Friday on Political Rewind , Gov. Brian Kemp lifts a shelter-in-place order for many Georgians across the state. His press secretary joins us to discuss the decision. What will the political fallout look like for officials across the country as multiple states begin easing restrictions?

The 1,4 dioxane plume emanating from the old Gelman Sciences facility on Wagner Road in Scio Township continues to expand through groundwater in the greater Ann Arbor area. At a recent public forum, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said it would take decades to get the contamination designated as a Superfund site and clean-up could take decades beyond that. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks to Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners chair Jason Morgan about what is happening now to better address the environmental threat.

In an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint, the University of Michigan has pledged to freeze its investments in fossil fuel companies. This move has drawn praise from such activist groups as the U-M's Climate Action Movement (CAM). But it also says the school needs to go much further. CAM member and U-M doctoral student Noah Weaverdyck discusses it all with WEMU's David Fair on this week's "Issues of the Environment."

Cut for COVID-19 content. My parents live together at a medium-sized assisted-living facility in a nearby city. The facility has recently reported to us that one resident and three staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Yesterday, at a health check-in, my parents said they had each in the past few days had fleeting symptoms (one had a cough and the other had a sore throat.) Both feel fine now, but there are major concerns for their survival if they are positive due to age and health history. The health program that covers them had them both tested. We get the results in 2-5 days. If they test positive, they will be moved that same day to a nursing care facility in a different city that has been set up for COVID-19 quarantine, and will stay for 14 days minimum.

I am grateful that they have been tested, and trying to see the waiting period as a blessing. In the few days before they get their results, what, if anything should they/we do to prepare?

Logistically:
-I am hesitant to suggest they pack now, but would it be better to have them living out of suitcases for a few days than have to pack under pressure? (I could not get an answer as to how long they would be given to get ready.) I did suggest they make packing lists now.

-I am going to ask them to get all important contact/insurance/etc. information ready and send to me (I have some, not all.)

In terms of health:
-In theory they should receive all required medical treatment at the nursing facility, but I'm going to check in with them about getting refills of any prescriptions they might need in the next few weeks.

-The staff at the assisted living facility states they are following all required practices: not allowing visitors, serving residents food in their rooms, not running group activities, yet I learned that a. their staff have only been required to wear masks since Saturday (this could have been an access issue - but if so why can they suddenly get them now) and b. we received the comforting reassurance that the positive-testing members had not had direct contact with my parents. However, while they say they have been "monitoring" the staff that did have had direct contact with those three staff, and testing sending home anyone who has had symptoms, they have apparently not tested or sent home staff who were in direct contact with them but had no symptoms. They and would not explain why not, except to again reiterate that they have been following appropriate guidelines. This seems wildly irresponsible to me, except perhaps they simply cannot obtain enough tests, and/or those ill staff had direct contact with so many people that to lose them all means the place couldn't function? I find either possibility horrifying for different reasons.

Regardless, since finding this out I have insisted my parents stay in their rooms except when absolutely necessary, stay six feet away from others, have the staff knock and wait until they have masks on before they let anyone come in, (they each have one mask leftover from earlier health crises,) wipe down doorknobs and handles religiously, wipe down covers on the food trays, etc.

-My dad is in remission from leukemia but is otherwise in reasonable health for his age (early 70s.) My mom, mid 60s, has asthma and general respiratory issues. She also has numerous other conditions that may/may not be impacted is she were to contract COVID-19. Is there anything else they can do to reinforce their health and protect themselves over the next few days (and hopefully for the next however months until we can all stop living in daily fear?)

Emotionally:
We are all going to fall apart if they test positive. One or both of them would probably not survive. I am not panicking yet (again, trying to stay grateful for these next few days) but we need to be prepared for the worst.

My mom is the most practical and responds to serious issues with emotional openness. My dad is a very kind and loving person, but he in denial about mortality and refuses to engage with any discussion of end-of-life planning. I do not want to set them up to bicker and argue for the next few days, which is a real possibility of I push things.

Tomorrow we will have a video seder with them, my brother, and our partners. For Reasons, my parents many thousands of unorganized photographs are in storage at my brother's place, or I would suggest they get some out and enjoy/share some with us. What else can we do to make the most of this short time, and without stressing/panicking overly much, get us ready to accept whatever is coming?

Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, answers questions about access to testing for COVID-19, false-negative results and the challenges of mass testing.

What do you miss when you miss church? Can we be saved if we don't attend church?

You know what's weird right now? Besides, like, everything? Food. Lots of routines are disrupted, lots of supply lines and food-sourcing habits have gotten all sideways. So: what's going on with your fooding? How's the whole eating thing? Any happy discoveries or rediscoveries? Any weird surprises? Any big shortage headaches? Any horrible cooking failures? Snacking surprises? Foodly frustrations? Can you buy literally any yeast? Get it out, let's talk all kinds of food stuff, let's do a whole roundup of where everybody's at.

Happy weekend, Mefites! This weekend jessamyn says: What's growing? Your garden? Your kids? Your hair? Your aggravation at your friends and neighbors? Your "What I'm gonna do when this is over" list? Your dream journal. Let's talk about growth!

As always this is a conversation starter, not limiter; feel free to let us know about non-growth things that're on your mind too. Just no politics please.

I have successfully eliminated feeding time drama. I will tell you how.

But first - if you're willing to make a small screw hole in the pantry door, you can get an inexpensive metal latch hook that will improve that part of your system. If that won't work, you can find another way to keep that door securely closed. If you get stuck, just use your second AskMe question. You should be able to solve this problem :)

If you can't, well, it doesn't sound like you're getting a ton of help from the robot. Would it be just as easy to store the food in an air-tight container and serve whenever you feel like it?

Now - here's how I got my round little foster cat to stop harassing us for food:

I convinced her that I was not responsible for deciding when to feed her. I had an old phone with a distinctive, not-unpleasant alarm sound (harp glissando), set the alarm for her feeding times, and made a huge show about hearing the alarm sound, running over to it (to shut it off), and feeding her exactly then. It was clear that I was controlled by the harp sound. She made the connection very quickly, and would go sit and watch the sound/alarm system when it was close to meal times. My life improved. Safety improved (no cat weaving around my ankles). My estimation of my own cleverness improved also :)

If your location is correct, the Humane Society will do the communual cremation for $35 and there's a campus in your city. If that's too much but you can get her there, I'll cover it. If group cremation isn't the correct choice for you for this pet, however, no pressure.

I have a health condition with a high mortality rate, where about one quarter of us die within the first year, and two-thirds of us don't last five years. I'm on Year 4 now and I'm doing okay, and I'm thankful to be receiving excellent care, and I'm generally optimistic that I'll get to stick around for a while.

Ramping up to my diagnosis, I thought my life was over. And that was both utterly untrue and completely true at the same time. You can't really know what it's like until you have the actual diagnosis, and even then it's been a world of surprises. You may or may not be able to do some of the things you would like to do.

For me to deal with it in a healthy way, I kind of had to create a hard line in the sand. I had to take time to grieve the person I'd been before falling ill, take stock of my accomplishments, and most importantly, I had to REALIZE MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE ENOUGH for my lifetime. If I'd been hit by a bus, my life would have been over in a snap, and whatever I'd accomplished by that point would have had to be enough. Taking that pressure off myself was the kindest thing I could do for myself.

I found I had to let a lot of things go and not compare Previous Me to Sick Me. Previous Me was active, enjoyed travel, able to hold down complex and interesting work. Sick Me can't do much of that, but Sick Me does pretty okay for a sick person, and Sick Me does so much more than Dead Me could possibly do! Seriously, compared to Dead Me, Sick Me is a total winner. Sick Me can do a little modest gardening, enough to keep the weeds away. Sick Me can care for my dog and handle the occasional load of laundry. Sick Me finds a lot of joy in my friends and family and internet communities, and has transferred my social life to text, email, and the occasional dining out when the stars align and energy allows. (Metafilter is a lifesaver because I can pick it up whenever my energy level allows and people are so welcoming and understanding.)

As you're waiting for news, it's easy to fall to worry. Please be kind to yourself and don't suffer those fears and losses before you need to. Right now, you are there for your children. Don't put yourself through the punishment of losing them multiple times unnecessarily. And don't say you won't ever get to do a painting class -- I took my first painting class last fall and it was a boon to my soul and it renewed my capacity for beauty.

In the meantime, take as much control of the situation as you need to. Write down a list of questions to review with your doctors. (I've actually typed them out and distributed copies for them to follow along.) You can google, and it's hard not to, but please never tell a doctor that your questions or concerns are coming from google. Also, do not call yourself a hypochondriac -- what you are feeling is what you are feeling, and your concerns are valid and deserving of respect.

Waiting is hard. Please be extra kind to yourself.

Inspired by the iconic Drag Race "unboxing," Shangela takes an audio quiz on unboxing videos found on YouTube. Heard on D.J. "Shangela" Pierce: Quaran-Queen. Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST: All right, are you ready to have a little ASK ME ANOTHER challenge? SHANGELA PIERCE: I'm going to tell you guys, I love games. EISENBERG: Great. PIERCE: So I'm super competitive. I'm not playing against anyone I know. But I love games. So this is so cool because I haven't been able to go to a game night. My mom and I play Connect Four (laughter) a lot. JONATHAN COULTON, BYLINE: (Laughter). PIERCE: But yeah, I'm so excited. Yes. EISENBERG: Shangela, longtime fans of "RuPaul's Drag Race" will remember the truly iconic moment when you surprised the Season 3 contestants by jumping out of a giant box. OK, so was that your idea? PIERCE: Oh, well, it wasn't my idea at all... EISENBERG: Oh. PIERCE: ...For the first time I did it, that was Season 3. Because I remember the

Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, answers questions about access to testing for COVID-19, false-negative results and the challenges of mass testing.

What do you miss when you miss church? Can we be saved if we don't attend church?

NPR's education reporter talks about what graduating seniors are going through right now as the colleges are closed due to the pandemic and answers their questions.

NPR's education reporter talks about what graduating seniors are going through right now as the colleges are closed due to the pandemic and answers their questions.

What does the quarantine mean for people who are homeless? We hear how one soup kitchen is adjusting to the shelter-in-place order. Then, we begin a series that looks at how other countries are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, starting with Australia. And, from our project Uncuffed, how to make a wet burrito if you’re stuck in a prison cell.

UCSF professor of epidemiology Dr. George Rutherford explains how we've minimized coronavirus deaths so far and talks about a new program that may intrude on our privacy. Then, from The Stoop podcast, we explore how coronavirus is especially affecting black communities.

Public health officials consider the risks and benefits when making policies about going outdoors right now. We’ll hear how the question of equity plays into getting outside. Then, we’ll go to the beach to solve a mystery on the shore. And, a Bay Area poet writes about her deep connection to animals and nature. Plus, we continue our New Arrivals series featuring Bay Area authors.

Updated at 3:20 p.m. ET Democrats and some Republicans are considering ways for the federal government to get money into people's pockets while the coronavirus is keeping much of the economy on ice. Proposals for the next round of aid are being floated, and Democrats in the House are prepping another relief package as jobless claims continue to rise in the country. The Labor Department announced Friday that 20.5 million jobs were lost in April, pushing the overall unemployment rate to 14.7 %. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hopes to release another bill, which is being crafted without the input of Republicans or the White House as early as next week. "This is a reflection of the needs of the American people," Pelosi said Thursday. "We have to start someplace and, rather than starting in a way that does not meet the needs of the American people, want to set a standard." The latest proposal from Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Ed Markey D-Mass., is a plan

Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, answers questions about access to testing for COVID-19, false-negative results and the challenges of mass testing.

A new year--in fact, a new decade--has begun. So what does your local movie theater have in store? And what can we expect from the upcoming awards season? In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair and Michael Jewett meet up with Michigan and State Theater executive director Russ Collins to talk about what the world of cinema has to offer in 2020.

Entertainment has become extremely valuable during this difficult time, especially when it comes to a good flick. In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair gets on the phone with Michigan and State Theater executive director Russ Collins to talk about the newest films and special screenings becoming available this weekend for your online streaming pleasure.

In the 911 call regarding the fatal incident involving Ahmaud Arbery and his assailants, Gregory and Travis McMichael, the 911 dispatcher said she didn't understand what Arbery was "doing wrong."

Georgia Public Broadcasting’s new series What You Need To Know: Coronavirus provides succinct, fact-based information to help you get through the coronavirus pandemic with your health and sanity intact. The news industry is being hit hard by the economic downturn triggered by the pandemic. One Georgia paper struggling is The Walton Tribune in Monroe. It’s been around since 1900, and prints twice a week. Since the start of the pandemic, the paper has had to cut salaries to avoid layoffs. Publisher and editor David Clemons tells GPB's Virginia Prescott he hopes to eventually return those salaries to normal.

There is an observation in psychology that looks at how people behave when they have not lived up to the expectations they set for themselves; the “What The Hell Effect.” In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke talk about, not only what it is, but why...

When it comes to the holidays, how important is the day, psychologically, that we celebrate? In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman, and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the importance rituals in marking time, and the way in which we can alleviate stress in our lives by understanding that things...

Karen and Bradley listen to and discuss Till Jaeger's talk from FOSDEM 2013, entitled What is a derivative work under European Copyright Law?.

Show Notes:

Segment 0 (00:00:31)

Karen and Bradley introduce the talk.

Segment 2 (00:02:41)

The speaker's that you hear are:

• Tom Marble, introduces the talk, and asks one of the questions.
• Till Jaeger, who gives the talk

The slides for Till Jaeger's talk are available.

Segment 2 (00:49:11)

• Bradley and Karen discuss Till's talk.
• Clarence Thomas spoke the first time in the Supreme Court. Bradley said that he said it did not, but apparently he actually said he did not. (59:49)
• Bradley scanned in his Brussels airport train ticket that had his notes on it, where you can read noa push caa. (01:06:40)
• Bradley mentioned the phrase Elvis has left the building. (01:07:15)

Send feedback and comments on the cast to <oggcast@faif.us>. You can keep in touch with Free as in Freedom on our IRC channel, #faif on irc.freenode.net, and by following Conservancy on on Twitter and and FaiF on Twitter.

Free as in Freedom is produced by Dan Lynch of danlynch.org. Theme music written and performed by Mike Tarantino with Charlie Paxson on drums.

The content of this audcast, and the accompanying show notes and music are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike 4.0 license (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The current state of our world appears to sync up with last-day Bible prophecy. How do we prepare for what is coming?

This episode explores historical and contemporary attitudes about the food industry and our food traditions. Our discussants share the major topics that affects the food industry today. The Discussion Tom Philpott is a Food and Agriculture Correspondent for Mother Jones.  While studying food and cooking traditions around the world, Tom noticed that American food traditions...

I'm trying to place a video that I believe someone put in a comment in the blue a while back. It's an animated YouTube video (with stick figures IIRC) by a fairly well known channel that's about why, especially online, taking an aggressive stance, always attacking, and never admitting error works so well (it makes you look like you're winning even if you aren't and that's all that matters). Just can't seem to track it down in search or in my head. Thanks!

Working from home on an entry-level 16-inch 2019 MBP running Catalina.

I currently use an ancient 27-inch Apple monitor (so ancient that I have to daisy-chain a Thunderbolt 1-2 adapter and Thunderbolt 2-USB-C adapter to use it). It works fine, but I really miss having my two-monitor work setup (for various reasons, the laptop screen doesn't work for me in this role). Just using Word and Excel and similar here, no crazy graphic demands. Ability to pass through power to the laptop, or to dock other peripherals, would be nice, but is not required. What should I be looking at?

Wrinkle: my desk is against the window the view from which is the one aesthetically appealing aspect of this apartment. There's no way a second monitor won't tragically increase the amount of the view that's blocked, but I would prefer a compact footprint. Maybe one that can rotate to portrait mode?

Buying in the suburbs vs renting in the city? We are living in Vancouver right now, and we love a lot about it, but we could buy a place in the suburbs right now (which might not be true six months or a year from now). We are really torn, and I want some perspective on what moving to the suburbs is really like, and if owning is that much better than renting.

We've been renting a flat in East Vancouver for a year and love a lot of things about it. The proximity to work downtown, the neighbourhood feel, proximity to beaches and attractions, the kids' school (both elementary-aged), cherry blossoms, shopping, all the things people love about Vancouver.

We haven't been saving any money though, because our rent is outrageously high. We can buy a 2000 sq ft condo in Surrey for less than the rent of 1000 sq ft in East Van. We have a small down-payment saved up, but we're not adding to it anymore, so if we are going to buy now is the time. There are some very motivated sellers at the moment and prices have come down, which they NEVER do in the area.

But we are torn. Suburbs mean longer commute (and paying for transit instead of biking to work), longer travel time to all the fun things we love, changing the kids' school, further to the airport/ferry, the awfulness of moving, etc. We would gain some space, some privacy, some autonomy (paint walls! get a hamster!) and some equity.

Have you moved to the suburbs with kids? Was it worth it?

Additional details: I'm a stay-at-home-mom and my wife works right downtown in Vancouver. Both of our kids have ADHD and are ROWDY. Moving to another (cheaper) rental is out-of-the-question. Even though our current place isn't perfect, its good enough that if we continue to rent we just wanna stay here. If we bought, it would be into a strata, with all that entails. We have owned a house before but not in this province.

It sounds like a punch line, but experts say the problem is real: The coronavirus pandemic, by unmooring the daily lives of tens of millions of people, has made time itself feel distorted.

The draft may be over and free agency largely done. But questions about the Seahawks and the upcoming season never end.

While this year’s Mother’s Day weekend promises warm weather, Seattle officials are restricting hours in city parks out of fears that large crowds hoping to enjoy the sun could further spread the novel coronavirus. A recent report shows the COVID-19 transmission rate in Western Washington may be steadily increasing, suggesting that the number of virus cases […]

With closures in meat processing plants across the country because of the spread of the coronavirus among workers, food analysts are forecasting shortages of beef, pork and poultry on store shelves. Here's a Q&A on what is happening to the food supply chain.

Watch as Seattle Sounders fans celebrate the team’s second MLS Cup in a parade to Seattle Center.

Coach Mike Hopkins faces his first serious adversity during his three-year tenure and his handling of the point-guard situation will likely determine the course of the season.

Since upsetting Kentucky in December, the Utes have stumbled to a 1-4 record in Pac-12 play. Can the Huskies take care of business on the road in Utah?

The quality of the games, which include a handful of former big-league players, isn’t great. But it’s real, live baseball being broadcast by ESPN. Beyond the joy of watching baseball, these games provide a glimpse of what Mariners games and other MLB matchups might look like if/when they return.

Any course planning to reopen must comply to guidelines developed by the governor's office. The most notable will be the limit of two people per group instead of threesomes or foursomes in groups. The only exception: If all the people are from the same household, a foursome is acceptable.

Throughout Friday, on this page, we’ll be posting updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world.

While this year’s Mother’s Day weekend promises warm weather, Seattle officials are restricting hours in city parks out of fears that large crowds hoping to enjoy the sun could further spread the novel coronavirus. A recent report shows the COVID-19 transmission rate in Western Washington may be steadily increasing, suggesting that the number of virus cases […]

The USWNT is on the verge of winning another Women's World Cup, and they've gotten to the final with a brash confidence that they shouldn't need to apologize for. If you're offended, the operative phrase is: "Wah, wah, wah."

Patrick Marshall answers your personal technology questions. This week's topics include changing the default program for images and photo editing software, trouble with colors on a LG GRAM and updating to Windows 10 and security software.

Typically, housing market activity strengthens through the spring before peaking in May. But last month, nearly every metric of housing market activity fell by double digits.

When the 2020 NFL draft ended, Washington running back Salvon Ahmed and tight end Hunter Bryant — both true juniors — were listed as ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s top two available players.

It’s high time the lowly sardine gets the respect it deserves for its salty versatility. Here are a few recipes inspired by bar snacks that utilize the tiny tins of fish.

With a James Beard Foundation survey indicating that only one in five restaurant owners think they can keep their businesses viable, Seattle Times food writer Bethany Jean Clement takes a look at what we stand to lose.