ON INLANDER.COM
CULTURE: Spokane Symphony has launched a Musicians' Relief Fund to help local classical artists survive the pandemic.
MUSIC: Here's some new local music releases you can listen to right now.
COVID-19
U.S. death toll
Almost 45,000 people nationwide have died from COVID-19. (New York Times)
Meat danger
A meatpacking plant in Walla Walla County is closing temporarily to test its workers for COVID-19 following a wide-spread outbreak and one death. (Seattle Times)
False hope
U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently argued that sunlight can kill the coronavirus. But Dr. Deborah Brix, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, contradicted him at a press conference on Thursday. (New York Times)
Stamp of disapproval
The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on Friday against using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine to treat COVID-19, citing potential adverse health consequences. The move undercuts President Trump, who has long pushed the anti-malaria drug as a potential coronavirus treatment. (New York Times)
Spokane's epicenter
After the Inlander reported about the COVID response inside Spokane Veterans Home, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that residents with COVID-19 would be moved to the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center.
Continued lock-up
In a 5-4 decision, the Washington state Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit on Thursday that sought to force Gov. Jay Inslee to release thousands of inmates from state prisons to protect them from COVID-19. (Seattle Times)
IN OTHER NEWS...
Lockdown attitudes
A vast majority of Washingtonians are more concerned about public health than the economy, according to a new poll. (Crosscut)
Bad marks
Trump's poll numbers are dropping in key battleground states six months before the election, prompting a Republican scramble to counter public opinion. (Politico)
