australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--‘Leave mummy alone’: Dramatic moment a mother protesting against COVID-19 lockdown is arrested in fr

‘Leave mummy alone’: Dramatic moment a mother protesting against COVID-19 lockdown is arrested in front of her screaming son before the distraught child is pulled off her

A mother has been pulled away from her screaming son as she was arrested for protesting ‘ for her rights ’ during the coronavirus pandemic .
Video footage shared to Facebook showed the woman speaking with police officers near Parliament of New South Wales in Sydney ’ s CBD about 3.50pm on Saturday .
The woman , who was with her son , wore a yellow sign that read : ‘ If you don ’ t know your rights , you don ’ t have any .
Magna Carta.
’ The woman told police she was not doing anything wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing regulations implemented during the health crisis .
Australians are allowed to exercise outdoors but must keep a 1.5 distance from others .
‘ I don ’ t know how you guys are going home in honour tonight and trying to infringe me with a notice which I don ’ t consent to because we ’ re doing nothing wrong , ’ she told the group of officers .
‘ You guys should be here holding the signs with us , defending us .
I don ’ t consent to what you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not ‘ acting in aggression ’ and that she did not consent to sharing her name .
She asked if police she was ‘ under arrest ’ and female officer explained they were ‘ asking for her name ’ as they believed she was committing an offence .
The woman then appeared to walk on .
Additional video footage showed the altercation took a turn for the worst .
Police attempted to arrest the woman , while her son screamed and cried .
‘ Mummy is not going , ’ he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @

By ZOE ZACZEK FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
A mother has been pulled away from her screaming son as she was arrested for protesting ‘for her rights’ during the coronavirus pandemic.
Video footage shared to Facebook showed the woman speaking with police officers near Parliament of New South Wales in Sydney’s CBD about 3.50pm on Saturday.
The woman, who was with her son, wore a yellow sign that read: ‘If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any. Magna Carta.’
The woman told police she was not doing anything wrong, despite the government’s social distancing regulations implemented during the health crisis.
Australians are allowed to exercise outdoors but must keep a 1.5 distance from others.
‘I don’t know how you guys are going home in honour tonight and trying to infringe me with a notice which I don’t consent to because we’re doing nothing wrong,’ she told the group of officers.
‘You guys should be here holding the signs with us, defending us. I don’t consent to what you’re doing.’
The woman said she was not ‘acting in aggression’ and that she did not consent to sharing her name.
She asked if police she was ‘under arrest’ and female officer explained they were ‘asking for her name’ as they believed she was committing an offence.
The woman then appeared to walk on.
Additional video footage showed the altercation took a turn for the worst.
Police attempted to arrest the woman, while her son screamed and cried.
‘Mummy is not going,’ he said. ‘Leave mummy alone.’


australiannationalreview--2020-05-10--Aged care worker walks out after flu vaccine becomes mandatory

Did you know that from 1 May 2020 , it ’ s mandatory for all aged care workers and visitors to an aged care facility in Australia to have received the flu vaccine ?
Along with continuing to respond to the spread of COVID-19 , the Federal Government ’ s response to the flu this year has been early and hefty , with $ 80 million invested in providing a record 16.5 million free flu shots to Australians .
“ While flu vaccination does not prevent COVID-19 , both influenza and COVID-19 cause serious respiratory illness .
The combination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said a statement from the Department of Health .
But the hardline approach is costing some workers their jobs and leaving them wondering if making the vaccine mandatory is a knee-jerk reaction to the spread of COVID-19 .
Anki Groening , of Bega , has worked as a registered nurse for 10 years , first as a midwife and , for the past three years , in aged care at a Bega facility .
She says that for her , the risks associated with getting the flu shot every year far outweigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round of vaccinations to get up-to-date when I completed my nursing degree and had an immediate reaction , ” she explains .
“ I was in bed for six weeks and had unexplained arthritis for two years afterwards .
“ When I went to the doctor , she said she ’ d never seen such high levels of autoimmune indicators.
” Despite her reaction , Anki tried immunisation one more time while preparing to take a midwifery job in the Solomon Islands .
Again , she was seriously ill. “ I gave my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility ] my medical records and said that getting the shot every year to continue working there would jeopardise my health .
“ I let them decide , but it ’ s out of their hands , they have to follow government rules.
” Anki was asked to provide one of three acceptable reasons to decline the flu vaccine .
These exceptions are cancer treatment , a record of Guillain-Barré syndrome following previous flu vaccination , or a history of anaphylaxis connected to immunisation .
When she couldn ’ t provide one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
“ What they are asking us to do is weigh up our job and income over our health and wellbeing , ” says Anki .
“ The historical battle between pro-vaccination and anti-vaccination leaves little room for grey areas like my situation.
” Anki says she feels for her colleagues Australia-wide , some of who she says don ’ t feel strong enough financially to refuse the vaccine .
“ There is one nurse in particular , who I work with , who is so upset but can ’ t afford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s being vaccinated against her will.
” Anki says she can ’ t help thinking about the first thing she learnt in her nursing degree : do no harm .
“ The flu vaccine is not effective enough , and the flu is not deadly enough , to warrant risking my health again , ” she says , adding that the effectiveness of the vaccine varies from 40-60 per cent , depending on age and other factors .
Because the flu vaccine was given early this year in response to fears about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three months , a booster shot will be necessary to maintain a chance of immunity during the winter months .
“ I did ask my work if I could not work there for three months a year but they said the ban on unvaccinated workers applies all year , even though the vaccine wears off after three months , ” Anki says in frustration .
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 2017 was the worst flu year in recent history , with 1255 deaths due to influenza .
According to the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Australia from flu , with the majority aged above 75 and having comorbidities .
Anki will miss her elderly clients , especially hearing their stories , but says she won ’ t miss the way the industry preserves life at all costs , or the way that death is feared .
“ Birth and death are similar , ” she smiles .
“ When it ’ s time , we have to be strong for the person going through it because both are natural processes .
“ To continue the stance that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs – even at the cost of younger , healthy people – it ’ s a pretty big conversation that no-one wants to have .
”

By ELKA WOOD
Did you know that from 1 May 2020, it’s mandatory for all aged care workers and visitors to an aged care facility in Australia to have received the flu vaccine?
Along with continuing to respond to the spread of COVID-19, the Federal Government’s response to the flu this year has been early and hefty, with $80 million invested in providing a record 16.5 million free flu shots to Australians.
“While flu vaccination does not prevent COVID-19, both influenza and COVID-19 cause serious respiratory illness. The combination of both diseases could be life threatening,” said a statement from the Department of Health.
But the hardline approach is costing some workers their jobs and leaving them wondering if making the vaccine mandatory is a knee-jerk reaction to the spread of COVID-19.
Anki Groening, of Bega, has worked as a registered nurse for 10 years, first as a midwife and, for the past three years, in aged care at a Bega facility.
She says that for her, the risks associated with getting the flu shot every year far outweigh the benefits.
“I had a round of vaccinations to get up-to-date when I completed my nursing degree and had an immediate reaction,” she explains. “I was in bed for six weeks and had unexplained arthritis for two years afterwards.
“When I went to the doctor, she said she’d never seen such high levels of autoimmune indicators.”
Despite her reaction, Anki tried immunisation one more time while preparing to take a midwifery job in the Solomon Islands.
Again, she was seriously ill.
“I gave my boss [at the Bega aged care facility] my medical records and said that getting the shot every year to continue working there would jeopardise my health.
“I let them decide, but it’s out of their hands, they have to follow government rules.”
Anki was asked to provide one of three acceptable reasons to decline the flu vaccine. These exceptions are cancer treatment, a record of Guillain-Barré syndrome following previous flu vaccination, or a history of anaphylaxis connected to immunisation.
When she couldn’t provide one of these reasons, she was immediately stood down.
“What they are asking us to do is weigh up our job and income over our health and wellbeing,” says Anki. “The historical battle between pro-vaccination and anti-vaccination leaves little room for grey areas like my situation.”
Anki says she feels for her colleagues Australia-wide, some of who she says don’t feel strong enough financially to refuse the vaccine.
“There is one nurse in particular, who I work with, who is so upset but can’t afford to lose her job, so she’s being vaccinated against her will.”
Anki says she can’t help thinking about the first thing she learnt in her nursing degree: do no harm.
“The flu vaccine is not effective enough, and the flu is not deadly enough, to warrant risking my health again,” she says, adding that the effectiveness of the vaccine varies from 40-60 per cent, depending on age and other factors.
Because the flu vaccine was given early this year in response to fears about COVID-19, and is only effective for three months, a booster shot will be necessary to maintain a chance of immunity during the winter months.
“I did ask my work if I could not work there for three months a year but they said the ban on unvaccinated workers applies all year, even though the vaccine wears off after three months,” Anki says in frustration.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 2017 was the worst flu year in recent history, with 1255 deaths due to influenza.
According to the report, approximately 500 people die each year in Australia from flu, with the majority aged above 75 and having comorbidities.
Anki will miss her elderly clients, especially hearing their stories, but says she won’t miss the way the industry preserves life at all costs, or the way that death is feared.
“Birth and death are similar,” she smiles. “When it’s time, we have to be strong for the person going through it because both are natural processes.
“To continue the stance that we must prevent flu deaths at all costs – even at the cost of younger, healthy people – it’s a pretty big conversation that no-one wants to have.”
For more information, visit NSW Health.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-10--NRL Player ‘Won’t Be Bullied Into A Flu Shot’ After PM’s ‘No Jab, No Play’ Stance

Unfazed by criticism , Gold Coast star Bryce Cartwright says he won ’ t be bullied into getting a flu shot after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for the NRL to adopt a “ no jab , no play ” approach .
ARL Commission chairman Peter V ’ landys is set to enter talks with the RLPA to encourage players to agree to vaccination after Cartwright polarised the rugby league community with his stance .
Cartwright has refused a flu shot which is part of the NRL ’ s strict biosecurity protocols in order to restart the competition next month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even Morrison to weigh in , saying the NRL should enforce a “ no jab , no play ” policy that would ensure players who rejected vaccination would be suspended from competing .
But Cartwright has dug his heels in , saying it would be “ coercion ” if he was forced to get a jab against his wishes and claimed he was not the only player in the NRL to refuse vaccination .
The Titans star also believed his decision to refuse a jab had been leaked to the media , sparking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I won ’ t be bullied into making decisions that could impact my health and the health of my family , ” he posted on social media .
“ The flu shot is not mandatory in the NRL at the moment .
“ Giving us the ultimatum of getting the shot or be stood down is coercion and leaking private medical information is illegal .
“ As for me being the first and apparently only one declining the shot is b******t and far from the truth.
” Cartwright ’ s wife Shanelle has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to deny their children vaccines .
She even doubled down on Wednesday amid criticism of her husband , posting on social media that : “ the proof is in the pudding , our kids are a picture of health ” .
But Cartwright said he was not an anti-vaxxer .
“ Not once have I said I am anti-vaccinations , ” he said .
“ I have never told anyone what they should or shouldn ’ t do in regard to vaccinations .
“ I stand for the freedom to choose who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ‘ anti-vaxxer ’ is spreading misinformation.
” But Cartwright added : “ I know people in my industry with vaccine injured children and the herd NEVER stuck around for them .
“ These are our bodies and we decide what goes in them.
” Cartwright has signed a vaccination waiver in order to train with the Titans but must explain his actions to NRL chief medical officer Paul Bloomfield .
An NRL spokesperson said players who refused to receive the shot would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis amid consultation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports claimed Cartwright faced a ban , the NRL spokesperson refused to speculate on possible penalties .
But V ’ landys plans to talk with the RLPA players ’ union and stress the importance of players getting a shot this week .

By 10 Daily News
Unfazed by criticism, Gold Coast star Bryce Cartwright says he won’t be bullied into getting a flu shot after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for the NRL to adopt a “no jab, no play” approach.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys is set to enter talks with the RLPA to encourage players to agree to vaccination after Cartwright polarised the rugby league community with his stance.
Cartwright has refused a flu shot which is part of the NRL’s strict biosecurity protocols in order to restart the competition next month following the coronavirus shutdown.
It prompted even Morrison to weigh in, saying the NRL should enforce a “no jab, no play” policy that would ensure players who rejected vaccination would be suspended from competing.
But Cartwright has dug his heels in, saying it would be “coercion” if he was forced to get a jab against his wishes and claimed he was not the only player in the NRL to refuse vaccination.
The Titans star also believed his decision to refuse a jab had been leaked to the media, sparking the “anti-vaxxer” backlash.
“I won’t be bullied into making decisions that could impact my health and the health of my family,” he posted on social media.
“The flu shot is not mandatory in the NRL at the moment.
“Giving us the ultimatum of getting the shot or be stood down is coercion and leaking private medical information is illegal.
“As for me being the first and apparently only one declining the shot is b******t and far from the truth.”
Cartwright’s wife Shanelle has been outspoken about their family’s decision to deny their children vaccines.
She even doubled down on Wednesday amid criticism of her husband, posting on social media that: “the proof is in the pudding, our kids are a picture of health”.
But Cartwright said he was not an anti-vaxxer.
“Not once have I said I am anti-vaccinations,” he said.
“I have never told anyone what they should or shouldn’t do in regard to vaccinations.
“I stand for the freedom to choose who goes into our bodies..so to label me an ‘anti-vaxxer’ is spreading misinformation.”
But Cartwright added: “I know people in my industry with vaccine injured children and the herd NEVER stuck around for them.
“These are our bodies and we decide what goes in them.”
Cartwright has signed a vaccination waiver in order to train with the Titans but must explain his actions to NRL chief medical officer Paul Bloomfield.
An NRL spokesperson said players who refused to receive the shot would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis amid consultation with club and NRL medical staff.
While reports claimed Cartwright faced a ban, the NRL spokesperson refused to speculate on possible penalties.
But V’landys plans to talk with the RLPA players’ union and stress the importance of players getting a shot this week.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-12--Historic Festival Of Arts Fine Art Show And Pageant Of The Masters Fall Victim To Coronavirus

Add the historic Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach , California to the endless list of signature cultural events this summer cancelled due to the outbreak of coronavirus .
“ We were hopeful and tried our best to open our doors this summer , but sadly our shows have become another victim of COVID-19 , ” David Perry , Festival of Arts Board President , said in a press release annoucing the decision issued May 11 .
“ The decision to cancel our shows was not taken lightly , but given these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right thing to do.
” This move represents an abrupt about-face for organizers who on April 14 sent an email to supporters soliciting monetary donations to help assure the events would go on this summer despite “ unprecedented financial uncertainty.
” “ If the current depressed pace of sales continues , we expect there will be insufficient revenue to support production of our summer programs–all of which sustain a varied array of benefits to our patrons , volunteers , artists , summer employees , members and the local community , ” Perry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters .
Pageant ticket sales account for 85 % of the Festival of Arts budget .
Established in 1932 , the Festival of Arts ’ mission is to promote , produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation , study and performance of the arts .
Each summer for over 85 years , the Festival of Arts has produced two world-class events : The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters .
Together both shows attract more than 225,000 visitors into Laguna Beach annually .
Pageant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living pictures ) , stunningly faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art , with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces .
An outdoor amphitheater , professional orchestra , original score , live narration , intricate sets , sophisticated lighting , expert staff and hundreds of dedicated volunteers combine to create the unique spectacle which runs through July and August .
More than 1,000 people try out each year for a position in the Pageant with approximately 500 volunteers either cast into the show or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they contribute over 60,000 hours to the performance .
2020 Pageant ticket holders will be contacted by email regarding ticket cancellation options .
Anyone who donates their tickets back to the organization will be automatically entered into a drawing for a walk-on role in the 2021 Pageant .
The Pageant of the Masters ’ performance of “ Made in America ” has been postponed to the summer of 2021 , with dates and details still to be announced .
Artists juried into the 2020 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show will be guaranteed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Festival of Arts team is exploring the possibility of a virtual art exhibit that could be available later this summer , as well as other art initiatives .
Details will be announced on the Festival ’ s website ( www.foapom.com ) and on social media when available .
All individuals living in California are currently ordered to stay home or at their place of residence , leaving only for permitted work , local shopping related to open sectors , healthcare , food , personal exercise and local outdoor recreation .
California Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to gradually resume regular commerce in the state .
Stage Four includes an end to the state ’ s stay-at-home order and the resumption of festivals , concerts , sporting events and other large gatherings such as Pageant of the Masters .
The state is currently in Stage Two and seems to be taking an exceedingly measured pace in working through the stages .
The likelihood that Stage Four would be realized in time for Laguna Beach ’ s Festival of Arts to take place was infinitesimle and Newsome cast a pall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings in the state when he said in a press conference on May 7 that he can ’ t forsee sports fans filling stadiums “ until we have immunity , until we have a vaccine .
”

By Chadd Scott
Add the historic Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California to the endless list of signature cultural events this summer cancelled due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
“We were hopeful and tried our best to open our doors this summer, but sadly our shows have become another victim of COVID-19,” David Perry, Festival of Arts Board President, said in a press release annoucing the decision issued May 11. “The decision to cancel our shows was not taken lightly, but given these unprecedented times, we believe it is the right thing to do.”
This move represents an abrupt about-face for organizers who on April 14 sent an email to supporters soliciting monetary donations to help assure the events would go on this summer despite “unprecedented financial uncertainty.”
“If the current depressed pace of sales continues, we expect there will be insufficient revenue to support production of our summer programs–all of which sustain a varied array of benefits to our patrons, volunteers, artists, summer employees, members and the local community,” Perry was quoted in the April email to supporters.
Pageant ticket sales account for 85% of the Festival of Arts budget.
Established in 1932, the Festival of Arts’ mission is to promote, produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts. Each summer for over 85 years, the Festival of Arts has produced two world-class events: The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. Together both shows attract more than 225,000 visitors into Laguna Beach annually.
Pageant of the Masters features tableaux vivants (living pictures), stunningly faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art, with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff and hundreds of dedicated volunteers combine to create the unique spectacle which runs through July and August.
More than 1,000 people try out each year for a position in the Pageant with approximately 500 volunteers either cast into the show or filling behind-the-scenes roles. All told, they contribute over 60,000 hours to the performance.
2020 Pageant ticket holders will be contacted by email regarding ticket cancellation options. Anyone who donates their tickets back to the organization will be automatically entered into a drawing for a walk-on role in the 2021 Pageant.
The Pageant of the Masters’ performance of “Made in America” has been postponed to the summer of 2021, with dates and details still to be announced. Artists juried into the 2020 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show will be guaranteed a spot in the 2021 exhibit. The Festival of Arts team is exploring the possibility of a virtual art exhibit that could be available later this summer, as well as other art initiatives. Details will be announced on the Festival’s website (www.foapom.com) and on social media when available.
All individuals living in California are currently ordered to stay home or at their place of residence, leaving only for permitted work, local shopping related to open sectors, healthcare, food, personal exercise and local outdoor recreation.
California Governor Gavin Newsome has laid out a four-stage plan to gradually resume regular commerce in the state. Stage Four includes an end to the state’s stay-at-home order and the resumption of festivals, concerts, sporting events and other large gatherings such as Pageant of the Masters. The state is currently in Stage Two and seems to be taking an exceedingly measured pace in working through the stages.
The likelihood that Stage Four would be realized in time for Laguna Beach’s Festival of Arts to take place was infinitesimle and Newsome cast a pall over the near future of all large gatherings in the state when he said in a press conference on May 7 that he can’t forsee sports fans filling stadiums “until we have immunity, until we have a vaccine.”


australiannationalreview--2020-05-12--The Best Of Philippine Fashion And Art Come Together To Fight Hunger In A Time Of Corona

Auctions are exciting .
From the time you get hold of the catalog up to that moment you walk into the auction hall , one can never really tell who will go home with what .
The bidding wars , similarly , are an experience in itself .
Myself an eager observer in these events , I ’ ve witnessed one phone call outdo a top bid with ease .
And when that gavel is finally struck , you can ’ t help but feel happy for the winning bidder—no matter who he or she may be .
Two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Salcedo Auctions ’ “ Important Philippine Art ” auction took place .
Adjustments had to be made immediately , with announcements that encouraged art enthusiasts and auction regulars to bid online or leave an absentee bid .
Director of pioneering auctions house , Salcedo Auctions , Richie Lerma , begins , “ I think businesses dealing in fine art are coping with the pandemic crisis the way that they would any creative challenge—pivoting in response to the so-called New Normal with new ideas to present their pieces to their audiences.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did just that , and brought the country ’ s most-sought after masterpieces to the auction floor .
Among the key sales made that day were Ang Kiukok ’ s ‘ Man ’ painting ( sold for around $ 255,000 ) and a limited edition Patek Philippe timepiece ( sold for around $ 185,000 ) .
The successful turnout is indication that art and the auction scene continue to inspire even in unprecedented times .
It also supports the idea that fashion and art can come together to effect positive results .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we began 10 years ago .
I have always believed in auctions as a great venue for fund-raising , ” explains Richie .
And now more than ever , funds are needed to bring food to those whose livelihoods were affected by the lockdowns .
Consultant for Rise Against Hunger , Devi de Veyra explains , “ With more people now out of work , especially those who are daily wagers , there is an urgent need for us to extend our support in any way we can .
We have many groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about those who have absolutely nothing to eat ?
Rise Against Hunger is an NGO feeding other victims of the COVID-19 crisis—our marginalized .
These are individuals severely affected by the lockdown .
As a result of the current situation , food supply of Rise Against Hunger has hit critical levels .
Hence , the urgency.
” As a response , Richie and his team at Salcedo Auctions decided to mount a benefit auction under its subsidiary house , Gavel & Block .
He explains , “ Gavel & Block is more mainstream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and design to contemporary audiences.
” For the those working behind this initiative , it was the fitting time for all members of the local creative community to come together for a cause .
Richie adds , “ Fashion , is , of course , at the forefront of how many people experience art.
” Luis Espiritu , a fashion luminary in the Philippines , who has played an essential role in getting some of the country ’ s design greats together for this benefit shares : “ The fashion industry in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In these trying times , the collective of Filipino international , local designers and brands have come together for an auction to help rise against hunger .
Driven with selflessness , compassion and love for others , I am humbled by these individuals with hearts full of love and eager to serve the Filipino.
” Happening on May 23 at 2PM GMT , Gavel and Block will open an online benefit auction , We Bid As One , in support of Rise Against Hunger Philippines .
Richie expounds , “ The problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , with so many people out of work .
Art is a luxury to so many people , so we wanted to underscore its abiding importance in society—uplifting our spirits while helping those who need it most.
” Included in this year ’ s benefit are special creations by Philippine fashion greats like Michael Cinco , Lesley Mobo , Jojie Lloren , Dennis Lustico , Joey Samson , Ignacio Loyola , Puey Quinones , just to name a few .
Over 500 of entries will be featured in this benefit auction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and engaging with different artistic communities .
We are delighted that leading lights in contemporary Philippine fashion are joining us as we bed as one community to alleviate hunger , ” declares Richie .
Here ’ s a look at some of the fashion , fine jewelry and art treasures that you can find at Gavel & Block ’ s We Bid As One Benefit Auction to support Rise Against Hunger .
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ALSO LOVE ART , HERE ’ S ARE GEMS TO CONSIDER

By Bianca Salonga
Auctions are exciting. From the time you get hold of the catalog up to that moment you walk into the auction hall, one can never really tell who will go home with what. The bidding wars, similarly, are an experience in itself. Myself an eager observer in these events, I’ve witnessed one phone call outdo a top bid with ease. And when that gavel is finally struck, you can’t help but feel happy for the winning bidder—no matter who he or she may be.
Two days after the lockdown in Manila was announced, Salcedo Auctions’ “Important Philippine Art” auction took place. Adjustments had to be made immediately, with announcements that encouraged art enthusiasts and auction regulars to bid online or leave an absentee bid. Director of pioneering auctions house, Salcedo Auctions, Richie Lerma, begins, “I think businesses dealing in fine art are coping with the pandemic crisis the way that they would any creative challenge—pivoting in response to the so-called New Normal with new ideas to present their pieces to their audiences.” On March 14, the Philippine art institution did just that, and brought the country’s most-sought after masterpieces to the auction floor. Among the key sales made that day were Ang Kiukok’s ‘Man’ painting (sold for around $255,000) and a limited edition Patek Philippe timepiece (sold for around $185,000).
The successful turnout is indication that art and the auction scene continue to inspire even in unprecedented times. It also supports the idea that fashion and art can come together to effect positive results .“We have been running charity auctions since we began 10 years ago. I have always believed in auctions as a great venue for fund-raising,” explains Richie. And now more than ever, funds are needed to bring food to those whose livelihoods were affected by the lockdowns. Consultant for Rise Against Hunger, Devi de Veyra explains, “With more people now out of work, especially those who are daily wagers, there is an urgent need for us to extend our support in any way we can. We have many groups helping our brave front liners but what about those who have absolutely nothing to eat? Rise Against Hunger is an NGO feeding other victims of the COVID-19 crisis—our marginalized. These are individuals severely affected by the lockdown. As a result of the current situation, food supply of Rise Against Hunger has hit critical levels. Hence, the urgency.”
As a response, Richie and his team at Salcedo Auctions decided to mount a benefit auction under its subsidiary house, Gavel & Block. He explains, “Gavel & Block is more mainstream and accessible bringing auctions focusing on art and design to contemporary audiences.” For the those working behind this initiative, it was the fitting time for all members of the local creative community to come together for a cause. Richie adds, “Fashion, is, of course, at the forefront of how many people experience art.”
Luis Espiritu, a fashion luminary in the Philippines, who has played an essential role in getting some of the country’s design greats together for this benefit shares: “The fashion industry in the Philippines is a force to reckon with. In these trying times, the collective of Filipino international, local designers and brands have come together for an auction to help rise against hunger. Driven with selflessness, compassion and love for others, I am humbled by these individuals with hearts full of love and eager to serve the Filipino.”
Happening on May 23 at 2PM GMT, Gavel and Block will open an online benefit auction, We Bid As One, in support of Rise Against Hunger Philippines. Richie expounds, “The problem of hunger is becoming more acute given the pandemic, with so many people out of work. Art is a luxury to so many people, so we wanted to underscore its abiding importance in society—uplifting our spirits while helping those who need it most.” Included in this year’s benefit are special creations by Philippine fashion greats like Michael Cinco, Lesley Mobo, Jojie Lloren, Dennis Lustico, Joey Samson, Ignacio Loyola, Puey Quinones, just to name a few. Over 500 of entries will be featured in this benefit auction. “We believe in supporting others and engaging with different artistic communities. We are delighted that leading lights in contemporary Philippine fashion are joining us as we bed as one community to alleviate hunger,” declares Richie.
Here’s a look at some of the fashion, fine jewelry and art treasures that you can find at Gavel & Block’s We Bid As One Benefit Auction to support Rise Against Hunger.
FASHION APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES
A custom Michael Cinco dress worn by Kylie MInogue PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
Lavender stretch gown the laser cutout details by Michael Cinco PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL CINCO
A Lee Aguinaldo Inspired column dress in dupioni silk and crepe by Jojie Lloren PHOTO COURTESY OF JOJIE LLOREN
Hand woven and hand embellished jacket by KAAYO PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
Patchwork of indigenous fabrics crafted onto a one-of-a-kind coat by PIOPIO PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
Pleated dress with silver pailettes by Lesley Mobo PHOTO COURTESY OF LESLEY MOBO
Emerald trapeze dress in Gazar by Puey Quinones PHOTO COURTESY OF PUEY QUINONES
Rubber band backpack by Ignacio Loyola PHOTO COURTESY OF IGNACIO LOYOLA
Hand carved Wooden Clutch by Aranaz PHOTO COURTESY OF ARANAZ
Upcycled Kamagong wooden clutch with suede tussles by Tweetie de Leon Gonzales PHOTO COURTESY OF TWEETIE DE LEON GONZALES
Hand crafted Radio Cassette Bag by Zarah Juan PHOTO COURTESY OF ZARAH JUAN
Party Line Bag by Zarah Juan PHOTO COURTESY OF ZARAH JUAN
Handmade cross with green onyx, corals and fresh water pearls by Joyce Makitalo PHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE MAKITALO
Winged creatures earrings with emeralds and blue sapphires by Tim Tam Ong PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM TAM ONG
FINE JEWELRY PIECES
White and black diamond flower ring is up for auction at GAVEL & BLOCK’s We Bid As One Benefit PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
Diamond Chandelier earrings at the GAVEL & BLOCK Benefit Auction PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
PHOTOGRAPHY PRINTS
GAVEL & BLOCK’s We Bid As One Auction will also feature a photograph by Paco Guerrero PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
Veejay Villafranca’s photograph at the GAVEL & BLOCK We Bid As One Benefit Auction PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ALSO LOVE ART, HERE’S ARE GEMS TO CONSIDER
A Bencab print PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
Tianzi Mountain by Betsy Westendorp PHOTO COURTESY OF GAVEL & BLOCK
Painting by Juvenal Sanso PHOTO BY GAVEL & BLOCK


australiannationalreview--2020-05-12--Future Air Travel: Four-Hour Process, Self Check-In, Disinfection, Immunity Passes

Once airports and borders open again and people are able to fly freely — a process already in play as airports of all sizes around the world ready strategies to ensure healthy air travel — how much are you ready to change your flying habits ?
As much as was required after 9/11 ?
Less ?
More ?
Considering some of the changes already happening and the many more recommended before airports can reopen safely to commercial routes , experts are referring to the coronavirus pandemic as ‘ the new terrorism , ’ triggering the biggest crisis the airline industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start with the entire process of checking in for flights , which some calculate that it could take up to four hours and involving social distancing , sanitation of passengers and luggage , wider spaces for various lines and waiting to board .
Nine out of 10 experts expect slower turnarounds between flights due to the need of thorough cleaning of cabins and following of sanitary measures at airports .
In the short run , though , it ’ s expected that reduced passenger numbers and airlines traveling to a smaller pool of @ @ @ @ @

By Cecilia Rodriguez
Once airports and borders open again and people are able to fly freely — a process already in play as airports of all sizes around the world ready strategies to ensure healthy air travel — how much are you ready to change your flying habits?
As much as was required after 9/11? Less? More?
Considering some of the changes already happening and the many more recommended before airports can reopen safely to commercial routes, experts are referring to the coronavirus pandemic as ‘the new terrorism,’ triggering the biggest crisis the airline industry has ever faced.
Let’s start with the entire process of checking in for flights, which some calculate that it could take up to four hours and involving social distancing, sanitation of passengers and luggage, wider spaces for various lines and waiting to board.
Nine out of 10 experts expect slower turnarounds between flights due to the need of thorough cleaning of cabins and following of sanitary measures at airports.
In the short run, though, it’s expected that reduced passenger numbers and airlines traveling to a smaller pool of destinations may reduce delays.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-09--The coming pandemic of shortages – Nearly half of Americans paid not to produce

As of April 25 , 2020 , more than 30 million Americans were receiving unemployment payments .
Around 10 million more who had been self-employed were suddenly unable to earn an income yet found they could not file claims because of antiquated state systems .
The federal CARE Act was passed by Congress to support all those now unable to work because of the Covid-19 Pandemic , including the self-employed .
Tens of billions of dollars were transferred to state governments for unemployment programs .
By mid-May , around 40 million newly unemployed Americans will be receiving payments to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — paid not to produce any products .
At the beginning of the Pandemic , 67.9 million Americans were already being paid by Social Security Administration programs to be unproductive .
( SSA.gov ) There are approximately 230 million adults over the age of 18 in the United States .
By mid-May , a staggering total of 108 million of those adult Americans will be receiving money to remain unproductive .
That is an incredible 47 % of the population being paid to do nothing .
At the same time , with some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid from federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs ( SNAP ) .
In addition , the federal government pays for childcare for about 1.5 million children .
This does not include state and city welfare programs .
As an example , the state of New York was providing welfare payments to 600,000 people before the pandemic began .
Officially the United States budget is nearly $ 800 billion for other welfare programs , not including social security .
The $ 800 billion does include Medicaid , but not Medicare .
As of May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be passed out in “ transfer ” payments during 2020 to individuals not to produce any products , although the recipients will buy products including medical care .
While termed “ transfer payments , ” that is not a true definition because a large portion of the money does not come from taxation , but rather from the federal government just printing the money .
Initially the federal government was projected to spend about $ 1 trillion more than was received in taxation for fiscal 2020 .
With additional pandemic spending so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government is projected to borrow $ 4.5 trillion — the emphasis being on “ so far.
” ( WSJ 5/5/20 ) This massive amount of money from the central government does not include the roughly $ 4 trillion the Federal Reserve has pumped into the system so far this year to prop up the casino known as “ the markets.
” Now the Fed is buying ETF corporate bond funds .
Here is the big question : Where will the products come from that tens of millions of Americans are being paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Utopian Road to Hell , I wrote of my experiences in the Soviet Union just before the Great Collapse .
I witnessed , firsthand , the result of people being paid to produce little or nothing .
The Soviets invented the reusable shopping bag , but not to be “ green.
” Everyone had a folded-up bag just in case something became available .
Women carried them in purses , men in lunch pails or briefcases .
Lines would appear out of nowhere , sometimes at a street corner waiting for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or even durable goods , on the black market .
Tens of thousands in Moscow went to flea markets such as Levsha , which now sells mostly nostalgia items , but back then it was to find necessities .
The Soviet people were not poor , as depicted in Western media at the time .
They actually had plenty of money because there simply was nothing available to buy with their earnings !
“ For the good of the people ” prices were fixed far below production costs , and jobs were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regardless of the profitability or quality of their products .
The Russian and Ukrainian areas of the Soviet Union had more fertile farmland than the United States , but still had to buy grain because of the lack of productivity .
In the Soviet Union , the retirement age was set at 60 for men and 55 for women , to show the world that communism did more “ for the good of the people ” than Western nations .
( Note : President Putin tried to rectify the early retirement of productive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
During the years of perestroika ( 1985-1991 ) and after , I maintained a jointly owned company in the Soviet Union .
In Moscow the metro cost about two cents to ride , at a time it was almost $ 2 in Paris .
Bread was the equivalent of 5 cents a loaf , yet probably cost in the area of 50 to 75 cents a loaf to produce .
The costs were of course fixed “ for the good of the people ” and as a result bread was rarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be found in dumpsters .
That ’ s because whenever bread was available , people would grab far more than they could use , causing hoarding shortages .
The core of the problem was , of course , workers being paid far more that the value of the products they produced .
The products may have been of poor quality , and with quantity lacking also , but they did produce something .
Currently in the United States , “ for the good of the people ” nearly half of the adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
This works so long as third-world nations manufacture and grow products of value that Americans can buy at ridiculously low prices , with money our government just prints .
The system will continue to work as long as our nation can force on others the use of the dollar as the world ’ s currency .
There is more “ for the good of the people ” to come .
So much more “ for the good of the people ” that the dollar may lose its value regardless of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi , for all intent and purposes the head of the Democratic Party , has moved in the direction of a “ universal minimum wage ” proposed by Andrew Yang , Bernie Sanders and other socialists .
In light of Covid-19 , Senator Sanders proposed $ 2,000 per month per person as a “ universal minimum wage ” for every American .
Presumably , a family of four would receive $ 96,000 a year .
Who in a family receiving that much money would be willing to work anywhere , even for $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum wage in the nation ?
( That wage is in Washington , DC of course ) .
By working , the individual in Washington , DC would make just $ 29,120 a year , versus $ 24,000 a year tax free to do nothing .
Then who will bring in the crops ?
Illegals ?
Not if illegals are included in the universal minimum wage “ for the good of the people.
” Some high paying manufacturing jobs such as those in defense will be filled , but not many more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bangladesh , India and the rest will begin to realize that the paper we are handing them can not be used to buy anything , because America produces little but armaments , and Boeing airplanes that are lead balloons .
At that point , the whole scheme fails .
It is , after all , a Ponzi scheme that promises more and more out of the pot , for less and less put in the pot .
Again … where do the products come from … the products all that money being printed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” will be able to buy ?
The products simply will not be available , and Americans will carry around their bags hoping to find something , just as did the Soviet citizens who lived in a nation that provided little more for “ the good of the people ” than hunger .

By William J. Murray
As of April 25, 2020, more than 30 million Americans were receiving unemployment payments. Around 10 million more who had been self-employed were suddenly unable to earn an income yet found they could not file claims because of antiquated state systems. The federal CARE Act was passed by Congress to support all those now unable to work because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, including the self-employed. Tens of billions of dollars were transferred to state governments for unemployment programs.
By mid-May, around 40 million newly unemployed Americans will be receiving payments to be unemployed — or to be more specific — paid not to produce any products.
At the beginning of the Pandemic, 67.9 million Americans were already being paid by Social Security Administration programs to be unproductive. (SSA.gov) There are approximately 230 million adults over the age of 18 in the United States. By mid-May, a staggering total of 108 million of those adult Americans will be receiving money to remain unproductive. That is an incredible 47% of the population being paid to do nothing.
At the same time, with some overlap, 40 million Americans receive food aid from federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP). In addition, the federal government pays for childcare for about 1.5 million children. This does not include state and city welfare programs. As an example, the state of New York was providing welfare payments to 600,000 people before the pandemic began.
Officially the United States budget is nearly $800 billion for other welfare programs, not including social security. The $800 billion does include Medicaid, but not Medicare.
As of May, estimates are that $3 trillion will be passed out in “transfer” payments during 2020 to individuals not to produce any products, although the recipients will buy products including medical care. While termed “transfer payments,” that is not a true definition because a large portion of the money does not come from taxation, but rather from the federal government just printing the money.
Initially the federal government was projected to spend about $1 trillion more than was received in taxation for fiscal 2020. With additional pandemic spending so far, and reduction in taxes paid, the government is projected to borrow $4.5 trillion — the emphasis being on “so far.” (WSJ 5/5/20)
This massive amount of money from the central government does not include the roughly $4 trillion the Federal Reserve has pumped into the system so far this year to prop up the casino known as “the markets.” Now the Fed is buying ETF corporate bond funds.
Here is the big question: Where will the products come from that tens of millions of Americans are being paid not to produce?
In my book, Utopian Road to Hell, I wrote of my experiences in the Soviet Union just before the Great Collapse. I witnessed, firsthand, the result of people being paid to produce little or nothing. The Soviets invented the reusable shopping bag, but not to be “green.” Everyone had a folded-up bag just in case something became available. Women carried them in purses, men in lunch pails or briefcases. Lines would appear out of nowhere, sometimes at a street corner waiting for a truck to pull up to sell food, or even durable goods, on the black market. Tens of thousands in Moscow went to flea markets such as Levsha, which now sells mostly nostalgia items, but back then it was to find necessities.
The Soviet people were not poor, as depicted in Western media at the time. They actually had plenty of money because there simply was nothing available to buy with their earnings! “For the good of the people” prices were fixed far below production costs, and jobs were guaranteed for life. Workers were paid regardless of the profitability or quality of their products. The Russian and Ukrainian areas of the Soviet Union had more fertile farmland than the United States, but still had to buy grain because of the lack of productivity.
In the Soviet Union, the retirement age was set at 60 for men and 55 for women, to show the world that communism did more “for the good of the people” than Western nations. (Note: President Putin tried to rectify the early retirement of productive people and saw his popularity immediately drop.)
During the years of perestroika (1985-1991) and after, I maintained a jointly owned company in the Soviet Union. In Moscow the metro cost about two cents to ride, at a time it was almost $2 in Paris.
Bread was the equivalent of 5 cents a loaf, yet probably cost in the area of 50 to 75 cents a loaf to produce. The costs were of course fixed “for the good of the people” and as a result bread was rarely available — although lots of moldy bread could be found in dumpsters. That’s because whenever bread was available, people would grab far more than they could use, causing hoarding shortages.
The core of the problem was, of course, workers being paid far more that the value of the products they produced. The products may have been of poor quality, and with quantity lacking also, but they did produce something.
Currently in the United States, “for the good of the people” nearly half of the adult population is paid to produce nothing at all.
This works so long as third-world nations manufacture and grow products of value that Americans can buy at ridiculously low prices, with money our government just prints. The system will continue to work as long as our nation can force on others the use of the dollar as the world’s currency.
There is more “for the good of the people” to come. So much more “for the good of the people” that the dollar may lose its value regardless of our military and current economic strength. Nancy Pelosi, for all intent and purposes the head of the Democratic Party, has moved in the direction of a “universal minimum wage” proposed by Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders and other socialists.
In light of Covid-19, Senator Sanders proposed $2,000 per month per person as a “universal minimum wage” for every American. Presumably, a family of four would receive $96,000 a year. Who in a family receiving that much money would be willing to work anywhere, even for $14 an hour which is the highest minimum wage in the nation? (That wage is in Washington, DC of course). By working, the individual in Washington, DC would make just $29,120 a year, versus $24,000 a year tax free to do nothing.
Then who will bring in the crops? Illegals? Not if illegals are included in the universal minimum wage “for the good of the people.”
Some high paying manufacturing jobs such as those in defense will be filled, but not many more.
At some point China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and the rest will begin to realize that the paper we are handing them cannot be used to buy anything, because America produces little but armaments, and Boeing airplanes that are lead balloons. At that point, the whole scheme fails. It is, after all, a Ponzi scheme that promises more and more out of the pot, for less and less put in the pot.
Again … where do the products come from … the products all that money being printed “for the good of the people” will be able to buy?
The products simply will not be available, and Americans will carry around their bags hoping to find something, just as did the Soviet citizens who lived in a nation that provided little more for “the good of the people” than hunger.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-13--Surprising Supermarket Items We Can’t Get Enough Of

Woolies has crunched the numbers and discovered that self-isolation has made us all experimental in the kitchen .
The supermarket giant has reviewed its sales data from the last nine weeks to understand how the coronarvirus pandemic has impacted the way we shop and eat .
According to Woolies ’ stats , we ’ ve been getting spicy in isy .
Purchases of sauces , spices and soups have seen explosive growth in recent weeks .
Ingredients such as cardamom , saffron and dried sesame seeds have seen their sales double , while ground ginger and turmeric sales are up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 76 percent .
The cold weather has made us turn to soups — soup mix packet sales are up a whopping 200 percent .
And it seems we ’ re opting for ingredients we were previously intimidated by .
Roasted pepper sales are up 65 percent , Asian and hot chilli sauce sales are both up 40 percent , and caper sales are up 35 percent .
There are a number of reasons this tasty new trend may have come about .
Perhaps it ’ s because we ’ ve all had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the kitchen while hunkering down in isolation , or maybe we ’ re all feeling inspired by MasterChef .
The sales data was revealed following Friday morning ’ s announcement that Woolworths will begin rolling back some of the changes made when Australia first went into shutdown .
One of the key changes will be that from Monday , the Woolworths Community Hour for the elderly , disabled and frontline emergency workers will be phased out .
COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the way we live , shop and eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions start to ease , it looks like we ’ re in for a long , spicy winter .

By Abbey Lenton
Woolies has crunched the numbers and discovered that self-isolation has made us all experimental in the kitchen.
The supermarket giant has reviewed its sales data from the last nine weeks to understand how the coronarvirus pandemic has impacted the way we shop and eat.
According to Woolies’ stats, we’ve been getting spicy in isy. Purchases of sauces, spices and soups have seen explosive growth in recent weeks.
Ingredients such as cardamom, saffron and dried sesame seeds have seen their sales double, while ground ginger and turmeric sales are up 120 percent and sauerkraut sales are up 76 percent.
The cold weather has made us turn to soups — soup mix packet sales are up a whopping 200 percent.
And it seems we’re opting for ingredients we were previously intimidated by. Roasted pepper sales are up 65 percent, Asian and hot chilli sauce sales are both up 40 percent, and caper sales are up 35 percent.
There are a number of reasons this tasty new trend may have come about. Perhaps it’s because we’ve all had a lot more time to try new things in the kitchen while hunkering down in isolation, or maybe we’re all feeling inspired by MasterChef.
The sales data was revealed following Friday morning’s announcement that Woolworths will begin rolling back some of the changes made when Australia first went into shutdown.
One of the key changes will be that from Monday, the Woolworths Community Hour for the elderly, disabled and frontline emergency workers will be phased out.
COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the way we live, shop and eat. And even as Australia’s restrictions start to ease, it looks like we’re in for a long, spicy winter.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-13--Melbourne protests: Violent scenes in Melbourne’s CBD as coronavirus protesters are detained

Protesters have defied orders to stay home this Mother ’ s Day and have been met with a significant police request .
Melbourne ’ s Parliament House has been swarmed with protesters on Sunday picketing against vaccinations and a 5G network .
Photographs taken by AAP at the scene show multiple scuffles breaking out between protesters and police .
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos was asked to address the 300 protesters during her daily coronavirus update on Sunday .
She took particular exception to anti-vaccination protesters .
“ Those individuals who are protesting today are at breach of the stay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I think it ’ s incredibly disappointing that we ’ ve got people protesting against vaccines , for example .
“ I know that the whole of Australia , the whole world in fact , is waiting with great anticipation ( for ) a potential vaccine being developed for coronavirus.
” Social distancing restrictions still in place , not only in Victoria but across the country , mandate a 1.5-metre distance .
Fines of $ 1,652 apply to anyone contravening the rules .
In Victoria , there is to be no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
Hundreds of people chanted in advocacy of coronavirus being a conspiracy , Microsoft mogul Bill Gates being arrested and a repeal of lockdown restrictions .
Premier Daniel Andrews has repeatedly said the timeline for easing restrictions would be announced at the conclusion of a testing blitz .

By
Protesters have defied orders to stay home this Mother’s Day and have been met with a significant police request.
Melbourne’s Parliament House has been swarmed with protesters on Sunday picketing against vaccinations and a 5G network.
Photographs taken by AAP at the scene show multiple scuffles breaking out between protesters and police.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos was asked to address the 300 protesters during her daily coronavirus update on Sunday.
She took particular exception to anti-vaccination protesters.
“Those individuals who are protesting today are at breach of the stay at home directive,” she said.
“I think it’s incredibly disappointing that we’ve got people protesting against vaccines, for example.
“I know that the whole of Australia, the whole world in fact, is waiting with great anticipation (for) a potential vaccine being developed for coronavirus.”
Social distancing restrictions still in place, not only in Victoria but across the country, mandate a 1.5-metre distance.
Fines of $1,652 apply to anyone contravening the rules.
In Victoria, there is to be no more than two people gathering outdoors at any time.
Hundreds of people chanted in advocacy of coronavirus being a conspiracy, Microsoft mogul Bill Gates being arrested and a repeal of lockdown restrictions.
Premier Daniel Andrews has repeatedly said the timeline for easing restrictions would be announced at the conclusion of a testing blitz.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-13--Large fire at magnesium factory in Madison, Illinois

MADISON , Ill. – A thick plume of dark smoke could be seen pouring from the site of a factory fire in Madison , Illinois Thursday afternoon .
Firefighters from 35 departments all over the area responded to the fire at Magnesium Elektron .
They were afraid the fire would turn into an explosion .
Fortunately , no injuries were reported .
“ That ’ s not a good thing at all , ” said Madison Mayor John Hamm .
“ It will get much worse when you apply water to a magnesium fire.
” It was determined oil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Magnesium was not involved as a fuel source for the blaze .
The exact cause of the fire has not been determined .
The company makes magnesium alloys used in batteries , cars , electronics , and photoengraving plates .
Magnesium Elektron has been at that address since 2003 .
The Illinois EPA is investigating .
Fox 2 has learned this is not the first fire at this facility to get the state ’ s attention .
“ I ’ ve been on this department 35 years and there ’ s probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From explosions or what have you , ” Madison Fire Chief J.S.Bridick said .
Neighbors who live across the street from the plant said they ’ ve grown accustomed to problems there .
“ You kind of get use to it , ” said resident Lunita Allen .
“ It happens a lot ; you get use to it.
” An October 2010 fire was the subject of a lawsuit filed by state environmental regulators , who claimed the fire threatened the health of nearby residents .
The state and Magnesium Elektron later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 fine .
You can see photos from the 2010 fire below , courtesy of the Illinois EPA .

By Roche Madden and Staff Writer
MADISON, Ill. – A thick plume of dark smoke could be seen pouring from the site of a factory fire in Madison, Illinois Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters from 35 departments all over the area responded to the fire at Magnesium Elektron. They were afraid the fire would turn into an explosion. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Firefighters were concerned magnesium was burning.
“That’s not a good thing at all,” said Madison Mayor John Hamm. “It will get much worse when you apply water to a magnesium fire.”
It was determined oil and trash had caught fire at the facility. Magnesium was not involved as a fuel source for the blaze. The exact cause of the fire has not been determined.
The company makes magnesium alloys used in batteries, cars, electronics, and photoengraving plates. Magnesium Elektron has been at that address since 2003.
The Illinois EPA is investigating. Fox 2 has learned this is not the first fire at this facility to get the state’s attention.
“I’ve been on this department 35 years and there’s probably been several fatalities out here. … From explosions or what have you,” Madison Fire Chief J.S.Bridick said.
Neighbors who live across the street from the plant said they’ve grown accustomed to problems there.
“You kind of get use to it,” said resident Lunita Allen. “It happens a lot; you get use to it.”
An October 2010 fire was the subject of a lawsuit filed by state environmental regulators, who claimed the fire threatened the health of nearby residents. The state and Magnesium Elektron later settled and the company paid a $50,000 fine.
You can see photos from the 2010 fire below, courtesy of the Illinois EPA.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-14--‘No Adult Nappies, Chronic Pain Or Surgery’: A Brave Mum’s Ultimate Gift This Mother’s Day

Some mums want a sleep in , others will be happy with flowers and their favourite hand cream , but one NSW mum is thrilled she doesn ’ t have to deal with nappies this year .
And for 36-year-old Jacqualine Lamshed this doesn ’ t mean her children ’ s nappies .
The mother of three is planning a visit to the beach with her young family on Mother ’ s Day , and this in itself is an achievement given her tumultuous health journey over the past few years .
“ At times I have had to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outing when [ my children ] were in nappies when they were little , and it ’ s really not normal or what you think you would have to do in your early 30s , ” Lamshed told 10 daily .
Six months after the birth of her third child , Lamshed started experiencing a number of unusual symptoms including pain , constipation , and extremely “ bad ” hemorrhoids .
A visit to her GP confirmed Lamshed had suffered a rectal prolapse — a condition where the rectum sits outside the anus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bowel surgery in 2016 .
As symptoms and complications continued over the next few years , the young mum went through a series of surgeries for infections , then a bladder repair hysterectomy , followed by chait caecostomy tube and finally colostomy surgery .
She now uses a colostomy bag daily which she says has given her “ enormous relief and freedom ” .
Also known as a stoma bag , or colostomy bag , the small pouch , fits over the stoma and collects urine and faeces in order to divert the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Before children , I was generally healthy and only really struggled with irritable bowel syndrome , so we can ’ t find any reason other than the birth trauma the tears and impact to my body , ” she said .
Lamshed has two daughters , Sofia , 8 and Georgia , 7 , and a son , Harry 5 , who she says have been her light during dark times .
“ My children are really accepting , tolerant and helpful I ’ ve often had to call out to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the bathroom or get them to get things for me , so they have probably seen a lot of graphic things for their age.
” Lamshed says wants to share her story so other young people who have shared her struggle know there are others who understand and feel their pain .
During the last financial year 2018/2019 , approximately 46,300 people living with a stoma in Australia accessed the Stoma Appliance Scheme ( SAS ) via Medicare , offering sufferers free access to stoma-related products .
“ A stoma may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bowel disease , cancer , congenital abnormality , chronic constipation , faecal or urinary incontinence , and injury , ” Kylie Gilroy from The Australian Council of Stoma Associations Inc told 10 daily .
Lamshed never imagined she would start a social media account to talk publicly about incontinence , pelvic and rectal prolapses and fashion with a stoma bag , but she ’ s recently started sharing her journey on Instagram .
“ Until now I would put on a brave face , but those closest to me knew I wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ periods .
You ’ re always anxious and wondering where the closest toilet is , but most people had no idea how much this invisible illness impacts your life , ” she said .
Recently Lamshed decided to go to her first Stoma Support group meeting .
Around 4.6 million people , or 21 percent of the community population have urinary or faecal incontinence — or both — according to the Australian Incontinence Foundation .
The prevalence of these conditions is known to increase with age , more than half of individuals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a clear link between incontinence and depression , ” Rowan Cockerell , CEO of the Continence Foundation of Australia told 10 daily .
“ It can be very isolating for anyone to experience incontinence , but young people may feel even more ashamed of what they ’ re going through .
Shame and stigma is often attached to bladder and bowel issues and people feel like they can ’ t speak about it with their friends , family or even health professionals.
” During her journey , Lamshed went looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online and came across Ostomingle — an ostomy support group for young ‘ Ostomates ’ in Sydney .
At first , it was just a social media group , but the support network quickly became much more .
“ I asked these people who I had connected with online if they wanted to grab a drink and we met down at Bondi [ where ] there is a big mural on the beach [ with ] a girl wearing a bikini and an ostomate , ” Ostomingle founder Renee Constantin told 10 daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were other people my age that I could talk to and ask questions and b*tch and moan and laugh about our situation and we all bonded instantly , ” the 27-year-old said .
Lamshed said getting used to life with a colostomy bag took many months of trial and error , and being able to share her ups and downs has helped her realise it was the right move for her .
For the young mum , there are no real certainties .
She doesn ’ t know if there are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for now the stoma is here to stay .
“ Right now I just have to focus on the now and it is better , it is so much better that ’ s why I am at a point where I can share this very full-on journey , ” she said .
For information and advice on bladder , bowel and pelvic health , you can phone the free National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 .

Some mums want a sleep in, others will be happy with flowers and their favourite hand cream, but one NSW mum is thrilled she doesn’t have to deal with nappies this year.
And for 36-year-old Jacqualine Lamshed this doesn’t mean her children’s nappies.
The mother of three is planning a visit to the beach with her young family on Mother’s Day, and this in itself is an achievement given her tumultuous health journey over the past few years.
“At times I have had to wear adult nappies to the park or an outing when [my children] were in nappies when they were little, and it’s really not normal or what you think you would have to do in your early 30s,” Lamshed told 10 daily.
Six months after the birth of her third child, Lamshed started experiencing a number of unusual symptoms including pain, constipation, and extremely “bad” hemorrhoids. A visit to her GP confirmed Lamshed had suffered a rectal prolapse — a condition where the rectum sits outside the anus — which ultimately resulted in her first bowel surgery in 2016.
As symptoms and complications continued over the next few years, the young mum went through a series of surgeries for infections, then a bladder repair hysterectomy, followed by chait caecostomy tube and finally colostomy surgery.
She now uses a colostomy bag daily which she says has given her “enormous relief and freedom”. Also known as a stoma bag, or colostomy bag, the small pouch, fits over the stoma and collects urine and faeces in order to divert the flow from the bowel or bladder.
“Before children, I was generally healthy and only really struggled with irritable bowel syndrome, so we can’t find any reason other than the birth trauma the tears and impact to my body,” she said.
Lamshed has two daughters, Sofia, 8 and Georgia, 7, and a son, Harry 5, who she says have been her light during dark times.
“My children are really accepting, tolerant and helpful I’ve often had to call out to them to help me when I would be in the bathroom or get them to get things for me, so they have probably seen a lot of graphic things for their age.”
Lamshed says wants to share her story so other young people who have shared her struggle know there are others who understand and feel their pain.
I think it is really nice to be able to, this Mother’s Day, just to be able to relax, eat what I want, know that I am more stable and I’m a lot more pain free and worry free.
During the last financial year 2018/2019, approximately 46,300 people living with a stoma in Australia accessed the Stoma Appliance Scheme (SAS) via Medicare, offering sufferers free access to stoma-related products.
“A stoma may be formed to treat the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, congenital abnormality, chronic constipation, faecal or urinary incontinence, and injury,” Kylie Gilroy from The Australian Council of Stoma Associations Inc told 10 daily.
Ostomy surgery is definitely life saving surgery.
Lamshed never imagined she would start a social media account to talk publicly about incontinence, pelvic and rectal prolapses and fashion with a stoma bag, but she’s recently started sharing her journey on Instagram.
“Until now I would put on a brave face, but those closest to me knew I wasn’t able to be out for long periods. You’re always anxious and wondering where the closest toilet is, but most people had no idea how much this invisible illness impacts your life,” she said.
Recently Lamshed decided to go to her first Stoma Support group meeting.
There were about 100 people in the room and there were two of us that were under 65, the rest were in their 70s and 80s.
Around 4.6 million people, or 21 percent of the community population have urinary or faecal incontinence — or both — according to the Australian Incontinence Foundation. The prevalence of these conditions is known to increase with age, more than half of individuals are aged 50 years and above.
“There is a clear link between incontinence and depression,” Rowan Cockerell, CEO of the Continence Foundation of Australia told 10 daily.
“It can be very isolating for anyone to experience incontinence, but young people may feel even more ashamed of what they’re going through. Shame and stigma is often attached to bladder and bowel issues and people feel like they can’t speak about it with their friends, family or even health professionals.”
During her journey, Lamshed went looking for information and support for people her age online and came across Ostomingle — an ostomy support group for young ‘Ostomates’ in Sydney. At first, it was just a social media group, but the support network quickly became much more.
“I asked these people who I had connected with online if they wanted to grab a drink and we met down at Bondi [where] there is a big mural on the beach [with] a girl wearing a bikini and an ostomate,” Ostomingle founder Renee Constantin told 10 daily.
“I just needed to know there were other people my age that I could talk to and ask questions and b*tch and moan and laugh about our situation and we all bonded instantly,” the 27-year-old said.
Lamshed said getting used to life with a colostomy bag took many months of trial and error, and being able to share her ups and downs has helped her realise it was the right move for her.
I have had a fair bit of social anxiety in the beginning around smell, noise, size of it but as months progressed I knew what to expect, like I know where every public toilet in Sydney is to know when I need to change the bag.
For the young mum, there are no real certainties. She doesn’t know if there are more health hurdles and surgeries ahead, but for now the stoma is here to stay.
“Right now I just have to focus on the now and it is better, it is so much better that’s why I am at a point where I can share this very full-on journey,” she said.
For information and advice on bladder, bowel and pelvic health, you can phone the free National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66.
Contact the author alattouf@networkten.com.au


australiannationalreview--2020-05-14--The Queen Shared Her Pancake Recipe And Forget Everything You Thought You Knew

Behold , the coveted recipe for Queen Elizabeth II ’ s favourite pancakes that was passed down through the royal family .
Most family recipes are stored in dusty old folders or sprawled across unused napkins .
But nuh uh , not the Windsors ’ — their cookbook will be forever immortalised by the National Archives , who have unveiled a private letter written by the Queen herself .
In the letter is Lizzie ’ s personal recipe for scotch pancakes , giving you the chance to craft an iso snack quite literally fit for a queen .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they ’ re a whole lot thicker and fluffier than the run-of-the-mill pancakes we commoners are used to .
Her Majesty is believed to have made these pancakes herself when former American President Dwight Eisenhower visited Scotland ’ s Balmoral estate in 1959 .
The pancakes were apparently a real winner , so much so that the President and his wife requested the Queen share the recipe with them .
In the resurfaced personal letter to the President , Lizzie not only lists the ingredients , but generously goes into detail about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the resurfaced personal letter to the President , Lizzie not only lists the ingredients , but generously goes into detail about all her tips and tricks .
“ Dear Mr President , ” she began , “ Seeing a picture of you in today ’ s newspaper , standing in front of a barbecue grilling quail , reminded me that I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral .
I hope you will find them successful.
” She then went on to pepper in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finesse the recipe .
“ Though the quantities are for 16 people , when there are fewer , I generally put in less flour and milk , but use the other ingredients as stated , ” she wrote .
“ I think the mixture needs a great deal of beating while making , and shouldn ’ t stand about too long before cooking.
” If you ’ re keen to give them a try but you ’ re struggling to come by tartar at your very unroyal local supermarket , there is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cream of tartar in the recipe , you can instead use one teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar .
They ’ re fluffy , they ’ re filling , and they ’ re positively draped in aristocratic approval .
Give your iso breakfast the royal treatment by trying them out for yourself : According to the resurfaced letter from 1959 , this is everything you need to make her drop scones .
• 1 1/2 cup ( 350 ml ) of whole milk ( and maybe a little more if needed ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the milk together .
• Add flour , and mix well together adding the remainder of milk as required .
• Add the bi-carbonate and cream of tartar , then fold in the melted butter .
• Heat a frying or griddle pan with some melted butter in .
• Pour in two or three large spoonfuls of the batter ( make sure they don ’ t touch each other ) .
• When the batter is bubbling on top , flip over each drop scone .
They are ready when each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with whatever you fancy : fresh fruit , maple syrup or jam .

By Abbey Lenton
Behold, the coveted recipe for Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite pancakes that was passed down through the royal family.
Most family recipes are stored in dusty old folders or sprawled across unused napkins. But nuh uh, not the Windsors’ — their cookbook will be forever immortalised by the National Archives, who have unveiled a private letter written by the Queen herself.
In the letter is Lizzie’s personal recipe for scotch pancakes, giving you the chance to craft an iso snack quite literally fit for a queen.
They’re called ‘dropped scones’, and they’re a whole lot thicker and fluffier than the run-of-the-mill pancakes we commoners are used to.
Her Majesty is believed to have made these pancakes herself when former American President Dwight Eisenhower visited Scotland’s Balmoral estate in 1959.
The pancakes were apparently a real winner, so much so that the President and his wife requested the Queen share the recipe with them.
In the resurfaced personal letter to the President, Lizzie not only lists the ingredients, but generously goes into detail about all her tips and tricks.
In the resurfaced personal letter to the President, Lizzie not only lists the ingredients, but generously goes into detail about all her tips and tricks.
“Dear Mr President,” she began, “Seeing a picture of you in today’s newspaper, standing in front of a barbecue grilling quail, reminded me that I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral. I hope you will find them successful.”
She then went on to pepper in her own experiences and discoveries to really finesse the recipe.
“Though the quantities are for 16 people, when there are fewer, I generally put in less flour and milk, but use the other ingredients as stated,” she wrote.
I have also tried using golden syrup or treacle instead of only sugar and that can be very good, too.
“I think the mixture needs a great deal of beating while making, and shouldn’t stand about too long before cooking.”
If you’re keen to give them a try but you’re struggling to come by tartar at your very unroyal local supermarket, there is an easy substitute.
For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, you can instead use one teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
They’re fluffy, they’re filling, and they’re positively draped in aristocratic approval. Give your iso breakfast the royal treatment by trying them out for yourself:
How to make Queen Elizabeth II’s Scotch Pancakes
According to the resurfaced letter from 1959, this is everything you need to make her drop scones.
Ingredients:
3 cups (400 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup of superfine sugar, or a heaping 1/4 cup white, granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup (350 ml) of whole milk (and maybe a little more if needed)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Method:


australiannationalreview--2020-05-14--The rich get richer: American billionaires including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Tesla founder Elon Musk

The rich get richer: American billionaires including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Tesla founder Elon Musk have gotten $280 BILLION richer since the start of the pandemic

American billionaires are enjoying multi-million dollar increases to their net worth as the country ’ s unemployment levels rise to record highs amid the coronavirus lockdowns Eight ‘ pandemic profiteers ’ have seen their net worth surge by over $ 1billion each since the start of the global pandemic .
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos , 56 , has added $ 25billion to his own wealth since January 1 , 2020 , as the company ’ s staff protest their poor working conditions and he makes a return to the company ’ s day-to-day running .
According to a report from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billionaires added $ 282billion – nearly a ten percent increase – to their combined wealth between March 18 and April 10 , as the U.S. unemployment rate approached 15 percent .
The United States billionaire class now have a combined net worth of $ 3.229trillion .
The report was released Thursday , the same day U.S. Labor Department figures revealed that 4.4million Americans filed a claim for unemployment benefit last week .
About one in six American workers have now lost their jobs since mid-March , by far the largest streak of US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Billionaire Bonanza 2020 : Wealth Windfalls , Tumbling Taxes , and Pandemic Profiteers ’ , despite a brief decline , the combined wealth of the country ’ s richest billionaires is greater than in 2010 with Bezos ’ wealth surge ‘ unprecedented in modern financial history ’ .
He experienced a dip in his net worth to $ 105billion on ‘ Black Thursday ’ March 12 as serious shutdowns in the United States began but quickly rebounded with Amazon in a prime position to profit from the pandemic through their e-commerce site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion as of April 15 , a figure greater than the Gross Domestic Product of Honduras in 2018 .
This was despite workers in at least ten different Amazon factories having tested positive for coronavirus as of late March .
In order to compile the report , the think tank worked from Forbes ’ annual ‘ World ’ s Billionaire ’ s List ’ and used the publication ’ s daily trackers to follow the changes .
Forbes ’ 2020 list was released on April 7 , after a snapshot of wealth was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked at the increases since that snapshot up until April 10 , to find the wealthy who were still making a profit despite the national economic uncertainty .
‘ We started to immediately look at it and realize , even three weeks later , the story was changing quickly , ’ Chuck Collins , director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies , told Fast Company .
‘ Their story was , “ Hey , the pandemic is really affecting even the billionaires ; their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in terms of the U.S. ” What we found was , wait three weeks and they ’ ve now surpassed last year ’ s collective wealth and now they ’ re surging to new heights.
’ During the period between January 1 to April 10 this year , 34 of the nation ’ s wealthiest billionaires have seen their net worth increase by tens of millions of dollars , the report said .
Referring to the billionaires as ‘ pandemic profiteers ’ , the report lists eight who have seen a surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past few weeks .
They include Bezos and his ex-wife MacKenzie , Tesla founder Elon Musk , Zoom ’ s Eric Yuan and Microsoft ’ s Steve Ballmer .
MacKenzie Bezos owns a four percent stake in Amazon transferred to her by her ex-husband and is also enjoying the increase in orders and sales with a comfortable $ 8.6billion rise in her net worth as of April 15 .
Yuan , the founder and CEO of Zoom , has increased his net worth by $ 2.58 billion .
The company is massively profiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased demand for video conferencing .
The increased demand for videoconferencing has also seen a rush to Microsoft ’ s Skype and Team , which has worked to the benefit of former CEO Steve Ballmer .
The Los Angeles Clipper owner has increased his wealth by $ 2.2billion .
Elon Musk is another winner after initially calling the coronavirus pandemic ‘ dumb ’ on Twitter .
He has since responded to calls for help and sent critical medical equipment to places where there are shortages , as well as adding $ 5billion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year .
Another finding of the report was the vast difference in the time it will take for financial recovery , with many middle-class Americans entering the pandemic still climbing back from the 2008 crash while the billionaire class had recovered after 30 months .
‘ People went into the pandemic with the economic hangover from the Great Recession , ’ Collins said .
‘ Inequality is America ’ s pre-existing condition .
We went into this pandemic very polarized already , and unfortunately we don ’ t want to come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was highly critical of the billionaires , calling for an emergency ten percent tax called the ‘ Millionaire Income Surtax ’ as well as a ‘ Charity Stimulus ’ that would redirect wealth during the current crisis .
‘ We ’ re reading about benevolent billionaires sharing .0001 % of their wealth with their fellow humans in this crisis , but in fact they ’ ve been rigging the tax rules to reduce their taxes for decades—money that could have been spent building a better public health infrastructure , ’ said Collins .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax breaks and now the money is just sitting there .
.
.
.
If they ’ re saving the money for a rainy day , they should look out the window .
It ’ s raining very hard , ’ he added .
‘ It ’ s time to fulfill the second part of the promise .
They got the tax break ; now let ’ s move the money not to a donor-advised fund , not to foundation overhead to pay your kids—move the money to the active community charities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fearful they ’ re going to have to close their doors.
’ The coronavirus outbreak has now thrown at least 26 million Americans out of work in five weeks – wiping out all of the job growth since the Great Recession a decade ago .
There were 4.4 million new claims for unemployment benefits filed last week , according to the latest Labor Department figures released on Thursday .
It adds to the nearly 22 million people who applied for unemployment aid in the previous four weeks .
About one in six American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-March , by far the largest streak of US job losses on record .
On Thursday , it was announced that Bezos has taken back control of the day-to-day running of Amazon during the pandemic , as orders skyrocket , warehouse staff stage walkouts and the billionaire plans to use the company ’ s supply chain to ramp up coronavirus testing across states .
Bezos has returned to the daily grind at the trillion-dollar firm as it – like all businesses – grapples with the impact of the global pandemic on its customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company said .
The Amazon CEO is holding daily calls on inventory and testing , is collaborating with government officials over their response to the pandemic and is making public visits to staff on the frontline for the first time in years .
This comes as the retail giant has seen a surge in demand , as with businesses shuttered and stay-at-home orders in place , shoppers are turning to online delivery .
Bezos set his sights on testing and launched an Amazon lab to ramp up testing for Amazon workers and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced its biggest labor unrest in its history , with hundreds of Amazon workers planning a mass call out throughout this week over claims the company has placed warehouse staff at ‘ increased risk and exposure ’ to coronavirus .

By FRANCES MULRANEY
American billionaires are enjoying multi-million dollar increases to their net worth as the country’s unemployment levels rise to record highs amid the coronavirus lockdowns
Eight ‘pandemic profiteers’ have seen their net worth surge by over $1billion each since the start of the global pandemic.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 56, has added $25billion to his own wealth since January 1, 2020, as the company’s staff protest their poor working conditions and he makes a return to the company’s day-to-day running.
According to a report from the Institute for Policy Studies, American billionaires added $282billion – nearly a ten percent increase – to their combined wealth between March 18 and April 10, as the U.S. unemployment rate approached 15 percent.
The United States billionaire class now have a combined net worth of $3.229trillion.
The report was released Thursday, the same day U.S. Labor Department figures revealed that 4.4million Americans filed a claim for unemployment benefit last week.
About one in six American workers have now lost their jobs since mid-March, by far the largest streak of US job losses on record.
According to ‘Billionaire Bonanza 2020: Wealth Windfalls, Tumbling Taxes, and Pandemic Profiteers’, despite a brief decline, the combined wealth of the country’s richest billionaires is greater than in 2010 with Bezos’ wealth surge ‘unprecedented in modern financial history’.
He experienced a dip in his net worth to $105billion on ‘Black Thursday’ March 12 as serious shutdowns in the United States began but quickly rebounded with Amazon in a prime position to profit from the pandemic through their e-commerce site.
His net worth gained $25 billion as of April 15, a figure greater than the Gross Domestic Product of Honduras in 2018.
This was despite workers in at least ten different Amazon factories having tested positive for coronavirus as of late March.
In order to compile the report, the think tank worked from Forbes’ annual ‘World’s Billionaire’s List’ and used the publication’s daily trackers to follow the changes.
Forbes’ 2020 list was released on April 7, after a snapshot of wealth was taken on March 18.
The report looked at the increases since that snapshot up until April 10, to find the wealthy who were still making a profit despite the national economic uncertainty.
‘We started to immediately look at it and realize, even three weeks later, the story was changing quickly,’ Chuck Collins, director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, told Fast Company.
‘Their story was, “Hey, the pandemic is really affecting even the billionaires; their wealth is down from last year globally and in terms of the U.S.” What we found was, wait three weeks and they’ve now surpassed last year’s collective wealth and now they’re surging to new heights.’
During the period between January 1 to April 10 this year, 34 of the nation’s wealthiest billionaires have seen their net worth increase by tens of millions of dollars, the report said.
Referring to the billionaires as ‘pandemic profiteers’, the report lists eight who have seen a surge of over a billion dollars in the past few weeks.
They include Bezos and his ex-wife MacKenzie, Tesla founder Elon Musk, Zoom’s Eric Yuan and Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer.
MacKenzie Bezos owns a four percent stake in Amazon transferred to her by her ex-husband and is also enjoying the increase in orders and sales with a comfortable $8.6billion rise in her net worth as of April 15.
Yuan, the founder and CEO of Zoom, has increased his net worth by $2.58 billion.
The company is massively profiting from work from home guidelines and the increased demand for video conferencing.
The increased demand for videoconferencing has also seen a rush to Microsoft’s Skype and Team, which has worked to the benefit of former CEO Steve Ballmer.
The Los Angeles Clipper owner has increased his wealth by $2.2billion.
Elon Musk is another winner after initially calling the coronavirus pandemic ‘dumb’ on Twitter.
He has since responded to calls for help and sent critical medical equipment to places where there are shortages, as well as adding $5billion to his net worth since the start of the year.
Another finding of the report was the vast difference in the time it will take for financial recovery, with many middle-class Americans entering the pandemic still climbing back from the 2008 crash while the billionaire class had recovered after 30 months.
‘People went into the pandemic with the economic hangover from the Great Recession,’ Collins said.
‘Inequality is America’s pre-existing condition. We went into this pandemic very polarized already, and unfortunately we don’t want to come out of it more polarized.’
The report was highly critical of the billionaires, calling for an emergency ten percent tax called the ‘Millionaire Income Surtax’ as well as a ‘Charity Stimulus’ that would redirect wealth during the current crisis.
‘We’re reading about benevolent billionaires sharing .0001% of their wealth with their fellow humans in this crisis, but in fact they’ve been rigging the tax rules to reduce their taxes for decades—money that could have been spent building a better public health infrastructure,’ said Collins.
‘Wealthy donors have already taken the tax breaks and now the money is just sitting there. . . . If they’re saving the money for a rainy day, they should look out the window. It’s raining very hard,’ he added.
‘It’s time to fulfill the second part of the promise. They got the tax break; now let’s move the money not to a donor-advised fund, not to foundation overhead to pay your kids—move the money to the active community charities that are solving problems right now who are fearful they’re going to have to close their doors.’
The coronavirus outbreak has now thrown at least 26 million Americans out of work in five weeks – wiping out all of the job growth since the Great Recession a decade ago.
There were 4.4 million new claims for unemployment benefits filed last week, according to the latest Labor Department figures released on Thursday.
It adds to the nearly 22 million people who applied for unemployment aid in the previous four weeks.
About one in six American workers have now lost their jobs since mid-March, by far the largest streak of US job losses on record.
On Thursday, it was announced that Bezos has taken back control of the day-to-day running of Amazon during the pandemic, as orders skyrocket, warehouse staff stage walkouts and the billionaire plans to use the company’s supply chain to ramp up coronavirus testing across states.
Bezos has returned to the daily grind at the trillion-dollar firm as it – like all businesses – grapples with the impact of the global pandemic on its customers, staff and supply chain, the company said.
The Amazon CEO is holding daily calls on inventory and testing, is collaborating with government officials over their response to the pandemic and is making public visits to staff on the frontline for the first time in years.
This comes as the retail giant has seen a surge in demand, as with businesses shuttered and stay-at-home orders in place, shoppers are turning to online delivery.
Bezos set his sights on testing and launched an Amazon lab to ramp up testing for Amazon workers and other Americans.
But the retailer has also faced its biggest labor unrest in its history, with hundreds of Amazon workers planning a mass call out throughout this week over claims the company has placed warehouse staff at ‘increased risk and exposure’ to coronavirus.