New Mexico’s Native Americans At Center Of New Hot Spot Waiting For Government Help; Released California Prisoners Infect Families, End Up Homeless

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Has Been Devastating To The Navajo Nation, And Help For Complex Fight Has Been Slow
A group of more than a dozen tribe members filled dozens of dust-covered cars with diapers, flour, rice and water, the bare staples that are sustaining the Navajo Nation as many fall ill and die. If the novel coronavirus has been cruel to America, it has been particularly cruel here, on a desert Native American reservation that maybe has never felt more alone than during this pandemic. There's a lack of running water, medical infrastructure, Internet access, information and adequate housing. (Klemko, 5/16)

Los Angeles Times: California's Prisons Empty Inmates Into Uncharted Waters
In short order, the coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a sweeping and historic emptying of California’s overcrowded prisons and jails, as officials have dramatically lowered the number of people held in custody to avert deadly outbreaks. State data show California’s prisons have released about 3,500 inmates while the daily jail population across 58 counties is down by 20,000 from late February. (Hamilton, Queally and Tchekmedyian, 5/17)

ABC News: COVID-19 Battle Takes Toll On New York City Blood Supply: Mayor 
Having already faced a shortage of hospital beds and ventilators, New York City officials say the novel coronavirus has spawned a new crisis: an alarmingly low blood supply. Mayor Bill de Blasio cautioned Sunday that the New York City Blood Center is down to just a two-day supply and pleaded with New Yorkers to help confront the latest health emergency posed by the virus. (Hutchinson, 5/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Cuomo Taps Private Advisers As Part Of Coronavirus Response, Stirring Critics
As New York weathers the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has enlisted the help of a trio of billionaires to trace the spread of the disease and think through how the state will look in the future. But the partnerships with Bloomberg LP founder Michael Bloomberg, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt have prompted criticism that Mr. Cuomo is giving outsize power to moneyed executives and circumventing government institutions. (Vielkind, 5/17)

The Washington Post: On The Way To The Store, A Mask Giveaway To Protect African Americans From Coronavirus 
The volunteers gather every Saturday in a grocery store parking lot on the north side of town. They start with a pastor and a prayer, then set up their tables and bring out their bags of homemade masks and bottles of hand sanitizer. For the next few hours, they'll offer both for no charge to shoppers and passing cars. Theirs is a mission to save lives, but it’s also a self-help movement. The black community here, like African American communities in cities nationwide, is being hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic. And some people have decided that they can’t wait for others to come to the rescue. (Goyette, 5/16)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Casino Workers Demonstrate For Better Working Conditions
A caravan of workers from five Indiana casinos converged on Downtown Indianapolis late Friday demanding enhanced health and safety measures at gaming facilities before the venues reopen this summer. The Indiana Gaming Commission closed the state-regulated gaming in March 16, initially for 14 days, as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus among large groups. (Burris, 5/15)

Detroit Free Press: Black Hair Stylists And Their Clients Prepare For A New Normal
From locks to weaves, to braids, wigs, naturals and blowouts, for some black women hair is a form of expression and cultural identity. It's also big business: The black hair industry is worth more than $2.51 billion, according to industry reports. But black haircare is not about business as usual these days. Uncertain of what the future will look like for hair salons after the state's stay-at-home order lifts on May 28, women of color are looking to alternative ways to style their hair, and stylists and salon owners are planning for new ways to accommodate their customers. (Smith, 5/17)

Boston Globe: Amazon Facing Scrutiny In Mass. After Employees File Complaints About Working Conditions 
Employee protests and sick-outs. A top executive’s resignation in solidarity. Demands for details on coronavirus infections among workers. The retail giant Amazon has come under fire in recent weeks like few other businesses. And as the pandemic stretches on — and housebound consumers wait anxiously for their packages — the company finds itself facing intensifying scrutiny of workplace conditions at its busy warehouses. (Rocheleau, 5/17)

Boston Globe: Boston Resiliency Fund Is An Under-The-Radar Success Story 
Is the Boston Resiliency Fund the success story almost no one is talking about?It’s the relief fund begun in the early days of the city’s lockdown that is funding everything from meals for the needy to laptops for Boston schoolchildren. It has managed to distribute over $17 million with virtually no drama or controversy, which might be an equally notable accomplishment. (Walker, 5/17)

WBUR: 10% Of Those Tested In Boston Sample Have Coronavirus Antibodies
There’s a clearer picture of how widely the coronavirus has spread through the city of Boston. Test results released Friday from 750 city employees and residents show 1 in 10 have developed antibodies, meaning they were infected with the virus. And 1 in 40 had the virus even though they had not experienced symptoms. (Bebinger, 5/15)

Boston Globe: Tufts Medical Student Creates Care Kits For Homeless Individuals With Coronavirus
An aspiring doctor and her mentor are creating care packages for coronavirus patients experiencing homelessness. What’s inside? A handful of hygiene products, hand sanitizer, earbuds, handwritten notes, and activity books filled with crosswords or Sudoku. (Kohli, 5/17)

WBUR: Coronavirus Testing In Boston's Homeless Community Shows Shelter Size And Density Matter 
Watkins is one of 742 adults who are homeless in Boston who have tested positive for the coronavirus. That's nearly one-third of the 2,317 people tested since March 12. On Friday, city officials released comprehensive results from those tests. They include data from the universal testing performed at the city's adult emergency homeless shelters starting at the beginning of April. And the results reveal important trends. The vast majority of those who tested positive, like Watkins, had no symptoms or just mild ones, according to Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), which conducted the testing. (Joliocoeur, 5/15)

Boston Globe: As Calls For Release Continue, Extent Of Coronavirus Outbreaks Behind Bars Remains Unclear 
As the number of coronavirus cases grew outside jail and prison walls in Massachusetts, advocates started sounding the alarm: People in custody were too close together. Neither the incarcerated nor correctional officers were properly protected. This, they said, was a public health emergency waiting to happen. (Tziperman Lotan and Coleman, 5/15)

Boston Globe: Hundreds Of Mass. Workers Say Companies Failed To Protect Them From COVID-19
As they risk their own well-being to care for infected patients or rush to keep store shelves stocked, workers across Massachusetts have filed hundreds of complaints with the federal government in recent weeks, alleging their employers failed to keep them protected from the coronavirus. Yet worker advocates, as well as former leaders of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, say the federal agency is falling short of its duty to hold employers accountable. (Rocheleau, 5/17)

PBS NewsHour: Putting A Face In Front Of Chicago’s Shuttered Businesses 
Like so many neighborhoods in America, Chicago's West Town has been largely shut down due to the coronavirus. But photographer Candice Cusic hopes she can put a face in front of the closed doors and dark windows of her neighborhood. (Booker, 5/17)