TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature agreed Sunday that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;is necessary to help check the spread of the new coronavirus, allowing it to take effect Monday as planned.

The top seven legislative leaders, five of them Republicans, had the power to revoke Kelly’s order but made no move to do so during a half-hour teleconference meeting. They convened a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents, and it will remain in force at least until April 19.

State health officials said Sunday that Kansas has 319 cases in 35 of the state’s 105 counties and six COVID-19-related deaths. The number of confirmed cases grew by 58 from Saturday.

Nearly two dozen other states have stay-at-home orders in place, and Kelly waited until at least 25 counties issued their own orders, including the state’s most populous ones. Those orders cover more than 2.1 million people, or 73% of the state’s residents. Hers would be in force until April 19.

Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared on March 12 until at least May 1 instead of allowing it to expire Thursday.

Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach. But none of the leaders criticized the stay-at-home order during Sunday’s meeting.

And afterward, Wagle said in a statement: “We are in this fight together.”

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week.

Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state’s emergency management director, told the legislative leaders that the stay-at-home order is “the best thing we can do.”

State law gives the governor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0025_section/048_009_0025_k/" target="_blank">broad authority</a>&nbsp;to deal with emergencies but allows the Legislature&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0024_section/048_009_0024_k/" target="_blank">to revoke</a>&nbsp;emergency declarations, though there’s not been a case in recent memory of them seeking to do so. Some GOP conservatives were upset with Kelly’s order on March 17 that closed the state’s K-12 schools for the rest of the semester.

President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses.

They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks. Some Americans have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.

And University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.

Democrats have claimed that Kelly’s Republican predecessors didn’t face the same pushback when confronting disasters.

“I’m glad they didn’t do anything crazy, but I was certainly concerned about it,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat. “We shouldn’t have to go through that.”

But House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Republican from Olathe, the Johnson County seat, said lawmakers requiring a review of Kelly’s orders wasn’t about partisan politics. Instead, he said, it’s about keeping in place the normal checks and balances in state government.

“You always want to balance your safety with rights,” Ryckman said. “We’re continually trying to thread a needle.”

In response to questions, Clay Britton, the governor’s chief counsel, said the stay-at-home order contains exceptions for both religious worship services and guns sales. It also makes exceptions for “essential” tasks, such as buying food and getting medical care.

Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas, said the state needed to prevent mixed messages about the new virus. She’s been urging fellow residents of Rooks County to stay at home, and the county issued a shelter-in-place order for its 5,000 residents that took effect Saturday, without a confirmed coronavirus case.

Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing.

“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature were considering whether to revoke Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;that was set to take effect Monday as she tries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Legislature’s top seven leaders, five of them Republicans, planned to convene by teleconference Sunday afternoon to review Kelly’s order. They set the meeting a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents.

Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared March 12 until at least May 1. Had lawmakers not passed the resolution, the state of emergency would have expired Thursday, potentially jeopardizing federal aid.

Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach.

“Our state has varying economic concerns and differing population bases,” Wagle said in a statement. “We are not like coastal states.”

President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses. They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks, just as some in the U.S. have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.

University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.

“If you have someone in your life that you have a strained relationship with, you don’t all of a sudden do a 180 and that relationship changes overnight,” Miller said.

Top Republicans’ willingness to push back on Kelly’s actions frustrated Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas. Her home county, Rooks County, issued a stay-at-home order for its 5,000 residents, effective Saturday, before having a confirmed case of the virus.

Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing. She called pushing back on Kelly’s actions “exceptionally short-sighted” because, “We haven’t come close to seeing the peak.”

“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said. “Do they not understand? Look at Kansas City. Yes, it’s a denser population. Yes it’s already there, but all they have to do over the last three days is watch how it has marched west.”

As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. The coronavirus has spread geographically since being confirmed in the Kansas City area on March 13.

Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week. She said steps she and local officials have taken have slowed its spread but, “they’re not enough.”

“Positive cases are appearing everywhere at this point,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585567462894.png" alt="Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state's emergency management director met with Kansas legislative leaders Sunday who were considering Governor Kelly's stay-at-home order -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state's emergency management director met with Kansas legislative leaders Sunday who were considering Governor Kelly's stay-at-home order -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature agreed Sunday that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;is necessary to help check the spread of the new coronavirus, allowing it to take effect Monday as planned.The top seven legislative leaders, five of them Republicans, had the power to revoke Kelly’s order but made no move to do so during a half-hour teleconference meeting. They convened a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents, and it will remain in force at least until April 19.State health officials said Sunday that Kansas has 319 cases in 35 of the state’s 105 counties and six COVID-19-related deaths. The number of confirmed cases grew by 58 from Saturday.Nearly two dozen other states have stay-at-home orders in place, and Kelly waited until at least 25 counties issued their own orders, including the state’s most populous ones. Those orders cover more than 2.1 million people, or 73% of the state’s residents. Hers would be in force until April 19.Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared on March 12 until at least May 1 instead of allowing it to expire Thursday.Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach. But none of the leaders criticized the stay-at-home order during Sunday’s meeting.And afterward, Wagle said in a statement: “We are in this fight together.”For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week.Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state’s emergency management director, told the legislative leaders that the stay-at-home order is “the best thing we can do.”State law gives the governor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0025_section/048_009_0025_k/" target="_blank">broad authority</a>&nbsp;to deal with emergencies but allows the Legislature&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0024_section/048_009_0024_k/" target="_blank">to revoke</a>&nbsp;emergency declarations, though there’s not been a case in recent memory of them seeking to do so. Some GOP conservatives were upset with Kelly’s order on March 17 that closed the state’s K-12 schools for the rest of the semester.President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses.They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks. Some Americans have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.And University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.Democrats have claimed that Kelly’s Republican predecessors didn’t face the same pushback when confronting disasters.“I’m glad they didn’t do anything crazy, but I was certainly concerned about it,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat. “We shouldn’t have to go through that.”But House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Republican from Olathe, the Johnson County seat, said lawmakers requiring a review of Kelly’s orders wasn’t about partisan politics. Instead, he said, it’s about keeping in place the normal checks and balances in state government.“You always want to balance your safety with rights,” Ryckman said. “We’re continually trying to thread a needle.”In response to questions, Clay Britton, the governor’s chief counsel, said the stay-at-home order contains exceptions for both religious worship services and guns sales. It also makes exceptions for “essential” tasks, such as buying food and getting medical care.Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas, said the state needed to prevent mixed messages about the new virus. She’s been urging fellow residents of Rooks County to stay at home, and the county issued a shelter-in-place order for its 5,000 residents that took effect Saturday, without a confirmed coronavirus case.Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing.“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said.___TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature were considering whether to revoke Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;that was set to take effect Monday as she tries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F2622869617979550%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The Legislature’s top seven leaders, five of them Republicans, planned to convene by teleconference Sunday afternoon to review Kelly’s order. They set the meeting a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents.State health officials said Sunday that Kansas has 319 cases in 35 of the state’s 105 counties and six COVID-19-related deaths. The number of confirmed cases grew by 58 from Saturday.Nearly two dozen other states have stay-at-home orders in place, and Kelly waited until at least 25 counties issued their own orders, including the state’s most populous ones. Those orders cover more than 2.1 million people, or 73% of the state’s residents. Hers would be in force until April 19.Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared March 12 until at least May 1. Had lawmakers not passed the resolution, the state of emergency would have expired Thursday, potentially jeopardizing federal aid.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSenatorSusanWagle%2Fposts%2F1627577420723035&width=500" width="500" height="230" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach.“Our state has varying economic concerns and differing population bases,” Wagle said in a statement. “We are not like coastal states.”State law gives the governor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0025_section/048_009_0025_k/" target="_blank">broad authority</a>&nbsp;to deal with emergencies but allows the Legislature&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0024_section/048_009_0024_k/" target="_blank">to revoke</a>&nbsp;emergency declarations, though there’s not been a case in recent memory of them seeking to do so. Some GOP conservatives were upset with Kelly’s order on March 17 that closed the state’s K-12 schools for the rest of the semester.President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses. They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks, just as some in the U.S. have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.“If you have someone in your life that you have a strained relationship with, you don’t all of a sudden do a 180 and that relationship changes overnight,” Miller said.Top Republicans’ willingness to push back on Kelly’s actions frustrated Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas. Her home county, Rooks County, issued a stay-at-home order for its 5,000 residents, effective Saturday, before having a confirmed case of the virus.Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing. She called pushing back on Kelly’s actions “exceptionally short-sighted” because, “We haven’t come close to seeing the peak.”“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said. “Do they not understand? Look at Kansas City. Yes, it’s a denser population. Yes it’s already there, but all they have to do over the last three days is watch how it has marched west.”For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. The coronavirus has spread geographically since being confirmed in the Kansas City area on March 13.Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week. She said steps she and local officials have taken have slowed its spread but, “they’re not enough.”“Positive cases are appearing everywhere at this point,” she said.

Update: Top Kan. lawmakers let governor's stay-at-home order stand

NEW YORK (AP) — Country singer Joe Diffie, who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like “Home” and “Pickup Man,” has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 61. He was to headline a performance at the Kansas State Fair with Logan Mize September 15.

Diffie on Friday announced he had contracted the coronavirus, becoming the first country star to go public with such a diagnosis. Diffie's publicist Scott Adkins said the singer died Sunday due to complications from the virus.

Diffie, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 25 years. His hits included “Honky Tonk Attitude," “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die," “Bigger Than the Beatles" and “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets).”

His mid-90s albums “Honkey Tonk Attitude” and “Third Rock From the Sun” went platinum. Eighteen of Diffie's singles landed in the top 10, with five going No. 1. In his 2013 single “1994,” Jason Aldean name-checked the '90s country mainstay.

Diffie is survived by his wife, Theresa Crump, and five children from his four marriages.

NEW YORK (AP) — Country singer Joe Diffie, who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like “Home” and “Pickup Man,” has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 61. He was to headline a performance at the Kansas State Fair with Logan Mize September 15.Diffie on Friday announced he had contracted the coronavirus, becoming the first country star to go public with such a diagnosis. Diffie's publicist Scott Adkins said the singer died Sunday due to complications from the virus.Diffie, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 25 years. His hits included “Honky Tonk Attitude," “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die," “Bigger Than the Beatles" and “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets).”His mid-90s albums “Honkey Tonk Attitude” and “Third Rock From the Sun” went platinum. Eighteen of Diffie's singles landed in the top 10, with five going No. 1. In his 2013 single “1994,” Jason Aldean name-checked the '90s country mainstay.Diffie is survived by his wife, Theresa Crump, and five children from his four marriages.

Country singer Joe Diffie dies of coronavirus complications

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert warned on Sunday as smoldering hot spots in nursing homes and a growing list of stricken cities heightened the sense of dread across the country.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the dire prediction of fatalities on CNN, adding that millions in the U.S. could become infected.

By evening, the U.S. had over 135,000 infections and 2,400 deaths, according to the running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases is thought to be considerably higher because of testing shortages and mild illnesses that have gone unreported.

Worldwide, more than 710,000 infections were reported, and deaths topped 33,000, half of them in Italy and Spain, where hospitals are swamped and the health system is at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ec91dc45d8d7c2ea86b0a97446a303a">breaking point</a>.

New York state — where the death toll closed in on 1,000, up by more than 200 from the day before — remained the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with the vast majority of the deaths in New York City. But spikes in infections were recorded around the country, not only in metropolitan areas but in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.

“This is not going to get better soon,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

The virus is moving fast through nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places that house elderly or otherwise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4310cabee8397f9af442660b37f430e4">vulnerable people</a>, spreading “like fire through dry grass,” Cuomo said.

Since the U.S. saw its first major outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this month — centered at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington — a stream of facilities have battled infections among residents and staff.

A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 147 nursing homes in 27 states had patients with COVID-19. The problem has only worsened since.

In Woodbridge, New Jersey, an entire nursing home relocated its residents after two dozen were confirmed infected and the rest were presumed to be. In Louisiana, at least 11 nursing homes, largely in the New Orleans area, have reported cases. In Mount Airy, Maryland, a death linked to the virus was recorded in a home where 66 people were confirmed infected.

Residents’ loved ones are being kept away to try to slow the spread of the virus.

“I have a feeling that I very likely may never see my mother again,” said James Preller, whose 94-year-old mother, Ann Preller, is a resident at Peconic Landing, a retirement community near Greenport on New York’s Long Island where seven have died in the past two weeks.

Brian Lee of Families for Better Care, an advocacy group for those living in long-term care facilities, said in a nursing home, “when we see an outbreak that’s uncontrolled, it’s practically a death sentence.” But he also said the way residents are being walled off from the outside world is as much of a concern as the virus itself.

In New York, the virus is overwhelming some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, with data showing high rates of infection in densely packed areas with big non-English-speaking populations.

Dr. Craig Smith, who heads the surgery department at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, said the hospital will probably be forced into “apocalyptic scenarios” in the coming weeks in which ventilators and intensive care unit beds will need to be rationed.

“Yesterday tried my soul,” he wrote in an online posting.

Worry for the poorest was being echoed around the world.

In India, a lockdown covering the country’s 1.3 billion people has put untold numbers out of work and left many families struggling to feed themselves. Tens of thousands in New Delhi were forced to flee their homes, with no way to pay the rent, journeying back to their native villages. Women in saris held babies on their hips. Others toted their belongings in bags normally used for cement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized for the hardships that the lockdown brought but said, “These tough measures were needed to win this battle.”

Though the U.S. leads the world in reported cases, five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France.

Italy reported more than 750 new fatalities Sunday, bringing the country’s total to nearly 10,800. But the number of new infections showed signs of easing, with officials expressing cautious optimism that the most severe shutdown in the industrialized West is showing results.

Italy’s civil protection agency said more than 5,200 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest number in four days, for a total of almost 98,000 infections.

Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work as it hit another daily record of almost 840 dead. The country’s overall official toll was more than 6,500.

Spain’s health emergencies chief, Fernando Simón, said the number of people in intensive care units keeps rising and hospitals are at their limits in several regions.

“That is why we have to strictly apply the control measures,” he said.

Egypt shut its beaches as cases in the Mideast surpassed 50,000. Police in the Philippines stepped up arrests of quarantine violators, and more tourists were evacuated from Mount Everest and the Indonesian island of Bali.

Poland is considering delaying its May 10 presidential election. Russia ordered borders to close on Monday, Moscow all but confined its 12 million residents to their homes, and the head of the Russian Orthodox called on believers to stay away from churches and pray at home instead.

A prominent French politician with the virus died, the country’s first death of a senior official.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and lead to death.

About 150,000 people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins.

President Donald Trump on Saturday backtracked on a proposal to quarantine New York and neighboring states amid criticism and questions about the legality of such a move. But the CDC issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.

Shocking as that is, it stopped short of the restrictions imposed in Europe or elsewhere. Parisians are fined if they try to leave the city, South Africans can’t buy liquor, and Serbians are upset over a ban on walking their dogs. In Italy, burials are being held with only one family member.

Some U.S. states began to try to limit exposure from visitors from harder-hit areas. Rhode Island National Guard troops went door to door in coastal communities to find New Yorkers. Florida is setting up checkpoints to screen visitors from Louisiana.

As others tightened controls, China continued to ease its restrictions, following the ruling Communist Party’s declaration of victory over the coronavirus. Flights from Hubei province at the epicenter of the country’s outbreak resumed Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585496965542.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci visits with Vice President Mike Pence prior to Wednesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci visits with Vice President Mike Pence prior to Wednesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert warned on Sunday as smoldering hot spots in nursing homes and a growing list of stricken cities heightened the sense of dread across the country.Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the dire prediction of fatalities on CNN, adding that millions in the U.S. could become infected.By evening, the U.S. had over 135,000 infections and 2,400 deaths, according to the running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases is thought to be considerably higher because of testing shortages and mild illnesses that have gone unreported.Worldwide, more than 710,000 infections were reported, and deaths topped 33,000, half of them in Italy and Spain, where hospitals are swamped and the health system is at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ec91dc45d8d7c2ea86b0a97446a303a">breaking point</a>.New York state — where the death toll closed in on 1,000, up by more than 200 from the day before — remained the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with the vast majority of the deaths in New York City. But spikes in infections were recorded around the country, not only in metropolitan areas but in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.“This is not going to get better soon,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.The virus is moving fast through nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places that house elderly or otherwise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4310cabee8397f9af442660b37f430e4">vulnerable people</a>, spreading “like fire through dry grass,” Cuomo said.Since the U.S. saw its first major outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this month — centered at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington — a stream of facilities have battled infections among residents and staff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585521942640.png" alt="Dr. Fauci during Sunday Coronavirus Task Force briefing -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Fauci during Sunday Coronavirus Task Force briefing -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 147 nursing homes in 27 states had patients with COVID-19. The problem has only worsened since.In Woodbridge, New Jersey, an entire nursing home relocated its residents after two dozen were confirmed infected and the rest were presumed to be. In Louisiana, at least 11 nursing homes, largely in the New Orleans area, have reported cases. In Mount Airy, Maryland, a death linked to the virus was recorded in a home where 66 people were confirmed infected.Residents’ loved ones are being kept away to try to slow the spread of the virus.“I have a feeling that I very likely may never see my mother again,” said James Preller, whose 94-year-old mother, Ann Preller, is a resident at Peconic Landing, a retirement community near Greenport on New York’s Long Island where seven have died in the past two weeks.Brian Lee of Families for Better Care, an advocacy group for those living in long-term care facilities, said in a nursing home, “when we see an outbreak that’s uncontrolled, it’s practically a death sentence.” But he also said the way residents are being walled off from the outside world is as much of a concern as the virus itself.In New York, the virus is overwhelming some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, with data showing high rates of infection in densely packed areas with big non-English-speaking populations.Dr. Craig Smith, who heads the surgery department at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, said the hospital will probably be forced into “apocalyptic scenarios” in the coming weeks in which ventilators and intensive care unit beds will need to be rationed.“Yesterday tried my soul,” he wrote in an online posting.Worry for the poorest was being echoed around the world.In India, a lockdown covering the country’s 1.3 billion people has put untold numbers out of work and left many families struggling to feed themselves. Tens of thousands in New Delhi were forced to flee their homes, with no way to pay the rent, journeying back to their native villages. Women in saris held babies on their hips. Others toted their belongings in bags normally used for cement.Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized for the hardships that the lockdown brought but said, “These tough measures were needed to win this battle.”Though the U.S. leads the world in reported cases, five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France.Italy reported more than 750 new fatalities Sunday, bringing the country’s total to nearly 10,800. But the number of new infections showed signs of easing, with officials expressing cautious optimism that the most severe shutdown in the industrialized West is showing results.Italy’s civil protection agency said more than 5,200 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest number in four days, for a total of almost 98,000 infections.Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work as it hit another daily record of almost 840 dead. The country’s overall official toll was more than 6,500.Spain’s health emergencies chief, Fernando Simón, said the number of people in intensive care units keeps rising and hospitals are at their limits in several regions.“That is why we have to strictly apply the control measures,” he said.Egypt shut its beaches as cases in the Mideast surpassed 50,000. Police in the Philippines stepped up arrests of quarantine violators, and more tourists were evacuated from Mount Everest and the Indonesian island of Bali.Poland is considering delaying its May 10 presidential election. Russia ordered borders to close on Monday, Moscow all but confined its 12 million residents to their homes, and the head of the Russian Orthodox called on believers to stay away from churches and pray at home instead.A prominent French politician with the virus died, the country’s first death of a senior official.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and lead to death.About 150,000 people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins.President Donald Trump on Saturday backtracked on a proposal to quarantine New York and neighboring states amid criticism and questions about the legality of such a move. But the CDC issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.Shocking as that is, it stopped short of the restrictions imposed in Europe or elsewhere. Parisians are fined if they try to leave the city, South Africans can’t buy liquor, and Serbians are upset over a ban on walking their dogs. In Italy, burials are being held with only one family member.Some U.S. states began to try to limit exposure from visitors from harder-hit areas. Rhode Island National Guard troops went door to door in coastal communities to find New Yorkers. Florida is setting up checkpoints to screen visitors from Louisiana.As others tightened controls, China continued to ease its restrictions, following the ruling Communist Party’s declaration of victory over the coronavirus. Flights from Hubei province at the epicenter of the country’s outbreak resumed Sunday.___

Up to 200K US deaths foreseen as more cities stricken with virus

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585505777706.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

TOPEKA —Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman is a grandfather and said Friday he enjoyed visiting with and answering the questions kids have on the virus.&nbsp;

TOPEKA —Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman is a grandfather and said Friday he enjoyed visiting with and answering the questions kids have on the virus.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This was fun! Let&#39;s do it again soon. Share your questions with me, kids. <a href="https://t.co/hd7OngyVBR">pic.twitter.com/hd7OngyVBR</a>&mdash; Lee Norman (@SecNorman) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecNorman/status/1243646784917909504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Kan. health secretary answers kids' questions about coronavirus

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and searching for suspects.

Just after 4:45 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting at the apartments in the 900 block of West 29th&nbsp;Street South in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man inside of a white Ford Focus.&nbsp; The vehicle had damage from multiple gunshots.&nbsp; The 17-year-old had sustained minor injuries, was taken to an area hospital for treatment and released.&nbsp; The 18-year-old man was not injured.&nbsp; There was a third individual inside the vehicle that fled before police arrived.

The investigation revealed, the 17-year-old, 18-year-old, and third individual were at a party at a home in the 1200 block of west 30th&nbsp;Street South.&nbsp; At the party, a disturbance ensued.&nbsp; The 17-year-old, 18-year-old and the third individual fled in the Ford Focus, and an unknown suspect fired multiple shots that struck the vehicle and caused minor injuries to the girl.&nbsp;

Investigators are working to determine the circumstances of what occurred.&nbsp; A lack of all cooperation in this investigation has affected investigators from learning all the details of this case, according to Davidson.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and searching for suspects.Just after 4:45 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting at the apartments in the 900 block of West 29th&nbsp;Street South in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man inside of a white Ford Focus.&nbsp; The vehicle had damage from multiple gunshots.&nbsp; The 17-year-old had sustained minor injuries, was taken to an area hospital for treatment and released.&nbsp; The 18-year-old man was not injured.&nbsp; There was a third individual inside the vehicle that fled before police arrived.The investigation revealed, the 17-year-old, 18-year-old, and third individual were at a party at a home in the 1200 block of west 30th&nbsp;Street South.&nbsp; At the party, a disturbance ensued.&nbsp; The 17-year-old, 18-year-old and the third individual fled in the Ford Focus, and an unknown suspect fired multiple shots that struck the vehicle and caused minor injuries to the girl.&nbsp;Investigators are working to determine the circumstances of what occurred.&nbsp; A lack of all cooperation in this investigation has affected investigators from learning all the details of this case, according to Davidson.

Police: Party ends with 17-year-old Kansas girl wounded 

LAWRENCE — There are no shortages of opinions about Caitlyn Jenner.

But how the transgender celebrity has influenced the attitudes of others remains the basis for a new article by Patrick Miller, an associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1532673X20906460#articleShareContainer">“The Politics of Being ‘Cait’: Caitlyn Jenner, Transphobia, and Parasocial Contact Effects on Transgender-Related Political Attitudes”</a> appears in the current issue of American Politics Research.

“The entire question of celebrities in politics is vastly understudied,” Miller said.

“Politicians seek their endorsement. Brands obviously pay them a lot of money to endorse their products. We have the sense that they’re important but — especially in political science — we have not appreciated enough just how important they can be.”

That importance is reflected in the opinions of Americans who followed Jenner when she revealed her transgender identity in 2015. Examining how age, partisanship and transphobia impacted engagement with the Jenner story, Miller found it shaped attitudes toward transgender rights in unexpected ways.

“What’s interesting about the Jenner case is the people who she seemed to influence are the older, more conservative type — those who probably became vested in her back when she was Bruce Jenner competing in the Olympics and appearing on Wheaties boxes,” said Miller, who co-authored the article with KU’s Don Haider-Markel along with Andrew Flores, Daniel Lewis, Barry Tadlock and Jami Taylor.

Conducted in 2015 shortly after Jenner came out, Miller’s survey reveals that among the respondents who followed her story, those who were both older and more transphobic were less likely to see it as reflecting negative social trends compared to younger people who were equally anti-transgender. And this same group was more likely to support pro-transgender policies if they interpreted Jenner’s story less negatively.

“She didn’t appear to have any effect on the younger people who might have been more attuned to ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians.’ So, in that sense, her audience seemed rather durable, despite her rebranding over time,” he said.

Miller hopes what doesn’t get lost in this research is how every celebrity is their own unique individual and case study.

That proved particularly glaring when Jenner surprised and angered many people when openly supporting the election of Donald Trump in 2016. She claims to have been encouraged by Republican reaction to a speech Trump gave that month in which he professed to stand up for the LGBTQ community.

She later revoked her support for the president in a scathing 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post.

Miller’s survey of 1,400 respondents took place before any of Jenner's Trump comments.

“If those who she affected were older people who seemed more socially conservative, maybe she endeared herself with everything she said regarding Trump after our survey. And given the negative reaction to her 2016 comments, it’s entirely possible she’s developed a negative audience. If she says something today, there are going to be people who want to react against that because they don’t like the messenger. It would be very interesting to rerun this survey,” Miller said.

What would also be interesting to note is how much the transgender topic has dominated the current election cycle in comparison to previous campaigns.

“Even though transgender people are a small share of the population, their political prominence is a lot bigger now — especially as political targets,” he said. “You have politicians out there who are campaigning against transgender military service and bathroom access far more prominently than the share of the population that is actually transgender would suggest.”

A KU faculty member since 2013, Miller studies U.S. politics, specializing in political behavior. He and his co-authors have published numerous articles about transgender issues in politics.

Miller asserts the greatest potential for change in public attitudes involves body issues that are specific to transgender people.

His data suggests that while Americans are relatively pro-transgender on many traditional civil rights debates, they are substantially more disapproving when considering issues that touch on how transgender people interact with gender norms and express gender via their bodies.

Miller said, “You have a lot of people out there who will say, ‘Of course transgender citizens should be able to serve in the military or shouldn’t be fired from their job. But I don’t want to use the bathroom with them, and I’m not comfortable with them being a parent.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1585749547715.jpeg" alt="Caitlyn Jenner lectures during Web Summit 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo courtesy David Fitzgerald/Web Summit via Sportsfile)" />
 <figcaption>Caitlyn Jenner lectures during Web Summit 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo courtesy David Fitzgerald/Web Summit via Sportsfile)</figcaption>
 </figure>KU NEWS SERVICELAWRENCE — There are no shortages of opinions about Caitlyn Jenner.But how the transgender celebrity has influenced the attitudes of others remains the basis for a new article by Patrick Miller, an associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas.<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1532673X20906460#articleShareContainer">“The Politics of Being ‘Cait’: Caitlyn Jenner, Transphobia, and Parasocial Contact Effects on Transgender-Related Political Attitudes”</a> appears in the current issue of American Politics Research.“The entire question of celebrities in politics is vastly understudied,” Miller said.“Politicians seek their endorsement. Brands obviously pay them a lot of money to endorse their products. We have the sense that they’re important but — especially in political science — we have not appreciated enough just how important they can be.”That importance is reflected in the opinions of Americans who followed Jenner when she revealed her transgender identity in 2015. Examining how age, partisanship and transphobia impacted engagement with the Jenner story, Miller found it shaped attitudes toward transgender rights in unexpected ways.“What’s interesting about the Jenner case is the people who she seemed to influence are the older, more conservative type — those who probably became vested in her back when she was Bruce Jenner competing in the Olympics and appearing on Wheaties boxes,” said Miller, who co-authored the article with KU’s Don Haider-Markel along with Andrew Flores, Daniel Lewis, Barry Tadlock and Jami Taylor.Conducted in 2015 shortly after Jenner came out, Miller’s survey reveals that among the respondents who followed her story, those who were both older and more transphobic were less likely to see it as reflecting negative social trends compared to younger people who were equally anti-transgender. And this same group was more likely to support pro-transgender policies if they interpreted Jenner’s story less negatively.“She didn’t appear to have any effect on the younger people who might have been more attuned to ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians.’ So, in that sense, her audience seemed rather durable, despite her rebranding over time,” he said.Miller hopes what doesn’t get lost in this research is how every celebrity is their own unique individual and case study.That proved particularly glaring when Jenner surprised and angered many people when openly supporting the election of Donald Trump in 2016. She claims to have been encouraged by Republican reaction to a speech Trump gave that month in which he professed to stand up for the LGBTQ community.She later revoked her support for the president in a scathing 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post.Miller’s survey of 1,400 respondents took place before any of Jenner's Trump comments.“If those who she affected were older people who seemed more socially conservative, maybe she endeared herself with everything she said regarding Trump after our survey. And given the negative reaction to her 2016 comments, it’s entirely possible she’s developed a negative audience. If she says something today, there are going to be people who want to react against that because they don’t like the messenger. It would be very interesting to rerun this survey,” Miller said.What would also be interesting to note is how much the transgender topic has dominated the current election cycle in comparison to previous campaigns.“Even though transgender people are a small share of the population, their political prominence is a lot bigger now — especially as political targets,” he said. “You have politicians out there who are campaigning against transgender military service and bathroom access far more prominently than the share of the population that is actually transgender would suggest.”A KU faculty member since 2013, Miller studies U.S. politics, specializing in political behavior. He and his co-authors have published numerous articles about transgender issues in politics.Miller asserts the greatest potential for change in public attitudes involves body issues that are specific to transgender people.His data suggests that while Americans are relatively pro-transgender on many traditional civil rights debates, they are substantially more disapproving when considering issues that touch on how transgender people interact with gender norms and express gender via their bodies.Miller said, “You have a lot of people out there who will say, ‘Of course transgender citizens should be able to serve in the military or shouldn’t be fired from their job. But I don’t want to use the bathroom with them, and I’m not comfortable with them being a parent.’”

Caitlyn Jenner’s influence on transgender political attitudes measured in new study

Attorney General William Barr says the Justice Department has already launched investigations into people who are hoarding supplies and price gouging.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barr says, “If you are sitting on a warehouse with surgical masks, you will be hearing a knock on your door."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thieves steal surgical masks. A clinic sells fake COVID-19 tests. Hate groups encourage sick members to infect law enforcement officers. Imposters pose as public health officials. Con artists peddle fake cures and financial scams.

As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;</a>spreads, so too do the crimes related to it — transgressions that capitalize on fear, panic and the urge to lay blame, and add to the burden on law enforcement agencies trying to protect vulnerable citizens.

“It is really disheartening in a time like this that someone would take advantage of the community and take them in a time of need,” Tucson, Arizona, Police Sgt. Pete Dugan said.

Everyday life has essentially stopped in many countries in a bid to slow the virus, and some crimes have been declining. But reports of virus-related fraud are on the rise, along with concerns about hate crimes.

U.S. President Donald Trump and others have taken to calling the virus the “Chinese coronavirus,” even as scientists say the disease has nothing to do with Asian ethnicity. But the president dismissed the idea that his comments could fuel hate crimes.

<a href="https://apnews.com/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">“It’s not racist at all,”</a>&nbsp;Trump has said.

In Los Angeles, a 16-year-old boy of Asian descent said other students bullied him and accused him of carrying the virus. In New York, a man on the subway sprayed an Asian passenger with Febreze and verbally abused him. State Attorney General Letitia James set up a hotline for New Yorkers to report hate crimes in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/86ca5e1f6032314115176190c380818d">country’s outbreak epicenter</a>.

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate groups, blames the virus for elevating racist and anti-Semitic messages, including suggesting that Jews are somehow responsible for the pandemic. Some hate groups have suggested tainting doorknobs or other surfaces with the virus so FBI and police officers fall ill.

“If any of you get this, I expect you to spend as much time as possible with our enemies,” one wrote.

Hundreds of masks have been stolen in Portland, Oregon, amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6d9382c1e8ee36f9ed1a4dfe7815ceb1">shortages for health care workers</a>. A Missouri man who was coughing told two store clerks he had a high fever. He was arrested after police said he threatened to give the employees coronavirus. People in Pennsylvania and Illinois were accused of similar crimes. Texas prosecutors brought charges against someone who falsely claimed on social media to have tested positive for COVID-19.

In a memo issued Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen told prosecutors they could charge people who threaten to spread the new coronavirus under U.S. terrorism statutes because the Justice Department considers it a “biological agent” under the law. In such cases, suspects could be charged with a number of offenses, including possessing or developing a biological agent as a weapon, he said.

“Threats or attempt to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated,” Rosen wrote in the memo to U.S. attorneys across the country and the heads of all Justice Department agencies, including the FBI.

Meanwhile, police in Bowie, Maryland, are investigating reports of a man wearing an orange vest and blue surgical mask who approached people at two homes claiming to be inspecting for coronavirus. He actually entered one home before a resident confronted him. A similar scam was sweeping through Germany.

The World Health Organization and other authorities are also working to debunk spurious claims about possible cures. They include false assertions that silver, bleach, and garlic could protect against the coronavirus, or that bananas prevent it.

In Uganda, the parliament speaker endorsed a businessman who said he had discovered a chemical that “instantly kills” the virus. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga announced that the businessman had offered to produce the “treatment” in Uganda and it would go on the market shortly.

Kadaga’s comments were widely mocked because the product is actually a disinfectant, according to the Ugandan firm that will produce the chemical, not to be ingested.

New York officials recently ordered the Jim Bakker television show to stop marketing colloidal silver products. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1428c4f6bbc336f446bdb89af51bdad1">himself falsely suggested&nbsp;</a>a drug typically used to treat malaria patients had been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the coronavirus.

Fraudsters purport to collect contaminated banknotes in South Africa. And police busted a clinic selling false testing kits in Kenya.

The United Kingdom’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has received more than 100 reports of virus-related scams, with losses totaling more than $1.1 million (970,000 pounds).

“We have already seen fraudsters using the COVID-19 pandemic to scam people looking to buy medical supplies online ... and targeting people who may be vulnerable or increasingly isolated at home,” Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Economic Crime Center in the U.K., said in a statement.

In the U.S., the Justice Department created a central fraud hotline (1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov) and has ordered U.S. attorneys to appoint special coronavirus fraud coordinators.

Meanwhile, marketing schemers have quickly pivoted to offering “senior care packages” that include hand sanitizer or even a purported vaccine, which doesn’t exist. Some falsely claim that Trump has ordered that seniors get tested.

It’s all a trick to get personal information that can be used to bill federal and state health programs, health officials said.

“It’s a straight-up ruse to get your Medicare number or your Social Security number under the guise of having a test kit or a sanitary kit sent to you,” Christian Schrank, assistant inspector general for investigations at Health and Human Services.

The worldwide outbreak has sickened more than 350,000 people and left more than 15,000 people dead. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The World Health Organization says criminals are increasingly posing as WHO officials in calls and phishing emails to swipe information or money. The United Nations also set up a website to help prevent fraud.

But the warning came too late for an 83-year-old woman in Mannheim, Germany, who was convinced by scammers to hand over a five-figure sum, claiming it was for a relative who had fallen ill. Police, who would not give an exact figure on the stolen euros, said the woman was told that a driver would pick up the money from outside her front door, to avoid possible infection.

By the time she got suspicious, the money was gone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585143176510.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Attorney General William Barr says the Justice Department has already launched investigations into people who are hoarding supplies and price gouging.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barr says, “If you are sitting on a warehouse with surgical masks, you will be hearing a knock on your door."WASHINGTON (AP) — Thieves steal surgical masks. A clinic sells fake COVID-19 tests. Hate groups encourage sick members to infect law enforcement officers. Imposters pose as public health officials. Con artists peddle fake cures and financial scams.As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;</a>spreads, so too do the crimes related to it — transgressions that capitalize on fear, panic and the urge to lay blame, and add to the burden on law enforcement agencies trying to protect vulnerable citizens.“It is really disheartening in a time like this that someone would take advantage of the community and take them in a time of need,” Tucson, Arizona, Police Sgt. Pete Dugan said.Everyday life has essentially stopped in many countries in a bid to slow the virus, and some crimes have been declining. But reports of virus-related fraud are on the rise, along with concerns about hate crimes.U.S. President Donald Trump and others have taken to calling the virus the “Chinese coronavirus,” even as scientists say the disease has nothing to do with Asian ethnicity. But the president dismissed the idea that his comments could fuel hate crimes.<a href="https://apnews.com/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">“It’s not racist at all,”</a>&nbsp;Trump has said.In Los Angeles, a 16-year-old boy of Asian descent said other students bullied him and accused him of carrying the virus. In New York, a man on the subway sprayed an Asian passenger with Febreze and verbally abused him. State Attorney General Letitia James set up a hotline for New Yorkers to report hate crimes in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/86ca5e1f6032314115176190c380818d">country’s outbreak epicenter</a>.The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate groups, blames the virus for elevating racist and anti-Semitic messages, including suggesting that Jews are somehow responsible for the pandemic. Some hate groups have suggested tainting doorknobs or other surfaces with the virus so FBI and police officers fall ill.“If any of you get this, I expect you to spend as much time as possible with our enemies,” one wrote.Hundreds of masks have been stolen in Portland, Oregon, amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6d9382c1e8ee36f9ed1a4dfe7815ceb1">shortages for health care workers</a>. A Missouri man who was coughing told two store clerks he had a high fever. He was arrested after police said he threatened to give the employees coronavirus. People in Pennsylvania and Illinois were accused of similar crimes. Texas prosecutors brought charges against someone who falsely claimed on social media to have tested positive for COVID-19.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585145128626.png" alt="Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits intercepted at Los Angeles International airport -photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection" />
 <figcaption>Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits intercepted at Los Angeles International airport -photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection</figcaption>
 </figure>In a memo issued Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen told prosecutors they could charge people who threaten to spread the new coronavirus under U.S. terrorism statutes because the Justice Department considers it a “biological agent” under the law. In such cases, suspects could be charged with a number of offenses, including possessing or developing a biological agent as a weapon, he said.“Threats or attempt to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated,” Rosen wrote in the memo to U.S. attorneys across the country and the heads of all Justice Department agencies, including the FBI.Meanwhile, police in Bowie, Maryland, are investigating reports of a man wearing an orange vest and blue surgical mask who approached people at two homes claiming to be inspecting for coronavirus. He actually entered one home before a resident confronted him. A similar scam was sweeping through Germany.The World Health Organization and other authorities are also working to debunk spurious claims about possible cures. They include false assertions that silver, bleach, and garlic could protect against the coronavirus, or that bananas prevent it.In Uganda, the parliament speaker endorsed a businessman who said he had discovered a chemical that “instantly kills” the virus. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga announced that the businessman had offered to produce the “treatment” in Uganda and it would go on the market shortly.Kadaga’s comments were widely mocked because the product is actually a disinfectant, according to the Ugandan firm that will produce the chemical, not to be ingested.New York officials recently ordered the Jim Bakker television show to stop marketing colloidal silver products. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1428c4f6bbc336f446bdb89af51bdad1">himself falsely suggested&nbsp;</a>a drug typically used to treat malaria patients had been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the coronavirus.Fraudsters purport to collect contaminated banknotes in South Africa. And police busted a clinic selling false testing kits in Kenya.The United Kingdom’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has received more than 100 reports of virus-related scams, with losses totaling more than $1.1 million (970,000 pounds).“We have already seen fraudsters using the COVID-19 pandemic to scam people looking to buy medical supplies online ... and targeting people who may be vulnerable or increasingly isolated at home,” Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Economic Crime Center in the U.K., said in a statement.In the U.S., the Justice Department created a central fraud hotline (1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov) and has ordered U.S. attorneys to appoint special coronavirus fraud coordinators.Meanwhile, marketing schemers have quickly pivoted to offering “senior care packages” that include hand sanitizer or even a purported vaccine, which doesn’t exist. Some falsely claim that Trump has ordered that seniors get tested.It’s all a trick to get personal information that can be used to bill federal and state health programs, health officials said.“It’s a straight-up ruse to get your Medicare number or your Social Security number under the guise of having a test kit or a sanitary kit sent to you,” Christian Schrank, assistant inspector general for investigations at Health and Human Services.The worldwide outbreak has sickened more than 350,000 people and left more than 15,000 people dead. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.The World Health Organization says criminals are increasingly posing as WHO officials in calls and phishing emails to swipe information or money. The United Nations also set up a website to help prevent fraud.But the warning came too late for an 83-year-old woman in Mannheim, Germany, who was convinced by scammers to hand over a five-figure sum, claiming it was for a relative who had fallen ill. Police, who would not give an exact figure on the stolen euros, said the woman was told that a driver would pick up the money from outside her front door, to avoid possible infection.By the time she got suspicious, the money was gone.___

Coronavirus-related crimes capitalize on global fear, panic

BARTON COUNTY, Mo. — One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Barton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Fredrick R. Sellars, 28, Pittsburg, was eastbound on U.S. 160 one mile east of Mindenmines.

The SUV traveled off the right side of the road and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle returned to the road and overturned.

Sellars was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Daniel Funeral Home in Lamar. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

BARTON COUNTY, Mo. — One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Barton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Fredrick R. Sellars, 28, Pittsburg, was eastbound on U.S. 160 one mile east of Mindenmines.The SUV traveled off the right side of the road and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle returned to the road and overturned.Sellars was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Daniel Funeral Home in Lamar. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Kansas man dies after SUV overturns

Stafford County's first coronavirus case is man in his 30s

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged sexual assault and have a suspect in custody.

At approximately 1230 a.m., March 21, officers responded to an alleged rape that occurred in the 9000 block of West Kellogg in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon the officer's arrival, an 18-year-old female victim who reports being raped by 38-year-old Lyle P. McClanahan of Wichita.

Through the investigation, officers learned the victim met McClanahan through a dating app. The victim told police that the suspect picked her up and took her to a separate location where she was sexually assaulted.&nbsp;

Police arrested McClanahan of Wichita on requested charges of of rape, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana, according to Cruz. He remains in custody on a $150,000 bond<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=107088">, according to online jail records.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585328942360.png" alt="McClanahan photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>McClanahan photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged sexual assault and have a suspect in custody.At approximately 1230 a.m., March 21, officers responded to an alleged rape that occurred in the 9000 block of West Kellogg in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon the officer's arrival, an 18-year-old female victim who reports being raped by 38-year-old Lyle P. McClanahan of Wichita.Through the investigation, officers learned the victim met McClanahan through a dating app. The victim told police that the suspect picked her up and took her to a separate location where she was sexually assaulted.&nbsp;Police arrested McClanahan of Wichita on requested charges of of rape, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana, according to Cruz. He remains in custody on a $150,000 bond<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=107088">, according to online jail records.</a>

Kansas man accused of raping teen he met on dating app

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Officials in neighboring counties disagree on whether Bass Pro Shops on opposite sides of the Kansas-Missouri border should remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Officials in Johnson County, Kansas, say the company's store in Olathe is allowed to remain open because the chain sells packaged foods and it falls under the exemptions for grocery stores in the county’s order. In Jackson County, Missouri, however, the Bass Pro location seemed to be selling primarily guns and ammunition and a county health official said the agency would be telling the owners they're violating the county's order. 

Bass Pro Shops has kept both locations open because it believes the public has the right to access guns and ammunition during an emergency.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585345765334.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Officials in neighboring counties disagree on whether Bass Pro Shops on opposite sides of the Kansas-Missouri border should remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. Officials in Johnson County, Kansas, say the company's store in Olathe is allowed to remain open because the chain sells packaged foods and it falls under the exemptions for grocery stores in the county’s order. In Jackson County, Missouri, however, the Bass Pro location seemed to be selling primarily guns and ammunition and a county health official said the agency would be telling the owners they're violating the county's order. Bass Pro Shops has kept both locations open because it believes the public has the right to access guns and ammunition during an emergency.

Counties disagree if Bass Pro can stay open amid pandemic

FINNEY COUNTY— The first coronavirus case has been confirmed in Finney County, according to the health department

A case of coronavirus reported March 17&nbsp; in Ford County involved a resident from out of state, according to the KDHE.&nbsp;The county confirmed the case was a person over 60-years-old who traveled into Ford County. The person was treated and their family placed under quarantine, according to the Ford County Health Department.

The department has a protocol in place for investigating positive cases. Known contacts will be notified.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FINNEY COUNTY— The first coronavirus case has been confirmed in Finney County, according to the health department<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ffinneycountyhealthdept%2Fposts%2F1265822613616443&width=500" width="500" height="650" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>A case of coronavirus reported March 17&nbsp; in Ford County involved a resident from out of state, according to the KDHE.&nbsp;The county confirmed the case was a person over 60-years-old who traveled into Ford County. The person was treated and their family placed under quarantine, according to the Ford County Health Department.The department has a protocol in place for investigating positive cases. Known contacts will be notified.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another coronavirus case reported in SW Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a criminal homicide that left a 38-year-old man dead.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a welfare check call in the 2700 block of South Roosevelt in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. 

A citizen called 911, reporting seeing a man inside a vehicle bleeding. Upon arrival, officers located the 38-year-old male inside of a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Investigators are currently working on learning the circumstances of what occurred, according to Davidson.&nbsp; He did not release the victim's name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585490570573.png" alt="Authorities in the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Authorities in the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a criminal homicide that left a 38-year-old man dead.Just after 7:30 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a welfare check call in the 2700 block of South Roosevelt in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. A citizen called 911, reporting seeing a man inside a vehicle bleeding. Upon arrival, officers located the 38-year-old male inside of a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene.Investigators are currently working on learning the circumstances of what occurred, according to Davidson.&nbsp; He did not release the victim's name.

Police: 38-year-old Kansas man had multiple gunshot wounds

FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating an alleged assault have made an arrest.

On March 23, police asked the public for help to locate&nbsp; Carlos Manuel Juarez, 31, in connection with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threat and interference with law enforcement in Garden City, according to Lt. Jason Chase.

On Friday, police reported his arrest. He is being held on requested charges that include Use of a deadly weapon: Domestic battery, Knowing rude physical contact w/ family member or dating relationship: Criminal damage to property,&nbsp; Aggravated assault, Interference with Law Enforcement Officer, obstruct/resist/oppose misdemeanor warrant service or execution:Criminal threat.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585422759031.png" alt="Juarez photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Juarez photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating an alleged assault have made an arrest.On March 23, police asked the public for help to locate&nbsp; Carlos Manuel Juarez, 31, in connection with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threat and interference with law enforcement in Garden City, according to Lt. Jason Chase.On Friday, police reported his arrest. He is being held on requested charges that include Use of a deadly weapon: Domestic battery, Knowing rude physical contact w/ family member or dating relationship: Criminal damage to property,&nbsp; Aggravated assault, Interference with Law Enforcement Officer, obstruct/resist/oppose misdemeanor warrant service or execution:Criminal threat.

Police capture SW Kansas criminal threat suspect

Saturday's report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment updated at at 10 a.m&nbsp;

Saturday's report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment updated at at 10 a.m&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585421418383.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas; 5th death reported

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigting an armed robbery and have made an arrest.

Just after 10 a.m. Monday, police responded to an armed robbery call&nbsp; Little Caesar’s in the 2500 block of South Seneca, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A 37-year-old female employee told police as she exited the back of the business, a suspect later identified as 41-year-old Joshua Freimark got out of a white four-door sedan and approached her.&nbsp; 

Freimark then pushed her to the ground, pointed a gun at her, took the bank money bag she was holding, and fled on foot.&nbsp; 

An unknown person driving the white sedan also fled.&nbsp; The employee sustained minor injuries.

A WPD officer was following up on information regarding the robbery and learned of Freimark’s involvement.

On Thursday, officers located&nbsp; Freimark at his home on in the 3800 block of East Ross Parkway and arrested him without incident.&nbsp; Officers also recovered two handguns, two ballistic vests, two rifles, a sawed-off shotgun, and ammunition inside the home.&nbsp;

Freimark is being held on a requested charge of aggravated robbery.

He has previously been arrested and convicted on charges that include aggravated battery, aggravated robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of drugs, driving while suspended and driving while a habitual violator, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585321526386.png" alt="Freimark-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Freimark-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigting an armed robbery and have made an arrest.Just after 10 a.m. Monday, police responded to an armed robbery call&nbsp; Little Caesar’s in the 2500 block of South Seneca, according to officer Charley Davidson.A 37-year-old female employee told police as she exited the back of the business, a suspect later identified as 41-year-old Joshua Freimark got out of a white four-door sedan and approached her.&nbsp; Freimark then pushed her to the ground, pointed a gun at her, took the bank money bag she was holding, and fled on foot.&nbsp; An unknown person driving the white sedan also fled.&nbsp; The employee sustained minor injuries.A WPD officer was following up on information regarding the robbery and learned of Freimark’s involvement.On Thursday, officers located&nbsp; Freimark at his home on in the 3800 block of East Ross Parkway and arrested him without incident.&nbsp; Officers also recovered two handguns, two ballistic vests, two rifles, a sawed-off shotgun, and ammunition inside the home.&nbsp;Freimark is being held on a requested charge of aggravated robbery.He has previously been arrested and convicted on charges that include aggravated battery, aggravated robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of drugs, driving while suspended and driving while a habitual violator, according to Davidson.

Police arrest Kan. man who stole business bank deposit bag 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A homicide investigation is under way in Sedgwick County after a man in his 20s was found in a ditch.

&nbsp;The victim was found Friday morning near Valley Center after authorities received a call about a vehicle parked in the road.

Deputies found an unoccupied Dodge pickup and the man unresponsive in a nearby ditch. The Sedgwick County Fire Department pronounced the man dead at the scene.

The victim’s name has not been released.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A homicide investigation is under way in Sedgwick County after a man in his 20s was found in a ditch.&nbsp;The victim was found Friday morning near Valley Center after authorities received a call about a vehicle parked in the road.Deputies found an unoccupied Dodge pickup and the man unresponsive in a nearby ditch. The Sedgwick County Fire Department pronounced the man dead at the scene.The victim’s name has not been released.