BG Reads | News You Need to Know (March 13, 2020)
[BG PODCAST]
NEW -> Episode 78 - Bingham Group Supports the Austin Sunshine Camps (LINK TO SHOW)
Founded in 1928 the Austin Sunshine Camps (ASC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that has opened a world of possibilities to the youth of Central Texas by providing free week-long summer camps to low-income families. (NOTE: Campers must qualify for the Texas public school free and reduced lunch program to be eligible to attend.)
Located inside Zilker Park near Barton Springs Pool, ASC serves campers 7 – 11 years of age. The camp program, under the supervision of experienced counselors, offers activities such as swimming in Barton Springs or Deep Eddy pool, fishing, canoeing, handicrafts, nature study, hikes, games, and a ropes course with a variety of elements including a team wall, and trust fall. Transportation to camp and three meals a day is included.
Bingham Group is a proud ASC supporter and is committing $10,000 to its annual fundraising campaign. (See also, 2019 ASC Annual Report).
Here is a breakdown of where funding goes:
One Child’s Camp Session for a Week ($500)
Canoe Rentals for 200 Kids ($100)
Food and Snacks for a Day ($25)
Camp bedding ($50)
Please consider a donation today through April 1st.
[AUSTIN METRO]
2 Test Positive For The Coronavirus In Austin; AISD Schools And Offices Will Close Friday (KUT)
Two presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus, COVID-19, were confirmed in Austin early Friday morning, city health officials said. The two cases are the first confirmed in Central Texas.
After the announcement, Austin Independent School District announced its schools and offices will be closed Friday. UT Austin said it will open on Friday.
The two cases are not believed to be community spread, Austin Public Health said, meaning the cases did not come from an unknown infected person they had contact with.
“This is concerning but not surprising and we have been prepared for the arrival of COVID-19 in our area,” said Austin's interim medical authority, Dr. Mark Escott. “It is critical that the community continue to heed our recommendations and take personal hygiene seriously. This will be the key to ensuring that this virus doesn’t spread.”
Local disaster declaration extended indefinitely (Austin Monitor)
As expected, Mayor Steve Adler has extended the local state of disaster declaration indefinitely, with the unanimous consent of City Council. On March 6, the mayor declared a local state of disaster for one week due to concerns over the new coronavirus, but he needed Council’s approval to extend that declaration.
The city joined Travis County commissioners, who on Tuesday declared the local state of disaster for an indefinite time period. To date, while the virus has spread throughout the United States, including the Dallas and Houston areas, there have been no reported cases in Travis County. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
Council Member Greg Casar, like his colleagues, is concerned about how the disaster declaration, and the illness itself, will impact people of limited means, who may miss work because of illness or because they do not have child care. In a prepared statement, Casar said, “It is better that we act early and risk taking unpopular actions than to act late and risk being negligent.”
Casar told his colleagues that he was asking city management to make sure that the city’s water and electric utilities do not cut off service to customers who cannot pay their bills. Since the city owns these utilities, it will not be too difficult to direct them not to punish those who have fallen on hard times because of the coronavirus. He pointed out to his colleagues that the city has in the past declined to shut off utilities during a heat wave, for instance. He said he hopes to talk to local private utilities about doing the same… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Sam Biscoe officially approved as interim Travis County judge following Sarah Eckhardt's resignation (Community Impact)
The official bond to hire former Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe was approved in a unanimous vote of the Travis County Commissioners Court on March 12, following the March 10 announcement that Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt would step down to pursue a seat in the Texas Senate.
Biscoe—who served as Travis County judge from 1998-2014—will serve as Eckhardt’s temporary replacement until November, when an official successor is expected to be elected. The bond outlines Biscoe’s position with a term that runs through Nov. 30…(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas colleges and universities are going online because of coronavirus. Here's what they're doing. (Texas Tribune)
Dozens of Texas universities announced Wednesday and Thursday that they would extend students' spring breaks and start switching to online classes, joining a swelling group of colleges across the country taking steps to prepare their campuses for the novel coronavirus. At least two — Trinity University and Rice University — have asked most students to move out of their dorms and said classes will be held remotely for the remainder of the semester.
Most Texas institutions extending their breaks said they plan to use the extra time to prepare faculty for teaching online. Many have canceled events, prohibited large gatherings, stepped up their sanitation measures and restricted university-sponsored travel.
Some cited the unique challenges universities face in managing contagious disease, particularly in the face of an upcoming break… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Doctor’s order doesn’t ensure immediate coronavirus testing in Texas (Dallas Morning News)
A doctor’s order for coronavirus testing does not ensure a patient in Texas will receive it. A lack of widespread testing means Texas may not have a true grasp of how many people have the virus or how quickly it is spreading, physicians said.
“Until we can test more, we really don’t know what we are dealing with,” said Dr. Christopher Crow, President of Catalyst Health Network, whose organization has roughly 200 primary care locations across North Texas. “As the supply becomes available we need to have a better system.” The state is ramping up testing capabilities at public health labs. With the ability to test roughly 240 people a day for COVID-19, the government labs still are prioritizing patients whose symptoms and travel history meet certain criteria. Physicians who are denied patient testing in a public lab can request it from a private one. But then, doctors said there are questions about how to go about collecting patient samples. Fueling concern is a shortage of face masks and protective equipment that medical workers need to avoid infection themselves… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Coronavirus concern, price war drives Texas gas prices to lowest level in more than a year (Dallas Morning News)
Gas prices across Texas are reaching lows not seen in more than a year as concerns about the coronavirus impact coupled with price wars between top producers have caused crude oil prices to plummet.
“Texas gas prices are at their cheapest point in more than a year,” AAA Texas spokesperson Joshua Zuber said in a statement Thursday. “Gas prices usually increase in the spring due to an increase in demand and lower supply. But this year, drivers could continue to see lower prices amid concerns over the coronavirus and impacts to global demand.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Fed to pump in more than $1 trillion in dramatic ramping up of market intervention amid coronavirus meltdown (CNBC)
The Federal Reserve stepped into financial markets Thursday for the second day in a row and the third time this week, this time dramatically ramping up asset purchases amid the turmoil created by the coronavirus. “These changes are being made to address highly unusual disruptions in Treasury financing markets associated with the coronavirus outbreak,” the New York Fed said in an early afternoon announcement amid a washout on Wall Street that was heading toward the worst day since 1987.
Stocks were off their lows following the announcement though some of the gains were pared as the market digested the moves. Some in the market were skeptical that the move was enough, and even whether the the Fed itself had the proper tools to reverse the current market downtrend. “We continue to emphasize that this Fed will act aggressively and in particular that central banks are focused on safeguarding market functioning at this point, and will continue to provide liquidity in scale,” Ebrahim Rahbari, director of global economics at Citi Research. “However, despite the sharp initial risk rally, we think these measures will still not be sufficiently to durably stabilize market sentiment yet in light of credit concerns and escalating health concerns.” One part of the announcement saw the Fed widen the scale for its $60 billion worth of money the Treasury purchases, which to now had been confined to short-term T-bills… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
The Bingham Group, LLC is an Austin-based full service lobbying firm representing and advising clients on municipal, legislative, and regulatory matters throughout Texas.
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