2 Athletes In Same North Texas Family Better Than 1Tamia Jones who plays basketball at The Colony High School is seen her plans altered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having an older brother who is an athlete is helping her prepare.

2020 Graduates: 10PM Segment May 122020 Graduates: 10PM Segment May 12

Warm, Humid WednesdayDon't put away those umbrellas yet. More rain is expected Wednesday night.

'I'm Going To Fight For It, I Deserve It' - Dallas ISD Students Want In-Person GraduationDallas ISD is sticking with a virtual graduation online for safety during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dallas Mayor Announces New COVID-19 Healthcare Access CzarMayor Eric Johnson said he wants to see a lot more testing, too.

2020 Graduates: 6PM Segment May 122020 Graduates: 6PM Segment May 12

6-Year-Old Dallas Boy Found Tied In Shed Describes Abuse: Sprayed With Hose, Kicked, Not Allowed In HouseThe child told child abuse detectives during a forensic interview, whenever his grandmother left the home, she put him in the shed, tied him up and told him he was bad.

North Texas Nail Salons Struggling To Get Workers To Come Back During Coronavirus Pandemic"For their safety, we respect their decisions, salon manager Jake Nguyen. "Some of them are not fully back yet."

New Concern For Parents Regarding COVID-19Some children around the country have fallen ill with an inflammatory syndrome resembling Kawasaki disease. Now doctors are searching for the connection between the syndrome and Covid-19.

The Reopening Of TexasCBS 11 details the next steps, the extreme measures businesses are taking, and your rights as a customer on a special edition of CBS 11 News Wednesday at 6PM on CBS 11 News.

2020 Graduates: 5PM Segment May 122020 Graduates: 5PM Segment May 12

Despite Pushback, Dallas ISD Sticking With Virtual GraduationsAlthough Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa said he had reconsidered the plans for graduation, he said the district will stick to virtual ceremonies per advice from health officials.

Experts Believe Less People Are Reporting Child Abuse CasesChild advocates are sounding an alarm as concerns grow about an unprecedented drop in child abuse reports.

Tuesday Evening News BriefHere's what made news Tuesday, May 12.

Gov. Abbott Talks Shelley Luther Case, Further Plans For Reopening TexasGov. Greg Abbott joined CBS 11 News at 5 p.m. to talk about the recent case surrounding Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther and further plans for reopening more businesses in Texas.

Now Hiring: Dallas County Community College District Offering Free Job Skills ProgramsUnemployment numbers are staggering and economic experts say the trend will continue before the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Stimulus Check Deadline: You Have Until Wednesday To Give The IRS Your Bank InformationAfter Wednesday, the IRS will send millions of files to the Bureau of Fiscal Services to have paper checks printed.

Residents Honor Health Care Workers In Flower MoundResidents honored health care workers at Texas Health Presbyterian in Flower Mound as they continue the fight against COVID-19.

2020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 2 May 122020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 2 May 12

Dallas ISD Students Start Petition To Apply Pressure For In-Person Graduations"Ive worked for for years and every other district seems to be able to come up with something, but theyre putting us online," said senior Aubrey Tierney.

A Lot Of Rain Remains In Forecast With A Few BreaksDon't put away those umbrellas yet. More rain is expected throughout North Texas.

Tarrant County COVID-19 Testing Sites Set Up But Not Filling UpThe county has loosened up qualifications, trying to get more people tested.

2020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 1 May 122020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 1 May 12

Ones For Wellness: Managing Stress During The PandemicIn today's Ones For Wellness, here's a way to manage any stress you may have due to the coronavirus pandemic.

See more here:
Police Find 6-Year-Old Boy Tied Up In Shed, Grandmother And Boyfriend Arrested - CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

BEFORE: The footprint and overall volume of the original building has been maintained, and the existing concrete portal frame was left visible to become an important part of the homes interior.

AFTER: Timber used for the exterior cladding was cut from trees felled from the clients own land, which he blackened using a blowtorch, after scouring YouTube videos for instruction. Timbers were laid vertically and of similar proportion and rhythm to that of the original building.

Approaching the house from the north, the simple, bold openings of the elevations are evocative of the original building with its giant barn doors. Entry is now from the side through a small porch recess, a last glance of the landscape visible through a corner window, then onto the polished concrete floor. The footprint and overall volume of the original building was maintained, and we chose a restrained palette of materials to leave the interior as natural as possible, says Jane.

The scale of the barn is revealed in the main studio and open-plan kitchen. The lowered ceiling height in the adjoining dining area is intimate yet expansive, opening onto the garden and landscape beyond.

The dining area, situated in a space with a low ceiling, provides a more intimate experience. Plus, the stunning view to the land is a worthy way to dine.

A nook adjacent to the kitchen acts as an informal eating area, and looks back toward the entrance through a corner window. The concrete portal frame is a feature throughout, seen at different scales as one moves through the building.

With two spacious studios created in the design, the owner is able to produce work at home.

Because the client has a love for open spaces, the studio made sure to focus on the proportion of the rooms. The dramatic scale of the former shed is fully revealed in the entrance hall, main studio, and open-plan, oak-faced plywood kitchen. The lowered ceiling height in the adjoining dining area is intimate yet expansive, opening onto the garden and landscape beyond, while the living room benefits from a large picture window and high ceilings. Every part of the buildings volume has been fully utilized: Even the pockets of space around the edges of the sloping roof at first-floor level, with their reduced ceiling heights, have been incorporated, providing spaces for storage as well as playing hide-and-seek, says Jane.

The former single-level shed now has a second story with warm, solid oak floors and stairwell linings. Waking up to enjoy the views of the countryside was a prime consideration: a low-level window in the master bedroom is positioned for taking in the landscape while reclining in bed.

The restrained palette of materials keeps things as natural as possible, from the polished concrete floors to the single-color mosaic tiles in the bathrooms.

The stairwell is lined with oak, a warm moment to carry you up the steps.

Passive design principles were applied to the design of the home. A heat pump provides underfloor heating and hot water to the house, supplemented by two wood stoves.

The simple structure has been subdivided into two floors of both single and double-height roomsthe bedrooms are on the second floor.

Read more:
This Tractor Shed in Southeast England Was Converted Into a Spacious Home - Architectural Digest

It was 1986, a dark time for Mormon historians.

Just months earlier, infamous document collector Mark Hofmann had forged his way into the market for historical pieces relating to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints even fooling church President Spencer W. Kimball and future President Gordon B. Hinckley, with his supposedly fabulous finds and then killing two innocent members to cover his double-dealing and deceit.

There was also serious mistrust of professional historians among top church leaders, some of whom saw even faithful scholars leaning toward naturalistic explanations of the sacred past.

Thats when a 29-year-old attorney in his first year out of law school, Richard E. Turley Jr., stepped into the role as managing director of the churchs History Department, overseeing its vast holdings.

Most recently, he served as managing director of the faiths Public Affairs Department.

At the end of March, Turley retired and, despite the wishes of endless associates eager to celebrate his decades of work, his signing-off party had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, Turley received a copy of a laudatory video that would have been shared at the retirement gala as well as scores of accolades from friends, colleagues and admirers.

Ricks prudent judgment, encyclopedic knowledge of church history, and good humor have given him a unique capacity to serve the church in many ways for over 30 years, apostle Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the churchs governing First Presidency, tells The Salt Lake Tribune. We were blessed to lure him away from his legal employment. It has been an absolute pleasure to have him as a colleague and a close friend.

In the retirement video, Marlin K. Jensen, an emeritus general authority who served as official church historian and recorder from 2005 to 2012, called Turley a polymath, who knew "a lot about a lot of things[with] wide knowledge and learning. He never read anything he forgot and could discourse across any field.

When the story of Latter-day Saint history is written, Jensen says, the name of Richard E. Turley Jr. will be writ very large.

Steven E. Snow, the general authority who replaced Jensen, says in the video that his predecessor had simple advice for him.

There are five words you have to remember, Jensen told Snow. Rick, what do you think?

Snow, who retired himself in 2019, came to share Jensens view of Turleys indispensability, he says. Rick has such a calming presence and his discipline and leadership helped frame all the departments work, especially the monumental "Joseph Smith Papers project.

Nobody in the future can write about our history, Snow says, without referring to that project dubbed the lunar landing of Mormon history on which so much else is built.

Longtime friend Curt Bench, owner of Benchmark Books in South Salt Lake, notes what he says is Turleys astounding volume of work.

Bench, a fellow bibliophile, once asked the historian how he was able to research and write so much in addition to the many other duties he had.

Turleys grin-enshrouded reply: I don't sleep.

After graduating from law school in 1985, he went to work in the Salt Lake City office of a Chicago-based law firm, so he could spend his lunch hours at the nearby church archives.

In late December that year, Turley got a call from Oaks, who invited him to lunch, the retiring historian recounts. The two dined at the Church Office Buildings cafeteria, where the apostle, who the year before had left as a Utah Supreme Court justice for the lifetime church appointment, grilled him about his education and interest in the churchs past, saying nothing about the opening in the History Department after the recent retirement of its managing director.

Days later, Oaks called again and asked Turley if he would speak to apostle Boyd K. Packer, who had strong opinions about history. At the end of that exchange, Packer quipped, If you never hear from us again, dont be surprised.

Next came a call from general authority Dean Larsen, then the churchs official historian, who told the young lawyer of the opening and asked if he would be interested.

I was floored, recalls Turley, having no idea he had been interviewing for the job.

Twenty-four hours later, the accidental historian accepted the position telling his wife that, by abandoning his legal career, they would never be rich.

After it was settled, Turley got a call from Hinckley, then the first counselor in the governing First Presidency and an avid history buff, who asked, Why would a young man like you give up everything you are looking forward to to come work for the church?

Easy, he told the future church president. It was his passion.

Not long after that, according to the retirement video, a group of professional historians came to the new director and laid out a list of complaints about him.

He listened to their litany and then replied, You are absolutely right, I am not qualified, but they gave me the job, which means I am going to need your help in order for me to do it right and do it well.

Those early critics eventually became among his closest allies and Turley their professional equal.

All the while, Turley transformed the department into one of the best private collections in the country as well as opening members minds about the complexities of Mormon history.

People had a sort of a perception of church history based on what they had learned in their seminary class or in their Sunday school class, Turley says on the podcast. And the realities of church history are more textured than that, more nuanced than that.

And one of his first challenges was to tackle the Hofmann forgeries and how Latter-day Saint leaders had been so tricked.

Unlimited access and governing principles

To fully explore the faiths involvement with the murderer, Turley needed access to private journals including Oaks and Hinckleys and all relevant church documents.

He also needed church leaders to sign off on his guiding principles: that he would go where the facts led him and have final editorial control.

Turleys final product on the Hofmann bombings was not the full story there were several other volumes that delved into various aspects and views of it but it was an evenhanded account of how the church perceived the man and their dealings with him.

I was one he interviewed for the book, Bench recalls, and I found him to be very professional, concerned, fair and accurate.

As it turned out, his 1992 book Victims was excellent, she says. It dealt with a major scandal in a straightforward way.

I have been impressed equally by his commitment to digitization of records in the Mountain Meadows work that he undertook, Gordon says. His respect for scholars and scholarship shows in all Rick does, and I found his energy and seriousness were matched by his good humor and patience on a bus tour to Mountain Meadows.

That tour, she says, set a standard for in-depth engagement and on a wrenching, terrible topic.

The worst incident in church history

The heinous events of Sept. 11, 1857 during which a group of Mormons slaughtered 120 Arkansas emigrants crossing through southern Utah, including men, women and children have been the subject of multiple books and documentaries.

Turley wanted to tackle it because it was, he says in the podcast, the worst incident in church history. But he couldnt and wouldnt do it without total access to all church documents.

That resulted, he says, in a high-level, high-stakes meeting, led by Hinckley, by then the churchs president, in which he spelled out Turleys requests for complete candor and access. Hinckley then went around the room and asked each man how he felt about it.

All eyes were on apostle David B Haight, who was the grandnephew of Isaac Haight, one of the principal participants in the massacre.

Haight said, Turley recalls, When I was a child, my mother told me never to talk about that subject. But I think we ought to face our history.

So he, like all the apostles, voted yes.

The historian then examined the details in the full light of day and in every particular, Turley says. What I saw was terrible.

But he insisted his account of it needed to be without fear or favor.

Our feeling was we couldn't change the past, he says, but we were responsible with how we dealt with the past.

With that book, says Richard Bushman, emeritus history professor at Columbia University, Turley proved that the church is willing to face up to its own darkest hour with an unflinching gaze.

The scholar points to Turleys efforts to launch a real and readable look at the faiths history in the ambitious four-volume work Saints the first two of which have been published.

Rick had a vision of a history, Bushman says, that was rigorous, accurate and accessible to members of the church everywhere and at every level.

No one was more surprised than Turley when he was plucked in 2016 from the History Department to manage the churchs media efforts.

The historian brought his knowledge of the past, with its complexities and twists, into navigating the present.

Rick has eased a lot of tensions for segments of the church who usually feel disenfranchised, Stokes says. Its the best thing that has happened to church operations in a long time.

In that regard, Turley says, one of the highlights of his time in public affairs was 2018s Be One event, sponsored by the First Presidency in the Conference Center, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1978 end of the so-called priesthood ban for black members.

One assignment he really enjoyed, he says, was traveling around the world, both with church leaders and on my own, visiting the various areas of the church.

His department created a series of local record systems around the world to document what has been happening as the church builds up in various areas, he says, and then, through the marvels of digital preservation, we've been able to take digital images and share those globally with other people.

Bench, his book-loving buddy, says Turley has loved more than just collecting records.

He has never met an exotic dish he wasn't willing to at least try, including alligator, snake and other unusual delicacies of almost every animal part you can think of, the bookseller says. He told me he only got sick once.

Now that Turley is retired, he is back to writing books.

And whats on the menu? History, of course.

Go here to see the original:
How an accidental historian won over critics and shed light on two of Mormonism's darkest hours - Salt Lake Tribune

Scientists are beginning to examine how self-efficacy, or confidence in ones abilities, is related to sexual outcomes in women. A new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that it could play an important role in experiencing orgasms.

I am very interested in womens sexual health. I think there has traditionally been a lot of focus on risk in the context of sexual health research. This is important, but somewhat limiting as reducing risk is only one component of a healthy sex life, explained study author Julia C. Bond, a doctoral candidate at Boston University.

My hope with this work was to combine some of the great research thats been happening in psychology about the development of healthy sexual self-expression with some of the risk-based outcomes that are more familiar to public health. There is a lot of work that has gone into designing interventions to reduce the risk of negative outcomes related to sexual health that sometimes dont consider individuals perceptions of their own sexuality.

Bond and her colleagues were particularly interested in a scientific survey, called the Female Sexual Subjectivity Inventory, that is used to measure womens sexual body esteem, entitlement to sexual pleasure from self, entitlement to sexual pleasure from partner, self-efficacy in achieving sexual pleasure, and sexual self-reflection.

The survey was completed by 209 female college students, who also completed questionnaires to gather information about their demographics, general sexual behaviors, and orgasm frequency. The participants also indicated if they had acquired an STI, had an unwanted pregnancy, or used emergency contraception in the previous year.

The researchers found that women with higher sexual body esteem, entitlement to sexual pleasure from both self and their partner, and self-efficacy in achieving sexual pleasure tended to report a higher likelihood of orgasming frequently compared to infrequently.

In other words, the participants tended to experience more orgasms when they agreed with statements such as I am confident that others will find me sexually desirable, It is okay for me to meet my own sexual needs through self-masturbation, I think it is important for a sexual partner to consider my sexual pleasure, and I am able to ask a partner to provide the sexual stimulation I need.

Reflecting on ones sex life, however, was not associated with orgasm frequency.

Our study was very small, so I think its best to consider this as a preliminary research step. In my mind, the take home point is that sexual self-efficacy may influence sexual health outcomes. To me this suggests that when we think about educating young people about their sexual health, we should consider how to empower them to understand and express their own sexual wants and desires, Bond told PsyPost.

The researchers also found that a large proportion of the participants had a discordant pattern, in which they reported a high entitlement to pleasure from partner but low self-efficacy in achieving sexual pleasure. These women were significantly less likely to report frequent orgasms from partnered sexual activity.

Our results suggest that a sense of entitlement to pleasure alone may not enable women to achieve consistent orgasms with a partner. Rather, women may also need to be equipped with the tools to effectively communicate what they desire, the researchers wrote in their study.

The Female Sexual Subjectivity Inventory was not related to acquiring an STI, having an unwanted pregnancy, or using emergency contraception. However, only a few participants reported experiencing one of these events, which limited the studys statistical power.

The primary caveat is the small size of the study. I think this line of research (specifically the relationship between more psychological elements of sexual health and sexual health outcomes) is worth exploring with larger samples and in more diverse populations, Bond said.

Its definitely an exciting challenge to try to combine work thats been happening across disciplines. I think there is a lot of space for productive collaborations between researchers in psychology, social work, and public health, and I hope to continue to be able to be a part of collaborative research teams.

The study, Sexual Self-Efficacy and Entitlement to Pleasure: The Association of the Female Sexual Subjectivity Inventory with Sexual Risk Taking and Experience of Orgasm, was authored by Julia C. Bond, Diane M. Morrison, and Stephen E. Hawes.

View original post here:
New study sheds light on the role of self-efficacy in womens sexual outcomes - PsyPost

BEIJING - Grunts, groans and the sound of pulsing music and crashing weights have returned to some of Beijings gyms after being closed for nearly three monthsdue to the coronavirus outbreak.

With the respiratory illness under control in China, the economy has begun to open up again as authorities loosen lockdown restrictions including stay-at-home orders.

After coming back to the gym Ive been able to get my blood, my circulation going again and get my muscles flexed again, said one gym enthusiast, surnamed Lu, 38, at Mi Fitness, one of the facilities which was allowed to reopen at theend of April.

This kind of feeling is fantastic! he said, after a few sets of lateral raises.Only gyms above ground level are currently allowed to operate provided they follow rules. Temperatures are checked at the door and names and contacts are noted. Everyone must wear a mask unless they have difficulty breathing and maintain a distance of around two metres.

Mi Fitness is subject to three spot checks a day from the citys sports authorities, the local government and the buildings management. A breach of the rules may shut down the business. A thorough cleaning of equipment is carried out regularly.

The fitness studio is on the eighth floor of an office building in west Beijing. During a visit by Reuters on Friday, all those working out observed the mask rule. Some admitted it was a little uncomfortable to wear one while exercising, but 21-year-old student Peng Weichen was determined to see the positive side of things.

I treat it as a form of resistance training, Peng said. That is, resistance training with a reduced oxygen intake. Its not a big deal. Its fine. I can take it.

Several members including Pengs training partner, Xu Haozhi, said they were glad to be back in the gym because the outbreak has taken a toll on their waistlines.

If I dont get some proper exercise soon, Xu said. I will be really, really fat.

Li Chenglong, 26, a barista, said he was excited to be training again, but initially his muscles were not quite ready.

After doing various different exercises my body would really feel it for at least a couple of days, Li said. It was quite painful.

Gym co-founder Liu Mei said the re-opening came in the nick of time.

In early April after two months of no income and no certainty when Mi could re-open, Liu and her business partner considered giving up the business which only opened in 2019.

I was really panicking before...the whole sector was in a state of panic, she said. Mi Fitness is for members only and gym users sign up for classes with a personal trainer. But Liu says they are now allowing people who want to work out on their own use the facilities for a month as many other gyms nearby are still closed. That has helped bring up the number of customers which average abouta half-dozen per hour.

Although the lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus has eased, many people are still working from home or looking after their children and business is not what it used to be.

Despite these hurdles and concerns about a possible second wave of coronavirus, Liu says the fitness sector has a lot of promise.

I really hope that all of those fellow gym owners who feel that they cant stay afloat any longer, can keep going somehow because this sector does have a lot of potential, Liu said. When it comes to getting the nation fit and fighting and resisting this epidemic, I think that our sector should keep going.

China has 82,887 cases of coronavirus and the death toll stands at 4,633, according to the national health authority.

Editing by Masako Iijima and Jacqueline Wong

Read the original here:
As Beijing gyms reopen, users are masked up and ready to shed pounds - Reuters

Gov. Kay Ivey said she would yield control of federal money intended for coronavirus relief to the Legislature and said what she called a wish list from legislators shows why the public needs advance notice of how the money is spent.

The list includes 16 proposals on how the state could spend the $1.8 billion received under the CARES Act, including $200 million for a new State House and renovations to the Capitol.

To me, that is totally unacceptable and not how President Trump and Congress intended for this money to be spent, Ivey said in a statement.

A top lawmaker said it was not a wish list and that the Legislature would not spend CARES Act money on a State House.

The lists says the proposals would depend on federal guidelines for use of the money. Among other items on the list are $800 million to expand broadband access in Alabama, $100 million for state prisons, $100 million to reimburse state agencies for operations during the pandemic, and $75 million for emergency supplies related to the pandemic. Iveys office sent the list to AL.com after it was requested.

Iveys office released the statement as the House of Representatives was about to consider a bill on control of the CARES Act funding. The House took a one-hour recess and then passed the bill, which would give the governor authority to spend up to $200 million of the $1.8 billion. The rest would have to be appropriated by the Legislature in a special session. The Senate gave the bill final approval, which sends it to Ivey for her review.

In the statement released before the bill passed, Ivey referred to a conversation with House General Fund budget chairman Steve Clouse, R-Ozark. Heres the full statement:

I just got off the phone with House General Fund Chairman Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, and expressed to him my desire for the Legislature to have full control of the CARES Act appropriation, every single penny.

I made it clear to Chairman Clouse that this money belongs to the people of Alabama, not the Governor and, in my opinion, not even the Legislature. It comes to us in an emergency appropriation from President Trump and Congress to support the ongoing crisis that has killed 349 Alabamians, as of this moment, and wreaked havoc on our states economy, ruining small businesses and costing more than 430,000 Alabamians a job they had just a few weeks ago.

I have never desired to control a single penny of this money and if the Legislature feels so strongly that they should have that authority, I yield to them both the money and the responsibility to make good decisions in the light of day where the people of Alabama know what is happening.

I promised Chairman Clouse that my Administration will send over to the Legislature the receipts for items such as PPE, medical supplies, testing kits and the like; items that have been needed and procured to support our health care system including our hospitals and nursing homes. I trust the Legislature will honor these expenses.

We have heard from countless cities and counties who are suffering from the effects of this pandemic; weve heard from colleges and universities, the K-12 system and a whole host of others who had hoped this money would be made available in a timely fashion. Regretfully, because of the Legislatures decision at this last moment these groups will now have to appeal to the 140 members for help.

Finally, I advised Chairman Clouse that I will not call the Legislature back into a Special Session unless and until they provide the people of Alabama in advance a full, detailed and public list of how the money will be spent in exact amounts, down to the penny. I have already seen one wish list that includes a new $200 million statehouse for the Legislature. To me, that is totally unacceptable and not how President Trump and Congress intended for this money to be spent.

As everyone knows, we are in the middle of an international health crisis, unlike any we have ever seen. It is both fiscally responsible and absolutely essential that the Legislature be transparent on the way they intend to spend this money. In my view, it has always belonged to the people of Alabama.

We look forward to seeing their proposed budget. It is obvious the Legislature has more work to do.

Clouse said Alabamas Constitution requires the Legislature to approve spending of taxpayer dollars, including federal dollars. He said the Legislature appropriated federal stimulus money Congress sent to the state during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009.

And its no different now," Clouse said. "Its part of our Constitution that the Legislature appropriates monies for state government.

Clouse said the $200 million allocated to the governors office is to cover immediate needs related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Clouse said the federal government has not yet fully defined how the state can use the $1.8 billion.

Clouse said he had seen the list Ivey released but said it was not a wish list from the Legislature.

Im not sure who wrote the list, Clouse said. I saw it. But there will be many more of those lists going around as far as where the money might potentially go if the feds approve for it to go there. Im not sure where that list came from. I did see it, though.

Clouse said lawmakers would have to pass legislation to spend the federal money and those bills would be subject to review by the governor. He said legislators would not use CARES Act money for a State House.

I dont think we would do that, Clouse said. I think somebody put that down because of all the circumstances were going under right now in this building. Not allowing the public in. You can see what were having go to through in the House right now of separating everybody by more than six feet. Members in the gallery and overflow rooms. This building is just not built for this type of pandemic. No, none of that money would go for a new State House.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said the Legislature would follow an open process in how it allocates the CARES Act money. Marsh has advocated using $800 million for broadband access. Marsh said the shutdown of public schools during the pandemic shows the urgency of making high-speed Internet available statewide. Some communities could not offer virtual classes because of the lack of broadband.

This story was updated to say Iveys office sent the list after a request by AL.com.

Continued here:
Gov. Kay Ivey says wish list shows need to shed light on CARES Act funds - AL.com

People who contract the novel coronavirus emit high amounts of virus very early on in their infection, according to a new study from Germany that helps to explain the rapid and efficient way in which the virus has spread around the world.

At the same time, the study suggests that while people with mild infections can still test positive by throat swabs for days and even weeks after their illness, those who are only mildly sick are likely not still infectious by about 10 days after they start to experience symptoms.

The study, by scientists in Berlin and Munich, is one of the first outside China to look at clinical data from patients who have been diagnosed with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and one of the first to try to map when people infected with the virus can infect others.

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It was published Monday on a preprint server, meaning it has not yet been peer-reviewed, but it could still provide key information that the public health response has been lacking.

This is a very important contribution to understanding both the natural history of Covid-19 clinical disease as well as the public health implications of viral shedding, said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesotas Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy.

The researchers monitored the viral shedding of nine people infected with the virus. In addition to tests looking for fragments of the viruss RNA, they also tried to grow viruses from sputum, blood, urine, and stool samples taken from the patients. The latter type of testing trying to grow viruses is critical in the quest to determine how people infect one another and how long an infected person poses a risk to others.

Importantly, the scientists could not grow viruses from throat swabs or sputum specimens after day 8 of illness from people who had mild infections.

Based on the present findings, early discharge with ensuing home isolation could be chosen for patients who are beyond day 10 of symptoms with less than 100,000 viral RNA copies per ml of sputum, the authors said, suggesting that at that point there is little residual risk of infectivity, based on cell culture.

Public health officials and hospitals have been trying to make sense of patients who seem to have recovered from Covid-19 but who still test positive for the virus based in throat swabs and sputum samples. In some cases, people test positive for weeks after recovery, the World Health Organization has noted.

Those tests are conducted using PCR polymerase chain reactionwhich looks for tiny sections of the RNA of the virus. That type of test can indicate whether a patient is still shedding viral debris, but cannot indicate whether the person is still infectious.

The researchers found very high levels of virus emitted from the throat of patients from the earliest point in their illness when people are generally still going about their daily routines. Viral shedding dropped after day 5 in all but two of the patients, who had more serious illness. The two, who developed early signs of pneumonia, continued to shed high levels of virus from the throat until about day 10 or 11.

This pattern of virus shedding is a marked departure from what was seen with the SARS coronavirus, which ignited an outbreak in 2002-2003. With that disease, peak shedding of virus occurred later, when the virus had moved into the deep lungs.

Shedding from the upper airways early in infection makes for a virus that is much harder to contain. The scientists said at peak shedding, people with Covid-19 are emitting more than 1,000 times more virus than was emitted during peak shedding of SARS infection, a fact that likely explains the rapid spread of the virus. The SARS outbreak was contained after about 8,000 cases; the global count of confirmed Covid-19 cases has already topped 110,000.

Osterholm said the data in the paper confirm what the spread of the disease has been signaling early and potentially highly efficient transmission of the virus occurs before clinical symptoms or in conjunction with the very first mild symptoms.

The study also looked at whether people who have been infected shed infectious virus in their stool. The report of last months international mission to China co-led by the WHO and China said that in several case studies in China, viable virus had been recovered from stool but that isnt likely driving transmission of the virus.

The German researchers found high levels of viral fragments in 13 stool samples from four patients in their study, but they were unable to grow virus from any of them. The paper noted, though, that all the patients had mild illness, and the fact that they could not find virus in their stool doesnt rule out that it could happen in other cases.

Further studies should therefore address whether SARS-CoV-2 shed in stool is rendered non-infectious though contact with the gut environment, they wrote, adding that their findings suggest measures to try to stop spread of the virus should focus on respiratory tract transmission protecting others from the coughs and sneezes of people infected with the virus.

Virus could not be grown from blood or urine samples taken from the patients, the authors reported.

The study also noted that people who are infected begin to develop antibodies to the virus quickly, typically within six to 12 days. The rapid rise of antibodies may explain why about 80% of people infected with the virus do not develop severe disease.

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People 'shed' coronavirus early, but most likely not infectious after recovery - STAT

The Boston Bruins are in the midst of an impressive season, but we havent seen the best of them yet at least according to Jake Debrusk.

I dont think weve peaked this year, Debrusk said Monday, per the Bruins. We had a really good start obviously and weve kind of stayed more consistent I think than anything else and kind of found ways to win games, but I dont think weve peaked by any means.

Boston currently leads the NHL with 98 points with a 43-14-12 record.

The Bruins jumped out to an 11-1-2 start in the fall, which was motivated in part by coming up short in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. And while that loss has continued to fuel players, the team also has tried to focus on the present season, rather than getting caught up in the past.

I think, obviously, its something that you want to have as a motivational tool, but you dont really want to doubt yourself in any way. We were one game away last year and obviously we want to come back and finish the job as every team does in this league, Debrusk said. But personally, its just a matter of trying to build your game and peak at the right time.

While Debrusk believes the Bruins have not peaked yet, the team certainly is getting close.

Boston has had a number of players step up of late, like Charlie McAvoys huge game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Patrice Bergeron notching his sixth 30-goal season of his career. The team has gone 14-4-0 since the All-Star Game and has just 13 games left to play in the regular season.

Though, a key part to the Bruins success also will depend on the team staying healthy. Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo both will be out with upper-body injuries for Tuesday nights game against the Philadelphia Flyers. And, of course, Boston is taking precautionary measures amid growing concerns about the coronavirus, and even has tossed around the possibility of playing games in empty arenas something Bergeron feels would leave a big void without the fans.

The Bruins will take on the Flyers on the road Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on NESN.

Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images

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Jake Debrusk Sheds Light On Why He Believes Bruins Havent Peaked Yet - NESN

CLEMSON, South Carolina Just as there is a mysterious dark matter that accounts for 85 percent of our universe, there is a dark portion of the human genome that has perplexed scientists for decades. A study published March 9, 2020, in Genome Research identifies new portions of the fruit fly genome that, until now, have been hidden in these dark, silent areas.

The collaborative paper titled Gene Expression Networks in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel is the culmination of years of research by Clemson University geneticists Trudy Mackay and Robert Anholt. Their groundbreaking findings could significantly advance sciences understanding of a number of genetic disorders.

Robert Anholt (left) and Trudy Mackay in their lab at the Clemson Center for Human Genetics.Image Credit: Robert Bradley, College of Science

The dark portion refers to the approximate 98 percent of the genome that doesnt appear to have any obvious function. Only 2 percent of the human genome codes for proteins, the building blocks of our bodies and the catalysts of the chemical reactions that allow us to thrive. Scientists have been puzzled by this notion since the 1970s when gene sequencing technologies were first developed, revealing the proportion of coding to noncoding regions of the genome.

Genes are traditionally thought to be transcribed into RNAs, which are subsequently translated into proteins, as dictated by the central dogma of molecular biology. However, the entire assemblage of RNA transcripts in the genome, called the transcriptome, contains RNA species that appear to have some other function, apart from coding for proteins. Some have proposed that noncoding regions might contain regulatory regions that control gene expression and the structure of chromosomes, yet these hypotheses were difficult to study in past years as diagnostic technology was developing.

Only in recent years, with the sequencing of the entire transcriptome complete, have we realized how many RNA species are actually present. So, that raises the whole new question: if they arent making the proteins the work horses of the cell then what are they doing? said Mackay, director of Clemson Universitys Center for Human Genetics (CHG), which is part of the College of Science.

For Mackay and Anholt, also of the CHG, these human genetics questions can be probed by studying the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Because many genes are conserved between humans and fruit flies, findings revealed by analyzing the Drosophila genome can be extrapolated to human health and disease.

Mackay and Anholts former postdoctoral researchers, Logan Everett and Wen Huang, led the charge on this latest research, which identified more than 4,500 new transcripts in Drosophila that have never been uncovered before. Referred to by the researchers as novel transcribed regions, these 4,500 transcripts consist primarily of noncoding RNAs that appear to be involved in regulating networks of genes and that could contribute to genetic disorders.

Most disease-causing mutations are known to occur in the protein-coding portion of the genome, known as the exome, but when youre only sequencing the exome, you miss other disease-related factors in other parts of the genome, such as these long noncoding RNAs, said Anholt, Provosts Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Biochemistry at Clemson University. Now that the cost of whole genome sequencing has gone down considerably, and we have the capability of sequencing whole genomes rapidly, we can look at elements of the genome that have traditionally been considered unimportant, and we can identify among them potential disease-causing elements that have never been seen before.

By probing several hundred inbred Drosophila fly lines, each containing individuals that are virtually genetically identical, the researchers discovered that many of the novel long noncoding RNAs regulate genes in heterochromatin, a tightly packed form of DNA in the genome that is usually considered silent. Because heterochromatin is so condensed, it was thought to be inaccessible to the molecular machinery that transcribes DNA into RNA. Thus, any genes contained within heterochromatin are kept off, silent and unexpressed or are they?

What we think is that the repression of gene expression in heterochromatin is somewhat leaky, and that there is variation in how those genes are repressed, Mackay said. The network of RNAs weve discovered may have to do with actually regulating chromatin state.

These noncoding RNAs may play an important role in opening up such regions of the genome for expression of genes in a way that varies among different individuals depending on their genetic background, Anholt added.

Trudy Mackay and Robert Anholt address human genetics questions by studying the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, because many genes are conserved between humans and fruit flies, meaning research results can be extrapolated to human health and disease.Image Credit: College of Science

Another outcome of the study is the expression of jumping genes, known as transposons, that are pieces of DNA able to move around the genome. As transposons cut and paste into other genes, they may cause genome instability that leads to cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and other diseases. These transposons were also located in heterochromatin, but the identification of transcripts of these transposons shows that they are actually being expressed, despite residing in a usually silent portion of the genome. Identifying regulators of transposable elements, as the researchers found among these 4,500 novel transcribed regions, could prove useful in treating disorders that stem from transposon interference.

Overall, the study lends toward a greater understanding of gene regulatory networks that contribute to human health and disease.

These observations open up an entirely new area of biology that hasnt been explored and has unlimited potential for future follow-up, Anholt said.

The teams own follow-up studies are using CRISPR gene editing technology to uncover what happens when genes revealed by this study are altered or deleted from the Drosophila genome. If the expression of other genes is altered by knocking one out, important conclusions can be drawn about the role that deleted gene plays in development or progression of disease.

Everett, one of the lead authors on the Genome Research publication, is now a bioinformatics scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Wen Huang is an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University.

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The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health under grant numbers R01-AA016560, R01-AG043490 and U01- DA041613. Additional support was provided by The Danish Council for Strategic Research. The researchers are wholly responsible for the content of this study, of which the funders had no input.

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Clemson geneticists' collaborative research sheds light on 'dark' portion of genome - Clemson Newsstand

The Tom Green County Agrilife Extension office held their annual gardening seminar at the Tom Green County 4H facility on Saturday, February 29th. The seminar was named, Turf, Trees and Tomatoes, the Three Ts of Texas Horticulture. Hosting the event was the Tom Green County Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service office. Allison Watkins, the horticulturist for the Tom Green County Agrilife Extension office was the hostess for the Extension Office.

Along with Watkins, 2 other Agrilife agents made presentations; Dr. Russ Wallace, Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist Department of Horticultural Sciences

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock and Dr. Chrissie Segars, Assistant Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist, from the Agrilife Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in Dallas.

Agrilife spared no expense or experience for the seminar, with Wallace coming in from Lubbock and Segars from Dallas. Wallace is a highly respected professor and researcher with his Ph.D in Vegetable Crops from Cornell University. Wallaces territory for Agrilife covers the Texas High Plains and Panhandle regions.

Segars earned her Ph.D in Crop sciences from Oklahoma State University and is the go-to person when it comes to turf grass. Her interests include Turfgrass Management, Turfgrass Physiology, Athletic Field Management and Player Safety as well as Reducing Inputs in Turfgrass Management.

There isnt much that Watkins doesnt know about trees and she, as well as Segars and Wallace, covered an extensive amount of information in an easily understandable and gardener-friendly manner. The presenters answered technical questions about chemicals and mixes as well as less-detailed questions such as, What grass do I plant in the shade? Every question was important and the presenters encouraged participation. The time limits for each class werent enforced, which allowed everyone time to ask all of the questions that they wanted to.

The seminar, as promised, offered everything anyone could want when it came to turf, trees and tomatoes.

Watkins started off the day with her presentation on, Tree Selection and Establishment. Watkins began with several quotes about trees, including one from Alexander Smith, A man doesnt plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity. Watkins then delved into the topic of trees. She went over tree selection and establishment such as selecting native trees or adapted trees and consider mature size. Watkins also covered selecting a site, or rather, a tree, Select a tree for the site, not a site for the tree. She also covered the subject of purchasing trees; Dont buy root bound trees; Select trees with good form; The biggest tree is not always the best; as well as Inspecting for girdling roots and double leaders, Watkins pointed out that only the outer ring of a tree will take up the water. She talked about transplant shock, Smaller trees will go through less transplant shock than larger tree, and discussed handling of trees, Always handle a tree by the root ball and not by the trunk. She covered Oak Wilt as well, with one bit of information centering on how the disease is transmitted. Buying infect oak firewood from other places and bringing it here can spread Oak Wilt. You can find out further information on Oak Wilt at http://www.TexasOakWilt.org.

The remainder of Watkins class covered prepping the site for your tree, planting the tree and protecting the tree. Watkins also said that that staking a tree should only be done as a last resort. Her presentation, as well as the presentations from Wallace and Segars included slides with photos of the dos and donts.

Watkins also gave out information on recommended trees for this specific area of the state, which included; Texas Redbud; Mexican Redbud; Oklahoma Redbud; Mexican Buckeye; Chisos Rosewood; Mexican Paloverde; Evergreen Sumac; Western Soapberry as well as many more species that she said do well here with the proper care.

The next class was Growing Tomatoes, and was taught by Wallace. It seems that growing tomatoes is woven into the DNA of every Texas gardener and it was a hot topic at the seminar. Wallace is not only the Extension Agent Vegetable Specialist, hes also a tomato judge at the fair in Lubbock and in the Panhandle. Wallace grows tomatoes for Texas A&M Agrilife at their facility in Lubbock and is a master of the red fruit that is the subject of so much frustration one year and pride the next year for Texas gardeners. Yes, tomatoes are fruits but theyre considered vegetables by nutritionists.

The subject of tomatoes went well beyond the 60 minutes that was schedule for the topic, but the subject never bogged down or hit a lull. There was a great deal of conversation and numerous questions about growing tomatoes. Some of the information put out by Wallace included: Tomatoes are a tropical fruit; they like an average temperature of 70-80 degrees; they dont tolerate freezes; they like a pH of 5.5 7.3; they dont like salinity (some fertilizers contain salt and tomatoes dont like it); they prefer consistent moisture and dont like to be waterlogged; they prefer starter fertilizer; they respond best if regularly fertilized with small amounts throughout the season. Wallace said that Miracle Grow is a good fertilizer, especially starter solutions. Miracle Grow is made in Ballinger at Buddys Plant Plus.

Wallace said that drip-irrigations systems worked best for growing tomatoes and stressed the importance of keeping them regularly fertilized and watered uniformly throughout the season.

Wallace also covered the selection of tomato varieties. Some of the varieties covered were Phoenix, Shady Lady, Solar Fire, Sun King, Celebrity, Classy Lady, Sun Master and BHN 444. The pros and cons of each variety were discussed in depth, as well as their resistance to various diseases and pests such as Verticillum Wilt (V), Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV), Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Variety (TYLCV), Fusarium (F), Nematode (N), Tobacco Mosaic (T), Alternaria Stem Canker (A) and Stemphylium solani (S), which also known as Gray Leaf Spot.

Wallace covered how to identify problems in your tomato plants, such as iron deficiency, which can be spotted by a yellowing/bleaching of leaves. Iron deficiency is common to soils with high pH and salinity; Physiological Heat Roll was also discussed. Physiological Heat Roll is caused by heat stress. He also spoke about how to address issues such as Physiological Heat Roll: Use shade cloth to protect them from the sun; cool down the plant with a spray bottle of water. Wallace said that irrigating your tomatoes more will not help. Perhaps the most concerning, at least to Texas gardeners, is that tomato flowers will pop off when they hit 92 - 93. Giving them protection from scalding afternoon sun is critical when our temperatures get into the high 90s and 100s.

Segars covered the subjects of, Turf Irrigation, and Hot Topics in Turf. Segars said that good turf grass can help in several ways, It can absorb pollutants, heat, noise, dust and it can prevent soil erosion. She said that the primary selection criteria should revolve around heat/drought tolerance, irrigation requirements, traffic tolerance, desired use and the time of year the turf is most used. Anyone who has endured a west Texas summer knows the frustration of watching your lawn turn brown in July when water restrictions set in and you can only water your yard once a week while temperatures bake it at 100.

When it comes to native grasses and drought-resistant grasses, Segars said that Buffalo Grass is the only native turf grass in the USA. She said that Buffalo Grass and Bermuda grass are the most drought-resistant grasses and the Zoysia grass thrives in filtered shade. St. Augustine is another good grass for shady areas. Buffalo Grass is the most cold-tolerant grass. According to Segars, the downside to Zoysia is that it is a slow-growing grass. All of the grasses and varieties of each grass were covered during the class, along with how to care for them and how to build a great lawn, even in drought conditions.

If youd like more information on the material covered in the classes or have questions about horticulture, you can email Watkins at aewatkins@ag.tamu.edu or call her at (325) 659-6528.

If you would like more information or have questions about growing tomatoes, or vegetable gardens in general, you can email Wallace at: rwwallace@ag.tamu.edu or call him at the Lubbock Agrilife Extension office at (806) 746-4057.

For questions about grasses, Segars can be reached at Chrissie.Segars@ag.tamu.edu or follow her on Twitter: Hairyligule21. The phone number to the Agrilife Dallas office is (972) 952-9212.

The annual Concho Valley Master Gardeners plant sale is on April 4th, from 8 a.m. until noon (or sold out, whichever comes first). Last year over 4,500 plants were sold. The event is wildly popular and most plants are sold out within 1-2 hours of the doors opening. The event is at the Tom Green County 4H facility and its best to get there 30 minutes to an hour early to get in line.

In September the 9th Annual Fall Landscaping Symposium will be held at the Tom Green County 4H facility.

You can find out more information, as well as Allison Watkins horticulture updates, soil testing and Earthkind Landscaping at http://www.txmg.org/conchovalley.

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Agrilife gardening seminar sheds light on turf, trees and tomatoes - Runnels County Register