huffpost--2020-03-09--New York State Will Produce Hand Sanitizer Made By Prison Inmates

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) said Monday inmates in a state prison will produce 100,000 gallons of a state-branded hand sanitizer to offset reported price gouging by vendors and shortages of the product in government agencies , schools , prisons and mass transit lines stemming from the coronavirus outbreak .
Cuomo ’ s announcement came during a daily press conference on the COVID-19 outbreak , which has worsened in New York over the last week .
Gov .
Cuomo announced today that New York State is producing hand sanitizer .
The governor says it is cheaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He says they will give it to schools , jails , government agencies , etc .
If price gouging continues , Cuomo says they will start selling it pic.twitter.com/NtLSU54Km5 — WGRZ ( @ WGRZ ) March 9 , 2020 Called “ NYS Clean , ” the hand sanitizer will be produced by inmates at Great Meadow Correctional Facility in upstate New York .
Corcraft , the division of the state ’ s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision that arranges industrial and manufacturing work for prison inmates , pays inmates an average of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 .
Last week , the Marshall Project reported that many prisons are ill-equipped to protect inmates from the coronavirus outbreak — including not being able to supply alcohol-based hand sanitizer because in some facilities , it is considered contraband .
It ’ s likely that the inmates who produce the hand sanitizer will not be able to use it , based on a directive from state corrections officials issued in June that denotes items inmates are not allowed to receive .
Among the banned toiletry and cosmetic items , it says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which lists alcohol as an ingredient ” — which would include alcohol-based hand sanitizers .
Cuomo at his press conference boasted about the prison product ’ s higher alcohol level ( 75 % , more than the 60 % recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for alcohol-based hand sanitizers ) , lower price and “ floral bouquet ” scent .
“ This is a superior product to products now on the market , ” the governor said , after unveiling the new bottles of hand sanitizer , hidden behind a set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state of emergency for New York in order to expedite funding , the allocation of health care professionals and resources , and testing for the virus .
As of Monday , the state had reported 142 confirmed cases of it .
The executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , Rick Cotton , is among those newly testing positive for COVID-19 , Cuomo announced .
Some schools in the state have closed and some colleges have canceled classes , including New York City ’ s Columbia University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and criminal justice reform organizations blasted Cuomo ’ s move to use prison labor to produce the state-branded hand sanitizer .
“ This is nothing less than slave labor and it must end , ” the Legal Aid Society of New York City said in a statement .
“ These individuals work for less than a dollar a day under threat of punishment ― including solitary confinement ― if they refuse .
Albany must pay these individuals the minimum wage and lawmakers must legislate to eradicate forced labor across our state for good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if prisons and jails were to deem this Corcraft product ‘ contraband ’ and deprive incarcerated New Yorkers from possessing effective hand sanitizer because of the alcohol content .
The same individuals who produce this product should not be prohibited from using it.
” A coalition of five groups , including Citizen Action of NY , VOCAL-NY and Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement , issued a statement saying : “ We are disgusted at Governor Cuomo ’ s decision to exploit prison labor to push back the imminent public health crisis presented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarcerated people across the state.
” The groups called on Cuomo to raise wages for prison laborers .

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday inmates in a state prison will produce 100,000 gallons of a state-branded hand sanitizer to offset reported price gouging by vendors and shortages of the product in government agencies, schools, prisons and mass transit lines stemming from the coronavirus outbreak.
Cuomo’s announcement came during a daily press conference on the COVID-19 outbreak, which has worsened in New York over the last week.
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We’re hearing from local governments that acquiring hand sanitizer has been a real problem.
NYS will immediately begin producing hand sanitizer ourselves — 100,000 gallons per week. We'll provide it to government agencies, schools, the MTA, prisons, & others. #COVID19 — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 9, 2020
Gov. Cuomo announced today that New York State is producing hand sanitizer. The governor says it is cheaper to make ourselves than purchase it. He says they will give it to schools, jails, government agencies, etc. If price gouging continues, Cuomo says they will start selling it pic.twitter.com/NtLSU54Km5 — WGRZ (@WGRZ) March 9, 2020
Called “NYS Clean,” the hand sanitizer will be produced by inmates at Great Meadow Correctional Facility in upstate New York.
Corcraft, the division of the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision that arranges industrial and manufacturing work for prison inmates, pays inmates an average of 65 cents per hour, Gothamist reported in 2017.
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Last week, the Marshall Project reported that many prisons are ill-equipped to protect inmates from the coronavirus outbreak — including not being able to supply alcohol-based hand sanitizer because in some facilities, it is considered contraband.
It’s likely that the inmates who produce the hand sanitizer will not be able to use it, based on a directive from state corrections officials issued in June that denotes items inmates are not allowed to receive. Among the banned toiletry and cosmetic items, it says: “No item may be received which lists alcohol as an ingredient” — which would include alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Cuomo at his press conference boasted about the prison product’s higher alcohol level (75%, more than the 60% recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for alcohol-based hand sanitizers), lower price and “floral bouquet” scent.
“This is a superior product to products now on the market,” the governor said, after unveiling the new bottles of hand sanitizer, hidden behind a set of curtains.
“This is a superior product to products now on the market”: Gov. Cuomo announces new state-made hand sanitizer https://t.co/XFEOh6t5Uy pic.twitter.com/HrPyErPHsT — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 9, 2020
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On Saturday, he declared a state of emergency for New York in order to expedite funding, the allocation of health care professionals and resources, and testing for the virus.
As of Monday, the state had reported 142 confirmed cases of it. The executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton, is among those newly testing positive for COVID-19, Cuomo announced.
Some schools in the state have closed and some colleges have canceled classes, including New York City’s Columbia University.
Later Monday, several legal advocacy and criminal justice reform organizations blasted Cuomo’s move to use prison labor to produce the state-branded hand sanitizer.


huffpost--2020-03-09--Sheriff Accused Of Theft Makes False Coronavirus Claim To Delay His Trial

ATHENS , Ala. ( AP ) — Lawyers for a longtime Alabama sheriff seeking a delay in his Monday theft trial wrongly claimed the officer was being tested for the illness caused by a new coronavirus .
With Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely set to go on trial on felony charges , his attorneys told a judge in a court document filed Friday he was hospitalized and being tested for COVID-19 .
But testimony during a rare Saturday hearing showed the 69-year-old Blakely wasn ’ t being tested for the illness , and Circuit Judge Judge Pride Tompkins criticized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public panic , The News Courier of Athens reported .
“ I don ’ t know what your tactic is , but it ’ s condemned by the court , ” Tompkins said .
“ And the court won ’ t tolerate it.
” Defense lawyer Robert Tuten said he was simply mistaken about the sheriff ’ s health problem and wasn ’ t “ trying to pull a fast one.
” Records indicated Blakely was hospitalized with a respiratory problem , but a doctor testified there was no indication it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed .
“ There are apparently several different kinds of coronaviruses , but all we had to go on was what we knew at that moment , ” Tuten said .
Dr. Maria Onoya testified during the hearing that Blakely was tested for several things , including influenza and walking pneumonia , but the results came back negative .
The sheriff has been to the emergency room three times with similar symptoms and likely wouldn ’ t be ready for a trial on Monday , she said .
After the hearing , Tompkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case be sealed and unavailable to the public , so it wasn ’ t clear whether Blakely was out of the hospital and when the trial might begin .
Grand jurors indicted Blakely last year on multiple felony counts and one misdemeanor alleging he stole campaign donations , used his job to obtain interest-free loans and solicited money from employees .
He has been sheriff of the north Alabama county for about 36 years .

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ATHENS, Ala. (AP) — Lawyers for a longtime Alabama sheriff seeking a delay in his Monday theft trial wrongly claimed the officer was being tested for the illness caused by a new coronavirus.
With Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely set to go on trial on felony charges, his attorneys told a judge in a court document filed Friday he was hospitalized and being tested for COVID-19.
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But testimony during a rare Saturday hearing showed the 69-year-old Blakely wasn’t being tested for the illness, and Circuit Judge Judge Pride Tompkins criticized the defense for making claims that could cause a public panic, The News Courier of Athens reported.
“I don’t know what your tactic is, but it’s condemned by the court,” Tompkins said. “And the court won’t tolerate it.”
Defense lawyer Robert Tuten said he was simply mistaken about the sheriff’s health problem and wasn’t “trying to pull a fast one.” Records indicated Blakely was hospitalized with a respiratory problem, but a doctor testified there was no indication it was COVID-19 and such testing wasn’t needed.
“There are apparently several different kinds of coronaviruses, but all we had to go on was what we knew at that moment,” Tuten said.
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Dr. Maria Onoya testified during the hearing that Blakely was tested for several things, including influenza and walking pneumonia, but the results came back negative. The sheriff has been to the emergency room three times with similar symptoms and likely wouldn’t be ready for a trial on Monday, she said.
After the hearing, Tompkins ordered that all new filings in the case be sealed and unavailable to the public, so it wasn’t clear whether Blakely was out of the hospital and when the trial might begin.


huffpost--2020-03-09--Plummeting Oil Prices Could Force A Reckoning For The American Fracking Boom

Oil prices plunged by as much as 30 % on Sunday , which is the steepest tailspin since the United States began bombing Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War .
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries , the 14-nation cartel that , along with Russia , manages much of the world ’ s oil supply , failed to reach a deal to cut oil production , triggering a price war that risks bankrupting debt-loaded U.S. frackers .
Now the fracking industry , which President Donald Trump sought to expand with hard-line support for increased fossil fuel production , faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , which causes the disease known as COVID-19 , is grounding flights and halting factory production in China , while rival producers oversupply the market to defend their share .
Fracking , a ballyhooed but financially fragile sector , struggled to stay afloat with crude selling at $ 50 per barrel .
If prices stay around $ 30 , or even fall as low as $ 20 , U.S. frackers simply might be unable to keep up .
Occidental Petroleum Corp. ’ s stock price nearly halved as trading closed on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corp. and Whiting Petroleum Corp. finished the day with stock prices down between 30 % and 41 % .
Even behemoths big enough to weather almost any shock took big hits as Exxon Mobil Corp. fell nearly 12 % and Chevron Corp. dropped 15 % .
Forecasters are still determining the extent of the likely effect the price drop will have on the broader economy .
But it could also have an effect on politics , which are particularly fraught around fracking , the colloquial term for hydraulic fracturing , a drilling practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemicals to release difficult-to-reach fossil fuel reserves .
Fracking now makes up 63 % of U.S. oil production , the Energy Information Administration estimates .
That figure looks set to increase as oil and gas drilling grows faster in the U.S. than any other country , and 90 % of that is dependent on fracking , according to a report by scientists at more than a dozen environmental groups .
Contenders in the 2020 presidential election are currently battling over whether to expand , preserve or entirely phase out an industry whose growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fracking sector expanded rapidly over the past decade as Wall Street investors bet big on a growing demand for oil and gas .
In some ways , those bets paid off .
More than a decade after Congress rushed to shore up U.S. supplies in the face of possible oil shortages , the country pumped so much crude and fracked gas that former President Barack Obama lifted an export ban put in place during the 1970s oil crisis .
It also gave the U.S. new geopolitical muscle as it briefly overtook Saudi Arabia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of oil .
But market dominance came at a high cost .
Despite lax regulations and low-interest loans , the high cost of fracking wells , coupled with oil prices hovering around $ 50 per barrel , made it impossible for drillers to turn a profit .
Between 2012 and 2017 , the 30 largest shale producers lost more than $ 50 billion , according to a Wall Street Journal estimate .
From 2015 to 2016 , a whopping 91 % of all corporate debt defaults in the United States were in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research firm Moody ’ s calculated last year .
The gushing fount of Wall Street money slowed .
In 2018 , the consultancy Dealogic pegged the total the fracking sector raised in equity and debt financing at $ 22 billion , less than half of what it raised in 2016 and nearly one-third of the 2012 sum .
One response may be for smaller fracking companies to consolidate .
Oil giants such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron , which are heavily invested in fracking for oil in Texas ’ Permian Basin , could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm in the short term due to their size .
Stock prices for frackers that drill mostly for gas in Appalachia , such as Antero Resources Corp. , Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. and EQT Corp. , actually increased slightly on Monday , a sign that investors see the possibility of oil majors ’ slowing output as a short-term benefit for smaller , gas-focused firms .
With oil prices at the current level , there ’ s a real risk many of them will simply go bankrupt .
Clark Williams-Derry , analyst at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Analysis It poses a big risk to Democrats , too , who look increasingly likely to nominate former Vice President Joe Biden as their presidential candidate to take on Trump .
Biden , whose campaign is stacked with oil and gas boosters , vowed to preserve the fracking industry and attacked Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , his only serious remaining rival for the nomination , for proposing to ban fracking and guarantee federally backed transition jobs for affected workers .

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The dramatic fall of oil prices could upend the American fracking industry, analysts said Monday, as panic over the coronavirus outbreak lessened global demand and Saudi Arabia and Russia flooded the market with new supply.
Oil prices plunged by as much as 30% on Sunday, which is the steepest tailspin since the United States began bombing Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the 14-nation cartel that, along with Russia, manages much of the world’s oil supply, failed to reach a deal to cut oil production, triggering a price war that risks bankrupting debt-loaded U.S. frackers.
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Now the fracking industry, which President Donald Trump sought to expand with hard-line support for increased fossil fuel production, faces potential ruin. The spread of the coronavirus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19, is grounding flights and halting factory production in China, while rival producers oversupply the market to defend their share. Fracking, a ballyhooed but financially fragile sector, struggled to stay afloat with crude selling at $50 per barrel. If prices stay around $30, or even fall as low as $20, U.S. frackers simply might be unable to keep up.
“It’s a financial bloodbath,” said Clark Williams-Derry, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “With oil prices at the current level, there’s a real risk many of them will simply go bankrupt.”
Sunflower stalks punctuate the snow in a field near dormant oil drilling rigs that have been stacked in Dickinson, North Dakota. Andrew Cullen/Reuters
Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s stock price nearly halved as trading closed on Monday. Debt-burdened firms such as Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Whiting Petroleum Corp. finished the day with stock prices down between 30% and 41%. Even behemoths big enough to weather almost any shock took big hits as Exxon Mobil Corp. fell nearly 12% and Chevron Corp. dropped 15%.
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Forecasters are still determining the extent of the likely effect the price drop will have on the broader economy. But it could also have an effect on politics, which are particularly fraught around fracking, the colloquial term for hydraulic fracturing, a drilling practice that breaks bedrock with high-pressured water and chemicals to release difficult-to-reach fossil fuel reserves.
Fracking now makes up 63% of U.S. oil production, the Energy Information Administration estimates. That figure looks set to increase as oil and gas drilling grows faster in the U.S. than any other country, and 90% of that is dependent on fracking, according to a report by scientists at more than a dozen environmental groups. Contenders in the 2020 presidential election are currently battling over whether to expand, preserve or entirely phase out an industry whose growth all but guarantees climate catastrophe.
The fracking sector expanded rapidly over the past decade as Wall Street investors bet big on a growing demand for oil and gas. In some ways, those bets paid off. More than a decade after Congress rushed to shore up U.S. supplies in the face of possible oil shortages, the country pumped so much crude and fracked gas that former President Barack Obama lifted an export ban put in place during the 1970s oil crisis. It also gave the U.S. new geopolitical muscle as it briefly overtook Saudi Arabia as the world’s top exporter of oil.
But market dominance came at a high cost. Despite lax regulations and low-interest loans, the high cost of fracking wells, coupled with oil prices hovering around $50 per barrel, made it impossible for drillers to turn a profit. Between 2012 and 2017, the 30 largest shale producers lost more than $50 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal estimate. From 2015 to 2016, a whopping 91% of all corporate debt defaults in the United States were in the oil and gas sector, the financial research firm Moody’s calculated last year.
The gushing fount of Wall Street money slowed. In 2018, the consultancy Dealogic pegged the total the fracking sector raised in equity and debt financing at $22 billion, less than half of what it raised in 2016 and nearly one-third of the 2012 sum.
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“Investors have been tightening access to capital and expecting more capital discipline for these companies,” said Anastacia Dialynas, the lead oil analyst at the research group Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “So there isn’t much bandwidth for them to run a negative balance sheet for a long time.”
One response may be for smaller fracking companies to consolidate. Oil giants such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron, which are heavily invested in fracking for oil in Texas’ Permian Basin, could scale back production but still weather the storm in the short term due to their size. Stock prices for frackers that drill mostly for gas in Appalachia, such as Antero Resources Corp., Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. and EQT Corp., actually increased slightly on Monday, a sign that investors see the possibility of oil majors’ slowing output as a short-term benefit for smaller, gas-focused firms.
“With oil prices at the current level, there’s a real risk many of them will simply go bankrupt.” - Clark Williams-Derry, analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
But tighter limits on investment could have grave political implications for the sector. Less cash to throw around means fewer investments in jobs the Trump administration touts as worthy of the trade-offs that come from fracking, including increased pollution, threats to water resources and worsening climate change.
It poses a big risk to Democrats, too, who look increasingly likely to nominate former Vice President Joe Biden as their presidential candidate to take on Trump. Biden, whose campaign is stacked with oil and gas boosters, vowed to preserve the fracking industry and attacked Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), his only serious remaining rival for the nomination, for proposing to ban fracking and guarantee federally backed transition jobs for affected workers.
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Places that bet big on fracking as an engine for economic stability “are going to fall on hard times,” Williams-Derry said. He likened the effect of low oil prices on U.S. frackers to an unhealthy person contracting the rapidly spreading coronavirus.


huffpost--2020-03-09--Trump 'Can't Bluff His Way Through' This Crisis, Conservative News Site Says

Donald Trump is revealing how “ deeply unsuited he is to deal with a genuine crisis that he can ’ t bluff his way through , ” according to an editorial published Sunday in the Washington Examiner , a conservative political news site and weekly magazine that often has the president ’ s back .
This time , the Examiner had a serious problem with the president ’ s deceitful approach to the coronavirus threat .
“ It ’ s one thing for Trump to insist he had a ‘ perfect ’ phone call [ to Ukraine ] and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s another thing to downplay a growing epidemic as more and more Americans get sick , ” wrote the Examiner ’ s executive editor Philip Klein .
Trump ’ s comments on Friday while touring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were particularly disturbing , the Examiner noted .
Instead of making sober , steadying statements about the concrete steps being taken to protect Americans , Trump attacked CNN , called Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee ( D ) a “ snake ” for criticizing the administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 people in Inslee ’ s state and asked about ratings for his Fox News town hall meeting .
Trump also claimed tests devised by the CDC were perfect and that anyone who needed one could get it , even though CDC and other federal officials revealed that early tests were flawed and that demand for tests had outstripped supply .
Most stunning , Klein noted , was Trump ’ s reluctance to allow the passengers , including some 1,000 Americans , to leave the Grand Princess cruise ship , which is carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with coronavirus , because it would increase the reported numbers of cases .
“ Trump appears to be more concerned with numbers that might make him look bad in the short-term , then [ sic ] he is with actually taking the most prudent measures to save lives over time , ” Klein wrote .
Trump has repeatedly insisted that the coronavirus threat is all but over , even as cases continued to mount .
He also claimed that the 15 domestic cases reported last month would “ go down close to zero.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 500 cases — and 22 deaths .
“ Trump will be judged on his handling of the spread of a virus , ” Klein warned .
“ And the outcome will be clear no matter how many things he makes up , no matter how confident he pretends to be , and no matter how many insults he heaves .
”

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Donald Trump is revealing how “deeply unsuited he is to deal with a genuine crisis that he can’t bluff his way through,” according to an editorial published Sunday in the Washington Examiner, a conservative political news site and weekly magazine that often has the president’s back.
This time, the Examiner had a serious problem with the president’s deceitful approach to the coronavirus threat.
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“It’s one thing for Trump to insist he had a ‘perfect’ phone call [to Ukraine] and have all his Republican minions fall in line. It’s another thing to downplay a growing epidemic as more and more Americans get sick,” wrote the Examiner’s executive editor Philip Klein.
Trump’s comments on Friday while touring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were particularly disturbing, the Examiner noted. Instead of making sober, steadying statements about the concrete steps being taken to protect Americans, Trump attacked CNN, called Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) a “snake” for criticizing the administration’s handling of a disease that has killed 14 people in Inslee’s state and asked about ratings for his Fox News town hall meeting.
Trump also claimed tests devised by the CDC were perfect and that anyone who needed one could get it, even though CDC and other federal officials revealed that early tests were flawed and that demand for tests had outstripped supply.
Most stunning, Klein noted, was Trump’s reluctance to allow the passengers, including some 1,000 Americans, to leave the Grand Princess cruise ship, which is carrying nearly two dozen people who are sick with coronavirus, because it would increase the reported numbers of cases.
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“Trump appears to be more concerned with numbers that might make him look bad in the short-term, then [sic] he is with actually taking the most prudent measures to save lives over time,” Klein wrote.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that the coronavirus threat is all but over, even as cases continued to mount. He also claimed that the 15 domestic cases reported last month would “go down close to zero.” As of Sunday, there were more than 500 cases — and 22 deaths.
“Trump will be judged on his handling of the spread of a virus,” Klein warned. “And the outcome will be clear no matter how many things he makes up, no matter how confident he pretends to be, and no matter how many insults he heaves.”


huffpost--2020-03-09--Teachers On U.S. Military Bases Abroad Say They're At Risk Of Coronavirus Exposure

Italy has been the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe , with more than 7,000 confirmed cases of the flu-like illness and 132 deaths , according to the World Health Organization .
The Italian government closed schools in its northern region last month , and the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity ( DODEA ) followed suit for its facilities in the area .
But the office asked teachers to continue to report to work so they could teach online from their classrooms .
( Italy on Monday escalated its response to the COVID-19 outbreak by essentially shutting down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) The DODEA ’ s policy could be dangerous for the roughly 700 teachers on military bases in Italy , Bahrain , Spain and Turkey who continue to report to work as the virus continues to spread , American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten said .
She argued the Department of Defense ought to allow the instructors to teach virtually from home if they ’ re already doing classes online .
“ Asking teachers to report to work every day when students are at home is not only ridiculous , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement late last week .
“ It callously disregards the well-being of our educators and puts our teachers in the dangerous position of possibly spreading the virus in their community.
” Weingarten and Overseas Federation of Teachers President Linda Hogan have complained in two letters to Department of Defense Education Activity director Tom Brady , who as of Monday had not responded .
But DODEA spokesman Will Griffin said the office ’ s policy has been a great help to the department ’ s mission of supporting the troops who protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are no more at risk than other civilian employees .
“ Further , all travel to and from affected areas is extremely limited , approved at the senior level and only when deemed essential for mission accomplishment , ” Griffin said .
“ In addition , our school buildings remain safe .
They are being cleaned to standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
” Amy Ney , a biology teacher at Vicenza High School on the military base in Vicenza , said the day after the school ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 150 other teachers were called into a room for a briefing on social distancing , handwashing and how to teach classes online .
Ney said most students have kept up with their lessons .
A note from the superintendent for the Defense Department ’ s schools in southern Europe praised teachers in Italy and Bahrain , where schools are also closed , for their virtual teaching skills .
“ I can not thank you enough for stepping up to create digital learning spaces for students , ” Superintendent Michelle Howard-Brahaney said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s a cancer survivor and has been taking all the precautions she can .
When she ’ s gone grocery shopping , for example , she ’ s worn rubber gloves and used cleaning wipes to disinfect the items she brings home .
She said she and her colleagues are happy to keep doing their jobs , but she sees no reason to drag them to the school building to do so .
“ I felt devalued and I am bothered by the fact that the way that they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our lives and our children ’ s lives are less important than everybody else ’ s , ” Ney told HuffPost in an interview .
“ We ’ re telling everybody else ’ s children to stay home .
”

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Teachers at U.S. military schools in Europe say they’re at risk of coronavirus exposure because they’re being forced to physically report to work.
Italy has been the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, with more than 7,000 confirmed cases of the flu-like illness and 132 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
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The Italian government closed schools in its northern region last month, and the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) followed suit for its facilities in the area. But the office asked teachers to continue to report to work so they could teach online from their classrooms. (Italy on Monday escalated its response to the COVID-19 outbreak by essentially shutting down the entire country, including schools.)
The DODEA’s policy could be dangerous for the roughly 700 teachers on military bases in Italy, Bahrain, Spain and Turkey who continue to report to work as the virus continues to spread, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten said. She argued the Department of Defense ought to allow the instructors to teach virtually from home if they’re already doing classes online.
“Asking teachers to report to work every day when students are at home is not only ridiculous, it’s also unsafe,” Weingarten said in a statement late last week. “It callously disregards the well-being of our educators and puts our teachers in the dangerous position of possibly spreading the virus in their community.”
Weingarten and Overseas Federation of Teachers President Linda Hogan have complained in two letters to Department of Defense Education Activity director Tom Brady, who as of Monday had not responded.
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But DODEA spokesman Will Griffin said the office’s policy has been a great help to the department’s mission of supporting the troops who protect U.S. interests abroad, and that teachers are no more at risk than other civilian employees.
“Further, all travel to and from affected areas is extremely limited, approved at the senior level and only when deemed essential for mission accomplishment,” Griffin said. “In addition, our school buildings remain safe. They are being cleaned to standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Amy Ney, a biology teacher at Vicenza High School on the military base in Vicenza, said the day after the school’s closure was announced last month, she and 150 other teachers were called into a room for a briefing on social distancing, handwashing and how to teach classes online. Ney said most students have kept up with their lessons.
A note from the superintendent for the Defense Department’s schools in southern Europe praised teachers in Italy and Bahrain, where schools are also closed, for their virtual teaching skills.
“I cannot thank you enough for stepping up to create digital learning spaces for students,” Superintendent Michelle Howard-Brahaney said in an email last week.
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Ney said she’s a cancer survivor and has been taking all the precautions she can. When she’s gone grocery shopping, for example, she’s worn rubber gloves and used cleaning wipes to disinfect the items she brings home. She said she and her colleagues are happy to keep doing their jobs, but she sees no reason to drag them to the school building to do so.


huffpost--2020-03-09--First Large U.S. Sporting Event Canceled Over Coronavirus Fears

The BNP Paribas Open , the near-major tennis tournament set to begin this week in the California desert , won ’ t be played as scheduled after a case of coronavirus was confirmed in the Coachella Valley .
The Indian Wells event is the largest U.S. sporting event to be called off over concerns about the spread of the disease .
The South by Southwest Festival in Austin , Texas , was canceled Friday .
The announcement came Sunday night after many players were already in the desert practicing .
Qualifying matches were to begin Monday with women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men ’ s draw beginning Thursday .
“ We ’ re here and still deciding what ’ s next , ” tweeted Rafael Nadal , the world ’ s second-ranked player .
“ So sad for all that is happening around the world with this situation .
Hopefully soon solutions from the authorities .
Stay all well and safe.
” The Riverside County Public Health Department declared a public health emergency for the desert cities 110 miles east of Los Angeles , including Indian Wells where the ATP and WTA tours were to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency .
California has reported 114 cases of the virus .
“ There is too great a risk , at this time , to the public health of the Riverside County area in holding a large gathering of this size , ” Dr. David Agus , professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California , said Sunday .
“ It is not in the public interest of fans , players and neighboring areas for this tournament to proceed .
We all have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the coronavirus outbreak .
”

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The BNP Paribas Open, the near-major tennis tournament set to begin this week in the California desert, won’t be played as scheduled after a case of coronavirus was confirmed in the Coachella Valley.
The Indian Wells event is the largest U.S. sporting event to be called off over concerns about the spread of the disease. The South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, was canceled Friday.
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The announcement came Sunday night after many players were already in the desert practicing. Qualifying matches were to begin Monday with women’s main draw matches starting Wednesday and the men’s draw beginning Thursday.
“We’re here and still deciding what’s next,” tweeted Rafael Nadal, the world’s second-ranked player. “So sad for all that is happening around the world with this situation. Hopefully soon solutions from the authorities. Stay all well and safe.”
The Riverside County Public Health Department declared a public health emergency for the desert cities 110 miles east of Los Angeles, including Indian Wells where the ATP and WTA tours were to play the two-week tournament.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency. California has reported 114 cases of the virus.
“There is too great a risk, at this time, to the public health of the Riverside County area in holding a large gathering of this size,” Dr. David Agus, professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California, said Sunday. “It is not in the public interest of fans, players and neighboring areas for this tournament to proceed. We all have to join together to protect the community from the coronavirus outbreak.”


huffpost--2020-06-06--Scant Evidence For Trump Claim That Antifa Is Behind Protest Violence

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Scott Nichols, a balloon artist, was riding home on his scooter from the protests engulfing Minneapolis last weekend when he was struck by a rubber bullet fired from a cluster of police officers in riot gear.
“I just pulled over and put my hands up, because I didn’t want to get killed,” said Nichols, 40. “Anybody that knows me knows I wasn’t out there to cause problems.”
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Nichols, who before the coronavirus pandemic made his living performing at children’s birthday parties under the stage name “Amazing Scott,” spent two days in jail before being released on criminal charges of riot and curfew violation.
President Donald Trump has characterized those clashing with law enforcement after George Floyd’s death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer as organized, radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism, an assertion repeated by Attorney General William Barr. Some Democrats, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, initially tried to blame out-of-state far-right infiltrators for the unrest before walking back those statements.
There is scant evidence either is true.
The Associated Press analyzed court records, employment histories, social media posts and other sources of information for 217 people arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and the District of Columbia, two cities at the epicenter of the protests across the United States.
Rather than outside agitators, more than 85% of those arrested by police were local residents. Of those charged with such offenses as curfew violations, rioting and failure to obey law enforcement, only a handful appeared to have any affiliation with organized groups.
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It’s ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don’t lay the blame on others! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
Those charged with more serious offenses related to looting and property destruction – such as arson, burglary and theft – often had past criminal records. But they, too, were overwhelmingly local residents taking advantage of the chaos.
Social media posts indicate only a few of those arrested are left-leaning activists, including a self-described anarchist. But others had indications of being on the political right, including some Trump supporters.
The president has tried to portray the protesters and looters with a broad brush as “radical-left, bad people,” ominously invoking the name “antifa,” an umbrella term for leftist militants bound more by belief than organizational structure. Trump tweeted last Sunday that he planned to designate antifa as a terrorist organization.
“These are acts of domestic terror,” Trump said in a Rose Garden speech Monday, moments before heavily armed troops and riot police advanced without warning on the largely peaceful protesters across the street from the White House.
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Barr, put in charge of organizing the police and military response, activated the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force last weekend to target protest organizers.
“The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” Barr said in a statement issued Sunday.
Congratulations to our National Guard for the great job they did immediately upon arriving in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last night. The ANTIFA led anarchists, among others, were shut down quickly. Should have been done by Mayor on first night and there would have been no trouble! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020
“I don’t see any indication that there were any white supremest groups mixing in. This is an ANTIFA Organization. It seems that the first time we saw it in a major way was Occupy Wall Street. It’s the same mindset.” @kilmeade @foxandfriends TRUE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2020
There have been violent acts, including property destruction and theft. Police officers and protesters have been seriously injured and killed. But federal law enforcement officials have offered little evidence that antifa-aligned protesters could be behind a movement that has appeared nearly simultaneously in hundreds of cities and towns in all 50 states since Floyd’s death.
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The AP obtained copies of daily confidential “Intelligence Notes” distributed this past week to local enforcement by the Department of Homeland Security that repeat, without citing evidence, that “organized violent opportunists — including suspected anarchist extremists — could increasingly perpetrate nationwide targeting of law enforcement and critical infrastructure.”
“We lack detailed reporting indicating the level of organization and planning by some violent opportunists and assess that most of the violence to date has been loosely organized on a level seen with previous widespread outbreaks of violence at lawful protests,” the assessment for Monday says.
The following day, the assessment noted “several uncorroborated reports of bricks being pre-staged at planned protest venues nationwide.”
Law enforcement officers stand in formation along Lake Street near Hiawatha Ave. as fires burned after a night of unrest and protests in the death of George Floyd early Friday, May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP) ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Although we have been unable to verify the reporting through official channels, the staging of improvised weapons at planned events is a common tactic used by violent opportunists,” the Tuesday assessment says.
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But social media posts warning that stacks of bricks have been left at protest sites in Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles have been debunked by local officials who have explained that the masonry was out in the open before the protests or was for use in construction projects.
Nichols, the balloon artist, hardly fits the portrait of a radical.
He recently gained local notice for a giant balloon rabbit and other sculptures displayed in his front yard for Easter. He laughed when asked if he had any ties to antifa or other militant groups. A white man who lives less than a half mile from where Floyd was killed on May 25, Nichols said he protested to support of his neighbors, many of whom are black.
“It was the most insane thing I’ve seen in my life,” he said. “The city was going crazy.”
Nichols said he and a friend helped douse a dumpster fire that near a laundromat. He remembers getting a text from his mother saying that Minneapolis had set an 8 p.m. curfew, but he thought it would be enforced loosely.
“Had I known that being out after curfew would be such a severe penalty, I would have never done it,” Nichols said, adding that he missed his son’s high school graduation while he was in jail.
Lars Ortiz, a 35-year-old classical musician, said he was driving just blocks from his Minneapolis home on May 29 after visiting a friend recovering from COVID-19 when officers pulled him out of his car at gunpoint. He said he had been unaware of the 8 p.m. curfew enacted that night.
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Ortiz and another friend in the car with him were put in zip-tie restraints and forced to wait on a bus for hours before police took them to jail, where he would spend the weekend.
“It was scary. It was confusing. I felt violated,” said Ortiz, a cellist who identifies as a biracial Mexican American.
Ortiz was held on a riot charge and curfew violation. He said he was told when he was released from jail on Monday the more serious rioting charge was dropped.
Lt. Andy Knotz of the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, whose deputies were deployed from the suburban county north of Minneapolis into the city to help with the unrest, said it was a “chaotic scene” and that Ortiz was coming from the direction of the protests. Knotz said Ortiz was removed from his car by the Minnesota State Patrol, and an Anoka deputy took him to the police station.
“In chaos like that you can’t determine who is legit and who isn’t,” Knotz said.
Natalie Cook, 43, who’s white, said she had never before participated in a protest, but wanted to be there to support and protect her 24-year-old son, who’s black.
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“Not only did I want to go to be an ally to black people, but I wanted to go to support my son,” Cook said. “Also, I was afraid to send him out by himself.”
A Minneapolis Police officer stands near a structure fire, Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cook said they were marching peacefully with about 100 protesters for hours when police started using tear gas and shooting rubber bullets. As they tried to get away, they were pepper sprayed and her son was hit at close range by a rubber bullet, she said. They were both jailed and released on Monday, charged with riot and violating curfew.
Cook said her son was deeply affected by Floyd’s death and she doesn’t have any regrets about going out to make their voices heard.
“My son was really struggling with it,” she said. “We couldn’t just sit by and watch.”
AP filed public records requests seeking arrest reports and other documents that might show what evidence law enforcement officers have against Nichols, Ortiz the Cooks and others arrested in Minneapolis. Those records have not yet been provided.
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In Washington, the D.C. Metropolitan Police arrested at least 81 people last weekend, including some as young as 13. Most were charged with curfew violations and felony rioting, which could result in up to 180 days in jail and $5,000 in fines.
Among the highest profile arrests made by federal authorities in the last week was Matthew Lee Rupert. Prosecutors allege the 28-year-old Illinois man traveled to Minneapolis to participate in riots and then posted videos on a Facebook page showing him looting stores and handing out explosives.
In one video, Rupert, a convicted felon, says: “We come to riot, boy! This is what we came for!”
Though Rupert is alleged to have targeted police officers, there is no evidence cited in his indictment he is affiliated with any organized group. Among the few indicators of his political beliefs was a series of Facebook posts celebrating Trump’s 2017 inauguration. “Trump is my president but I’m not racist,” he wrote, adding that he loves Mexican food.
Rupert, who made an initial court appearance Friday, remains in federal custody. A federal public defender assigned to represent him did not respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.
Michael German, a former FBI agent and fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, said people often travel and cross state lines to participate in protests and that not all of them have peaceful intent. He said politicians and law enforcement often cite the presence of out-of-towners to justify greater police force against protesters.
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“It’s an old tactic for law enforcement policing protests to suggest that the problems are being caused by outside agitators,” German said. “It opens up the opportunity for greater police violence in response.”
Among those who traveled to Minneapolis to protest Floyd’s killing was Tara Houska, a 36-year-old attorney and member of the Couchiching First Nation from northern Minnesota. An activist for indigenous rights, she was arrested in Minneapolis last Saturday night and charged with not complying with a peace officer.
Houska, who attended college and law school in the city, said she was with a group a couple blocks from where Floyd died when police told them they were breaking curfew. They replied they were going home, she said, and then the officers hit them with pepper spray and zip-tied their hands.
“Almost everyone that was in our holding tank with us was from Minnesota,” Houska said.
Sierra West, 29, of Kansas City, Missouri, said she drove to Minneapolis with a friend because she is “so angry about what is happening” with police brutality and wanted to peacefully protest.
After marching for hours, West she broke away from the crowds and was walking back to her car through an alley alone when police arrested her early Saturday on riot and curfew violation charges. She said she did nothing to provoke the four officers who confronted her.
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“They were hiding, and they literally jumped out of the shadows with guns drawn on me,” she said. “The street was completely empty.”
West, who is white and describes herself as a strong supporter of the Black Lives Movement, was freed from jail on Monday afternoon.
University of Minnesota Law School student Santana Boulton, 23, said a police officer pepper-sprayed her in the face on May 28 before she was tear-gassed two days later and then arrested on Sunday, charged with unlawful assembly and violating a curfew.
About 15 minutes before the 8 p.m. curfew, Boulton said she and her boyfriend joined a large crowd of marchers on Interstate 35. People linked arms and kneeled before two lines of police officers formed near the protesters. She said she never heard any orders to disperse.
“It was nothing like a riot. It was a sit-in,” she said.
Boulton, a white woman who moved from Michigan to Minneapolis to attend law school, was arrested and spent 16 hours in custody. She described herself as “philosophically an anarchist,” but “not a revolutionary.”
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“Antifa isn’t even real,” Boulton said. “As an actual person who identifies with the political label of anarchist, the only thing anarchists do is have meetings where they argue for five hours and get nothing done.”


huffpost--2020-06-06--Cate Blanchett Suffers ‘Little Nick To The Head’ In Chainsaw Accident

Cate Blanchett said she suffered a “ little nick to the head ” following an accident with a chainsaw during the coronavirus lockdown .
But the Australian actor reassured former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard , in the latest episode of Gillard ’ s podcast “ A Podcast of One ’ s Own , ” that she was “ fine ” following the incident .
Academy Award-winning Blanchett admitted the accident sounded “ very , very exciting , but it wasn ’ t. ” “ Apart from the little nick to my head , we ’ re fine , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happened .
Blanchett explained how she ’ d already taken a year off work to assist her eldest son through a period of exams when the United Kingdom was forced in March into a nationwide lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
The family has hunkered down at their home in southeast England ever since .
Gillard , the Australian prime minister from 2010 to 2013 , urged Blanchett to be “ very careful with that chainsaw.
” “ You ’ ve got a very famous head , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think people want to see any nicks taken out of it.
” “ And I want to keep it on my shoulders , ” Blanchett replied .

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Cate Blanchett said she suffered a “little nick to the head” following an accident with a chainsaw during the coronavirus lockdown.
But the Australian actor reassured former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, in the latest episode of Gillard’s podcast “A Podcast of One’s Own,” that she was “fine” following the incident.
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Academy Award-winning Blanchett admitted the accident sounded “very, very exciting, but it wasn’t.”
“Apart from the little nick to my head, we’re fine,” she said, not elaborating on exactly what happened.
Blanchett explained how she’d already taken a year off work to assist her eldest son through a period of exams when the United Kingdom was forced in March into a nationwide lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The family has hunkered down at their home in southeast England ever since.
Gillard, the Australian prime minister from 2010 to 2013, urged Blanchett to be “very careful with that chainsaw.”
“You’ve got a very famous head,” said Gillard. “I don’t think people want to see any nicks taken out of it.”
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huffpost--2020-06-06--'Coward And Commander': Jim Mattis Attack On Trump Stars In Lacerating Ad

The Never Trumper Republicans of The Lincoln Project have mobilized former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ’ s scathing broadside against the president in their latest attack on Donald Trump .
“ This is the story of a coward and a commander , ” begins the ad released Friday .
It notes that Trump “ dodged the draft , ” and now the “ frightened ” president “ hides from protesters in a deep bunker — firing off tweets.
” Mattis , a retired Marine Corps general , “ does what he ’ s always done : leads ” — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the ad says .
The narrator reads some of the bombshell lines from a statement Wednesday by Mattis in The Atlantic : “ Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try .
Instead , he tries to divide us .
We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority .
We must reject and hold accountable everyone who would make a mockery of our Constitution.
” Mattis attacked Trump for “ militarizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of African American George Floyd during a brutal arrest by white officers in Minneapolis .
Trump ’ s strategy “ erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect , ” he wrote .
Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway , who ’ s married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , piled on with another attack on Trump in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday .
The president has failed miserably at handling the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the racial justice protests , Conway charged .
They have not only revealed the incompetence of the “ failing , flailing ” president , but his inhumanity as well , Conway argued .
“ Trump ’ s behavior is conscienceless , showing utter disregard for the safety of others , consistent irresponsibility , callousness , cynicism and disrespect of other human beings , ” George Conway concluded .
“ We remain governed by a soulless man with a broken mind , ” he warned .
“ The damage will continue , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end it .
”

The Never Trumper Republicans of The Lincoln Project have mobilized former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’s scathing broadside against the president in their latest attack on Donald Trump.
“This is the story of a coward and a commander,” begins the ad released Friday. It notes that Trump “dodged the draft,” and now the “frightened” president “hides from protesters in a deep bunker — firing off tweets.”
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Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general, “does what he’s always done: leads” — and deserves to be heard by all Americans, the ad says.
The narrator reads some of the bombshell lines from a statement Wednesday by Mattis in The Atlantic: “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us. We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority. We must reject and hold accountable everyone who would make a mockery of our Constitution.”
Mattis attacked Trump for “militarizing” the response to protests triggered by the death of African American George Floyd during a brutal arrest by white officers in Minneapolis. Trump’s strategy “erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect,” he wrote.
The ad concludes: “Who do you trust: the coward or the commander?″
Check it out in the video up top.
Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway, who’s married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, piled on with another attack on Trump in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday. The president has failed miserably at handling the first serious challenges of his presidency: COVID-19 and the racial justice protests, Conway charged. They have not only revealed the incompetence of the “failing, flailing” president, but his inhumanity as well, Conway argued.
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“Trump’s behavior is conscienceless, showing utter disregard for the safety of others, consistent irresponsibility, callousness, cynicism and disrespect of other human beings,” George Conway concluded.
“We remain governed by a soulless man with a broken mind,” he warned. “The damage will continue, and it won’t stop until voters end it.”


huffpost--2020-06-05--Federal Agents Release Coronavirus Masks Seized From Black Lives Matter Protesters

Win McNamee via Getty Images Students participate in a Black Lives Matter sit-in at the National Cathedral on June 5 in Washington , D.C. , during a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd .
Four boxes of the masks were shipped to Washington , St. Louis , New York City and Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon , and were supposed to arrive in each city by Thursday .
But until Friday morning , the boxes of 500 masks apiece that read “ stop killing Black people ” and “ defund police ” never left Oakland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government .
Federal agents with the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service were involved with the seizure .
“ These packages were originally set aside for further investigation because there were indications that they contained non-mailable matter , ” the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service said in a statement to HuffPost on Friday afternoon .
“ Once Postal Inspectors confirmed the contents of the packages were in fact mailable , they were immediately placed back in the mail stream to be delivered at their intended destinations without further delay.
” The USPIS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of non-mailable material they suspected the packages contained , said that “ specific investigative methods used by Inspectors are sensitive and must remain confidential , but they are effective in helping to locate non-mailable matter of all kinds.
” Mark Jamison , a retired postmaster , told HuffPost that he suspects that an outside law enforcement organization was involved in the investigation , which the U.S .
Postal Service Inspection Service denied .
The U.S .
Postal Service logs mail for law enforcement , and Jamison believes at least one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package of masks was of interest to law enforcement .
An organizer involved in producing the masks , speaking on the condition of anonymity , said they received a call from a USPIS employee on Friday morning , hours after HuffPost ’ s initial story on the seizure ran .
What was strange about the call , the person said , is that they weren ’ t the person who mailed the boxes or the point of contact .
The organizer who received the call said the USPIS official said there would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipping since the boxes wouldn ’ t be arriving on time , which would have allowed them to be used by protesters on Thursday night and this evening .
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that mass protests against police brutality have the potential to turn into seeding events .
“ I feel very nervous for the recipients , ” the Black Lives Matter organizer said .
“ All of the recipients are committed activists that have been doing this work for long periods of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nervous that their potential information might be compromised.
” Rene Quinonez of Movement Ink , who produced the masks , mailed the packages and is a regular at his local post office in Oakland , said he had the “ weirdest interaction ” with employees he knows when he returned to the post office on Friday .
“ I normally walk in and they immediately recognize me and say hi , ” Quinonez said .
This time was different .
“ The interaction was just really cold .
It was strange .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not the level of service that I ’ m used to getting .
Something happened.
” “ Taking life-saving masks out of the hands of people in the middle of a pandemic sinks to a new low and shows us that they will stop at nothing to put our lives in danger , ” she said .
The Justice Department has a recent history of treating masks as evidence of rioting .
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the District of Columbia , with the assistance of the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prosecute hundreds of demonstrators who were trapped in a police kettle and arrested during unrest surrounding President Donald Trump ’ s inauguration in January 2017 .
The Trump administration slapped the demonstrators ― many of whom the government admitted they didn ’ t allege were involved in any actual violence or property destruction ― with felony charges that had the potential to send them to prison for decades .
Prosecutors were ultimately unsuccessful at two trials , and dropped the charges against all the defendants after securing just a single guilty plea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first trial , Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff described a “ sea of black masks ” that caused chaos across the city , even as she admitted to jurors that the government did not allege that any of the six defendants on trial committed any violence or destruction .
“ You don ’ t personally have to be the one who breaks the window to be guilty of rioting , ” she said , after describing their facial coverings .
Kerkhoff later snapped on blue gloves as she dramatically pulled a mask out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 26-year-old who had been arrested when she was working as a medic .
The defendant , later acquitted , was carrying a first aid kit , and had red tape on her back in the shape of a cross .
Attorney General William Barr , under Trump ’ s direction , has overseen an aggressive response to protests and rioting in D.C. and across the country .
He ’ s placed 56 regional FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the county in charge of efforts to “ identify criminal organizers and instigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elements ” and “ outside radicals and agitators ” were hijacking protests .
As of Thursday , the federal government had charged more than 50 individuals with federal crimes in connection with rioting .

Students participate in a Black Lives Matter sit-in at the National Cathedral on June 5 in Washington, D.C., during a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Win McNamee via Getty Images
WASHINGTON ― Federal agents on Friday morning released boxes of cloth masks that Black Lives Matter organizers mailed to cities across the county to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 during nationwide demonstrations against police brutality.
Four boxes of the masks were shipped to Washington, St. Louis, New York City and Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon, and were supposed to arrive in each city by Thursday. But until Friday morning, the boxes of 500 masks apiece that read “stop killing Black people” and “defund police” never left Oakland, California, because they were seized by the government. Federal agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were involved with the seizure.
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“These packages were originally set aside for further investigation because there were indications that they contained non-mailable matter,” the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said in a statement to HuffPost on Friday afternoon. “Once Postal Inspectors confirmed the contents of the packages were in fact mailable, they were immediately placed back in the mail stream to be delivered at their intended destinations without further delay.”
The USPIS, responding to a follow-up question about what kind of non-mailable material they suspected the packages contained, said that “specific investigative methods used by Inspectors are sensitive and must remain confidential, but they are effective in helping to locate non-mailable matter of all kinds.”
Mark Jamison, a retired postmaster, told HuffPost that he suspects that an outside law enforcement organization was involved in the investigation, which the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service denied. The U.S. Postal Service logs mail for law enforcement, and Jamison believes at least one of the organizers who was set to receive a package of masks was of interest to law enforcement.
A spokeswoman for the Movement for Black Lives, which paid for the masks, called the USPIS statement “insufficient and a cause for concern.”
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“Cloth masks are mailable items. And they admit clearly that they received faulty intelligence about what was in the packages,” said Chelsea Fuller. “So the question remains: which agency moved to use the Postal Service as a domestic surveillance tool?”
Cloth masks that read "Stop Killing Black People" and were intended to protect demonstrators from COVID-19 were seized by law enforcement. themovementink / Instagram
An organizer involved in producing the masks, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they received a call from a USPIS employee on Friday morning, hours after HuffPost’s initial story on the seizure ran. What was strange about the call, the person said, is that they weren’t the person who mailed the boxes or the point of contact.
The organizer who received the call said the USPIS official said there would be a refund for the cost of express shipping since the boxes wouldn’t be arriving on time, which would have allowed them to be used by protesters on Thursday night and this evening. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that mass protests against police brutality have the potential to turn into seeding events.
A pile of masks produced by the Movement for Black Lives, which were temporarily seized by the federal government. HuffPost source
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“I feel very nervous for the recipients,” the Black Lives Matter organizer said. “All of the recipients are committed activists that have been doing this work for long periods of time, and so I’m actually nervous that their potential information might be compromised.”
Rene Quinonez of Movement Ink, who produced the masks, mailed the packages and is a regular at his local post office in Oakland, said he had the “weirdest interaction” with employees he knows when he returned to the post office on Friday.
“I normally walk in and they immediately recognize me and say hi,” Quinonez said. This time was different. “The interaction was just really cold. It was strange. It’s not normal, it’s not the level of service that I’m used to getting. Something happened.”
Fuller said it was “frightening that the Postal Service was used in a manner to advance the surveillance and disruption of social movements that Trump wants to eliminate.”
“Taking life-saving masks out of the hands of people in the middle of a pandemic sinks to a new low and shows us that they will stop at nothing to put our lives in danger,” she said.
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“My guess is someone is surveilling these people from Black Lives Matter,” said Jamison, the former postmaster. “There’s nothing in this package which would set off any detectors or done anything ― there’s no contraband in them.”
“This isn’t by happenstance. That means that the Justice Department is probably surveilling some of these people under some program,” Jamison said. “I’m old enough to remember [Richard] Nixon doing this kind of stuff.”
The Justice Department has a recent history of treating masks as evidence of rioting. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with the assistance of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, attempted to prosecute hundreds of demonstrators who were trapped in a police kettle and arrested during unrest surrounding President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. The Trump administration slapped the demonstrators ― many of whom the government admitted they didn’t allege were involved in any actual violence or property destruction ― with felony charges that had the potential to send them to prison for decades. Prosecutors were ultimately unsuccessful at two trials, and dropped the charges against all the defendants after securing just a single guilty plea.
In an opening statement at the first trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff described a “sea of black masks” that caused chaos across the city, even as she admitted to jurors that the government did not allege that any of the six defendants on trial committed any violence or destruction. “You don’t personally have to be the one who breaks the window to be guilty of rioting,” she said, after describing their facial coverings.
Advertisement
Kerkhoff later snapped on blue gloves as she dramatically pulled a mask out of a bag that was seized from a 26-year-old who had been arrested when she was working as a medic. The defendant, later acquitted, was carrying a first aid kit, and had red tape on her back in the shape of a cross.
“Have you ever heard of the term ‘balaclava’?” Kerkhoff asked the D.C. officer on the witness stand. He hadn’t, referring to it as a ski mask.
Attorney General William Barr, under Trump’s direction, has overseen an aggressive response to protests and rioting in D.C. and across the country. He’s placed 56 regional FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the county in charge of efforts to “identify criminal organizers and instigators” and warned that “violent radical elements” and “outside radicals and agitators” were hijacking protests. As of Thursday, the federal government had charged more than 50 individuals with federal crimes in connection with rioting.


huffpost--2020-06-06--Biden Formally Secures Democratic Presidential Nomination

The former vice president has effectively been his party ’ s leader since his last challenger in the Democratic primary , Bernie Sanders , ended his campaign in April .
But Biden pulled together the 1,991 delegates needed to become the nominee after seven states and the District of Columbia held presidential primaries Tuesday .
Biden reached the threshold three days after the primaries because several states , overwhelmed by huge increases in mail ballots , took days to tabulate results .
Teams of analysts at The Associated Press then parsed the votes into individual congressional districts .
Democrats award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national convention based on results in individual congressional districts .
The moment was met with little of the traditional fanfare as the nation confronts overlapping crises .
While Biden has started to venture out more this week , the coronavirus pandemic has largely confined him to his Wilmington , Delaware , home for much of the past three months .
The country faces the worst rate of unemployment since the Great Depression .
And civil unrest that harkens back to the 1960s has erupted in dozens of cities following the death of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air .
It ’ s a confluence of events that no U.S. leader has faced in modern times , made all the more complicated by a president who has at times antagonized the protesters and is eager to take the fight to Biden .
Biden spent 36 years in the Senate before becoming Barack Obama ’ s vice president .
This is 77-year-old Biden ’ s third bid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capturing the Democratic nomination was driven by strong support from black voters .
He finished an embarrassing fourth place in the overwhelmingly white Iowa caucuses that kicked off the nomination process in February .
Biden fared little better in the New Hampshire primary , where his standing was so low that he left the state before polls closed on election night to instead rally black voters in South Carolina .
His rebound began in the more diverse caucuses in Nevada but solidified in South Carolina , where Biden stomped Sanders , his nearest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He followed that with a dominant showing three days later during the Super Tuesday contests , taking 9 of the 13 states .
Biden ’ s strong showing in states such as North Carolina , Virginia , Tennessee and Texas reinforced his status as the preferred Democratic candidate of African American voters — but the relationship has not been without its strained moments .
After a tense exchange with an influential black radio host , Biden took sharp criticism for suggesting that African American voters still deciding between him and Trump “ ain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democratic primary included dozens of candidates of different races , genders and generations and an openly gay man .
The contest was dominated by debate over unapologetically progressive ideas , including fully government-funded health care under “ Medicare for All ” and a sweeping proposal to combat climate change known as the “ Green New Deal.
” Since clinching the nomination , however , Biden has worked to build his appeal among progressives , forming joint task forces with Sanders ’ campaign to find common ground on key issues like health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden has also embraced a plan to forgive millions of Americans ’ student debt , meaning that he clinches the nomination as easily the most liberal standard bearer the Democratic Party has ever had .
Biden ’ s embrace of his party ’ s left flank could help him consolidate a Democratic base that remained deeply divided after the 2016 primary and ultimately hurt Hillary Clinton in her defeat to Trump .
But it could also undermine Biden ’ s attempts to rebuild the Obama coalition , which is often loosely defined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as educated Americans and some working-class voters .
The former vice president has sought , since announcing his candidacy , to cast the election as a battle “ for the soul of the nation , ” and promised to restore order and dignity to the White House while rehabilitating the U.S. image on the world stage .
Such an approach , though , necessarily focuses on being more of an alternative to Trump than offering radically new political ideas .
And that further underscores Biden ’ s difficult task of trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appealing to voters from far beyond it .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden formally clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Friday, setting him up for a bruising challenge to President Donald Trump that will play out against the unprecedented backdrop of a pandemic, economic collapse and civil unrest.
The former vice president has effectively been his party’s leader since his last challenger in the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders, ended his campaign in April. But Biden pulled together the 1,991 delegates needed to become the nominee after seven states and the District of Columbia held presidential primaries Tuesday.
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Biden reached the threshold three days after the primaries because several states, overwhelmed by huge increases in mail ballots, took days to tabulate results. Teams of analysts at The Associated Press then parsed the votes into individual congressional districts. Democrats award most delegates to the party’s national convention based on results in individual congressional districts.
Biden now has 1,993 delegates, with contests still to come in eight states and three U.S. territories.
The moment was met with little of the traditional fanfare as the nation confronts overlapping crises. While Biden has started to venture out more this week, the coronavirus pandemic has largely confined him to his Wilmington, Delaware, home for much of the past three months.
The country faces the worst rate of unemployment since the Great Depression. And civil unrest that harkens back to the 1960s has erupted in dozens of cities following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
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It’s a confluence of events that no U.S. leader has faced in modern times, made all the more complicated by a president who has at times antagonized the protesters and is eager to take the fight to Biden.
Biden spent 36 years in the Senate before becoming Barack Obama’s vice president. This is 77-year-old Biden’s third bid for the presidency and his success in capturing the Democratic nomination was driven by strong support from black voters.
He finished an embarrassing fourth place in the overwhelmingly white Iowa caucuses that kicked off the nomination process in February. Biden fared little better in the New Hampshire primary, where his standing was so low that he left the state before polls closed on election night to instead rally black voters in South Carolina.
His rebound began in the more diverse caucuses in Nevada but solidified in South Carolina, where Biden stomped Sanders, his nearest rival, by nearly 29 points. He followed that with a dominant showing three days later during the Super Tuesday contests, taking 9 of the 13 states.
Biden’s strong showing in states such as North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Texas reinforced his status as the preferred Democratic candidate of African American voters — but the relationship has not been without its strained moments. After a tense exchange with an influential black radio host, Biden took sharp criticism for suggesting that African American voters still deciding between him and Trump “ain’t black.”
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That comment, and protests that have spread nationwide, have increased pressure on Biden to pick an African American running mate. He has already committed to picking a woman as a vice presidential candidate.
Black voters are unlikely to back Trump over Biden by a wide margin. A recent Fox News poll shows just 14% of African Americans who are registered to vote have a favorable opinion of the president compared with 75% who favorably view Biden.
But Biden must ensure that black voters are motivated to show up to the polls in November, especially in critical swing states that narrowly went for Trump in 2016.
At one point, the Democratic primary included dozens of candidates of different races, genders and generations and an openly gay man. The contest was dominated by debate over unapologetically progressive ideas, including fully government-funded health care under “Medicare for All” and a sweeping proposal to combat climate change known as the “Green New Deal.”
Biden prevailed by mostly offering more moderate approaches that he argued would make him more electable against Trump.
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He refused to budge on his rejection of universal health care and some of the Green New Deal’s most ambitious provisions to combat climate change.
Since clinching the nomination, however, Biden has worked to build his appeal among progressives, forming joint task forces with Sanders’ campaign to find common ground on key issues like health care, the economy and the environment. Biden has also embraced a plan to forgive millions of Americans’ student debt, meaning that he clinches the nomination as easily the most liberal standard bearer the Democratic Party has ever had.
Biden’s embrace of his party’s left flank could help him consolidate a Democratic base that remained deeply divided after the 2016 primary and ultimately hurt Hillary Clinton in her defeat to Trump. But it could also undermine Biden’s attempts to rebuild the Obama coalition, which is often loosely defined as minorities and young people, as well as educated Americans and some working-class voters.
The former vice president has sought, since announcing his candidacy, to cast the election as a battle “for the soul of the nation,” and promised to restore order and dignity to the White House while rehabilitating the U.S. image on the world stage. Such an approach, though, necessarily focuses on being more of an alternative to Trump than offering radically new political ideas. And that further underscores Biden’s difficult task of trying to unite his party’s base while appealing to voters from far beyond it.


huffpost--2020-06-06--This Therapy Method Can Help You Manage Your Coronavirus Anxiety

You go to look for your car keys on your kitchen counter .
They ’ re not there .
You @ @ @ @ @ , but keep coming back to the same place where you always put them — @ @ @ @ @ though you already looked there .
That is non-acceptance .
Eventually , you accept the @ @ @ @ @ where you ordinarily put them .
You think through your last steps when you put @ @ @ @ @ find your keys .
That is radical acceptance .
You Don ’ t Have To @ @ @ @ @ Radical Acceptance Can Help Us Cope With Anxiety And Loss Small Practices You Can Do @ @ @ @

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It's been one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Explore HuffPost's Bent Not Broken project to learn how the coronavirus has disrupted our mental health, and how to manage our well-being moving forward.
Freddie Francis, a lifeguard manager on a cruise ship, was returned home to Orlando, Florida, after enduring a 14-day lockdown on a voyage that was supposed to end at a port in Sydney. That changed after four crew members tested positive for COVID-19.
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During and shortly after the lockdown, temperatures were taken twice a day — at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Food was delivered to crew members’ doors and left on nightstands placed outside.
Many of the crew members were moved into guest cabins to make them more comfortable, as the crew cabins were below deck and windowless.
Francis was in a crew cabin for two days before being moved to a guest cabin with a porthole, which allowed him to see the world outside as the ship floated aimlessly in open waters. Toward the end of the lockdown, Francis was able to move to a room with a balcony — and he felt thankful for the fresh air and warm sunlight on his skin.
“They tried to accommodate us as best they could,” Francis told HuffPost about the cruise company.
During the lockdown, Francis tried to focus on the things within his control, as opposed to the many things that weren’t — such as when he could go home.
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“I would eat my dinner cold because I would force myself to do a workout before I ate,” he said. He recalled working out nearly every day, adding that it helped with his mental clarity and mood. On the days when he struggled and skipped a workout, he would work out twice the next day.
Francis also picked up a copy of “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins, a man who went on from an abusive childhood to become a Navy SEAL, an ultra-endurance athlete and a world-record holder. He watched movies, played video games, talked to friends online when the Wi-Fi worked and checked in on the lifeguards who worked with him.
Francis said he had a few people he vented to as well. He decided against calling to ask for updates, though, as the captain was already sharing the information he had as soon as he had it. And there was no point in asking questions that didn’t have answers yet.
He had to radically accept that he was stuck on this boat for the time being — without knowing when or how he would get back home to Orlando. That radical acceptance is what allowed him to problem-solve in a way he wouldn’t have been able to otherwise had he continued to fight reality.
AzmanL via Getty Images
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What Is Radical Acceptance?
Radical acceptance is “letting go of the struggle with reality and allowing reality to be just as it is,” said Antonia Pieracci, a clinical psychologist and founding partner of Cognitive Behavior Therapy Associates of Denver. “It’s total and complete acceptance with the mind, body, heart and spirit.”
Pieracci’s clinic treats depression, anxiety and insomnia, using evidenced-based treatments. One of those treatments includes dialectical behavioral therapy, which uses cognitive and behavioral strategies to help patients combat destructive or unhealthy behaviors. One of the main strategies of the process is learning about and working toward radical acceptance.
Radical acceptance can best be summed up by this example, said Randy Wolbert, a DBT clinician and Zen teacher based in Michigan:
You go to look for your car keys on your kitchen counter. They’re not there. You scour the house for them, but keep coming back to the same place where you always put them — the kitchen counter — even though you already looked there. That is non-acceptance. Eventually, you accept the fact that they are not where you ordinarily put them. You think through your last steps when you put them down, and you find your keys. That is radical acceptance.
That doesn’t mean you stop feeling whatever emotions you’re having about that reality. It simply means you acknowledge what has happened, and as a result, you’re able to move forward.
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Radical acceptance is actually something that can help anyone, not just those working through a clinical diagnosis with a therapist. It’s especially relevant during COVID-19, as many of us struggle to accept a new reality in our lives: the loss of control, the loss of a loved one or the loss of our financial resources.
You Don’t Have To Like Reality To Accept It
People often hear the word “acceptance” and equate it with approving of the situation, Wolbert said. That’s not the case. Acceptance is more about letting go of your attachment to your desired outcome and accepting life just as it is in this moment. Once you accept reality for what it is, only then can you focus on the changes you need to make, which are within your control.
“I can have a preference,” Wolbert said. “There’s a lot of times I have a preference. But the acceptance piece, the freedom piece, comes from letting go of having to have it.”
Maya Rogers, a 27-year-old in Orlando, knows the feeling of moving from suffering to acceptance. She and her fiance waited until the last minute to decide to move forward with their April 4 wedding — except without the guests. She put off the decision until two weeks out, hoping that the COVID-19 situation was going to improve.
“Every single week it was a new realization of, ‘Oh, this isn’t going to change. Oh, things are getting worse. We need to do something and make a decision.’ But we also still kind of battled just not wanting to face facts,” Rogers said.
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When she realized she was either going to have to cancel her wedding or have a very different version of it than the one she’d planned for a year and a half, she burst into tears.
“It was difficult that day when I made the call to my family,” Rogers said. “I’m not a very openly emotional person, and I just cried. I was at work, and I just cried. I think it just was that release. I knew it was inevitable. I knew that it was coming, and it finally all just bubbled up.”
That moment was both her breaking point and her tipping point. When someone has a sudden shift into radical acceptance, there can be intense grief and pain, Pieracci said. After that, she added, there can be some relief and some ability to move forward when someone might have been stuck before.
The couple held the wedding ceremony on a nature path Rogers had found one day while hiking. The night before, she and her fiance decided to write their own vows. She wouldn’t have been willing to do that if they had had the big wedding they originally planned because of her shyness.
“It was just relaxed, special and honestly better than I probably could have imagined,” Rogers said.
Radical Acceptance Can Help Us Cope With Anxiety And Loss
At the beginning of the pandemic, Jennifer Billock, a 36-year-old living in Chicago, was having panic attacks nearly every day as a result of a generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. That anxiety eventually calmed to a simmer, she said, before ramping back up after her great aunt died from health problems unrelated to COVID-19.
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Things got more difficult when Billock found out that an in-person funeral would take place, but that only 10 people could be in the room at a time. “We could have gone, but we didn’t want to take away from time the immediate family was going to be able to spend together,” she said.
Family members who were unable to attend the service in person were able to watch it online via livestreaming video. Watching the funeral online was difficult for Billock, as she could hear the voices of her family members but couldn’t offer them a hug or be there to cry with them.
Billock said she eventually accepted that she couldn’t be at the funeral because of the health risks right now. But she and her mom are still in disbelief at her great aunt’s passing.
Radical acceptance is actually an effective way to cope with grief and loss, Pieracci said. She added that each of us experiences different types of loss in the face of the pandemic. The only thing you can control is how you choose to respond to them.
Dean Mitchell via Getty Images
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Small Practices You Can Do To Help Cultivate Acceptance
Radical acceptance is more experiential than cognitive, Wolbert said. It’s also not a passive experience. It takes practice. He suggested trying a daily meditation and being aware of the “shoulds” that come up, which is often indicative of non-acceptance. Then tell yourself, “Yeah, I’m having a thought that things should be different. This is what is.”
Pieracci also outlined a practice that she encourages her own patients to follow: Start by creating a statement of acceptance for yourself. Maybe your children are home more during the pandemic, and you’re also working full time. Your statement might be as simple as, “My kids might interrupt me during this work call.”
Repeat your statement of acceptance aloud or to yourself. Allow whatever emotions are present to be there. Repeat that statement in a calm tone of voice. After a couple of moments of doing that, come out of the exercise.
Caveats To Radical Acceptance
Like anything, there are limitations to the practice. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish the difference between true reality and an alternative version of it you may be telling yourself.
For example, if someone’s life and well-being was at stake, as in an abusive relationship, you wouldn’t want them to radically accept their situation and stay, Pieracci said.
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In that case, the reality that may need to be accepted is that the abuser won’t change — and that you deserve to get out of the situation immediately.
Radical Acceptance Isn’t A Destination
What determines whether someone accepts reality or fights against it? It comes down to accepting life as it comes with open palms or refusing it with clenched fists.
“Willingness is that whole idea of being open to participation,” Wolbert said. “Open to full participation and whatever comes. Willfulness is actually much more sitting on your hands. It’s like, ‘I shouldn’t have to deal with this.’”
Wolbert added that acceptance is a constant journey, not a permanent residence. You can start in a place of non-acceptance and then experience acceptance. The opposite is also true. One day you might accept the fact that you lost your job, and the next day, go back to thinking, “Why me?” It’s a continuous journey, and you have to continue to turn down the road toward acceptance.
“Sometimes people have to get to a point where they realize that what they’re doing isn’t working,” Pieracci said. “They have to see that and decide that for themselves. Other people can suggest that, but they have to know that for themselves. And be willing to face the uncertainty of trying something new, which may be uncomfortable.”
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Pieracci said it sounded as if Francis, Billock and Rogers were all able to see their situations accurately, make the most of them and move forward with what was important.
Any time you come to any level of acceptance, Wolbert said, there’s a sense of peace that comes along with it. That’s what makes the journey worthwhile.
“You have to keep practicing acceptance,” Wolbert said. “And so you can certainly observe that you’re not at acceptance yet. And that means, I’ve got work to do yet.”
This story is part of HuffPost Life’s series on coping with uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic. Check out our other stories below.
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