huffpost--2020-06-12--'There Is Obviously A Race Issue In Food. I've Personally Dealt With It.'

By day , Cornelia Poku works in the food and agriculture biotech world as a communications manager .
She has also established a popular blog , Black Girls Eat DC , in which she highlights various restaurants in the Washington area .
Finding both her day job and her passion project to be intricately connected to her race , Poku has witnessed firsthand the difficulties that come with being African American while trying to break into a business in the United States .
Here , as told to Anna Rahmanan in our Voices In Food series , Poku shares her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the cultural and political upheaval it has activated and where she hopes protesting will take us .
Every time I see someone is killed by law enforcement , it takes me back to the day I found out about Trayvon Martin .
I can remember where I was and what I was doing ― I was in my early 20s when that happened , and I remember having a realization that I didn ’ t before have while living in the bubble of D.C .
I realized that there really are people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and don ’ t want to protect us and are just attacking Black people for no reason .
So , when I saw what happened to George Floyd , I wasn ’ t really sure what was going to happen ― sometimes you have incidents that just go across your feed and people stop talking about .
But within a couple of days , I realized that this was a more major event and , of course , there were probably several compounding factors .
I set aside time this weekend to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrating energy in my body to do something .
During the time I couldn ’ t go out , I ’ ve been using Instagram as a way to try to educate people and to get some of those constructive frustrations out .
One of the things that I ’ m seeing a lot is people wanting to protect and support Black businesses , including restaurants .
I understand that , in some places , restaurants have been torn down .
But I ’ m also seeing that , in a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ untouched and people are turning their dollars toward Black restaurants that are still open and trying to support in any way that they possibly can .
To me , food is what everybody was thinking about before this happened .
It just seemed like food was at the center of the coronavirus and , with people being frustrated and not knowing where to turn and a lot of businesses being closed , a lot of people are going back to Black-owned businesses ― Black-owned restaurants ― to see how they can help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m hoping is that people will be considerate of Black-owned restaurants and want to see them thrive and be successful and reestablish themselves after everything that ’ s happened .
I have spent a lot of time looking for comprehensive lists of Black-owned restaurants in the D.C. area , and have always been met with the same list consisting of Ben ’ s Chili Bowl and Ooh ’ s and Aah ’ s ; both excellent establishments , but certainly not the only ones .
At some point , I even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t forget which ones I ’ ve been to and which ones I need to visit .
This list that [ food advocate ] Anela Malik made is an incredible resource beyond this time that we ’ re in and I truly hope it continues to live and grow .
In terms of the virus , I think restaurants are really going to struggle in terms of getting their footing back .
They already operate on razor-thin margins , so to be told that they have to decrease their volume to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most people don ’ t want to go out .
What will that look like for them monetarily ?
I am hoping that , with time and as a treatment and a vaccine are available , those tables can get closer and closer again and go back to 100 % volume .
There is obviously a race issue in the food industry and that ’ s something that I have personally dealt with , as a blogger struggling to have access to certain brands that only want to work with people who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has that many followers ?
White people .
So , I ’ m really hoping that this issue has brought forth to everybody the need to have Black people represented everywhere .
Due to the work of influencers , I am seeing all kinds of industries step up and say that they support Black lives .
A couple of years ago , nobody wanted to touch that topic .
I am really hoping that this is a trend and it does not fade .

YENWEI LIU / HUFFPOST
By day, Cornelia Poku works in the food and agriculture biotech world as a communications manager. She has also established a popular blog, Black Girls Eat DC, in which she highlights various restaurants in the Washington area. Finding both her day job and her passion project to be intricately connected to her race, Poku has witnessed firsthand the difficulties that come with being African American while trying to break into a business in the United States.
Here, as told to Anna Rahmanan in our Voices In Food series, Poku shares her thoughts about the passing of George Floyd, the cultural and political upheaval it has activated and where she hopes protesting will take us.
Advertisement
Every time I see someone is killed by law enforcement, it takes me back to the day I found out about Trayvon Martin. I can remember where I was and what I was doing ― I was in my early 20s when that happened, and I remember having a realization that I didn’t before have while living in the bubble of D.C. I realized that there really are people out there who don’t care and don’t want to protect us and are just attacking Black people for no reason. So, when I saw what happened to George Floyd, I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen ― sometimes you have incidents that just go across your feed and people stop talking about. But within a couple of days, I realized that this was a more major event and, of course, there were probably several compounding factors.
“When the protests are over, what I’m hoping is that people will be considerate of Black-owned restaurants and want to see them thrive and be successful and reestablish themselves after everything that’s happened.”
I set aside time this weekend to go to a protest because I have this frustrating energy in my body to do something. During the time I couldn’t go out, I’ve been using Instagram as a way to try to educate people and to get some of those constructive frustrations out.
One of the things that I’m seeing a lot is people wanting to protect and support Black businesses, including restaurants. I understand that, in some places, restaurants have been torn down. But I’m also seeing that, in a lot of places, those establishments have been left untouched and people are turning their dollars toward Black restaurants that are still open and trying to support in any way that they possibly can.
Advertisement
To me, food is what everybody was thinking about before this happened. It just seemed like food was at the center of the coronavirus and, with people being frustrated and not knowing where to turn and a lot of businesses being closed, a lot of people are going back to Black-owned businesses ― Black-owned restaurants ― to see how they can help.
When the protests are over, what I’m hoping is that people will be considerate of Black-owned restaurants and want to see them thrive and be successful and reestablish themselves after everything that’s happened.
I have spent a lot of time looking for comprehensive lists of Black-owned restaurants in the D.C. area, and have always been met with the same list consisting of Ben’s Chili Bowl and Ooh’s and Aah’s; both excellent establishments, but certainly not the only ones. At some point, I even started compiling my own list so I wouldn’t forget which ones I’ve been to and which ones I need to visit. This list that [food advocate] Anela Malik made is an incredible resource beyond this time that we’re in and I truly hope it continues to live and grow.
“I am seeing all kinds of industries step up and say that they support Black lives. A couple of years ago, nobody wanted to touch that topic. I am really hoping that this is a trend and it does not fade.”
In terms of the virus, I think restaurants are really going to struggle in terms of getting their footing back. They already operate on razor-thin margins, so to be told that they have to decrease their volume to 25% and, even then, most people don’t want to go out. What will that look like for them monetarily? I am hoping that, with time and as a treatment and a vaccine are available, those tables can get closer and closer again and go back to 100% volume.
Advertisement
There is obviously a race issue in the food industry and that’s something that I have personally dealt with, as a blogger struggling to have access to certain brands that only want to work with people who have a large number of followers. Who has that many followers? White people.


huffpost--2020-06-12--I Left My Conservative Hometown To Come Out. Now, I’m Back (With My Girlfriend).

In one of my most vivid middle school memories , I ’ m sitting in the grass during a break at field hockey practice .
One of older girls on the team grabs the hand of a quiet sixth-grader as she reaches for a water bottle , pulls it close to her own face , and announces , “ If you have hair on your fingers above the first knuckle , it means you ’ re a lesbian.
” My heart pounds in my stomach as she starts reaching for the hands of the other girls closest to her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference .
I tuck my hands into my lap , palms up , afraid of what I ’ ll see , and I ’ m beyond relieved when our coach blows the whistle to signal that our break is over .
It wasn ’ t the first time I questioned whether I might not be straight , but it was the first time I felt the fear of what might happen if the people around me had the same question .
For the next 12 years , that fear was enough to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought .
It kept me from understanding that my feelings toward certain teachers were crushes and from seeing a close college “ friendship ” for what it really was .
And after settling into a job just 45 minutes away from my small , conservative Pennsylvania hometown , it kept me from considering why I couldn ’ t stop thinking about what it might be like to date a woman .
Then , in a cliche so tired that I am embarrassed to type it , I moved to Brooklyn with my cat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my dating app preferences on the same day I landed a job at a young startup , where no one batted an eye when I nervously mentioned an upcoming first date .
When I recounted that date to my new roommates , and later , introduced them to my now-girlfriend , they were entirely unfazed .
When I realized this , I felt like what I ’ d done was cowardly , and like I hadn ’ t earned the right to live the out , gay life I ’ d built for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deepened when I later told my mom that I was in a relationship with a woman and she was not only immediately supportive , but offered to tell the rest of my family so I wouldn ’ t have to .
I took her up on the offer ( and provided a written FAQ doc for assistance ) , but again felt like I ’ d somehow cheated by evading any potentially difficult conversations .
That was over a year ago now and aside from a week over the holidays , I hadn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than a weekend .
But after two weeks of isolating in a tiny apartment due to the COVID-19 pandemic , my girlfriend and I decided to take my brother up on his offer to pick us up and bring us to my family ’ s home .
I knew that living here for a bit would be a big change for both of us and I knew that we would both miss being in New York .
What I didn ’ t know was that being here would give me a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first 25 years of my life in Pennsylvania , and the life I ’ ve built for myself since I left .
By waiting to come out until I moved to a new city , I was able to start from scratch .
I never had to face the fear I ’ d felt here , because I left it behind instead—a decision that made me feel like I didn ’ t deserve the happiness or the relationship that I ’ d gained after leaving .
But being back is giving me time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve only been leaving the house once every week for groceries , so I still haven ’ t had the chance to be really , publicly “ out.
” I haven ’ t seen any of my high school classmates , I haven ’ t had to explain myself to anyone , and I haven ’ t faced any sort of homophobia .
Still , I notice myself looking around every time we go to the grocery store , wondering if this will be the time I run into one of my high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the countless Trump signs in front yards ( and suspended from the beds of pickup trucks ) we pass while running errands .
I notice that I haven ’ t seen a single other queer couple in weeks .
I know that , not far from here , people protesting the stay-at-home order showed up to the state ’ s capital waving homophobic signs .
I know that our state ’ s Secretary of Health has had to defend herself after being misgendered multiple times on air .
I know that every time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m reminded that many of the people I grew up with don ’ t see the issue with either of these things .
But what I feel here now isn ’ t fear .
Moving to New York gave me a chance to figure out my sexuality in a place where no one knew me , and no one batted an eye at the idea of me being queer .
It gave me a chance to get comfortable with who I am , and the confidence to be that person even in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyebrows .
Being here is giving me the chance to reconcile who I am with the place where I grew up .
It ’ s giving me a chance to read queer memoirs in my childhood bedroom , to see how much my family loves spending time with my girlfriend , and to feel proud every time we do something as simple as hold hands in the local grocery store .
Now , our first anniversary has come and gone in Pennsylvania .
And as disappointed as I was that we weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York , the city where we met and a place we both love , it felt like a step in repairing the disconnect .
In a town where I was once too scared to know myself , I was able to celebrate with a person I love , unafraid .

anouchka via Getty Images
In one of my most vivid middle school memories, I’m sitting in the grass during a break at field hockey practice. One of older girls on the team grabs the hand of a quiet sixth-grader as she reaches for a water bottle, pulls it close to her own face, and announces, “If you have hair on your fingers above the first knuckle, it means you’re a lesbian.”
My heart pounds in my stomach as she starts reaching for the hands of the other girls closest to her, examining their fingers for any sign of difference. I tuck my hands into my lap, palms up, afraid of what I’ll see, and I’m beyond relieved when our coach blows the whistle to signal that our break is over.
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It wasn’t the first time I questioned whether I might not be straight, but it was the first time I felt the fear of what might happen if the people around me had the same question.
For the next 12 years, that fear was enough to keep me from giving the idea too much thought. It kept me from understanding that my feelings toward certain teachers were crushes and from seeing a close college “friendship” for what it really was. And after settling into a job just 45 minutes away from my small, conservative Pennsylvania hometown, it kept me from considering why I couldn’t stop thinking about what it might be like to date a woman.
Then, in a cliche so tired that I am embarrassed to type it, I moved to Brooklyn with my cat and started dating women. I switched my dating app preferences on the same day I landed a job at a young startup, where no one batted an eye when I nervously mentioned an upcoming first date. When I recounted that date to my new roommates, and later, introduced them to my now-girlfriend, they were entirely unfazed.
By moving to a new, progressive city where no one assumed I was straight, I skipped right over an uncomfortable coming out process I’d always assumed was an unavoidable rite of passage for members of the LGBTQ community.
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When I realized this, I felt like what I’d done was cowardly, and like I hadn’t earned the right to live the out, gay life I’d built for myself in New York. This feeling deepened when I later told my mom that I was in a relationship with a woman and she was not only immediately supportive, but offered to tell the rest of my family so I wouldn’t have to. I took her up on the offer (and provided a written FAQ doc for assistance), but again felt like I’d somehow cheated by evading any potentially difficult conversations.
That was over a year ago now and aside from a week over the holidays, I hadn’t come back to my hometown for more than a weekend. But after two weeks of isolating in a tiny apartment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my girlfriend and I decided to take my brother up on his offer to pick us up and bring us to my family’s home.
I knew that living here for a bit would be a big change for both of us and I knew that we would both miss being in New York. What I didn’t know was that being here would give me a chance to understand the disconnect between the first 25 years of my life in Pennsylvania, and the life I’ve built for myself since I left.
By waiting to come out until I moved to a new city, I was able to start from scratch. I never had to face the fear I’d felt here, because I left it behind instead—a decision that made me feel like I didn’t deserve the happiness or the relationship that I’d gained after leaving. But being back is giving me time to understand that fear.
We’ve only been leaving the house once every week for groceries, so I still haven’t had the chance to be really, publicly “out.” I haven’t seen any of my high school classmates, I haven’t had to explain myself to anyone, and I haven’t faced any sort of homophobia.
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Still, I notice myself looking around every time we go to the grocery store, wondering if this will be the time I run into one of my high school friends’ parents. I notice the countless Trump signs in front yards (and suspended from the beds of pickup trucks) we pass while running errands. I notice that I haven’t seen a single other queer couple in weeks.
I know that, not far from here, people protesting the stay-at-home order showed up to the state’s capital waving homophobic signs. I know that our state’s Secretary of Health has had to defend herself after being misgendered multiple times on air. I know that every time I log in to Facebook, I’m reminded that many of the people I grew up with don’t see the issue with either of these things.
I also know that I needed to leave here before I could come out, and that this doesn’t make me weak.
But what I feel here now isn’t fear. Moving to New York gave me a chance to figure out my sexuality in a place where no one knew me, and no one batted an eye at the idea of me being queer. It gave me a chance to get comfortable with who I am, and the confidence to be that person even in a place where it might raise some eyebrows.
Being here is giving me the chance to reconcile who I am with the place where I grew up. It’s giving me a chance to read queer memoirs in my childhood bedroom, to see how much my family loves spending time with my girlfriend, and to feel proud every time we do something as simple as hold hands in the local grocery store.
Advertisement
Now, our first anniversary has come and gone in Pennsylvania. And as disappointed as I was that we weren’t able to spend it in New York, the city where we met and a place we both love, it felt like a step in repairing the disconnect. In a town where I was once too scared to know myself, I was able to celebrate with a person I love, unafraid.
Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch!


huffpost--2020-06-11--Donald Trump’s Race Speech In Tulsa Will Be Just Another Sop To His White Supporters

The rally , in other words , will be a place for the white president to talk to a mostly white crowd about all of the good he ’ s done for Black people .
If it follows Trump ’ s trends in speaking about race , he will give a self-congratulating speech about how he has , as he ’ s fond of saying , “ done more for the Black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln.
” There will be talk of the Black unemployment rate , a talking point now made moot ; his urban Opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only white billionaires ; criminal justice reform , which came as he rolled back Obama administration police reforms ; and he ’ ll claim that he “ saved ” historically black colleges and universities .
Trump ’ s campaign intends to use these symbols of Black oppression and Black freedom to sell his reelection despite the fact that he ’ s the most openly racist U.S. president in modern history .
He will give this speech not from behind his desk at the Oval Office , where he would be presented as president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fervent and mostly white supporters at one of his infamous rallies , which have at times displayed racist violence that he encouraged .
With the blessings of the police , thousands of whites descended on Greenwood and killed hundreds of Black people , looted stores and burned the neighborhood to the ground .
They were aided by police-approved airplanes that dropped bombs .
Nearly every commercial property was destroyed , and 9,000 people were left homeless .
The fire department did not respond .
The police pressed no charges .
Political and religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation into the massacre was not conducted until 2001 .
Emancipation Day has been a moment to celebrate freedom and to reflect on slavery .
Many celebrations petered out or were suppressed as the Jim Crow era of white supremacist authoritarianism descended on the South at the turn of the 20th century .
But Juneteenth spread , thanks in part to the Great Migration of Blacks escaping the repression in the South for the promise of the North and West .
The date is currently either a holiday or a day of commemoration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government does not recognize any day as a national holiday to celebrate emancipation .
“ The people from Texas took Juneteenth Day to Los Angeles , Oakland , Seattle , and other places they went , ” Isabel Wilkerson wrote in “ The Warmth of Other Suns.
” “ Even now , with barbecues and red soda pop , they celebrate June 19 , 1865 , the day Union soldiers rode into Galveston , announced that the Civil War was over , and released the quarter-million slaves in Texas who , not knowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
” Like all of Trump ’ s talk about race in America , his Tulsa address is meant for the consumption of his base of white supporters .
He is incapable of striking any other tone when he talks about race in America because he has already laid his cards on the table .
He not only began his political career with a racist smear of the first Black president , but he also has solidified his opposition to the Black struggle for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juneteenth celebration , by demagoguing Black Lives Matter protests with his hateful attacks .
“ Negro American consciousness is not a product ( as so often seems true of so many American groups ) of a will to historical forgetfulness , ” Ralph Ellison wrote in 1963 .
“ It is a product of our memory , sustained and constantly reinforced by events , by our watchful waiting , and by our hopeful suspension of final judgment as to the meaning of our grievances .
”

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President Donald Trump is going to Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of a 1921 racist massacre triggered by white resentment, on June 19, the Juneteenth holiday celebrating the Black emancipation from slavery and the continued struggle for freedom. He’s planning a rally while Americans join in widespread anti-racism protests, which he opposes. And he’s going so he can talk up his record on race to his largely white voter base.
The rally next Friday will be Trump’s first since suspending major campaign events due to the coronavirus pandemic and the first since global protests began after the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minnesota.
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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday that he’s holding the rally on Juneteenth because “it’s a meaningful day to him, and it’s a day where [he] wants to share some of the progress that’s been made as we look forward and more that needs to be done.”
The rally, in other words, will be a place for the white president to talk to a mostly white crowd about all of the good he’s done for Black people. If it follows Trump’s trends in speaking about race, he will give a self-congratulating speech about how he has, as he’s fond of saying, “done more for the Black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln.” There will be talk of the Black unemployment rate, a talking point now made moot; his urban Opportunity Zones, which have so far enriched only white billionaires; criminal justice reform, which came as he rolled back Obama administration police reforms; and he’ll claim that he “saved” historically black colleges and universities.
It is “almost blasphemous,” CeLillianne Green, a historian and poet, told The Washington Post.
And, “more than a slap in the face to African Americans, it is overt racism from the highest office in the land,” Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) tweeted about Trump’s hijacking of the symbols of Tulsa and Juneteenth.
President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a March 2 rally in Charlotte, North Carolina. His next rally is set for Tulsa, Oklahoma. Brian Blanco via Getty Images
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Trump’s campaign intends to use these symbols of Black oppression and Black freedom to sell his reelection despite the fact that he’s the most openly racist U.S. president in modern history. He will give this speech not from behind his desk at the Oval Office, where he would be presented as president of all Americans, but to his fervent and mostly white supporters at one of his infamous rallies, which have at times displayed racist violence that he encouraged.
His audience is not the nation at large, let alone Black Americans, but the white pro-Trump faithful. Trump’s political success has been buoyed by a racist white backlash based in resentment of the election of the first Black president, Barack Obama, and the country’s changing racial demographics. Similar resentments of Black gains led whites to burn Tulsa’s Greenwood District 99 years ago.
The Greenwood Massacre
On May 31, Tulsa commemorated the 99th anniversary of the Greenwood Massacre. The massacre, formerly known as the Tulsa Race Riots, occurred when a white mob, aided by police officers, killed up to 300 people as they destroyed a vital Black business district.
The Black business district in the segregated neighborhood began with the opening of a grocery store in 1905. By the late 1910s, the district had flourished with dozens of businesses, churches, a public library, a movie theater and a three-story hotel. It became known as Black Wall Street.
In 1919, 380,000 Black American soldiers came home from World War I. They were determined that their sacrifice for their country should be rewarded with freedom at home.
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“We return,” W.E.B. DuBois wrote about Black veterans in 1919. “We return from fighting. We return fighting.”
White America met them with closed fists. Even before Black veterans returned home, racist politicians were warning that their patriotism was a threat to white supremacy.
“Impress the negro with the fact that he is defending the flag, inflate his untutored soul with military airs, teach him that it is his duty to keep the emblem of the Nation, it is but a short step to the conclusion that his political rights must be respected,” Sen. James Vardaman, a Mississippi Democrat, said in 1917.
In the Red Summer of 1919, white mobs rioted in Black neighborhoods in Chicago; Houston; Omaha, Nebraska; Charleston, South Carolina; and Washington, D.C. In Washington, the first victim was a 22-year-old Black veteran. In other cities, Black veterans defended their neighborhoods from the racist mobs. In the South, Black veterans were assaulted simply for appearing in uniform in public, and at least 13 were lynched.
A memorial to Tulsa's Black Wall Street outside the Greenwood Cultural Center on the outskirts of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sue Ogrocki/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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These passions did not recede after 1919, particularly in Tulsa. White resentment boiled as the successful Greenwood District grew, until it ran up against white Tulsa’s boundaries. Those resentments exploded after a downtown Tulsa clerk accused a Black teenager, who had touched the arm of a white elevator attendant, of rape.
The teen was arrested, and an armed white mob came to haul him out of jail and murder him. But they were met by a Black mob from Greenwood, including armed WWI veterans, who had come to protect the teenager. A fight happened after a white man challenged one Black veteran’s right to carry a gun. Someone fired a weapon, and within minutes 20 were dead on both sides.
With the blessings of the police, thousands of whites descended on Greenwood and killed hundreds of Black people, looted stores and burned the neighborhood to the ground. They were aided by police-approved airplanes that dropped bombs. Nearly every commercial property was destroyed, and 9,000 people were left homeless. The fire department did not respond. The police pressed no charges. Political and religious leaders blamed the Black residents. An investigation into the massacre was not conducted until 2001.
It was yet another example of white America seeing Black America’s success as an existential threat and then sweeping it into the dustbin of history.
Juneteenth
President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, turned the Civil War into a battle for the liberation of enslaved people in the South. But for most enslaved Black people, liberation did not arrive until Union troops did. In Texas, that date arrived months after the war’s end and Lincoln’s assassination on June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger informed a gathering of slaves they had been freed when he read Lincoln’s proclamation.
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Celebrations of liberation proliferated in Black communities throughout the South after the Civil War. These Emancipation Days were usually held on the dates that the local Black population was emancipated, like April 16 in Washington, D.C., or on Jan. 1 to commemorate Lincoln’s proclamation. Naturally, Texans celebrated Emancipation Day on June 19. The holiday came to be called Juneteenth.
Emancipation Day has been a moment to celebrate freedom and to reflect on slavery. Many celebrations petered out or were suppressed as the Jim Crow era of white supremacist authoritarianism descended on the South at the turn of the 20th century. But Juneteenth spread, thanks in part to the Great Migration of Blacks escaping the repression in the South for the promise of the North and West. The date is currently either a holiday or a day of commemoration in 47 states, but the federal government does not recognize any day as a national holiday to celebrate emancipation.
“The people from Texas took Juneteenth Day to Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, and other places they went,” Isabel Wilkerson wrote in “The Warmth of Other Suns.” “Even now, with barbecues and red soda pop, they celebrate June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers rode into Galveston, announced that the Civil War was over, and released the quarter-million slaves in Texas who, not knowing they had been freed, had toiled for two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.”
Trump’s Racism
Like all of Trump’s talk about race in America, his Tulsa address is meant for the consumption of his base of white supporters. He is incapable of striking any other tone when he talks about race in America because he has already laid his cards on the table. He not only began his political career with a racist smear of the first Black president, but he also has solidified his opposition to the Black struggle for further liberation, symbolically represented by the Juneteenth celebration, by demagoguing Black Lives Matter protests with his hateful attacks.
A supporter wears a Confederate flag shirt as Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on June 10, 2016, in Richmond, Virginia. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
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“The first time I heard [Black Lives Matter], I said, ‘You have to be kidding,’” Trump said in 2016. “I think it’s a very, very, very divisive term. There’s no question about it.”
“He’s wrong,” Trump said after former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, talked about his support for Black Lives Matter protests in 2015. “He’s totally wrong. It’s ‘All lives matter,’ and that should be the theme of this country, frankly, or one of the themes. So he’s obviously catering to somebody. I don’t know who he’s catering to.”
The 2016 Republican National Convention gave an entire night the theme of “Make America Safe Again” that featured speakers denouncing Black Lives Matter and praising police ― to raucous applause.
Multiple Black Lives Matter protesters who disrupted Trump’s rallies were assaulted by his supporters. “Maybe he should have been roughed up because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing,” Trump said about one Black Lives Matter protester who was assaulted at a rally.
At another rally, Trump urged his supporters to physically eject three protesters who had chanted Black Lives Matter slogans. “Get out!” he bellowed. “Get them out!” The three protesters, a man and two women, were then pushed and punched by his supporters. One of those supporters was a “Make America Great Again”-hat-wearing Matthew Heimbach, a white supremacist once touted as the next David Duke.
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“White Americans are getting fed up and they’re learning that they must either push back or be pushed down,” Heimbach, who would later plead guilty to assault from the incident, wrote in a blog post afterward.
Heimbach would later help organize and attend the Aug. 12, 2017, “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally to protect a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia. The murder of Heather Heyer by one of the rally attendees resulted in Trump attempting to give his first talk on race relations in America, in which he declared that some of the white supremacists and neo-Nazis there were “fine people.”
Trump also defended the stated cause of the white supremacists: not removing the statue of Lee. He has since become the leading proponent of maintaining and venerating Confederate symbology throughout the United States, including on military bases. Republican senators agreed Wednesday night to an amendment offered by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to rename military bases that honor Confederate generals over the next three years. Trump tweeted his opposition Thursday afternoon.
“THOSE THAT DENY THEIR HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT!” Trump tweeted Thursday in response to efforts to remove Confederate symbols across the country.
He’s also spent the past few weeks praising police and suppressing protests against police brutality after Floyd’s death. While he condemned the police officer who killed Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes, Trump has said that there is only a small proportion of “bad apples” within police forces.
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These acts, but not these alone, will make it impossible for any message of racial reconciliation from Trump to reach Black America, and an increasing part of white America, without it being viewed as anything more than the condescension it is.
Trump venerates a certain strain of white history, one that buries the history of Greenwood and does not celebrate emancipation, unless suddenly politically convenient. But Black Americans remember their history, too.


huffpost--2020-03-17--Is Ibuprofen OK To Use For Coronavirus Symptoms?

There ’ s a lot of advice floating around about the novel coronavirus and how to limit the spread of the pandemic .
Some of it is good ; some of it is terrible .
One question has been whether ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs are safe to use for symptoms of COVID-19 , including fever and body aches .
One family said that their child ’ s condition worsened after taking ibuprofen for COVID-19 .
France ’ s health ministry suggested that using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( or NSAIDs ) could aggravate the disease .
Olivier Veran , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend that if “ you have a fever , take paracetamol .
If you are already on anti-inflammatory drugs or in doubt , ask your doctor for advice.
” Paracetamol is the equivalent of acetaminophen ― which is what ’ s used in Tylenol and its various copies ― in the United States .
The French ministry added the warning to its coronavirus guidance after the government published a report that found “ grave adverse effects ” linked to the use of NSAIDs in patients affected by COVID-19 , CNN reported .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough evidence to support that claim .
The virus is too new for extensive studies on it , including research that would suggest ibuprofen or related drugs may make symptoms worse .
Because of this , the World Health Organization put out a statement saying it “ does not recommend against the use of of ibuprofen.
” “ I am not aware of any studies that have specifically linked the use of ibuprofen with increased risk of complications with the COVID-19 , ” Eudene Harry , a board-certified physician in emergency medicine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rejuvenation Center in Orlando , Florida , told HuffPost .
Physicians have previously suggested that COVID-19 sufferers can take ibuprofen for their symptoms , as well as other at-home remedies like a hot shower , sleeping and drinking lots of water .
Still , some health professionals say they ’ re not disregarding the idea that ibuprofen might make a poor treatment for COVID-19 .
The illness , if it becomes severe , can lead to issues with organs like the kidneys , which can be stressed by NSAIDs .
But that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs entirely .
“ There is a good reason to avoid ibuprofen as it may exacerbate acute kidney injury brought on by any severe illness , including severe COVID-19 disease , ” Rupert Beale , a group leader in Cell Biology of Infection at the United Kingdom ’ s Francis Crick Institute , told the UK ’ s Science Media Centre .
“ There isn ’ t yet any widely accepted additional reason to avoid it for COVID-19.
” “ There can be concern for individuals with underlying renal or cardiovascular conditions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caution is exercised when using NSAIDs such as ibuprofen , ” Harry said , noting that this concern is speculative right now .
“ Other concerns would be pre-existing gastrointestinal issues .
Since older individuals are more likely to have underlying chronic conditions such as these and they are the most susceptible to complications , that might be the basis for the concerns.
” Experts told CNN that acetaminophen may be preferable as a COVID-19 treatment , since it is also less likely to cause side effects like stomach or kidney irritation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best course of action , as with any illness , is to chat with your doctor , Harry said .
As long as you aren ’ t experiencing a high fever and intense shortness of breath that requires immediate medical attention , it ’ s best to call or contact them through a telemedicine appointment .

BWFolsom via Getty Images Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs may not be the best choices to treat symptoms of COVID-19, some suggest. Ask your doctor for advice if you get sick.
There’s a lot of advice floating around about the novel coronavirus and how to limit the spread of the pandemic. Some of it is good; some of it is terrible.
One question has been whether ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs are safe to use for symptoms of COVID-19, including fever and body aches. One family said that their child’s condition worsened after taking ibuprofen for COVID-19. France’s health ministry suggested that using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDs) could aggravate the disease.
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Olivier Veran, the French health minister, tweeted over the weekend that if “you have a fever, take paracetamol. If you are already on anti-inflammatory drugs or in doubt, ask your doctor for advice.” Paracetamol is the equivalent of acetaminophen ― which is what’s used in Tylenol and its various copies ― in the United States.
The French ministry added the warning to its coronavirus guidance after the government published a report that found “grave adverse effects” linked to the use of NSAIDs in patients affected by COVID-19, CNN reported.
But some experts say there isn’t enough evidence to support that claim. The virus is too new for extensive studies on it, including research that would suggest ibuprofen or related drugs may make symptoms worse. Because of this, the World Health Organization put out a statement saying it “does not recommend against the use of of ibuprofen.”
“I am not aware of any studies that have specifically linked the use of ibuprofen with increased risk of complications with the COVID-19,” Eudene Harry, a board-certified physician in emergency medicine and medical director for the Oasis Wellness & Rejuvenation Center in Orlando, Florida, told HuffPost.
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Physicians have previously suggested that COVID-19 sufferers can take ibuprofen for their symptoms, as well as other at-home remedies like a hot shower, sleeping and drinking lots of water.
Still, some health professionals say they’re not disregarding the idea that ibuprofen might make a poor treatment for COVID-19. The illness, if it becomes severe, can lead to issues with organs like the kidneys, which can be stressed by NSAIDs. But that’s not enough to recommend ditching the drugs entirely.
“There is a good reason to avoid ibuprofen as it may exacerbate acute kidney injury brought on by any severe illness, including severe COVID-19 disease,” Rupert Beale, a group leader in Cell Biology of Infection at the United Kingdom’s Francis Crick Institute, told the UK’s Science Media Centre. “There isn’t yet any widely accepted additional reason to avoid it for COVID-19.”
Doctors may recommend acetaminophen products over NSAIDs if a patient with COVID-19 also has other medical conditions, Harry said.
“There can be concern for individuals with underlying renal or cardiovascular conditions, as these are already conditions in which caution is exercised when using NSAIDs such as ibuprofen,” Harry said, noting that this concern is speculative right now. “Other concerns would be pre-existing gastrointestinal issues. Since older individuals are more likely to have underlying chronic conditions such as these and they are the most susceptible to complications, that might be the basis for the concerns.”
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Experts told CNN that acetaminophen may be preferable as a COVID-19 treatment, since it is also less likely to cause side effects like stomach or kidney irritation.
If you think you have COVID-19, the best course of action, as with any illness, is to chat with your doctor, Harry said. As long as you aren’t experiencing a high fever and intense shortness of breath that requires immediate medical attention, it’s best to call or contact them through a telemedicine appointment.
Your physician will be able to give recommendations ― including which medications to use ― based on your symptoms and health history.


huffpost--2020-03-17--Life In The Era Of The Coronavirus: Views From Readers

“ Your assumption that the virus expansion is much smaller here in America is not based on reality .
We @ @ @ @ @ , we have been extremely behind the curve on testing .
So we actually have @ @ @ @ @ is .
In addition , banning travel to non-citizens is about the dumbest idea I @ @ @ @ @ do not hold some special kind of immunity from viruses , so not restricting them @ @ @ @ @ spread.
” “ The disconnect is beyond believable… .
No testing available , so how @ @ @ @ @ losses ?
Is there some magical ministry for claims one applies to ?
This response @ @ @ @ @

“Your assumption that the virus expansion is much smaller here in America is not based on reality. We know that as a country, we have been extremely behind the curve on testing. So we actually have no idea what the spread is. In addition, banning travel to non-citizens is about the dumbest idea I’ve heard. Americans do not hold some special kind of immunity from viruses, so not restricting them also is fruitless in combating spread.”
— Jimmie LaBrue
“The disconnect is beyond believable…. No testing available, so how will anyone prove their financial losses? Is there some magical ministry for claims one applies to? This response is criminally negligent.”
— TC White


huffpost--2020-03-17--Republicans, White House Gut Paid Sick Leave In Coronavirus Bill

Democrats had already vastly scaled back their proposals for paid sick leave and paid family leave .
Instead of covering all workers , millions were left out of the version of the bill passed over the weekend .
Still , the original compromise bill included 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for workers with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , symptoms of COVID-19 or those caring for others who are sick .
Now , after the legislative text was updated , those family leave provisions in the bill are much weaker .
Paid family leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are home with kids due to school closure .
The extended leave wouldn ’ t be available for people who are sick with COVID-19 .
Those workers would only be able to take 10 days of paid sick leave ― and only if they work at a company with less than 500 employees .
What ’ s more : Companies with fewer than 50 workers can apply for hardship relief and get out of providing both sick and family leave .
“ The carve-outs that came in last night through pressure from Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what started out as a strong paid leave proposal that would ’ ve made a difference to tens of millions of families during this crisis , ” said Jessica Mason , senior policy analyst at the National Partnership for Women and Families .
“ The so-called corrections actually gut those policies and weaken our nation ’ s response to this pandemic.
” The bill is a disappointment to advocates who ’ d hoped the pandemic would finally push lawmakers to enact universal paid sick leave in the U.S .
However , it still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicaid expansion that will be helpful .
“ There are other parts of the bill , provisions related to Medicaid , that are incredibly important and that is why we continue to support passage of the bill , ” Mason said .
“ but Congress needs to understand that the paid sick days and paid leave provisions do not begin to address the needs of families right now.
” It could ’ ve been worse , said a senior Democratic aide familiar with the negotiations .
The White House actually wanted to weaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpaid time off during a medical emergency .
The administration sought to get rid of part of the 30-year-old Family and Medical Leave Act , which ensures workers can get health insurance while they ’ re on long-term leave .
“ This was a nonstarter for the speaker , ” the aide said , referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) , who was also able to get a tax credit for small businesses to make it easier for them to offer the paid time off .
House Democrats said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bipartisan bill that would stand a greater chance of passage in the Republican-controlled Senate .
Many GOP lawmakers voiced concern that the paid leave provisions would place further stress on small businesses that are slashing jobs due to anemic demand amid the crisis .
Congress is scrambling to do something bigger to deal with the coronavirus epidemic .
They ’ ve already passed , and the president signed , an $ 8.5 billion package dealing with medical issues .
The Senate this week is discussing a much larger stimulus package , up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight the spread of the disease and prop up the economy .
“ It is my intention that the Senate will not adjourn until we have passed significant and bold new steps , above and beyond what the House passed , to help our strong nation and our strong underlying economy weather this storm , ” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) said in a floor speech on Tuesday .

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Under pressure from the White House and business groups, House Democrats agreed to further water down paid sick and family leave provisions in the coronavirus emergency bill currently awaiting a Senate vote.
Democrats had already vastly scaled back their proposals for paid sick leave and paid family leave. Instead of covering all workers, millions were left out of the version of the bill passed over the weekend. Still, the original compromise bill included 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for workers with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, symptoms of COVID-19 or those caring for others who are sick.
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Now, after the legislative text was updated, those family leave provisions in the bill are much weaker. Paid family leave would only be available to parents who are home with kids due to school closure. The extended leave wouldn’t be available for people who are sick with COVID-19. Those workers would only be able to take 10 days of paid sick leave ― and only if they work at a company with less than 500 employees. What’s more: Companies with fewer than 50 workers can apply for hardship relief and get out of providing both sick and family leave.
“The carve-outs that came in last night through pressure from Republicans and the White House have dramatically weakened what started out as a strong paid leave proposal that would’ve made a difference to tens of millions of families during this crisis,” said Jessica Mason, senior policy analyst at the National Partnership for Women and Families. “The so-called corrections actually gut those policies and weaken our nation’s response to this pandemic.”
Employers are also allowed to secure exemptions for individual employees who are first responders and health care professionals who may have to deal with emergency issues.
“Politicians like to talk a good game about providing paid sick days to everyone, including Trump,” said Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow and paid leave expert at New America.
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Trump touted the bill’s paid sick leave provisions on Tuesday in an update about the pandemic.
The bill is a disappointment to advocates who’d hoped the pandemic would finally push lawmakers to enact universal paid sick leave in the U.S. However, it still does contain provisions for COVID-19 testing and Medicaid expansion that will be helpful.
“There are other parts of the bill, provisions related to Medicaid, that are incredibly important and that is why we continue to support passage of the bill,” Mason said. “but Congress needs to understand that the paid sick days and paid leave provisions do not begin to address the needs of families right now.”
It could’ve been worse, said a senior Democratic aide familiar with the negotiations. The White House actually wanted to weaken a longstanding law that provides Americans with unpaid time off during a medical emergency. The administration sought to get rid of part of the 30-year-old Family and Medical Leave Act, which ensures workers can get health insurance while they’re on long-term leave.
“This was a nonstarter for the speaker,” the aide said, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who was also able to get a tax credit for small businesses to make it easier for them to offer the paid time off.
House Democrats said the changes were necessary in order to secure a bipartisan bill that would stand a greater chance of passage in the Republican-controlled Senate. Many GOP lawmakers voiced concern that the paid leave provisions would place further stress on small businesses that are slashing jobs due to anemic demand amid the crisis.
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Congress is scrambling to do something bigger to deal with the coronavirus epidemic. They’ve already passed, and the president signed, an $8.5 billion package dealing with medical issues. The Senate this week is discussing a much larger stimulus package, up to at least $850 billion, to fight the spread of the disease and prop up the economy.
Congressional Republicans also seem to be getting behind the idea of simply sending Americans cash to deal with the economic downturn sparked by the epidemic.
“It is my intention that the Senate will not adjourn until we have passed significant and bold new steps, above and beyond what the House passed, to help our strong nation and our strong underlying economy weather this storm,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a floor speech on Tuesday.


huffpost--2020-03-16--UPDATE: Ohio Gov. Postpones Primary By Declaring Coronavirus Health Emergency

Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine ( R ) said Monday night that he is declaring a statewide health emergency in order to postpone Tuesday ’ s primary election due to the coronavirus , essentially overriding a judge ’ s ruling just hours earlier that blocked the governor ’ s request to delay the election until June 2 .
“ During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis , to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus , ” DeWine tweeted .
DeWine said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Frank LaRose will “ seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity.
” DeWine said earlier on Monday that he wanted to move Ohio ’ s primary election amid concerns about the health risks that come with in-person voting during the pandemic , particularly for older and immunocompromised residents .
“ It is clear that tomorrow ’ s in-person voting does not conform and can not conform with these CDC guidelines .
We can not conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance about COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
Because the governor doesn ’ t have the power to change the election date , he first needs a judge ’ s approval to move the date of the primary .
Former Ohio Department of Aging Director Judith Brachman , 81 , filed a lawsuit Monday in Franklin County so that elderly voters don ’ t need to choose between their health and voting , according to the Columbus Dispatch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Dewine recommended we move the election .
A lawsuit was filed to do that .
Some folks running in the election challenged that .
A municipal judge in Columbus was like “ We can ’ t move the election .
It will be tomorrow.
” — Paige Southwick Pfleger ( @ PaigePfleger ) March 16 , 2020 With DeWine ’ s new health emergency announcement , the back-and-forth on whether polls will be open Tuesday has left many poll workers and voters in Ohio wondering whether to cast their ballot in person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC ’ s guidance that large events across the country , consisting of 50 people or more , be canceled or postponed to prevent the disease ’ s spread .
To help this effort , DeWine said all of Ohio ’ s gyms , fitness centers , recreation centers , bowling alleys , indoor water parks , movie theaters and trampoline parks have been ordered to close , indefinitely , starting at the end of Monday ’ s workday .
Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine said Monday that he wants to postpone his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Tuesday .
Primaries are also scheduled on Tuesday for Arizona , Florida and Illinois .
At the time of DeWine ’ s press conference , they had not been postponed .
Asked about that decision , DeWine said his focus is not on them but on his own constituents .
“ Everybody has to make their own call about what they think is the right thing to do , ” he said .
The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed 50 cases of COVID-19 in the state , 14 of which led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CORRECTION : An earlier version of this article said DeWine postponed Tuesday ’ s primary , but he does not have that power .
He was requesting the primary be postponed and plans to file a lawsuit to make it happen .

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said Monday night that he is declaring a statewide health emergency in order to postpone Tuesday’s primary election due to the coronavirus, essentially overriding a judge’s ruling just hours earlier that blocked the governor’s request to delay the election until June 2.
“During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus,” DeWine tweeted.
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DeWine said in his health emergency announcement that Secretary of State Frank LaRose will “seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity.”
During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus. — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 17, 2020
After DeWine’s announcement, LaRose issued a directive postponing the primaries to June 2.
DeWine said earlier on Monday that he wanted to move Ohio’s primary election amid concerns about the health risks that come with in-person voting during the pandemic, particularly for older and immunocompromised residents.
“It is clear that tomorrow’s in-person voting does not conform and cannot conform with these CDC guidelines. We cannot conduct this election tomorrow,” he said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance about COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
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Because the governor doesn’t have the power to change the election date, he first needs a judge’s approval to move the date of the primary. Former Ohio Department of Aging Director Judith Brachman, 81, filed a lawsuit Monday in Franklin County so that elderly voters don’t need to choose between their health and voting, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard A. Frye denied that request on Monday evening.
For folks who are confused:
Governor Mike Dewine recommended we move the election.
A lawsuit was filed to do that.
Some folks running in the election challenged that.
A municipal judge in Columbus was like “We can’t move the election. It will be tomorrow.” — Paige Southwick Pfleger (@PaigePfleger) March 16, 2020
With DeWine’s new health emergency announcement, the back-and-forth on whether polls will be open Tuesday has left many poll workers and voters in Ohio wondering whether to cast their ballot in person.
DeWine’s recommendation follows the CDC’s guidance that large events across the country, consisting of 50 people or more, be canceled or postponed to prevent the disease’s spread.
To help this effort, DeWine said all of Ohio’s gyms, fitness centers, recreation centers, bowling alleys, indoor water parks, movie theaters and trampoline parks have been ordered to close, indefinitely, starting at the end of Monday’s workday.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that he wants to postpone his state's primary election that was scheduled for Tuesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Primaries are also scheduled on Tuesday for Arizona, Florida and Illinois. At the time of DeWine’s press conference, they had not been postponed. Asked about that decision, DeWine said his focus is not on them but on his own constituents.
“Everybody has to make their own call about what they think is the right thing to do,” he said.
The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed 50 cases of COVID-19 in the state, 14 of which led to hospitalizations, as of Monday.
DeWine declared a state of emergency in his state on March 9 to help contain the spread of the disease.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said DeWine postponed Tuesday’s primary, but he does not have that power. He was requesting the primary be postponed and plans to file a lawsuit to make it happen.
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huffpost--2020-03-17--Democratic Party Grapples With States Postponing Primaries Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

As states postpone their primary dates amid the coronavirus outbreak , the Democratic Party may be forced to grapple with its own delegate rules — or risk penalizing states for trying to adhere to public safety guidelines .
Under current party rules , the Democratic primaries are supposed to be over by June 9 .
Any state that schedules their primary after that date could be stripped of half its delegates , ultimately risking its influence on the primary process .
But as states try to adapt to new public health guidelines around the novel coronavirus , which advises people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and schools to shut down , and limits the size of public gatherings to no more than 10 people , a growing number of states are delaying their in-person voting days .
A total of five states have postponed primaries .
Ohio ’ s governor pushed its March 17 primaries to June 2 .
Georgia and Maryland followed suit .
And two states , Louisiana and Kentucky , have suggested postponing their April primaries past the June 9 deadline , to June 20 and June 23 , respectively .
The party has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its first priority is ensuring the health and safety of voters .
But as of Tuesday , the party had not changed its June 9 rule , threatening delegate penalties .
The rule was reiterated to state parties in a memo sent Monday , after news of Ohio ’ s primary postponement .
“ The Delegate Selection Rules provide that each state ’ s first determining step must take place by 9 June , ” the memo from the Democratic Party ’ s Rules and Bylaws Committee , which was first reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state violates the rule on timing , or any other rule , they could be subject to penalties as prescribed in Rule 21 , including at least a 50 % reduction in delegates , which will need to be reviewed by the RBC.
” “ We will continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection plans around coronavirus , ” a DNC spokesperson told HuffPost .
“ The changes in Louisiana and Kentucky violates our rule on timing which is clear that all states must hold their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our rules could result in a penalty of a state losing at least half of its delegates .
These changes will be reviewed by the Rules and Bylaws Committee.
” Three states , Arizona , Florida and Illinois , decided to hold their primaries as scheduled Tuesday .
And already , those states have faced major obstacles in doing so ; voter turnout has been incredibly low , elderly poll workers have bowed out of the process out of fear of coming in contact with the virus and state officials have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior centers or community centers , and struggled to distribute appropriate sanitation supplies .
Other states , like Wyoming , have decided to do away with their in-person caucusing , and instead allow only mail-in ballots or drop-off absentee ballots .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As states postpone their primary dates amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Democratic Party may be forced to grapple with its own delegate rules — or risk penalizing states for trying to adhere to public safety guidelines.
Under current party rules, the Democratic primaries are supposed to be over by June 9. Any state that schedules their primary after that date could be stripped of half its delegates, ultimately risking its influence on the primary process.
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But as states try to adapt to new public health guidelines around the novel coronavirus, which advises people stay in their homes, for businesses and schools to shut down, and limits the size of public gatherings to no more than 10 people, a growing number of states are delaying their in-person voting days.
A total of five states have postponed primaries. Ohio’s governor pushed its March 17 primaries to June 2. Georgia and Maryland followed suit. And two states, Louisiana and Kentucky, have suggested postponing their April primaries past the June 9 deadline, to June 20 and June 23, respectively.
The party has been monitoring the situation closely, and says its first priority is ensuring the health and safety of voters. But as of Tuesday, the party had not changed its June 9 rule, threatening delegate penalties. The rule was reiterated to state parties in a memo sent Monday, after news of Ohio’s primary postponement.
“The Delegate Selection Rules provide that each state’s first determining step must take place by 9 June,” the memo from the Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, which was first reported by The Guardian, said. “If a state violates the rule on timing, or any other rule, they could be subject to penalties as prescribed in Rule 21, including at least a 50% reduction in delegates, which will need to be reviewed by the RBC.”
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Neither Kentucky nor Louisiana have formally asked the DNC for a waiver, according to a DNC aide.
“We will continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection plans around coronavirus,” a DNC spokesperson told HuffPost. “The changes in Louisiana and Kentucky violates our rule on timing which is clear that all states must hold their contests by June 9th. Any violation of our rules could result in a penalty of a state losing at least half of its delegates. These changes will be reviewed by the Rules and Bylaws Committee.”
Three states, Arizona, Florida and Illinois, decided to hold their primaries as scheduled Tuesday. And already, those states have faced major obstacles in doing so; voter turnout has been incredibly low, elderly poll workers have bowed out of the process out of fear of coming in contact with the virus and state officials have been forced to move polling stations away from senior centers or community centers, and struggled to distribute appropriate sanitation supplies.
Other states, like Wyoming, have decided to do away with their in-person caucusing, and instead allow only mail-in ballots or drop-off absentee ballots.
Democratic presidential candidates former vice president Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ have both suspended all public campaign operations.


huffpost--2020-02-21--We're Living In China During The Coronavirus Outbreak. Every Day Is Now Deeply Unnerving.

Editor ’ s note : HuffPost has chosen to anonymously publish the following first-person account by an American couple living in China .
Editors do this only rarely and have done so on this occasion because of the potential risks to the authors if their real names were used .
The Chinese government in recent weeks has expelled American journalists in response to an opinion piece and reprimanded a doctor who raised concerns about what was later identified as coronavirus ( the doctor later died from the virus ) .
It is a strange time to be living in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been living abroad for many years .
We ’ ve spent the past several years in a large , northern city in China .
Our experience in this country has been overwhelmingly positive ― we like living here .
It has been fun , interesting and — yes — at times challenging .
So while this current situation involving the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) and how it is affecting our daily lives has become unsettling , we want to be clear that for us , living in China has been more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the break started , strangers told us emphatically that we should also put on a mask .
We thought it was silly ― we knew that masks , while important for a doctor working directly with a sick person , were not necessary for every person in the city .
And as far as we could tell , the virus was like a cold : only dangerous to people who were already sick .
The first few days were fine — fun even .
We were told not to gather in groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home by ourselves for three weeks .
We had a small surprise party for a friend ’ s birthday , met up with another friend at the mall , bought socks at H & M and went to Starbucks .
But when we got to Starbucks , the employees wouldn ’ t let us in .
Instead , we were told to order our drinks through the Starbucks app from outside the store .
While we waited for our lattes , the employees took our temperatures and recorded our information at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew tighter and it wasn ’ t as easy for us to get out of our neighborhood .
There had been rumors that Didi ( a ride-hailing app like Uber ) and delivery drivers were going to be banned from coming into our neighborhood .
Then roadblocks went up on main thoroughfares .
This was frustrating but we could still walk down side streets to get a taxi if we needed one .
Then walls were put up .
They were on all the side streets of our neighborhood , blocking every way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The walls are metal , roughly 8 feet tall and painted bright blue .
We saw them being installed , welded to rebar cemented into the street .
They stretch from the concrete residential wall of a house , across the sidewalk and over the entire street to a concrete wall on the other side .
The first day the walls were up , someone found a seam between two of the metal sheets and bent back a small part , just big enough to slip through — probably with produce from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew we shouldn ’ t try to go through the opening but there was something reassuring about seeing that someone else also felt that the walls were more of an inconvenience than a necessary safety measure .
But the next day , the hole was fixed and a tight crisscross of barbed wire had been added across the entire wall , with metal poles extending the barbed wire at the top .
Everything we read and hear maintains that the virus is not an imminent threat to us .
Relative to the millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny number of people have gotten sick ; far fewer have died .
But our effort to be rational about the threat does not really help .
The scale of the response seems like an overreaction — or it suggests that things are much worse than we are being told .
We have a lot of time on our hands to wonder which it is .
The psychological struggle has started to feel real .
We began to try to figure out what self-care looks like when the only store that is open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t see anyone besides those you live with .
We set an alarm and get up each morning at a normal time for work .
We continue to do our typical morning routines of showering and putting ourselves together .
We ’ ve started meditating .
We make sure to take a lunch break .
We now go for runs every afternoon .
It ’ s not easy to maintain sanity , even with this self-care .
On our runs , we go past the blocked streets , out to the checkpoint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the guards will take our temperature and it will be elevated from running with a mask on .
The prospect of being put in a more formal quarantine or worse ― sent to a local hospital ― is frightening .
Our limited experiences with hospitals here have not instilled much confidence .
It is especially hard because there appears to be no end in sight .
Going back to work on March 9 seems distant and unlikely , even as the rate of new cases seems to be decreasing .
Returning to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : With flights being cancelled , tickets are now around $ 2,000 — we would have to turn in a lot of people to get that much money !
— and we would likely have to self-quarantine for two weeks there .
Even then , we ’ re not sure people would want to see us for fear of contagion .
If we did leave , we would be required to self-quarantine in China for an additional two weeks after we returned .
Our house is nice and we enjoy each other ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are people in the world living through far worse than this .
Friends from abroad are frequently texting offering support .
But cumulatively , all of these things are taking a toll .
The masks , the rumors , the escalating restrictions , the vague fear that maybe it ’ s much worse than we think , and the inability to find out anything for certain are all exhausting .
How long can we stay in our neighborhood , or just in our house ?
How long will meditating and running keep us @ @ @ @ @

One of the authors getting his temperature checked as he enters the grocery store. Courtesy of the authors
Editor’s note: HuffPost has chosen to anonymously publish the following first-person account by an American couple living in China. Editors do this only rarely and have done so on this occasion because of the potential risks to the authors if their real names were used. The Chinese government in recent weeks has expelled American journalists in response to an opinion piece and reprimanded a doctor who raised concerns about what was later identified as coronavirus (the doctor later died from the virus).
It is a strange time to be living in China. We are an American couple and have been living abroad for many years. We’ve spent the past several years in a large, northern city in China. Our experience in this country has been overwhelmingly positive ― we like living here. It has been fun, interesting and — yes — at times challenging. So while this current situation involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it is affecting our daily lives has become unsettling, we want to be clear that for us, living in China has been more of a wonderful adventure than a struggle.
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In January, we were looking forward to a quiet Chinese New Year break and had no plans other than to hang out with our friends. Just before the holiday, we started to hear about the new virus. We began to notice fewer people outside and those we did see were increasingly wearing masks.
When the break started, strangers told us emphatically that we should also put on a mask. We thought it was silly ― we knew that masks, while important for a doctor working directly with a sick person, were not necessary for every person in the city. And as far as we could tell, the virus was like a cold: only dangerous to people who were already sick.
As the New Year holiday progressed, the responses became more strident. Schools began closing and we learned that our break would be extended by two weeks. It all seemed like an overreaction to us, but one that we could manage with small get-togethers with friends, sleeping in a bit and spending lots of time in pajamas.
The first few days were fine — fun even. We were told not to gather in groups but felt we simply could not stay at home by ourselves for three weeks. We had a small surprise party for a friend’s birthday, met up with another friend at the mall, bought socks at H&M and went to Starbucks. But when we got to Starbucks, the employees wouldn’t let us in. Instead, we were told to order our drinks through the Starbucks app from outside the store. While we waited for our lattes, the employees took our temperatures and recorded our information at the door.
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A table set up near the door at a Starbucks, where customers’ temperatures were taken before they were able to pick up their coffees. COURTESY OF THE AUTHORS
The following week the restrictions grew tighter and it wasn’t as easy for us to get out of our neighborhood. There had been rumors that Didi (a ride-hailing app like Uber) and delivery drivers were going to be banned from coming into our neighborhood. Then roadblocks went up on main thoroughfares. This was frustrating but we could still walk down side streets to get a taxi if we needed one.
Then walls were put up. They were on all the side streets of our neighborhood, blocking every way out except for two main entrances. The walls are metal, roughly 8 feet tall and painted bright blue. We saw them being installed, welded to rebar cemented into the street. They stretch from the concrete residential wall of a house, across the sidewalk and over the entire street to a concrete wall on the other side.
The first day the walls were up, someone found a seam between two of the metal sheets and bent back a small part, just big enough to slip through — probably with produce from the market on the other side. We knew we shouldn’t try to go through the opening but there was something reassuring about seeing that someone else also felt that the walls were more of an inconvenience than a necessary safety measure. But the next day, the hole was fixed and a tight crisscross of barbed wire had been added across the entire wall, with metal poles extending the barbed wire at the top.
The main entrances to our neighborhood are now heavily staffed with security guards wearing masks and smoking cigarettes. Everyone is checked when they come in ― temperature, license plate number and ID number are all recorded.
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A wall that was recently put up to block a side street in the authors' neighborhood. Courtesy of the authors
At about the same time the walls were put up, a curfew was imposed: no one in or out from midnight to 6 a.m. While we do not typically travel after midnight, it felt like an imposition.
Then a few days ago, everyone in the neighborhood had to register with a local committee and get a special pass that we now must show to get into our neighborhood. If you don’t have a pass, you cannot get in. Now, along with blocking Didis and deliveries, there can be no visitors.
We were notified that working from home would extend until at least March 9 — possibly longer.
Everything we read and hear maintains that the virus is not an imminent threat to us. Relative to the millions of people in our city, a tiny number of people have gotten sick; far fewer have died. But our effort to be rational about the threat does not really help. The scale of the response seems like an overreaction — or it suggests that things are much worse than we are being told. We have a lot of time on our hands to wonder which it is.
The psychological struggle has started to feel real. We began to try to figure out what self-care looks like when the only store that is open is a small grocery and you can’t see anyone besides those you live with. We set an alarm and get up each morning at a normal time for work. We continue to do our typical morning routines of showering and putting ourselves together. We’ve started meditating. We make sure to take a lunch break. We now go for runs every afternoon.
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It’s not easy to maintain sanity, even with this self-care. On our runs, we go past the blocked streets, out to the checkpoint and back, always slightly worried that the guards will take our temperature and it will be elevated from running with a mask on. The prospect of being put in a more formal quarantine or worse ― sent to a local hospital ― is frightening. Our limited experiences with hospitals here have not instilled much confidence.
The rumors are a problem too. They say there is a case in the apartments near the grocery. They say there is a case in the apartments by the school. They say you can get 500 renminbi (rmb), the currency here, if you turn someone in who didn’t self-quarantine after visiting Hubei, where coronavirus originated.
We try to check all these rumors for validity. A lot of people have heard of the suspected cases. And we saw a picture of a notice in Chinese, confirming that people actually can get 500 rmb if they turn someone in. So at least some of the rumors are true.
It is especially hard because there appears to be no end in sight. Going back to work on March 9 seems distant and unlikely, even as the rate of new cases seems to be decreasing. Returning to the U.S. at this time is not feasible: With flights being cancelled, tickets are now around $2,000 — we would have to turn in a lot of people to get that much money! — and we would likely have to self-quarantine for two weeks there. Even then, we’re not sure people would want to see us for fear of contagion. If we did leave, we would be required to self-quarantine in China for an additional two weeks after we returned.
For now, the internet still works, though it is sometimes slow. We are particularly worried that we will eventually lose access completely. It feels like we are breathing through a narrow tube and someone could step on it at any time and cut us off.
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Our house is nice and we enjoy each other’s company, and we understand there are people in the world living through far worse than this. Friends from abroad are frequently texting offering support. But cumulatively, all of these things are taking a toll. The masks, the rumors, the escalating restrictions, the vague fear that maybe it’s much worse than we think, and the inability to find out anything for certain are all exhausting. How long can we stay in our neighborhood, or just in our house? How long will meditating and running keep us from killing each other?
We’re continuing with our structured days. We try not to think too far into the future. We aim to alternate being anxious and reassuring each other. The overwhelming likelihood is that things go back to normal sometime in the coming weeks. But for now, we just don’t know.


huffpost--2020-04-23--Coronavirus Puts 3-Year-Old's Kidney Transplant On Hold

The nation ’ s largest transplant centers have continued to do select , urgent cases using organs donated at death during the pandemic .
But most organ transplants from living donors were suspended either because of difficulties transferring organs from deceased donors to other hospitals or because hospitals worried about bringing donors and patients in during a pandemic , said John Magee , Rilynn ’ s University of Michigan transplant surgeon .
April 19-25 is national Pediatric Transplant Week .
More than 1,800 children under the age of 18 await organs nationally , including more than 600 who are 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Life Michigan , which is helping the Paynes and other families with virtual support programs during the pandemic .
Kidney transplants are the most in-demand across all ages .
Of 112,758 Americans waiting for organ donations this week , 94,900 need a new kidney .
On Wednesday , new national guidelines from the United Network for Organ Sharing , a private , nonprofit that manages the nation ’ s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government , went into place that allow transplant centers to resume kidney transplants .
The change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on centers that halted all transplant surgeries during the pandemic because of infection , staffing , shortage of intensive care units and other issues , Magee said .
In a thick blizzard in January 2017 , Payne toured Mott Children ’ s Hospital , a two-hour ride from home , as she was considering where to give birth ( her husband , Zack , was at work ) .
While there , she had another ultrasound .
Its findings were alarming .
The baby ’ s heart was shutting down .
The doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a C-section right away .
Doctors tried to prepare the couple for the likelihood their baby would not live long .
“ They even went so far as to say you really need to pick out the outfit for her to be buried in , ’ ’ Emily ’ s mother said .
“ It was a very intense , emotional time.
” Recovery from the surgery was difficult , with a number of complications afterward .
Rilynn had to go back to the operating room at least three times .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She then went through 15 rounds of chemotherapy .
By January 2020 , she showed enough improvement to be ready for a new kidney .
“ It ’ s going to be one of those things where 10 years from now we ’ ll hopefully look and say , ‘ Can you believe that ’ s her ?
Look how well she ’ s doing , ’ ” said Magee .
“ In Rilynn ’ s case , we ’ re shooting for a 60-year plan .
The 60-year plan means that sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was .
”

Anguish clouds the joy Emily Payne feels awaiting the arrival of her second daughter, whose birth is expected any day now.
But Payne’s 3-year-old daughter, Rilynn, is also waiting ― for a kidney transplant, one she has needed since birth.
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Three times, the Paynes have moved ahead to schedule a transplant. Three times, their hopes were put on hold.
The first time, doctors found cancer in Rilynn’s liver. The second time, Rilynn caught whooping cough, and the living donor also asked for more time.
The third time, they had a new living donor ready for the transplant, but then the COVID-19 pandemic stopped most transplant surgeries, particularly those like Rilynn’s that involve live donors.
The nation’s largest transplant centers have continued to do select, urgent cases using organs donated at death during the pandemic. But most organ transplants from living donors were suspended either because of difficulties transferring organs from deceased donors to other hospitals or because hospitals worried about bringing donors and patients in during a pandemic, said John Magee, Rilynn’s University of Michigan transplant surgeon.
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April 19-25 is national Pediatric Transplant Week. More than 1,800 children under the age of 18 await organs nationally, including more than 600 who are 5 or younger, according to Gift of Life Michigan, which is helping the Paynes and other families with virtual support programs during the pandemic. Kidney transplants are the most in-demand across all ages. Of 112,758 Americans waiting for organ donations this week, 94,900 need a new kidney.
“I just feel like it seems something always gets in the way.” - Emily Payne
Dorrie Dils, the nonprofit’s chief executive, expects transplants to pick up as COVID-19 cases decline. “We’re all watching and waiting for those numbers to go down,” she said.
On Wednesday, new national guidelines from the United Network for Organ Sharing, a private, nonprofit that manages the nation’s organ transplant system under contract with the federal government, went into place that allow transplant centers to resume kidney transplants. The change is likely to have the greatest effect on centers that halted all transplant surgeries during the pandemic because of infection, staffing, shortage of intensive care units and other issues, Magee said.
Magee hopes they can do Rilynn’s surgery in late May or June, as the University of Michigan Transplant Center and other facilities return to normal operating schedules.
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On Tuesday, a day after her April 20 due date, Payne reacted cautiously to the good news that there may be a new timetable for Rilynn’s surgery.
“Of course, I’m excited to hear that,’’ Payne said. “At the same time, I don’t get stuck on timelines anymore… I just feel like it seems something always gets in the way.”
Surviving Against The Odds
Twenty weeks into what seemed like a routine first pregnancy, a standard ultrasound test tipped off Payne’s doctor that something wasn’t right.
Rilynn’s kidneys were too big.
More ultrasound tests found that her kidneys kept getting larger, which threatened her lungs and heart, and there wasn’t enough amniotic fluid to sustain the pregnancy. The excitement of a first-time pregnancy quickly turned to shock, then despair, recalled Heidi Keister, Emily’s mother, who lives next door to her daughter in Gobles, Michigan, west of Kalamazoo.
Keister filled in many details of her granddaughter’s medical history in a lengthy interview while Payne provided other information in two shorter interviews, between pauses for deep breaths.
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“They didn’t expect Rilynn to live through the pregnancy,” Keister said.
Ultrasounds allowed doctors to pinpoint the cause of the enlarged organ: a hereditary kidney disorder known as autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), which causes cysts to grow and enlarge the kidneys. It affects one of every 20,000 babies born in the U.S.
Payne family photographs
About 30% of newborns with the condition die within the first weeks of life, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Those who survive “will likely need medical treatment their whole life,” the agency wrote in a background paper.
In a thick blizzard in January 2017, Payne toured Mott Children’s Hospital, a two-hour ride from home, as she was considering where to give birth (her husband, Zack, was at work). While there, she had another ultrasound. Its findings were alarming. The baby’s heart was shutting down. The doctors told her she’d need to have a C-section right away.
The baby was 5 pounds, 12 ounces and 19 inches long ― normal measurements despite being born at 35 weeks, five weeks early. But so much else was wrong.
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When Rilynn was 4 days old, doctors tried to take out her diseased kidneys, but she wasn’t strong enough for the surgery. Three days later, they tried again and had success, but the baby then required dialysis.
“I just remember her being so tiny and lifeless,’’ Keister said. “She didn’t move. I think it was 10 days before Emily could hold her, and we couldn’t touch her.”
Doctors tried to prepare the couple for the likelihood their baby would not live long. “They even went so far as to say you really need to pick out the outfit for her to be buried in,’’ Emily’s mother said. “It was a very intense, emotional time.”
But Rilynn edged forward. After 95 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, she was able to go home on Easter weekend.
More Hard News
Payne learned nursing skills quickly. She fed her daughter with a tube, which turned out to be a blessing. Rilynn was never hungry in the night and slept 10 hours at a stretch, unlike most newborns.
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“Looking back now, she did great,’’ said her grandmother. “She’s always been a walking miracle.’’
But she has a weakened immune system and is prone to infections; she’s had pneumonia and Bell’s palsy, which paralyzed part of her face. Always afraid of exposure to germs, the family camped out at home long before social distancing became the American norm.
Rilynn was a curious baby, learning words early. She began to walk later, around age 2.
In August 2018, the family found a friend who agreed to be a donor. But they learned Rilynn had metastatic liver cancer. She still needed a kidney transplant but would need a liver transplant first.
Usually, children at such a young age with hereditary kidney disorders like Rilynn don’t get liver cancer, Magee said. “It was very unusual. It struck us all as a great surprise.”
“I’ve learned to stop trying to plan things. At the end of the day, it’s going to work somehow.” - Emily Payne
They waited nine months, until the parents of a dying child donated a liver.
Payne turned to Facebook to express her gratitude: “Thanksgiving took on a whole new meaning this year. This year I’m most thankful for someone I’ve never even met. A family who chose in their darkest hour to bring light to my world.”
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Recovery from the surgery was difficult, with a number of complications afterward. Rilynn had to go back to the operating room at least three times. She spent nine weeks in the hospital. She then went through 15 rounds of chemotherapy. By January 2020, she showed enough improvement to be ready for a new kidney.
But the initial donor asked to push back the transplant date. The Paynes found another donor, but then Rilynn developed whooping cough. Two months passed.
By March 13, she was ready, and the family was waiting for the call that she could go in. Instead, they learned the surgery would have to be postponed again because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Searching For Hope
There was a 1 in 4 chance that Payne’s second child would also have the disorder. She was a bit of a surprise, but a welcomed one ― and her prenatal scans have been normal.
“Honestly, birth control was the last thing on my mind at the time,” said Payne. “I think it’s the best way for it to happen because we wouldn’t have tried. I wouldn’t say ‘ever,’ but it scares you to try again.”
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She posts extensive updates and photos on her Facebook page, Rilynn’s ARPKD Journal, as well as another blog on a pediatric organ website that helped the family raise funds to offset costly transplant expenses.
The entries show Rilynn in moments of both normality and distress, wearing a “Fries before guys’’ sweatshirt with Hollywood-like sunglasses and a bow on her bald head in one, and another sitting in her hospital bed, weak from chemotherapy, hooked to IV and feeding lines. Mostly, the posts are uplifting.
“Rilynn’s scans earlier last month came back perfectly and was the best birthday gift we could ask for,’’ Emily wrote in a Feb. 2 post, one of the more recent. “She celebrated turning 3 with a meat and cheese tray (her request) and a trip to Build a Bear.”
As Payne enters the final days of this pregnancy, she’s trying to avoid stress. “I’m walking around, bouncing on a big ball, trying to get the baby to come out,’’ she said.
Payne said she is reconciled to accepting whatever happens in the next few months as she tries to balance a newborn and lifesaving surgery for her toddler.
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“I’ve learned to stop trying to plan things,’’ she said. “At the end of the day, it’s going to work somehow.”
Rilynn’s surgeon is hopeful, too.