buzzfeednews--2020-04-12--Nearly 3,000 Health Care System Employees In The Detroit Area Have Confirmed Or Suspected Coronaviru

Nearly 3,000 Health Care System Employees In The Detroit Area Have Confirmed Or Suspected Coronavirus Infections

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The infections underline the personal risk that frontline health care workers now take each time they report to work ; many don ’ t have enough equipment to protect themselves from a contagious virus that isn ’ t yet fully understood .
The numbers also underscore Detroit ’ s status as a hot spot for the outbreak in the US .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick from this .
I know that nurses have passed away from it — so for us , every time we hear a name , it ’ s really concerning to us , ” Homick said .
“ We ’ re worried about our staff.
” Steve Homick , an emergency room nurse at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak , Michigan , said his hospital has also replaced sick nurses with those from other units to address staff shortages and offered healthy employees incentive pay to take extra shifts .
Though more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Detroit area — which includes Wayne , Macomb , Oakland , and Washtenaw counties — the loss of thousands of employees at a time when the system is already strained has contributed to widespread staff shortages and increased fears about the pandemic among frontline medical staff .
A recent BuzzFeed News investigation found that at least 5,400 health care workers in the US have been infected based on available data collected at the state level — but as the Detroit figures show , the true number is likely much higher due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials , for example , have said they are not specifically collecting this information .
The number of health care workers in the region who have contracted the virus is likely significantly higher .
Three Detroit-area health care systems failed to provide data — and one of them operates hospitals that have been hit especially hard by the outbreak , where staffers have publicly denounced their working conditions .
At another , a surgeon has died and hundreds of nurses have called in sick .
Among the general population , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city and surrounding region .
The area represents just 1.3 % of the US population but 3.6 % of the country ’ s coronavirus infections , with black people accounting for a disproportionate number of cases and deaths .
BuzzFeed News asked the eight major health care systems in the area for data on how the virus has affected their employees , as well as a breakdown by occupation .
Among the five health care systems that responded , 2,722 employees are either confirmed or suspected to have the coronavirus — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Detroit area and more than the number of infections among health care workers in the entire state of California .
Though the number includes all employees , a large portion of them are medical staff , according to two systems .
“ There has been a shortage of nursing staff throughout the hospital , ” said a nurse who works at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and has contracted the virus .
“ Oftentimes nurses are being pulled from different units to assist on units with higher numbers of patients , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ background because she did not have authorization to speak to the media .
“ I can honestly say the nervousness is apparent in many of us .
Seeing each other getting sick just increases the anxiety that one of us might be next and bring it home to our family.
” Nearly 3,000 people employed by health care systems in southeast Michigan have either tested positive for the virus or developed symptoms of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
At least four have died .
The coronavirus outbreak has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straining the health care system there .
Now , as infections continue to surge , so too has the number of health care workers who have fallen ill. “ This pandemic brings to light the deep problems rooted in the way our health care system functions , ” said Jamie Brown , president of the Michigan Nurses Association , adding that the union has been urging lawmakers in Michigan for years to pass a bill to prevent understaffing in hospitals .
“ This current crisis shows exactly why that is so important.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ is doing everything she can ” to get medical staff more personal protective equipment , “ but a national shortage needs a national solution.
” “ It is horrifying that as nurses around our country are falling ill , the federal government refuses to use every single tool at its disposal to produce the necessary amount of PPE , ” Brown said .
Nurses in the Detroit area and across the country have had to reuse gowns and different kinds of protective masks — sometimes for up to a week — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them and patients .
Like others across the country , health care systems in the Detroit area have been working to find more protective equipment and staff to deal with the swell of COVID-19 patients .
Hospitals have received mask donations from the community and are bringing in nurses from other hospitals or outside agencies to try to fill the gaps .
Still , employees have gotten sick and , in some cases , died .
That was the case last week , when a longtime nurse working at Henry Ford Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses in the state to die after contracting the coronavirus .
A relative told the Detroit News that the nurse , who was asthmatic , thought she had been infected by a patient while she wasn ’ t wearing a face mask and couldn ’ t get tested until she developed symptoms .
The Henry Ford Health System said Thursday that since mid-March , 872 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus and those with symptoms are being prioritized for testing .
The system can also deliver staffers their results within 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call .
Beaumont Health , another large health system serving the region , announced earlier this week that 1,500 of its employees were off work with symptoms of COVID-19 — 500 of whom are nurses .
Beaumont did not indicate how many employees have received positive test results .
At veterans affairs medical centers in the Detroit area , 40 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus , the department confirmed in an email to BuzzFeed News this week .
Of them , 25 work at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System , located about 40 miles west of downtown Detroit .
Two employees , one from each location , have died , a spokesperson said .
Michigan Medicine , the University of Michigan ’ s health system , also located in Ann Arbor , announced earlier this week that 110 of its employees had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Like other health care systems , Michigan Medicine noted that employees could have contracted the virus anywhere — not just at work .
“ We have approximately 30,000 employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet affected our ability to respond to the outbreak , ” a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News by email .
In the McLaren Health Care system , which operates hospitals across the state , more than 500 employees had confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday morning , 200 of whom work in southeast Michigan , spokesperson Kevin Tompkins wrote in an email .
“ And the majority of these employees are clinical care providers , ” he said .
Ascension , a nationwide health care system , operates hospitals in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to multiple requests for information .
More than 200 nurses at one of its hospitals reportedly called in sick recently , largely due to the coronavirus , and a surgeon at an Ascension hospital just north of Detroit died last week due to complications related to COVID-19 .
The Saint Joseph Mercy Health System , which employs more than 12,000 people in southeast Michigan , refused to provide data about how many of its staffers have gotten sick as a result of the virus .
“ We respect the privacy of our colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information publicly , ” spokesperson Laura Blodgett said by email on Friday .
She added that no employees had died .
The Detroit Medical Center also refused to provide data about its employees to BuzzFeed News , saying that it is “ not providing patient numbers related to COVID-19.
” The system ’ s hospitals are short on protective equipment and have been overwhelmed by the outbreak — one , DMC Sinai-Grace , is reportedly so short-staffed that patients are dying in the hallway before nurses can get to them .
The health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she pressured management to address the shortages , and on Sunday emergency room nurses staged a sit-in to call attention to their working conditions .
The DMC ’ s Harper University Hospital in midtown Detroit has also experienced severe equipment shortages , BuzzFeed News reported last week .
A nurse who works there said this week that staff shortages haven ’ t been as extreme as Sinai-Grace but a few colleagues on her floor are off sick “ and it definitely makes staffing harder.
” She said her hospital is trying to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more than three or four patients at a time because of how critically ill they can be .
“ It ’ s hard when we are short-staffed and have to take up to five patients each , ” the nurse said , speaking on background .
The DMC did not address questions about what kind of support it offers staffers who have caught the coronavirus .
The nurse said she doesn ’ t believe the staff have been offered extra time off but that management has mentioned mental health services are available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support provided to employees who get sick varies .
The University of Michigan is giving staff who need to self-quarantine an additional 10 days of paid time off .
VA employees , like all those who work for the federal government , get paid annual and sick leave .
They can also get weather and safety leave if they have the virus but don ’ t show any symptoms and can ’ t work from home , the VA spokesperson said .
And at Beaumont , staffers have to self-quarantine for seven days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period doesn ’ t eat into their regular paid time off , a spokesperson said .
At McLaren , employees use their paid time off to cover their days in quarantine and can receive mental health services .
“ We are looking every day at what we can be doing to better support our employees , ” Tompkins wrote .
St. Joseph Mercy , which provides two weeks of paid administrative leave for those in quarantine , also provides mental health support , with counseling services and a “ Colleague Hotline ” staffed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blodgett wrote .
“ The team provides support many different ways and one in particular is to be a calming voice and help colleagues navigate through the challenging time by answering questions they may have.
” Henry Ford ’ s support for employees impressed the nurse who has contracted the virus .
She said employees receive an extra nine days of paid time off if they get sick with COVID-19 and can also call a hotline if they feel stressed or anxious .
“ Testing was very quick and I got my results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she was initially denied a test because she wasn ’ t exhibiting enough symptoms .
“ But the testing guidelines are provided by CDC and that ’ s what they were following , so I don ’ t blame them.
” The Michigan Nurses Association says that health systems in the area are generally not doing enough to support employees .
Brown , the union president , said nurses should be able to wear their own protective equipment if the hospitals don ’ t have enough , get tested if they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients if they have underlying health conditions or other vulnerabilities , and be allotted extra hours of paid time off for COVID-19 reasons in addition to paid leave for those who have to self-quarantine .
Brown added that nurses who have been recently laid off should be trained to help those working in intensive care units .
“ By raising our collective voice as nurses and frontline health care workers , we have been able to win many of these gains from hospitals , including full paid time off for nurses exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Brown said .
“ However , in most instances , this was only won after nurses came forward publicly to pressure the health care system into doing the right thing .
Hospital executives should be seeking to work collaboratively with their frontline staff instead of dismissing us.
” Testing for health care workers has varied in its speed and availability among systems .
Some nurses still can ’ t get tested , Brown said .
But among the systems surveyed , the rules for when nurses can rejoin the front lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and based on guidance from the CDC : Employees must stay home for at least seven days and be symptom-free for three before going back to work .
“ I don ’ t agree with that , ” the Henry Ford nurse said .
“ By doing that , we risk more staff getting sick .
I understand there ’ s a shortage of staff currently and it ’ s probably a way to replenish that , but it just puts everyone else at risk .
...
It ’ s not just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a brand-new disease that we barely know anything about .
”

“This pandemic brings to light the deep problems rooted in the way our health care system functions,” said Jamie Brown, president of the Michigan Nurses Association, adding that the union has been urging lawmakers in Michigan for years to pass a bill to prevent understaffing in hospitals. “This current crisis shows exactly why that is so important.”
Brown said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer “is doing everything she can” to get medical staff more personal protective equipment, “but a national shortage needs a national solution.”
“It is horrifying that as nurses around our country are falling ill, the federal government refuses to use every single tool at its disposal to produce the necessary amount of PPE,” Brown said.
Nurses in the Detroit area and across the country have had to reuse gowns and different kinds of protective masks — sometimes for up to a week — which they say increases the risk of infection for them and patients.
Like others across the country, health care systems in the Detroit area have been working to find more protective equipment and staff to deal with the swell of COVID-19 patients. Hospitals have received mask donations from the community and are bringing in nurses from other hospitals or outside agencies to try to fill the gaps.
Still, employees have gotten sick and, in some cases, died. That was the case last week, when a longtime nurse working at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit became one of the first nurses in the state to die after contracting the coronavirus. A relative told the Detroit News that the nurse, who was asthmatic, thought she had been infected by a patient while she wasn’t wearing a face mask and couldn’t get tested until she developed symptoms.
The Henry Ford Health System said Thursday that since mid-March, 872 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus and those with symptoms are being prioritized for testing. The system can also deliver staffers their results within 24 hours, senior leaders said during a press call.
Beaumont Health, another large health system serving the region, announced earlier this week that 1,500 of its employees were off work with symptoms of COVID-19 — 500 of whom are nurses. Beaumont did not indicate how many employees have received positive test results.
At veterans affairs medical centers in the Detroit area, 40 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, the department confirmed in an email to BuzzFeed News this week. Of them, 25 work at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit and 15 work for the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, located about 40 miles west of downtown Detroit. Two employees, one from each location, have died, a spokesperson said.
Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan’s health system, also located in Ann Arbor, announced earlier this week that 110 of its employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. Like other health care systems, Michigan Medicine noted that employees could have contracted the virus anywhere — not just at work.
“We have approximately 30,000 employees, so the number testing positive has not yet affected our ability to respond to the outbreak,” a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News by email.
In the McLaren Health Care system, which operates hospitals across the state, more than 500 employees had confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday morning, 200 of whom work in southeast Michigan, spokesperson Kevin Tompkins wrote in an email. “And the majority of these employees are clinical care providers,” he said.
Ascension, a nationwide health care system, operates hospitals in and around Detroit but did not respond to multiple requests for information. More than 200 nurses at one of its hospitals reportedly called in sick recently, largely due to the coronavirus, and a surgeon at an Ascension hospital just north of Detroit died last week due to complications related to COVID-19.
The Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, which employs more than 12,000 people in southeast Michigan, refused to provide data about how many of its staffers have gotten sick as a result of the virus. “We respect the privacy of our colleagues, and we do not share that information publicly,” spokesperson Laura Blodgett said by email on Friday. She added that no employees had died.
The Detroit Medical Center also refused to provide data about its employees to BuzzFeed News, saying that it is “not providing patient numbers related to COVID-19.” The system’s hospitals are short on protective equipment and have been overwhelmed by the outbreak — one, DMC Sinai-Grace, is reportedly so short-staffed that patients are dying in the hallway before nurses can get to them. The health system fired a nurse last month after she pressured management to address the shortages, and on Sunday emergency room nurses staged a sit-in to call attention to their working conditions.
The DMC’s Harper University Hospital in midtown Detroit has also experienced severe equipment shortages, BuzzFeed News reported last week. A nurse who works there said this week that staff shortages haven’t been as extreme as Sinai-Grace but a few colleagues on her floor are off sick “and it definitely makes staffing harder.”
She said her hospital is trying to make sure that nurses aren’t attending to more than three or four patients at a time because of how critically ill they can be. “It’s hard when we are short-staffed and have to take up to five patients each,” the nurse said, speaking on background.
The DMC did not address questions about what kind of support it offers staffers who have caught the coronavirus. The nurse said she doesn’t believe the staff have been offered extra time off but that management has mentioned mental health services are available.
At other health systems, the support provided to employees who get sick varies. The University of Michigan is giving staff who need to self-quarantine an additional 10 days of paid time off. VA employees, like all those who work for the federal government, get paid annual and sick leave. They can also get weather and safety leave if they have the virus but don’t show any symptoms and can’t work from home, the VA spokesperson said. And at Beaumont, staffers have to self-quarantine for seven days if they have symptoms, and that period doesn’t eat into their regular paid time off, a spokesperson said.
At McLaren, employees use their paid time off to cover their days in quarantine and can receive mental health services. “We are looking every day at what we can be doing to better support our employees,” Tompkins wrote.
St. Joseph Mercy, which provides two weeks of paid administrative leave for those in quarantine, also provides mental health support, with counseling services and a “Colleague Hotline” staffed by human resources employees and others, Blodgett wrote. “The team provides support many different ways and one in particular is to be a calming voice and help colleagues navigate through the challenging time by answering questions they may have.”
Henry Ford’s support for employees impressed the nurse who has contracted the virus. She said employees receive an extra nine days of paid time off if they get sick with COVID-19 and can also call a hotline if they feel stressed or anxious.
“Testing was very quick and I got my results fast,” she added, noting that she was initially denied a test because she wasn’t exhibiting enough symptoms. “But the testing guidelines are provided by CDC and that’s what they were following, so I don’t blame them.”
The Michigan Nurses Association says that health systems in the area are generally not doing enough to support employees. Brown, the union president, said nurses should be able to wear their own protective equipment if the hospitals don’t have enough, get tested if they need it, not have to care for COVID-19 patients if they have underlying health conditions or other vulnerabilities, and be allotted extra hours of paid time off for COVID-19 reasons in addition to paid leave for those who have to self-quarantine. Brown added that nurses who have been recently laid off should be trained to help those working in intensive care units.
“By raising our collective voice as nurses and frontline health care workers, we have been able to win many of these gains from hospitals, including full paid time off for nurses exposed to COVID-19 and protections for immunocompromised nurses,” Brown said. “However, in most instances, this was only won after nurses came forward publicly to pressure the health care system into doing the right thing. Hospital executives should be seeking to work collaboratively with their frontline staff instead of dismissing us.”
Testing for health care workers has varied in its speed and availability among systems. Some nurses still can’t get tested, Brown said.
But among the systems surveyed, the rules for when nurses can rejoin the front lines after getting sick are largely the same and based on guidance from the CDC: Employees must stay home for at least seven days and be symptom-free for three before going back to work.
“I don’t agree with that,” the Henry Ford nurse said. “By doing that, we risk more staff getting sick. I understand there’s a shortage of staff currently and it’s probably a way to replenish that, but it just puts everyone else at risk. ... It’s not just a simple cold, you know. It’s a brand-new disease that we barely know anything about.”


buzzfeednews--2020-06-17--Gig Workers In India Can’t Do Their Jobs Unless They Install A Controversial Contact Tracing App

“ Most gig workers in India who work for app-based tech platforms as delivery men in cities are semiliterate migrants from small towns around the country who do not understand the privacy concerns around contact tracing apps , ” Shaik Salauddin , national general secretary of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers ( IFAT ) , a union that represents more than 35,000 gig workers across 16 cities in the country , told BuzzFeed News .
“ The tech platforms that they work for are exploiting this by making it mandatory for them to install this app.
” Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars in venture funding — including apps for food delivery , like Zomato and Swiggy , and ride-hailing , like Ola , which are powered by thousands of gig workers across the country — have made it mandatory for workers to install the app if they want to make a living off those platforms .
Although the Indian government hasn ’ t made the app legally mandatory , the country ’ s citizens have often found that they ’ ve had no choice but to install it for things like taking flights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accessing ATMs .
Last month , Noida , a city on the outskirts of India ’ s capital , New Delhi , threatened people who didn ’ t have the app installed with jail time .
The app , called Aarogya Setu , requires constant access to GPS and Bluetooth data , and has drawn criticism from around the world for enabling state surveillance .
Thousands of gig workers employed by app-based delivery or ride-hailing services in India want those platforms to stop forcing them to install a controversial government-backed coronavirus contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they work for are exploiting this by making it mandatory for them to install this app.
” Earlier this month , the IFAT asked India ’ s largest services for food delivery and ride-hailing , including Zomato , Swiggy , Ola , and Dunzo , to allow gig workers to do their jobs without having the contact tracing app on their phones , a rule that the platforms imposed shortly after the national government launched Aarogya Setu in early April .
“ Nobody in any company has listened to us so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that although the company has “ advised ” drivers to download the app , it was not mandatory yet .
The spokesperson declined to comment on whether Uber would enforce it in the future .
“ Apps like Aarogya Setu play a key role in keeping a check on the status of the zones affected by COVID within their vicinity .
It also helps them to keep a daily check on their health status and guides them to proceed for work upon receiving a green status .
Hence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app mandatory for them , ” a Swiggy spokesperson told BuzzFeed News .
Zomato and Ola did not respond to BuzzFeed News ’ request for comment .
Dunzo declined to comment .
Millions of Indians have spent the last few months locked indoors because of a strict nationwide coronavirus lockdown .
Although orders are down compared to normal , people have been relying on thousands of gig workers for deliveries of food , groceries , medicines , and other essentials .
Gig workers were deemed “ essential ” by most states during India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the few people allowed to do their jobs during the last few months .
Platforms have used them as a part of promotions and public relations , hailing them as “ superheroes ” who are providing critical services to a nation of 1.3 billion people .
A Swiggy spokesperson called delivery people working for its platform “ Hunger Saviours continuing to deliver food to those in need ” in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
But in reality , many gig workers say they have been treated apathetically .
They have demanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like masks , gloves , and sanitizers , and they have complained about being forced to put in longer hours to make ends meet thanks to plummeting demand for food delivery from customers worried about getting infected through takeout containers .
Some companies like Swiggy say that they provide gig workers with masks “ on a regular basis ” and reimburse them for sanitizers .
Now , they say that being asked to install a contact tracing app steeped in the controversy around privacy and surveillance is the final straw .
“ Nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery apps in the country are not very literate .
They don ’ t understand English , and they don ’ t understand privacy concerns .
They care about making a living , ” Dharmendra Vaishnav , president of the Indian Delivery Lions Association , a union of more than 5,000 gig workers in the state of Rajasthan , told BuzzFeed News .
“ But there are some of us who are a little more aware of the controversies .
We read newspapers , we ’ re on social media , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app .
That ’ s enough reason to push back.
” The IFAT ’ s recent statement against Aarogya Setu is a part of an ongoing pushback from gig workers in the country against what they see as a coercive step by the platforms .
Last month , a group of 37 organizations in India including a handful of labor unions sent a letter to the prime minister ’ s office as well as to federal IT and labor ministries , urging them to consider the impact of the app on the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Later that month , India ’ s government softened its stance on mandating that private employees have the app installed and said that workplaces should simply try their best to ensure employee compliance .

Earlier this month, the IFAT asked India’s largest services for food delivery and ride-hailing, including Zomato, Swiggy, Ola, and Dunzo, to allow gig workers to do their jobs without having the contact tracing app on their phones, a rule that the platforms imposed shortly after the national government launched Aarogya Setu in early April.
“Nobody in any company has listened to us so far,” said Salauddin.
An Uber spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that although the company has “advised” drivers to download the app, it was not mandatory yet. The spokesperson declined to comment on whether Uber would enforce it in the future.
“Apps like Aarogya Setu play a key role in keeping a check on the status of the zones affected by COVID within their vicinity. It also helps them to keep a daily check on their health status and guides them to proceed for work upon receiving a green status. Hence, we have made the use of the app mandatory for them,” a Swiggy spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.
Zomato and Ola did not respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for comment. Dunzo declined to comment.
Millions of Indians have spent the last few months locked indoors because of a strict nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Although orders are down compared to normal, people have been relying on thousands of gig workers for deliveries of food, groceries, medicines, and other essentials. Gig workers were deemed “essential” by most states during India’s nationwide lockdown and were one of the few people allowed to do their jobs during the last few months. Platforms have used them as a part of promotions and public relations, hailing them as “superheroes” who are providing critical services to a nation of 1.3 billion people. A Swiggy spokesperson called delivery people working for its platform “Hunger Saviours continuing to deliver food to those in need” in a statement to BuzzFeed News.
But in reality, many gig workers say they have been treated apathetically. They have demanded that their employers provide personal protective equipment like masks, gloves, and sanitizers, and they have complained about being forced to put in longer hours to make ends meet thanks to plummeting demand for food delivery from customers worried about getting infected through takeout containers. Some companies like Swiggy say that they provide gig workers with masks “on a regular basis” and reimburse them for sanitizers.
Now, they say that being asked to install a contact tracing app steeped in the controversy around privacy and surveillance is the final straw.
“Nine out of ten workers who work for delivery apps in the country are not very literate. They don’t understand English, and they don’t understand privacy concerns. They care about making a living,” Dharmendra Vaishnav, president of the Indian Delivery Lions Association, a union of more than 5,000 gig workers in the state of Rajasthan, told BuzzFeed News. “But there are some of us who are a little more aware of the controversies. We read newspapers, we’re on social media, and we know what people are saying about this app. That’s enough reason to push back.”
The IFAT’s recent statement against Aarogya Setu is a part of an ongoing pushback from gig workers in the country against what they see as a coercive step by the platforms. Last month, a group of 37 organizations in India including a handful of labor unions sent a letter to the prime minister’s office as well as to federal IT and labor ministries, urging them to consider the impact of the app on the “privacy, autonomy and dignity of workers.” Later that month, India’s government softened its stance on mandating that private employees have the app installed and said that workplaces should simply try their best to ensure employee compliance.


buzzfeednews--2020-06-16--A Woman And 15 Of Her Friends Have The Coronavirus After One Night Out

BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
A Florida woman and 15 of her friends have reportedly tested positive with the coronavirus after a night out at a bar in Jacksonville Beach .
“ Welp , Florida opened back up & my ass should ’ ve stayed tf home this past weekend cause I just tested positive for the damn COVID , ” she wrote on Facebook last week .
“ # IKnowBetter # MyFault # WearYourMasksPeople ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local news station News4Jax that she and her friends have been “ doing everything the right way , ” being careful to socially distance and staying inside for months .
The only common denominator between the group , she said , is one night out earlier this month after bars and restaurants began reopening in the state .
“ And then the first night we go out , Murphy ’ s Law , I guess , ” she told the station .
Crisp , 40 , is a healthcare worker and said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she regrets .
“ I think we were careless and we went out into a public place when we should not have , ” she told the news station .
“ I think we had a whole 'out of sight , out of mind ' mentality .
The state opens back up and said everybody was fine , so we took advantage of that.
” The bar Crisp and her friends went to , Lynch ’ s Irish Pub , closed voluntarily last Friday for cleaning after learning one customer had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seven workers tested positive as well .
“ It literally spread like wildfire , ” the bar ’ s general manager Keith Doherty , who is also a member of the Jacksonville Beach city council , told News4Jax .
The bar reopened Tuesday morning , and Doherty said they plan to check customer and staff temperatures at the door .
Other bars in the area closed Sunday after customers tested positive .
But Crisp wrote on Facebook that she thinks it was probably an asymptomatic person unknowingly spreading the virus .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t know who went to the bar have messaged her saying they have now also tested positive .
“ It ’ s the common denominator from a bunch of strangers .
And no , we did NOT bar hop .
It was the ONLY bar my group of people went to & it was the only time I saw them , ” she wrote .
Crisp also posted that she should ’ ve been more cautious , and that she loves the bar and doesn ’ t want to damage its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be considerate of others .
We ’ re not out to hurt anyone or damage an establishment ’ s reputation .
We have no agenda or motive , ” she wrote .
“ These are crap times so be kind.
” In a statement to BuzzFeed News , Duval County Department of Health spokesperson Samantha Epstein said they are conducting `` an extensive epidemiological investigation in conjunction with the CDC to identify individuals who may have had close contact with the virus , '' as they do with all positive cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` no direct correlation between bars reopening and a rise in positive cases .
We have not seen any outbreaks at local bars , other than that specific location in Jacksonville Beach . ''
Neither Crisp nor Lynch ’ s Irish Pub responded to interview requests from BuzzFeed News .
The county department of health also did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Florida was one of the first states in the country to begin reopening , but cases have continued to rise .
On Tuesday , the state reported a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday , Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said that although much of the state is in Phase 2 of reopening , Miami is pausing the process because of concerns about the increased spread .
`` Now is not a time to let your guard down , that 's the predominant message .
If we continue on this trajectory we 're gon na be put in a situation where we 're gon na have to make tough choices , '' he said , according to the local NBC station .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we ’ re kind of sounding the alarm .
”

A Florida woman and 15 of her friends have reportedly tested positive with the coronavirus after a night out at a bar in Jacksonville Beach.
“Welp, Florida opened back up & my ass should’ve stayed tf home this past weekend cause I just tested positive for the damn COVID,” she wrote on Facebook last week. “#IKnowBetter #MyFault #WearYourMasksPeople”
The woman, Erika Crisp, told local news station News4Jax that she and her friends have been “doing everything the right way,” being careful to socially distance and staying inside for months. The only common denominator between the group, she said, is one night out earlier this month after bars and restaurants began reopening in the state.
“And then the first night we go out, Murphy’s Law, I guess,” she told the station.
Crisp, 40, is a healthcare worker and said the group was not wearing masks, something she regrets.
“I think we were careless and we went out into a public place when we should not have,” she told the news station. “I think we had a whole 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality. The state opens back up and said everybody was fine, so we took advantage of that.”
The bar Crisp and her friends went to, Lynch’s Irish Pub, closed voluntarily last Friday for cleaning after learning one customer had tested positive. They also tested their employees, and seven workers tested positive as well.
“It literally spread like wildfire,” the bar’s general manager Keith Doherty, who is also a member of the Jacksonville Beach city council, told News4Jax. The bar reopened Tuesday morning, and Doherty said they plan to check customer and staff temperatures at the door. Other bars in the area closed Sunday after customers tested positive.
But Crisp wrote on Facebook that she thinks it was probably an asymptomatic person unknowingly spreading the virus. She also said that 20 other people she didn’t know who went to the bar have messaged her saying they have now also tested positive.
“It’s the common denominator from a bunch of strangers. And no, we did NOT bar hop. It was the ONLY bar my group of people went to & it was the only time I saw them,” she wrote.
Crisp also posted that she should’ve been more cautious, and that she loves the bar and doesn’t want to damage its reputation.
“I encourage everyone to be considerate of others. We’re not out to hurt anyone or damage an establishment’s reputation. We have no agenda or motive,” she wrote. “These are crap times so be kind.”
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Duval County Department of Health spokesperson Samantha Epstein said they are conducting "an extensive epidemiological investigation in conjunction with the CDC to identify individuals who may have had close contact with the virus," as they do with all positive cases in the state.
She added that there is "no direct correlation between bars reopening and a rise in positive cases. We have not seen any outbreaks at local bars, other than that specific location in Jacksonville Beach."
Neither Crisp nor Lynch’s Irish Pub responded to interview requests from BuzzFeed News. The county department of health also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Florida was one of the first states in the country to begin reopening, but cases have continued to rise. On Tuesday, the state reported a record-high 2,783 new cases of COVID-19.
On Tuesday, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said that although much of the state is in Phase 2 of reopening, Miami is pausing the process because of concerns about the increased spread.
"Now is not a time to let your guard down, that's the predominant message. If we continue on this trajectory we're gonna be put in a situation where we're gonna have to make tough choices," he said, according to the local NBC station. “We’re not going backwards as of yet, but we’re kind of sounding the alarm.”


buzzfeednews--2020-05-01--The Hottest Facebook Group Of The Coronavirus Pandemic Is One Where Everyone Pretends To Be Ants

The coronavirus pandemic has forced millions of people around the world to stay at home , social-distancing and self-quarantining to curb the spread of the virus .
Spending our days this way has inspired a huge uptick in online engagement — users are flocking to chatrooms and videoconferencing apps , trying to find digital replacements for physical human connection .
That massive influx of social media activity has brought with it a deluge of misinformation and dangerous conspiracy theories .
But people are also pretending to be ants .
As of Friday , 1.7 million people have joined a Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all pretend to be ants in an ant colony '' — which is exactly what it sounds like .
( A quick aside : I ’ ve been following the growth of this group every week in my internet culture newsletter , Garbage Day . )
Though its membership is absolutely massive , the group is still technically private .
BuzzFeed News joined the group on Friday and was auto-approved , but unable to immediately post content .
According to an admin update from April 18 , the group was too large to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News has reached out to several of the admins and moderators of the community for comment .
We ’ ve also attempted to communicate with the colony-at-large , by commenting , “ Hi there , I 'm a reporter with BuzzFeed News .
Please do n't ban me for this !
I 'm trying to interview members of the colony for a story I 'm working on .
Feel free to message me !
LIFT.
” A member of the group replied , `` NO INTERVIEW .
ONLY WORK FOR QUEEN .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The first letters of the words ‘ The Queen ’ must always be capitalized , ” and “ This includes posts that look like drugs instead of sugar , no peeing or other gross toilet posts will be approved .
We are a group of all ages , please be considerant [ sic ] when making your posts !
” Users who break the rules are flooded with angry comments from members of the colony and are removed from the group .
The group ’ s popularity may be due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
Rule eight of the user guidelines states , “ No human politics .
We ’ re all just here to have fun , please keep human politics and human religion out of the group .
At this time , we are removing all posts and comments regarding Covid-19.
” One member of the group named Kádár Tamás , who joined it last week , when it was slightly smaller — only 1.3 million members — told BuzzFeed News that the size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Feed .
“ The number of commenters and comments are batshit insane .
I saw posts less than an hour old with almost 12,000 comments , ” he said .
“ It 's wreaking havoc on my Facebook timeline because if there is an ‘ active ’ post , people keep commenting and my timeline just scrolls by itself because Facebook is updating it in real time .
Browsing the group presents the same issue.
” The popularity of “ A group where we all pretend to be ants in an ant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start selling merch — sweaters and coffee mugs with words like “ lift , ” “ work , ” and “ bite '' written on them .
According to the online store selling the merch-ant-dise , a portion of the proceeds will benefit a leading conservation organization chosen by the group .
Despite efforts to keep the group peaceful and focused on ant tasks , there has been a bit of turmoil recently — and efforts to claim new territory .
There have been reports that members of “ A group where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ant colony '' are invading other Facebook Groups , flooding their comment sections with “ invade , ” “ bite , ” and “ recruit.
” One Facebook Group hit particularly hard by the swarm of ant role-players turned invaders is called “ The Road to El Dorado Goldposting ” — a meme community based around the 2000 animated film of the same name .
( The film has had a pretty extensive second life on platforms like Facebook and Tumblr , where fans laud its portrayal of what they believe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main characters . )
According to the creator of the El Dorado group , Louie Brennan , the ant invasion was a total surprise .
`` Almost every comment thread was filled with Ant related spam , '' he said.
`` I guess there ’ s a dedicated group about pretending to be Ants , and over there they told their members to go into other pages and continue the ant shenanigans . ''
Brennan said the ant attack started around April 19 and then largely died down after a few days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ group moved on to other Facebook communities like “ Marvel Shieldposting ” — a meme community for the Marvel Cinematic Universe .
“ They 're everywhere .
They 're inevitable , ” wrote one user in the Marvel Shieldposting group , sharing a meme from the final scene of Avengers : Endgame , where all of the Avengers are summoned through portals to fight Thanos .
All the Avengers were labeled “ ants .
”

The coronavirus pandemic has forced millions of people around the world to stay at home, social-distancing and self-quarantining to curb the spread of the virus. Spending our days this way has inspired a huge uptick in online engagement — users are flocking to chatrooms and videoconferencing apps, trying to find digital replacements for physical human connection. That massive influx of social media activity has brought with it a deluge of misinformation and dangerous conspiracy theories.
But people are also pretending to be ants.
As of Friday, 1.7 million people have joined a Facebook Group called “A group where we all pretend to be ants in an ant colony" — which is exactly what it sounds like. (A quick aside: I’ve been following the growth of this group every week in my internet culture newsletter, Garbage Day.)
Though its membership is absolutely massive, the group is still technically private. BuzzFeed News joined the group on Friday and was auto-approved, but unable to immediately post content. According to an admin update from April 18, the group was too large to allow just anyone to post freely.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-01--Everything You Need To Know About “All American,” One Of The Top Trending Shows On Netflix

“ It is a hopeful story and it felt like it just came at a time when I know I could use a lot of hope , ” showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll told BuzzFeed News .
( LOTS OF SPOILERS AHEAD ! )
In the past month , an influx of viewers have discovered the most slept-on TV series of the past two years : the CW ’ s All American , starring Taye Diggs as Billy Baker , the Beverly Hills High school football coach who recruits and mentors the talented Spencer James ( Daniel Ezra ) from Crenshaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premiered in October 2018 and returned for a second season in 2019 , yielding less-than-desirable ratings .
Airing on Monday nights at 8 p.m. , All American Season 2 averaged 1.1 million viewers and was tied for 201st place for primetime shows in the 18–49 age demographic , according to Nielsen .
But after the second season started streaming on Netflix in March — around the same time most states in the US mandated people stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus — the show skyrocketed in popularity , holding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service out of every other TV show and movie .
While Netflix doesn ’ t publicly share its data , there are reportedly more than 69 million subscribers in the US who kept All American in Netflix ’ s Top 10 most-watched series for the past month .
The show , which is based on the true story of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger , has since become the subject of millions of videos on TikTok and jokes on Twitter and Instagram .
Over the course of the first two seasons , viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worlds : his original home in Crenshaw and his new life in Beverly Hills , exploring his relationships with family members , friends , and enduring all of the struggles and triumphs that come with being a teenager .
Showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll told BuzzFeed News that the CW has been supportive of the show even with its linear ratings and noted there was a spike in people who discovered All American after the first season dropped on Netflix .
But no one on their team expected the show to explode the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Unfortunately , we ended up in a situation where a lot of people were being forced to stay at home , and the silver lining that came out of that was here was a show that we pride on being aspirational .
Yes , all the characters go through it , but at the end it is a hopeful story and it felt like it just came at a time when I know I could use a lot of hope , ” Okoro Carroll said .
“ From the messages I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that ’ s what the show was giving them during a time when everything on the outside is so uncertain , and that has just been an absolute blessing for the show , to be able to provide that kind of comfort to people is above and beyond anything that we were expecting.
” With both 16-episode seasons streaming on Netflix and the CW , All American is perfect viewing at a time when people are staying home and have time to catch up before Season 3 comes back on TV .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ All American , here are nine things viewers should know about the series , according to Okoro Carroll .
( Consider yourself warned — there are LOTS OF SPOILERS ahead . )
1 .
The show is inspired by Spencer Paysinger ’ s real life but is not 100 % identical to all of the former NFL player ’ s experiences .
Spencer Paysinger was involved in putting the pitch for All American together with executive producer Greg Berlanti and original creator April Blair , Okoro Carroll said .
Paysinger even makes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Beverly Hills assistant football coach .
And while the show isn ’ t a complete mirror image of his life , it ’ s still very much based on his experiences .
“ The essence of things that happened to Spencer Paysinger , the essence of the stories we ’ re telling , are all grounded in things that Spencer has either experienced or were part of his football career , both as a student and as a professional , ” she said .
“ He is still very much grounded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the essence of what our character experiences.
” As All American continues to evolve , the storylines don ’ t always resonate with things that Paysinger experienced himself .
For example , in real life , Paysinger ’ s father is very much alive while Spencer James ’ s father dies in the second season .
But the showrunner said the former NFL player is still inspiring plenty of material in the series , and she encourages him to stop by the writers room whenever he wants .
“ We use his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characters ’ fictional stories from there , and the further we get away from Season 1 , it is n't a one-to-one correlation about his life , ” Okoro Carroll said .
“ What ends up happening is so many of us in the writers room have our own personal experiences with subject matters that we 're dealing with that it ends up being an amalgamation of Spencer Paysinger ’ s story with a little bit of like of everyone else ’ s stories thrown in.
” “ Everyone is bringing personal experiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
“ So that the show feels like an authentic , grounded story about what it 's like to grow up as a teen of color in America.
” 2 .
All American pays homage to past teen dramas like Beverly Hills , 90210 , One Tree Hill , and Dawson ’ s Creek .
When All American started to gain more traction with viewers , a lot of people who were immersing themselves in the show were drawing comparisons to other teen dramas that felt similar to them : Friday Night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team on a quest for greatness in Dillon , Texas ; The OC , another show set in Southern California where a rich family takes in a teenage boy who has a complicated family life ; and of course Beverly Hills , 90210 , which shares the same backdrop as All American .
Okoro Carroll said the similarities people are finding aren ’ t intentional , but make sense because of the writing staff ’ s affinity for all of those shows .
“ I feel like it 's through osmosis because there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a love for those old-school teen shows , ” she said .
“ There are a lot of us on the show that grew up on the original Beverly Hills , 90210 — to this day we still argue over Kelly , Dylan , Brandon , and all of that stuff — and we have another group of us who all loved Dawson 's Creek , and so many other of those shows coming up.
” Dawson 's Creek was a major influence on Okoro Carroll , who said the show used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she became a screenwriter and was working as an economist at the Federal Reserve .
She also said some of the writers who are staffed on All American also wrote for One Tree Hill .
“ Someone once mentioned to me that the show kind of has an old-school feel to it , not in a negative way , but more in a way that TV dramas used to make us feel , ” Okoro Carroll said .
“ It 's bringing that sensation back and that makes me happy because those were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're creating that kind of nostalgia , but in a new and interesting way for our audience , then we ’ re doing our jobs.
” 3 .
All American is a show about the different coming-of-age experiences black teenagers have growing up .
The role of representation on All American is an important one , according to Okoro Carroll , who said the team didn ’ t necessarily set out to make a TV show about race .
But in order to authentically build a fictional world around Spencer Paysinger ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have to populate South LA , and when he was coming up in South LA it was predominantly African American.
” “ We also did n't want this to be a quote-unquote white savior story where Spencer moves in with a white family in Beverly Hills .
We wanted it to be more of a universal story of what Spencer went through living in two worlds , ” Okoro Carroll said .
The showrunner added that what makes All American stand apart is the fact that these two worlds on the show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The show features predominantly black characters and actors , all of whom exist in both Crenshaw and Beverly Hills .
“ It ’ s a commentary on class ; it ’ s a commentary on diversity within the black community .
We 're not a monolith , ” she said .
“ It was an opportunity to tell a story that explored two worlds without it having to look like one world is white and one world is black.
” With characters like Olivia and Jordan Baker ( Michael Evans Behling ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Asher ( Cody Christian ) who grew up in Beverly Hills and then Spencer , his longtime best friend Coop ( Bre-Z ) , Patience ( Chelsea Tavares ) , and Chris ( Spence Moore II ) who live in Crenshaw , Okoro Carroll said the writers are able to each character ’ s lens and storyline “ to tell these different views of being a black youth in America.
” “ These two worlds on our show come in various shapes , sizes , classes , everything , and for Spencer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how do you reconcile those two sides of you ?
How do you straddle both those worlds and also allow us to tell a story that is about black teens across America ?
” she said .
“ We 're doing it through Beverly Hills and South LA , but it 's representative of the fact that not all black teens are having the same experience in America.
” 4 .
The show ’ s representation onscreen and in its storytelling is reflective of its diversity behind the scenes .
In order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authentically tells a coming-of-age story about what it means to be a black teenager growing up in both Crenshaw and Beverly Hills , Okoro Carroll said it ’ s important that the writers room and everyone who works on the production reflect that same level of representation .
“ There are people who came up like Spencer and played in the NFL .
We have people like me who came from a country like Nigeria but ended up going to boarding school in England and had such a different upbringing and then came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We have writers who grew up in Oakland and have had all sorts of different careers before they became writers , ” she said .
“ We all have our own different versions of the fish-out-of-water story that we 're able to speak to.
” The show also hires outside consultants to make sure they ’ re portraying things accurately , including Coop ’ s gang storyline .
“ Yes , we 're a CW show , and yes , there has to be a sort of filter that we put on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the heart of all of them , we have consultants that we talk to and work with who can authentically tell us , ‘ That would never happen , ’ or ‘ Coop would have to be jumped into the gang , she ca n't just stroll in , ’ ” Okoro Carroll explained .
“ We have to actually truthfully represent that , or at least what our version of that is.
” 5 .
Layla ’ s storyline about depression and suicide is meant to help educate people about mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All American , Spencer ’ s girlfriend and Olivia ’ s longtime friend Layla struggles with her mental health .
Her dad , a record producer , is on the road for work and her mom died in a car accident , so she ’ s home alone and feeling scared after there ’ s been a break-in at her house .
Layla ’ s friends start to worry about her when she behaves in ways that are out of character for her — she quits student council , shows up late to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being home and how she ’ s actually living in a hotel .
Spencer even notices cuts on her wrist .
Okoro Carroll said there wasn ’ t “ a single person in our writers room that Olivia ’ s story wasn ’ t extremely personal for , ” noting how all of them had been impacted by mental illness in some way , whether it was a loved one or even themselves battling various forms of depression .
“ It 's such a reality for teens across the world , not even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And it felt like if we could do something to shed some light on it , if we can do something to not only make people who are going through it feel less alone but also help explain it for those who may not understand what they ’ re going through because maybe it does n't fit the textbook definition of what they think depression is , or it does n't look the way people think depression would look , if we can help shed some light on that , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Okoro Carroll said many people aren ’ t able to identify depression “ because it does n't look like someone walking around mopey , talking about not wanting to be here.
” “ One of the most devastating things to me , as a parent , as someone who 's married to a teacher , and as a human , is every time I read one of those stories about a young person who took their life because it all just got too much , ” Okoro Carroll said .
6 .
Olivia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it ’ s like to be a teen dealing with addiction .
Olivia Baker , played by Samantha Logan , is a fan favorite in the series , especially popular for being a “ pillar of strength ” on the show , always supporting family and friends through their respective trials and tribulations .
While viewers see Olivia as someone who is always there for others , her backstory shows a different side of her , when she was struggling with addiction .
“ In terms of authentic representation , if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a teen addict , it was very important to me that it wasn ’ t just a character description that makes her edgy and cool .
If we were going to do that , we wanted to really breathe life into what it ’ s like to be a recovering teen addict and what comes along with that , ” Okoro Carroll said .
In Season 1 , Episode 12 , All American shows a flashback illustrating Olivia ’ s drug and alcohol problem , revealing an emotional scene when her twin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has overdosed and her parents call for help .
In the present day , Olivia celebrates her one-year anniversary of being sober and is surprised to see her entire family show up and support her at an AA meeting .
“ One of the big reasons why we did the flashback to her rock bottom was to show what it was like for her and how also it 's still something she battles with every day .
It 's something that you do n't just overcome .
On a daily basis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to stay sober that day , ” Okoro Carroll said .
Okoro Carroll said there was a lot of discussion in the writers room about how they wanted Olivia ’ s character to evolve , which led to how she processed being by Spencer ’ s side when he was shot in Episode 10 .
“ We felt like we were doing that character a disservice if we really did n't delve into the truth if something like that could rock her to her core to the point where she could potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showrunner said .
“ We felt like it was important to tell that story and how that can happen , even if you 're trying to do all the right things by seeking counseling at school and trying to be super hyperaware of it.
” 8 .
The characters ’ friendships are supposed to be hopeful , positive examples of what healthy teen friendships can look like .
One of the aspects of All American that Okoro Carroll said she ’ s most proud of is the healthy dynamics and display of friendship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the show .
According to the showrunner , the creators are aiming to make “ an aspirational show ” that “ leaves people with that feeling of hope and positivity .
“ No matter how much they fight and whatever drama they go through , at the end of the day they ’ re loyal to each other , ” she said .
Spencer moving in with the Baker family is a catalyst , Okoro Carroll said , for his two worlds in Beverly Hills and Crenshaw crossing over and , in turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friendships between a lot of the characters .
“ You 've got this amazing friendship with Layla and Coop developing .
You 've got this brotherhood between Spencer and Jordan that also develops .
You have [ Crenshaw football player ] Chris and Olivia , you 've got Asher and Spencer who came such a long way from where they were when they first met in the pilot , ” she explained .
“ And it 's important to me that we continue to develop and cultivate these healthy friendships amongst teens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's competition , and yes , there 's drama .
Sometimes teenagers do stupid stuff and they make mistakes , but at their heart their love for each other is kind of what carries this group through.
” Okoro Carroll noted that her ideas about unconditional friendships for these high schoolers “ might be a little subconscious channeling ” of her love of the original 90210 , citing all of the drama the characters went through , but that “ it was still that group together in front of the Hollywood sign on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other TV show in Hollywood , production on All American Season 3 was delayed because of COVID-19 .
Even though the timeline of the next season of All American has been affected by the coronavirus quarantine , Okoro Carroll said the writers room is still meeting remotely over Zoom .
“ So we 've just continued virtually , and it 's sort of been amazing because with everything else happening in the world , this is something I understand and that I look forward to , hopping into that virtual writers room with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of getting to talk about these characters that we know and love and getting to plot out their futures , ” she said .
“ It ’ s been such an amazing gift during these times.
” There ’ s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding how long productions will be shut down for , but the All American showrunner said her writers are still hard at work to make sure the upcoming season is the best it can be , adding that everyone is eager to get back on set and give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re now obsessed with .
“ And as soon as Warner Brothers gives us that green light , we 're going to have those scripts ready and we 're gon na be running through the stages , ” she said .

In the past month, an influx of viewers have discovered the most slept-on TV series of the past two years: the CW’s All American, starring Taye Diggs as Billy Baker, the Beverly Hills High school football coach who recruits and mentors the talented Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) from Crenshaw in South LA.
The teen drama premiered in October 2018 and returned for a second season in 2019, yielding less-than-desirable ratings. Airing on Monday nights at 8 p.m., All American Season 2 averaged 1.1 million viewers and was tied for 201st place for primetime shows in the 18–49 age demographic, according to Nielsen. But after the second season started streaming on Netflix in March — around the same time most states in the US mandated people stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus — the show skyrocketed in popularity, holding the No. 1 spot on the streaming service out of every other TV show and movie. While Netflix doesn’t publicly share its data, there are reportedly more than 69 million subscribers in the US who kept All American in Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched series for the past month.
The show, which is based on the true story of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger, has since become the subject of millions of videos on TikTok and jokes on Twitter and Instagram. Over the course of the first two seasons, viewers watch as Spencer James navigates his two worlds: his original home in Crenshaw and his new life in Beverly Hills, exploring his relationships with family members, friends, and enduring all of the struggles and triumphs that come with being a teenager.
Showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll told BuzzFeed News that the CW has been supportive of the show even with its linear ratings and noted there was a spike in people who discovered All American after the first season dropped on Netflix. But no one on their team expected the show to explode the way it did when Season 2 started streaming.
“Unfortunately, we ended up in a situation where a lot of people were being forced to stay at home, and the silver lining that came out of that was here was a show that we pride on being aspirational. Yes, all the characters go through it, but at the end it is a hopeful story and it felt like it just came at a time when I know I could use a lot of hope,” Okoro Carroll said. “From the messages I started receiving from fans, it sounded like that’s what the show was giving them during a time when everything on the outside is so uncertain, and that has just been an absolute blessing for the show, to be able to provide that kind of comfort to people is above and beyond anything that we were expecting.”
With both 16-episode seasons streaming on Netflix and the CW, All American is perfect viewing at a time when people are staying home and have time to catch up before Season 3 comes back on TV. Now that everyone is rightfully obsessed with All American, here are nine things viewers should know about the series, according to Okoro Carroll. (Consider yourself warned — there are LOTS OF SPOILERS ahead.)


buzzfeednews--2020-05-01--The British Royal Family Released New Photos Of Princess Charlotte For Her 5th Birthday

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help @ @ @ @ @ become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
The Duke @ @ @ @ @ very pleased to share four new photographs of Princess Charlotte ahead of her fifth birthday @ @ @ @ @ taken by The Duchess as the family helped to pack up and deliver food packages @ @ @ @ @ local area .
Prince William and Kate Middleton ( aka the Duke and Duchess of @ @ @ @ @ of their daughter , Princess Charlotte , on Friday .
The little princess , who @ @ @ @ @ is the second of the royal couple 's three children and their only daughter .
@ @ @ @ @ , and Prince Louis just turned 2 . )
She was born on May 2 @ @ @ @ @ Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in tribute to her great-grandmother and paternal grandmother .

The little princess, who turns 5 on Saturday, is the second of the royal couple's three children and their only daughter. (Prince George is 6, and Prince Louis just turned 2.)
She was born on May 2, 2015, and named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in tribute to her great-grandmother and paternal grandmother.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-01--People Want To Go Back To Normal. Delivering Pandemic Groceries Made Me Question Whether We Should.

Every time we go to the grocery store during quarantine , we come home too tired to cook .
Staying out of everyone ’ s way — 6 feet away , in narrow aisles — is stressful .
Wearing a mask makes it hard to see , breathe , and be heard .
Buying a week ’ s worth of food feels like a major logistical undertaking .
For me , this is an annoyance , but it ’ s downright impossible for many of my older neighbors and those whose health conditions put them at a higher risk during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk — and to mitigate my guilt at making cocktails , playing cards , and generally having a pretty nice time in my quarantine in sunny Berkeley , California — I volunteered with my local mutual aid network to deliver groceries , prescriptions , and other necessities to those who can ’ t go out .
I thought it would make me feel good , and it did .
But the undertaking — from introducing myself to my mutual aid buddy , choosing a store , receiving her list , shopping for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting the goods to her house — made me realize just how much of a headache this kind of work really is , and how much some people need it .
A few days after signing up with the Berkeley Mutual Aid Network , the organizers got in touch to say I ’ d been paired with a woman named Tobie .
Tobie , who is 74 and has been in Berkeley for more than 50 years , lives just under a mile from me with her adult autistic son and 100-year-old mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members — not to mention herself , not to mention the 32 steps that rise to her front door from the road — made it too risky for Tobie to go out and buy her groceries at the local stores she ’ s been shopping at for decades .
“ We ’ re completely shut-in and don ’ t venture forth , ” she wrote in an introductory email , “ so we ’ re reliant on others to do what we can ’ t. ” But relying on a total stranger to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is not as easy as it sounds .
I ’ ll admit it took me a little longer than it should have to get in touch with Tobie after we were first connected .
She doesn ’ t text , for one thing .
“ I have a flip phone only , ( yes , I know .
Not a Luddite , but there are reasons ) so texting is a major undertaking , ” she told me via email before describing the number of key presses it takes to say “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , something I haven ’ t thought about in at least a decade .
For another thing , it sounded like a big job .
As much as I wanted to help , I hesitated when I realized I would be the second person to help Tobie with her groceries .
“ Shopping for someone else is far more difficult an endeavor than I thought , ” she wrote .
`` It ’ s quite an undertaking , and then it just keeps happening .
I do have another person who has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s too much for one person to do.
” Finally , after she sent me an email saying my silence made her anxious ( “ I ’ m not a big worrier , but these are weird times and there is more cause for concern ” ) , I called her .
She was gracious and conscientious about how much of my time she ’ d be taking up .
She said that having someone else buy her groceries made her realize how many little decisions go into shopping ; she likes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t like dripping juice ) , but volunteers tend to buy it at a more advanced stage .
People have different ways of assessing what looks fresh , what a good deal is , what an appropriate substitution for an ingredient might be , and on and on .
After a chat , and after she called the store and checked to make sure her credit card would be accepted over the phone , Tobie dispatched me via email to a local butcher to buy some fish and fish parts for broth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ items from the produce market next door , and she accepted , requesting berries ( four boxes , “ straw , rasp , cran , blue all okay ” ) , tofu , and mandarin oranges by the sack .
The butcher has typically taken Tobie ’ s order by phone and prepared it for her to pick up , but during the pandemic they ’ ve been so busy they ’ ve had to cancel that service .
When I got there , I had to wait in line for about 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of vigorous nodding in response to neighbors shouting through their masks , “ Is this the line for the meat place ?
” When I finally got inside , the counter attendant seemed exhausted and visibly irritated by the cheery Dean Martin–era soundtrack that made it hard for him to hear me .
I explained in a muffled voice that I needed to place two orders , one for fish that would be paid for by phone and a second for a variety of meat that I would pay for by card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it simply will not be possible to buy wild steelhead for a few more months at least and reading Tobie ’ s phone number out loud at least three times , I emerged with my two bags of flesh .
The butcher shop is made up of one large empty area in which customers congregate , but the produce market next door is a warren of aisles crammed with an amazing variety of products given how little square footage is in play .
It ’ s the kind of store where it literally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shopping cart , and it ’ s only somewhat possible to carry a handbasket without slamming it into displays and other customers .
At the entrance , there was a sign that encouraged me to keep 6 feet away from other people , but in the 30 minutes I spent inside I came within 6 inches of at least a few customers , not to mention employees , some of whom were restocking shelves as I hunted for the requested items .
Mandarin oranges were easy , and berries , despite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I was confounded by the tofu , which I have never purchased before in my life , and which I was not aware came in varieties beyond rectangular and white .
My shopping list said two 16-ounce packages of extra-firm tofu , but locating them took rifling through many stacks of 14-ounce packages of soft tofu and 16-ounce packages of medium tofu .
When we ’ d spoken on the phone , Tobie had mentioned she liked this particular store because it sold very fresh peeled cloves of garlic .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a stack of plastic bags of the very same .
I hadn ’ t seen anything about garlic on the list , but I felt an impulse to buy it anyway .
At the register , when an available phone handset was located , the cashier called Tobie to get her credit card information once again , and I considered asking them to ask her whether she wanted the garlic or not .
If she paid for it and didn ’ t want it , I would feel bad .
But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicate to the people bagging the groceries through my mask from a distance of 6 feet how to keep her groceries separate from my groceries — and by the time that was figured out , the phone call was over .
Fifteen minutes later , after my fiancé drove me over to Tobie ’ s house , she confirmed that she had , in fact , wanted the garlic .
A triumph .
Doing someone ’ s grocery shopping is a form of care work .
I ’ ve never done that kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked in the service industry and covered workers at places like Amazon and Instacart for years .
It felt intimate , in part because I was helping someone who could n't easily fend for herself .
It required patience , kindness , and good listening skills — which are not my forte .
I was proud of myself .
It wasn ’ t until a few days later that I learned , via email , that all the fish I ordered was weighed wrong and that not only had the garlic been on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she actually asked for three bags of it .
Many people who ’ ve signed up to receive delivery via mutual aid networks during the coronavirus pandemic have done so because commercial services like Instacart , Amazon Fresh , and Shipt are expensive and in high demand .
Delivery times in some cities can be days away , and delivery slots so hard to come by that someone wrote a computer script to help people grab them faster .
While some take issue with the cost or hassle , for others it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for these apps , often precarious gig workers , have called for boycotts over a lack of personal protective gear and hazard pay .
To fill that gap , volunteers have stepped in .
In addition to the one in Berkeley , there are mutual aid networks in Seattle , in Brooklyn , in Madison , Wisconsin , and other US cities .
A friend who volunteered with mutual aid in one of the hardest-hit areas of the pandemic in the US said she ’ s found doing big shopping trips for multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick with COVID-19 , relatively manageable , even if they do have highly specific requests that require going to multiple stores .
Jordon Wade is a member of Mutual Aid Medford and Somerville in Massachusetts , where hundreds of volunteers have signed up to deliver groceries .
The Somerville mutual aid network maintains a Slack channel where volunteers discuss which stores are less crowded or better stocked .
“ It is logistically difficult , ” he said .
“ I ’ ll go to the grocery store and it says ‘ limit one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people want eggs , that could be a problem.
” Wade told me he ’ s gone to the grocery store with two , three , and even four separate lists to shop .
“ I ’ m an organized person .
I just finished a PhD.
, ” he said , “ but keeping four going at once was difficult.
” Do you have questions you want answered ?
You can always get in touch .
And if you 're someone who is seeing the impact of this firsthand , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( you can reach out to us via one of our tip line channels ) .
A friend of mine who signed up for a mutual aid network in her neighborhood told me she spent 30 minutes looking for a special brand of snack for her mutual aid buddy one week , only to be dumped the following week after being accused of sneaking unordered items into the cart to take home gratis .
Accusations of stolen groceries , inaccurate bills , or too expensive substitutions are complaints Instacart shoppers deal with all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopper who ’ s been delivering groceries to Instacart customers — and advocating for better treatment of its workforce — since 2016 , said most people don ’ t appreciate just how complicated her job is .
“ It ’ s something I have a really hard time articulating to people who haven ’ t tried it before , how much of a skilled job it actually is , ” she said .
“ There ’ s a whole psychological evaluation that you kind of have to apply by taking their grocery list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Are they someone who eats largely organic ?
Or someone who eats a mix of conventional and organic things ?
Are they someone with food sensitivities or allergies ?
” she said .
“ It ’ s a skill that you hone and refine over time.
” Instacart turned a profit for the first time in its eight-year history earlier this week .
Like Amazon , the company ’ s bottom line has benefitted from the fact that millions of Americans are avoiding brick-and-mortar stores during the pandemic .
Instacart has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half a million new delivery workers to fill the increased demand .
While those jobs will be low-paying independent contractor gigs , they likely won ’ t be hard to fill given the record unemployment rate .
“ Instacart has treated this like their own personal Super Bowl .
‘ It ’ s busier than ever .
Great , let ’ s hire a bunch of people !
’ ” said Bain .
But while the company ’ s been raking it in , Bain said workers are n't making any more money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of all the new hires .
Today , some of them are refusing to work ; they ’ re protesting the low wages and the dangers of working on the front lines of a pandemic as part of a May Day general strike .
They ’ re being joined by workers at Shipt , Target , Amazon , FedEx , and Whole Foods who say they ’ re seeking not just better protections during the outbreak but a permanent improvement in benefits and pay that reflects how essential the virus has proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Instacart said the company “ has an unwavering commitment to safely serve shoppers during this critical time.
” She also said the more than 500,000 people currently signed up to work on the platform “ are earning 60 % more on every batch , which includes higher payments from Instacart and nearly double the tips from customers.
” Bain said she ’ s hopeful that the attention generated by the pandemic will encourage the California government to enforce AB5 , a law that gives Instacart and other gig workers the same protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlighting all these problems activist have been screaming into a void about forever , ” she said Wade , the Massachusetts-based volunteer , said the pandemic has made him more aware of the situation people like Bain are in.
“ I hope that we have a little bit more appreciation for them in the future , ” he said .
“ They ’ re grossly underpaid as it is , even without risking life and limb .
Unquestionably it is skilled labor.
” “ I can not even fathom doing that eight or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
I hadn ’ t heard from Tobie since the garlic debacle , but , having had about a week to recover since my last experience inside a grocery store , I reached out to her to see how she was doing .
She said she remains hypervigilant , waiting a day before touching any deliveries that can ’ t be frozen and soaking all her produce in soapy water .
She ’ s sent me another list yesterday , and I plan to shop for it — after reading it carefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order was extended through the end of May , and it 's logical to think that when it comes to an end , my relationship with Tobie will , too .
I ’ ll go back to work , to the gym , to bars , to normal .
But for Tobie , the conditions that cause her to require a helper — being the sole caregiver , at 74 , for a centenarian and for her son in a house with at least 32 steps up and down — aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is lifted .
Normal was never easy for Tobie , and the same is true of many of those on the front lines of the pandemic .
Many essential workers who ’ ve been held up as heroes say they don ’ t want to go back to normal ; now that the vitality of their labor has been widely acknowledged , they hope the post-quarantine future will be one with higher pay , better benefits , and more security .
While we struggle to figure that out , Tobie is struggling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiver of aid .
Like everyone , her family has certain needs , desires , and preferences when it comes to their diet — she eschews corporate produce from Del Monte ( “ horrible global villains ” ) and has a preference for certain Asian vegetables left over from her days as a professional cook .
“ I was just thinking about the complications of having someone else do your shopping for you .
It has so many levels of complexity , ” she wrote in her most recent email .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how to select the right bunch of gai lan ?
Recognize the vegetables I routinely purchase that may be completely inscrutable to them ?
Do I want to annoy the generous warm hearted volunteer with my picky little preferences ?
Do I have that right ?
”

After a chat, and after she called the store and checked to make sure her credit card would be accepted over the phone, Tobie dispatched me via email to a local butcher to buy some fish and fish parts for broth. I offered to grab her a few items from the produce market next door, and she accepted, requesting berries (four boxes, “straw, rasp, cran, blue all okay”), tofu, and mandarin oranges by the sack.
The butcher has typically taken Tobie’s order by phone and prepared it for her to pick up, but during the pandemic they’ve been so busy they’ve had to cancel that service. When I got there, I had to wait in line for about 20 minutes, a process that involved a lot of vigorous nodding in response to neighbors shouting through their masks, “Is this the line for the meat place?”
When I finally got inside, the counter attendant seemed exhausted and visibly irritated by the cheery Dean Martin–era soundtrack that made it hard for him to hear me. I explained in a muffled voice that I needed to place two orders, one for fish that would be paid for by phone and a second for a variety of meat that I would pay for by card. Eons later, after learning that it simply will not be possible to buy wild steelhead for a few more months at least and reading Tobie’s phone number out loud at least three times, I emerged with my two bags of flesh.
The butcher shop is made up of one large empty area in which customers congregate, but the produce market next door is a warren of aisles crammed with an amazing variety of products given how little square footage is in play. It’s the kind of store where it literally wouldn’t be possible to push a shopping cart, and it’s only somewhat possible to carry a handbasket without slamming it into displays and other customers. At the entrance, there was a sign that encouraged me to keep 6 feet away from other people, but in the 30 minutes I spent inside I came within 6 inches of at least a few customers, not to mention employees, some of whom were restocking shelves as I hunted for the requested items.
Mandarin oranges were easy, and berries, despite a disappointing variety, not much more difficult. But I was confounded by the tofu, which I have never purchased before in my life, and which I was not aware came in varieties beyond rectangular and white. My shopping list said two 16-ounce packages of extra-firm tofu, but locating them took rifling through many stacks of 14-ounce packages of soft tofu and 16-ounce packages of medium tofu.
When we’d spoken on the phone, Tobie had mentioned she liked this particular store because it sold very fresh peeled cloves of garlic. Just before checking out, my eyes alighted on a stack of plastic bags of the very same. I hadn’t seen anything about garlic on the list, but I felt an impulse to buy it anyway. At the register, when an available phone handset was located, the cashier called Tobie to get her credit card information once again, and I considered asking them to ask her whether she wanted the garlic or not. If she paid for it and didn’t want it, I would feel bad. But I was also distracted by the need to communicate to the people bagging the groceries through my mask from a distance of 6 feet how to keep her groceries separate from my groceries — and by the time that was figured out, the phone call was over.
Fifteen minutes later, after my fiancé drove me over to Tobie’s house, she confirmed that she had, in fact, wanted the garlic. A triumph.
Doing someone’s grocery shopping is a form of care work. I’ve never done that kind of work before, though I have worked in the service industry and covered workers at places like Amazon and Instacart for years. It felt intimate, in part because I was helping someone who couldn't easily fend for herself. It required patience, kindness, and good listening skills — which are not my forte. I was proud of myself.
It wasn’t until a few days later that I learned, via email, that all the fish I ordered was weighed wrong and that not only had the garlic been on Tobie’s list the whole time, she actually asked for three bags of it.
I guess I shouldn’t quit my day job.