Category Archives: Progress

A long labor. Abbie Duggar (ne Burnett) became really exhausted during her daughter Graces January birth.

At 10 p.m., I got rechecked at the hospital, and they said that I was still only dilated to a five, the Counting On star, 28, said in Us Weeklys exclusive clip of the shows Tuesday, September 1, episode. Ive been in labor for over a day and a half, and Im still only dilated to five centimeters.

When she and John David Duggar spoke with their doctor, he recommended that the then-pregnant star receive petocin and an epidural.

My body obviously wasnt making progress, and I was really exhausted by this point, Abbie said in a confessional. Between 11 p.m. and midnight, I was able to move rooms and get the petocin and get the epidural. After they gave me the epidural, I was able to go to sleep and actually rest for a couple of hours.

While she slept, the pairs parents guessed the weight of their future grandchild in the waiting room and Abbie was able to progress.

She explained, I wasnt feeling any contractions, and the nurse came in around 2:15 to recheck me. She said, Congratulationsyoure at a 10. I was so excited. And I was refreshed because I had actually slept for a couple of hours.

After pushing for 30 to 45 minutes, Abbie gave birth to their baby girl. Us broke the news at the time, sharing the first photos of the family of three.

Our lives have changed forever with the arrival of our baby girl, the reality stars exclusively told Us in January. She is a beautiful gift from God. We are so blessed the Lord has given her to us. Its still surreal to know that we are really parents but its a great new adventure that we are excited to take on together.

The TLC personalities baby news came five months after Us confirmed their first pregnancy. John David and Abbie tied the knot in November 2018 in Oklahoma.

Counting On airs on TLC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

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Counting Ons Abbie Duggar Reflects on Nearly 2-Day Labor: My Body Wasnt Making Progress - Us Weekly

But red flag warning conditions will test lines, could spread new fires fast

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- More progress was reported Saturday by crews fighting several large Central Oregon wildfires sparked by lightning nearly two weeks ago, as a red flag warning threatened more winds and extreme fire behavior that could test the lines or spread new blazes quickly.

Here are Saturday's updates on the Green Ridge, Frog and Warm Springs wildfires:

Green Ridge FireAugust 29, 2020 AM Briefing

Size as of IR flight: 4,338Containment: 50 %Start Date/Time: August 16, 20205:05 p.m.Location: Camp Sherman, ORCause: LightningPersonnel: 694Assigned Resources:Hand Crews: 24Engines: 26Dozers: 4Water Tenders: 18Other HeavyEquipment: 0Assigned Aircraft: 4Structure Task Forces: 0

Injuries: 1 (bee sting)StructuresThreatened: 0StructuresDamaged: 0StructuresDestroyed: 0Evacuations: NoneFor the most current evacuation information,contact the Incident Management TeamInformation Section(541) 604 8461staffed 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily

Camp Sherman, Ore. The Green Ridge Fire stands at 4,338 acres burned and has not moved out of that footprint in five days. Current containment is 50 percent. The Deschutes National Forest Area Closure remains in place while FS Road 14 and associated campgrounds remain open. Visitinciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7012/for additional fire and Forest Area Closures information.

A dry cold front will cross over the fire areatoday,producing a Red Flag Warning that will bring elevated winds and low humidity across an already dried-out landscape. While fire managers are confident in the work put in by crews to date, the forecast strong winds will test containment lines.

Mop-up operations will continue over the next few days, with the objective of cooling hot spots up to 75 feet into the interior of the fire. The deeper crews move in from the perimeter, the less likely embers will be carried over established containment lines. Crews assigned to the Green Ridge Fire are also available to provide initial attack support to the local district and forest on new fire starts within the immediate area.

Fire danger remains extreme across central Oregon. The firefighting community is asking all residents and forest visitors to exercise caution with all outdoor activities. All open fires, including campfires, wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires are prohibited on the Deschutes National Forest except in designated campgrounds. Open fires are also not allowed on private lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Visithttps://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspxfor more information and additional public use restrictions.

For the most current fire information, visithttps://www.facebook.com/greenridgefire2020/or contact the Incident Management Team Information Section at(541) 604 8461between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Frog Fire Update

Northwest Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander, Doug Johnson

August 29, 2020 - 9:00 AM

This will be the last update from the Northwest Incident Management Team 8 (NWIMT8). NWIMT8 would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the community, cooperators, agency staff, and firefighters for the unwavering support during our management of the Frog Fire.The management of theFrogFire is being returned to a local Type 4 management organizationSundaymorning. Fire suppression repairs and patrols will be ongoing in the Frog Fire area.

Northwest Incident Management Team 8 would like to say "thank you" to the community, agency staff, cooperators and firefighters for the support during our management of the Frog Fire.View at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRWZCNU5Za0

General Updates:The anticipated cold front forecast to move through the area later this afternoon and into this evening has firefighters watching the skies and the fire perimeter. With persistent 25 mph winds expected in the evening, firefighters will remain vigilant and ready to respond to any spots or embers pushed across the Frog Fire containment lines. High winds, dry fuels and low relative humidity could test containment lines on the fire. Crews continue to mop up, strengthen and patrol containment lines on all flanks of the incident.

Back hauling of excess equipment from the fire line has begun and fire fighters are working to repair dozer line and resource impacts from fire suppression. As these objectives are met, resources will be released to return home or be reassigned to assist on other fires.

A special reminder to hunters and recreationalists that despite milder temperatures, fuels are extremely dry and readily receptive to ignition. Please do your part to prevent wildfires.

Acreage:4,020

Containment:90%

Fire Information:541-670-0812 (8:00 am to 9:00 PM). This number will changeSundaymorning back to Central Oregon Dispatch Fire Information Desk:541-316-7711.

Information Websites:

Twitter:@CentralORFire

Blog Site:http://www.centraloregonfire.org

Inciweb:http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7036/

Smoke:oregonsmoke.blogspot.com

Weather:Temperatures will be in the high 70s to low 80s with relative humidity ranging from 11 to 16 percent. Winds will be northwest 2 to 5 mph in the morning and increasing to 6 to 10 mph by midafternoon with gusts to 16 mph.Big changes will likely arrive bySaturdayafternoon and evening as a strong, dry cold front pushes over the fire.

A red flag warning is in effect from 3 P.M. to 10 P.M.todayfor windy and dry conditions.

Air Quality:The air quality can change daily; up-to-date information forOregon is available atoregonsmoke.blogspot.com.

Resources-404:3-type 2 initial attack crews, 8-type 2 crews, 1-heavy helicopter, 3-medium helicopter, 1-light helicopter, 11-engines, 1-skidgine, 1-water tenders, and miscellaneous overhead.

Evacuations:None

Closures:Several road closures and an area closure have been implemented near the Frog Fire.

The Crook County Sheriffs Office has closed the following roads:

On the south end:

Roberts Road at Bear Creek Klootchman Creek Road at Bear Creek Salt Creek at Roberts Road

On the north end:

Forest Service Road 16 at the junction of Forest Service Road 1610

A temporary area closure has been implemented by the Ochoco National Forest. For a full description and map of the area closure, please see the above Inciweb link.

Temporary Flight Restrictions:The temporary flight restriction that has been in place over the fire will be removedSaturdayevening at 8:00 P.M.

Warm Springs fires update:

Quick FactsIncident SummariesP-515 / LionsheadApproximateSize in Acres: 4,609 ac. / 5,833ac.FireContainment: 75% / 15%IncidentCommander Eric KnerrResources onthe fire:Crews: 23Helicopters: 8Engines: 26Water Tenders: 11Dozers: 4TotalPersonnel: 871Jurisdiction:Confederated Tribesof Warm SpringsOregon Smoke Bloghttp://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/Inciwebhttps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7050/

Warm Springs, Oregon -This update is for the P-515 Fire and Lionshead Fire burning on the Warm Springs Reservation. Both fires are being managed for full suppression.

A Red Flag Warning has been issued forSaturdayafternoon and evening.

Current Situation:The P-515 Fire is 4,609 acres and 75% contained.Yesterday, mop up operations on the P-515 Fire continued to extinguish smoldering and hot debris deeper inside the burnt area to further improve fire lines.

The Lionshead Fire is now 5,833 acres and 15% contained.Yesterday, crews on the Lionshead Fire contained several new spot fires on the southwest flank, and continued work to strengthen and hold fire line along the J-200 Road. The fire continues to be held along the P-440 Road on the northern perimeter.

P-515 Fire:Mop up operationstodaywill continue to advance deeper into the burnt area. Winds are expected to test containment lines throughout the day and into the evening. Firefighters will focus on looking for any new spot fires that develop beyond fire lines.

Lionshead Fire:Todays fire behavior is expected to challenge containment lines in holding the fire to its existing footprint. On the north flank, crews and heavy equipment will continue to clear and remove fuels along the P-440 Road to improve and strengthen containment lines. To the south, crews will work to hold the southwest flank along the J-200 Road.

Weather and Fire Behavior: A Red Flag Warning for winds and low relative humidity is in effect fortodayfrom 2 p.m. till 10 p.m. In the early afternoon winds from the northwest of 10-18 mph with gusts of up to 40 mph are expected. We have all the ingredients for very active fire behaviortoday, crews were cautioned by Steve Zeal, NW Team 7 Fire Behavioral Analyst.

Closures:Trout Lake Road at pavement end; Road B140 at Potters Pond; Road B210 and Road P-500. All trails south of Trout Lake, west of M-120 Metolious Bench, east of Mt. Jefferson, and north of J-195 will be closed to the public. Tenino Road (P-200) is closed to the public, with only fire personnel and residents are allowed.

Evacuations:There are currently no evacuations orders associated with the P-515 or Lionshead Fires.

COVID-19:Precautionary measures have been implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures include daily temperature screenings, mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing, and implementing more virtual work. Public and firefighter safety are a top priority.

Prevention Message:Protect your Property, friends, and family prevent wildfires.

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More progress on the lines: Green Ridge fire now 50% contained, Frog Fire at 90% - KTVZ

Jackie Meck spent many weekends as a kid fishing in the Gila River's clear waters.

Meck, the 79-year-old mayor of Buckeye, was born and raised in the then small town west of Phoenix. Through the years, he has seen the river change. He saw it become cloudywith pesticides decades ago before tighter environmental regulations kicked in. He saw invasive salt cedar trees sprout and eventually choke the river's flow.

Meck has used his voiceas a Buckeye native and as a political mainstay to sound the alarm on threats facing his city'sstretch of the river both at community meetings in the West Valley and at meetings with Arizona's delegation on Capitol Hill.

For now, the Gila River flows from New Mexico into Arizona, winding nearPhoenix,throughthe Gila River Indian Community, Avondale and Goodyear before it becomes log-jammed in Buckeye by the salt cedar.

City leaders from Phoenix and the West Valley suburbs have partnered with the Gila River Indian Community, state, county and federal agencies, nonprofits and the private sector to restore the river's flow. Nonprofits such as the Audubon Society and private-sector companies such as REI are part of the effort.

Leadershope toone day seeing hiking trails, parks and light development along a river that is habitable for wildlife and native vegetation.

Ambitions to restore the riverfit into the broader Rio Reimagined project pioneered by the late Sen. John McCain, which his wife Cindy announced alongside Arizona State University officials in 2018.

As Congress mulls over funding to restorethe river,state lawmakers have put some money into aneffort that could help by giving grants for communities to remove non-native vegetation.

The biggest challenge for years has been the pervasive growth of the invasive salt cedar trees that tangleand act as a dam to stop the river's flow in Buckeye. Its water, choked off by the thick growths of trees, is murky. Wildlife habitat is threatened. And it's an ever-growing brush fire hazard.

"What used to be there was cottonwoods and willows," Meck said. "Its a different environment."

Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck stands where the Gila River used to flow in Buckeye. Invasive salt cedar plants have essentially dammed the river.(Photo: Joshua Bowling/The Republic)

Restoring the Gila River's flow isn't as easy as getting rid of the dense foliage choking it. It's a matter of money, and the growing southwest Valley suburbs don't have a lot to spare.

State lawmakers in 2019 set up an $11million fund for the removal of invasive plants such as salt cedars.The state gave out $2 million in the 2019-20 fiscal yearand will hand out $1 million each fiscal year through the fiscal year 2029.

The state provided an initial $2 million in late 2019 to 11 projects around Arizona, five of which were also focused on clearing salt cedars. One of the grant recipients, the Safford-based Gila Watershed Partnership, isclearing salt cedars along the river in Graham and Greenlee counties.

Buckeye plans to apply each year. Meanwhile, the regional effort to restore the Gila River has already landed millions in grant funding.Phoenix earlier this year received $1.4 million in Environmental Protection Agency grants to work with Arizona State University and southwest Valley suburbs on the Gila, Salt and Agua Fria rivers.

Already the Gila River coalition of cities, nonprofits and state agencies has managed to clear several hundred acres' worth of salt cedars in Buckeye.

They hope for help from the federal government, too.

Earlier this year, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Martha McSally co-sponsored the Drought Relief through Innovative Projects Act, which if passed could also set up a grant program to help locales target invasive species.

"In Arizona, our desert rivers like the Verde, Salt,and Gila have been hit particularly hard," McSally said in a statement at the time. "In their healthy state, these landscapes should have a handful of native trees like willows, cottonwoods, or mesquite. But right now these riverbeds are choked with up to 4,000 salt cedars per acre. This not only puts incredible strain on water supply, it also causes serious flooding and fire hazards."

Conservation groups tout the Gila River as New Mexico's last free-flowing river and in 2019 rated it the country's most endangered river.

The river touches much of metro Phoenix's southwest Valley, from the historic Gillespie Dam near State Route 85 on the way to Gila Bend to the Tres Rios Wetlands project near 91st Avenue and Broadway Roadthat feeds back into the river.

The river is home to the endangered Yuma Ridgway's Rail, a bird that thrives in the type of marsh habitat that the salt cedars have eaten away at.

Plans to restore the Valley's waterways go back decades, from the Rio Salado Project of the 1960s aimed at revitalizing the Salt River, which led to Tempe Town Lake's creation, to the El Rio Watercourse Master Plan of the 2000s that focused on the Gila River in the southwest Valley.

The new Rio Reimagined plan unifies the plans for the East and West Valley.

"Collaboration that creates environmental, social and economic value along the Lower Gila not only enriches the region, but also provides a direct benefit to the investment and efforts the city of Phoenix has made to revitalize the Salt River corridor over the past two decades," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a statement.

Leaders announced plans to restore the Gila River in 1999. Even then, the river was much different than whenBuckeye's mayor spent time there as a childin the 1940s.

The water used to be clear, Meck said. He could spend a day fishing on the river and see the fish through the water.

But as time went on, the water became cloudy. Pesticides tainted the water so much that for nearly 25 years the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality had a warning against eating fish out of the river. It didn't remove that warning until 2015.

Improvements to the river that began in the late 1990s culminated in the mid-2000s with the publication of theEl Rio Watercourse Master Plan.

The plan called for hiking and horseback trails as well as light development along the Gila River. Leaders hope the area one daymirrors developments such as Tempe Town Lake, which has become surrounded by offices and apartments, or Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash, which offers biking and walking trails.

Leaders are focused on making the experience along the rivers interconnected. For example, they don't want something like walking trails to feel wildly different when someone walks from Avondale into Goodyear. The trails should link right into each other so the person doesn't even notice they left one city for another, they say.

"We think it's going to be a ribbon through the Valley,"said Adam Copeland, Buckeye's principal planner.

Plans to add development are now seen as more long-term goals, Meck said. Right now, the priority is to getthe water flowing again and to bringback native vegetation, like cottonwood trees, and attract the wildlife that thrives in thatenvironment.

"Someday, maybe development comes along. (But) lets get it back to where it was," Mecksaid.

Salt cedars aren't just a dam they're thirsty.

Each one consumes 200 to 300 gallons of water each day, Meck said. If all the salt cedar trees clogging Buckeye's stretch of the Gila River were cleared, that would conserve some 50,000 acre-feet of water per year, or enough to meet the water needs of150,000 typical Phoenix-area households for a year.

When the trees choke the river like that, the underground water table rises closer to the ground and can flood and kill the crops on nearby farms. To counter that, the Buckeye Water Conservation and Drainage District pumps 30,000 to 40,000 acre-feet of finite groundwater and dumps it back in the river.

Getting rid of the salt cedar trees would keep more of that finite groundwater underground, Meck said.

While that's not a catch-all solution for Buckeye's water supply, which isn't robust enough to keep up with the fast-growing suburb's loftiest population projections, it would be a major asset.

Buckeye earlier this year adopted a plan to find more water resources, but leaders fear that other locales with deeper pockets could beat them to those sources.

The trees alone pose environmental, economic and fire hazards.

As they continue to grow, they push the flood plain north toward the city's agriculture and growing suburbia. If a bad enough flood came in, it could knock out the city's nearby wastewater treatment plant and dump 20,000 homes' worth of wastewater into the ground, Meck said.

Because they grow so close together and intertwine, it's virtually impossible for firefighters to get close to a fire on the Gila River bed, Meck said. So the city has to call for a plane to dump retardant on the fire, which can cost the city upward of $200,000.

The 500-acre brush fire that burned in June near Avondale's stretch of the Gila River would have been a significant setback in Buckeye because the salt cedars would act like a tinder box, Meck said.

And the trees aren't the only threat the river faces.

As leaders seek to wipe out the invasive salt cedar trees, also known as tamarisk, another invasive species has found its way to the Gila River: the tamarisk beetle.

Tamarisk beetles, which are native to Asia, eat away at thirsty salt cedars. The federal government released tamarisk beetles, which are native to Asia, in Utah in the early 2000s as a way to control salt cedars there. They were expected to travel about a mile a year and weren't expected to ever reach Arizona. Scientists didn't believe the bugs would survive the arid climate.

But researchers have found tamarisk beetles along the Gila River for the first time and they fear the bugs' appetite could drive them to eat away at habitat that endangered species and native wildlife rely on.

While leaders focus today on clearing invasive species and making the Gila River habitable for wildlife, they know that one day development could move in.

There have for years been plans to build a park along the Gila River in Buckeye, an extensive trail system in Goodyear and small lakes for fishing and kayaking in Avondale. But Meck acknowledges that's far off in the future.

Meck, who was first elected to the Town Council in 1968, has seen the city change. It's not the farming town with a crystal-clear river that he grew up in. It's one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, quickly trading its farmland for distribution centers and massive master-planned communities.

When Meck leaves public office in January, he wants to leave a piece of the Buckeye he grew up with as a legacy for the generations that come after him.

"Years ago it was beautiful and stripped through the Valley, now its anything but," Meck said."Were planting trees today and well never sit under the shade. Ill never see the end result."

Reach reporter Joshua Bowling at jbowling@azcentral.com or 602-444-8138. Follow him on Twitter @MrJoshuaBowling.

Support local journalism.Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley/2020/08/29/restoring-gila-river-phoenix-buckeye/3401127001/

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Progress is made to restore the Gila River's flow in metro Phoenix after decades of planning - AZCentral

What to Know

More than half of America is now on the tri-state quarantine list, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday, as coronavirus continues to surge unabated across the country. A total of 31 states are now on the list, with 10 added and one (Minnesota) removed.

Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont jointly implemented the travel restriction last month in an effort to ward off local COVID resurgence. It is comprised of hotspot states that exceed a certain threshold (10 percent) of daily percent positive cases or 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling period.

As of Tuesday, the states that currently meet that criteria include Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Cuomo has said a second wave of the virus in New York is inevitable -- it's just a matter of how hard it hits.

"It's only a matter of time in my book until you see the New York infection rate go up because people from the other states are coming to New York and they're now bringing the infection rate," he said Tuesday. "The virus will travel. It's not a maybe or a possibly -- it will."

Right now, travelers to the tri-state area from those states are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Those who fly into New York airports must fill out a form state officials will use to ensure they abide by the rules. Failure to submit one can result in a $2,000 fine and mandatory quarantine. The form also is required for out-of-state travelers coming to New York by car, bus or train -- though enforcement via those means of transportation may be more difficult.

Cuomo acknowledged Tuesday that the quarantine is itself imperfect; he called for improved community action to better control the spread. He traveled to one of the states on that quarantine list -- Georgia -- on Monday, part of his effort to return the favor to states in need, as New York was so desperately in April.

He said he wouldn't quarantine upon his return, since he is an "essential worker," but will be re-tested. In Georgia, the number of people hospitalized because of the respiratory illness has tripled in the past month. Cuomo portrayed his mission to deliver PPE, test kits, and set up contact tracing as an effort to help overcome political divisions on how to fight COVID-19.

This virus, it preys upon the weak and the vulnerable, Cuomo said. Its the weak body that has trouble resolving the virus. The American body is in many ways, weak, right now. The body politic is weakened.

Political warring over masks has become commonplace in a number of states -- and in the country, given President Donald Trump's aversion to them himself (he appears to be shifting his message on that one, though). Factions of mask-flaunters outrightly refuse to wear them as required in certain establishments, often leading to confrontations at stores or with neighbors.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told NPR Tuesday it was difficult to give a single explanation as to why it's been so challenging to convince Americans to wear masks. Authority pushback could be a factor.

"Masks arent the only way we can turn things around, but it is an important component," Fauci said. "Im not sure its time for a federal mask mandate, but a signal from the top is very important."

Cuomo said Tuesday he was "repulsed" by the lack of a federal mask order; he cited research that suggests up to 40,000 U.S. lives could have been saved with one. Both he and Murphy have emphasized the importance of masks, which studies increasingly show to be an effective virus-fighting tool, in their own states.

Daily Percentage of Positive Tests by New York Region

With all of New York state in some phase of reopening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is shifting his focus to monitoring test results on a daily basis across each region to identify potential hotspots before they emerge. Here's the latest tracking data by region. For the latest county-level results statewide, click here

"One state can only do so much to protect itself from COVID," Cuomo tweeted Tuesday. "The virus can and will cross state lines. There must be a national plan to get this virus under control. Five months later, were still waiting."

Out-of-state travel is one of two key threats to New York's progress in the coronavirus war, the governor says. The other is noncompliance at home. He issued a stern warning on that Monday, threatening to roll back New York City's hard-earning reopening over maskless street parties and ongoing rule violations by bars and restaurants. The latter could be shut down again, he said.

Four more bars and restaurants in New York -- three in Queens and one on Long Island -- have had their licenses suspended over infractions in the last 24 hours.

The entire state of New York is now in Phase IV, the final step of Cuomo's reopening plan. Being in that phase is a requirement for the governor to consider school reopenings in the fall. Certain health metrics requirements also must be met. Cuomo said he'll make his decision on schools the first week of August.

If New York's health data stays where it is now -- the entire state has a seven-day rolling daily positive test average of 1 percent -- Cuomo said he would announce Aug. 1 that schools will open for some level of in-person learning in September. Just two new deaths were added to the toll Tuesday, Cuomo said, the lowest number since the start of the pandemic. He called that a "milestone."

But the pendulum could just as easily swing the other way. And if the metrics decline, Cuomo said he'll have to consider alternatives.

"You can't open a school if the virus is on the increase," the governor said.

New York City has said parents will have the option to go full remote learning if they'd prefer to keep their kids out of the school building. On Monday, Murphy announced parents will have the same choice in New Jersey.

A growing number of hotspot states are changing their reopening plans amid the ongoing, record-breaking COVID surge. Some that planned to fully reopen in person are shifting to fully remote instruction, at least to start the year. Nearly two dozen states have paused or reversed their reopenings over COVID spikes.

Cuomo has said a second wave of the virus in New York is inevitable -- it's just a matter of how hard it hits.

To date, the United States has confirmed more than 3.5 million cases and lost at least 141,000 people to the virus. Given the current climate, experts are now predicting higher ultimate death tolls for the United States -- especially once flu season hits -- if more isn't done to get the spread of the virus under control.

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Cuomo Leery of 2 Key Threats to New York's COVID Progress - NBC New York

Moderna is making progress. AstraZeneca, too. Johnson & Johnson has scientists tackling the problem on both sides of the Atlantic.

With so many companies racing to build a vaccine that will successfully protect against COVID-19 and free us from global lockdown hell, keeping up with the latest updates can feel impossible. In a way, thats a good thing. Bringing a vaccine to market is no easy taskits filled with a lot of curve balls, dead ends, disappointments, and factors we cant control. For the average news consumer, the best course of action might be to tune out the noise and just follow the big announcements.

But youre not the average news consumer, are you? You need to know everything thats happening in the world of coronavirus vaccine development at every moment.

If you insist on obsessing over vaccine updatestracking every pharmaceutical company, every Phase 1 trial, every candidateIve rounded up a few resources below where you can do just that. Bookmark these lists and try to go on with life!

Read more:

COVID vaccine tracker: 4 ways to find updates on progress - Fast Company

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK IBMs stock may be lagging behind its rivals like Microsoft and Amazon, but its new CEOArvind Krishna contends that he is seeing progress in Big Blues push to cloud and artificial intelligence (AI).

On Monday, the tech giant released its second quarterly earnings the second report since Krishna took over the reigns on April 6 and it was a bit of a mixed bag. Clearly not immune to the pandemic sweeping across the globe, IBM reported adjusted earnings to $2.18 per share, a 31 percent drop. Still, it wasbetter than analysts had expected at around $2.07 per share, according to Refinitiv.

Revenue, meanwhile, declined 5 percent to $18.12 billion, versus $17.72 billion as expected.

It comes at a time when IBM headquartered in Armonk, New York with its largest corporate campuses based in RTP has been slower to recover compared to the broader tech space. Since the markets March 23 lows, IBM is only up 30 percent against its industrys 50 percent climb, notedresearch firm Zacks.

IBM earnings drop 31% in Q2 but beat Street expectations

On the flip side: revenue from the Cloud and Cognitive Software business in the second quarter, which includes Cloud and Data platforms like Red Hat, totaled $6.3 billion, up 3 percent.

Total cloud revenue of $23.5 billion over the last 12 months, is up 20 percent (up 23 percent adjusting for divested businesses and currency) exactly one year since IBM bought the open-source software firm for $34 billion. Raleigh-based Red Hats revenue is up 17 percent.

I believe that our strategic vision is taking hold in the marketplace, Krishna saidin a conference call on Monday afternoon, adding that the coronavirus might have accelerated the adoption of IBMs hybrid cloud platform.

Across the board, we are seeing greater demand for Red Hat products, he added. Clients such as Lafayette, American Express, Vodafones Broadridge Financial Solutions, Banco Sabadell and culture bank, all see the value in a hybrid cloud architecture by IBM and Red Hat.

James Kavanaugh, IBM senior vice president and chief financial officer, also reiterated this point.

With Red Hat, we are positioned to win the hybrid cloud architectural battle, he said on the same conference call. We now have over 2400 clients using our container solutions, and nearly 600 IBM services clients, utilizing Red Hat technology.

Still, it hasnt come without some major growing pains and restructuring. As Krishna acknowledged, IBM has been doing a lot of work on the back end to bring its portfolio together in a more cohesive fashion.

That included a massive round of layoffs said to be in the thousands in May. Krishna didnt confirm the figure, but noted that IBM had moved to simplify its team.

He added that IBM isfocused on changing our culture and operating model, so we can make decisions more quickly. Other recent moves involved acquiring Brazils WDG Automation to boost its AI-infused capabilities and US-basedSpanugo for its cloud cybersecurity needs.

Some analysts believe its paying off.

A year into becoming part of IBM, Red Hat has not disappointed and is a major component of the new and diversified life that has been breathed into the IBM portfolio, said saidNicki Catchpole, senior analyst at TBR Cloud and Software.

The continued integration of Red Hats open, flexible and automated solutions coupled with a concerted push to augment and expand upon ML and AI use cases complements IBMs strategic imperative to usher in what has been dubbed Chapter 2 of the Cloud.

AnalystHaris Anwar also remained optimistic.

During the past decade when it came to growth, IBM undeniably disappointed investors, he wrote on Investing.com. But after the Red Hat acquisition, and with new management in place, we see IBM getting back to a growth path once the pandemic is behind us.

IBMs healthy balance sheet, manageable debt and its juicy 5.2 percent dividend yield that pays $6.52 annually, makes the stock attractive for income-oriented investors.

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MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) FOX10 News is committed to getting the facts about how the governments response to the coronavirus affects regular people.

Here is investigative reporter Brendan Kirby with Mondays installment:

QUESTION: Were all hoping for a vaccine. And theres some good news on that front Monday.

BRENDAN: Thats right. Its starting to look like we may get that vaccine sooner rather than later and probably from more than one company.

The latest development comes from Oxford University in London, where researchers reported that they have gotten positive feedback from a Phase I and II clinical trial that began in April. Those results have been published in The Lancet. A thousand healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 55 volunteered, with half getting the vaccine and half getting a placebo.

The vaccine caused a T cell response within 14 days of getting the vaccination. This means white blood cells attacked cells infected with the novel coronavirus. And those subjects had an antibody response within 28 days. This means the antibodies are able to prevent the virus from infecting cells in the body.

That neutralizing activity occurred in the blood of 100 percent of participants. And more good news: There were no serious side effects associated with the vaccine.

Oxford is working with the drug company AstraZeneca for large-scale manufacture and distribution of the vaccine once it gets final approval.

Two other vaccines one by Pfizer and BioNTech, and one by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna have achieved similar results. Moderna is planning to start a Phase III trial later this month with 30,000 volunteers.

QUESTION: Now a question thats been perplexing since the beginning of the pandemic --- why the disease has disproportionately affected African-Americans. And now theres research that might point to a reason why.

BRENDAN: Thats right. Black people in Alabama have been more likely on a per capita basis both to contract the virus and die from it.

So far, 43 percent of lab-confirmed deaths from the novel coronavirus have been black, while African-Americans make up roughly a quarter of the population.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published the new research. Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin examined 178 COVID-19 cases from March 20 to May 21.

They concluded that people with sickle cell disease who get infected with the novel coronavirus have a high risk for severe outcomes and death.

The statistics show that patients known to have that condition have a 69 percent hospitalization rate, an 11 percent intensive care unit rate and a 7 percent mortality rate. This is particularly alarming given that the average age of this group was younger than 40. Those rates are significantly higher than the rates for all COVID-19 cases in that age range.

African-Americans are far more likely to have sickle cell disease, so this could be at least one explanation for why COVID-19 outcomes have been so much more severe for black Americans.

QUESTION: The unemployment rate continues to drop in Alabama, but there are still lots of people who havent gotten their claims straightened out, and now theyre getting messages telling them their claims are not valid.

BRENDAN: Thats right. The Alabama Department of Labor has tinkered with the process a little bit. But the way it works now is this:

First, you must file for regular unemployment at https://initalilclaims.labor.alabama.gov. If you dont have enough wages during the base period to qualify or you have previously been disqualified, you will be rejected.

But you may still qualify under the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act program known as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. You can access that at https://pua.labor.alabama.gov. It is also on the Claim Tracker if you already are in the system. When you apply here, you will be asked a series of questions related to COVID-19.

Based on these questions, the state will determine if you qualify under the expansion passed by Congress to fight the pandemic.

The exact wording of those questions is left to each state. But federal law spells out who is covered and who is not.

QUESTION: And weve gone over that before, but lets remind people of those categories.

BRENDAN: There are 10 categories:

The other five categories are:

(If you have a #COVIDINFO question for investigative reporter Brendan Kirby, email him atBrendan.Kirby@fox10tv.com)

Original post:

Investigative reporter Brendan Kirby talks about major progress on vaccine, help with unemployment - FOX10 News

Flames.(Photo: STOCK PHOTO)

Note to readers: This story is free to all as a public service to our communities.

Update, 8:05 p.m.:

Forward progress of the fire has been stopped, police reported at about 7:53 p.m. Firefighters are askingpeople to stay away from the area while they continue to mop up.

Hard closures remain in place on Kimball Road and Southridge Drive, according to police.

Those who live on Kirsten Court, Howard Court and Lauren Road can return to their homes, police said.

At 7:52 p.m., California Highway Patrol dispatch reported the majority of the fire has been knocked down and contained to a tire factory. "(It) will probably burn most of the night and city has road blocks up."

Red Bluff Fire Department Chief Ray Barber said the fire is about three acres. One commercial structure was destroyed, which he described as a maintenance building.

Original story: Police have issued evacuation orders for part ofRed Bluff following reports of a fire.

The fire is burning west of Montgomery Road and south of Southridge Drive, according to the Red Bluff Police Department.

Evacuation orders have been issued for those in the area of 1755 Southridge Drive. That includes the east end of Kimball Road, Southridge Drive and the north end of Montgomery Road.

Evacuation warnings are also in place for Kirsten Court and Howard Court to Givens Road, according to police.

One commercial building and multiple vehicles were reported burning at 7:43 p.m., according to scanner communications.

The fire was first reported at about 6:53 p.m.

Matt Brannon covers politics, the criminal justice system and breaking news for the Record Searchlight. Follow him on Twitter@MattBrannon_RS. Support local coverage and keep up with the North Statefor as little as $1 a month.Subscribe today.

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Update: Forward progress stopped on Red Bluff fire that caused evacuations - Record Searchlight

Elizabeth Banister, 18, was found stabbed to death in Evansville on Jan. 20, 2000. Evansville Courier & Press

After decades of frustration, there may be some progress in a 20-year-old Evansville homicide.

Thats according to Sara Stewart, the sister of Elizabeth Banister: an 18-year-old Evansville woman who was found stabbed to death in her near-Downtown apartment just after midnight on Jan. 20, 2000.

Eyewitness News first reported the story Monday night. Stewart later confirmed the news to the Courier & Press as well.

According to Eyewitness, Stewart said a private investigator may have located a possible suspect. Thatperson is reportedly in jail.

Evansville police are aware of the possible suspect, detective Aaron McCormick told the station. Theyre still gathering information.

More: Evansville woman is still trying to solve her sister's murder | Webb

More: It's now been 20 years since this horrible, unsolved Evansville killing | Webb

Elizabeth Banister(Photo: 1998 North High School yearbook)

I interviewed Stewart about her sister back in 2019. She said communication with investigators has dwindled dramatically over the years, to the point where she didnt even know the name of the detective assigned to the case.

There are a lot of cold cases, and I get it: they have a lot of work to do, she said then. But not one cold case is more important than another.

Hordes of unsolved killings hang over Evansville including a horrific slate of homicides in the past few months.

All of them are perplexing in their own way, but the Banister killing is especially sad and bizarre.

The apartment at 254 Washington Ave. was full that night. Friends flooded the place to drink and hang out.

But the crowd thinned by midnight. One person was passed out drunk. Another watched a Matlock rerun. And a third stepped out to use a communal bathroom in a different part of the building.

Around 1 a.m., a friend dipped their head into the apartment to check on Elizabeth. Thats when they discovered a crime scene that has baffled Stewart and investigatorsfor decades.

Elizabeth had been stabbed multiple times in the chest the fatal slash piercing her aorta.

No one in the apartment reported hearing anything strange. The only possible lead came from a neighbor who claimed they spotted an African American male duck out a window and run off into the night.

Somehow, someone slipped into a crowded apartment and killed this young woman without anyone noticing.

According to C&P stories from the time, police interviewed dozens of witnesses. Everyone in the apartment was cleared of any wrongdoing, and any hope of quickly solving the killing dissipated as time slogged on.

Stewart has never given up. Shes spoken with private investigators and started a Facebook group to cull leads.

Shell do anything to solve the killing of her sweet, humble sister, she told me. Elizabeth was a caring, generous person who survived an abusive childhood and emerged as a strong young woman ready to start a new life.

She deserves justice, Stewart said.

I may never find out who killed her. It may continue to be an unsolved case, she told me in 2019. They may find the killer after Im dead. After Im old and gone.

I dont know. But I feel like Im not doing enough.

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Contact columnist Jon Webb at jon.webb@courierpress.com

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There might be progress in a 20-year-old Evansville killing | Webb - Courier & Press

Steven Wine, Associated Press Published 9:06 p.m. ET July 20, 2020 | Updated 4:35 a.m. ET July 21, 2020

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.

Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.

He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the teams management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeters rebuilding program.

Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways this season will be different, with bench players sitting in the stands during games and no clubhouse meals afterward. He also believes the Marlins will be good.(Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP)

Im really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years, Rojas said. The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesnt matter if they dont make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.

Fans will get their first look on TV only when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys top infectious disease expert, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the first game of Major League Baseballs pandemic-delayed regular season.

The Washington Nationals announced Monday that Fauci a self-described fan of the reigning World Series champions accepted the teams invitation to have the pregame honor Thursday night.

The Nationals host the New York Yankees to open the season nearly four months after it originally was scheduled to begin. Spring training was halted in March because of the COVID-19 outbreak and teams resumed preparing to play this month.

In their new release about Faucis role at the opener, the Nationals refer to him as a true champion for our country during the pandemic and throughout his distinguished career.

Right-hander Chris Paddack of the San Diego Padres earned his first career opening day start and will oppose Madison Bumgarner of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night at Petco Park.

A little cowboy showdown, Paddack said. Im going to have to use my imagination and hear the 55,000 people cheering my name.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed left-hander Brett Anderson on the injured list due to a blister on his left index finger. He had been slated to start the Brewers second game of the season, Saturday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Oakland Athletics left-hander A.J. Puk, a top prospect, went on the injured list and traveled to Los Angeles to be examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a shoulder strain. Puks shoulder also bothered him during spring training.

Outfielder Scott Schebler was designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds, who selected the contract of left-hander Brooks Raley from teams alternate training site.

Schebler hit 30 home runs for Cincinnati in 2017 but only two last year, when he battled a shoulder injury.

The Atlanta Braves signed infielder Matt Adams to a minor-league contract, giving the team an option for a left-handed hitter. The move comes after Adams exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the NL East rival New York Mets.

Brewers reliever Justin Grimm and outfielder-first baseman Logan Morrison learned they made the team after reporting to camp as non-roster invitees.

The news was particularly sweet for Grimm, who made at least 50 appearances for the Chicago Cubs every season from 2014 to 2017 but has bounced around a few organizations since and spent all of 2019 in the minors.

It was a long year last year, Grimm said. There were times I was ready to walk away from the game, just to be honest with you. But Im just very fortunate that I have people around me who care, who helped me navigate those emotions.

The Colorado Rockies have a social distancing plane plan.

Thats just one of the protocols in place as the Rockies embark on their first trip of the season. Theyre scheduled to play two exhibition games starting Tuesday at Texas new $1.2 billion stadium before opening the season against the Rangers on Friday.

There are a lot of things in place that will sustain health and safety, manager Bud Black said. I cant go through them all.

One of them is a social distancing blueprint while up in the air.

There wont be a lot of interaction on the plane of players and coaches, which during the normal times youd see conversations going on about baseball or about other things, Black said. Its a great time on the plane to talk to a player or catch up with guys. You probably wont see a lot of that this season.

AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich, Pat Graham, Janie McCauley, Steve Megargee, Charles Odum and Bernie Wilson contributed to this report.

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Mondays MLB: Marlins Rojas says team is poised to make big progress - The Detroit News