Archives for February 2021

DETROIT (AP) — The Roman Catholic archbishop of Detroit employed a more COVID-safe method of ash distribution during a special Ash Wednesday service downtown.

He sprinkled, rather than marked.

Priests typically mark a cross of ashes on parishioners’ foreheads using their thumbs as part of the holy day. But the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments asked dioceses around the world to employ an alternative ash-distribution formula to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Ashes this year can be distributed in two ways: By sprinkling them on top of parishioners’ foreheads or by using a cotton swab to make a cross. The alternative methods are recommended but not mandatory.

“I’m intrigued at how fascinated the media and the world are about our little ritual of ashes,” Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron said during Wednesday’s Mass at St. Aloysius Parish. “Of course, this year … we’ll do it a little differently.”

Following his homily, Vigneron distributed ashes, a symbol of penance, that were made from palm leaves used in last year’s Palm Sunday liturgy. The sprinkling method follows an ancient tradition still common in parts of the world.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a liturgical season of prayer and repentance in preparation for Easter, when Christians commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“Last year was sort of the last big celebration that we had before the pandemic. And so, thinking now, a year later, it’s a beautiful milestone that we have after the lockdown to be able to come together again,” said the Rev. Mario Amore, pastor of St. Aloysius.

Beth Allison, 33, was among those who received the ashes.

“It’ll be interesting when I go home,” she said, patting the top of her head and smiling. “I’ll probably have to brush off a little bit.

“But I still feel the same as other Ash Wednesdays.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials were convinced last month that the U.S. economy and job growth had slowed as coronavirus cases surged across the country, noting that the outlook is heavily dependent on the course of the virus.

The minutes of the Fed’s January discussions show officials believed that the ongoing public health crisis is still posing “considerable risks” to the economy.

The minutes, released Wednesday, reflect widespread Fed support for the central bank’s policy of emphasizing ultra-low interest rates to boost the economy and help millions of Americans regain lost jobs.

“Members agreed that the Federal Reserve was committed to using its full range of tools to support the U.S. economy in this challenging time,” according to the minutes, which covered the Fed’s discussions at its Jan. 26-27 meeting.

The minutes note some improvement in the economy’s medium-term outlook as distribution of vaccines ramped up and Congress passed a $900 billion relief measure that provided more direct payments to individuals and expanded unemployment benefits.

At its January meeting, the Fed kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low of zero to 0.25% and pledged to keep pursuing its low-interest rate policies until an economic recovery is well underway.

The Fed does not meet again until March 16-17. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, however, will appear before Congress next week to deliver the central bank’s semi-annual monetary report to the Congress, an appearance financial markets will be following closely for any clues of the Fed’s future moves on interest rates.

The Fed has signaled that it does not plan to begin raising interest rates until after 2023. In addition to low rates, the Fed is buying $80 billion in Treasury securities and $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities each month and analysts expect those purchases to continue for some time to come.

Analysts said the minutes indicate no change from the Fed’s emphasis on keeping rates low until the economy has recovered.

Paul Ashworth, chief economist at Capital Economics, said he believes the Fed will not start to reduce its monthly bond purchases until next year and that the first Fed rate hike will not come until 2024.

Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist for Allianz Investment Management, said that the main takeaway from the minutes is that “accommodative monetary policy will remain in place for the foreseeable future.”

The minutes show that Fed staff updated Fed officials on their assessment of the stability of the U.S. financial system. The staff noted that some financial-market assets had elevated valuations.

“The staff assessed vulnerabilities associated with household and business borrowing as notable, reflecting increased leverage and decreased incomes and revenues in 2020,” the minutes said.

But the staff presentation said that banks have continued to maintain significant levels of high-quality assets and stable sources of funding should loan losses begin to mount.

In remarks last week to the Economic Club of New York, Powell emphasized the Fed’s commitment to reduce unemployment to multi-decade lows.

Powell said while the early recovery last year, helped by nearly $4 trillion in government support, had been surprising, the country was “still very far from a strong labor market whose benefits are broadly shared.”

The government on Wednesday reported the biggest monthly gain in wholesale prices in more than a decade. That news followed a report last week that consumer prices rose in January at their fastest pace in four months.

Powell has cautioned that inflation, which has been a no-show for the past decade, could accelerate for a time in coming months as the country opens up. But he and many private economists believe this will be only a temporary rise and not a sign that inflation is getting out of control.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agents have seized more than 10 million fake 3M brand N95 masks in recent weeks, the result of an ongoing investigation into counterfeits sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies.

The most recent seizures occurred Wednesday when Homeland Security agents intercepted hundreds of thousands of counterfeit 3M masks in an East Coast warehouse that were set to be distributed, officials said.

Investigators also notified about 6,000 potential victims in at least 12 states including hospitals, medical facilities and others who may have unknowingly purchased knockoffs, urging them to stop using the medical-grade masks. Officials encouraged medical workers and companies to go to 3Ms website for tips on how to spot fakes.

“Not only do they give a false sense of security, how dangerous is the exposed individual without any protective gear? They have no utility whatsoever,” Homeland Security Secretary Ali Mayorkas said of the fake masks.

The masks do not come through 3M’s regular distributors, they come from outside the normal supply chain, officials said. But hospitals and medical groups have increasingly gone around normal purchasing routines during mask shortages in the global pandemic, officials said. They said the scams are taking advantage of the panic over masks.

Homeland Security officials would not say which states the phony masks were sent to, but said criminal charges would be forthcoming.

The phony masks are not tested to see whether they meet strict N95 standards and could put frontline medical workers at risk if they are used while treating patients with COVID-19.

Nearly a year into the pandemic, fraud remains a major problem as scammers seek to exploit hospitals and desperate Americans. Federal investigators say they have seen an increase in phony websites purporting to sell vaccines as well as fake medicine produced overseas and scams involving personal protective equipment. The schemes deliver phony products, unlike earlier in the pandemic when fraudsters focused more on fleecing customers.

3M, based in Maplewood, Minnesota, is among the largest global producers of the N95 mask, which has been approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It is considered the gold standard in protection against the coronavirus. The company delivered some 2 billion N95 masks in 2020 as the pandemic intensified, but in the earlier months, when masks were in short supply, fraudsters took advantage.

So far during the pandemic Homeland Security Investigations has used its 7,000 agents, along with border officials, the Food and Drug Administration and the FBI, to investigate the scams, seizing $33 million in phony products and arresting more than 200 people. The effort is based at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a government watchdog aimed at enforcing international trade laws and combating intellectual property theft.

Over the past two weeks, federal agents have executed search warrants and seized masks in five different states, and more action is expected. But phony masks have already made it to front-line workers in other cases.

3M has been dealing with increasing instances of fraud. Over the past year there has been more than 1,250 raids by law enforcement resulting in the seizure of millions of fake masks. The company has filed more than a dozen lawsuits over reports of fraud, counterfeiting and price gouging.

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Crystal Dunn is not afraid to use her voice anymore.

The 28-year-old defender has grown more confident in her abilities and her status on the U.S. women’s national team. She’s also become empowered in her activism as a Black woman.

So much so that she has even proclaimed herself the “New Crystal Dunn.”

“I think over the years I’ve realized I believed in myself more. I felt like I was a consistent and valuable player on this team. And I think with that confidence, it made me feel like I do have that responsibility to carry others and not just look at myself as, ‘Hey, I’m just here to survive.’ But I’m really here to thrive and I’m really here to represent Black women in this sport,” she said. “And I’m also here to shine light on the idea that even though this space was not necessarily always created for us, we can survive here and we can also be elite.”

Dunn is currently in Florida preparing for the SheBelieves Cup, which starts Thursday. Canada, Brazil and Argentina are joining the United States in the round-robin tournament.

Dunn has made 107 appearances with the national team with 24 goals and 18 assists. She started all the team’s games at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France as the Americans claimed another title.

Last season, while national team play was paused because of the coronavirus pandemic, Dunn played in the National Women’s Soccer League’s Challenge Cup tournament, and, like many athletes, spoke out about racial injustice following the death of George Floyd.

She speaks freely now about being a role model in a sport that isn’t necessarily known for its diversity.

“I’ve always carried myself in a way where I knew that I was playing for more than just myself. With that being said, I think every athlete knows that we are blessed with a platform that goes beyond just being the athlete,” she said. “But I do think you have to look at where you are in your career to also gain confidence in order to speak out more. And on this team, I wasn’t always secure in my role. I wasn’t always confident.”

The versatile Dunn has played at left back for the national team even though it’s not her preferred position. Part of her transformation includes advocating for herself on the field both for club and country.

The No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft out of the University of North Carolina, Dunn is embarking on her seventh NWSL season. Tar Heels coach Anson Dorrance recalled speaking to then-Washington Spirit coach Mark Parsons, who had that first pick.

“I said, ‘Mark, you will never regret it,’ I said, ‘But please don’t make the mistake all these coaches make with Crystal, and that’s to play her as an outside back. Please don’t make that mistake,’” Dorrance said. “She’s impossible to stop off the dribble. She’s a goal scorer, her decision-making in the attacking third is absolutely extraordinary. She’s not just skillful as hell and athletic as hell, but she’s smart as hell.”

Parsons is now coach of the Portland Thorns, where Dunn landed in the offseason. He said she could play three or four positions, but he feels she will fit best in the attacking third.

“She’s an incredible personality and leader. Her leadership is that her standards are really, really high, and she never drops them,” Parsons said. “It’s all in. It’s 100%. It’s high energy. It’s in your face. It’s, ‘Let’s attack the day, attack the session, attack the game, attack everyone.’ Let’s go, and nothing less.”

Dunn has been vocal about wanting to move up the field, and national team coach Vlatko Andonovski indulged her last month by subbing her in for Megan Rapinoe during a match against Colombia.

“I literally feel comfortable putting Crystal in any position on the field,” Andonovski said. “She’s going to meet the standard set. So, when she went in as a forward, I knew that she was going to perform. She never missed a beat.”

Dunn said she will play whatever position helps her team. But she also is representative of a growing trend in soccer of players who can excel at any position. Julie Ertz is similarly versatile.

“I think it’s also important people realize what I deal with on a daily basis is very much different than most players. I transform to a different player basically when I am in this (national team) environment, because I know my role is different,” she said. “And then when I go to my club, I’m almost feeling like more myself: Playing freely, getting involved in the attack and just expressing myself in the way that I’ve always thought was the way I should be expressing myself.”

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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SEATTLE (AP) — An affluent Seattle-area community has approved an ordinance prohibiting camping on public property, a measure the city says will connect homeless people to shelters but that might prove hard to enforce because of a federal court ruling.

The Mercer Island City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to prevent people from staying outside or in their cars overnight, The Seattle Times reported. Violations will be a misdemeanor offense, subject to fines of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.

Mercer Island is an island community directly east of Seattle with a population of about 25,000. It’s popular with well-off professionals because it’s connected to the Pacific Northwest’s largest city by Interstate 90 and provides easy access to downtown Seattle. The late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen had an estate there.

There are no homeless shelters on Mercer Island, so officers will direct people to facilities elsewhere. The ordinance comes amid a coronavirus pandemic that’s led to job losses and less shelter space because of social distancing requirements, compounding the Seattle area’s problems with rising housing prices and inequality.

But if there’s no shelter space available, Mercer Island says it can’t enforce the ordinance because of a federal ruling. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September 2018 that an anti-camping ordinance by Boise, Idaho, was unconstitutional because sometimes homeless residents have no other available options.

Local shelter officials say there already isn’t enough room. Shelters have lost hundreds of beds because of COVID-19 space adjustments, according to Alison Eisinger, executive director of the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, who spoke at the meeting.

Some have argued that the ordinance would prevent people from receiving the help they need.

The Mercer Island Police Department has said officers encounter about a dozen people each night staying in their vehicles or camping in parks and other public spaces. There is no record of previous arrests for unlawful camping, authorities said.

“Experiencing homelessness is not a crime, and I am on the record right now saying that,” Police Chief Ed Holmes said. “We truly do try to connect people and meet them in their hour of need and get them the help they need.”

Some supporters of the ordinance said they wanted to protect the island from becoming like Seattle, where homeless encampments are common place in the city’s parks and open spaces.

“I don’t want Mercer Island to become an overflow for Seattle’s problems,” resident Tom Jacobs said.

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