TASK DEFINITION: Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.
PROBLEM: Dr. Nelson Teich, an oncologist and health care consultant, took the job April 17 faced with the task of aligning the ministry's actions with the president's view that Brazil's economy must not be destroyed by restrictions to control spread of the virus. Teich's predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, also had rejected the use of chloroquine, which also had been touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a treatment. Four government ministers who spoke after Teich's resignation defended the idea of patients being allowed to use the drug if they want to, including Economy Minister Paulo Guedes and the Cabinet chief of staff, Gen. Walter Braga Netto. Officials say almost 15,000 people have died in Brazil from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, though some experts say the figure is significantly higher due to insufficient testing. The peak of the crisis has yet to hit Latin America's largest nation, experts say. Gen. Eduardo Pazuello, who had no health experience until he became the Health Ministry's No. 2 official in April, will be the interim minister until Bolsonaro chooses a replacement. Brazilian media have said that Teich's ability to do his job had been weakened by the appointment of dozens of military personnel to jobs in the ministry. "Life is made up of choices and today I decided to leave," Teich told journalists in capital Brasilia. He did not explain why he left the job and refused to answer questions. Braga Netto, the Cabinet chief, said Teich left the job "for personal reasons." Bolsonaro did not comment. Teich's resignation came one day after Bolsonaro told business leaders in a videoconference he would ease rules for using chloroquine to treat people infected with the coronavirus. Teich has frequently called use of the drug "an uncertainty," and this week warned of its side effects. The Health Ministry previously allowed chloroquine to be used in coronavirus cases only for patients hospitalized in serious condition. At Bolsonaro's urging, the country's Army Chemical and Pharmaceutical Laboratory boosted chloroquine production in late March. Researchers last month reported no benefit in a large analysis of the drug or a related substance, hydroxychloroquine, in U.S. hospitals for veterans. Last month, scientists in Brazil stopped part of a study of chloroquine after heart rhythm problems developed in one quarter of people given the higher of two doses being tested. Governors who have recommended quarantine measures and refrained from touting the drug's unproven potential said Teich's resignation reflects Bolsonaro's failure to manage the pandemic. Rio de Janeiro Gov. Wilson Witzel, a former ally of Bolsonaro, said "no one can do serious work with interference in ministries." "That is why governors and mayors need to lead the pandemic crisis, and not you, Mr. President," Witzel said on Twitter. The governor of Ceara, one of Brazil's most hard-hit states, said Teich's exit "brings enormous insecurity and concern." "It is unacceptable that in the face of this serious health crisis, the focus of the government is still on political and ideological discussions. That is an affront to the nation," Camilo Santana said. On April 16, Bolsonaro fired Teich's predecessor, Mandetta, who had become the embodiment of challenges to the president's opposition to governors' quarantine recommendations and restrictions on businesses. Bolsonaro was eager to resume economic activity and warned failure to do so would cause Brazil to descend into "chaos". Teich took office pledging to balance health care concerns and the president's economic worries. He did not openly challenge the president's views, but did defend stay-at-home measures. Miguel Lago, executive director of Brazil's non-profit Institute for Health Policy Studies, which advises public health officials, said Teich wasn't able to build his own team, didn't have Mandetta's political strength and wasn't willing to violate the scientific recommendations. "He clearly had limitations," Lago said. "He would not challenge what has been consensus among the scientific community. He would never accept the chloroquine thing that Bolsonaro wanted him to do, to recommend publicly that chloroquine was a remedy to be used in the public health system." Hours after Teich left the job, the Health Ministry began listing figures on chloroquine distribution as part of its main charts about government initiatives against the pandemic, alongside intensive care unit beds, personal protection equipment, tests and flu vaccines. Risk consultancy Eurasia Group analyst Filipe Gruppelli Carvalho said that the Health Ministry's capacity for "an effective coordinating role looks to have dropped with Mandetta's exit," . "Ultimately, Teich's dismissal reinforces our view of increasing risks from the government's poor response to the pandemic, which could contribute to a weaker presidency and decline in support for Bolsonaro in the post-pandemic phase," he said. The newspaper Folha de S.Paulo published an editorial after Teich's exit saying Bolsonaro is trying to "put his own survival above state policies and national interest." "The resignation of another health minister in less than a month and during the most serious sanitary emergency of contemporary history exposes the downfall of a president that doesnt't even pretend to govern the country," the newspaper said. "As if the economic and sanitary calamities were not enough, he turned himself into a crisis to be faced." After Teich's resignation was announced, pot-banging protests were heard in different regions of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. _____ Associated Press writers David Biller and Diane Jeantet in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

SOLUTION: Brazil's health minister resigns after one month on the job.

PROBLEM: Coaches around the league are taking preventive measures to help deal with the grind and stresses of a long NBA season. That hasn't always been the case. Now, the NBA Coaches Association provides guidance to its members on everything from diet and exercise to sleep and mental health. "Well, we're trying. We all are trying, we all are conscious of it," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't think we're very good at it, honestly. I know I've tried. It's still very hard to accomplish. The game consumes us. It consumes me at least, and it should, if you love it. And it's just hard to turn off. It's important. We have to do it. We should have been doing it." After a late arrival in Bay Area last month, it was after 10 p.m. when Rivers had the team tissue therapist work on his body, including knees and ankle "and my brain." He has consulted a sleep doctor, too. In Los Angeles, Walton is being proactive by encouraging every staff member to stay physically, mentally and emotionally healthy. The advice is to recharge when necessary, in whatever way is best. "It's a priority," Lakers assistant Mark Madsen said. "It's important because think about all the late nights. We'll get into cities at 4 in the morning sometimes. You have to stay on top of it." As a youngster, J.B. Bickerstaff knew there were a couple of hours in the afternoon on game days his father needed for himself. Bernie Bickerstaff took a power nap that allowed him to be fresh for a long night on the NBA bench. J.B. Bickerstaff now does it the same exact way as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. The coaches' association is providing support and guidance like never before, and many coaches are making a point to openly discuss wellness strategies and share ideas. There's also a close-knit support system within this crop of NBA coaches that Dallas' Rick Carlisle, the coaches' association president, considers special. "We also have a unique group of head coaches right now, guys that are extremely competitive but have great respect for one another and provide a high level of support for each other," Carlisle said. "Guys who are going through tough times with health and even things like losing streaks. We've got a very high character group." For example, Clifford so appreciated a call he got last season from Kerr, each having gone through his own challenging health ordeal that kept him from the bench for an extensive stretch. Clifford, then coaching the Charlotte Hornets, missed more than five weeks dealing with agonizing headaches that after a battery of tests were deemed to be caused by sleep deprivation. Kerr has endured some of the most high-profile absences. He missed the initial 43 games of the 2015-16 season including a record 24-0 start dealing with painful and confounding symptoms following a pair of back surgeries. Kerr was sidelined again for 11 games during the Warriors' 16-1 postseason in 2017 before returning to the bench for Game 2 of the NBA Finals the Warriors wound up winning in five games against LeBron James and Cleveland. Kerr had undergone a procedure to repair a spinal fluid leak on May 5, 2017, at Duke University but was not well enough to return until June 4. He made it through last year's repeat run to a title. "My advice to coaches who are coming into the league: Don't get back surgery," Kerr quipped. "That's my main advice. Sorry, bad joke. Luke Walton, when he took the Laker job, we talked a lot about that. He told me his whole staff is really on a conditioning program and a health-wellness program. I think it's really smart, something that every staff should try to do is just make sure you've got people looking after you and looking after each other." Kerr practices regular yoga and can often be seen on the elliptical machine after practice in a corner of the gym, getting loose on a foam roller or stretching with the assistance of an athletic trainer. Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts appreciates the points of emphasis and information provided by the coaches' association "whether it's diet or things to alleviate stress." He watches what he eats and works in exercise whenever he can, saying those two things are "the remedy for everybody." "A lot of it is just common sense that everybody has to deal with to take care of yourself," Stotts said. "It's not just coaches, obviously, it's everybody, a lot of middle-aged men need to be doing the same, and some like me, beyond-middle-aged men. The fact that our lifestyle, if you give in to it, it can be a detriment, and everybody needs to be aware of it." Clifford is in Orlando now, and he understands better than ever the importance of taking care of himself and monitoring his own health in a business where keeping your job depends largely on winning. He took significant steps to improve his sleep patterns and overall health, this after a previous heart scare as well. The 57-year-old Clifford deeply appreciated Kerr's call. "It was great," Clifford said. "He was one of the guys who reached out and obviously we had the health issue in common. It was a terrific gesture." Last season, former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue dealt with anxiety and needed a mental and physical break. "Wellness isn't just physical. It's mental as well," Portland guard Damian Lillard said. "I think the position we're in as professional athletes and with coaches in the social media age, it's a little more difficult. That takes it to a much higher level from physical and mental ... when you've got people talking about you all the time, on Twitter bashing you. People just have so much more access to you. It becomes a more stressful job, much more pressure on your job and so many more eyes." Coaches are also realizing they can't always do it alone, relying on experts to stay healthy. Golden State hired Rick Celebrini this past offseason as director of sports medicine and performance. "If you can find some help, somebody to give you a little guidance," Kerr said, "like we have here with Rick and Drew Yoder, I think it's a big help." The coaches' association sends a regular newsletter with guidance from nutrition consultant Stacy Goldberg, who also is always available for 1-on-1 conversations. She attends coach association meetings, too, offering healthy food and snack choices. "Often, coaches are so focused on taking care of the players that they are not always focused on taking care of themselves," said Goldberg, founder and CEO of Savorfull. "This is especially true when it comes to their nutrition." Added Carlisle: "We view this as important as anything else we do with the NBA coaches association." ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SOLUTION: NBA coaches' new play: tending to health to cope with grind.

PROBLEM: The nation saw one of the worst flu outbreaks in nearly a decade during the 2017-2018 season, with more than 900,000 cases of hospitalizations and over 80,000 deaths, the CDC estimates here Between Oct. 1, 2018 and Jan. 5, 2019, about 6 million to 7 million people were reported to have contracted the flu, according to data collected by the health agency. Health regulators have been trying to combat flu outbreaks in the United States and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first new flu medication in nearly two decades last year. The CDC last month signaled the start of the flu season (click here), saying that 24 states and Guam were reporting widespread cases, with the H1N1 virus being the predominant strain. The dominant flu strain during the last season, H3N2, has been linked with severe disease and death, particularly among children and the elderly. The agency continues to recommend vaccination as the best way to reduce the risk of flu and advised people who are at high risk category to approach hospital for treatment with a flu antiviral drug.

SOLUTION:
Up to 84,000 Americans hospitalized with flu in past three months: CDC.