SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit and run accident that sent a woman to the hospital

Just after 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a hit and run injury accident in the 5300 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

A bicycle ridden by Jennifer J. Devore, 49, of Topeka was northbound&nbsp; when she was struck from behind by a vehicle.

The suspect vehicle did not stop and continued northbound on SW Topeka Boulevard.

American Medical Response transported Devore to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according Christian.

The Sheriff’s Office requests that anyone with information on this hit and run accident please call the non-emergency phone number (785-251-2200). 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585150568266.png" alt="Wednesday morning crash scene photo by <a href="https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Woman-hit-by-car-while-biking-to-work-Wednesday-morning-569087651.html">Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV</a>" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday morning crash scene photo by <a href="https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Woman-hit-by-car-while-biking-to-work-Wednesday-morning-569087651.html">Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV</a></figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit and run accident that sent a woman to the hospitalJust after 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a hit and run injury accident in the 5300 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.A bicycle ridden by Jennifer J. Devore, 49, of Topeka was northbound&nbsp; when she was struck from behind by a vehicle.The suspect vehicle did not stop and continued northbound on SW Topeka Boulevard.American Medical Response transported Devore to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according Christian.The Sheriff’s Office requests that anyone with information on this hit and run accident please call the non-emergency phone number (785-251-2200).

Kan. woman hospitalized after hit and run crash into bicycle

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Kansas are investigating an Oklahoma man on theft charges following a chase in a stolen truck.

On March 21, officers were dispatched to the 500 block of South B Street&nbsp; in Arkansas City for a report of a stolen vehicle, according to a media release from police.

They learned a white 1994 Dodge Ram 2500 had been stolen from a residence there and the owners last had seen the suspect, later identified as Cameron Jacob Enox, 35, of Shidler, Oklahoma, driving it southbound on South B Street.

A short time later, Cowley County dispatchers received numerous calls regarding a reckless driver northbound on Eighth Street. The description of the vehicle involved matched that of the stolen truck.

Witnesses followed the vehicle into the Timberlane Estates neighborhood until Enox allegedly wrecked the vehicle in the 2400 block of Timberlane Drive. Enox then allegedly ran away on foot.

Officers arrived on scene in Timberlane and were directed toward the area where Enox last was seen. He was finally taken into custody without further incident in the 2200 block of Timberlane Drive.

He remains in custody on requested charges of felony theft,&nbsp; driving with a suspended driver’s license and reckless driving.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585098632129.png" alt="Enox photo Cowley Co." />
 <figcaption>Enox photo Cowley Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Kansas are investigating an Oklahoma man on theft charges following a chase in a stolen truck.On March 21, officers were dispatched to the 500 block of South B Street&nbsp; in Arkansas City for a report of a stolen vehicle, according to a media release from police.They learned a white 1994 Dodge Ram 2500 had been stolen from a residence there and the owners last had seen the suspect, later identified as Cameron Jacob Enox, 35, of Shidler, Oklahoma, driving it southbound on South B Street.A short time later, Cowley County dispatchers received numerous calls regarding a reckless driver northbound on Eighth Street. The description of the vehicle involved matched that of the stolen truck.Witnesses followed the vehicle into the Timberlane Estates neighborhood until Enox allegedly wrecked the vehicle in the 2400 block of Timberlane Drive. Enox then allegedly ran away on foot.Officers arrived on scene in Timberlane and were directed toward the area where Enox last was seen. He was finally taken into custody without further incident in the 2200 block of Timberlane Drive.He remains in custody on requested charges of felony theft,&nbsp; driving with a suspended driver’s license and reckless driving.

Oklahoma man caught driving stolen truck in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A third coronavirus death has been reported in Kansas as more than half of the state’s residents are facing orders to stay at home except for essential services, such as buying groceries or receiving health care.

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, announced Tuesday night that the latest victim is a man in his 70s who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

“We offer our prayers and thoughts to the family and friends of the deceased. Their sadness is our sadness,” Mayor David Alvey said in a statement. “Our own family and friends are precious to us, and so I call on each one of us to protect one another and stop the spread of COVID-19!”

As of Tuesday, Kansas was reporting at least 98 positive cases. Two other deaths had been reported previously in the Kansas City area. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the ages of those who tested positive ranged from 7 to 90, with the median age of 52.

At least 10 counties have issued orders for their residents to stay home in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Some of the orders take effect Wednesday while others will start early Thursday. Counties that added orders Tuesday included Sedgwick, the home of Wichita, the state’s largest city, and Shawnee, which includes the state capital of Topeka.

Gov. Laura Kelly has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order but she said on Monday that it might become “unavoidable” as more positive cases of COVID-19 are reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584111668151.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A third coronavirus death has been reported in Kansas as more than half of the state’s residents are facing orders to stay at home except for essential services, such as buying groceries or receiving health care.The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, announced Tuesday night that the latest victim is a man in his 70s who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.“We offer our prayers and thoughts to the family and friends of the deceased. Their sadness is our sadness,” Mayor David Alvey said in a statement. “Our own family and friends are precious to us, and so I call on each one of us to protect one another and stop the spread of COVID-19!”As of Tuesday, Kansas was reporting at least 98 positive cases. Two other deaths had been reported previously in the Kansas City area. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the ages of those who tested positive ranged from 7 to 90, with the median age of 52.At least 10 counties have issued orders for their residents to stay home in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Some of the orders take effect Wednesday while others will start early Thursday. Counties that added orders Tuesday included Sedgwick, the home of Wichita, the state’s largest city, and Shawnee, which includes the state capital of Topeka.Gov. Laura Kelly has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order but she said on Monday that it might become “unavoidable” as more positive cases of COVID-19 are reported.

3rd coronavirus death reported in Kansas

TOPEKA, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;More than half of Kansas&nbsp;residents are facing orders to stay at home except for essential services, such as buying groceries or receiving health care.

At least 10 counties have issued orders for their residents to stay home in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Some of the orders take affect Wednesday while others will start early Thursday. Counties that added orders Tuesday included Sedgwick, the home of Wichita, the state's largest city, and Shawnee, which includes the state capital of Topeka.

As of Tuesday, Kansas was reporting at least 98 positive cases, with two deaths. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the ages of those who tested positive ranged from 7 to 90, with the median age of 52.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585134821305.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;More than half of Kansas&nbsp;residents are facing orders to stay at home except for essential services, such as buying groceries or receiving health care.At least 10 counties have issued orders for their residents to stay home in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Some of the orders take affect Wednesday while others will start early Thursday. Counties that added orders Tuesday included Sedgwick, the home of Wichita, the state's largest city, and Shawnee, which includes the state capital of Topeka.Gov. Laura Kelly has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order but she said on Monday that it might become “unavoidable” as more positive cases of COVID-19 are reported.As of Tuesday, Kansas was reporting at least 98 positive cases, with two deaths. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the ages of those who tested positive ranged from 7 to 90, with the median age of 52.For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.

More than half of Kansas under stay-at-home orders

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have made an arrest.

Just before 11a.m. Monday, police responded to a burglary in progress call at a home in the 3700 block of East Kellogg, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A 26-year-old female resident reported arriving home and seeing a suspect later identified as 30-year-old Raymond Polo going through a vehicle in her driveway and a second unknown male by an exterior shed.&nbsp; 

The victim said both suspects fled on foot after she arrived.&nbsp; Items were discovered to be missing from the vehicle and an unattached garage.&nbsp; Additionally, things inside the home had been moved and gone through.

Officers located&nbsp; Polo in the area, and arrested him.&nbsp; 

Officers found stolen items and property belonging to Polo in the area where he was arrested.&nbsp; Additionally, Polo has been previously arrested and convicted on charges that include criminal possession of a weapon, criminal threat, criminal trespass, theft, burglary, and aggravated escape from custody, according to Davidson.

Police is in custody on requested charges of burglary, aggravated weapons violation, theft, theft from a vehicle, a Kansas Department of Corrections Arrest and Detain order, and an outstanding warrant, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585060328788.png" alt="Polo photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Polo photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have made an arrest.Just before 11a.m. Monday, police responded to a burglary in progress call at a home in the 3700 block of East Kellogg, according to officer Charley Davidson.A 26-year-old female resident reported arriving home and seeing a suspect later identified as 30-year-old Raymond Polo going through a vehicle in her driveway and a second unknown male by an exterior shed.&nbsp; The victim said both suspects fled on foot after she arrived.&nbsp; Items were discovered to be missing from the vehicle and an unattached garage.&nbsp; Additionally, things inside the home had been moved and gone through.Officers located&nbsp; Polo in the area, and arrested him.&nbsp; Officers found stolen items and property belonging to Polo in the area where he was arrested.&nbsp; Additionally, Polo has been previously arrested and convicted on charges that include criminal possession of a weapon, criminal threat, criminal trespass, theft, burglary, and aggravated escape from custody, according to Davidson.Police is in custody on requested charges of burglary, aggravated weapons violation, theft, theft from a vehicle, a Kansas Department of Corrections Arrest and Detain order, and an outstanding warrant, according to Davidson.

Police: Kansas woman discovers felon had been in her home

NEW YORK (AP) — A loss of smell or taste might be an early sign of infection with the pandemic virus, say medical experts who cite reports from several countries.

It might even serve as a useful screening tool, they say.

The idea of a virus infection reducing sense of smell is not new. Respiratory viral infection is a common cause of loss of smell, because inflammation can interfere with airflow and the ability to detect odors. The sense of smell usually returns when the infection resolves, but in a small percentage of cases, smell loss can persist after other symptoms disappear. In some cases, it is permanent.

Now, there’s “good evidence” from South Korea, China and Italy for loss or impairment of smell in infected people, says a joint&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entuk.org/sites/default/files/files/Loss%20of%20sense%20of%20smell%20as%20marker%20of%20COVID.pdf">statement&nbsp;</a>from the presidents of the British Rhinological Society and of ENT UK, a British group that represents ear, nose and throat doctors. In South Korea, some 30% of people who tested positive for the virus have cited loss of smell as their major complaint in otherwise mild cases, they wrote.

So that might be useful as a way to spot infected people without other symptoms — fever, coughing and shortness of breath — of the new coronavirus, they wrote.

A similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entnet.org/content/coronavirus-disease-2019-resources">proposal&nbsp;</a>was published Sunday by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. It noted “rapidly accumulating” anecdotal evidence from around the world that the pandemic virus can cause not only loss of smell but also a diminished sense of taste. So the appearance of those symptoms in people without another explanation should alert doctors to the possibility of a COVID-19 infection, the group said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, an outbreak expert at the World Health Organization, told reporters Monday that the U.N. health agency is looking into the question of whether the loss of smell or taste are a defining feature of the disease.

Dr. Eric Holbrook, an expert on nasal and sinus disease at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital in Boston, said the reports have been a hot topic among researchers and doctors. But “we don’t have hard evidence right now” about how often smell loss occurs in people infected with the pandemic virus, he said in an interview Monday.

Holbrook said the reports he has seen suggest the sense of smell returns within a couple weeks, but how long it lasts has yet to be firmly established.

He also said it’s difficult to assess reports of a loss of taste because people with an impaired sense of smell often report a loss of flavor, which is technically different from an impairment in taste.

Holbrook said he is trying to set up a study of smell in people being tested for the coronavirus at Boston-area hospitals.

NEW YORK (AP) — A loss of smell or taste might be an early sign of infection with the pandemic virus, say medical experts who cite reports from several countries.It might even serve as a useful screening tool, they say.The idea of a virus infection reducing sense of smell is not new. Respiratory viral infection is a common cause of loss of smell, because inflammation can interfere with airflow and the ability to detect odors. The sense of smell usually returns when the infection resolves, but in a small percentage of cases, smell loss can persist after other symptoms disappear. In some cases, it is permanent.Now, there’s “good evidence” from South Korea, China and Italy for loss or impairment of smell in infected people, says a joint&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entuk.org/sites/default/files/files/Loss%20of%20sense%20of%20smell%20as%20marker%20of%20COVID.pdf">statement&nbsp;</a>from the presidents of the British Rhinological Society and of ENT UK, a British group that represents ear, nose and throat doctors. In South Korea, some 30% of people who tested positive for the virus have cited loss of smell as their major complaint in otherwise mild cases, they wrote.So that might be useful as a way to spot infected people without other symptoms — fever, coughing and shortness of breath — of the new coronavirus, they wrote.A similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entnet.org/content/coronavirus-disease-2019-resources">proposal&nbsp;</a>was published Sunday by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. It noted “rapidly accumulating” anecdotal evidence from around the world that the pandemic virus can cause not only loss of smell but also a diminished sense of taste. So the appearance of those symptoms in people without another explanation should alert doctors to the possibility of a COVID-19 infection, the group said.Maria Van Kerkhove, an outbreak expert at the World Health Organization, told reporters Monday that the U.N. health agency is looking into the question of whether the loss of smell or taste are a defining feature of the disease.Dr. Eric Holbrook, an expert on nasal and sinus disease at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital in Boston, said the reports have been a hot topic among researchers and doctors. But “we don’t have hard evidence right now” about how often smell loss occurs in people infected with the pandemic virus, he said in an interview Monday.Holbrook said the reports he has seen suggest the sense of smell returns within a couple weeks, but how long it lasts has yet to be firmly established.He also said it’s difficult to assess reports of a loss of taste because people with an impaired sense of smell often report a loss of flavor, which is technically different from an impairment in taste.Holbrook said he is trying to set up a study of smell in people being tested for the coronavirus at Boston-area hospitals.

Loss of smell, taste, might signal pandemic virus infection

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Bill Braum, founder of Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores that has grown to nearly 300 outlets in five states, has died, the company announced Tuesday. He was 92.

Braum died Monday at his home in Tuttle, Oklahoma, the company said in a statement .

Braum grew up in Emporia, Kansas, where he worked for the small butter and milk processing plant his father ran. After selling the company he had inherited, Braum launched the chain bearing his name in 1968 with 22 Oklahoma stores.

The Oklahoma City-based chain known for its hamburgers and attached Fresh Market grocery stores now also has locations in Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, according to the company website.

The company operates a bakery, dairy, processing plant, milking facility and a herd of a few thousand calves at the Braum family farm in Tuttle, about 30 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, according to its statement. It also operates another milking operation on a Braum farm on Oklahoma's border with the Texas Panhandle.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Bill Braum, founder of Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores that has grown to nearly 300 outlets in five states, has died, the company announced Tuesday. He was 92.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBraumsIceCreamandDairyStores%2Fposts%2F10163302202980258&width=500" width="500" height="529" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>Braum died Monday at his home in Tuttle, Oklahoma, the company said in a statement .Braum grew up in Emporia, Kansas, where he worked for the small butter and milk processing plant his father ran. After selling the company he had inherited, Braum launched the chain bearing his name in 1968 with 22 Oklahoma stores.The Oklahoma City-based chain known for its hamburgers and attached Fresh Market grocery stores now also has locations in Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, according to the company website.The company operates a bakery, dairy, processing plant, milking facility and a herd of a few thousand calves at the Braum family farm in Tuttle, about 30 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, according to its statement. It also operates another milking operation on a Braum farm on Oklahoma's border with the Texas Panhandle.

Bill Braum, Kan. native, ice cream and burger chain founder has died

LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced that it will provide free, online, educational programs and content while it remains closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This will include new features as well as virtual versions of previously scheduled events and discussion groups, educational programming for children 12 and under, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Beginning on Friday, March 27, the Dole Institute will&nbsp;release&nbsp;fresh&nbsp;content&nbsp;online&nbsp;in what&nbsp;it is&nbsp;calling&nbsp;“The&nbsp;Digital Dole&nbsp;Institute.”&nbsp;Twice weekly,&nbsp;the Dole Institute will send out an <a href="https://doleinstitute.org/weekly-email-updates/">email newsletter</a> with a&nbsp;new&nbsp;listing of&nbsp;available&nbsp;programs, which can&nbsp;also&nbsp;be found on the institute’s website.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“While the Dole Institute of Politics has suspended our spring programs in the face of the&nbsp;national&nbsp;health crisis&nbsp;we are pleased&nbsp;to debut the&nbsp;Digital Dole Institute to provide new programs and old favorites to educate and entertain you during this time of social distancing,” said Bill Lacy,&nbsp;director of the Dole Institute.&nbsp;“The goal is to bring enriching and educational content to those who are stuck at home during this unprecedented time.”

The Digital&nbsp;Dole&nbsp;Institute’s&nbsp;extensive&nbsp;programming&nbsp;will&nbsp;include never-before-seen&nbsp;videos,&nbsp;ranging from tours of the building and exhibitions to interviews with Dole Institute staff and Student Advisory Board members.&nbsp;In an upcoming feature,&nbsp;Audrey Coleman, associate director and director of&nbsp;museum and archives, will lead a video tour&nbsp;of&nbsp;“What Would a Woman Offer Her Country?: Elizabeth Dole’s Ground-breaking, Trail-blazing Life of Service,”&nbsp;in the newly opened Elizabeth Dole Gallery and Reading Room.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Additionally, the&nbsp;institute’s archivists&nbsp;will present&nbsp;hand-picked&nbsp;favorite items from the collections and&nbsp;share&nbsp;the history of each, as well as feature&nbsp;select&nbsp;recordings&nbsp;from our Oral History Project.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It will also&nbsp;showcase&nbsp;some of the “Greatest Hits”&nbsp;of the Dole Institute’s&nbsp;world-class programs that you may have never seen before&nbsp;alongside relevant&nbsp;companion pieces.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For those with children ages&nbsp;12 and under, tune in live&nbsp;at 2 p.m. Mondays and&nbsp;Wednesdays in April for the&nbsp;special online educational workshop “Discover with Dole.”&nbsp;Public&nbsp;Education&nbsp;Coordinator&nbsp;Julie Bergene&nbsp;will&nbsp;be&nbsp;leading a dynamic class, utilizing primary sources from the Dole&nbsp;Archives.&nbsp;Details on how to participate can be found on the Dole Institute’s <a href="http://doleinstitute.org/">website</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Dole Institute will finish out its&nbsp;popular&nbsp;Spring 2020 Discussion Group&nbsp;“Spying in the Cyber Age,” led by&nbsp;former&nbsp;CIA spy&nbsp;and cyberindustry executive&nbsp;Ron Marks,&nbsp;online.&nbsp;Tune in live at 4 p.m. Wednesdays&nbsp;throughout April using&nbsp;the&nbsp;Zoom&nbsp;teleconferencing platform&nbsp;or Facebook Live.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the&nbsp;coming weeks, additional programs will be added, and the best way to stay up to date is to subscribe to the Dole Institute’s&nbsp;<a href="https://doleinstitute.org/weekly-email-updates/">email&nbsp;newsletter</a>.

To sign up for the newsletter and more information on programs, visit the Dole Institute’s website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.doleinstitute.org/" target="_blank">www.doleinstitute.org</a>.&nbsp;Follow the Dole Institute on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics is dedicated to promoting political and civic participation as well as civil discourse in a bipartisan, philosophically balanced manner. It is located in KU’s West District and houses the Dole Archive and Special Collections. Through its robust public programming, congressional archive and museum, the Dole Institute strives to celebrate public service and the legacies of U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585255782154.png" alt="New digital programming now offered free by the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics includes educational content for children ages 12 and younger" />
 <figcaption>New digital programming now offered free by the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics includes educational content for children ages 12 and younger</figcaption>
 </figure>KU NEWS SERVICELAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced that it will provide free, online, educational programs and content while it remains closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include new features as well as virtual versions of previously scheduled events and discussion groups, educational programming for children 12 and under, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beginning on Friday, March 27, the Dole Institute will&nbsp;release&nbsp;fresh&nbsp;content&nbsp;online&nbsp;in what&nbsp;it is&nbsp;calling&nbsp;“The&nbsp;Digital Dole&nbsp;Institute.”&nbsp;Twice weekly,&nbsp;the Dole Institute will send out an <a href="https://doleinstitute.org/weekly-email-updates/">email newsletter</a> with a&nbsp;new&nbsp;listing of&nbsp;available&nbsp;programs, which can&nbsp;also&nbsp;be found on the institute’s website.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“While the Dole Institute of Politics has suspended our spring programs in the face of the&nbsp;national&nbsp;health crisis&nbsp;we are pleased&nbsp;to debut the&nbsp;Digital Dole Institute to provide new programs and old favorites to educate and entertain you during this time of social distancing,” said Bill Lacy,&nbsp;director of the Dole Institute.&nbsp;“The goal is to bring enriching and educational content to those who are stuck at home during this unprecedented time.”The Digital&nbsp;Dole&nbsp;Institute’s&nbsp;extensive&nbsp;programming&nbsp;will&nbsp;include never-before-seen&nbsp;videos,&nbsp;ranging from tours of the building and exhibitions to interviews with Dole Institute staff and Student Advisory Board members.&nbsp;In an upcoming feature,&nbsp;Audrey Coleman, associate director and director of&nbsp;museum and archives, will lead a video tour&nbsp;of&nbsp;“What Would a Woman Offer Her Country?: Elizabeth Dole’s Ground-breaking, Trail-blazing Life of Service,”&nbsp;in the newly opened Elizabeth Dole Gallery and Reading Room.&nbsp; &nbsp;Additionally, the&nbsp;institute’s archivists&nbsp;will present&nbsp;hand-picked&nbsp;favorite items from the collections and&nbsp;share&nbsp;the history of each, as well as feature&nbsp;select&nbsp;recordings&nbsp;from our Oral History Project.&nbsp;&nbsp;It will also&nbsp;showcase&nbsp;some of the “Greatest Hits”&nbsp;of the Dole Institute’s&nbsp;world-class programs that you may have never seen before&nbsp;alongside relevant&nbsp;companion pieces.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For those with children ages&nbsp;12 and under, tune in live&nbsp;at 2 p.m. Mondays and&nbsp;Wednesdays in April for the&nbsp;special online educational workshop “Discover with Dole.”&nbsp;Public&nbsp;Education&nbsp;Coordinator&nbsp;Julie Bergene&nbsp;will&nbsp;be&nbsp;leading a dynamic class, utilizing primary sources from the Dole&nbsp;Archives.&nbsp;Details on how to participate can be found on the Dole Institute’s <a href="http://doleinstitute.org/">website</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The&nbsp;Dole Institute will finish out its&nbsp;popular&nbsp;Spring 2020 Discussion Group&nbsp;“Spying in the Cyber Age,” led by&nbsp;former&nbsp;CIA spy&nbsp;and cyberindustry executive&nbsp;Ron Marks,&nbsp;online.&nbsp;Tune in live at 4 p.m. Wednesdays&nbsp;throughout April using&nbsp;the&nbsp;Zoom&nbsp;teleconferencing platform&nbsp;or Facebook Live.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the&nbsp;coming weeks, additional programs will be added, and the best way to stay up to date is to subscribe to the Dole Institute’s&nbsp;<a href="https://doleinstitute.org/weekly-email-updates/">email&nbsp;newsletter</a>. To sign up for the newsletter and more information on programs, visit the Dole Institute’s website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.doleinstitute.org/" target="_blank">www.doleinstitute.org</a>.&nbsp;Follow the Dole Institute on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics is dedicated to promoting political and civic participation as well as civil discourse in a bipartisan, philosophically balanced manner. It is located in KU’s West District and houses the Dole Archive and Special Collections. Through its robust public programming, congressional archive and museum, the Dole Institute strives to celebrate public service and the legacies of U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Elizabeth Dole.&nbsp;

Dole Institute goes digital; new child-friendly educational programming

ASHLAND, Mo. (AP) — A mid-Missouri man who allegedly threatened to give two store clerks coronavirus was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree harassment.

Anthony Nunes, 26,of Ashland told clerks at two stores that he had the coronavirus. The clerks said he was coughing and told them he had a high fever and sore throat.

Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler said the county takes temperatures of all prisoners as part of its protocol. He said Nunes did not have a fever as of Monday afternoon.

A probable cause statement from the County Sheriff's Department does not name the stores where the alleged incidents occurred, but one was reported Friday and the other Saturday.

Nunes was being held Monday in the Cole County Jail on a $5,000 bond.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585061988345.png" alt="Nunes photo Cole Co. Sheriff's office" />
 <figcaption>Nunes photo Cole Co. Sheriff's office</figcaption>
 </figure>ASHLAND, Mo. (AP) — A mid-Missouri man who allegedly threatened to give two store clerks coronavirus was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree harassment.Anthony Nunes, 26,of Ashland told clerks at two stores that he had the coronavirus. The clerks said he was coughing and told them he had a high fever and sore throat.Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler said the county takes temperatures of all prisoners as part of its protocol. He said Nunes did not have a fever as of Monday afternoon.A probable cause statement from the County Sheriff's Department does not name the stores where the alleged incidents occurred, but one was reported Friday and the other Saturday.Nunes was being held Monday in the Cole County Jail on a $5,000 bond.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

Authorities: Man threatened to give store clerks coronavirus

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is hoping the United States will be reopened by Easter as he weighs how to relax nationwide social-distancing guidelines to put some workers back on the job during the coronavirus outbreak.

Trump's optimism contradicted the warnings of some public health officials who called for stricter — not looser — restrictions on public interactions. But federal officials suggested that advisories could be loosened in areas not experiencing widespread infection.

With lives and the economy hanging in the balance, Trump said he was already looking toward easing the advisories that have sidelined workers, shuttered schools and led to a widespread economic slowdown.

“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter," he said during a Fox News virtual town hall. Easter is just over two weeks away — Apr. 12.

“Wouldn't it be great to have all of the churches full?" Trump said in a subsequent interview. “You'll have packed churches all over our country.”

And as scientists warned the worst is yet to come — with hospital systems tested beyond their capacity and health workers sidelined by exposure — Trump addressed the nation, saying he was beginning "to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Trump's comments came even as White House officials urged people who have left New York City amid the outbreak to self-quarantine for 14 days after their departure, owing to the widespread rate of infection in the metro area. It also follows on the president encouraging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass a roughly $2 trillion stimulus package — estimated at roughly $6 trillion once the Federal Reserve's actions are included — to ease the financial pain for Americans and hard-hit industries.

Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction — staying home from work and isolating themselves — the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread.

The U.S. is now more than a week into an unprecedented 15-day effort to encourage all Americans to drastically scale back their public activities. The guidelines, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are voluntary, but many state and local leaders have issued mandatory restrictions in line with, or even tighter than, those issued by the CDC.

On Monday, the U.S. saw its biggest jump yet in the death toll from the virus, with more than 650 American deaths now attributed to COVID-19. Trump's comments come after dire warnings by officials in hard-hit areas. New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his state's hospital system will soon hit a breaking point — resulting in avoidable deaths — even with the restrictions already in place.

“I gave it two weeks," Trump said during the town hall from the Rose Garden. He argued that tens of thousands of Americans die each year from the seasonal flu and in automobile accidents and “we don't turn the country off.”

When the 15-day period ends next Monday, he said, “We'll assess at that time and we'll give it some more time if we need a little more time, but we need to open this country up." He added, “We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought.”

Trump's Easter target was not immediately embraced by Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for the White House task force, who indicated any move would have to be guided by data still being collected. She suggested that public health professionals could recommend a general easing, while pushing for local restrictions to remain in the hardest-hit areas.

Trump acknowledged that some want the guidance to continue, but claimed without providing evidence that keeping the guidance in place would lead to deaths from suicide and depression.

“This cure is worse than the problem,” Trump said.

During a press briefing Tuesday evening, Trump said public health officials and economists were “working to develop a sophisticated plan to open the economy as soon as the time is right — based on the best science, the best modeling and the best medical research there is anywhere on earth.”

Trump's enthusiasm for getting people back to work comes as he takes stock of the political toll the outbreak is taking. It sets up a potential conflict with medical professionals, including many within his government, who have called for more social restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, not fewer.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases and a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, did not appear at the virtual town hall, but Trump denied there were any tensions between the two men.

“I will be guided very much by Dr. Fauci and Deborah,” Trump said.

At the press briefing later, Fauci said, “No one is going to want to tone down anything when you see what is going on in a place like New York City." But he suggested he would be willing to examine the potential for easing the CDC advisories in areas that have been less affected by the outbreak.

Larry Kudlow, Trump’s top economic adviser, told reporters Tuesday that “public health includes economic health."

“That’s the key point. And it’s not either-or. It’s not either-or, and that’s why we’re taking a fresh look at it,” he said.

During a private conference call with roughly 30 conservative leaders on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence reinforced Trump’s eagerness to lift coronavirus-related work and travel restrictions “in a matter of weeks, not months.”

When pressed on a specific timeline for lifting restrictions, Pence said there would be no formal decisions made until the current 15-day period of social distancing was complete, according to a conference call participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of the private discussion.

Pence told the group that accommodations would need to be made for the highest-risk populations if and when restrictions begin to be lifted.

Despite Trump's rosy talk, other elements of the government were digging in for the long haul. Top defense and military leaders on Tuesday warned department personnel that the virus problems could extend for eight to 10 weeks, or even into the summer.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Defense Department town hall meeting that restrictions could go into late May or June, possibly even July. He said there are a variety of models from other countries, so the exact length of the virus and necessary restrictions are not yet clear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585080396708.png" alt="President Trump and members of the Coronavirus Task Force answered questions during a Tuesday Fox News virtual town hall -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and members of the Coronavirus Task Force answered questions during a Tuesday Fox News virtual town hall -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is hoping the United States will be reopened by Easter as he weighs how to relax nationwide social-distancing guidelines to put some workers back on the job during the coronavirus outbreak.Trump's optimism contradicted the warnings of some public health officials who called for stricter — not looser — restrictions on public interactions. But federal officials suggested that advisories could be loosened in areas not experiencing widespread infection.With lives and the economy hanging in the balance, Trump said he was already looking toward easing the advisories that have sidelined workers, shuttered schools and led to a widespread economic slowdown.“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter," he said during a Fox News virtual town hall. Easter is just over two weeks away — Apr. 12.“Wouldn't it be great to have all of the churches full?" Trump said in a subsequent interview. “You'll have packed churches all over our country.”And as scientists warned the worst is yet to come — with hospital systems tested beyond their capacity and health workers sidelined by exposure — Trump addressed the nation, saying he was beginning "to see the light at the end of the tunnel."Trump's comments came even as White House officials urged people who have left New York City amid the outbreak to self-quarantine for 14 days after their departure, owing to the widespread rate of infection in the metro area. It also follows on the president encouraging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass a roughly $2 trillion stimulus package — estimated at roughly $6 trillion once the Federal Reserve's actions are included — to ease the financial pain for Americans and hard-hit industries.Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction — staying home from work and isolating themselves — the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread.The U.S. is now more than a week into an unprecedented 15-day effort to encourage all Americans to drastically scale back their public activities. The guidelines, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are voluntary, but many state and local leaders have issued mandatory restrictions in line with, or even tighter than, those issued by the CDC.On Monday, the U.S. saw its biggest jump yet in the death toll from the virus, with more than 650 American deaths now attributed to COVID-19. Trump's comments come after dire warnings by officials in hard-hit areas. New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his state's hospital system will soon hit a breaking point — resulting in avoidable deaths — even with the restrictions already in place.“I gave it two weeks," Trump said during the town hall from the Rose Garden. He argued that tens of thousands of Americans die each year from the seasonal flu and in automobile accidents and “we don't turn the country off.”When the 15-day period ends next Monday, he said, “We'll assess at that time and we'll give it some more time if we need a little more time, but we need to open this country up." He added, “We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought.”Trump's Easter target was not immediately embraced by Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for the White House task force, who indicated any move would have to be guided by data still being collected. She suggested that public health professionals could recommend a general easing, while pushing for local restrictions to remain in the hardest-hit areas.Trump acknowledged that some want the guidance to continue, but claimed without providing evidence that keeping the guidance in place would lead to deaths from suicide and depression.“This cure is worse than the problem,” Trump said.During a press briefing Tuesday evening, Trump said public health officials and economists were “working to develop a sophisticated plan to open the economy as soon as the time is right — based on the best science, the best modeling and the best medical research there is anywhere on earth.”Trump's enthusiasm for getting people back to work comes as he takes stock of the political toll the outbreak is taking. It sets up a potential conflict with medical professionals, including many within his government, who have called for more social restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, not fewer.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases and a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, did not appear at the virtual town hall, but Trump denied there were any tensions between the two men.“I will be guided very much by Dr. Fauci and Deborah,” Trump said.At the press briefing later, Fauci said, “No one is going to want to tone down anything when you see what is going on in a place like New York City." But he suggested he would be willing to examine the potential for easing the CDC advisories in areas that have been less affected by the outbreak.Larry Kudlow, Trump’s top economic adviser, told reporters Tuesday that “public health includes economic health."“That’s the key point. And it’s not either-or. It’s not either-or, and that’s why we’re taking a fresh look at it,” he said.During a private conference call with roughly 30 conservative leaders on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence reinforced Trump’s eagerness to lift coronavirus-related work and travel restrictions “in a matter of weeks, not months.”When pressed on a specific timeline for lifting restrictions, Pence said there would be no formal decisions made until the current 15-day period of social distancing was complete, according to a conference call participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of the private discussion.Pence told the group that accommodations would need to be made for the highest-risk populations if and when restrictions begin to be lifted.Despite Trump's rosy talk, other elements of the government were digging in for the long haul. Top defense and military leaders on Tuesday warned department personnel that the virus problems could extend for eight to 10 weeks, or even into the summer.Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Defense Department town hall meeting that restrictions could go into late May or June, possibly even July. He said there are a variety of models from other countries, so the exact length of the virus and necessary restrictions are not yet clear.——

Trump hoping to see US economy reopened by Easter amid virus

TOPEKA —As she discussed during a press conference Monday, Governor Laura Kelly has issued Executive Order #20-14 limiting mass gatherings in Kansas to 10 persons, which replaced the previous order limiting mass gatherings to 50 persons.

<a>The decision was based on updated guidance from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and modeling from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) that projected cases of COVID-19 in Kansas could sharply rise to a range of 300 to 900 by the end of the month.</a>

"While none of us wanted to see this Executive Order further limiting the size of gatherings, it is necessary to help slow the spread of the coronavirus within our communities," Kelly said. "We learn more about this virus every day and we are seeing serious cases in every age group – not just among our seniors. The most effective way we can slow down the spread is to stay home and practice good hygiene techniques."

She also issued Executive Order #20-15, which details the Kansas Essential Functions Framework (KEFF) that counties will be required to use if local officials determine it is necessary to issue stay-at-home orders.

Stay-at-home orders require that residents not leave their homes unless they are engaged in activities that are essential to the health and safety of themselves, family members or friends. Essential activities include, but are not limited to, seeking medical attention, purchasing food or filling up gas tanks.

KEFF was developed with reference to national critical function guidelines established for pandemic and other disaster response efforts and provides information on how to limit sustained personal interaction while providing for the continuation of essential infrastructure and businesses. If a local authority has issued a stay-home or similar order, businesses or organizations that fit a KEFF exemption for essential functions should contact that local authority.

"These actions will ensure as much consistency as possible as local communities make their decisions around these increased protections for residents," the Governor said.

With the vast majority of Kansas counties without a confirmed case as of today, the Governor does not plan to issue a statewide stay-at-home order at this time.

"While disruptive and unpleasant, all of the orders I have issued to date are absolutely necessary to keep Kansans safe and healthy and to prevent overwhelming our emergency rooms and our larger health care system," Kelly said. "We've all got to do our part and work together to protect our families and our communities."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584989100031.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp; at Monday's press conference in Topeka" />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp; at Monday's press conference in Topeka</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —As she discussed during a press conference Monday, Governor Laura Kelly has issued Executive Order #20-14 limiting mass gatherings in Kansas to 10 persons, which replaced the previous order limiting mass gatherings to 50 persons.<a>The decision was based on updated guidance from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and modeling from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) that projected cases of COVID-19 in Kansas could sharply rise to a range of 300 to 900 by the end of the month.</a>"While none of us wanted to see this Executive Order further limiting the size of gatherings, it is necessary to help slow the spread of the coronavirus within our communities," Kelly said. "We learn more about this virus every day and we are seeing serious cases in every age group – not just among our seniors. The most effective way we can slow down the spread is to stay home and practice good hygiene techniques."She also issued Executive Order #20-15, which details the Kansas Essential Functions Framework (KEFF) that counties will be required to use if local officials determine it is necessary to issue stay-at-home orders.Stay-at-home orders require that residents not leave their homes unless they are engaged in activities that are essential to the health and safety of themselves, family members or friends. Essential activities include, but are not limited to, seeking medical attention, purchasing food or filling up gas tanks.KEFF was developed with reference to national critical function guidelines established for pandemic and other disaster response efforts and provides information on how to limit sustained personal interaction while providing for the continuation of essential infrastructure and businesses. If a local authority has issued a stay-home or similar order, businesses or organizations that fit a KEFF exemption for essential functions should contact that local authority."These actions will ensure as much consistency as possible as local communities make their decisions around these increased protections for residents," the Governor said.With the vast majority of Kansas counties without a confirmed case as of today, the Governor does not plan to issue a statewide stay-at-home order at this time."While disruptive and unpleasant, all of the orders I have issued to date are absolutely necessary to keep Kansans safe and healthy and to prevent overwhelming our emergency rooms and our larger health care system," Kelly said. "We've all got to do our part and work together to protect our families and our communities."

Governor's order limits mass gatherings in Kansas to 10

NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged to its best day since 1933 as Congress and the White House neared a deal on Tuesday to inject nearly $2 trillion of aid into an economy ravaged by the coronavirus.

The Dow burst 11.4% higher, while the more closely followed S&amp;P 500 index leapt 9.4% as a wave of buying around the world interrupted what has been a brutal month of nearly nonstop selling. Despite the gains, investors were far from saying markets have hit bottom. Rallies nearly as big as this have punctuated the last few weeks, and none lasted more than a day.

Both Democrats and Republicans said Tuesday they’re close to agreeing on a massive economic rescue package, which will include payments to U.S. households and aid for small businesses and the travel industry, among other things. A vote in the Senate could come later Tuesday or Wednesday.

Investors have been waiting in frustration for such aid, particularly as the Federal Reserve has done nearly all it can to sustain markets, including its latest round of extraordinary aid launched Monday.

“I don’t think there’s any more confidence in the fundamental outlook, but the fact that we’re making progress is good news,” said Katie Nixon, chief investment officer at Northern Trust Wealth Management. “It’s sort of like, keep the patient alive in the emergency room so you can provide some treatment options.”

The Dow rose 2,112.98 points, its biggest point gain in history, to 20,704.91. The S&amp;P 500, which is much more important to most 401(k) accounts, rose 209.93, or 9.4%, to 2,447.33 for its third-biggest percentage gain since World War II. The Nasdaq composite jumped 557.18 points, or 8.1%, to 7,417.86.

The buying circled the world. South Korean stocks surged 8.6%, Germany’s market jumped 11% and Treasury yields rose in a sign that investors are feeling less fearful.

The market has seen rebounds like this before, only for them to wash out immediately. Since stocks began selling off on Feb. 20, the S&amp;P 500 has had six days where it’s risen, and all but one of them were big gains of more than 4%. After them, stocks fell an average of 5% the next day.

“One of the things to be careful about is thinking this will be the panacea or that this fiscal response will be sufficient,” said Eric Freedman, chief investment officer at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

Ultimately, investors say they need to see the number of new infections peak before markets can find a floor. The increasing spread is forcing companies to park airplanes, shut hotels and close restaurants to dine-in customers.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. Those with mild illness recover in about two weeks. Severe illness including pneumonia can occur, especially in the elderly and people with existing health problems. Recovery could take six weeks in such cases.

Economists are topping each other’s dire forecasts for how much the economy will shrink this spring due to the closures of businesses, and a growing number say a recession seems inevitable.

Some of the market’s areas hardest hit by the closures, though, led the way higher Tuesday as expectations rose for incoming aid from the U.S. government.

Norwegian Cruise Lines, MGM Resorts and American Airlines Group were all up at least 33%. Energy companies and banks were also strong, though all remain well below where they were a month ago.

Governments and central banks in other countries around the world are unveiling unprecedented levels of support for their economies in an attempt to limit the scale of the upcoming virus-related slump. Germany, a bastion of budgetary discipline, also approved a big fiscal boost.

The gains came even as the first reports arrived showing how badly the outbreak is hitting the global economy. In the United States, a preliminary reading on business activity in March showed the steepest contraction on record, going back to 2009. Reports were also gloomy for Europe.

“Everyone was prepared for a set of shockers, and that is precisely what we got, but they are not a surprise,” said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG. “It is at times like this that the market’s propensity to look forward is demonstrated most effectively.”

More dour data is nearly assuredly on the way. On Thursday, economists expect a report to show the number of Americans applying for jobless claims easily set a record last week. Some say the number could be way beyond 1 million, amid a wave of layoffs, topping the prior record of 695,000 set in 1982.

Helping to lift sentiment in markets is news from China that it is preparing to lift the lockdown in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and from Italy reporting a reduction in the number of new cases and coronavirus-related deaths.

“It’s still early days, of course — perhaps investors can start to envisage life beyond the coronavirus,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA Europe. “That could make stocks look a little more attractive, although anyone jumping back in now will need to have nerves of steel.”

Despite Tuesday’s big gains, it’s no time to get complacent, said Adam Taback, chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank.

“We would caution that the danger is not all behind us at this point,” he said. “We still have not seen numbers that give us an indication of just how bad things are. Today was a good day, but we would not necessarily see this as turnaround time.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584366201093.png" alt="Image courtesy New York Stock Exchange" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy New York Stock Exchange</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged to its best day since 1933 as Congress and the White House neared a deal on Tuesday to inject nearly $2 trillion of aid into an economy ravaged by the coronavirus.The Dow burst 11.4% higher, while the more closely followed S&amp;P 500 index leapt 9.4% as a wave of buying around the world interrupted what has been a brutal month of nearly nonstop selling. Despite the gains, investors were far from saying markets have hit bottom. Rallies nearly as big as this have punctuated the last few weeks, and none lasted more than a day.Both Democrats and Republicans said Tuesday they’re close to agreeing on a massive economic rescue package, which will include payments to U.S. households and aid for small businesses and the travel industry, among other things. A vote in the Senate could come later Tuesday or Wednesday.Investors have been waiting in frustration for such aid, particularly as the Federal Reserve has done nearly all it can to sustain markets, including its latest round of extraordinary aid launched Monday.“I don’t think there’s any more confidence in the fundamental outlook, but the fact that we’re making progress is good news,” said Katie Nixon, chief investment officer at Northern Trust Wealth Management. “It’s sort of like, keep the patient alive in the emergency room so you can provide some treatment options.”The Dow rose 2,112.98 points, its biggest point gain in history, to 20,704.91. The S&amp;P 500, which is much more important to most 401(k) accounts, rose 209.93, or 9.4%, to 2,447.33 for its third-biggest percentage gain since World War II. The Nasdaq composite jumped 557.18 points, or 8.1%, to 7,417.86.The buying circled the world. South Korean stocks surged 8.6%, Germany’s market jumped 11% and Treasury yields rose in a sign that investors are feeling less fearful.The market has seen rebounds like this before, only for them to wash out immediately. Since stocks began selling off on Feb. 20, the S&amp;P 500 has had six days where it’s risen, and all but one of them were big gains of more than 4%. After them, stocks fell an average of 5% the next day.“One of the things to be careful about is thinking this will be the panacea or that this fiscal response will be sufficient,” said Eric Freedman, chief investment officer at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.Ultimately, investors say they need to see the number of new infections peak before markets can find a floor. The increasing spread is forcing companies to park airplanes, shut hotels and close restaurants to dine-in customers.For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. Those with mild illness recover in about two weeks. Severe illness including pneumonia can occur, especially in the elderly and people with existing health problems. Recovery could take six weeks in such cases.Economists are topping each other’s dire forecasts for how much the economy will shrink this spring due to the closures of businesses, and a growing number say a recession seems inevitable.Some of the market’s areas hardest hit by the closures, though, led the way higher Tuesday as expectations rose for incoming aid from the U.S. government.Norwegian Cruise Lines, MGM Resorts and American Airlines Group were all up at least 33%. Energy companies and banks were also strong, though all remain well below where they were a month ago.Governments and central banks in other countries around the world are unveiling unprecedented levels of support for their economies in an attempt to limit the scale of the upcoming virus-related slump. Germany, a bastion of budgetary discipline, also approved a big fiscal boost.The gains came even as the first reports arrived showing how badly the outbreak is hitting the global economy. In the United States, a preliminary reading on business activity in March showed the steepest contraction on record, going back to 2009. Reports were also gloomy for Europe.“Everyone was prepared for a set of shockers, and that is precisely what we got, but they are not a surprise,” said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG. “It is at times like this that the market’s propensity to look forward is demonstrated most effectively.”More dour data is nearly assuredly on the way. On Thursday, economists expect a report to show the number of Americans applying for jobless claims easily set a record last week. Some say the number could be way beyond 1 million, amid a wave of layoffs, topping the prior record of 695,000 set in 1982.Helping to lift sentiment in markets is news from China that it is preparing to lift the lockdown in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and from Italy reporting a reduction in the number of new cases and coronavirus-related deaths.“It’s still early days, of course — perhaps investors can start to envisage life beyond the coronavirus,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA Europe. “That could make stocks look a little more attractive, although anyone jumping back in now will need to have nerves of steel.”Despite Tuesday’s big gains, it’s no time to get complacent, said Adam Taback, chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank.“We would caution that the danger is not all behind us at this point,” he said. “We still have not seen numbers that give us an indication of just how bad things are. Today was a good day, but we would not necessarily see this as turnaround time.”___

Dow has best day since 1933 as Congress nears deal on aid

Coronavirus patients in Kansas range in age from 7 to 90

WASHINGTON (AP) — A series of missteps at the nation’s top public health agency caused a critical shortage of reliable laboratory tests for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>, hobbling the federal response as the pandemic spread across the country like wildfire, an Associated Press review found.

President Donald Trump assured Americans early this month that the COVID-19 test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “perfect” and that “anyone who wants a test can get a test.” But more than two months after the first U.S. case of the new disease was confirmed, many people still cannot get tested.

In the critical month of February, as the virus began taking root in the U.S. population, CDC data shows government labs processed 352 COVID-19 tests — an average of only a dozen per day.

“You cannot fight a fire blindfolded,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said at a recent briefing. “We cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected.”

The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC, has begun an internal review to assess its own mistakes. But outside observers and federal health officials have pointed to four primary issues that together hampered the national response — the early decision not to use the test adopted by the World Health Organization, flaws with the more complex test developed by the CDC, government guidelines restricting who could be tested and delays in engaging the private sector to ramp up testing capacity.

Combined with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67a9a72531ca2e332bea9225cec2fda5">messaging from the White House minimizing the disease</a>, that fueled a lackluster response that missed chances to slow the spread of the virus, they said.

“There were many, many opportunities not to end up where we are,” Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard, told the AP. “Basically, they took this as business as usual. ... And that’s because the messaging from the White House was ‘this is not a big deal, this is no worse than the flu.’ So that message basically created no sense of urgency within the FDA or the CDC to fix it.”

Even as private labs have been cleared by government regulators to process tens of thousands of additional tests in the last two weeks, experts warn that the nation is still falling well short of enough testing capacity to keep ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">the highly contagious virus</a>. And it can often take a week just to get results back.

Trump last week rated his administration’s response to the crisis as a perfect 10. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/432a37435f28015e8b45eeff710cd254">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the CDC’s system wasn’t designed to test for and track a widespread outbreak, which he characterized as “a failing.”

In interviews with the AP, two federal health officials with direct knowledge of the situation said CDC experts don’t know why many of the agency’s test kits failed to reliably detect the virus. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about what went wrong.

J. Stephen Morrison, a health policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, called the testing issues a “debacle,” contributing to what he described as a confused and delayed federal response to the crisis.

As a result, he said, the CDC has now been marginalized within the White House — a worrisome development.

“CDC has generally been regarded as the best in the game,” Morrison said. “I don’t think they anticipated the technical difficulty or the speed with which the virus has been moving. The virus was racing out ahead of them.”

On New Year’s Eve, Chinese scientists informed the World Health Organization about a cluster of 27 pneumonia cases of unknown cause in the industrial megalopolis of Wuhan that they linked to the city’s wholesale fish market. Less than two weeks later, the Chinese had sequenced the virus’ genetic makeup and shared it with the world.

Within days, German scientists had developed a test that could identify a unique part of the virus’ DNA. The WHO quickly adopted the German test,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/protocol-v2-1.pdf?sfvrsn=a9ef618c_2" target="_blank">publishing technical guidelines</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 17 and working with private companies to produce testing kits.

As they have done with some past outbreaks, officials at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta decided to develop their own test, focusing on three gene targets distinct from what the WHO used. Over the decades, the headquarters lab had built a track record of being among the first to develop tests for new diseases and quickly making them available for disease tracking.

The CDC published the technical details for its COVID-19 test on Jan. 28, 10 days after the WHO. By then, the virus had already been in the U.S. for at least two weeks.

The 35-year-old man who would become the first American to test positive had arrived in Seattle on Jan. 15, following a trip to Wuhan. After swabs from his nose and throat were flown to the CDC lab, federal officials announced the results Jan. 21.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/trump-on-coronavirus-from-china-we-have-it-totally-under-control.html" target="_blank">an interview on CNBC</a>&nbsp;the following day, the Republican president was asked about the risk to the nation.

“We have it totally under control,” he said. “It’s one person coming in from China. ... It’s going to be just fine.”

With limited capacity at the CDC lab in Atlanta, the agency placed strict criteria on who could be tested: people with fevers, coughing or difficulty breathing who had also visited Wuhan within the preceding two weeks or who had close contact with someone already confirmed or under investigation for having the virus.

On Jan. 30, the day the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency, Trump again assured the American people that the virus was “very well under control.”

Then he departed for a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1223640662689689602?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted a photo of himself playing golf</a>&nbsp;at his club in West Palm Beach.

“Getting a little exercise this morning!” the president wrote.

The following day, the U.S. declared its own emergency. Still, U.S. citizens returning from China who did not have a fever weren’t tested for the virus but were encouraged to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

At that point, the CDC had confirmed just eight cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. The agency amended its testing criteria to include people with fevers who had traveled to China, rather than just Wuhan.

Four days after the U.S. declared a state of emergency, only 178 patients had been tested and 82 others were listed as “pending,” meaning they were awaiting final results, according to CDC data released at the time.

To help increase the number of people being screened, the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency authorization for CDC-certified labs run by state health departments to begin processing swabs, and they were provided with kits that could test 250 patients.

As the first tests were processed at the state labs, technicians reported getting inconclusive results, which the CDC has said could be due to the test looking for signs of generic coronaviruses, of which there are many, rather than the specific virus that causes COVID-19.

Whatever the reason, by mid-February, only about a half-dozen state and local public health labs had reliable tests. But still, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield continued to insist his agency had developed “a very accurate test.”

“We found that, in some of the states, it didn’t work,” Redfield&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">said earlier this month</a>. “We figured out why. I don’t consider that a fault. I consider that doing quality control. I consider that success.”

The testing problems emerged just as the CDC broadened its criteria to include patients who were “severely ill” with COVID-19 symptoms “even if a known source of exposure has not been identified.”

As more sick people sought to be tested, many states were forced to limit access because of the flawed CDC test. Accounts began to emerge through social media of people with all the symptoms of COVID-19 who either couldn’t get tested or had test results delayed by days or even a week.

“I know of doctor friends of mine who have critically ill patients in the ICU, and we don’t know if they have COVID or not because we can’t get a test,” Jha said last week.

On Feb. 24, exasperated officials at the Association of Public Health Laboratories sent a letter to the FDA, basically asking permission for state labs to develop their own tests. Within days, the FDA reversed its previous position and said both public and private labs could conduct testing.

Trump continued to insist the virus would die out on its own. “One day, it’s like a miracle. It will disappear,” he predicted Feb. 27.

By then, experts say, the opportunity to halt the relentless spread of the virus within the U.S. population had been lost.

On Feb. 29, only 472 patients had been tested nationwide, with just 22 cases confirmed, according to CDC data. Of those, nine cases were not related to travel but had spread person-to-person within the U.S.

By comparison, South Korea had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20, the same day as the U.S. Officials there used a test that focused on the same gene targets as the WHO test, according to the website of a test manufacturer. They then quickly permitted private-sector labs to run the samples. As a result, a nation with less than one-sixth the population of the U.S. mobilized to test more than 20,000 people a day.

South Korea also instituted drive-thru centers, allowing quicker identification of those who were infected but might not be displaying symptoms, thus slowing the emergence of new cases to a more manageable level.

Meanwhile, the rate of U.S. infections soared.

“The system is not really geared to what we need right now, what you are asking for,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/76b0f255426ad655a26e927062e1fef9">Fauci conceded during a congressional hearing</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. “That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”

As public outrage over the lack of available U.S. tests grew, the FDA announced it would allow private diagnostic lab companies to produce new tests without preauthorization from regulators.

Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">visited the CDC lab</a>&nbsp;in Atlanta on March 6, praising the agency’s performance and promising 4 million test kits would be available by the end of the following week.

That lofty number didn’t match the ability of U.S. labs to process tests, however. Private providers were just then ramping up, while CDC and state health labs processed about 25,200 COVID-19 tests in the following seven days, according to CDC data.

At the same news conference, Trump said he wanted infected passengers to remain on a cruise ship off the West Coast to keep the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. low.

“I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump said, shortly before departing Atlanta for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fP7XNHPWI/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">another weekend of golf in Florida</a>. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”

Trump has also attempted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f4cd4c72e896d7fbd8ebd3516e864550">mislay blame</a>&nbsp;for the testing troubles on the Obama administration. In 2018, Trump disbanded the White House directorate charged with preparing for and responding to global pandemics.

“I don’t take responsibility at all,” Trump replied when asked about the testing shortfall in a March 13 briefing at the White House.

Morrison said Trump appears to see the virus as a political issue rather than a public health threat.

“You can imagine a White House that said, ‘Do whatever it takes to test everybody for the virus,’” he said. “That wasn’t the mentality. It was the opposite mentality, and ultimately the responsibility to protect the American people lies with the White House.”

Trump and other officials have falsely said they declined to use the WHO test because it isn’t reliable.

“Quality testing for our American people is paramount to us,” Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the U.S. coronavirus response, said last week. “It doesn’t help to put out a test where 50% or 47% are false positives.”

“It was a bad test,” Trump chimed in.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584219029698.png" alt="Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Health and&nbsp; Senior Services" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Health and&nbsp; Senior Services</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A series of missteps at the nation’s top public health agency caused a critical shortage of reliable laboratory tests for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>, hobbling the federal response as the pandemic spread across the country like wildfire, an Associated Press review found.President Donald Trump assured Americans early this month that the COVID-19 test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “perfect” and that “anyone who wants a test can get a test.” But more than two months after the first U.S. case of the new disease was confirmed, many people still cannot get tested.In the critical month of February, as the virus began taking root in the U.S. population, CDC data shows government labs processed 352 COVID-19 tests — an average of only a dozen per day.“You cannot fight a fire blindfolded,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said at a recent briefing. “We cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected.”The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC, has begun an internal review to assess its own mistakes. But outside observers and federal health officials have pointed to four primary issues that together hampered the national response — the early decision not to use the test adopted by the World Health Organization, flaws with the more complex test developed by the CDC, government guidelines restricting who could be tested and delays in engaging the private sector to ramp up testing capacity.Combined with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67a9a72531ca2e332bea9225cec2fda5">messaging from the White House minimizing the disease</a>, that fueled a lackluster response that missed chances to slow the spread of the virus, they said.“There were many, many opportunities not to end up where we are,” Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard, told the AP. “Basically, they took this as business as usual. ... And that’s because the messaging from the White House was ‘this is not a big deal, this is no worse than the flu.’ So that message basically created no sense of urgency within the FDA or the CDC to fix it.”Even as private labs have been cleared by government regulators to process tens of thousands of additional tests in the last two weeks, experts warn that the nation is still falling well short of enough testing capacity to keep ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">the highly contagious virus</a>. And it can often take a week just to get results back.Trump last week rated his administration’s response to the crisis as a perfect 10. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/432a37435f28015e8b45eeff710cd254">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the CDC’s system wasn’t designed to test for and track a widespread outbreak, which he characterized as “a failing.”In interviews with the AP, two federal health officials with direct knowledge of the situation said CDC experts don’t know why many of the agency’s test kits failed to reliably detect the virus. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about what went wrong.J. Stephen Morrison, a health policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, called the testing issues a “debacle,” contributing to what he described as a confused and delayed federal response to the crisis.As a result, he said, the CDC has now been marginalized within the White House — a worrisome development.“CDC has generally been regarded as the best in the game,” Morrison said. “I don’t think they anticipated the technical difficulty or the speed with which the virus has been moving. The virus was racing out ahead of them.”___FATEFUL DECISIONSOn New Year’s Eve, Chinese scientists informed the World Health Organization about a cluster of 27 pneumonia cases of unknown cause in the industrial megalopolis of Wuhan that they linked to the city’s wholesale fish market. Less than two weeks later, the Chinese had sequenced the virus’ genetic makeup and shared it with the world.Within days, German scientists had developed a test that could identify a unique part of the virus’ DNA. The WHO quickly adopted the German test,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/protocol-v2-1.pdf?sfvrsn=a9ef618c_2" target="_blank">publishing technical guidelines</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 17 and working with private companies to produce testing kits.As they have done with some past outbreaks, officials at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta decided to develop their own test, focusing on three gene targets distinct from what the WHO used. Over the decades, the headquarters lab had built a track record of being among the first to develop tests for new diseases and quickly making them available for disease tracking.The CDC published the technical details for its COVID-19 test on Jan. 28, 10 days after the WHO. By then, the virus had already been in the U.S. for at least two weeks.The 35-year-old man who would become the first American to test positive had arrived in Seattle on Jan. 15, following a trip to Wuhan. After swabs from his nose and throat were flown to the CDC lab, federal officials announced the results Jan. 21.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/trump-on-coronavirus-from-china-we-have-it-totally-under-control.html" target="_blank">an interview on CNBC</a>&nbsp;the following day, the Republican president was asked about the risk to the nation.“We have it totally under control,” he said. “It’s one person coming in from China. ... It’s going to be just fine.”With limited capacity at the CDC lab in Atlanta, the agency placed strict criteria on who could be tested: people with fevers, coughing or difficulty breathing who had also visited Wuhan within the preceding two weeks or who had close contact with someone already confirmed or under investigation for having the virus.On Jan. 30, the day the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency, Trump again assured the American people that the virus was “very well under control.”Then he departed for a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1223640662689689602?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted a photo of himself playing golf</a>&nbsp;at his club in West Palm Beach.“Getting a little exercise this morning!” the president wrote.The following day, the U.S. declared its own emergency. Still, U.S. citizens returning from China who did not have a fever weren’t tested for the virus but were encouraged to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.At that point, the CDC had confirmed just eight cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. The agency amended its testing criteria to include people with fevers who had traveled to China, rather than just Wuhan.___FLAWED TEST KITSFour days after the U.S. declared a state of emergency, only 178 patients had been tested and 82 others were listed as “pending,” meaning they were awaiting final results, according to CDC data released at the time.To help increase the number of people being screened, the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency authorization for CDC-certified labs run by state health departments to begin processing swabs, and they were provided with kits that could test 250 patients.As the first tests were processed at the state labs, technicians reported getting inconclusive results, which the CDC has said could be due to the test looking for signs of generic coronaviruses, of which there are many, rather than the specific virus that causes COVID-19.Whatever the reason, by mid-February, only about a half-dozen state and local public health labs had reliable tests. But still, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield continued to insist his agency had developed “a very accurate test.”“We found that, in some of the states, it didn’t work,” Redfield&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">said earlier this month</a>. “We figured out why. I don’t consider that a fault. I consider that doing quality control. I consider that success.”The testing problems emerged just as the CDC broadened its criteria to include patients who were “severely ill” with COVID-19 symptoms “even if a known source of exposure has not been identified.”As more sick people sought to be tested, many states were forced to limit access because of the flawed CDC test. Accounts began to emerge through social media of people with all the symptoms of COVID-19 who either couldn’t get tested or had test results delayed by days or even a week.“I know of doctor friends of mine who have critically ill patients in the ICU, and we don’t know if they have COVID or not because we can’t get a test,” Jha said last week.___COMMUNITY TRANSMISSIONOn Feb. 24, exasperated officials at the Association of Public Health Laboratories sent a letter to the FDA, basically asking permission for state labs to develop their own tests. Within days, the FDA reversed its previous position and said both public and private labs could conduct testing.Trump continued to insist the virus would die out on its own. “One day, it’s like a miracle. It will disappear,” he predicted Feb. 27.By then, experts say, the opportunity to halt the relentless spread of the virus within the U.S. population had been lost.On Feb. 29, only 472 patients had been tested nationwide, with just 22 cases confirmed, according to CDC data. Of those, nine cases were not related to travel but had spread person-to-person within the U.S.By comparison, South Korea had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20, the same day as the U.S. Officials there used a test that focused on the same gene targets as the WHO test, according to the website of a test manufacturer. They then quickly permitted private-sector labs to run the samples. As a result, a nation with less than one-sixth the population of the U.S. mobilized to test more than 20,000 people a day.South Korea also instituted drive-thru centers, allowing quicker identification of those who were infected but might not be displaying symptoms, thus slowing the emergence of new cases to a more manageable level.Meanwhile, the rate of U.S. infections soared.“The system is not really geared to what we need right now, what you are asking for,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/76b0f255426ad655a26e927062e1fef9">Fauci conceded during a congressional hearing</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. “That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”___SHIFTING BLAMEAs public outrage over the lack of available U.S. tests grew, the FDA announced it would allow private diagnostic lab companies to produce new tests without preauthorization from regulators.Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">visited the CDC lab</a>&nbsp;in Atlanta on March 6, praising the agency’s performance and promising 4 million test kits would be available by the end of the following week.That lofty number didn’t match the ability of U.S. labs to process tests, however. Private providers were just then ramping up, while CDC and state health labs processed about 25,200 COVID-19 tests in the following seven days, according to CDC data.At the same news conference, Trump said he wanted infected passengers to remain on a cruise ship off the West Coast to keep the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. low.“I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump said, shortly before departing Atlanta for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fP7XNHPWI/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">another weekend of golf in Florida</a>. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”Trump has also attempted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f4cd4c72e896d7fbd8ebd3516e864550">mislay blame</a>&nbsp;for the testing troubles on the Obama administration. In 2018, Trump disbanded the White House directorate charged with preparing for and responding to global pandemics.“I don’t take responsibility at all,” Trump replied when asked about the testing shortfall in a March 13 briefing at the White House.Morrison said Trump appears to see the virus as a political issue rather than a public health threat.“You can imagine a White House that said, ‘Do whatever it takes to test everybody for the virus,’” he said. “That wasn’t the mentality. It was the opposite mentality, and ultimately the responsibility to protect the American people lies with the White House.”Trump and other officials have falsely said they declined to use the WHO test because it isn’t reliable.“Quality testing for our American people is paramount to us,” Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the U.S. coronavirus response, said last week. “It doesn’t help to put out a test where 50% or 47% are false positives.”“It was a bad test,” Trump chimed in.Tarik Jašarević, a WHO spokesman, told the AP last week that his agency had shipped 1.5 million testing kits manufactured in Germany to 120 countries around the globe, with no such problems emerging.“The test has been validated in three external laboratories, adapted by WHO and manufactured in line with international quality standards,” he said. “It has shown consistently good performance in laboratory and clinical use, and neither a significant number of false-positive nor false-negative results have been reported.”Over the past two weeks, U.S. testing capacity has surged, with private companies joining in. LabCorp began providing tests March 5, and Quest Diagnostics followed four days later. Tests also are being conducted at hospitals and other centers.With the increased testing has come a skyrocketing number of confirmed cases, zooming from 43 at the beginning of March to 33,404 by Monday.Only in the last few days has the United States finally begun testing more people each day than far smaller South Korea, according to data complied by Johns Hopkins University.Jha estimates the U.S. should be testing 100,000 to 150,000 people per day — figures he said should be obtainable given the number of high-quality diagnostic labs in the country.“We certainly have the capacity. It’s just we’re not doing it,” Jha said Thursday. “We are up to about 40,000 tests per day now — and so we are moving in the right direction. Still far from where we need to be, but moving.”___