An anonymous reader quotes CNN: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued an emergency use authorization for the first at-home Covid-19 test that uses saliva samples, the agency said in a news release. Rutgers University's RUCDR Infinite Biologics lab received an amended emergency authorization late Thursday. With the test, people can collect their own saliva at home and send their saliva samples to a lab for results... "Authorizing additional diagnostic tests with the option of at-home sample collection will continue to increase patient access to testing for COVID-19. This provides an additional option for the easy, safe and convenient collection of samples required for testing without traveling to a doctor's office, hospital or testing site," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn said in the FDA's press release on Friday... The test remains prescription only.

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: GPS is facing a major interference threat from a 5G network approved by the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. military officials told Congress in a hearing on Wednesday. In testimony to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy disputed the FCC's claims that conditions imposed on the Ligado network will protect GPS from interference. When the FCC approved Ligado's plan last month, the agency required a 23MHz guard band to provide a buffer between the Ligado cellular network and GPS. Deasy argued that this guard band won't prevent interference with GPS signals. Results from tests by federal agencies show that "conditions in this FCC order will not prevent impacts to millions of GPS receivers across the United States, with massive complaints expected to come," Deasy said. The FCC unanimously approved Ligado's application, but the decision is facing congressional scrutiny. "I do not think it is a good idea to place at risk the GPS signals that enable our national and economic security for the benefit of one company and its investors," Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said at the hearing, according to CNBC. "This is about much more than risking our military readiness and capabilities. Interfering with GPS will hurt the entire American economy." A spokesperson for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called the military's concerns "baseless fear-mongering" in a statement quoted by Multichannel News. "The FCC made a unanimous, bipartisan decision based on sound engineering principles," the spokesperson said. The FCC said "the metric used by the Department of Defense to measure harmful interference does not, in fact, measure harmful interference," and that "testing on which they are relying took place at dramatically higher power levels than the FCC approved." "Ligado said Wednesday in a statement that it has gone to great lengths to prevent interference and will provide 'a 24/7 monitoring capability, a hotline, a stop buzzer or kill switch' and will 'repair or replace at Ligado's cost any government device shown to be susceptible to harmful interference,'" CNBC reported. The FCC also said it imposed a power limit of 9.8dBW on Ligado's downlink operations -- "a greater than 99 percent reduction from what Ligado proposed in its 2015 application," Pai said.

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A new hydroxychloroquine study -- "the largest to date" -- was published Thursday in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. It concluded that Covid-19 patients taking the drug "do not fare better than those not receiving the drug," reports Time: Dr. Neil Schluger, chief of the division of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine at Columbia, and his team studied more than 1,300 patients admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Irving Medical Center for COVID-19. Some received hydroxychloroquine on an off-label basis, a practice that allows doctors to prescribe a drug that has been approved for one disease to treat another — in this case, COVID-19. About 60% of the patients received hydroxychloroquine for about five days. They did not show any lower rate of needing ventilators or a lower risk of dying during the study period compared to people not getting the drug. "We don't think at this point, given the totality of evidence, that it is reasonable to routinely give this drug to patients," says Schluger. "We don't see the rationale for doing that." While the study did not randomly assign people to receive the drug or placebo and compare their outcomes, the large number of patients involved suggests the findings are solid. Based on the results, Schluger says doctors at his hospital have already changed their advice about using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. "Our guidance early on had suggested giving hydroxychloroquine to hospitalized patients, and we updated that guidance to remove that suggestion," he says. In another study conducted at U.S. veterans hospitals where severely ill patients were given hydroxychloroquine, "the drug was found to be of no use against the disease and potentially harmful when given in high doses," reports the Chicago Tribune. They also report that to firmly establish whether the drug has any effect, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is now funding a randomized, controlled trial at six medical institutions of hundreds of people who've tested positive for Covid-19.

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Dallas Mavericks owner and IU alum is taken aback to learn the NBA is stopping play in the wake of a player's coronavirus test

Here's what the Big Ten, NCAA and NBA are doing for fans who bought tickets to upcoming games they now cannot attend.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league would be on hiatus at least 30 days and it's possible the league will not play again this season

Donnie Strack, now in the Thunder front office, checked out Utah's Rudy Gobert on the night of the league's first COVID-19-related cancellation.

"When we do start back, everybody will be off the same amount of time," McMillan says.

Friday, the Dunking Dutchman took over the Indiana Pacers' Twitter to do a question and answer session with Pacer fans.

Donnie Walsh has been plopped in the middle of America's most famous infectious disease doctor's basketball claim to fame.

Mike Conley is Tamika Catchings' first-round opponent in the NBA's HORSE event on ESPN; competitors will remain separated

Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers discusses coronavirus and how his performance changed after the All-Star break

Pacers President Kevin Pritchard discusses the health of his team and how they're staying prepared for the season to resume.

Oladipo: 'I can look at it like I was just getting my rhythm back or as an opportunity to rest and ... continue building strength in my tendon.'

The Indiana Pacers would have started the 2020 NBA playoffs this weekend, but these memories will have to do for now.

Source: The Pacers will listen to the government and follow its lead before bringing players back

The Adidas move was expected; each side alleges the other is at fault

After two quick 3-pointers, "I get the rebound, get fouled and that's where the last two points come for the 8 points in 9 seconds," says Miller.

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Indiana Pacers TV announcers Chris Denari and Quinn Buckner are among those up for honors

Pacers coach Nate McMillan is hoping to be in the final days of a stay-at-home order, and he's letting players know they need to be ready to return.

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Mike Storen, the Pacers' first general manager, former ABA commissioner and the father of ESPN broadcaster Hannah Storm, died Thursday. He was 84.

Italian beef and Chicago-style hot dogs are now being sold near Ronald Reagan Parkway and U.S. 36.

This mashed potatoes recipe and tips will ensure that you don't screw it up. Oh, and there's gravy too.

IndyStar's Liz Biro demonstrates how to turn a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie into a straw to drink milk, beer or bourbon.

Wagyu steak, baby lamb chops, dumplings, pie and more were served with fine wine at the IndyStar Wine & Food Experience at Clay Terrace in Carmel.

The iconic restaurant still conjures up fond memories of the food and the cruising.

Take a look at a new Downtown Indianapolis restaurant with Japanese-style crepes, T-Swirl Crepe.

Take a look at a variety of crepes being created at T-Swirl Crepe, a new place to eat in Downtown Indianapolis.

Whether it's out of necessity, to pass time or to calm nerves, bread baking is a hot topic during coronavirus pandemic

The Netflix series "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker" was produced in Ontario, Canada. But it references Indianapolis locations.

Empty seats. Silent screens. How Franklin's Artcraft Theater is weathering the pandemic.

IndyStar walks through the closed gardens at Newfields, Friday, April 24, 2020.

Restaurant owners are discussing what could change after coronavirus restrictions lift in Indiana. Here are some changes that could be on the way.

After ending print publication in 2019 and moving to online nonprofit model, Nuvo will cease operations.

Join the Des Moines Storytellers Project LIVE in your home as five Americans share personal stories about belonging.

New guidelines announced by Gov. Eric Holcomb include timeline for resuming social gatherings and entertainment events, including bars and nightclubs.

Discover new restaurants, the best drinks and local food at Liz Biro's new Indylicious Facebook group.

As The Children's Museum, Newfields and others wait for the OK to reopen, they are strategizing how to keep visitors safe from the coronavirus spread.

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Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett will make a special appearance at the Indiana stop of the Vans Warped Tour.

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Boilermakers and Hoosiers try to break into the upper echelon of Big Ten football recruiting

George Faerber still holds 17 records from his high school career, including a game with 52 points and 32 rebounds.

Despite a loss, Purdue sees positives from Big Ten tourney matchup with Maryland

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