted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. To read the whole article click on the headline Full Article
ey Moderna eyes 'early summer' start for phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial By www.fiercebiotech.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 12:10:49 +0000 Moderna is finalizing the protocol for a phase 3 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine with a view to starting the study early in the summer. The establishment of the timeline, which follows FDA clearance to run a phase 2 trial, puts Moderna on track to win approval for its mRNA vaccine mRNA-1273 next year. Full Article
ey Surge in screen time has led to jump in sales, says eye supplement president By www.nutraingredients-usa.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 16:41:00 +0100 With social distancing in full effect, families have not only found themselves with a lot more time together, but a lot more time in front of their screens. Full Article Markets
ey COMIC: Hospitals Turn To Alicia Keys, U2 And The Beatles To Sing Patients Home By www.npr.org Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:00:27 -0400 Call them victory anthems. Every time a patient with COVID-19 is well enough to be discharged, hospitals in New York and elsewhere play songs of celebration over the intercom. A doctor explains. Full Article
ey The MDR amendment proposal: more than meets the eye By medicaldeviceslegal.com Published On :: Sat, 04 Apr 2020 20:01:17 +0000 On Friday 3 April 2020 it finally happened: the Commission proposal for amendment of the MDR to defer the date of application with a year that everyone was waiting for and was in the works for some time was finally published. As I have heard from many directions immediately after the announcement of the proposal being […] Full Article Recast Article 59 MDR Brexit Date of Application IVDR MDR Postponement Swixit Turkxit
ey California to reopen 25 DMV field offices on Friday after they were shut down amid coronavirus By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 17:44:05 -0400 California DMV will reopen 25 field offices after shutdown Full Article
ey Season Interrupted: Middlebury-bound Riley Griffis can hang in the deep end By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 09:30:27 -0400 Loyola swimming star Riley Griffis quickly read the reality of life outside the pool: 'The time away has shown it's something I need to function." Full Article
ey Merchants rejoice as they finally swing open doors and greet customers — with restrictions, of course By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 17:04:05 -0400 Merchants rejoice they finally reopen businesses and greet customers, with social distancing Full Article
ey On Venice's hip Abbot Kinney, there are signs of retail life after devastating coronavirus closures By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 18:08:19 -0400 California reopening: On Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, the normally bustling shopping district that has been largely vacant amid the coronavirus, there were signs of life Friday as some retailers opened for curbside service. Full Article
ey Newsom warns defiant counties they could lose coronavirus cash for reopening early By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 19:38:09 -0400 Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration sent letters to Modoc, Sutter and Yuba counties warning that the areas could be ineligible for disaster funding unless they adhere to the state's coronavirus reopening plan. Full Article
ey Letters to the Editor: 'Geezers' don't have to prove their worth to society (but they are valuable) By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 06:00:36 -0400 Older people who are more at risk of dying from COVID-19 contribute immeasurably to society, but they should not have to prove their worth. Full Article
ey Hershey Felder salutes Irving Berlin, plus 13 other must-sees on Mother's Day weekend By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 10:00:16 -0400 Celebrate Mother's Day with a livestream of the musical bio-drama "Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin" Full Article
ey Hong Kong legislature erupts in clashes over key committee control By asia.nikkei.com Published On :: Full Article
ey The diverse roles of SPOP in prostate cancer and kidney cancer By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-04-30 Full Article
ey Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-01 Full Article
ey Treatment of peyronie’s disease with combination of clostridium histolyticum collagenase and penile traction therapy: a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-04 Full Article
ey Long-term outcomes of surgery for Peyronie’s disease: focus on patient satisfaction By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-04 Full Article
ey Indonesian VC firm Indogen Capital eyes succour in East Asia amid virus crisis By www.dealstreetasia.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:17:49 +0000 Indogen is working with its portfolio firms to explore opportunities in Greater China and Japan. The post Indonesian VC firm Indogen Capital eyes succour in East Asia amid virus crisis appeared first on DealStreetAsia. Full Article FundPark IndoGen Capital
ey Endo-microscopy beyond the Abbe and Nyquist limits By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-07 Full Article
ey CD24Fc protects against viral pneumonia in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected Chinese rhesus monkeys By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-07 Full Article
ey HIF1α blockade reduces kidney injury in lupus nephritis By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-06 Full Article
ey BCR selection and affinity maturation in Peyer’s patch germinal centres By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-06 Full Article
ey The functions of IL-23 and IL-2 on driving autoimmune effector T-helper 17 cells into the memory pool in dry eye disease By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-04-23 Full Article
ey Monkeypox virus emergence in wild chimpanzees reveals distinct clinical outcomes and viral diversity By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-04-27 Full Article
ey Recruitment for director and research principal investigators of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering Research, at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University By feeds.nature.com Published On :: Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:18:08 +0000 Position Laboratory director and independent principal investigators Employer Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Location 639 Zhi Zao Ju Rd, Huang Pu District, 200011, Shanghai, China Discipline Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine related disciplines including: Stem Cell, Developmental Biology, Biomaterials, Biomedical Engineering Aim: Shanghai Tissue Engineering Key Laboratory is among the l… Full Article
ey Tissue-resident ductal macrophages survey the mammary epithelium and facilitate tissue remodelling By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-04-27 Full Article
ey Effects of acute and repeated treatment with methocinnamox, a mu opioid receptor antagonist, on fentanyl self-administration in rhesus monkeys By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-06 Full Article