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THE NEWS:

We’ve all had to adapt and change the way we move through life to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and protect one another. This includes one of the most fundamental aspects of life: birth. 

To understand what this moment is like for expecting parents and the people who help them deliver, City Paper’s Kayla Randall spoke with a pregnant woman, a doula, two OB-GYNs, and two certified professional midwives. 

“Hospital labor and delivery units must operate, and babies still need milk and diapers,” writes Randallfor this week’s cover story. “Living during a pandemic presents specific challenges, some foreseen and some unforeseen, to pregnancy, childbirth, and new parenthood.”

D.C. hospitals are preparing for a surge in hospitalizations as more people become infected with COVID-19. But all the hospitals have a plan for working with expecting parents, said Mayor Muriel Bowser during an April 10 press conference.—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

CITY DESK LINKS, by Amanda Michelle Gomez:

  • At Thursday’s mayoral press conference, DC Board of Elections Chair Michael Bennett encouraged everyone to vote by mail. But at least two voting centers will be open in each ward between May 22 and the June 2 primary. Some important dates to remember: 

    • May 12: Deadline for voter registration. After that, residents can go to a voting center to register or make changes to registration. 

    • May 26: Deadline for mail-in ballot request. Residents could start seeing absentee ballots by May 5. Every ballot postmarked by June 2 will be counted. Make sure to sign the ballot. [Twitter, DCBOE]  

    • A thread on dates for the June 16 Ward 2 special election. [Twitter]

  • As of April 15, 81 residents have died due to COVID-19. With 153 new cases, 2,350 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Approximately 12,150 residents have been tested in total. [EOM]   

  • Tenants ask landlords to cancel rent as they await further help from the D.C. Council. But will lawmakers cancel rent or just delay it? [WCP]

  • Layoffs at the Trump hotel. [BizJournal]

  • ICYMI: Bowser extends state of emergency until at least May 15. [DCist]

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todddid not respond to GGW’s questions about housing, transportation, and zoning. [GGW]

  • Court appointed experts describe squalid conditions inside the DC Jail and no effort to enforce public health recommendations. [Post]

  • D.C. correctional officers’ union filed a lawsuit against the DC Jail. [Scribd, Twitter]

  • 5.2 million people filed for unemployment in the U.S. last week, for a total of about 22 million in the past month. Nearly 65,000 D.C. workers have filed for benefits. [AP, dc.gov]

YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • D.C. chefs on how to upgrade instant ramen. [Washingtonian]

  • How to make cocktails out of ingredients you have lying around the house. [Post]

  • Large restaurant groups are getting government aid while smaller restaurants are wondering if they’ll ever cash in on the Paycheck Protection Program. [Politico]

ARTS LINKS, by Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • With bookstores shut down, local writers must find new ways to launch their books and connect with readers. [WCP] 

  • Liz At Large: “Forward” [WCP]

  • It’s hard out here for a refund. [DCist]

  • The Kennedy Center is now streaming concerts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 p.m. [Washingtonian]

SPORTS LINKS, by Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Being collegiate athletes helped prepare three health care workers with local ties for their latest challenge: taking care of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. [WCP]

  • Mystics coach Mike Thibault calls trading for former MVP Tina Charles a “no brainer.” [WCP]

  • Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky are going head-to-head in a virtual contest on NHL 20 next Wednesday, April 22, to help raise money for coronavirus relief efforts. [Post]  

CITY LIGHTS, by Emma Sarappo (Love this section? Get the full newsletter here. Tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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