buzzfeednews--2020-04-21--A Nurse Was Fired After Speaking Out About Conditions In Her Hospital During the Coronavirus Outbrea

A Nurse Was Fired After Speaking Out About Conditions In Her Hospital During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Kenisa Barkai , who filed a whistleblower lawsuit against her former employer , says she threatened to alert state authorities to the problems in the long-beleaguered hospital .
WASHINGTON — Two weeks ago , Kenisa Barkai got an unexpected call , she said .
It was her former employer , the Detroit Medical Center , asking her to come work for them as a nurse and wanting to discuss pay .
The health system , hit hard by the surging coronavirus outbreak in Detroit , was desperate for more staff .
They were contacting former nurses to see if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call .
But it seemed the woman who left a voicemail had no idea that Barkai had been fired from her nursing job at the DMC ’ s Sinai-Grace Hospital just a week prior after repeatedly speaking out about equipment shortages and staffing problems .
“ Honestly , I couldn ’ t believe it , ” Barkai told BuzzFeed News .
She said the DMC ended up calling her a second time to see if she could work — a clear example of dysfunction at the health system .
Barkai said she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DMC ’ s social media policy .
A week before , she had posted a short video showing the gear she was wearing to treat a patient with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
In the video , Barkai points to her mask and gown and says , “ I ’ m ready to rock and roll .
I ’ m going in.
” Barkai said she didn ’ t break any rules — no confidential patient information was exposed .
The social media policy , reviewed by BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work or “ create potential harm to others , ” including patients and staff , in addition to confidential information .
The real reason she was fired , Barkai said , was for repeatedly sounding the alarm about the hospital ’ s problems before and during the outbreak , threatening to alert state authorities to the issues , and trying to unionize the nurses .
Though they ’ ve said the hospital has long had issues , medical personnel at Sinai-Grace have recently described horrifying conditions inside as it struggles to handle the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying in emergency room hallways before overburdened nurses have time to check on them , CNN reported last week — one patient had rigor mortis by the time staff found them .
The emergency department is also running out of stretchers and body bags , one nurse told MLive .
And the morgue is so full that corpses have been stored in a spare room and piled in refrigerated storage units , photos show .
Barkai filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the DMC , which is owned by Dallas-based Tenet Health , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
“ You ’ re dealing with a systemic problem from a Texas health care , for-profit corporation that is literally killing Michigan residents and putting nurses like Kenisa at huge risk , ” said her lawyer , Jim Rasor , “ as well as making preposterous , egregious decisions to get rid of nurses like Kenisa during a pandemic just because they ’ re more concerned about their reputation than they are about patient care.
” The DMC did not respond to questions about how , specifically , Barkai violated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system contacted her about working for them after her firing .
“ [ W ] e don ’ t discuss matters related to personnel , ” DMC spokesperson Brian Taylor said in an email .
“ As for staffing at the DMC , we continue to bring in additional nursing resources to help us care for patients as volumes have increased as a result of COVID-19.
” Since Barkai was fired , other nurses at Sinai-Grace have joined her in publicly pleading with management for more resources .
Earlier this month , emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sit-in to call attention to a severe staff shortage .
Employees at hospitals across the country have also spoken out about their working conditions .
A group of nurses at a hospital in Santa Monica , California , recently refused to treat COVID-19 patients unless they received N95 face masks to protect themselves ; they were suspended .
Detroit is one of the US cities hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis .
As of Monday , the city had 7,736 confirmed cases and 641 deaths ; more than 2,000 people have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in Michigan have borne the brunt of the outbreak , dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than the rest of the population , which Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said is due in part to longtime social inequities .
The disparity is echoed in major cities all across the country , where black communities are being hit especially hard by the coronavirus .
But getting a sense of exactly how much the pandemic has overwhelmed Sinai-Grace has been difficult .
Unlike other major health systems in the Detroit area , the DMC has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients it ’ s treating or how many employees have gotten sick .
“ The COVID-19 virus has caused significantly greater than normal mortality rates in the Detroit community , ” Taylor said .
“ This has resulted in capacity issues at funeral homes and morgues outside of Sinai Grace Hospital .
Patients who pass away at our hospital are treated with respect and dignity , remaining on-site until they can be appropriately released .
Like hospitals in New York and elsewhere , we have secured additional resources such as mobile refrigeration units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by COVID-19.
” Located in a poorer area on Detroit ’ s west side , Sinai-Grace has a reputation within the city ’ s nursing community as the hardest place to work .
Even before the pandemic , staffing shortages were common at the hospital , nurses have said .
“ We have always said that if you can handle it at Sinai-Grace , you can go anywhere , you can handle anything , ” said Barkai , who has worked for the DMC since 2011 .
“ We definitely have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ stepchild ” of the DMC health system .
“ There ’ s always been equipment that ’ s been outdated or old , or just not working , that you kind of just have to rig per se to try to get it to work , ” she said .
“ The environment itself has always been paint chipping , or dirty rooms , old bathrooms , no hot running water.
” The patient population also tends to have more underlying conditions and limited resources to pay for their treatment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell of a nurse to be able to manage the population and also with what you ’ re given as a nurse.
” Taylor , the DMC spokesperson , acknowledged that Sinai-Grace has always been in a challenging position .
“ Sinai-Grace sees more EMS traffic than any other hospital in metro Detroit and is the only hospital in Northwest Detroit , ” Taylor wrote .
“ In addition , there are a large number of nursing homes in the area surrounding the hospital .
Among the patient population served by Sinai-Grace , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical conditions such hypertension and diabetes , which puts people at higher risk for COVID-19 .
Sinai-Grace Hospital remains dedicated to its mission of providing quality compassionate care to the Detroit community.
” Once the coronavirus made its way to Detroit in March , the problems at Sinai-Grace only got worse , Barkai said .
She said she was tasked to care for patients who did and did not have COVID-19 , and was worried about infecting the patients who didn ’ t have it .
Personal protective equipment was also running low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Barkai said she and other nurses at Sinai-Grace had contacted the Michigan Nurses Association about joining the union before the outbreak , which the union confirmed to BuzzFeed News .
“ But there has been a growing interest and sense of urgency since [ the pandemic began ] , ” union president Jamie Brown said .
She didn ’ t know it then , but March 17 would be Barkai ’ s last day of work .
That day , she was spread thin as she tried to care for six patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said , and garbage was piling up because housekeeping couldn ’ t clean her floor .
Then , a senior nurse asked her to take on a seventh patient as more came up from the emergency room .
“ I said , ‘ Why would you expect me to do this ?
’ ” The union has been urging Michigan lawmakers to pass a law to establish safe nurse-to-patient ratios .
In California , which mandates the maximum number of patients a nurse can have under their care , nurses should never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the ratios are lower for nurses working with patients like Barkai ’ s .
The emergency room nurses who performed the sit-in said they were caring for more than 20 patients each .
“ The reports that we have been hearing from nurses at Sinai Grace Hospital are horrific , ” Brown said .
“ Nurses are being put in impossible situations .
This should never have been allowed to have happened in the first place and can not be allowed to happen in the future.
” “ Sinai Grace nurses have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s staffing levels for years .
While many union nurses have been able to win safe staffing language through their contracts , not-yet-union nurses are left without protection.
” Barkai said having too many patients raises both legal and ethical concerns for her .
“ If you have a patient in your care , you ’ re responsible for that patient , ” she said .
“ You sign your name on these charts ... and when push comes to shove , that 's your patient .
You 've got to care for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or go to court , that ’ s your name , that ’ s your license.
” Barkai took on the seventh patient , but said she told the senior nurse that the state — which can investigate hospitals for health code violations — needed to look into the staffing issues at Sinai-Grace .
“ The patients are the ones suffering here , ” Barkai said .
The next day , Barkai appeared in a local news report saying the hospital was in dire need of additional resources and that she was worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the virus .
After that , she never got any more shifts , she said , and began to suspect something was wrong .
Nine days later , the local news station reported again on Sinai-Grace — this time , there was video of trash and dirty floors inside the hospital , and an interview with a different nurse .
The next day , March 27 , Barkai was called into her manager ’ s office .
She said that even though she denied providing the footage to the local news station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ make an example out ” of her .
She reiterated that the hospital ’ s problems deserved the state ’ s attention , she said .
Eventually , she was handed a paper saying she was being fired for violating the DMC ’ s social media policy .
But Barkai said the hospital knew by then that she was trying to unionize the nurses and that that — along with her repeated calls for more resources and state scrutiny — was why she was fired .
“ It really broke my heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I have like a nurse ’ s guilt basically for being off the front lines.
” In a city known for its resiliency , the nurses at Sinai-Grace have expressed their commitment to taking care of the community , despite the challenges .
“ We can go anywhere , but we nurse right here in the city of Detroit , because there ’ s where we ’ re from , that ’ s where I live , ” one of the nurses who participated in the sit-in said during a Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ridiculous that Sinai-Grace don ’ t care about the patients and the community like we do.
” Barkai said it ’ s unfortunate that she was unable to give everyone the care they deserved when the hospital was short-staffed , and that there have been cutbacks to numerous teams .
Patients have died due to cost-cutting and poor medical care at the DMC , two cardiologists alleged in a lawsuit naming Sinai-Grace and two other DMC hospitals last year .
The doctors said that they too had been retaliated against by the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety .
( The DMC has denied this , saying the doctors were removed from their administrative roles for violating the health system ’ s standard of conduct . )
The cardiologists cited several disturbing alleged incidents in their lawsuit , including physicians receiving dirty surgical equipment — “ some with visible tissue and blood ” — and patients dying after experimental or unnecessary procedures .
In their lawsuit , the cardiologists also alleged the FBI was investigating a physician who performed a procedure without consent on a patient who died .
Eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public in 2018 , a federal health agency began investigating the other two DMC hospitals , but Sinai-Grace has also been investigated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since then .
The agency did not respond to questions about whether it has received any complaints about Sinai-Grace ’ s handling of the coronavirus outbreak or launched an investigation .
Michigan ’ s state licensing authority , which also oversees the hospitals , declined to say whether it was examining any of the recent claims about conditions inside Sinai-Grace .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the allegations , however , we can not comment on any current or future investigation , ” wrote David Harns , a spokesperson for the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs .
Barkai said she and other nurses at Sinai-Grace would often voice their concerns before the coronavirus outbreak to their direct managers , who were sympathetic but unable to fix the problems .
“ Their hands have been tied too , ” Barkai said , adding that several managers have recently left the hospital .
Barkai had already hit a breaking point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw its first COVID-19 patient , she said .
“ I started bawling my eyes out and crying , and just had enough.
” She spoke to her manager , who then brought her to speak with the hospital ’ s chief nursing officer .
The CNO listened and listed steps the hospital was taking to try to increase the number of nurses , but Barkai said she was unsatisfied — those were long-term solutions and she needed help right away .
“ I am a strong nurse , I can handle a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If I have issues , I always say to myself , then there ’ s something really wrong.
” The goal of Barkai ’ s lawsuit is to get her job back , said Rasor , her attorney .
The suit , filed in the Wayne County Circuit Court on Monday , asks for at least $ 25,000 and payment to cover lawyers ’ fees .
Rasor said they will also be filing an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board .
In the meantime , Barkai , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a GoFundMe campaign she recently launched called “ Feed the Frontline.
” She uses donations to provide meals and snacks for medical staff who are working with COVID-19 patients .
“ [ It ’ s ] just to keep the morale up , basically , and to just let them know that even though everything ’ s been going on , I ’ m still out here with them trying to do the best that I can to help out , and that I ’ m not going anywhere , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to stop speaking up for them .
”

The DMC did not respond to questions about how, specifically, Barkai violated the social media policy or why the health system contacted her about working for them after her firing. “[W]e don’t discuss matters related to personnel,” DMC spokesperson Brian Taylor said in an email. “As for staffing at the DMC, we continue to bring in additional nursing resources to help us care for patients as volumes have increased as a result of COVID-19.”
Since Barkai was fired, other nurses at Sinai-Grace have joined her in publicly pleading with management for more resources. Earlier this month, emergency room nurses working the night shift held a sit-in to call attention to a severe staff shortage.
Employees at hospitals across the country have also spoken out about their working conditions. A group of nurses at a hospital in Santa Monica, California, recently refused to treat COVID-19 patients unless they received N95 face masks to protect themselves; they were suspended.
Detroit is one of the US cities hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. As of Monday, the city had 7,736 confirmed cases and 641 deaths; more than 2,000 people have died in the greater Detroit area. Black people in Michigan have borne the brunt of the outbreak, dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than the rest of the population, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said is due in part to longtime social inequities. The disparity is echoed in major cities all across the country, where black communities are being hit especially hard by the coronavirus.
But getting a sense of exactly how much the pandemic has overwhelmed Sinai-Grace has been difficult. Unlike other major health systems in the Detroit area, the DMC has repeatedly refused to reveal how many COVID-19 patients it’s treating or how many employees have gotten sick.
“The COVID-19 virus has caused significantly greater than normal mortality rates in the Detroit community,” Taylor said. “This has resulted in capacity issues at funeral homes and morgues outside of Sinai Grace Hospital. Patients who pass away at our hospital are treated with respect and dignity, remaining on-site until they can be appropriately released. Like hospitals in New York and elsewhere, we have secured additional resources such as mobile refrigeration units to help temporarily manage the capacity issue caused by COVID-19.”
Located in a poorer area on Detroit’s west side, Sinai-Grace has a reputation within the city’s nursing community as the hardest place to work. Even before the pandemic, staffing shortages were common at the hospital, nurses have said.
“We have always said that if you can handle it at Sinai-Grace, you can go anywhere, you can handle anything,” said Barkai, who has worked for the DMC since 2011. “We definitely have seen it all.”
Barkai described Sinai-Grace as the “stepchild” of the DMC health system. “There’s always been equipment that’s been outdated or old, or just not working, that you kind of just have to rig per se to try to get it to work,” she said. “The environment itself has always been paint chipping, or dirty rooms, old bathrooms, no hot running water.”
The patient population also tends to have more underlying conditions and limited resources to pay for their treatment, Barkai said. “It takes one hell of a nurse to be able to manage the population and also with what you’re given as a nurse.”
Taylor, the DMC spokesperson, acknowledged that Sinai-Grace has always been in a challenging position. “Sinai-Grace sees more EMS traffic than any other hospital in metro Detroit and is the only hospital in Northwest Detroit,” Taylor wrote. “In addition, there are a large number of nursing homes in the area surrounding the hospital. Among the patient population served by Sinai-Grace, there are extremely high rates of underlying medical conditions such hypertension and diabetes, which puts people at higher risk for COVID-19. Sinai-Grace Hospital remains dedicated to its mission of providing quality compassionate care to the Detroit community.”
Once the coronavirus made its way to Detroit in March, the problems at Sinai-Grace only got worse, Barkai said. She said she was tasked to care for patients who did and did not have COVID-19, and was worried about infecting the patients who didn’t have it. Personal protective equipment was also running low, like at hospitals across the country.
Barkai said she and other nurses at Sinai-Grace had contacted the Michigan Nurses Association about joining the union before the outbreak, which the union confirmed to BuzzFeed News. “But there has been a growing interest and sense of urgency since [the pandemic began],” union president Jamie Brown said.
She didn’t know it then, but March 17 would be Barkai’s last day of work. That day, she was spread thin as she tried to care for six patients, two of whom had COVID-19, she said, and garbage was piling up because housekeeping couldn’t clean her floor. Then, a senior nurse asked her to take on a seventh patient as more came up from the emergency room.
“I said, ‘Why would you expect me to do this?’”


buzzfeednews--2020-04-21--Brooklyn's Black And Brown Communities — Home To Many Of New York City's Essential Workers — Are Cor

Brooklyn's Black And Brown Communities — Home To Many Of New York City's Essential Workers — Are Coronavirus Hot Spots

“ We ’ re telling you that no one should be out here because it ’ s dangerous , but we ’ re sending you out there and we ’ re not giving out any masks.
” For one essential worker , there ’ s a specific time when coronavirus-related anxiety is at its highest : the moment she pulls into a crowded bus stop .
Forcing people to enter the rear doors helps a little to ease the tension for the Brooklyn bus operator who is still working during the pandemic .
But now that the Metropolitan Transit Authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closest to the driver , the bus seems even more packed .
“ I ’ m more concerned about my son than myself , of course , because he has an underlying health issue as well , ” she told BuzzFeed News to explain why they decided to buy their own masks and cleaning products a month before the MTA began distributing them to workers .
The New York Times reported some MTA employees were reprimanded for using precautionary measures themselves .
“ It was every man for himself , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to distribute masks , it only provided one per employee .
“ I ’ m very nervous .
I think I got more serious about the situation with the passing of coworkers.
” As of Monday , 71 MTA employees have died of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
The first MTA death occurred on March 26 , a day before transit union officials negotiated a deal with the MTA to provide masks to workers , according to Jim Gannon , a spokesperson for transit union workers .
Bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers — account for at least 20 of those deaths .
An MTA spokesperson said the agency had given out 1 million masks and 3 million pairs of gloves , “ including masks to all employees days before the CDC changed course and recommended it .
We are doing everything possible to protect our customers and employees , frontline heroes moving the doctors , nurses , first responders , pharmacy and grocery workers , transit colleagues and other essential workers who are saving lives every day . ''
The bus driver , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing her job , is one of hundreds of thousands of Brooklynites still working essential jobs , even as the borough is hit hard by the coronavirus .
Twenty-eight percent of New York City ’ s essential workers live in Brooklyn — the most in any borough — and the vast majority of them are people of color .
In Brooklyn , the number of deaths outpaced those in Queens on Sunday .
Brooklyn has more than 2,606 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 865 “ probable ” COVID-19 deaths , according to NYC data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a secret and it ’ s very clear .
… We divided the city at the beginning of the coronavirus into essential employees and nonessential employees and that term was used all over the city , ” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams told BuzzFeed News during a phone interview last week .
“ I heard it .
I said , ‘ This is coded language.
’ ” Black , Hispanic , and Asian people make up more than 70 % of the city ’ s essential workers , including transit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and postal employees .
More than 40 % of transit workers are black and 60 % of frontline cleaning workers are Hispanic , according to a report released in March by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer ’ s office .
In addition to racial data on frontline workers , Stringer , who is running for New York City mayor , offered solutions to protect those people , including free protective gear , hazard pay , and guaranteed health care .
“ Black and brown people went to service this city and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among their citizens , ” Adams told BuzzFeed News .
“ Just look at the numbers.
” Adams said he personally has lost five close friends in the span of a week .
“ The impact is very real , and you become almost even afraid to pick up your phone , ” Adams told BuzzFeed News , saying he was haunted by the words “ Did you hear… ” The same racial divide is consistent in Milwaukee , Chicago , New Orleans , and other major cities and experts say the disparity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases throughout black and Latino communities .
“ Essential workers are absolutely more vulnerable , ” Mary Osirim , provost and professor of sociology at Bryn Mawr College , told BuzzFeed News .
“ While there are certain professionals that are of every ethnicity and race in the country , it is also the case that many on the front lines are low-wage … low-status workers and they ’ re often very disproportionately African American and Latinx.
” And many lack access to basic protective gear as they continue to go to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for New York City mayor , began addressing that problem on March 25 , when he held a press conference in front of a Brooklyn MTA bus depot and demanded , “ Give us the goddamn masks.
” “ Yes , we ’ re telling you that people should be 6 feet apart from each other .
Yes , we ’ re telling you that everyone should shelter in place , ” he told BuzzFeed News during a phone interview .
“ Yes , we ’ re telling you that no one should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous , but we ’ re sending you out there and we ’ re not giving out any masks , coverings , gloves , or anything else while you service the city and service the country.
” Employees at the US Postal Service have similar concerns , especially mail carriers who interact with close to 1,000 New Yorkers every day at work .
African Americans make up 21 % of postal employees and 13 % of the US population .
One USPS worker in Brooklyn told BuzzFeed News they now have a ritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I immediately remove my shoes , my postal pants…I take off my jacket , my sweater and coat and I leave everything in my room in a corner .
When I had Lysol I would spray everything down.
” The USPS worker is practicing social distancing inside their home as well , so as not to infect vulnerable loved ones — hugs and kisses are replaced with a distant “ hi.
” The same USPS employee told BuzzFeed News that protective supplies , including gloves , began to dwindle as early as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of communication from management amid a public health crisis , they said .
“ We started hearing [ from coworkers ] ‘ at this particular post office , this person is infected , ’ but [ management ] wasn ’ t saying anything .
I noticed a clerk went out sick , ” they said , adding that two more followed within the same week .
There ’ s signage posted about proper hygiene , but no one from management had personally spoken to staff at this particular Brooklyn branch as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding out things on our own , like ‘ Why is this person not here ?
Why do we have this skeleton crew ?
’ ” At a separate Brooklyn USPS location , employees said management gathers employees for updates on COVID-19 but not on a daily basis .
“ They ’ ll call everyone around the desk and basically read off what they have.
” Approximately 1,000 of the 630,000 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 “ with some deaths , ” USPS spokesperson David Partenheimer told BuzzFeed News in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response with the 2001 anthrax scare , when letters carrying spores that caused the infectious disease were mailed to news outlets and elected officials , resulting in five deaths and 17 injuries .
“ [ In 2001 ] , they were on top of it .
We got all of this information .
We got flu shots , ” one employee said .
“ But this time , no one is saying anything to us.
” Adams also pointed out that while the CDC specified susceptible communities , there is no government plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are at greater risk of illnesses that can lead to more severe cases of COVID-19 , including diabetes and heart disease .
Adams himself reversed his diabetes diagnosis by exercising and changing his eating habits in 2018 .
“ There was not one plan that was rolled out that said ‘ let ’ s go after the people who we know if they get it , they may die from it , ’ ” Adams said .
“ Our plan was an intervention , not prevention .
If you look at over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respiratory issues , that ’ s [ the New York City Housing Authority ] .
That ’ s why I was at NYCHA handing out masks and information to NYCHA residents.
” Experts have said there ’ s an information gap for some black and non-English-speaking New Yorkers on the front lines because of inconsistent work hours and differences in the way people consume news .
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $ 10 million campaign aimed to inform communities hardest hit by the disease that will include robocalls and flyers directly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 languages and follows an $ 8 million effort launched early March which ran ads in English , Spanish , Mandarin , and Cantonese .
Experts also suggested targeting social media as a part of city-sponsored ad campaigns to counter the misinformation circulating among younger audiences and New Yorkers who speak languages other than English .
“ Everybody don ’ t wake up in the morning and run and get the New York Times and listen to Trump , Cuomo , and the mayor ’ s briefings , ” Adams told BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echo chambers .
You know who we ’ re talking to ?
We ’ re talking to the 30 % who can telecommute .
”

For one essential worker, there’s a specific time when coronavirus-related anxiety is at its highest: the moment she pulls into a crowded bus stop.
Forcing people to enter the rear doors helps a little to ease the tension for the Brooklyn bus operator who is still working during the pandemic. But now that the Metropolitan Transit Authority has restricted passengers from sitting in seats closest to the driver, the bus seems even more packed.
“I’m more concerned about my son than myself, of course, because he has an underlying health issue as well,” she told BuzzFeed News to explain why they decided to buy their own masks and cleaning products a month before the MTA began distributing them to workers. The New York Times reported some MTA employees were reprimanded for using precautionary measures themselves.
“It was every man for himself,” she said and added that once the MTA began to distribute masks, it only provided one per employee. “I’m very nervous. I think I got more serious about the situation with the passing of coworkers.”
As of Monday, 71 MTA employees have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The first MTA death occurred on March 26, a day before transit union officials negotiated a deal with the MTA to provide masks to workers, according to Jim Gannon, a spokesperson for transit union workers. Bus operators — whom the city considers essential workers — account for at least 20 of those deaths.
An MTA spokesperson said the agency had given out 1 million masks and 3 million pairs of gloves, “including masks to all employees days before the CDC changed course and recommended it. We are doing everything possible to protect our customers and employees, frontline heroes moving the doctors, nurses, first responders, pharmacy and grocery workers, transit colleagues and other essential workers who are saving lives every day."
The bus driver, who declined to be named for fear of losing her job, is one of hundreds of thousands of Brooklynites still working essential jobs, even as the borough is hit hard by the coronavirus. Twenty-eight percent of New York City’s essential workers live in Brooklyn — the most in any borough — and the vast majority of them are people of color. In Brooklyn, the number of deaths outpaced those in Queens on Sunday. Brooklyn has more than 2,606 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 865 “probable” COVID-19 deaths, according to NYC data released April 19.
“It’s not a secret and it’s very clear. … We divided the city at the beginning of the coronavirus into essential employees and nonessential employees and that term was used all over the city,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams told BuzzFeed News during a phone interview last week. “I heard it. I said, ‘This is coded language.’”
Black, Hispanic, and Asian people make up more than 70% of the city’s essential workers, including transit, childcare, health care, cleaning service, and postal employees. More than 40% of transit workers are black and 60% of frontline cleaning workers are Hispanic, according to a report released in March by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office. In addition to racial data on frontline workers, Stringer, who is running for New York City mayor, offered solutions to protect those people, including free protective gear, hazard pay, and guaranteed health care.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-21--Coronavirus Mask Ads Were Emailed To Millions Of Americans With Unsafe Claims And Inflated Prices

Roughly a billion emails promoted overpriced face masks with misleading claims .
The man selling them says it is n't his fault .
Ray Shell visited a grocery store in North Carolina in early April and noticed nearly every customer was wearing a mask .
He decided it was time to get one .
Shell , an acclaimed stage actor who played Rusty the steam engine in the original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber ’ s Starlight Express , knew masks were in short supply because of the coronavirus pandemic .
But he ’ d recently received an email from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shell was cautious — it was spam , after all — but his anxiety won out .
“ The picture of [ the mask ] looked as if it was nice and sturdy and I could use it more than once , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
“ So that 's why I went for it.
” Shell paid the exorbitant price of $ 39.99 for two SafeMasks ( comparable respirators normally sell for $ 0.75 online ) and felt better — until days went by and they never arrived .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He called a number for customer support listed on his invoice , and the person who answered told a different story .
“ He said there 's been such a demand for these masks , as you can imagine , that they are like a month behind .
He said , ‘ You probably wo n't get yours for another month , ’ ” Shell said .
“ I made a very , very crude joke : ‘ I hope I 'm alive by then . '
” Over the past two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to purchase enough personal protective equipment .
As people realized the deadly threat posed by the coronavirus , they too began searching for masks .
Into that climate of fear and uncertainty came SafeMask , an overpriced , initially unauthorized , and misleadingly marketed mask that may be the most promoted piece of safety equipment on the internet .
It ’ s earned potentially millions of dollars thanks to the oldest online sales channel : email .
SafeMask is sold by Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa Coelho , a Portuguese millionaire with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Malta , the Seychelles , Hong Kong , the United Arab Emirates , and Estonia .
In an interview with BuzzFeed News , he denied misleading people and said he just sold the mask .
Nevertheless , beginning in February , at least 1 billion emails were sent promoting SafeMask , according to an investigation by BuzzFeed News and the Institute for Data , Democracy & Politics at George Washington University .
Many of these emails targeted American conservatives and were sent to mailing lists owned by a trio of real estate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RightOnNews.com , and LeapFrogAmerica.com .
SafeMask customers said they were led to believe the mask was reusable , which it is not .
SafeMask payment sites displayed an image labeled as an N95 respirator even though buyers were shipped something else .
SafeMask emails also promoted European-made FFP2 respirators before they were approved for sale in the United States .
After this story was published , a new claim about SafeMask emerged .
A file that de Sousa provided to BuzzFeed News as proof his masks were certified for the European market appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apave , the French testing company named on the document .
“ We compared this certificate with our internal records and we found a number of discrepancies which lead us to believe that this certificate has not been issued by our services and that it is most likely a falsified document , ” Tatiana Martin , a commercial assistant in Apave ’ s testing and certification center , told BuzzFeed News .
Through his lawyer , de Sousa did not return a request for comment .
As fear grew and the death toll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SafeMask 's marketing .
In March , Facebook , Google , Amazon , and other platforms banned mask ads , and authorities in the US , Canada , and elsewhere enacted zero tolerance policies for price gouging and false claims .
Meanwhile , misleading SafeMask emails were blasted by the millions .
SafeMask ads were sent to email lists on survivalist blogs , tactical equipment stores , and Horoscope.com .
They were promoted on partisan news sites and posted as a press release on MarketWatch.com and on a Brazilian Facebook page with close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emails were more indiscriminate , and found their way into the inboxes of people like Shell .
Bulk emailers began using the .icu domain , evoking “ intensive care unit ” and creating the impression that the masks were from medical facilities .
( The .icu suffix , approved in 2018 , stands for `` I see you . ''
) Neil Schwartzman , executive director of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email , told BuzzFeed News coronavirus mask spam is among the most malicious spam he ’ s ever seen .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and if I offer a miracle cure it ’ s more likely to be accepted now than ever before .
People are leveraging that fear and profiting from it.
” Last summer , de Sousa ’ s Maltese company , MDE Commerce , promoted a robotic vacuum backed by a slick Facebook marketing campaign .
Its video ads said it was developed by two vacuum engineers who worked for a big manufacturer before quitting to create their own more affordable version .
Rachel Downhour paid $ 80 for a vacuum at MegaDeals.ltd and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mailbox a few weeks later .
“ In the advertisement it looks like it ’ s going to be a full-size , 14-inch vacuum , and you receive it and it ’ s in this little tiny envelope that fits in your mail slot , ” the Montana resident told BuzzFeed News .
She said the vacuum never worked .
Unhappy MegaDeals customers gathered on PayPal ’ s support forum , while dozens more vented their frustration on ReportScam.com .
Downhour channeled her frustration into a Facebook group called Scammed by Megadeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Customers claimed they were given fake tracking numbers for their orders or were told by MegaDeals customer service they could receive a refund if they sent the product back at their own expense , but were given nonexistent addresses in Estonia , Slovakia , Malta , or China .
De Sousa still sells vacuum cleaners , along with drones , neck massagers , and a product that “ empowers your dogs to brush daily.
” But his most recent hit is SafeMask .
De Sousa , 31 , runs his operation from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a warehouse and office space .
Along with MDE Commerce , he ’ s the sole owner of at least two active Estonian companies , one of which , DB2 Management OÜ , generated close to $ 30 million in revenue and $ 5 million in profit in 2018 , according to business records .
MDE Commerce earned a profit of over $ 1 million on revenue of $ 4.3 million the same year .
He also owns a confusing thatch of companies incorporated in the Seychelles and Switzerland .
De Sousa ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a Ferrari with the license plate 404 LOL .
De Sousa said he ’ s been involved in affiliate marketing since 2008 and told BuzzFeed News that SafeMask spam was the work of rogue affiliate marketers working independently of his company .
“ If you find anyone that is unauthorizedly advertising on spam or showing anything that you believe to be wrong , then I am more than happy if you provide this to me , because this is not something that we accept or are happy to see on our end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a commission-based sales model known for using aggressive and deceptive tactics to sell products and services .
SafeMask pays a commission running from $ 23 to $ 28 per sale to anyone responsible for bringing customers to its websites .
This attracts gun-for-hire affiliate marketers who use email blasts , online ads , social media promotions , and other scuzzy tactics to drive people to SafeMask .
Although he denied it in a phone call , based on domain data and information from a source in the affiliate industry , it appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ H8M8 that handles the affiliate relationships for his e-commerce products , including SafeMask .
As for the price of the masks , he said shipping costs had eaten into his revenue .
“ We are not making big profits off them , ” de Sousa said .
“ That ’ s not really something I ’ m aware of , ” de Sousa said when told that he is selling masks that cost 10 or more times the normal price .
He also said there was no reason for customers to think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the masks are clearly disposable .
No one is saying that the mask will last forever .
That is something that is unreasonable to expect , ” he said .
One reason why people thought the masks were for long-term use is that customers were upsold a three-year guarantee for $ 9.99 at checkout .
De Sousa said he was unaware of that .
“ We will be refunding these guarantees — I can promise you that , ” he said .
He declined to say why he sold European-certified masks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use in the US , how many masks he has sold , or how much they cost him to purchase .
There is no actual “ SafeMask . ''
It ’ s the brand name de Sousa created as early as late January to resell masks he had purchased wholesale .
So far that ’ s two different masks , one made in Turkey and one from China , although some emails sent by affiliate marketers displayed at least one other .
Many Americans who received emails promoting SafeMask saw a white mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask shown is the Mandil FFP2/V Combi , and its manufacturer said it does not sell it in the US .
`` I have no idea how they got there , '' Vittorio de Blasiis , the owner of DPI , the Rome-based manufacturer of the Mandil , told BuzzFeed News .
He said the Madil mask typically sells for between $ 1.30 and $ 7 each .
`` We absolutely do not sell in the US , because our products have an EU certification , not an American one , ” de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very strange . ''
The European FFP2 certification is roughly equivalent to the American N95 standard .
Prior to an emergency order issued on March 24 by the Food and Drug Administration , FFP2 masks were not approved for the US market .
“ Such masks are being sold out extremely quickly due to huge demand from other responsible citizens in the United States , ” said one SafeMask email sent to millions of Americans prior to FDA approval .
Early SafeMask customers received a different FFP2 mask with a blue filter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mask , ” and it ’ s made by Rivatek , a Turkish company .
( It 's also the mask with an allegedly forged certification document . )
Lorraine McNeill-Krall , a 72-year-old retiree in New Brunswick , Canada , received five after paying the equivalent of $ 95 .
Like Shell , she thought the masks were reusable .
Her twin brother has been using one for grocery runs and other errands , McNeill-Krall told BuzzFeed News .
`` I paid so much for them .
It 's discouraging , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ We ’ re all nervous and we wanted protection.
” SafeMask 's trail doesn ’ t end with marketing affiliates writing misleading emails .
Someone has to deliver the messages .
Sendlane , a San Diego startup , sent close to a million emails promoting SafeMask to lists on behalf of its customers this year , according to an analysis by researchers at George Washington University .
Data from email insight and security firm Validity also showed Sendlane delivered entirely unsolicited SafeMask emails — spam .
Sendlane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Zak Meftah , and Anik Singal , three men with backgrounds in affiliate marketing .
( What may be Singal 's greatest contribution to affiliate marketing is Lethal Commission , a 2011 Bollywood-style feature film about the industry , which he produced and stars in . )
In 2018 , Kim , a former car salesperson whose birth name is Hyong Su Kim , and two different partners agreed to a $ 7 million settlement with the FTC for allegedly running a “ deceptive and illegal ” affiliate scheme .
The FTC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moneymaking “ products marketed as ‘ secret codes ’ that were actually generic software products.
” Among their other offenses , Kim and his partners violated a federal anti-spam law by “ sending commercial email messages that included misleading subject lines , ” the FTC claimed .
To satisfy the terms of the settlement , Kim and his partners paid the FTC $ 698,500 , which was used to refund their customers .
“ With regard to this settlement , I was strictly the product creator and exited that business when I learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Kim told BuzzFeed News .
“ You ’ ll notice my involvement expired in 2014.
” Kim said Sendlane was designed to help affiliate marketing campaigns , but only ones that send emails with permission .
But over the past 45 days , 177,567 SafeMask emails sent by Sendlane were caught in spam traps operated by Validity .
CAUCE 's Schwartzman previously worked for a company that monitored spam traps and enforced penalties against rogue email service providers .
“ Ten spam trap hits would get you suspended , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” `` It ’ s absolutely a concern for us ” that email delivered by Sendlane ended up in spam traps , Kim said .
“ Our business is to deploy email on behalf of our client-base who is looking to communicate with their customers , '' he said .
`` We do not curate these emails nor do we represent them .
We simply ensure their deliverability.
” On March 16 , roughly a week before the FDA allowed FFP2 masks in the US , more than 100,000 subscribers to the RightWingAmericans.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FFP2 Face Mask Finally Available in the United States Could Help Against Deadly Virus Outbreak.
” The message featured a prominent image of the Mandil FFP2/V Combi with a distinctive blue filter under the headline “ Protecting Yourself and Your Family Is Vital.
” Since February , millions of versions of that email were sent by more than a dozen conservative email lists , according to emails collected by BuzzFeed News , George Washington University , and eDataSource , an email marketing database .
At least 80 % of emails promoting SafeMask collected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emails promoting SafeMask were sent multiple times by eight conservative mailing lists controlled by the same owner , including RightWingAmericans.com , ConservativePeak.com , PoliticalLookout.com , and TheLibertyRevolution.com .
Each list sends daily roundups of right-leaning headlines with links to their respective websites .
They also send emails with sponsored offers for concealed carry firearm licenses , free Trump hats , and health remedies .
The sites , which were registered in the past year , have nearly identical templates and descriptions , and list street addresses in Ohio , South Carolina , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They don ’ t cite an owner or name anyone involved .
Using domain registration and technical records such as IP addresses , site analytics codes , and other information , BuzzFeed News and George Washington University connected these and roughly 50 other conservative websites and mailing lists to Mark Evans , a resident of West Palm Beach , Florida , originally from Ohio .
Evans bills himself online and in his expensive business workshops as “ Mark Evans DM.
” The initials stand for `` deal maker . ''
His online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now runs two eight-figure businesses while coaching other entrepreneurs and traveling the world .
His Instagram is filled with images of Rolls-Royce cars , cigars , private jets , and photos taken in exotic locales .
Through corporate LLCs , including Racine Assets , Cash Flow Lead Gen , and Direct Mailers , Evans operates a large network of conservative sites and email newsletters .
BuzzFeed News and George Washington University found Evans ’ sites were some of the most prolific senders of SafeMask promotions .
As recently as April 10 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a promotion for SafeMask with the subject line “ 2020 Pandemic WARNING : This mask adds an extra layer of protection… ” Some of the lists also sent emails that made false claims about actor Denzel Washington , singer Willie Nelson , or president George W. Bush to sell CBD products and a “ diabetes curing pill.
” The emails led people to websites designed to look like Fox News or Business Insider to trick them into paying what was marketed as a small fee for a free trial of the product .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an expensive monthly subscription to the product , a fact not disclosed on the purchase page .
Evans did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment .
Evans wasn ’ t the only marketer to target conservatives with SafeMask pitches .
Joe Evangelisti , who describes himself as a real estate “ flip king ” in a self-published book , offers conservative email lists for rent .
“ Our team is highly engaged with conservative views , and it just is a great way to sell advertising , ” Evangelisti , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has appeared on Evans ' podcast , told BuzzFeed News .
A third conservative email list operator who promoted SafeMask is Jake Spaulding , a 22-year-old living in Huntsville , Texas , roughly an hour north of Houston .
Spaulding , who said he knows Evangelisti and has met Evans , told BuzzFeed News he expanded into conservative email marketing last year with the creation of Spaulding Publishing .
He said his conservative email business is building him a `` war chest '' to purchase commercial real estate once the pandemic passes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I expect to start buying some deeply discounted commercial real estate , ” he said .
“ So I 'm just putting all my focus into building the [ email marketing ] company bigger , faster while I ’ ve got this advantage of everyone being at home checking their emails.
” Spaulding said he has 600,000 subscribers , and he sometimes sends offers that earn him sales commissions , including recent emails promoting alcohol wipes and masks .
The email lists connected to two of Spaulding ’ s sites — RepublicanPost.net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full text of articles from conservative outlets such as the Washington Examiner without permission — sent SafeMask promotions in March .
“ We were n't trying to price-gouge anyone , and there 's a lot of that going on right now , ” he said .
“ So I had one of my team members go through each offer that was sent out and make sure that they 're not trying to extort my audience.
” He didn ’ t respond to follow-up questions about the high price and dubious claims made by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m really not wanting to give out any more information about my business , ” he said .
Hours after de Sousa spoke to a reporter last week , SafeMask ’ s price dropped by approximately 75 % and the offer of a three-year guarantee was removed .
As of April 20 , SafeMask payment sites had removed the masks and begun selling `` BackHero , '' which it bills as a posture corrector .
Shell , meanwhile , is still waiting for his masks .
He sees how fear and misleading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask that will be of limited use .
“ The thing about it is it coincided with the whole news cycle , ” he said .
“ I did n't want to pay $ 40 , right ?
So in fact , I resisted it , and then when Dr. Fauci recommended [ wearing a face covering ] and said that we really should do everything we can to try to keep ourselves safe , that 's when I went and got it.
” ● Additional reporting by Holger Roonemaa in Tallinn and @ @ @ @ @

Shell paid the exorbitant price of $39.99 for two SafeMasks (comparable respirators normally sell for $0.75 online) and felt better — until days went by and they never arrived. He thought he’d been scammed. He called a number for customer support listed on his invoice, and the person who answered told a different story.
“He said there's been such a demand for these masks, as you can imagine, that they are like a month behind. He said, ‘You probably won't get yours for another month,’” Shell said. “I made a very, very crude joke: ‘I hope I'm alive by then.'”
Over the past two months, governments and hospitals have struggled to purchase enough personal protective equipment. As people realized the deadly threat posed by the coronavirus, they too began searching for masks.
Into that climate of fear and uncertainty came SafeMask, an overpriced, initially unauthorized, and misleadingly marketed mask that may be the most promoted piece of safety equipment on the internet. It’s earned potentially millions of dollars thanks to the oldest online sales channel: email.
SafeMask is sold by Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa Coelho, a Portuguese millionaire with a collection of supercars and companies and residences in Malta, the Seychelles, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Estonia. In an interview with BuzzFeed News, he denied misleading people and said he just sold the mask.
Nevertheless, beginning in February, at least 1 billion emails were sent promoting SafeMask, according to an investigation by BuzzFeed News and the Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics at George Washington University. Many of these emails targeted American conservatives and were sent to mailing lists owned by a trio of real estate flippers who operate websites like RepublicanPost.net, RightOnNews.com, and LeapFrogAmerica.com.
SafeMask customers said they were led to believe the mask was reusable, which it is not. SafeMask payment sites displayed an image labeled as an N95 respirator even though buyers were shipped something else. SafeMask emails also promoted European-made FFP2 respirators before they were approved for sale in the United States.
After this story was published, a new claim about SafeMask emerged. A file that de Sousa provided to BuzzFeed News as proof his masks were certified for the European market appeared to have been forged, according to Apave, the French testing company named on the document.
“We compared this certificate with our internal records and we found a number of discrepancies which lead us to believe that this certificate has not been issued by our services and that it is most likely a falsified document,” Tatiana Martin, a commercial assistant in Apave’s testing and certification center, told BuzzFeed News.
Through his lawyer, de Sousa did not return a request for comment.
As fear grew and the death toll mounted, so did the intensity of SafeMask's marketing. In March, Facebook, Google, Amazon, and other platforms banned mask ads, and authorities in the US, Canada, and elsewhere enacted zero tolerance policies for price gouging and false claims. Meanwhile, misleading SafeMask emails were blasted by the millions. SafeMask ads were sent to email lists on survivalist blogs, tactical equipment stores, and Horoscope.com. They were promoted on partisan news sites and posted as a press release on MarketWatch.com and on a Brazilian Facebook page with close to 1 million followers. Other SafeMask emails were more indiscriminate, and found their way into the inboxes of people like Shell. Bulk emailers began using the .icu domain, evoking “intensive care unit” and creating the impression that the masks were from medical facilities. (The .icu suffix, approved in 2018, stands for "I see you.")
Neil Schwartzman, executive director of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, told BuzzFeed News coronavirus mask spam is among the most malicious spam he’s ever seen. “Everybody is terrified at this point, and if I offer a miracle cure it’s more likely to be accepted now than ever before. People are leveraging that fear and profiting from it.”


buzzfeednews--2020-05-09--Legendary Rock 'N' Roll Performer Little Richard Has Died At 87

Little Richard , the legendary rock ' n ' roll artist whose musical style and larger-than-life persona broke barriers , has died , his former bass player Charles Glenn and agent Jeff Epstein confirmed to BuzzFeed News .
He was 87 .
His cause of death was not immediately known .
Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon , Georgia , Little Richard rose to fame in the 1950s with hits like “ Tutti Frutti , '' `` Long Tall Sally '' and `` Rip It Up . ''
He was known for his high-energy piano performances , which included flailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persona , as well as makeup and flamboyant clothing were a source of inspiration for legends like Prince and Elton John , while his pioneering rock ' n ' roll heavily influenced Elvis Presley .
Little Richard also helped launch the careers of The Beatles — who opened for him on his European tour in 1962 , covering his songs on tour and on the radio — and the Rolling Stones , who opened for him in 1963 .
`` Little Richard drove the whole house into a complete frenzy , '' Mick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single phrase to describe his hold on the audience . ''

Little Richard, the legendary rock 'n' roll artist whose musical style and larger-than-life persona broke barriers, has died, his former bass player Charles Glenn and agent Jeff Epstein confirmed to BuzzFeed News. He was 87.
His cause of death was not immediately known.
Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia, Little Richard rose to fame in the 1950s with hits like “Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally" and "Rip It Up." He was known for his high-energy piano performances, which included flailing and screaming.
His androgynous, over-the-top persona, as well as makeup and flamboyant clothing were a source of inspiration for legends like Prince and Elton John, while his pioneering rock 'n' roll heavily influenced Elvis Presley.
Little Richard also helped launch the careers of The Beatles — who opened for him on his European tour in 1962, covering his songs on tour and on the radio — and the Rolling Stones, who opened for him in 1963.
"Little Richard drove the whole house into a complete frenzy," Mick Jagger said. "There is no single phrase to describe his hold on the audience."


buzzfeednews--2020-05-09--Magician Roy Horn Of Siegfried & Roy Has Died Of The Coronavirus At 75

Horn was severely injured in an attack by one of his tigers in 2003 .
People around the world are remembering family and friends who have died during the coronavirus pandemic .
BuzzFeed News is proud to bring you some of their stories .
To support our coverage , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Roy Horn — one half of the tiger-toting and extravagant German magic duo Siegfried & Roy , who became world-famous for their Las Vegas nightlife show — died Friday from COVID-19 .
He was 75 .
Horn died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vegas , according to a media statement to several news outlets .
“ Today , the world has lost one of the greats of magic , but I have lost my best friend , ” Siegfried Fischbacher said in the statement .
“ From the moment we met , I knew Roy and I , together , would change the world .
There could be no Siegfried without Roy , and no Roy without Siegfried . ''
Responding to Horn 's death , magician David Copperfield described him as `` a wonderful artist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave so much to entertainment and our community , '' he tweeted .
Horn was born in Germany in 1944 as Allied bombs rained down toward the end of World War II .
His mother , Johanna , left her three other children in a basement in order to cycle through the carnage to her sister 's place to give birth , according to the magicians ' website biography .
At a young age , he befriended his family dog , Hexe , while his stepfather struggled with alcoholism and the family sank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prince and Hexe was my unicorn , ” Horn said .
“ We ran , we flew ; out there we knew no boundaries — we were free.
” Sensing his affinity with animals , his mother 's friends organized for Horn 's birthday for him to have access to a zoo where they served as patrons .
It was there that Horn grew an affinity to the zoo 's tiger and cheetah , beginning his love for wild cats .
While working as a waiter on a cruise ship in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had been working performing magic shows , and teased him that his show needed scarier animals to be more entertaining .
It was the beginning of a multidecade partnership that saw them tour first the seas , then Europe , then North America , and the world with their levitating tigers and vanishing elephants .
A 1989 New York Times piece on the pair described their show as `` a sorcerer 's extravaganza , a pageant of Las Vegas glitter and circus glitz . ''
The performance involved 55 cast members , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a python , and an understudy python `` just in case . ''
The pair established a decadeslong residency in Las Vegas and were even parodied on The Simpsons .
In 2003 , Horn was attacked by a 600-pound white tiger during a show at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas .
The animal mauled his neck and dragged him offstage , as crew members tried desperately to free him .
But Horn was left partially paralyzed and permanently disfigured .
In 2009 , after some 5,000 shows over 13 years , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance .
''We have n't done too badly for a couple of immigrants , '' Roy told the New York Times in 1989 as they performed in the city .
''When two guys come from Germany with absolutely nothing , it 's a great thing to have your name in lights at the Radio City Music Hall , do n't you think ? ''

Roy Horn — one half of the tiger-toting and extravagant German magic duo Siegfried & Roy, who became world-famous for their Las Vegas nightlife show — died Friday from COVID-19. He was 75.
Horn died in the Mountain View Hospital in Las Vegas, according to a media statement to several news outlets.
“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Siegfried Fischbacher said in the statement. “From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world. There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried."
Responding to Horn's death, magician David Copperfield described him as "a wonderful artist, a legend."
"Roy gave so much to entertainment and our community," he tweeted.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-03--Passover Will Be Very Different This Year — And That’s OK

Why is this year different from all other years ?
To start with , the Seder will be happening over Zoom .
In a competitive ranking of Jewish holidays , Passover ( or Pesach , as it ’ s called by people of the tribe ) would have to be seeded high .
I know it ’ s tops for me .
What ’ s not to like ?
The collective telling of a pretty wild story ; free afikomen money when I was a kid ; singing ; intimidating quantities of food ; four compulsory glasses of wine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ brick in the stomach .
Yes , there ’ s matzoh , but layer on enough charoset or chicken liver with a little horseradish and you can ’ t even taste it , baruch Hashem .
Just the mention of those once-a-year foods has me jonesing for a slick gefilte fish patty .
Since I can remember , my family has hosted an impressive Seder every spring , led first by my grandfather , now by my father .
We clear the living and dining rooms , rent long tables and chairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Seder plates for a cast of dozens , including family , friends , colleagues , and anyone in the mood for a slightly unusual dinner party , Jewish or not .
It ’ s the one occasion for which the Bernsteins , scattered across the country , sincerely try to show up .
The year will be the first in memory that my dad ’ s house in suburban Connecticut lies quiet around this special time , as it ’ s become painfully clear that social gatherings are no longer tenable as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the deadly coronavirus .
For my dad — an emergency physician exposed to the virus every day he goes to work — the decision to cancel our Seder was easy , though not without sorrow .
Then , about a week ago , he sent a message to our immediate family ’ s text group , “ Fam Jam ” ( so named by my 17-year-old sister ) .
“ Hi all — what would you think about a virtual Seder ?
I could set us up with Zoom.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
!
” I said .
My brother sent a thumbs-up emoji .
The usual silence emanated from my teenage sister , which we took for assent .
Thus was born Digital Pesach 2020 , our small foray into tech disruption .
It won ’ t be the same as what we ’ re used to , or even recognizable .
I ’ ll miss the day of bustle leading into the ceremony : everyone crowding the kitchen , mustering ramekins , peeling potatoes , trying to figure out how to work the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post to social media my one ritual photo of the waiting tableau , a feast for the eyes before the mouth , candles and wine bottles and brightly illustrated Haggadot poised to play their parts .
No one will scan the inside cover of their Haggadah , the slim book that guides the proceedings , studying the column of signatures of all who have used it before and adding theirs to the historical record .
In spite of everything we won ’ t have , we ’ ll make do .
God is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns around Zoom management linger ; 60-year-old professors of medicine aren ’ t exactly renowned for their technical prowess .
And organizing half a dozen boisterous , lefty Jews to speak in turn presents its own challenges ( and frankly doesn ’ t go that well at our usual , in-person shindig ) .
But “ Seder ” literally means “ order.
” As long as you follow the sequence of motions , the exact same from year to year — sanctify the wine , dip the karpas or bitter herb , break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Smaller in scale , quieter in tone , our party will follow the order at a time when the world seems mired in its opposite .
But the longer I thought about the Seder , the more logistical questions arose .
Was it worth venturing out to obtain ingredients to cook with , let alone ones certified kosher for Passover ( a higher standard than merely kosher ) ?
What about scarcer items for the Seder plate , like a shank bone ?
And where would I find them ?
Nashville , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hardly a hot spot of semitic culture .
Grocery stores carry a — to put it generously — meager selection of Jewish-themed foodstuffs .
Of course , I could buy raw ingredients and assemble everything from scratch , but that implies a level of motivation and energy much greater than what I currently possess .
After our apartment building was rendered unlivable by the severe tornado that struck downtown Nashville a few weeks ago , necessitating a hasty evacuation and move , our bandwidth for this kind of labor ( i.e .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m no stranger to an improvised holiday .
I ’ ve been unable to make it home for Passover a couple of times before , for reasons of work or expense .
Once , when I lived in Seattle , a Jewish friend and I hosted a mini Seder for a group that contained ( other than us ) zero Jews .
They were good sports , but grew restive 15 minutes in , thumbing through their photocopied Haggadot .
Another year , I co-led with my mother , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of honorary Jew after a decade of residence in New York City and 13 years of marriage to my dad .
In place of shared water , we cleansed our hands with Purell .
Absinthe stood in for the bitter herb .
Still , those instances hadn ’ t been circumscribed by a quarantine .
Maybe , given the circumstances , I was overthinking the whole thing .
I decided to ask some diasporic compatriots about their own Pesach plans .
My suspicions proved well founded .
Most of the millennial-and-younger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I spoke to — which are most of the ones I know — had hardly realized Passover was fast approaching ( beginning April 8 ) , amid the onslaught of pandemic news that makes every day feel three weeks long .
My friend Marcus , an engineer in the Los Angeles area , said he had “ no plans 😞.
” Jeremy replied simply , “ Oh…yeah… ” Alana , a professional baker in Seattle who described her Jewish heritage as “ Russian socialist , ” listed potential Seder ingredients already in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and duck schmaltz .
“ So we ’ ll probably make matzoh ball pho , ” she said .
As a chef , Alana can ’ t observe Pesach too stringently anyway , since she invariably spends the day “ covered in chametz , ” or forbidden foods like leavened grains , which Jews are meant to eliminate from their homes in the days leading up to the holiday .
“ I guess I could be more observant this year , ” she said , “ but I ’ ve been stress-baking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and right now doesn ’ t seem like a great time to give up my main coping mechanism.
” That ’ s the sense I got from a lot of folks : other priorities .
Now that obtaining even basic , life-sustaining goods and services has become a trial , the complexity of enacting this religious tradition , which requires , frankly , a great deal of accoutrement , feels prohibitive .
Even in a vacuum of activity to fill , many choose the soothing , passive engagement of television .
Three seasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wife , I ’ m the last to blame them .
But not everyone I spoke to was so nonchalant .
Jacob Shamsian , an editor in New York of Iranian descent , would ordinarily visit his parents on Long Island for Passover .
He and his wife don ’ t know whether they ’ ll make the trip this year , but if they do , it won ’ t be by the usual combination of subway and Long Island Railroad .
The Shamsians also attend a second Seder at the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live within walking distance in the city .
They ’ ve definitively nixed that plan this year .
Jacob said he ’ ll miss the traditions passed down to him through generations , like the Persian custom of hitting each other with scallions during “ Dayenu , ” the rousing song that expresses gratitude to God for leading the Jewish slaves in ancient Egypt out of bondage and for the other gifts he has given them : the Torah , Shabbat , the land of Israel .
“ My grandfather runs through ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run around the table and try to get as many whacks in as possible , while dodging others , ” Jacob explained .
“ My grandmother and grandfather get gentle taps , because I 'm not going to disrespect them like that .
It 's nice imagining my grandparents doing that in Iran , with their parents and own grandparents.
” Those farther from their families face a keener solitude , especially if they live alone .
My friend Ashley Thomas , a legal assistant who also lives in Nashville , grew up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her home town of Memphis .
Though she ’ s become much less observant and moved away , Ashley maintains a connection to that temple , which her parents and extended family still attend .
She isn ’ t sure what she ’ ll do for Passover , but knows she won ’ t be making the drive to Memphis .
Her aunt , a member of that congregation , has tested positive for the coronavirus , and in any case , the synagogue has shut its doors for the duration .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a measles outbreak that coincided with the High Holy Days , temple leadership got wind that a family who did not vaccinate their children would be visiting from out of town .
“ They sent out an email to the congregation saying , ‘ You can ’ t come to shul if you don ’ t vaccinate , ’ ” Ashley recalled .
I confess that this story , of a religious community united on the right side of science , warmed my heart .
At times I fear that Jews — like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can adhere too rigidly to prescribed custom , even when it carries the potential for harm .
But my worries have been mostly assuaged by widespread reports of temple closures and remote worship , even from the most devout .
It ’ s in the nature of Jewish belief and practice , after all , to bend to the needs of the moment , like a reed in the wind .
I also spoke with Ashley ’ s father , Morris Thomas , who still belongs to their synagogue in Memphis , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern Orthodox temple in North America .
“ We ’ re a fairly tight-knit group , ” he said .
“ It would not have been unusual for a regular Friday night Shabbos dinner to have 40 people at your house , and that would go on in five , six people ’ s houses all across the community.
” Like me , Morris characterizes Passover as the one time of year he ’ s accustomed to seeing his whole extended family .
They ’ re considering a Zoom gathering this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s sanguine about the possibilities for virtual Jewish practice , which he said most synagogues began to offer weeks ago .
By the time Pesach rolls around , this mode of meeting won ’ t feel like such a departure .
“ I think that having a Seder with just your immediate family of no more than three to five people won ’ t be the strangest thing in the world , ” he said .
“ Maybe it will cause the conversation to be more introspective , more intimate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to evolve .
Jews are a pretty resilient people , and we ’ ve had to deal with adversity before .
I ’ m pretty confident we ’ ll figure it out.
” Buoyed by his hopeful attitude , I ask Morris if he envisions any drawbacks to going ahead with Passover observances in this strange time .
The Thomases , who classify themselves as modern Orthodox , may be able to connect via videoconference this month .
But many Jews , like Jacob and others I spoke to , can not .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who abide by the commandments associated with the Jewish Sabbath , will not use electronics like phones and computers ( and elevators and light switches ) on the Sabbath and holidays .
The Sabbath begins Friday at dusk and ends Saturday after sunset , but this year , due to the timing of Passover , the chag or holiday period extends from Wednesday through Saturday evenings .
In our wired age , and especially at a moment when a global pandemic is reshaping reality from hour to hour , that is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Three-day yom tovs , as we call them , are always tough , ” said Jacob .
“ I 'm especially not looking forward to it this year since we ca n't even break up the time by going to shul to see friends , or having guests over , or having big meals with friends and families as we normally do.
” But outside of Shabbos restrictions , Jewish people have gotten creative about marshaling technology to achieve an air of normalcy amid the chaos .
“ I Skyped into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neal , a health care administrator in New Jersey of the Orthodox denomination .
A bris is the Jewish ritual of circumcision .
“ More than 70 people called in .
Only the parents and the mohel were present , not even the grandparents .
He was all masked up like a surgeon .
Everyone said ‘ mazel tov ’ at the end , it was lovely.
” The synagogue Neal attends shut down weeks ago , partly under the advisement of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County , which posts updates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like regional associations across the country , has advised the community to stay home with immediately family for Pesach , “ even separated from parents and grandparents , ” and not to travel to other parts of the country , “ especially not to Florida , ” to which Jewish grandparents are legally obligated to migrate upon retirement .
Neal noted that cancellations of Passover programming in places like Florida and Arizona will impact the organizations and service workers who make a significant portion of their income on those events .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neal said , is transmitting the story from generation to generation — so it would take a world-catastrophic event like a pandemic to convince Jews to isolate from parents and grandparents .
He also brought up the dark historical resonance for Jewish people of being told we can not display our culture in public .
“ It goes against everything you ’ ve been ingrained to understand about the importance of practicing openly , ” he said .
“ We have to overcome the urge to fight this.
” Like Morris , Neal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and connection , and mitigate a sense of fragmentation taking hold , when , for instance , Jewish mourners can not form a minyan , or quorum of 10 adult required for saying kaddish , a prayer in honor of the dead .
A group of rabbinical authorities has given their blessing to a website called virtualminyanin.com , where worshippers can pray together remotely .
Although the rabbis note these minyanim do not technically suffice for certain rites , they can still create an atmosphere of community and social bonding .
Neal also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , pre-Shabbos sing-alongs for both children and adults , which have proved wildly popular .
In some neighborhoods , messages have circulated encouraging people to emerge onto their porches at a stated hour and say the prayer to begin the Sabbath in unison .
For Pesach in particular , some temples are innovating ways for congregants to accomplish certain tasks online , like selling their chametz .
Others are assembling all-in-one Seder plate packages , so congregants don ’ t need to shop at the store , where they might touch items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In all these ways , Jewish communities have shown their commitment to keeping members as safe as possible and trying to lessen isolation through this hardship .
Of everyone I spoke to , Megan Lubin , a freelance audio producer and engineer in Chicago , has contrived the most comprehensive blueprint for a Zoom Seder .
She and her cousins , spread across the country , are deep into the planning process .
Each participant has been deputized to manage a specific aspect of the event : videoconference logistics , Doodle polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone issues .
Lubin grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a Jewish-minority area , so her parents developed many of their own traditions .
Now she follows in their footsteps .
“ We ’ ll probably go for an hour , ” she said of her Seder .
“ Somewhere between a meaningful religious ceremony and a symbolic touchpoint .
We don ’ t want people to be tethered to their computers all night.
” We traded resources .
Sixth and I , a nondenominational Washington , DC , synagogue and arts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ webinars , “ How to Lead a Virtual Seder.
” Alma , an online publication that covers Jewish identity and culture , has posted a guide as well ( though their scheme for a potluck by mail seems far-fetched ) .
The writer Jordan Namerow suggested a script for the Four Questions centered around COVID-19 .
I asked Megan whether her family will incorporate discussion of the coronavirus , in addition to the content laid out by the Haggadah .
Some people I talked to don ’ t see how the topic can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meal with a semblance of routine and normalcy .
Megan plans to poll her coconspirators on their preference , but feels topics of suffering and justice are inherent to the Pesach story .
“ Every Jewish gathering foregrounds a component of community , consideration of the less fortunate , ” she said .
“ It ’ s very baked into the nature of these observances.
” Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg , a progressive writer and speaker , agreed that the holiday is fundamentally about “ liberation from oppression , and the absolute importance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it all the more important to observe this year , when the physical , economic , and social consequences of the pandemic disproportionately affect vulnerable populations .
Ruttenberg also wants to allay people ’ s fears that they ’ re not up to the task of running a Seder .
“ You ’ ve got this !
” she said .
“ The Haggadah is a do-it-yourself guide to running the Seder ; reading through it is the Seder itself .
You do n't need to ‘ know ’ how to hold a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will walk away from this unusual time feeling more empowered Jewishly , seeing that they can do it even if they did n't think they could.
” Rabbi Jason Rubenstein , the Jewish chaplain at Yale , similarly suggested that we view the holiday as a respite from the madness beyond our front doors , and a perch from which to contemplate its resonance with our own history .
In a message to the university ’ s Jewish community ( which he has given me permission to share ) , Rubenstein noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when households took refuge in their homes because of an “ invisible , deadly force that rages outside , ” a remarkable correlation to our present-day circumstances .
“ We stand in an unbroken chain of Jews who have raised up the sacred order of shared time against the chaos of their own times , ” he wrote .
“ If Passover means one thing this year , it is that the shared bonds of meaning and purpose that stretch across oceans and generations have the power to elevate us above the confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his family ’ s own plans , Neal in New Jersey said they ’ re still playing it by ear , week by week .
He is reminded of a legend about the renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman .
During a 1995 concert at Lincoln Center , one of the strings on Perlman ’ s instrument audibly popped .
Rather than call for another violin , Perlman waited a moment , then signaled the conductor to resume and did the impossible : He played the rest of the piece , or something like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with a passion and beauty that enraptured the audience .
“ You see , we become attached to plan A , but sometimes plan B is the more perfect one , ” Neal said .
“ Even if it takes more work to realize.
” ●

The Thomases, who classify themselves as modern Orthodox, may be able to connect via videoconference this month. But many Jews, like Jacob and others I spoke to, cannot. The shomer Shabbos, a designation for those who abide by the commandments associated with the Jewish Sabbath, will not use electronics like phones and computers (and elevators and light switches) on the Sabbath and holidays. The Sabbath begins Friday at dusk and ends Saturday after sunset, but this year, due to the timing of Passover, the chag or holiday period extends from Wednesday through Saturday evenings. In our wired age, and especially at a moment when a global pandemic is reshaping reality from hour to hour, that is a long time to go without digital connection.
“Three-day yom tovs, as we call them, are always tough,” said Jacob. “I'm especially not looking forward to it this year since we can't even break up the time by going to shul to see friends, or having guests over, or having big meals with friends and families as we normally do.”
But outside of Shabbos restrictions, Jewish people have gotten creative about marshaling technology to achieve an air of normalcy amid the chaos.
“I Skyped into a bris this morning,” said Neal, a health care administrator in New Jersey of the Orthodox denomination. A bris is the Jewish ritual of circumcision.
“More than 70 people called in. Only the parents and the mohel were present, not even the grandparents. He was all masked up like a surgeon. Everyone said ‘mazel tov’ at the end, it was lovely.”
The synagogue Neal attends shut down weeks ago, partly under the advisement of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County, which posts updates and guidance on its website. The RCBC, like regional associations across the country, has advised the community to stay home with immediately family for Pesach, “even separated from parents and grandparents,” and not to travel to other parts of the country, “especially not to Florida,” to which Jewish grandparents are legally obligated to migrate upon retirement. Neal noted that cancellations of Passover programming in places like Florida and Arizona will impact the organizations and service workers who make a significant portion of their income on those events.
An important function of the Passover Seder, Neal said, is transmitting the story from generation to generation — so it would take a world-catastrophic event like a pandemic to convince Jews to isolate from parents and grandparents. He also brought up the dark historical resonance for Jewish people of being told we cannot display our culture in public.
“It goes against everything you’ve been ingrained to understand about the importance of practicing openly,” he said. “We have to overcome the urge to fight this.”
Like Morris, Neal highlighted endeavors already underway to forge solidarity and connection, and mitigate a sense of fragmentation taking hold, when, for instance, Jewish mourners cannot form a minyan, or quorum of 10 adult required for saying kaddish, a prayer in honor of the dead. A group of rabbinical authorities has given their blessing to a website called virtualminyanin.com, where worshippers can pray together remotely. Although the rabbis note these minyanim do not technically suffice for certain rites, they can still create an atmosphere of community and social bonding. Neal also told of prominent Jewish singers broadcasting Thursday night, pre-Shabbos sing-alongs for both children and adults, which have proved wildly popular. In some neighborhoods, messages have circulated encouraging people to emerge onto their porches at a stated hour and say the prayer to begin the Sabbath in unison.
For Pesach in particular, some temples are innovating ways for congregants to accomplish certain tasks online, like selling their chametz. Others are assembling all-in-one Seder plate packages, so congregants don’t need to shop at the store, where they might touch items in many different aisles and risk exposure. In all these ways, Jewish communities have shown their commitment to keeping members as safe as possible and trying to lessen isolation through this hardship.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-08--Charlotte Figi, The 13-Year-Old Poster Child For Medical Cannabis, Has Died

Matt Figi hugs his daughter Charlotte in 2014 as they wander around inside a greenhouse for a special strain of cannabis known as Charlotte 's Web .
`` We are moved by the continual impact that Charlotte ’ s life has made shedding light on the potential of cannabis for quality of life , '' her mother , Paige Figi , wrote on Facebook .
Charlotte became the poster child for the benefits of CBD oil after using it to control the constant seizures experienced from her severe epilepsy , called Dravet syndrome .
As a toddler in Colorado Springs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mal seizures per week and used a wheelchair , before using CBD drastically reduced her rate of seizures .
Charlotte Figi , a girl whose battle with severe epilepsy inspired changes in medical cannabis laws , died on Tuesday .
She was 13 .
An initial test for COVID-19 came back negative , but as Charlotte 's condition worsened , hospital staff treated her as a `` likely COVID-19 case , '' Paige added .
The whole family had been ill for nearly a month starting in early March , but did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , after Charlotte 's symptoms worsened , she was admitted to a hospital on April 3 and administered the test .
While the result came back negative , there are concerns that COVID-19 testing may return false negatives at high rates .
After being released from the hospital on April 5 , Charlotte had a seizure two days later that resulted in respiratory failure and cardiac arrest , Paige said .
`` Given our family ’ s month-long history with illness and despite the negative test results , she was treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paige added .
`` Her fighting spirit held out as long as it could and she eventually passed in our arms peacefully . ''
Charlotte 's death , however , is not being counted in the county 's COVID-19 numbers , or by Colorado state , which has not yet recorded the death of any children from complications related to the coronavirus .
“ While we can not speak to specific individual cases , there are no confirmed pediatric COVID-19 deaths in El Paso County , '' a spokesperson for the county told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cannabis with a high cannabinoid is called Charlotte 's Web , in honor of the girl .
The Figi family had moved to Colorado in order for their then-toddler daughter to access the drug legally and continued to speak publicly about its benefits in documentaries and news stories .

An initial test for COVID-19 came back negative, but as Charlotte's condition worsened, hospital staff treated her as a "likely COVID-19 case," Paige added.
The whole family had been ill for nearly a month starting in early March, but did not qualify for coronavirus testing, she added.
However, after Charlotte's symptoms worsened, she was admitted to a hospital on April 3 and administered the test. While the result came back negative, there are concerns that COVID-19 testing may return false negatives at high rates.
After being released from the hospital on April 5, Charlotte had a seizure two days later that resulted in respiratory failure and cardiac arrest, Paige said.
"Given our family’s month-long history with illness and despite the negative test results, she was treated as a likely COVID-19 case," Paige added. "Her fighting spirit held out as long as it could and she eventually passed in our arms peacefully."
Charlotte's death, however, is not being counted in the county's COVID-19 numbers, or by Colorado state, which has not yet recorded the death of any children from complications related to the coronavirus.
“While we cannot speak to specific individual cases, there are no confirmed pediatric COVID-19 deaths in El Paso County," a spokesperson for the county told BuzzFeed News
The particular strain of medical cannabis with a high cannabinoid is called Charlotte's Web, in honor of the girl. The Figi family had moved to Colorado in order for their then-toddler daughter to access the drug legally and continued to speak publicly about its benefits in documentaries and news stories.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-10--Police Dragged A Man Off A Bus A Day After Philadelphia Said All Riders Have To Wear Masks Due To Th

Police Dragged A Man Off A Bus A Day After Philadelphia Said All Riders Have To Wear Masks Due To The Coronavirus

`` This violent enforcement by the Philadelphia Police is the worst possible response and makes us all less safe . ''
At least seven Philadelphia police officers dragged a man off of a city bus on Friday , purportedly for not wearing a mask , in an incident that was captured on video and soon went viral .
The film was shared by the Philly Transit Riders Union , a community organization that advocates for the city 's public transit users and wants the incident investigated .
While viewers are n't able to see the events that led up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows the man , who was not wearing a face mask , being dragged off the bus by several uniformed officers with police yanking at his limbs as he seems to resist being removed .
He then tells them he wants their badge numbers .
According to the group , the man was pulled off the bus because he was n't wearing a face mask .
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ( SEPTA ) confirmed to BuzzFeed News that a man was removed from one of their buses .
A spokesperson said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still under investigation .
In a statement , a Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson said that their presence was requested by a SEPTA bus driver around 8:25 a.m. in the Center City neighborhood .
`` A SEPTA bus driver requested that a passenger leave the bus several times , and the passenger repeatedly refused , '' the spokesperson said .
`` PPD Officers arrived , and after being made aware of the driver ’ s request , also ordered the male to leave the bus several times .
The male refused , at which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers . ''
The spokesperson added that the man , whom they did not identify , was neither arrested nor cited for the incident .
In response to the coronavirus pandemic , the Centers for Disease Control has issued guidance recommending that Americans wear face masks in public .
Several cities and states have codified those recommendations into laws and regulations , and on Thursday , SEPTA began requiring masks for its riders .
But in response to BuzzFeed News 's questions about the incident on Friday , the SEPTA spokesperson said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they had issued the prior day .
`` SEPTA urges customers to wear facial coverings in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 , consistent with new CDC guidelines and strong recommendations from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf , '' agency officials told BuzzFeed in an emailed statement .
`` While SEPTA urges riders to cover their faces , those who refuse will not be barred entry to the system . ''
In the same thread , the Philly Transit Riders Union shared video of what appeared to be a separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not wearing a face mask himself , demanding that all riders without masks get off the bus .
The man is heard telling a rider : `` You have to get off the bus , man , or I 'm going to have the cops take you off , one or other . ''
One of the riders appears to have fashioned a mask out of clothing , which the CDC has said works as an effective face cover , but he too was told to exit the bus .
Some online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lead of Detroit .
After a bus driver there died from the coronavirus , officials started handing out thousands of free surgical masks for riders .
For its part , the Philly Transit Riders Union say they are n't against the face mask rule , but instead how it was being implemented .
`` On Thursday , SEPTA 'urged ' riders to wear face masks , despite masks still being listed as a prohibited item on other parts of SEPTA ’ s website , '' organization members said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , masks apparently became a 'condition for riding transit . '
'' `` Under normal conditions , conflicting messages from SEPTA management might only cost riders their time– missed birthdays , graduations , job interviews , doctor ’ s appointments , '' they added .
`` During the COVID-19 pandemic , an interaction with an armed police officer could cost a Philly transit rider their life . ''

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) confirmed to BuzzFeed News that a man was removed from one of their buses. A spokesperson said the reasons why the man was removed are still under investigation.
In a statement, a Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson said that their presence was requested by a SEPTA bus driver around 8:25 a.m. in the Center City neighborhood.
"A SEPTA bus driver requested that a passenger leave the bus several times, and the passenger repeatedly refused," the spokesperson said. "PPD Officers arrived, and after being made aware of the driver’s request, also ordered the male to leave the bus several times. The male refused, at which point he was physically removed by the officers."
The spokesperson added that the man, whom they did not identify, was neither arrested nor cited for the incident.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control has issued guidance recommending that Americans wear face masks in public. Several cities and states have codified those recommendations into laws and regulations, and on Thursday, SEPTA began requiring masks for its riders.
But in response to BuzzFeed News's questions about the incident on Friday, the SEPTA spokesperson said that they will no longer enforce the rule that they had issued the prior day.
"SEPTA urges customers to wear facial coverings in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, consistent with new CDC guidelines and strong recommendations from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf," agency officials told BuzzFeed in an emailed statement. "While SEPTA urges riders to cover their faces, those who refuse will not be barred entry to the system."
In the same thread, the Philly Transit Riders Union shared video of what appeared to be a separate incident showing a SEPTA employee, who is not wearing a face mask himself, demanding that all riders without masks get off the bus. The man is heard telling a rider: "You have to get off the bus, man, or I'm going to have the cops take you off, one or other."


buzzfeednews--2020-01-27--Chinese State Media Spread A False Image Of A Hospital For Coronavirus Patients In Wuhan

Chinese state media and a government official spread a false image they claimed showed a newly constructed hospital building in @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus outbreak .
The image actually shows a modular apartment building more than 600 @ @ @ @ @ China , and was taken from an online listing .
The out-of-context photo was shared @ @ @ @ @ accounts of Global Times and People 's Daily , both of which are state media @ @ @ @ @ by Lijian Zhao , deputy director general of the information department in the Chinese Ministry @ @ @ @ @ Times also published an article , archived using Internet Archive ’ s Wayback Machine , @ @ @ @ @ false image was spread after videos showing the rapid construction of a new hospital in @ @ @ @ @ media networks .
Bloomberg reported that China was planning to build a hospital in a @ @ @ @ @ .
The hospital would reportedly have 1,500 beds .

Chinese state media and a government official spread a false image they claimed showed a newly constructed hospital building in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. The image actually shows a modular apartment building more than 600 miles away in Qingdao, China, and was taken from an online listing.
The out-of-context photo was shared in tweets from the verified accounts of Global Times and People's Daily, both of which are state media outlets, and was tweeted by Lijian Zhao, deputy director general of the information department in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Global Times also published an article, archived using Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, featuring the photo.
The false image was spread after videos showing the rapid construction of a new hospital in Wuhan went viral across social media networks. Bloomberg reported that China was planning to build a hospital in a week in the coronavirus-stricken city. The hospital would reportedly have 1,500 beds.