CSi Weather…

. REST OF TODAY…Partly sunny. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Some thunderstorms may be severe. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation 60 percent in the Jamestown area, 70 percent.  in the Valley City area.

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the evening in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area,  then mostly clear after midnight.

Lows in the lower 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds 10 to

15 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows around 60. West winds around

5 mph shifting to the southwest around 5 mph after midnight.

.SATURDAY…Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 5 to

15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 90.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers

and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 60s.

.MONDAY…Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 90.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. A 30 percent chance of showers

and thunderstorms. Lows around 70.

.TUESDAY…Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 60s.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s.

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible this
afternoon and evening, with the potential for damaging wind
gusts to 75 mph, hail to the size of golf balls, and a low chance
for a tornado.  New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thunderstorm potential is in the forecast next week as a warm and
humid weather pattern impacts the region.

 

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Posted Wed. Jun 24, 2020

11:00 am

Positive COVID-19 Test Results
Results listed are from the previous day.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED WEDNESDAY

  • Burleigh County – 12
  • Cass County – 18
  • Grand Forks – 1
  • McKenzie County – 1
  • Morton County – 2
  • Pembina County – 2
  • Ramsey County – 2
  • Ransom County – 1
  • Sioux County – 1
  • Walsh County – 2


BY THE NUMBERS

The temporary issue with the Electronic Reporting System mentioned yesterday has been resolved and the remaining results for yesterday and the results for today are reflected in today’s numbers.

162,468 – Total Number of Tests Completed* (+3,945 total tests from yesterday)

 

98,689 – Total Unique Individuals Tested* (+1,136 unique individuals from yesterday)

95,327 – Total Negative (+1,094 unique individuals from yesterday)

3,362 – Total Positive (+42 unique individuals from yesterday)

1.1% – Daily Positivity Rate**

219 – Total Hospitalized (+1 individual from yesterday)

27 – Currently Hospitalized (-1 individuals from yesterday)

3,044 – Total Recovered (+36 individuals from yesterday)

78 – Total Deaths*** (+0 individuals from yesterday)

 

* Note that this does not include individuals from out of state and has been updated to reflect the most recent information discovered after cases were investigated.

**Because the serial tests completed and added to the total number of tests completed can result in new individuals who test positive, the daily positivity rate will be calculated using the total positives for the day by the daily number of tests completed instead of the daily number of unique individuals tested.

 

*** Number of individuals who tested positive and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19.

For descriptions of these categories, visit the NDDoH dashboard.

 

For the most updated and timely information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Valley City   (VCSU)  A groundbreaking ceremony for the Center for the Arts at Valley City State University was held Wednesday morning, June 24. University officials, along with community, regional and state leaders, gathered with representatives from the architectural, construction and site preparation firms to break ground on the $32 million project.

Funded by a state appropriation from the 66th North Dakota Legislative Assembly with the approval of Gov. Doug Burgum, the Center for the Arts will bring the VCSU art and music programs together in a state-of-the-art facility replete with spaces designed specifically for the disciplines.

Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included VCSU President Alan LaFave; Roxanne Nelson, arts, community and education principal at HGA, architects for the project; Marc Mellmer, vice president of JE Dunn Construction; Dave Carlsrud, mayor of Valley City; and Angeline Gannon, VCSU Student Senate president. Wesley Wintch, VCSU vice president of business affairs and chair of the Center for the Arts Steering Committee, served as emcee.

“Given the situation with COVID-19, sometimes it feels like the world is standing still,” said President Alan LaFave. “We are not standing still at VCSU. We are moving forward; we are moving forward together. This ceremony today is an important milestone at the university, one that will help secure our future and a big step as we create a showcase for the arts for our students, the campus community and Valley City. Thank you to all who played a role in the planning and funding of the Center for the Arts.”

Art facilities in the new building will include a ceramics lab; printmaking, painting and drawing studios; a digital design lab; a digital photography studio; and a woodshop. An art gallery will provide a highly visible, secure space to showcase student and visiting artist exhibitions.

Music facilities will include a 350-seat performance hall, a 100-seat recital hall/choral room, a band room, a piano/computer lab, a recording and production studio, large and small practice rooms, and faculty offices/studios. Acoustic treatments have been designed for all performance, rehearsal and practice spaces, and the larger spaces feature adjustable acoustics and audio/video recording capabilities.

Gathering spaces will be found throughout the building, and a grand lobby will provide a reception area and showcase for the arts at VCSU.

 

Jamestown  (CVHD)  A free car seat checkup will be held on Friday, June 26 from 10:00am to 1:00pm at the OnTRAC Learning Center Parking Lot (1501 5th St NE) in Jamestown.  Certified child passenger safety technicians will be on hand to answer questions and assist parents and caregivers in proper use and installation of their car seats.  The checkup is sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Health and Central Valley Health District.

Jamestown  (Tourism)  The Frontier Village invites the community to the FREE Movie Night to be held each Friday, July 3, 17, 24, and August 7.

Shows begin at 8-p.m. at the Amphitheater.

Parking is on the north side of Frontier Village.

Bring your own snacks, drinks, blankets and bug spray.

Call Jamestown Tourism for movie titles at 701-251-9145.

Corona Virus Safety:

Masks are encouraged. but mot required.

Spread out:  Keep groups six feet apart.

If you feel sick or have a fever, stay home.

Bismarck (NDDA) The North Dakota Department of Agriculture has awarded grants totaling over $65,000 for four state projects including Valley City.

The Barnes County Park Board was a recipient of a large-project orchard grant.

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says, “The projects provide educational opportunities and foster community spirit by bringing people together to plant and tend these orchards and gardens. The fruits and vegetables produced will benefit communities, schools and those in need.”

Projects include:

-Barnes County Park Board, Valley City: $19,900 to construct a large orchard of fruit trees and shrubs in northwest Valley City. The orchard will be used to help educate students on plant life cycles and caring for fruiting trees and shrubs.

-Velva FFA, Velva: $20,000 for a public orchard to use for a variety of plant science and horticulture classes to teach about orchard care. Produce will be donated to local food pantries, used in the schools and used to teach about canning and preservation.

-Wahpeton Park Board, Wahpeton: $20,000 for a community orchard used by schools, 4-H clubs, FFA chapters, and Boy and Girl Scouts as an outdoor classroom to teach all aspects of tree care. The produce will be used for summer feeding programs, the senior center and donated to local food pantries.

-Turtle Mountain Chippewa Pembina Pow Wow Committee, Belcourt: $5,300 to repurpose green space and construct garden boxes that can be used for growing vegetables. The project will promote intergenerational and cultural learning between all age groups.

Goehring says grant funds can be used for plants, trees, planting supplies, soil amendments, irrigation and fencing supplies.

Grant funds cannot be used to purchase land, permanent structures or for capital expenditures.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Sales and oil tax collections in North Dakota are well below forecasts due to the coronavirus outbreak, but budget leaders say overall revenue is ahead of the Legislature’s projections for the current period. State Office of Management and Budget Director Joe Morrissette presented the latest revenue figures to the Legislature’s finance committee Tuesday. May revenue to the state’s general fund for government operations was down about 19%, or $36 million, from a 2019 legislative forecast. But overall, state revenue is running nearly 2%, or $45 million, ahead of the forecast.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A plan to name a greenway project associated with the Fargo-Moorhead flood diversion after a prominent 19th century geologist has been scrapped after government leaders learned about his writings on white supremacy. The agency leading the project, the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments, proposed calling it Agassiz Greenway, after Louis Agassiz. He’s the scientist for whom glacial Lake Agassiz was named and whose name is associated with organizations, businesses and buildings in the region. The council began receiving feedback over the proposed name and said it learned Agassiz was “a proponent of scientific racism and wrote prolifically on issues of white supremacy in the 1800’s.”

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Eleven GOP attorneys general are weighing in on the congressional debate over policing amid the national push to stop racial bias in law enforcement. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the others sent a letter this week urging congressional leaders to ensure police officers’ safety as Democrats demand changes in police tactics and accountability. Paxton joined attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Carolina in signing the letter. The letter comes as a Republican policing bill stalled with lack of Senate Democratic support. Polling shows the country overwhelmingly wants changes in policing.

In sports…

Babe Ruth Baseball…

Wednesday….

Valley City Royals 16 Fargo Bombers 2

Valley City Royals 11- Fargo Bombers 0

Bismarck   The North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association has recognized the University of Jamestown women’s volleyball team as the best collegiate female team in the state and their coach Jon Hegerle as the best college women’s coach in its annual year-end awards.

Jamestown  (uj.edu)  Recent University of Jamestown hockey graduates Allan Pruss and Michael Pruss will be continuing their hockey careers overseas. The twin duo from Red Deer, Alberta, have inked a deal to play professionally for Adendorfer EC in Germany next season.

The pair announced their signing after the team had sent out a press release online and a report in its local newspaper.

The German club had taken interest in the brothers earlier this season and talks continued throughout the year. The twins finished first and second in scoring the past two seasons, which helped garner interest from the German club.

The brothers ended their time at UJ as members of the first UJ hockey graduating class and finished first and third in career points. Michael sits third in UJ career points with 39 goals and 57 assists for 96 points in 128 games, while Allan sits atop UJ for career points with 39 goals and 72 assists for 111 career points.

Adendorfer EC plays in the Regionalliga Hockey League, which is comprised of primarily German players and a handful of foreign import players. Import players range in experience, with many having college hockey experience and some having NHL experience.

BISMARCK (AP) — Four longtime coaches and a well-known member of the Fargo baseball community have received year-end awards from the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Darrel Anderson, Barry Holmen, Greg Ladoucer, Don Larson and Jim Pettersen have been selected for the Special Achievement award.

Anderson retired as track and field coach at Bismarck High School after 30 seasons, leading the Demons to 14 state championships, including 11 in a row from 2004-2014. Anderson was named the 2012 national coach of the year.

BHS athletes won 91 individual state championships under Anderson, including 40 relay titles.

 

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS

UNDATED (AP) — All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies has become the first Major League Baseball player identified as having tested positive for the coronavirus. A person familiar with Blackmon’s situation confirmed the test result to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement.

The Denver Post first reported Blackmon’s condition, saying Tuesday that three Rockies players had tested positive. The Post reported Blackmon tested positive last week after workouts at Coors Field in Denver. The newspaper said the Rockies then closed the ballpark, following MLB protocol.

The Philadelphia Phillies have said seven players have tested positive for the virus without identifying any of them. A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that several players and staff members of the Toronto Blue Jays have tested positive. Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said a few players have tested positive for COVID-19. Dipoto said they have all been asymptomatic.

And Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila says one player and one staff member have tested positive for COVID-19. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has imposed a 60-game season that will begin either July 23 or 24. It remains unclear where the Blue Jays plan to hold their training camp and play home games this summer.

In other developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic:

—The return of Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon has been delayed after he tested positive for the coronavirus. And Sacramento Kings forward Jabari Parker announced he has been dealing with the virus as well. Both say they expect to be with their teams when the season resumes in Central Florida next month. All 22 NBA teams that will be part of the resumed season began mandated testing Tuesday.

— The New York City Marathon scheduled for Nov. 1 has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. New York Road Runners announced the cancellation of the world’s largest marathon Wednesday after coordinating with the mayor’s office and deciding the race posed too many health and safety concerns for runners, volunteers, spectators and others. Last year’s marathon included a world record 53,640 finishers. Entrants for the 2020 race will be offered a full refund of their entry fee or a guaranteed entry to either the 2021, 2022 or 2023 marathon. The 2021 New York City Marathon is scheduled for Nov. 7.

— The caddies for Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka (KEHP’-kuh) have tested positive for the coronavirus, and both major champions have decided to withdraw from the Travelers Championship. Both say they are withdrawing to protect the rest of the field. McDowell says it feels like the snowball is getting bigger. This is the PGA Tour’s third week back after being shut down for three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first week came off without a hitch. Nick Watney last week became the first player to test positive.

— A person with knowledge of the situation says All-Star forward Nikola Jokic (NEE’-koh-lah YOH’-kich) of the Denver Nuggets has tested positive for the coronavirus and is quarantining in his native Serbia. Jokic is expected to be back in Denver long before the team leaves for the Disney complex for the restart of the NBA season next month.

— The return of Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon has been delayed after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Brogdon issued a statement through the team, saying he was in quarantine, feeling well and expects to rejoin his teammates in Orlando for the resumption of the season next month. Brogdon used the March stoppage of play to recover from a leg and hip muscle injury that kept him out of games and recently told reporters he was ready to play.

— Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore will open Thursday for wagering on simulcast horse races. Fans will be required to wear masks, maintain social distancing and follow safety protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Pimlico is scheduled to host the Preakness on Oct. 3.

— The Berlin Marathon has been canceled following months of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers say “after extensive examination and various discussions” they were not able to find a later date. Authorities in Germany have blocked the hosting of major events through October.

— The University of Connecticut has decided to eliminate four athletic teams as it deals with an expected budget deficit driven by issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. UConn’s president told the Board of Trustees today the school will reduce the number of sports it supports from 24 to 20, eliminating its men’s cross country, men’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis and women’s rowing teams after the 2020-21 academic year.

— The University of Northern Colorado will discontinue the men’s and women’s tennis programs as part of a cost-saving effort due to budget shortfalls created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The school located in Greeley, Colorado, will now sponsor 17 intercollegiate athletic programs, including nine women’s sports.

NBA RESTART-SOCIAL ISSUES

NBA, NBPA say sparking social change will be goal of restart

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said Wednesday that dealing with racial matters will be a shared goal during the resumed season.

The league and union announced they will “take collective action to combat systemic racism and promote social justice” when the season restarts at the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida next month. Specific plans have not been finalized.

NFL-REDSKINS-MARSHALL

Redskins removing ex-owner Marshall from Ring of Fame

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Redskins are removing former owner George Preston Marshall from their Ring of Fame and striking all references to him on their website.

It’s the latest move to cut ties with the legacy of the team’s racist founder, a segregationist who refused to integrate by signing Black players until “forced to do so” in 1962, more than a decade after much of the rest of the NFL.

Marshall owned the franchise from its inception in 1932 and moved the team from Boston to Washington several years later. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and died in 1969.

Current owner Dan Snyder has faced renewed calls to change the name of the team.

PGA-TRAVELERS-KOEPKAS

Brooks Koepka felt like he was doing everything by the book.

UNDATED (AP) — He took his COVID-19 test when he arrived in Connecticut for the Travelers Championship and waited until he received the result (negative) before going to watch his brother, Chase, earn a spot in the field through Monday qualifying.

Both withdrew before the tournament even began after Koepka’s caddie tested positive for the coronavirus, even though subsequent tests on the players came back negative. Each cited the need to be safe, not only for themselves but the other players and caddies at the TPC River Highland.

NHL-HALL OF FAME

Iginla headlines 2020 Hall class as 4th Black player elected

UNDATED (AP) — Jarome Iginla (juh-ROHM’ ih-GIHN’-luh) headlines the Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 after being elected Wednesday in his first year of eligibility.

Iginla will be the fourth Black player inducted after Grant Fuhr, women’s hockey pioneer Angela James and Willie O’Ree. Iginla and Fuhr are the only Black NHL players enshrined for their on-ice accomplishments, while O’Ree was chosen in the builder category in 2018 for breaking the league’s color barrier 60 years earlier.

The longtime Calgary Flames captain was the first Black player to lead the NHL in goals and points and was the first Black athlete in any sport to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. A first-generation Canadian whose father is Nigerian and mother is American, Iginla owns arguably the biggest assist in Canada’s history of international hockey. He passed the puck to Sidney Crosby for Crosby’s “golden goal” at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

BROWN-DROPPING SPORTS

Brown U. students claim fraud, want cut sports restored

Lawyers for a group of Brown University athletes whose sports have been targeted for elimination are accusing the Ivy League school of fraud for working secretly on a plan to cut the programs without telling the players their varsity careers were in jeopardy.

In a letter to Brown President Christina Paxson, attorney Jeffrey Kessler said the school made a “purposeful choice to conceal critical information” that cost the athletes the chance to enroll at or transfer to a different school.

Brown announced last month that as part of a plan to redirect resources to its more successful programs it would eliminate 11 varsity sports and promote coed and women’s sailing to varsity status, bringing the school’s total from 38 teams to 29. After a backlash over the disparate effect the cuts would have on minority students, the school backed down and agreed to keep men’s track and cross-country.

MICHIGAN-TRANSFERS

Michigan announces Smith, Brown joining basketball program

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan officially announced that Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown are joining the basketball program as transfers.

The school says both players have been admitted. Smith has immediate eligibility, and Michigan is assessing the potential for an NCAA waiver for Brown. The 5-foot-11 Smith comes to Michigan from Columbia, where he averaged 22.8 points a game last season.

The 6-foot-5 Brown averaged 12.1 points for Wake Forest. Brown said in April he was entering his name into the NBA draft as well as the NCAA transfer portal.

TOKYO-SPONSORS

Tokyo Olympics must firm up $3.3 billion in sponsor income

TOKYO (AP) — Local Japanese sponsors have chipped in a record $3.3 billion to support the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. That’s almost 60% of the income for the privately funded operating budget.

Sponsors will be asked to sign up again with the games delayed for a year.

A poll published earlier this month by Japanese broadcasters NHK said two-thirds are undecided about extending for another year. Organizers say they will begin the negotiation process in earnest next month.

The Japanese newspaper Asahi reported this week that organizers could be asking for “for more sponsor fees payments.” This could face opposition with many companies struggling with the pandemic and a loss of revenue.

MASCOTS UNMUZZLED

Phillie Phanatic, Mr Met, MLB mascots now permitted in parks

UNDATED (AP ) — The popular Phillie Phanatic, Mr. Met and Mariner Moose mascots are getting a reprieve.

Major League Baseball has reversed a policy it issued last month that banned mascots from ballparks while trying to restrict access and limit contact exposure. MLB now says mascots are welcome, but they’re not permitted on the field.

Dave Raymond, the first person to portray the Phanatic in Philadelphia in the late 1970s, says mascots can still pull off plenty of routines to entertain fans watching at home. MLB will start the virus-delayed season next month in stadiums without fans.

In world and national news..

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are lower in Europe and Asia as investors focus on surging new coronavirus cases in the U.S. that hit their highest level in two months. Shares fell Thursday in London, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney. Chinese markets were closed for a holiday. Overnight, the S&P 500 fell 2.6% on as gloom set in over growing outbreaks in the U.S., especially in the South and West. Markets have been rallying in recent weeks on hopes that U.S. states and regions around the world could continue to lift lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is threatening to seek to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran if the U.N. Security Council does not approve a resolution that would indefinitely extend the arms embargo on Tehran, which is set to expire in October. He said in Washington that without the arms embargo “Iran will be able to purchase advanced weapons systems and become an arms dealer of choice for terrorists and rogue regimes all throughout the world. This is unacceptable.” Pompeo spoke before two U.S. officials briefed Security Council members Wednesday on the U.S. draft resolution to maintain the arms embargo.

 

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s National Security Council has endorsed plans to cancel the deployment of two costly land-based U.S. missile defense systems aimed at bolstering the country’s capability against threats from North Korea. The council made its decision Wednesday, and now the government will need to enter negotiations with the U.S. about what to do with payments already made for the Aegis Ashore systems. Defense Minister Taro Kono announced the plan to scrap the systems earlier this month after it was found that the safety of one of the two planned host communities could not be ensured without a hardware redesign that would be too time consuming and costly.

 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A new report says Iranian state television has broadcast the suspected coerced confessions of at least 355 people over the last decade as a means to both suppress dissent and frighten activists in the Islamic Republic on behalf of security services. Justice for Iran and the International Federation for Human Rights released the report Thursday. It outlined cases of prisoners being coached into reading from white boards, with state television correspondents ordering them to repeat the lines while smiling. Others recounted being beaten, threatened with sexual violence and having their loved ones used against them to extract false testimonies. Iranian officials did not respond to requests for comment.

 

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia’s largest airline plans to cut at least 6,000 jobs and keep 15,000 more workers on extended furloughs as it tries to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Qantas has announced a plan to reduce costs by billions of dollars and raise fresh capital. It will ground 100 planes for a year or more and immediately retire its six remaining Boeing 747 planes. Chief Executive Alan Joyce says the airline has to become smaller as it braces for several years of much lower revenues. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it wants to help the axed workers find new jobs.

 

PATNA, India (AP) — A government official says lightning has killed 23 people and injured 10 others during thunderstorms and heavy rain in eastern India. The dead include 13 people who were working on farms north of Patna, the Bihar state capital. The official says the injured are receiving hospital treatment. Heavy rains before the onset of the monsoon season have hit the region. In July last year, lightning killed 39 people in Bihar state, also during monsoon rains, which last until September.

 

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities are pulling out all the stops to get people to vote on constitutional amendments that would enable President Vladimir Putin to stay in office until 2036. The nationwide vote begins Thursday and lasts for a week. To encourage turnout amid the coronavirus outbreak, authorities are luring voters with a chance to win prizes ranging from gift certificates to cars and apartments. They’ve enlisted celebrities to urge a “yes” vote on the amendments. They’ve also encouraged some businesses to pressure employees to register at the polls. The political opposition, meanwhile, has failed to mobilize a significant campaign against the vote and instead is focusing on questioning its legitimacy.

 

(AP)  France is stepping up efforts to root out hidden clusters of coronavirus infections by offering tests to nearly 1.3 million people in the Paris region. The expansion of France’s testing program was announced Thursday by the health minister, Olivier Véran, in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde. Health authorities will send out coupons that people can exchange for a test. The minister said France is also arming itself for the possibility of a second wave of infections, reconstituting its stocks of medicines and making plans to be able to treat 30,000 people in intensive care if necessary. France had more than 7,000 patients in intensive care at the peak in April of its outbreak. That figure is now down to under 700.