huffpost--2020-05-22--Outspoken Progressive Rashida Tlaib Is Facing A Major Primary Challenge

In between all of that , we ’ re doing these wellness check-in calls .
My team gave me 50 to do .
We all split it and we check in on neighbors .
And at the end of the call , we ask them to check in on three other neighbors to make sure everyone is doing OK and that somebody out here cares about their well-being .
That ’ s where we also hear about what the needs are ― from water shutoffs to folks worried about , “ Hey , what are we doing to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to more spread of COVID.
” There ’ s a huge fear that we continue to brush them aside , that somehow Palestinians ’ voices , their lives , are disposable .
It is something that really puts my grandmother ’ s life in danger , when we ’ re so eager to choose a side instead of focusing on equality and freedom and these values that I really do think if we were centered around that , we would actually have peace there .
People would have some sort of human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about everybody ― Israelis , Palestinians , others .
No one should live in fear , but no one should be told that they exist less because of who they are .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Rep. Rashida Tlaib was only elected to Congress in 2018, but she is already something of a household name.
Tlaib, one of the first two Muslim women to ever serve in Congress, is a member of the “Squad” of four freshman women of color ― a kind of left-wing sub-caucus within the Congressional Progressive Caucus with celebrity to boot. The Michigan Democrat arrived in the House with a bang, calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, whom she labeled a “motherfucker,” on the day she was sworn in wearing a traditional Palestinian thobe dress.
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Now Tlaib might be facing a formidable primary challenge from Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones on Aug. 4. Tlaib won in 2018 partly thanks to a crowded field of contenders who split the vote in a Detroit area district that is 54% Black. An early April poll showed Jones, who is Black, within striking distance of Tlaib, despite spending a minuscule amount of money.
In a Thursday interview with HuffPost, Tlaib skirted around the upcoming contest, focusing instead on the work she and her team are doing to address the needs of constituents suffering in one of the metropolitan areas that the coronavirus has hit hardest.
“I don’t want to become numb,” the congresswoman said. “I see a lot of my colleagues lacking that sense of urgency to move quickly to help people or not fully understanding the current pain and hurt that’s on the ground right now.”
Tlaib also discussed her work to contain the damage from COVID-19 in her district, her feelings about former Vice President Joe Biden’s stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, why House Democrats’ response to the pandemic has disappointed her, and why she wants Biden to visit her district.
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The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones. Tom Williams/Getty Images
What is a typical day in the life of a member of Congress representing a city where COVID is raging?
Because we can’t physically go into offices, I check in with my team at 9:30 a.m. every morning. We go through what’s going on at my office’s four neighborhood service centers. The caseworker that manages the constituent services programs does a report on what’s happening on the ground.
I would describe it almost like triaging where all kinds of emergencies are coming in. One person will say, “I can’t get unemployment benefits,” or even one senior said, “Is there a chance anyone can drop off Depends for me?” Another asked about what else we could be doing right now to get masks into nursing homes.
We’ve also been in constant contact with our steelworkers. We expect hundreds to be on a call today at 1 p.m. about what they need to know, [and we’ll try to] answer any questions they have.
I have a House Democratic Caucus call around 2 p.m. We’re doing a lot of those where we check in and go over what we just passed and what is the state of the HEROES Act, and what do we need to be looking out for and how can we work with outside organizations to get more support for it.
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Later today, the freshman class is going to be having a call with our municipal leaders.
In between all of that, we’re doing these wellness check-in calls. My team gave me 50 to do. We all split it and we check in on neighbors. And at the end of the call, we ask them to check in on three other neighbors to make sure everyone is doing OK and that somebody out here cares about their well-being. That’s where we also hear about what the needs are ― from water shutoffs to folks worried about, “Hey, what are we doing to make sure Memorial Day weekend is not going to lead to more spread of COVID.”
And in the middle of all of this, you’re also running for reelection. There have been polls that suggest that it’s close. How do you make time for that? What has your strategy been to address the lingering sense from some residents that the district should be represented by a Black person in Congress?
One of the things I center around is being rooted in community. What I mean by that is I come home every week. Unless there’s voting and committee hearings, I’m here at home and staying as close to my residents as possible. I actually think that it makes sure that I don’t become numb.
I don’t want to become numb. I see a lot of my colleagues lacking that sense of urgency to move quickly to help people or not fully understanding the current pain and hurt that’s on the ground right now.
We’re trying to be as accessible as possible. When we show up for each other, we save lives.
We were already doing that work, but now we’re laser-focused on it.
It sounds like you’re not doing traditional campaigning for reelection. It’s really just full-time service as a member of Congress and hoping it shines through to people.
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Well, I hope it saves lives.
One of my team members sent a text message today and said, “Hey, it’s Carolina from Rashida for Congress. We just want to make sure you have the resources you need. Is there anything you need help with?” The woman said, “Thank you, you all were the only ones to call me back about who to call for my unemployment benefits.”
That’s how we show up for each other and that’s how we expose what we should be doing right now. In the midst of all of that, we are actually learning more about what our priorities on policy should be. That’s where I hear folks saying, “Did you know 60% of firefighters in Wayne County have COVID?”
This is, again, triaging and bringing in these critical services to our residents that need help now. And they don’t have time to wait for [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell and others to understand how much pain is on the ground right now.
“I just have this connection of what’s happening in Detroit and what’s happening in Palestine.” - Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Biden’s plan for the Jewish community includes a promise to “firmly reject the BDS movement, which singles out Israel — home to millions of Jews — and too often veers into anti-Semitism, while letting Palestinians off the hook for their choices.” Do you have a reaction to that language on his website?
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When I hear about various statements like that, I think of my grandmother, my sity, in occupied Palestine.
Right now, during COVID, this is not helpful. This is not about choosing sides. I wrote an op-ed with [California Rep.] Alan Lowenthal, one of my colleagues, about making sure we do not leave Palestinians behind during COVID relief. You see the president of the United States not providing adequate funding, even drawing it back ― almost like they’re disposable.
There’s a huge fear that we continue to brush them aside, that somehow Palestinians’ voices, their lives, are disposable. It is something that really puts my grandmother’s life in danger, when we’re so eager to choose a side instead of focusing on equality and freedom and these values that I really do think if we were centered around that, we would actually have peace there. People would have some sort of human dignity. And I’m talking about everybody ― Israelis, Palestinians, others. No one should live in fear, but no one should be told that they exist less because of who they are.
A majority of my residents who are African American don’t have access to equal testing, to quality health care. They live in polluted communities and neighborhoods where they have respiratory issues and asthma. So add the pandemic on top of it, and they are going to die at a higher rate. Even though a significantly lower number of African Americans live in Michigan, 40% of the deaths from COVID are African American.
I feel like that is how I connect my roots as a Palestinian and hearing my grandmother and my cousins saying, “Who is out there really fighting for us?”
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These are incredibly strong people and I just have this connection of what’s happening in Detroit and what’s happening in Palestine. And for me, it just makes me more of a warrior when it comes to these issues and speaking the truth about it.
Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones poses with then-Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) in April 2016. Conyers' resignation opened up the House seat that Tlaib now occupies. Monica Morgan/Getty Images
You were a supporter of Bernie Sanders. Why do you think he fell short?
I don’t know. But I know this much: He put movement work on the national stage ― on “Medicare for All,” on immigration, on poverty. We talk about the middle class so much but nobody talks about the “p-word.” Nobody talks about poverty or the economic divide. Nobody says, “You know what? There’s something wrong where this many people are making more money than the majority of our neighbors.”
This is a person that finally spoke that kind of truth, where everybody else doesn’t want to speak that truth ― even though that is increasingly popular among so many people across the nation.
Bernie showed us ― many people, myself and others ― that you can do it without selling out. People are talking about issues now that they never would have if he hadn’t run for president. That is something that I continue to draw that motivation and inspiration from.
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Is the Congressional Progressive Caucus effective? Would you like to see it act more as a bloc?
If you went to my district, in every single corner of my district, they wouldn’t be able to tell you who the Freedom Caucus, the New Dems caucus are or anything. They wouldn’t even understand it.
That’s the issue: There’s this dynamic that happens in the capital that’s very much disconnected from what’s happening in various communities. People don’t know these dynamics are happening and these dynamics are the reason that there’s a lack of urgency.
I don’t know all of these labels. I don’t understand them. Before I got to Congress, I never heard of them.
OK, have progressives, have House Democrats done everything in their power to demand that urgency?
When you say “House Democrats,” it’s like we’re all under one umbrella. I don’t see it that way. You say you’re a progressive caucus member but there are also New Dems. You see that? We have people that say, “Oh, I’m a Democrat,” but they really vote with Republicans. There’s a lot of that I think.
I’m just saying ―
Oh, I know what you’re saying.
I came in and these structures were in place. On the floor, all I do is bring my district into my room and I demand action based on that, versus based on calculations, based on political relationships, based on things that I feel like can get away from the need of the people on the ground.
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I used to always wonder why every time I hear Congress is not popular. Now that I’m there, I can see. You can get anybody off the street and they would feel very much like they don’t have this strong connection to those that actually vote in D.C. on issues that are impacting their lives.
“It’s very difficult sometimes when we’re saying, ‘We’re being bold, we’re being big in how we approach this,’ but we always seem to fall short when it comes to direct help for people.” - Rep. Rashida Tlaib
There are a number of primary races left in the election cycle where progressive candidates are taking on incumbents, including Jamaal Bowman in the Bronx against Rep. Eliot Engel. It’s a majority-minority district with a white representative. Are you interested in backing any of those candidates to bring more urgency to Congress, including Bowman in the Bronx?
Right now, I’ve been very much focused on local electeds, some of them running for the first time, that are incredibly important. They’re just really important to the service center work that I’m doing.
You voted first to defer a vote on the House’s most recent COVID relief bill, the HEROES Act, and then ultimately voted for the bill itself. Why did you do that?
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I wanted to be bolder. Having recurring relief payments ― that’s the one issue that has overwhelming support. It’s ironic how much bipartisan support outside of Congress there is for recurring payments.
In my bill it says, “Let’s do recharged debit cards,” because 25% of our neighbors are unbanked and even more are probably underbanked. We need to acknowledge and go to people where they’re at. Neighbors of mine are disconnected from these systems.
These corporate bailouts, the corporations hoard them. But if you give it to my residents, they’ll pay down their debt, because one-third of folks across the nation couldn’t pay their rent in April.
I was very upset not to see recurring payments. I spoke to Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi about it. And I was taken aback by it.
I voted for the HEROES Act because there was $1.5 billion for water shutoffs. This is historic. I fought so hard prior to the pandemic and then now during the pandemic to create a permanent fix for a water shutoff. Fifteen million people are affected by water shutoffs right now. During a pandemic, they can’t wash their hands. It was important to me to see that work through and continue to fight for it in the Senate.
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It’s very difficult sometimes when we’re saying, “We’re being bold, we’re being big in how we approach this,” but we always seem to fall short when it comes to direct help for people. I described it to leadership and others: There’s human dignity when you give people money. Let them decide. Direct payments work. Even small businesses have been advocating for it because they know that when folks are able to take care of themselves and their home, then they are able to take care of their community and their neighborhoods.
The Squad, from left: Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Tlaib, responding to President Donald Trump's disparaging remarks in July 2019. Tom Williams/Getty Images
If you had an audience with Joe Biden, what would you tell him about what agenda he needs to run on and what he needs to do to win in Michigan?
Sen. [Elizabeth] Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders both did a “toxic tour” of my district. They came and they smelled what my residents smell. They talked to a mother who had a sick child because they live in the shadow of the steel companies and Marathon petroleum refinery. They talked to community advocates who said, “Guess what? Flint still doesn’t have clean drinking water.”
I welcome anybody that wants to lead our nation to come to the third-poorest congressional district. To talk to workers who haven’t seen a wage increase but have seen their health benefits decrease. To talk to a mother, Carly, in Redford Township in my district who has a daughter with all these conditions ― she’s this beautiful young child ― and they struggle every single month to get access to the prescription medications she needs to live.
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For me, it’s not telling, it’s showing. I want to show whoever wants to be president of the United States the sense of urgency my residents have and do it now.
Do you think having a less war-oriented foreign policy is also something that resonates in your district?
It’s so interconnected. When we allow one group of people to be completely oppressed and not feel like they can equally exist with others, that alone leads to this culture we create within our own country.
Go to the Department of Defense website every single day and watch the billions of dollars that are being pumped into defense, to wars. It’s billions of dollars, and you look at what goes into health and human services and you wonder why people are dying at a higher rate from COVID in the United States of America compared to any other country?
The way we put our budgets is so reflective of our values. And I continue to see us giving a blank check to the Department of Defense, giving a blank check to these wars, but they don’t want to give any checks to residents.


huffpost--2020-05-21--Quarantine Diaries: When You’re Dealing With Kids 24/7

I ’ m not sure that I was mentally prepared for both boys to be home , but it ’ s been more calm than chaos .
I had to give up my public health classes in order to give my youngest more of my time .
As much as I was looking forward to those classes and seeing my other son in a tuxedo for the first time for his prom , we adjusted to a new normal , as has been the case since my youngest was diagnosed with autism .
The photos show a little of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help others , do art projects , have mini pool parties to replace the weekly swim lessons , learn to play chess and take time out to make other kids smile by putting together Easter baskets .
I ’ ve realized that as long as we are all finding some balance , we can continue to grow .
This predicament that we ’ re all in is a time for us to reflect , reset and reemerge as better people and a stronger family .
Self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic looks different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminded how resilient kids are when the world around them zigs instead of zags .
Because our son couldn ’ t play with his friends , he made new imaginary playmates and found make-believe games to entertain himself .
Walks around the block turned into ninja adventures , and bath time became a prehistoric event .
I quickly realized that I wasn ’ t actually documenting life-altering changes .
Instead , I was documenting the everyday possibilities of a child .
The ups and downs of everyday life .
So in my attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realized that every day is a historic event filled with moments we can never get back .
The day I went back to work from maternity leave and enrolled my then-5-month-old son in full-time child care is the exact day I got an email — two hours into my morning back at the office — that his school would be closing indefinitely .
This was March 12 , which is also ironically my wedding anniversary .
The next day , my company issued a work-from-home order that has since extended past the initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagined I would be adjusting back into my full-time managerial role while taking care of my infant all day .
I have cried more in the past several weeks of quarantine than I did the first four weeks postpartum .
Now that this has settled into a reality , we make sure our work comes to a halt at 5 p.m. each day so we have the next two hours as a family , whether we stroll the neighborhood or lounge on the deck .
After our son goes to bed , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wine and a mindless TV show .
We ’ re a naturally on-the-go family , but this experience has helped us settle down and take in the beauty of things closer to home .
I have been entertaining my two daughters during our quarantine time by teaching them “ life skills ” practically every day .
Every weekday morning , my wife and I get the girls up at 7 a.m. and out the house by 7:30 a.m. for a 1 1/2-mile walk to get the blood pumping and get their minds right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home just sucking up A/C .
When we get back home , it ’ s school work and then life skills .
As a school secretary myself and my husband already working from home , we are a pretty normal family with three kids : an 18-year-old high school senior , a 14-year-old freshman and an 11-year-old fifth grader .
It started off sad : my senior unsure about her future and my fifth grader missing his last moments of elementary school .
I used to wake at 5:30 a.m. Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning .
We are enjoying the time together but definitely miss our lives outside of this house .
We walk every night as a family at 7 p.m. — even the dog is set on our new normal .
My senior still works at McDonald ’ s , as she is an essential worker .
Although we have been lucky that our home has been sanctuary in quarantine , March was about 300 days long and April about three years long .
My granddaughters swing between precious and not .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving parents space to work .
To keep our humor , we ’ ve been texting funniest home photos/videos to each other .
My daughter turned 21 on April 15 .
At least this year , nobody could say , “ Hey , Tax Day hahaha !
” She was without her pals , had an online biology lab and surprise pop quiz at 6 p.m .
I decided to combine the best of the worst — corona and “ Tiger King ” — and we all embraced the absurd .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full time and our kids ( 7 and 9 years old ) have been staying home alone .
We close the curtains so neighbors can ’ t see in during the day and open them up when I arrive home and have the boys go out for fresh air and sunshine and exercise at that time .
They struggle to keep up with homework .
I am drained many days after work or don ’ t have time to help them with homework between work and the demands of running the home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ meal because he forgets to eat or doesn ’ t know what to make or how to make it despite my best prepping efforts .
My 9-year-old is the only reason we have been able to keep up with all of this .
He has really helped his younger brother a lot .
It is very hard .
I wonder what next school year will look like .
Their grades/test scores will surely slide but like everyone else , we are doing the best we can .
We are a family of four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband is an officer in the U.S. Army and has been deployed since December .
Our daughters are 4 1/2 and 5 ( one adopted , one biological ) and the youngest has severe medical needs , including spina bifida , congenital scoliosis and stage 1 chronic kidney disease .
We are coping day by day .
Hour by hour .
Sometimes minute by minute .
Kiddos are resilient , yes , but are also human .
They have bad days , confused days , questions ( lots of questions ) , concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , friends and routine .
Because of their young age , I ’ m thankful we don ’ t have to worry about their academic performance , although we do *some* schooling at home .
Honestly , I ’ m more focused on their emotional health during this time .
We follow a loose schedule that revolves around spending time outside , reading and doing “ chores ” ( laundry , taking out the trash , cooking , etc. )
.
For us , this time isn ’ t for growth , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refining our mission , our priorities , our goals , to focus on each other and our well-being .
I am caring for my sister ’ s children .
She is a nurse in a COVID-19 unit .
My nephew is autistic .
He misses his mother but can ’ t express himself .
My niece is 8 years old and cries herself to sleep .
She does online classes .
I try to keep my nephew from regressing .
I am running for judge after I and another highly qualified woman were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously voted out of office .
Having limited funds and limited time is frustrating .
I worry about my sister and her children .
I don ’ t want to let them down .

Quarantine Diaries is a communal project of stories from our readers about how they are managing their lives during the coronavirus crisis. In this piece, readers share how they are taking care of their children 24/7.
You can read the five-part project here.
...
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I’m not sure that I was mentally prepared for both boys to be home, but it’s been more calm than chaos. I had to give up my public health classes in order to give my youngest more of my time. As much as I was looking forward to those classes and seeing my other son in a tuxedo for the first time for his prom, we adjusted to a new normal, as has been the case since my youngest was diagnosed with autism.
The photos show a little of our quarantine story as we have grocery trips to help others, do art projects, have mini pool parties to replace the weekly swim lessons, learn to play chess and take time out to make other kids smile by putting together Easter baskets. I’ve realized that as long as we are all finding some balance, we can continue to grow. This predicament that we’re all in is a time for us to reflect, reset and reemerge as better people and a stronger family.
Tanesha Boldin, 48, from Cary, North Carolina. Pictured above: Her sons Sebastian, 6, and Blake, 17
...
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Self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic looks different for every family. I was quickly reminded how resilient kids are when the world around them zigs instead of zags. Because our son couldn’t play with his friends, he made new imaginary playmates and found make-believe games to entertain himself. Walks around the block turned into ninja adventures, and bath time became a prehistoric event. I quickly realized that I wasn’t actually documenting life-altering changes. Instead, I was documenting the everyday possibilities of a child. The ups and downs of everyday life. So in my attempt to document a historic event, I realized that every day is a historic event filled with moments we can never get back.
Jason Vinson, 37, from northwest Arkansas. Pictured above: His son, Zayden, 2
...
The day I went back to work from maternity leave and enrolled my then-5-month-old son in full-time child care is the exact day I got an email — two hours into my morning back at the office — that his school would be closing indefinitely. This was March 12, which is also ironically my wedding anniversary. The next day, my company issued a work-from-home order that has since extended past the initial two-week period they anticipated. I never imagined I would be adjusting back into my full-time managerial role while taking care of my infant all day. I have cried more in the past several weeks of quarantine than I did the first four weeks postpartum.
Now that this has settled into a reality, we make sure our work comes to a halt at 5 p.m. each day so we have the next two hours as a family, whether we stroll the neighborhood or lounge on the deck. After our son goes to bed, it’s just us — dinner, wine and a mindless TV show. We’re a naturally on-the-go family, but this experience has helped us settle down and take in the beauty of things closer to home.
Advertisement
Kayla K., 31, from Atlanta, Georgia
...
I have been entertaining my two daughters during our quarantine time by teaching them “life skills” practically every day. Every weekday morning, my wife and I get the girls up at 7 a.m. and out the house by 7:30 a.m. for a 1 1/2-mile walk to get the blood pumping and get their minds right before online classes so they are not at home just sucking up A/C. When we get back home, it’s school work and then life skills.
Earl Bedford, 59, from Tarpon Springs, Florida
...
As a school secretary myself and my husband already working from home, we are a pretty normal family with three kids: an 18-year-old high school senior, a 14-year-old freshman and an 11-year-old fifth grader. It started off sad: my senior unsure about her future and my fifth grader missing his last moments of elementary school. I used to wake at 5:30 a.m. Now, we wake at 7 to start distance learning. We are enjoying the time together but definitely miss our lives outside of this house. We walk every night as a family at 7 p.m. — even the dog is set on our new normal. My senior still works at McDonald’s, as she is an essential worker.
Advertisement
Sylatoya Bedward, 39, from Tavares, Florida
...
Although we have been lucky that our home has been sanctuary in quarantine, March was about 300 days long and April about three years long. My granddaughters swing between precious and not. It’s taken ingenuity to entertain the children while giving parents space to work. To keep our humor, we’ve been texting funniest home photos/videos to each other.
Lorri Allison Craig, 70, from Bend, Oregon
...
My daughter turned 21 on April 15. At least this year, nobody could say, “Hey, Tax Day hahaha!” She was without her pals, had an online biology lab and surprise pop quiz at 6 p.m. I decided to combine the best of the worst — corona and “Tiger King” — and we all embraced the absurd.
Advertisement
Jennifer Boxrud, 53, from Crystal Lake, Illinois
...
Over the past month, we have been working full time and our kids (7 and 9 years old) have been staying home alone. We close the curtains so neighbors can’t see in during the day and open them up when I arrive home and have the boys go out for fresh air and sunshine and exercise at that time. They struggle to keep up with homework. I am drained many days after work or don’t have time to help them with homework between work and the demands of running the home. Sometimes, my youngest son skips a meal because he forgets to eat or doesn’t know what to make or how to make it despite my best prepping efforts. My 9-year-old is the only reason we have been able to keep up with all of this. He has really helped his younger brother a lot. It is very hard. I wonder what next school year will look like. Their grades/test scores will surely slide but like everyone else, we are doing the best we can.
A 37-year-old mother who asked to remain anonymous in Kansas City, Missouri
...
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We are a family of four residing in Marion, Indiana. My husband is an officer in the U.S. Army and has been deployed since December. Our daughters are 4 1/2 and 5 (one adopted, one biological) and the youngest has severe medical needs, including spina bifida, congenital scoliosis and stage 1 chronic kidney disease. We are coping day by day. Hour by hour. Sometimes minute by minute. Kiddos are resilient, yes, but are also human. They have bad days, confused days, questions (lots of questions), concerns and frustrations. They miss their teachers, friends and routine.
Because of their young age, I’m thankful we don’t have to worry about their academic performance, although we do *some* schooling at home. Honestly, I’m more focused on their emotional health during this time. We follow a loose schedule that revolves around spending time outside, reading and doing “chores” (laundry, taking out the trash, cooking, etc.). For us, this time isn’t for growth, it’s for refinement. We are refining our mission, our priorities, our goals, to focus on each other and our well-being.
Tori, 31, from Marion, Indiana
...
I am caring for my sister’s children. She is a nurse in a COVID-19 unit. My nephew is autistic. He misses his mother but can’t express himself. My niece is 8 years old and cries herself to sleep. She does online classes. I try to keep my nephew from regressing. I am running for judge after I and another highly qualified woman were passed over for a man that was previously voted out of office. Having limited funds and limited time is frustrating. I worry about my sister and her children. I don’t want to let them down.
Laura Morton, 54, Westminster, Maryland
...
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huffpost--2020-05-22--Tribes Desperately Need More COVID-19 Relief As The Government Idles

ASSOCIATED PRESS Annabelle Dinehdeal , 8 , watches as her father Eugene Dinehdeal , plays ball with their dog Wally on their family compound in Tuba City , Arizona , on the Navajo reservation .
The family has been devastated by COVID-19 .
The Navajo reservation has some of the highest rates of coronavirus in the country .
Navajo Nation has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic .
It has more confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita than any state .
Its tax base has been wiped out as casinos and other tribal businesses remain closed .
And like so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peshlakai ’ s community is facing a public health and economic crisis because of a combination of factors that left them vulnerable to the virus before it hit : poverty , health disparities , poor infrastructure and decades of negligence by the U.S. government .
House Democrats went big last week when they passed a $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief package , and they didn ’ t skimp on help for Native communities .
Their bill , the HEROES Act , included a historic level of $ 24 billion for the nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it , $ 20 billion , would go directly to tribal governments to help them stabilize .
Another $ 2 billion would go to the Indian Health Service , which provides health care to more than 2.5 million indigenous people .
The package also included $ 900 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to address overcrowded housing and sanitation ; $ 450 million for the Bureau of Indian Education ; $ 100 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; and $ 4 million to assist tribes with domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be a literal lifesaver for tribes if it became law , but it won ’ t .
Republicans have sniffed at its price tag and scope , and the White House vowed to veto it .
But House Democrats passed it as their opening bid in negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief bill , and as millions of Americans continue to struggle amid the pandemic , the pressure is on Senate Republicans to do something .
The question for tribes is which , if any , of the House bill ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning GOP support .
Grijalva , a co-sponsor of the bill , said its aid for tribes targets chronic issues that have hurt indigenous communities and have only worsened amid the pandemic .
The Indian Health Service has been underfunded for years , he said , and violence against women , already sky-high on reservations , has increased .
The fact that so many Navajo people lack potable water means they can ’ t wash their hands to protect themselves from COVID-19 .
“ I think that the sense of benign neglect and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s historic in Indian Country , ” Grijalva said .
“ What this pandemic did is , our historic nasty secret and embarrassment is in plain view for everybody right now .
And I think it ’ s going to be very difficult for my Republican colleagues to turn their back on this.
” The first two bills required tribes to go through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for emergency aid that should have been directly routed to tribal governments .
Because of the added layer of bureaucracy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of applications for money to fight the spread of COVID-19 .
It added weeks to a process when the timing was critical .
In the last bill , the $ 2 trillion CARES Act , the White House wanted to give $ 0 to tribes .
Senate Democrats fought and got them $ 8 billion , an historic amount but still less than half of what tribal advocacy groups said was needed .
Once it became law in late March , the Treasury Department took more than a month to begin distributing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incompetence but in part because of a lawsuit that complicated matters .
Nearly two months later , about 60 % of the money has gone out , but Treasury is sitting on the other 40 % pending the outcome of the lawsuit , which it does not need to do .
“ They have historically and chronically been underfunded , ” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski ( R-Alaska ) , a member of the Indian Affairs Committee .
“ Recognizing the needs within Indian Country , and recognizing so many of the basic needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaska , my sense is that we ’ re going to be looking at this and talking about further allocation.
” Absent Senate action , tribes will have to get by with the resources they can come up with on their own ― and hope that the Treasury Department hurries up and distributes the billions of dollars that they were supposed to have gotten by now .
The situation is so dire in Navajo Nation that Doctors Without Borders sent in a team , and tribal leaders are asking for help from people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in TV and film .

Annabelle Dinehdeal, 8, watches as her father Eugene Dinehdeal, plays ball with their dog Wally on their family compound in Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo reservation. The family has been devastated by COVID-19. The Navajo reservation has some of the highest rates of coronavirus in the country. ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON ― Jamescita Peshlakai is an Arizona state senator. She represents more than 122,000 people in a massive district in the northeastern portion of the state. She’s also a member of the Navajo Nation and lives in a small town on the reservation, about a mile from her mother.
Neither of them have running water or electricity.
“We’ve gotten used to it,” said Peshlakai. “I’m a veteran of [the 1991 Gulf War operation] Desert Storm. I’ve said before, it’s easier to be a military person in a war zone across the world than to be a Native American in the United States.”
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Navajo Nation has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. It has more confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita than any state. Its tax base has been wiped out as casinos and other tribal businesses remain closed. And like so many other tribes around the country, Peshlakai’s community is facing a public health and economic crisis because of a combination of factors that left them vulnerable to the virus before it hit: poverty, health disparities, poor infrastructure and decades of negligence by the U.S. government.
Congress has provided some emergency COVID-19 relief to tribes, but it hasn’t been enough. In the case of Navajo Nation, a reservation with more than 173,000 people where 30% don’t have potable water and 10% don’t have electricity, it’s going to take a more comprehensive response when a pandemic hits.
House Democrats went big last week when they passed a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package, and they didn’t skimp on help for Native communities. Their bill, the HEROES Act, included a historic level of $24 billion for the nation’s 574 federally recognized tribes. Most of it, $20 billion, would go directly to tribal governments to help them stabilize. Another $2 billion would go to the Indian Health Service, which provides health care to more than 2.5 million indigenous people. The package also included $900 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to address overcrowded housing and sanitation; $450 million for the Bureau of Indian Education; $100 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and $4 million to assist tribes with domestic violence programs.
“What this pandemic did is, our historic nasty secret and embarrassment is in plain view for everybody right now.” - Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
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A bill like this would be a literal lifesaver for tribes if it became law, but it won’t. Republicans have sniffed at its price tag and scope, and the White House vowed to veto it. But House Democrats passed it as their opening bid in negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief bill, and as millions of Americans continue to struggle amid the pandemic, the pressure is on Senate Republicans to do something. The question for tribes is which, if any, of the House bill’s tribal provisions have the best chance of winning GOP support.
“Honestly, Jen, all of it,” an overly optimistic Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, told me.
Grijalva, a co-sponsor of the bill, said its aid for tribes targets chronic issues that have hurt indigenous communities and have only worsened amid the pandemic. The Indian Health Service has been underfunded for years, he said, and violence against women, already sky-high on reservations, has increased. The fact that so many Navajo people lack potable water means they can’t wash their hands to protect themselves from COVID-19.
“I think that the sense of benign neglect and outright neglect ― not even benign ― it’s historic in Indian Country,” Grijalva said. “What this pandemic did is, our historic nasty secret and embarrassment is in plain view for everybody right now. And I think it’s going to be very difficult for my Republican colleagues to turn their back on this.”
"What this pandemic did is, our historic nasty secret and embarrassment is in plain view for everybody right now," Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said of the U.S. government's treatment of Native American tribes. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Congress has passed four COVID-19 relief bills so far, and each time, tribes had to jump through hoops to get their fair share of federal resources.
The first two bills required tribes to go through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for emergency aid that should have been directly routed to tribal governments. Because of the added layer of bureaucracy, tribes had to fill out multiple rounds of applications for money to fight the spread of COVID-19. It added weeks to a process when the timing was critical.
In the last bill, the $2 trillion CARES Act, the White House wanted to give $0 to tribes. Senate Democrats fought and got them $8 billion, an historic amount but still less than half of what tribal advocacy groups said was needed. Once it became law in late March, the Treasury Department took more than a month to begin distributing that money, largely because of its own incompetence but in part because of a lawsuit that complicated matters. Nearly two months later, about 60% of the money has gone out, but Treasury is sitting on the other 40% pending the outcome of the lawsuit, which it does not need to do.
A Treasury Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on how much of the $8 billion in tribal relief has actually gone out the door.
Meanwhile, the Small Business Administration decided that many casinos ― the financial lifeblood of many tribal governments ― wouldn’t be eligible for the $350 billion in emergency payroll relief provided by CARES Act, despite outcry from tribes and lawmakers who said it was never the intent of the bill to exclude them from relief.
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It wasn’t until late last month, after the first pot of $350 billion was depleted and Congress OK’d more funding for payroll relief, that the SBA changed its rules to make casinos with fewer than 500 employees eligible for aid.
Putting it all together, between the federal government’s bureaucracy, the delays in getting aid and the denial of financial help to casinos, tribes have been largely on their own for months as COVID-19 has ravaged their communities.
All eyes are now on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who controls whether the Senate will advance another COVID-19 relief package. He’s already said he doesn’t feel any urgency to act, and senators left town Thursday for a weeklong recess, after a three-week session that didn’t produce any legislation related to the coronavirus.
“We’ll discuss the way forward in the next couple weeks,” he told reporters Tuesday.
But even Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin thinks there’s “a strong likelihood” there will need to be another emergency spending bill, despite the administration’s position that more stimulus isn’t needed yet. And some Senate Republicans say now is definitely not the time for the federal government to turn its back on tribes.
“They have historically and chronically been underfunded,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of the Indian Affairs Committee. “Recognizing the needs within Indian Country, and recognizing so many of the basic needs that we have in a place like Alaska, my sense is that we’re going to be looking at this and talking about further allocation.”
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Asked if she’s been satisfied with the federal government’s response to tribes amid the pandemic, Murkowski cited the Treasury Department’s delays in distributing relief to Native communities and said, “No. Not at all.”
Democrats were more critical.
“At every turn, the Trump administration has failed to live up to its trust responsibility to tribes across the country — deploying COVID-19 resources in a way that systemically excludes Native communities,” charged Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico.
Udall, the vice chair of the Indian Affairs Committee, said funding in the HEROES Act for safe drinking water access and improved broadband services for telehealth is critical to combatting the coronavirus in Native communities.
“These should be bipartisan priorities,” said the New Mexico senator. “Indian Country is confronting this pandemic while bearing the weight of historic funding gaps for health care, infrastructure, and economic resources ... Senate Republicans should stop keeping us on the sidelines and let us get to work for Native communities.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is not happy with the Trump administration's response to tribes amid the pandemic. “Not at all.” ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Absent Senate action, tribes will have to get by with the resources they can come up with on their own ― and hope that the Treasury Department hurries up and distributes the billions of dollars that they were supposed to have gotten by now. The situation is so dire in Navajo Nation that Doctors Without Borders sent in a team, and tribal leaders are asking for help from people in Hollywood who have used their land in TV and film.
Peshlakai called it “unprecedented” that Doctors Without Borders is aiding a community within the United States.
“They go to extreme places all over the world in developing countries,” she said. “It just goes to show the lack of federal government help in tribal nations.”
Asked how the morale is in her community, Peshlakai said people are “very angry” and have no faith that the Trump administration will help them. As of Tuesday, Navajo Nation hit a total of 4,153 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 144 confirmed deaths. Peshlakai said she’s lost three of her grandmothers to the virus, referring to three elders who weren’t biologically related to her but were part of her clan.
“The federal government has really failed tribal people all around, but this delay [in emergency relief to tribes], it has translated into lives lost now,” she said. “There is nobody in Indian Country and the Navajo Nation that is untouched.”


huffpost--2020-05-22--Trevor Noah Taunts 'Aunt Becky' Lori Loughlin After Her Plea Deal

Trevor Noah mocked Lori Loughlin ’ s deal to serve two months in prison after the U.S. attorney ’ s office announced that the ex- “ Full House ” star and her husband have agreed to plead guilty in the college admissions bribery scandal .
( Fast forward to 2:35 below . )
“ So disappointing , ” Noah said .
“ Yet another rich white famous lady getting sucked into the prison system .
You hate to see it.
” Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli signed documents agreeing to plead guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges for paying $ 500,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted to USC as crew recruits .
Loughlin will also pay a $ 150,000 fine .
Giannulli ’ s deal calls for five months ’ imprisonment and a $ 250,000 fine .
Noah saw the coronavirus pandemic as the “ genius ” time for Loughlin , who played Aunt Becky on “ Full House ” and its “ Fuller House ” sequel , to throw herself at the mercy of the court .
The outbreak has prompted officials “ to let people out of prison ” to curb the spread of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she ’ ll probably pay someone to take her coronavirus test for her , ” he zinged .
The comedian then impersonated Aunt Becky to imagine what she would say next .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Trevor Noah mocked Lori Loughlin’s deal to serve two months in prison after the U.S. attorney’s office announced that the ex-“Full House” star and her husband have agreed to plead guilty in the college admissions bribery scandal. (Fast forward to 2:35 below.)
“So disappointing,” Noah said. “Yet another rich white famous lady getting sucked into the prison system. You hate to see it.”
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Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli signed documents agreeing to plead guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges for paying $500,000 so that their daughters could be fraudulently admitted to USC as crew recruits. Loughlin will also pay a $150,000 fine. Giannulli’s deal calls for five months’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Noah saw the coronavirus pandemic as the “genius” time for Loughlin, who played Aunt Becky on “Full House” and its “Fuller House” sequel, to throw herself at the mercy of the court. The outbreak has prompted officials “to let people out of prison” to curb the spread of COVID-19, he noted.
“Knowing Aunt Becky, she’ll probably pay someone to take her coronavirus test for her,” he zinged.
The comedian then impersonated Aunt Becky to imagine what she would say next.


huffpost--2020-05-22--How Weight Watchers Fired Workers Via Zoom, The New Cruel COVID-19 Layoff Tool

WW would not say how many employees were let go worldwide when asked about an anonymous post on TheLayoff.com that claimed thousands were fired .
But the company reported to the federal government that it had 17,000 employees , a majority of whom are part-time , as of December 2019 .
And last week it said in public filings that it would be cutting its workforce amid the pandemic-driven economic downturn and that it expected to spend $ 12 million in employee termination payments and related costs .
“ I started the program really hard in 2014 .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Nancy , a 51-year-old former employee on Long Island .
Before then she ’ d been going to meetings but kind of “ floundering , ” she said .
“ Then I really dove into it .
I was active in my meetings and became really good friends with members , and they were all like you need to be a leader .
It became my goal.
” ( Nancy asked that HuffPost not publish her last name for fear of retaliation from the company , which still owes her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wellness and Empathy ?

Illustration: HuffPost; Photos: Getty
Weight Watchers employees were busier than ever these past few months, as the coronavirus pandemic heightened eating issues for many people ― from those locked down at home obsessing over what to eat, to essential workers turning to food for comfort and to soothe anxieties.
A doctor who spent her days tending to COVID-19 patients, many of whom died, was among those who talked with Erica Stein. Until recently, Stein, age 50, was working online chat shifts for Weight Watchers, or WW as it now calls itself. The company offers a 24/7 online support feature for paying members.
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“At the end of the day, she reached for a pint of ice cream and potato chips,” Stein said. And the doctor, who’s on the front lines of a pandemic, said this (extremely relatable) eating episode made her feel like a failure. A heartbreaking notion, familiar to all of us who rate ourselves on how “good” our eating has been instead of, well, any other metric.
“I said, ’Oh my gosh, you’re not a failure. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Show yourself some kindness,” Stein recalled. The doctor thanked her for the support. “I felt like I was doing something worthwhile,” Stein said.
Not anymore. Weight Watchers unceremoniously dumped Stein and many others last week in audio-only Zoom calls that lasted mere minutes. Employees logged on and listened to a manager read from a script. Their voices were muted so they couldn’t ask questions. They were told not to talk about it with anyone, some of those now-former Weight Watchers employees told HuffPost.
When the call was over, they were shut out of all WW employee websites and their emails were closed down by the weekend. Some of those who were laid off had worked decades for the company and had started out as members trying to lose weight themselves.
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Erica Stein lost more than 100 pounds on Weight Watchers before she went to work for the company. Erica Stein
WW would not say how many employees were let go worldwide when asked about an anonymous post on TheLayoff.com that claimed thousands were fired. But the company reported to the federal government that it had 17,000 employees, a majority of whom are part-time, as of December 2019. And last week it said in public filings that it would be cutting its workforce amid the pandemic-driven economic downturn and that it expected to spend $12 million in employee termination payments and related costs.
“As the COVID-19 crisis has forced the closure of our physical studios around the world, we have had to make some difficult decisions that have directly impacted the lives of some of our valued team members,” the company said in a statement provided to HuffPost. “We thank them for all of their efforts on behalf of our members during their years of service.”
The pandemic has accelerated the company’s big plan to move more of its services online, in an appeal to a younger demographic. WW has 3,000 studios around the country. Amid the current crisis, it has taken the 30,000 weekly workshops held there and put them online, USA Today reported. It recently said it would start reopening some physical locations ― but many would not reopen.
WW declined to answer specific questions as to why it fired those who were already working remotely. Instead, it told HuffPost, “Our digital transformation also includes the evolution of all our customer interfaces and coaching platforms and we are reorganizing as such.”
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Got that?
HuffPost talked to five former employees, all women, all 50 and over. They said a number of their laid-off co-workers are also older. They hail from a generation that didn’t talk about “self-care” or “wellness” or “body positivity,” but like the company’s iconic founder, Jean Nidetch, just wanted to look slim.
“We are from the era when there were a lot of housewives who wanted to stay home and raise kids. Single-income families,” said one former employee who is in her 60s from New Jersey. “Now women, thank god, have evolved to have careers. No one young would stay there for that kind of money.”
Stein, and other former employees, said that they didn’t think the layoffs were “ageist.” They said some younger women had also been let go.
But Stein did think the company’s transition to digital has been hard for its most devoted members, who she said have struggled as the company has switched its guidance from, say, tracking your food intake on paper to tracking it on your phone.
“They were trying to be hip-trendy when their core group is senior citizens. Rather than adapt and have both, they were shutting one out,” Stein said. “They weren’t respecting the true loyal fan base.”
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And those are the people who “love their Weight Watchers. They wouldn’t miss a meeting,” she said.
Zoom Layoffs Are Trendy Now
Socially distant layoffs have become the thing to do during the pandemic. Scooter company Bird laid off 400 employees in a two-minute Zoom chat that the company’s CEO later said he regretted. Uber fired 3,700 workers via Zoom earlier this month.
The coldly remote firing method is leaving people reeling at an already stressful time. The Weight Watchers employees told HuffPost they were devastated by the way the layoffs were handled.
For these women, working at Weight Watchers was less a job than a mission. They’d all started out as members trying to lose weight. They’d managed to reach their goal weight and stayed around to help others do the same. There were bumps along the way. Several mentioned the challenge of maintaining your weight while going through menopause.
The idea that the company would let them go en masse in just minutes, they said, was like being abandoned by a spouse or betrayed by a best friend.
“I started the program really hard in 2014. I was 285 pounds and decided it was time,” said Nancy, a 51-year-old former employee on Long Island. Before then she’d been going to meetings but kind of “floundering,” she said. “Then I really dove into it. I was active in my meetings and became really good friends with members, and they were all like you need to be a leader. It became my goal.” (Nancy asked that HuffPost not publish her last name for fear of retaliation from the company, which still owes her another paycheck.)
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“Every pound I lost was another round closer to working with Weight Watchers,” she said. “That’s why this is so emotional for me. They took that away. I worked so hard for it.”
Not getting to say good-bye to members also really hurt, she said. One of the women she worked with had died of COVID-19. The woman’s sister called to let her know.
“I was the first person she called,” Nancy said.
She contrasted that with the way the company handled the firings. “Here I am being told, ‘You’re expendable.’”
Stein, who lives in Manhattan, has depressive disorder, among other conditions. The abrupt firing was a “shock,” she said. She cried for days afterward and scheduled an emergency appointment with her psychiatrist. “As someone who suffers from a mental illness, to be fired like that felt very difficult for me.”
She said working for the company part-time had been a sort of perfect job for someone with her health issues.
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She started working for Weight Watchers about six years ago ― after losing more than 100 pounds, she said. The work got her out of the house to meetings around New York City. Stein did standalone meetings at WW properties and she went to other companies, like NBC and Google, and worked with employees there who wanted to lose weight.
When the pandemic shut down in-person meetings, Stein started doing customer service for WW online. During a time of such uncertainty in the city, she said, “The one thing in my life that stayed the same was I still had my work.”
What Happened To Wellness and Empathy?
In recent years, especially since Oprah Winfrey bought a stake in the business in 2017, Weight Watchers has tried to rebrand itself as being less about body image and more about wellness.
That made the layoffs even more galling. They came just two days before the start of an online event with Oprah about how people can “find clarity in both your physical and emotional well-being during these challenging times.”
Empathy was one of the most crucial principles that Weight Watchers taught its coaches, said Nicolle Nordman, age 53, who worked for the company for 18 years. “It was literally drilled into our heads. Empathy, empathy, empathy. No matter what the member’s problem is. If they call in angry, you are so empathetic that by the time you’re done with the call, you’re their best friend.”
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“They fired us in the least empathetic way possible,” she said.
Nordman joined Weight Watchers as a member in 2001 and wound up losing 55 pounds. They asked her to start working the meetings, acting as a coach to others following the program. At the time she was home with her four kids; the oldest had cystic fibrosis. The work was flexible and part-time ― ideal for her situation.
The pay was terrible. As a part-time coach, she made about $25 per meeting, which could amount to about $4 an hour, Nordman told HuffPost. And the pay hadn’t risen in many years, former workers said.
Nordman switched to working online about seven years ago, once her kids were out of the house. She managed to turn it into a full-time job. The pay was still low. Nordman earned $14 an hour, a little more than the minimum wage where she lives, doing online support and meetings.
She made about $500 a week; unemployment will pay $278 a week. The layoff means she doesn’t have health insurance anymore for herself or her son who’s in college. She doesn’t know what she’ll do.
“I’ve been doing this for 18 years,” Nordman said. “I don’t know where I can combine something that helps people like this with a flexible schedule that I have.”
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Still Watching Their Weight
Former employees are still worried about their weight.
“I’ve seen a lot of people come and go, and every single person I know that’s left has gained all of their weight back and more,” said Joanne Patten, a 59-year-old Houston resident who’d been with the company for nearly 11 years. After the layoff call last week, maintaining her weight is now her “biggest worry,” she said.
Though she’s upset with how the layoffs went, Patten still thinks she’ll stick with the program. “I was thinking the other day, you know, we’re not cured,” she said. “This is still my journey and yes, they fired me but I’m still gonna go [to meetings].”


huffpost--2020-05-22--5 Terribly Wrong Ways To Deliver Bad News When You're A Manager

The stakes are high .
You will be judged not only by the people directly affected by the bad news , but also by your colleagues , and your actions will color how they perceive you and the company going forward .
Layoffs that were seen as unfair were correlated with a higher rate of employees ’ quitting in the future , researchers found .
1 .
You Don ’ t Get To The Point Right Away When you know there is difficult news to come , don ’ t set up the false expectation that you are there to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting with chitchat .
Clarity is kindness , said Kim Scott , the author of “ Radical Candor : Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity , ” who has written about how professionals can be trapped by ruinous empathy and not say what needs to be said .
As an example of how not being upfront is a mistake , Scott shared her own past experience laying off a colleague who was a new parent .
“ Instead of cutting right to the point , I said , ‘ How are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
’ He went on this beautiful monologue , ” she said .
“ It made the conversation much harder .
I burst into tears when I said , ‘ But I have terrible news to deliver.
’ And it made it worse for him.
“ “ You don ’ t want to do this a little bit at a time .
You want to let the person know , and then you want to be prepared to sit with the emotions in the room , ” Scott said .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to run away from strong emotions , and you ’ ve got to be prepared to be the one who bears witness.
” 2 .
You Obscure The Bad News With Corporate Language Managers can lean on vague corporate language to avoid getting uncomfortable with what they have to say , Conley said .
This business-speak might sound like , “ We need to optimize efficiencies ” — which actually means , “ We have to lay people off ” — or , “ We are forced to realign our resources ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re restructuring the organization , combining three departments into one , which results in the elimination of 20 jobs , ” he said .
3 .
You Make Vague Promises Instead Of Offering Concrete , Helpful Actions Take a furlough situation as one example .
Vague promises around furloughs can sound like , “ Maybe in the future , we ’ ll be able to bring you back , ” but that gives no clarity on when and how that might happen , Lara Hogan , author of “ Resilient Management , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know when exactly staff can return , you need to create a point in time when they will at least receive the next update , she added .
“ We don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen with the economy ; we don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen with this virus , ” Scott said .
Instead , you should stick to sharing what you know with language like , “ I am going to do everything in my power never to have to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
4 .
You Don ’ t Deliver The Bad News Yourself , With Your Face Visible 5 .
You Reject Emotions In Yourself And Others

Toltemara via Getty Images Saying, "Don't take it personally," is a mistake.
If you work long enough in your career, delivering bad news to colleagues is inevitable. But during the coronavirus pandemic — as millions of Americans lose their jobs, get furloughed, have their pay cut or worry their employer will fold — bad news is increasingly being shared in cruelly impersonal Zoom calls and jargon-filled emails from leadership.
If you are a manager tasked with sharing bad news, it can be hard to start this type of difficult conversation with colleagues. But part of your job as a team leader is to make it less awful.
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“The best thing managers can do is be candid and caring in their communications,” said Randy Conley, vice president of client services and trust practice leader for The Ken Blanchard Cos. “Most employees see the writing on the wall when the organization is faced with challenges like possible layoffs, restructuring or downsizing.”
The stakes are high. You will be judged not only by the people directly affected by the bad news, but also by your colleagues, and your actions will color how they perceive you and the company going forward. Layoffs that were seen as unfair were correlated with a higher rate of employees’ quitting in the future, researchers found.
When you are the bearer of bad news, you need to make the delivery less about you and more about the people whose lives are being changed by the bad news. Here are the biggest mistakes managers make when delivering grim updates or announcing upsetting changes.
1. You Don’t Get To The Point Right Away
When you know there is difficult news to come, don’t set up the false expectation that you are there to share happy normal updates by starting the meeting with chitchat. Clarity is kindness, said Kim Scott, the author of “Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity,” who has written about how professionals can be trapped by ruinous empathy and not say what needs to be said.
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“Every instinct in us is to run away from strong emotions, and you’ve got to be prepared to be the one who bears witness.” - Kim Scott
As an example of how not being upfront is a mistake, Scott shared her own past experience laying off a colleague who was a new parent. “Instead of cutting right to the point, I said, ‘How are you? How’s the baby?’ He went on this beautiful monologue,” she said. “It made the conversation much harder. I burst into tears when I said, ‘But I have terrible news to deliver.’ And it made it worse for him.“
When you are delivering bad news, you should not let your worry about how the news will be received prevent you from taking decisive action.
“You don’t want to do this a little bit at a time. You want to let the person know, and then you want to be prepared to sit with the emotions in the room,” Scott said. “This is really hard. Every instinct in us is to run away from strong emotions, and you’ve got to be prepared to be the one who bears witness.”
2. You Obscure The Bad News With Corporate Language
Managers can lean on vague corporate language to avoid getting uncomfortable with what they have to say, Conley said. This business-speak might sound like, “We need to optimize efficiencies” — which actually means, “We have to lay people off” — or, “We are forced to realign our resources” — which actually means, “We’re restructuring the organization, combining three departments into one, which results in the elimination of 20 jobs,” he said.
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Instead of cloaking the news in corporate metaphors, give details about why you came to the decision if you were involved in it, said Susan Heathfield, a human resources consultant. Doing this right could sound like, “We considered these five options before we reached this conclusion. All managers were involved,” Heathfield said.
3. You Make Vague Promises Instead Of Offering Concrete, Helpful Actions
Hopeful promises can feel good to say in the moment, but they are not useful to your colleague if they are not specific or true.
Take a furlough situation as one example. Vague promises around furloughs can sound like, “Maybe in the future, we’ll be able to bring you back,” but that gives no clarity on when and how that might happen, Lara Hogan, author of “Resilient Management,” said. If you don’t know when exactly staff can return, you need to create a point in time when they will at least receive the next update, she added.
The goal of delivering hard news is not to give false hope. When the bad news is job loss, Hogan said, the bearer should have at least two specific helpful actions they can offer the recipient, such as a job referral, a resume read or a connection that they can make at a company the person is interested in working at next.
If someone asks if the company is going to have layoffs again, Scott said you cannot make promises you cannot keep.
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“We don’t know what’s going to happen with the economy; we don’t know what’s going to happen with this virus,” Scott said. Instead, you should stick to sharing what you know with language like, “I am going to do everything in my power never to have to do this again. This is terrible,” she said.
4. You Don’t Deliver The Bad News Yourself, With Your Face Visible
Because of the current pandemic, it may not be possible to deliver hard news face to face. But that doesn’t mean you should do it in an email.
Avoid sending only an email announcement, Conley said. “That’s cold and impersonal,” he said. “Save the email for a documented follow-up to the Zoom meeting.”
If you are doing the meeting over video, don’t convey the bad news as a disembodied voice or with a message on a screen, either, Hogan said. Leave the camera on, and make sure your face or that of whoever is delivering the bad news is visible, she said.
You also need to make sure there is time for questions, or else “people are going to feel so unsupported,” Hogan said.
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5. You Reject Emotions In Yourself And Others
Process your own complicated emotions around the bad news so that you are not paralyzed by them, and don’t unnecessarily burden the recipient with them, either.
“Some people, they can’t bear the fact that this other person is in pain, so they reject the pain: ‘Don’t take it personally.’ When you’re having these conversations, eliminate that phrase from your vocabulary,” Scott said.


huffpost--2020-05-22--Former Trump Official Won Contract To Give Masks To Navajo Hospitals. Some May Not Work.

The IHS told ProPublica it has found that 247,000 of the masks delivered by Fuentes ’ company — at a cost of roughly $ 800,000 — may be unsuitable for medical use .
An additional 130,400 , worth about $ 422,000 , are not the type specified in the procurement data , the agency said .
“ The IHS Navajo Area Office will determine if these masks will be returned , ” the agency said in a statement .
The agency said it is verifying Fuentes ’ company ’ s April 8 statement to IHS that all the masks were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and an FDA spokesperson said the agency can not verify if the products were certified without the name of the manufacturer .
Hospitals in the Navajo Nation , which spans Utah , New Mexico and Arizona , have been desperate for protective supplies as the numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths have grown quickly .
As of Friday , the Navajo Nation reported 4,434 COVID-19 cases and 147 deaths , a crisis that has prompted outcries from members of Congress and demands for increased funding .
Fuentes initiated email contact with officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health and Human Services , the agency said .
After the contact , the agency informally solicited prices from a handful of face mask providers and chose Fuentes of the six companies that responded because his firm offered the best price and terms , IHS said .
Fuentes also benefited from government procurement rules favoring veteran- and minority-owned businesses , the procurement data shows .
IHS told ProPublica that Fuentes ’ company reported that the masks were made in China , but the agency did not specify the manufacturer .
Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refunded $ 250,000 to the IHS this month , and he said in an interview last week that he gave back money when he procured masks at a slightly reduced cost .
Fuentes ’ contract price of $ 3.24 per mask is more expensive than the pre-pandemic rate of about $ 1 per mask , but far less than what some government entities have paid at the height of the crisis .
Mask costs can vary widely depending on availability , demand , quality and exact specifications .
Fuentes is a retired Coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House chief of staff John Kelly .
He formerly served as Kelly ’ s military aide while he was secretary of the Department of Homeland Security , and Fuentes followed Kelly to the White House .
In December 2018 , as Kelly prepared to leave , The New York Times reported that Fuentes had told associates he planned to “ hide out ” in a vague role at the White House until he qualified for a Coast Guard early retirement program .
Fuentes retired in January from the Coast Guard after 15 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was for medical reasons .
He jumped into the federal contracting world in April at a time of great opportunity — and high risk .
The coronavirus pandemic loosened many federal procurement rules as agencies scrambled to respond to a national emergency .
But as supplies of personal protective equipment ran out and many countries restricted exports , delivering on contracts became more difficult , and agencies have wrestled with incomplete orders , cancellations and possible counterfeit goods .
N95 masks were so scarce that the FDA in April allowed the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certified by U.S. regulators .
But in recent weeks , the FDA narrowed its guidance after tests indicated that some of the products were not as effective as they should be , and it tightened restrictions on the use of Chinese masks by hospital and medical personnel .
One IHS hospital slated to receive masks from Fuentes is the Gallup Indian Medical Center in New Mexico .
A doctor there , who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly , said the facility initially had a shortage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to federal purchases and donations , he said , though staffers still have to reuse masks up to five times each , he said .

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A former White House aide won a $3 million federal contract to supply respirator masks to Navajo Nation hospitals in New Mexico and Arizona 11 days after he created a company to sell personal protective equipment in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Zach Fuentes, President Donald Trump’s former deputy chief of staff, secured the deal with the Indian Health Service with limited competitive bidding and no prior federal contracting experience.
The IHS told ProPublica it has found that 247,000 of the masks delivered by Fuentes’ company — at a cost of roughly $800,000 — may be unsuitable for medical use. An additional 130,400, worth about $422,000, are not the type specified in the procurement data, the agency said.
What’s more, the masks Fuentes agreed to provide — Chinese-made KN95s — have come under intense scrutiny from U.S. regulators amid concerns that they offered inadequate protection.
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“The IHS Navajo Area Office will determine if these masks will be returned,” the agency said in a statement. The agency said it is verifying Fuentes’ company’s April 8 statement to IHS that all the masks were certified by the Food and Drug Administration, and an FDA spokesperson said the agency cannot verify if the products were certified without the name of the manufacturer.
Hospitals in the Navajo Nation, which spans Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, have been desperate for protective supplies as the numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths have grown quickly. As of Friday, the Navajo Nation reported 4,434 COVID-19 cases and 147 deaths, a crisis that has prompted outcries from members of Congress and demands for increased funding.
Fuentes initiated email contact with officials at IHS, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency said. After the contact, the agency informally solicited prices from a handful of face mask providers and chose Fuentes of the six companies that responded because his firm offered the best price and terms, IHS said. Fuentes also benefited from government procurement rules favoring veteran- and minority-owned businesses, the procurement data shows.
Fuentes said political connections to the Trump White House played no role in his company’s selection. “Nobody referred me from the White House. It was nothing like that,” he said. “Emphatically no.”
The White House did not respond to a question about Fuentes’ contract.
IHS told ProPublica that Fuentes’ company reported that the masks were made in China, but the agency did not specify the manufacturer. Federal contracting records show without explanation that Fuentes refunded $250,000 to the IHS this month, and he said in an interview last week that he gave back money when he procured masks at a slightly reduced cost.
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“We went back to IHS and said, ‘We were able to get this cheaper,’” Fuentes said. “We will never gouge our customers.”
Fuentes referred questions about the mask manufacturer and FDA certifications to his consultant, Sia N. Ashok, a business school classmate. In a phone interview, Ashok declined to name the manufacturer because it could violate the company’s contract, she said.
Ashok said the company lived up to the terms of its contract with IHS and has all the FDA certifications it needs in place.
“If the customer or IHS or anyone has any issues with anything, we would be more than happy to replace,” she said.
Fuentes’ contract price of $3.24 per mask is more expensive than the pre-pandemic rate of about $1 per mask, but far less than what some government entities have paid at the height of the crisis. Mask costs can vary widely depending on availability, demand, quality and exact specifications.
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Fuentes is a retired Coast Guard officer and protege of former White House chief of staff John Kelly. He formerly served as Kelly’s military aide while he was secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Fuentes followed Kelly to the White House. In December 2018, as Kelly prepared to leave, The New York Times reported that Fuentes had told associates he planned to “hide out” in a vague role at the White House until he qualified for a Coast Guard early retirement program. Fuentes retired in January from the Coast Guard after 15 years of service. He said his retirement was for medical reasons.
He jumped into the federal contracting world in April at a time of great opportunity — and high risk. The coronavirus pandemic loosened many federal procurement rules as agencies scrambled to respond to a national emergency. But as supplies of personal protective equipment ran out and many countries restricted exports, delivering on contracts became more difficult, and agencies have wrestled with incomplete orders, cancellations and possible counterfeit goods.
N95 masks were so scarce that the FDA in April allowed the use of some Chinese masks that had not been certified by U.S. regulators. But in recent weeks, the FDA narrowed its guidance after tests indicated that some of the products were not as effective as they should be, and it tightened restrictions on the use of Chinese masks by hospital and medical personnel.
Fuentes formed Zach Fuentes LLC as the emergency regulations were evolving.
In April, the FDA authorized the use of masks made by close to 90 manufacturers in China.
But the masks made by some of those manufacturers did not pass CDC tests because they did not filter out enough fine particles. In some cases, the masks failed utterly.
This month, the FDA rescinded its authorization for the vast majority of the Chinese manufacturers, published a much smaller list of respirators made by 14 approved manufacturers and tightened the standards for evaluating Chinese masks.
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Eleven federal agencies, including IHS, have reported buying either KN95 masks, or N95 masks made outside the United States, according to contract data. Of those, Fuentes’ contract with IHS is the second-largest that mentions KN95 masks specifically. The largest contract was struck by FEMA, for $3.9 million, on May 4.
Overall, IHS has spent $85.4 million to respond to COVID-19 as of May 22, signing 318 contracts with 211 vendors, according to federal procurement records. The masks provided by Fuentes went to five IHS medical facilities and to a government warehouse.
Fuentes’ new company has also received a much smaller contract from the Bureau of Prisons to provide 10,000 N95 masks for $1.31 each, according to a BOP statement to ProPublica and procurement documents.
One IHS hospital slated to receive masks from Fuentes is the Gallup Indian Medical Center in New Mexico. A doctor there, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the facility initially had a shortage of protective equipment. Conditions have improved thanks to federal purchases and donations, he said, though staffers still have to reuse masks up to five times each, he said.
“IHS facilities have sufficient quantities of N95 respirators at this time,” an agency spokesman said.
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huffpost--2020-05-22--Jerry Seinfeld Reveals Why There Will Never Be A 'Seinfeld' Reunion

Jerry Seinfeld has been deluged with questions about a possible “ Seinfeld ” return over the years .
But the comedian gave a definitive answer this week as to why it isn ’ t happening and never will .
And the same goes for any other sitcom he might headline .
( Watch the video below . )
Howard Stern , who interviewed Seinfeld on his radio show , presumed the reason that the comedian , 66 , hesitated to do another standup special or TV series was to avoid the fate of comic greats like Groucho Marx , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t like seeing old people on TV , ” Seinfeld said .
“ I don ’ t want to inflict myself on people in a deteriorated state.
” “ I am a perfectionist that way , ” he continued in a more serious vein .
“ That ’ s why obviously I didn ’ t do another TV series .
I ’ m not gon na try and beat that.
” When Stern said he ’ d like to hear Seinfeld ’ s take on the coronavirus pandemic through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into his philosophy of keeping fans hungry .
“ I always like to give a little less than you really want , ” said the comedian , whose “ 23 Hours To Kill ” standup special is on Netflix .
“ Like [ “ Seinfeld ” ] we could have done one , two , three more years .
The reason people still love that show is we didn ’ t wear it out.
” When Stern suggested that overly critical fans might also be a factor , Seinfeld responded : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is what I like ...
They don ’ t want you catering to them .
They want you catering to yourself .
That ’ s your art.
” “ Seinfeld , ” a classic NBC comedy that focused on a group of neurotic , self-absorbed New Yorkers , ran from 1989 to 1998 .

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We can stop asking now.
Jerry Seinfeld has been deluged with questions about a possible “Seinfeld” return over the years. But the comedian gave a definitive answer this week as to why it isn’t happening and never will. And the same goes for any other sitcom he might headline. (Watch the video below.)
Howard Stern, who interviewed Seinfeld on his radio show, presumed the reason that the comedian, 66, hesitated to do another standup special or TV series was to avoid the fate of comic greats like Groucho Marx, who worked too far beyond his prime.
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“I don’t like seeing old people on TV,” Seinfeld said. “I don’t want to inflict myself on people in a deteriorated state.”
“I am a perfectionist that way,” he continued in a more serious vein. “That’s why obviously I didn’t do another TV series. I’m not gonna try and beat that.”
When Stern said he’d like to hear Seinfeld’s take on the coronavirus pandemic through his comedy, the guest delved deeper into his philosophy of keeping fans hungry.
“I always like to give a little less than you really want,” said the comedian, whose “23 Hours To Kill” standup special is on Netflix. “Like [“Seinfeld”] we could have done one, two, three more years. The reason people still love that show is we didn’t wear it out.”
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“I like minimalizing things,” Seinfeld added.
When Stern suggested that overly critical fans might also be a factor, Seinfeld responded: “I don’t care about the world. This is what I like ... They don’t want you catering to them. They want you catering to yourself. That’s your art.”
“Seinfeld,” a classic NBC comedy that focused on a group of neurotic, self-absorbed New Yorkers, ran from 1989 to 1998.


huffpost--2020-05-22--Lady Gaga Says She Was 'Too Ashamed' To Hang Out With Ariana Grande At First

But fans may be surprised to learn their union wasn ’ t exactly an organic one ― at least not at first .
In an interview with Apple Music ’ s Zane Lowe released Friday , Gaga said she was initially “ too ashamed to hang out ” with Grande , despite the fact that the two women “ connected right away ” once they did get together .
“ She was so persistent , ” Gaga said .
“ She would try over and over again to be friends with me .
... And eventually , she called me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like ] , ‘ You ’ re hiding.
’ And I was , ‘ I am hiding .
I ’ m totally hiding.
’ ” The 11-time Grammy winner didn ’ t clarify why she was so reluctant to forge a friendship with Grande at first .
Later in the interview , however , she opened up about her “ masochistic tendencies , ” implying that she was concerned about being a bad influence on the younger star .
Fortunately for the world , the two soon forged a kinship ― and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very healing process ” for Gaga .
“ It was just so awesome to watch her , ” she said .
“ That woman has been through some really tough , really hard life-testing stuff , undoubtedly.
” “ Rain on Me ” will appear on Gaga ’ s sixth studio album , “ Chromatica , ” due out next week .
The album ’ s promotional cycle got off to a solid start with its anthemic first single , “ Stupid Love , ” in February .
Like many artists , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s release as concerns over the spread of the coronavirus grew .
In spite of the delay , she stayed busy by co-organizing Global Citizen ’ s One World : Together at Home concert , featuring appearances by Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez , among others .
“ It ’ s been a very difficult time for a lot of people , ” Gaga said in the interview Friday .
“ I wanted to do something to help the world that was very focused.
” She called “ Chromatica ” a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world.
” “ I just wanted to wait for a second and do something specific .
And then when it felt appropriate , I was like , ‘ OK , we can get abstract , ’ ” she said .

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Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande marked the unofficial start of summer this week by releasing their shimmery, much-anticipated duet, “Rain on Me.”
But fans may be surprised to learn their union wasn’t exactly an organic one ― at least not at first.
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In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe released Friday, Gaga said she was initially “too ashamed to hang out” with Grande, despite the fact that the two women “connected right away” once they did get together.
“She was so persistent,” Gaga said. “She would try over and over again to be friends with me. ... And eventually, she called me on my shit. She was [like], ‘You’re hiding.’ And I was, ‘I am hiding. I’m totally hiding.’”
The 11-time Grammy winner didn’t clarify why she was so reluctant to forge a friendship with Grande at first. Later in the interview, however, she opened up about her “masochistic tendencies,” implying that she was concerned about being a bad influence on the younger star.
Watch the “Rain on Me” video below.
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Fortunately for the world, the two soon forged a kinship ― and it wound up being a “beautiful, very healing process” for Gaga.
“It was just so awesome to watch her,” she said. “That woman has been through some really tough, really hard life-testing stuff, undoubtedly.”
“Rain on Me” will appear on Gaga’s sixth studio album, “Chromatica,” due out next week. The album’s promotional cycle got off to a solid start with its anthemic first single, “Stupid Love,” in February.
Like many artists, however, Gaga opted to postpone the album’s release as concerns over the spread of the coronavirus grew. In spite of the delay, she stayed busy by co-organizing Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home concert, featuring appearances by Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez, among others.
“It’s been a very difficult time for a lot of people,” Gaga said in the interview Friday. “I wanted to do something to help the world that was very focused.” She called “Chromatica” a “beautiful abstraction of my perception of the world.”
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huffpost--2020-05-22--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

WHO Suspends Trial Of Hydroxychloroquine Over Safety Fears For COVID-19 Patients — 5/26/2020 , 7:15 a.m .
The World Health Organization is pausing an international trial of hydroxychloroquine — the anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump as a possible treatment for the coronavirus — due to concerns for the safety of patients , HuffPost ’ s Mary Papenfuss reports .
Officials cited a large study of 100,000 patients published Friday in The Lancet .
Researchers found that patients treated with the drug in the hospital had a “ significantly higher risk of death ” than those who weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. veterans produced similar results .
Since March , Trump has pitched the treatment as a “ game-changer , ” without evidence .
On Sunday , he said in an interview that he had just completed a two-week course of treatment .
“ And by the way , I ’ m still here , ” he told Full Measure News .
UK Minister Quits In Protest Over Advisor ’ s Lockdown Journey — 5/26/20 , 5:55 a.m. Pressure continues to build on Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a junior minister resigned from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lockdown rules by the U.K. prime minister ’ s top advisor , HuffPost U.K reports .
Douglas Ross , a junior minister in the Scotland Office , said Tuesday that he was quitting after hearing about Dominic Cummings ’ efforts to defend his 270-mile trip from London to the northeast of England in March .
Ross said he could not “ in good faith ” tell his constituents who could not care for sick relatives or say goodbye to dying ones while obeying lockdown rules that Cummings acted appropriately .
Cummings remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown restrictions but Johnson ’ s chief adviser has said he does not regret his actions and declined to apologize .
At least 15 Conservative MPs have said Cummings should go , while several others have spoken out against his actions .
California Issues Guidelines For Safe Reopening Of Houses Of Worship — 05/26/2020 ; 4:55 a.m. California on Monday issued guidelines for the reopening of churches , synagogues , mosques and other religious institutions .
Under these guidelines , houses of worship are encouraged to keep in-person gatherings small and worshipers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands , hugging and sharing religious materials like prayer books or rugs are discouraged .
It ’ s not immediately known how soon in-person religious services will resume in the state .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has said such services will only be allowed to take place in phase three of his four-phase reopening plan .
Individual counties will , however , ultimately decide when to permit houses of worship to open for in-person gatherings .
Counties without major virus outbreaks may choose to move more quickly than others , AP noted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airline , Files For U.S. Bankruptcy Protection — 5/26/2020 ; 3:45 a.m. Latam Airlines is the latest travel industry casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The Santiago , Chile-based airline — South America ’ s largest — sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday .
“ We are looking ahead to a post-COVID-19 future and are focused on transforming our group to adapt to a new and evolving way of flying , with the health and safety of our passengers and employees being paramount , ” the airline ’ s CEO Roberto Alvo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hawked By Trump , Linked To Higher Risk Of Death , Study Finds — 5/22/20 , 3:05 p.m .
ET The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine , touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a treatment for the coronavirus despite no solid evidence as such , is linked to an increased risk of heart problems and death , according to a study of nearly 100,000 COVID-19 patients published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet .
Health authorities , including the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization , have warned against using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for malaria and autoimmune diseases — to treat COVID-19 .
But Trump has repeatedly promoted the drug , and earlier this week he claimed to be taking it himself as a preventive measure — even though there is no evidence of its effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 .
Trump Calls On Governors To Reopen Houses Of Worship , But He Doesn ’ t Have The Authority To Do So — 5/22/20 , 2:56 p.m .
ET U.S. President Donald Trump declared houses of worship “ essential places that provide essential services ” and called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite lacking the legal authority to do so under the U.S. Constitution ’ s 10th Amendment .
“ Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out houses of worship .
It ’ s not right , ” Trump said during an impromptu announcement .
“ So I ’ m correcting this injustice by calling houses of worship essential.
” Though many businesses in several states have started to resume operations , public health experts have repeatedly warned against reopening large enclosed public spaces where it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the spread of the coronavirus .
Trump ’ s announcement is likely a move to satisfy his political base .

—Marina Fang
WHO Suspends Trial Of Hydroxychloroquine Over Safety Fears For COVID-19 Patients — 5/26/2020, 7:15 a.m.
The World Health Organization is pausing an international trial of hydroxychloroquine — the anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump as a possible treatment for the coronavirus — due to concerns for the safety of patients, HuffPost’s Mary Papenfuss reports.
Officials cited a large study of 100,000 patients published Friday in The Lancet. Researchers found that patients treated with the drug in the hospital had a “significantly higher risk of death” than those who weren’t given it.
An April study of U.S. veterans produced similar results.
Since March, Trump has pitched the treatment as a “game-changer,” without evidence. On Sunday, he said in an interview that he had just completed a two-week course of treatment. “And by the way, I’m still here,” he told Full Measure News.
— Liza Hearon
UK Minister Quits In Protest Over Advisor’s Lockdown Journey — 5/26/20, 5:55 a.m.
Pressure continues to build on Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a junior minister resigned from the British government over an alleged breach of lockdown rules by the U.K. prime minister’s top advisor, HuffPost U.K reports.
Douglas Ross, a junior minister in the Scotland Office, said Tuesday that he was quitting after hearing about Dominic Cummings’ efforts to defend his 270-mile trip from London to the northeast of England in March.
Ross said he could not “in good faith” tell his constituents who could not care for sick relatives or say goodbye to dying ones while obeying lockdown rules that Cummings acted appropriately.
Cummings remains under fire over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions but Johnson’s chief adviser has said he does not regret his actions and declined to apologize.
At least 15 Conservative MPs have said Cummings should go, while several others have spoken out against his actions.
— Ned Simons
California Issues Guidelines For Safe Reopening Of Houses Of Worship — 05/26/2020; 4:55 a.m.
California on Monday issued guidelines for the reopening of churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions. Under these guidelines, houses of worship are encouraged to keep in-person gatherings small and worshipers have been urged to wear masks. Shaking hands, hugging and sharing religious materials like prayer books or rugs are discouraged.
It’s not immediately known how soon in-person religious services will resume in the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said such services will only be allowed to take place in phase three of his four-phase reopening plan. Individual counties will, however, ultimately decide when to permit houses of worship to open for in-person gatherings. Counties without major virus outbreaks may choose to move more quickly than others, AP noted.
— Dominique Mosbergen
Latam, South America’s Biggest Airline, Files For U.S. Bankruptcy Protection — 5/26/2020; 3:45 a.m.
Latam Airlines is the latest travel industry casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Santiago, Chile-based airline — South America’s largest — sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday.
“We are looking ahead to a post-COVID-19 future and are focused on transforming our group to adapt to a new and evolving way of flying, with the health and safety of our passengers and employees being paramount,” the airline’s CEO Roberto Alvo said in a statement.
— Dominique Mosbergen
Hydroxychloroquine, Hawked By Trump, Linked To Higher Risk Of Death, Study Finds — 5/22/20, 3:05 p.m. ET
The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a treatment for the coronavirus despite no solid evidence as such, is linked to an increased risk of heart problems and death, according to a study of nearly 100,000 COVID-19 patients published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet.
Health authorities, including the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization, have warned against using the drug — which is typically prescribed for malaria and autoimmune diseases — to treat COVID-19.
But Trump has repeatedly promoted the drug, and earlier this week he claimed to be taking it himself as a preventive measure — even though there is no evidence of its effectiveness in preventing COVID-19.
Read more here.
— Marina Fang
Trump Calls On Governors To Reopen Houses Of Worship, But He Doesn’t Have The Authority To Do So — 5/22/20, 2:56 p.m. ET
U.S. President Donald Trump declared houses of worship “essential places that provide essential services” and called on state governors to reopen them, despite lacking the legal authority to do so under the U.S. Constitution’s 10th Amendment.
“Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out houses of worship. It’s not right,” Trump said during an impromptu announcement. “So I’m correcting this injustice by calling houses of worship essential.”
Though many businesses in several states have started to resume operations, public health experts have repeatedly warned against reopening large enclosed public spaces where it is difficult to practice social distancing and ward off the spread of the coronavirus. Trump’s announcement is likely a move to satisfy his political base.
Read more here.
— Marina Fang