huffpost--2020-04-16--Nurses Suspended For Refusing To Provide COVID-19 Care Without N95 Mask

Nurse Mike Gulick was meticulous about not bringing the coronavirus home to his wife and their 2-year-old daughter .
He ’ d stop at a hotel after work just to take a shower .
He ’ d wash his clothes in Lysol disinfectant .
They did a tremendous amount of handwashing .
But at Providence Saint John ’ s Health Center in Santa Monica , California , Gulick and his colleagues worried that caring for infected patients without first being able to don an N95 respirator mask was risky .
The N95 mask filters out 95 % of all airborne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be blocked by regular masks .
But administrators at his hospital said they weren ’ t necessary and didn ’ t provide them , he said .
His wife , also a nurse , not only wore an N95 mask but covered it with a second air-purifying respirator while she cared for COVID-19 patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center across town in Los Angeles .
Then , last week , a nurse on Gulick ’ s ward tested positive for the coronavirus , which causes the disease COVID-19 .
The next day doctors doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why they weren ’ t wearing N95 masks , Gulick said , and told them they should have better protection .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom said his state , the nation 's most populous , plans to spend nearly $ 1 billion to buy 500 million masks from May through July with the idea of distributing them throughout the Western U.S. For Gulick , that was it .
He and a handful of nurses told their managers they wouldn ’ t enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks .
The hospital suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union , which represents them .
Ten nurses are now being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources , the union said .
They are among hundreds of doctors , nurses and other health care workers across the country who say they ’ ve been asked to work without adequate protection .
Some have taken part in protests or lodged formal complaints .
Others are buying — or even making — their own supplies .
Angela Gatdula , a Saint John ’ s nurse who fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital managers why doctors were wearing N95s but nurses weren ’ t .
She says they told her that the CDC said surgical masks were enough to keep her safe .
As COVID-19 cases soared in March , the U.S. was hit with a critical shortage of medical supplies including N95s , which are mostly made in China .
In response , the CDC lowered its standard for health care workers ’ protective gear , recommending they use bandannas if they run out of the masks .
“ I ... fear retribution for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep me anonymous , ” wrote a Tennessee medical worker , who complained staffers were not allowed to wear their own masks if they weren ’ t directly treating COVID-19 patients .
Rehabilitation nurse Edith Ihejirika holds a sign as she participates in a demonstration outside the emergency entrance to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx borough of New York on March 28 .
Nurses at the hospital demonstrated demanding adequate Personal Protective Equipment after Mount Sinai West emergency room nurse Kious Kelly , died after a 10-day bout with the disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be named out of fear of retribution , said she was looking for a new job after complaining to OSHA .
Nurses at Kaiser Permanente ’ s Fresno Medical Center in central California demanded more protective supplies at a protest during their shift change Tuesday .
The hospital , like many in the U.S. , requires nurses to use one N95 mask per day , which has raised concerns about carrying the infection from one patient to the next .

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Nurse Mike Gulick was meticulous about not bringing the coronavirus home to his wife and their 2-year-old daughter. He’d stop at a hotel after work just to take a shower. He’d wash his clothes in Lysol disinfectant. They did a tremendous amount of handwashing.
But at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, Gulick and his colleagues worried that caring for infected patients without first being able to don an N95 respirator mask was risky. The N95 mask filters out 95% of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular masks. But administrators at his hospital said they weren’t necessary and didn’t provide them, he said.
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His wife, also a nurse, not only wore an N95 mask but covered it with a second air-purifying respirator while she cared for COVID-19 patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center across town in Los Angeles.
Then, last week, a nurse on Gulick’s ward tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. The next day doctors doing rounds on their ward asked the nurses why they weren’t wearing N95 masks, Gulick said, and told them they should have better protection.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his state, the nation's most populous, plans to spend nearly $1 billion to buy 500 million masks from May through July with the idea of distributing them throughout the Western U.S. ASSOCIATED PRESS
For Gulick, that was it. He and a handful of nurses told their managers they wouldn’t enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks. The hospital suspended them, according to the National Nurses Union, which represents them. Ten nurses are now being paid but not allowed to return to work pending an investigation from human resources, the union said.
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They are among hundreds of doctors, nurses and other health care workers across the country who say they’ve been asked to work without adequate protection. Some have taken part in protests or lodged formal complaints. Others are buying — or even making — their own supplies.
Angela Gatdula, a Saint John’s nurse who fell ill with COVID-19, said she asked hospital managers why doctors were wearing N95s but nurses weren’t. She says they told her that the CDC said surgical masks were enough to keep her safe.
Then she was hit with a dry cough, severe body aches and joint pain.
Health care workers are seen protesting outside Santa Monica's UCLA Medical Center. Nurses at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, say they were suspended for refusing to provide treatment to COVID-19 patients without N95 masks. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“When I got the phone call that I was positive I got really scared,” she said.
She’s now recovering and plans to return to work next week.
“The next nurse that gets this might not be lucky. They might require hospitalization. They might die,” she said.
As COVID-19 cases soared in March, the U.S. was hit with a critical shortage of medical supplies including N95s, which are mostly made in China. In response, the CDC lowered its standard for health care workers’ protective gear, recommending they use bandannas if they run out of the masks.
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Some exasperated health care workers have complained to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“I ... fear retribution for being a whistleblower and plead to please keep me anonymous,” wrote a Tennessee medical worker, who complained staffers were not allowed to wear their own masks if they weren’t directly treating COVID-19 patients.
Rehabilitation nurse Edith Ihejirika holds a sign as she participates in a demonstration outside the emergency entrance to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx borough of New York on March 28. Nurses at the hospital demonstrated demanding adequate Personal Protective Equipment after Mount Sinai West emergency room nurse Kious Kelly, died after a 10-day bout with the disease. ASSOCIATED PRESS
In Oregon, a March 26 complaint warned that masks were not being provided to nurses working with suspected COVID-19 patients. Another Oregon complaint alleged nurses “are told that wearing a mask will result in disciplinary action.”
One New Jersey nurse who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution, said she was looking for a new job after complaining to OSHA.
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“Do I regret filing the complaint? No, at least not yet,” she said. “I know it was the right thing to do.”
Some are taking to the streets.
On Wednesday, nurse unions in New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania scheduled actions at their hospitals and posted on social media using hashtag “PPEoverProfit.”
Nurses at Kaiser Permanente’s Fresno Medical Center in central California demanded more protective supplies at a protest during their shift change Tuesday. The hospital, like many in the U.S., requires nurses to use one N95 mask per day, which has raised concerns about carrying the infection from one patient to the next.
A nurse at Provident Hospital of Cook County holds a sign as she participates in an after shift demonstration on April 6 in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ten nurses from the facility have tested positive with COVID-19, Kaiser said. Three have been admitted to the hospital and one is in critical care, protest organizers said.
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Wade Nogy, a Kaiser senior vice president, denied union claims that nurses have been unnecessarily exposed.
“Kaiser Permanente has years of experience managing highly infectious diseases, and we are safely treating patients who have been infected with this virus, while protecting other patients, members and employees,” Nogy said.
Amy Arlund, a critical care nurse at the facility, said that before the pandemic, following infection control protocols they’re currently using would have been grounds for disciplinary action.


huffpost--2020-04-16--What To Put On Your Resume If You Lost Your Job Due To The Coronavirus

If you are among the millions of Americans to lose your job because of the coronavirus pandemic , you may be wondering how to present this information during your job search so that it ’ s clear you aren ’ t unemployed for performance-related reasons .
A resume can be the first opportunity to do this .
It ’ s an opportunity for you to tell a recruiter who you are and who you want to become professionally ― including why you are suddenly looking for a new role in the first place .
Here ’ s how to mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Resume writer Virginia Franco said she is advising people to be upfront about their coronavirus-related layoff because you never want to give a hint that it could be performance-related .
“ If there ’ s any doubt , just spell it out , ” Franco said .
Franco recommends doing this in the experience section of your resume underneath your most recent job , the dates that you worked there , your title and the company name .
Right under that information , in a new paragraph , you should describe the circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use that first sentence to say , ‘ This is where I made my biggest impact .
This is what I ’ m proudest of.
’ It ’ s OK to tag a little past phrase at the end of that , saying your position was eliminated , ” Franco said .
Language matters , too , if you want to make it extra clear that your job was lost because of the coronavirus .
“ Instead of saying your position was eliminated , say that your department or division was cut , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Franco said .
Give yourself credit for projects you couldn ’ t complete .
“ You can put that it was projected to produce a certain outcome , but ‘ Project halted because of coronavirus , ’ ” Watkins said .
“ You can definitely say that , because no matter that it went to fruition or not , you still did work and you want to give yourself credit for that.
” Mention new skills and experiences you are gaining .
Professionals who are unemployed for more than six months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But these are not normal times .
Citing her experience as a resume writer during the 2008 recession , Franco said she believed more recruiters would be inclined to be forgiving of long-term unemployment .
“ There were certainly people who were jerks about it [ in 2008 ] , but that was not the majority , and I think that will be the case now , ” Franco said .
“ But it is going to be important to show that you didn ’ t just sit and clean your house while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are doing during the downtime , show that.
” “ You could use that volunteer experience as a position on your resume to fill in that gap , ” Watkins said .
“ And within that explanation of that volunteer role , you could say that , ‘ Following recent furlough or recent layoff because of coronavirus , I began volunteering in ... ’ ” You don ’ t need to bring up your coronavirus-related job loss , but don ’ t evade answering .
“ If there are questions about it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reiterate it , ” Watkins said .
She noted that if you lost your job in between rounds of interviews , you can mention it .
The goal is to be honest but not evasive about losing your job because of COVID-19 .
“ I don ’ t think you need to announce it .
I think you should be ready to talk about it , ” said Josh Doody , a salary negotiation coach and former hiring manager .
One way to answer questions related to your layoff is to briefly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all your industry-relevant skills and the experiences you learned during your unemployment — because you always want to keep in mind how to differentiate yourself as a candidate , Doody said .
Doody said that this answer might be something like , “ Yes , the pandemic did cause me to lose my job , and here ’ s what I started doing immediately when I lost my job to make sure that I was ready to get back in the game as soon as the economy returned .
And here are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the books that I read , or the projects I worked on , ” he said .

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If you are among the millions of Americans to lose your job because of the coronavirus pandemic, you may be wondering how to present this information during your job search so that it’s clear you aren’t unemployed for performance-related reasons.
A resume can be the first opportunity to do this. It’s an opportunity for you to tell a recruiter who you are and who you want to become professionally ― including why you are suddenly looking for a new role in the first place.
Advertisement
Here’s how to mention your coronavirus-related layoff on a resume.
Resume writer Virginia Franco said she is advising people to be upfront about their coronavirus-related layoff because you never want to give a hint that it could be performance-related. “If there’s any doubt, just spell it out,” Franco said.
Franco recommends doing this in the experience section of your resume underneath your most recent job, the dates that you worked there, your title and the company name. Right under that information, in a new paragraph, you should describe the circumstances of your layoff.
“I usually use that first sentence to say, ‘This is where I made my biggest impact. This is what I’m proudest of.’ It’s OK to tag a little past phrase at the end of that, saying your position was eliminated,” Franco said.
This matter-of-fact transition can be written like, “I grew my department’s revenue by 30%. Forecasted 2020 growth was this. Department eliminated as a result of COVID-19,” Franco said.
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Language matters, too, if you want to make it extra clear that your job was lost because of the coronavirus. “Instead of saying your position was eliminated, say that your department or division was cut, or that a large percentage was cut,” Franco said.
Ashley Watkins, a job search coach with corporate recruiting experience, also said she recommended adding a one-liner at the beginning of your resume experience section mentioning that your layoff was coronavirus-related.
She also advised including this in the cover letter, because not every hiring manager will read both.
NAN104 via Getty Images Mentioning your coronavirus-related layoff is a way to clarify that your job loss wasn't due to performance.
Give yourself credit for projects you couldn’t complete.
Watkins noted that if you were laid off before projects were completed, you can still mention these accomplishments on your resume.
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“You can put that it was projected to produce a certain outcome, but ‘Project halted because of coronavirus,’” Watkins said. “You can definitely say that, because no matter that it went to fruition or not, you still did work and you want to give yourself credit for that.”
Mention new skills and experiences you are gaining.
Professionals who are unemployed for more than six months are known to face hiring discrimination. But these are not normal times. Citing her experience as a resume writer during the 2008 recession, Franco said she believed more recruiters would be inclined to be forgiving of long-term unemployment.
“There were certainly people who were jerks about it [in 2008], but that was not the majority, and I think that will be the case now,” Franco said. “But it is going to be important to show that you didn’t just sit and clean your house while you were gone. ... Whatever you are doing during the downtime, show that.”
“Instead of saying your position was eliminated, say that your department or division was cut, or that a large percentage was cut.” - Resume writer Virginia Franco
If you don’t have current work experiences, another way to fill in any gaps is to list things like courses completed and volunteer experiences undertaken during this period of forced unemployment.
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“You could use that volunteer experience as a position on your resume to fill in that gap,” Watkins said. “And within that explanation of that volunteer role, you could say that, ‘Following recent furlough or recent layoff because of coronavirus, I began volunteering in...’”
You don’t need to bring up your coronavirus-related job loss, but don’t evade answering.
If a hiring manager directly asks you why you were laid off, you should answer truthfully, career experts told HuffPost. But you don’t need to lead with this topic in your interview.
“If there are questions about it, then, yeah, you probably want to reiterate it,” Watkins said. She noted that if you lost your job in between rounds of interviews, you can mention it.
The goal is to be honest but not evasive about losing your job because of COVID-19. “I don’t think you need to announce it. I think you should be ready to talk about it,” said Josh Doody, a salary negotiation coach and former hiring manager.
One way to answer questions related to your layoff is to briefly mention it when asked, then pivot to all your industry-relevant skills and the experiences you learned during your unemployment — because you always want to keep in mind how to differentiate yourself as a candidate, Doody said.
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huffpost--2020-04-16--Another 5.2 Million Americans Apply For Jobless Aid As Virus Wrecks Economy

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week , the government reported Thursday .
Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record .
All told , roughly nearly 12 million people are now receiving unemployment checks , roughly matching the peak reached in January 2010 , shortly after the Great Recession officially ended .
All businesses deemed nonessential have been closed in nearly every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
Deep job losses have been inflicted across nearly every industry .
Some economists say the unemployment rate could reach as high as 20 % in April , which would be the highest rate since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
By comparison , unemployment never topped 10 % during the Great Recession .
Layoffs are spreading beyond service industries like hotels , bars and restaurants , which absorbed the brunt of the initial job cuts , into white collar professional occupations , including software programmers , construction workers and sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could produce unemployment on an epic scale .
Up to 50 million jobs are vulnerable to coronavirus-related layoffs , economists say — about one-third of all positions in the United States .
That figure is based on a calculation of jobs that are deemed non-essential by state and federal governments and that can not be done from home .
It ’ s unlikely that all those workers will be laid off or file for unemployment benefits .
But it suggests the extraordinary magnitude of unemployment that could result from the pandemic .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national economic downturn with the pace of a natural disaster , ” said Daniel Zhao , senior economist at Glassdoor .
“ And that ’ s really unprecedented in American economic history.
” The U.S. economy is tumbling into what appears to be a calamitous recession , the worst in decades .
Ryan Sweet , an economist at Moody ’ s Analytics , estimates that the nation ’ s output will shrink 10.5 % before it starts to rebound .
That would be more than double the contraction that occurred during the 2008-2009 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
Retailers and other service companies keep cutting jobs .
The electronics chain Best Buy said this week that it will furlough 51,000 of its hourly employees , including nearly all its part-time workers .
Royal Caribbean Cruises will cut one-quarter of its 5,000 corporate employees .
But now , job losses are spreading well beyond occupations involving restaurants , retail , travel and entertainment , which were hit first and hardest .
The software company Toast , which works with the restaurant industry , last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,300 people ― citing a dizzying drop in restaurant sales .
Yelp , the customer review site , cut 1,000 jobs .
Groupon , the online discount company , shed 2,800 .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week, the government reported Thursday.
Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. All told, roughly nearly 12 million people are now receiving unemployment checks, roughly matching the peak reached in January 2010, shortly after the Great Recession officially ended.
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All businesses deemed nonessential have been closed in nearly every state as the economy has virtually shut down. Deep job losses have been inflicted across nearly every industry. Some economists say the unemployment rate could reach as high as 20% in April, which would be the highest rate since the Great Depression of the 1930s. By comparison, unemployment never topped 10% during the Great Recession.
Layoffs are spreading beyond service industries like hotels, bars and restaurants, which absorbed the brunt of the initial job cuts, into white collar professional occupations, including software programmers, construction workers and sales people.
Collectively, the job cuts could produce unemployment on an epic scale. Up to 50 million jobs are vulnerable to coronavirus-related layoffs, economists say — about one-third of all positions in the United States. That figure is based on a calculation of jobs that are deemed non-essential by state and federal governments and that cannot be done from home.
It’s unlikely that all those workers will be laid off or file for unemployment benefits. But it suggests the extraordinary magnitude of unemployment that could result from the pandemic.
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“This crisis combines the scale of a national economic downturn with the pace of a natural disaster,” said Daniel Zhao, senior economist at Glassdoor. “And that’s really unprecedented in American economic history.”
The U.S. economy is tumbling into what appears to be a calamitous recession, the worst in decades. Ryan Sweet, an economist at Moody’s Analytics, estimates that the nation’s output will shrink 10.5% before it starts to rebound. That would be more than double the contraction that occurred during the 2008-2009 recession, which was the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Retailers and other service companies keep cutting jobs. The electronics chain Best Buy said this week that it will furlough 51,000 of its hourly employees, including nearly all its part-time workers. Royal Caribbean Cruises will cut one-quarter of its 5,000 corporate employees.


huffpost--2020-04-16--Los Angeles Prosecutors Discussed Loopholes In Coronavirus Zero-Bail Policy

LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has praised her county ’ s efforts to reduce the jail population and applauded the statewide rule , which allow for certain exceptions , including for people accused of DUIs and serious or violent felonies .
But emails obtained by HuffPost show that her office has internally discussed ways to continue seeking old bail amounts in other scenarios as well , a move that could put more people in unnecessary danger of being exposed to the virus in jail .
Jails are among the most dangerous places to be during the COVID-19 pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distance , wash their hands frequently , and disinfect surfaces .
Jail staffers and inmates leave and enter the facility frequently .
Reducing the number of people in custody is the only way to mitigate the spread of the virus through jails , public health experts have warned .
In LA County jails , at least 11 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 700 are quarantined .
A member of the jail ’ s nursing staff who tested positive for the virus died earlier this month .
But there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement cited and released an individual , and later brought the case to the DA ’ s office to seek an arrest warrant , “ we should use the old bail schedule that lists a dollar amount , otherwise no one would get arrested on that warrant , ” Satriano wrote .
“ Keep in mind , ” she added , “ the court may still lower bail to zero.
” ( Read the email here . )
In other words , if law enforcement decided an individual who was cited and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked prosecutors to seek an arrest warrant , the DA ’ s office would request the bail amount that would have applied before the emergency COVID-19 rule .
An individual accused of an offense that is supposed to carry zero bail during the pandemic could end up facing bail they can ’ t afford and be stuck in jail waiting for the judge to lower the bail to zero .
If the judge complied with the zero-bail rule , the defendant would get released — but only after facing an unnecessarily high risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The judiciary already accounted for traditional bail considerations like flight risk and public safety when ordering new $ 0 emergency bail .
Prosecutors from around the state had the opportunity to comment and provide input before this order came out , ” Nikhil Ramnaney , the president of the union that represents LA County public defenders , said in an interview after reviewing copies of the emails .
He continued : “ Because they disagree with the breadth of this order , LA prosecutors have adopted a position that would lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and force them to be placed in custody for up to seven days on offenses that have $ 0 bail .
This conduct endangers public safety by increasing risk of infection to the community at large.
” The DA ’ s office disputes that the guidance from the April 2 email is meaningful .
The scenario described in the email “ was a hypothetical exercise in which a prosecutor sought direction if , in the unlikely situation , this particular scenario should occur in the future , ” Ricardo Santiago , a spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote in an email .
“ We do not expect any law enforcement agency to cite and release an offender , and then present the same case for criminal filing before the offender is scheduled to return to court to face criminal charges.
” LA County Public Defender Ricardo García saw the email earlier this month and brought it to Lacey ’ s attention , he told HuffPost .
Lacey assured García that the guidance in the email did not represent her position , he said .
García added that he appreciates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals who can be released rather than having to litigate each case individually in court .
But on Monday , another member of the DA ’ s team provided guidance that appeared to undermine the zero-bail rule .
Deputy District Attorney Belle Chen instructed prosecutors in an email to start identifying which of the more than 2,000 people incarcerated on nonserious , nonviolent charges qualified for zero bail under the new rule .
“ Probably many of the cases involving drugs , theft , etc .
will be more straightforward in deciding $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ BUT if you believe for the sake of public safety and [ defendant ’ s ] reappearance that $ 0 bail is NOT appropriate , we can still argue for a bail review hearing , ” Chen continued .
The April 13 email , according to Santiago , was an effort to make sure that violent criminals who do not qualify for zero bail under the new rule are not accidentally released because they are also facing nonviolent charges .
“ Upon review , prosecutors have identified multiple-murder defendants awaiting trial and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with at least one charge that is violent or serious under the law and exempt from zero bail , whose names appeared on the list of non-serious/non-violent offenders , ” Santiago wrote .
The Judicial Council rule “ states that ‘ bail for all misdemeanors and felony offenses must be set at $ 0 ’ with the exception of ‘ only ’ 13 listed exceptions , ” Esposito wrote in the memo ( bold in the original ) .
“ It is the Office ’ s position that courts do not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0 for offenses that are not found in the 13 listed exceptions .
”

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In an effort to thin out jails where inmates have a high risk of contracting the coronavirus, Los Angeles County courts reduced bail for most misdemeanors and low-level felonies to $0. A few weeks later, California’s Judicial Council enacted a similar statewide rule.
LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has praised her county’s efforts to reduce the jail population and applauded the statewide rule, which allow for certain exceptions, including for people accused of DUIs and serious or violent felonies. But emails obtained by HuffPost show that her office has internally discussed ways to continue seeking old bail amounts in other scenarios as well, a move that could put more people in unnecessary danger of being exposed to the virus in jail.
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Jails are among the most dangerous places to be during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is impossible for most prisoners to social distance, wash their hands frequently, and disinfect surfaces. Jail staffers and inmates leave and enter the facility frequently. Reducing the number of people in custody is the only way to mitigate the spread of the virus through jails, public health experts have warned. In LA County jails, at least 11 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 700 are quarantined. A member of the jail’s nursing staff who tested positive for the virus died earlier this month.
Although Lacey has publicly supported the emergency zero-bail rule, some members of her team have provided guidance that runs counter to the purpose of the policy.
On April 2 — after the LA Superior Court implemented its zero-bail rule but before the statewide move — Gina Satriano, a director in the district attorney’s office, wrote an email to several prosecutors explaining how deputy DAs should respond if law enforcement seeks to hold someone on a zero-bail offense.
The court believes officers are supposed to “cite and release” — effectively the same as giving a ticket to — anyone accused of such an offense and that “disregarding the zero bail is unlawful,” Satriano wrote.
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But there was a loophole, she suggested. If law enforcement cited and released an individual, and later brought the case to the DA’s office to seek an arrest warrant, “we should use the old bail schedule that lists a dollar amount, otherwise no one would get arrested on that warrant,” Satriano wrote. “Keep in mind,” she added, “the court may still lower bail to zero.” (Read the email here.)
In other words, if law enforcement decided an individual who was cited and released should actually be jailed pretrial and asked prosecutors to seek an arrest warrant, the DA’s office would request the bail amount that would have applied before the emergency COVID-19 rule. An individual accused of an offense that is supposed to carry zero bail during the pandemic could end up facing bail they can’t afford and be stuck in jail waiting for the judge to lower the bail to zero. If the judge complied with the zero-bail rule, the defendant would get released — but only after facing an unnecessarily high risk of contracting the coronavirus in custody.
“The judiciary already accounted for traditional bail considerations like flight risk and public safety when ordering new $0 emergency bail. Prosecutors from around the state had the opportunity to comment and provide input before this order came out,” Nikhil Ramnaney, the president of the union that represents LA County public defenders, said in an interview after reviewing copies of the emails. He continued:
“Because they disagree with the breadth of this order, LA prosecutors have adopted a position that would lead to people being arrested while sheltering in place and force them to be placed in custody for up to seven days on offenses that have $0 bail. This conduct endangers public safety by increasing risk of infection to the community at large.”
The DA’s office disputes that the guidance from the April 2 email is meaningful. The scenario described in the email “was a hypothetical exercise in which a prosecutor sought direction if, in the unlikely situation, this particular scenario should occur in the future,” Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, wrote in an email. “We do not expect any law enforcement agency to cite and release an offender, and then present the same case for criminal filing before the offender is scheduled to return to court to face criminal charges.”
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LA County Public Defender Ricardo García saw the email earlier this month and brought it to Lacey’s attention, he told HuffPost. Lacey assured García that the guidance in the email did not represent her position, he said. García added that he appreciates Lacey’s office cooperating in identifying individuals who can be released rather than having to litigate each case individually in court.
But on Monday, another member of the DA’s team provided guidance that appeared to undermine the zero-bail rule. Deputy District Attorney Belle Chen instructed prosecutors in an email to start identifying which of the more than 2,000 people incarcerated on nonserious, nonviolent charges qualified for zero bail under the new rule.
“Probably many of the cases involving drugs, theft, etc. will be more straightforward in deciding $0 bail,” Chen wrote. “BUT if you believe for the sake of public safety and [defendant’s] reappearance that $0 bail is NOT appropriate, we can still argue for a bail review hearing,” Chen continued.
Chen referenced an April 9 memo from retired Placer County Judge. J. Richard Couzens, who argued that courts can depart from the zero-bail rule to protect public safety. Although the Couzens memo is not legally binding, some prosecutors have referred to it to argue that implementation of the zero-bail rule is discretionary.
“I don’t know what authority they’re relying upon to circumvent the explicit goal of the law,” said Ramnaney of the public defenders union.
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The April 13 email, according to Santiago, was an effort to make sure that violent criminals who do not qualify for zero bail under the new rule are not accidentally released because they are also facing nonviolent charges.
“Upon review, prosecutors have identified multiple-murder defendants awaiting trial and people facing more than one criminal case, with at least one charge that is violent or serious under the law and exempt from zero bail, whose names appeared on the list of non-serious/non-violent offenders,” Santiago wrote.
In that situation, the individual would not be eligible for zero bail because of the murder charge. Prosecutors would not need to argue for a bail review hearing.
“Whenever the LA DA’s office has attempted to institute a policy change or progressive legislation, Jackie Lacey has been ineffective in ensuring that it’s carried out consistently,” Ramnaney said. “She has allowed punitive cultures to fester in certain places.”
LA County has already released thousands of people from jail in response to the coronavirus crisis, a move supported by one of the county’s top law enforcement officials. Leaving the jail “fully populated” would have made it easier for COVID-19 “to sweep through the jail system and jeopardize everyone’s safety,” LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told Fox News.
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UPDATE: 3:12 p.m. ET ― On Monday morning, after HuffPost contacted the district attorney’s office to request comment, Chief Deputy District Attorney Joseph Esposito sent a memo with the subject line: “EMERGENCY BAIL SCHEDULE — ZERO BAIL IS NOT DISCRETIONARY.”


huffpost--2020-04-16--Petco Employees Are Selling Hamsters And Grooming Dogs As Coronavirus Spreads

They asked tens of thousands of their ‘ partners ’ to risk their lives , only to say , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ your work during the pandemic.
’ A Petco worker on cuts to the labor force @ @ @ @ @ salons in the state , Petco tried to keep several salons open by spreading out @ @ @ @ @ willing to work .
“ I can stop grooming but they will just replace me @ @ @ @ @ machine , ” one groomer texted a friend .
It took Minnesota police departments sending @ @ @ @ @ April 9 and police chiefs arguing with its legal department before Petco finally gave in @ @ @ @ @ emails shared with HuffPost .
A Petco salon in Maple Grove , a Minneapolis suburb @ @ @ @ @ accepting appointments until this past weekend .

Petco is keeping stores open and offering grooming services despite guidelines from states about essential services. Kiichiro Sato/ASSOCIATED PRESS
As the death toll mounts from the coronavirus pandemic, governors in 42 states have urged more than 300 million Americans to stay home.
So it shocked some Petco employees this week to see shipments that are almost guaranteed to draw in more customers: Guinea pigs. Hamsters. Parakeets.
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“Why are we getting betta [fish]?” an employee wrote on Petco’s internal social media platform. She posted a picture of a purchase order for more than a dozen fish while other workers reacted with frowns and crying emoji. “This will just bring more people in.”
The outcry was just one example of the fear, anger and uncertainty that have become fixtures for many of Petco’s 25,000 workers since the start of the pandemic. Because Petco sells necessities like pet food and cat litter, some of which can’t be found in grocery stores, most of its 1,500 U.S. locations are deemed “essential” and are open for business.
But some of Petco’s retail workers feel the company is treating them as less than essential. In March, as its stores saw what one executive called a “massive surge” of pet owners stocking up on necessities, many Petco employees clamored for protective gear and warned the company of dangerous crowding in their stores. While some Petco locations have converted to having curbside pickup only, many are still welcoming customers inside.
Workers fear their employer is gambling with their health to push products and services no one needs in the middle of a pandemic. The company has attempted to keep pet salons open in places where pet groomers have been ordered to close. And this week, Petco executives approved new shipments of birds, small mammals, reptiles and aquarium fish to select stores — even as retail employees, posting on the company’s social media platform, describe hiding their fish tanks “to protect us from people who think we are a zoo.”
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It’s an apparent reversal of Petco’s mid-March decision to stop restocking pets, which caused, in the company’s own words, “unnecessary traffic in our stores.” Petco says the change is meant to accommodate its suppliers, who have more animals than they can handle and would otherwise euthanize some of them.
Petco is scrambling to supply its workers with additional masks, and some workers felt compelled to rig their own protection. A photo posted in early April to Workplace, a private social media platform for Petco employees, showed checkout clerks in New York surrounded by clear plastic shower curtain liners.
“They asked tens of thousands of their ‘partners’ to risk their lives, only to say, ‘Go home and thanks for your work during the pandemic.’” - A Petco worker on cuts to the labor force
The private equity-owned retailer has made deep cuts in the number of work hours available to many employees. On Wednesday, Petco announced furloughs for thousands of others. And it has not joined other big-box stores in paying hourly “hazard pay” raises. Instead, Petco is paying its in-store employees a small incentive. The starting incentive for full-time workers is $50 for February and March combined and another $50 for April; part-time workers are being given payments of just $25.
“While we did not title this ‘hazard pay,’ it is, in effect, just that,” said a Petco spokeswoman. “We are awarding $3.6 million in special bonuses to our store employees in recognition of the courageous way they are serving pets and their families in these uncertain times.” The company has also given store employees extra paid time off and paid sick leave for those who contract COVID-19, and changed attendance policies to accommodate workers who don’t feel safe in stores.
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“I’ve never been more disappointed in them than I am now,” said a corporate employee, who, like other Petco employees, spoke on condition of anonymity and without the company’s authorization. “They asked tens of thousands of their ‘partners’ to risk their lives by keeping the stores open while customers stocked up” only to say, “‘Go home and thanks for your work during the pandemic.’”
Petco employees wearing masks sewn from old uniforms. Petco
The treatment is particularly unfair, this person added, because these same employees were critical to setting up curbside pickup and boosting shipping capabilities at a time when the company’s online sales have nearly tripled.
With their labor, Petco more than doubled the number of stores that can fulfill online orders since the start of the crisis. This week, an executive bragged on a conference call that some of its shipments were outpacing competitors like Amazon and Chewy.
Along with employee interviews, HuffPost based its reporting on internal Petco documents, memos, conference calls and screenshots of employee posts on Workplace, Petco’s company-sponsored private social media platform.
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“Most Petco workers make between $8.50 to $11 depending on where they are in the country, and it’s just heartbreaking they’re being expected to work like this,” the corporate employee added. “My hope is the general public really appreciates what sacrifices these workers are making.”
‘Get These Salons Open’
Like its major competitor, PetSmart, Petco is still operating dozens of its in-store pet salons even as some groomers question what’s so essential about grooming dogs.
“We’re not a pharmacy,” said a Petco groomer in Washington state. “You can brush your dog. You can cut your dog’s toenails at home.”
Petco salons around the state are still open, even though that may defy Gov. Jay Inslee’s March 25 order that all nonessential workers stay home. The order itself does not mention pet grooming. But over email, the Washington Emergency Management Division, where the state is directing queries about whether a business counts as “essential,” told a HuffPost source on March 27 and told HuffPost on April 10 that pet grooming is “not essential.”
On the afternoon of April 10, however, an employee who picked up the phone at a Seattle-area Petco said grooming was still available at most locations in and around the city. A Seattle Petco reached the night of April 12 said its salon was booked up for the rest of the month.
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In Minnesota, the executive order that Gov. Tim Walz signed on the afternoon of April 8 explicitly said that pet grooming was nonessential and therefore prohibited.
“I can stop grooming but they will just replace me with another cog in the machine.” - A groomer at Petco
But instead of closing its salons in the state, Petco tried to keep several salons open by spreading out the groomers who were still willing to work. “I can stop grooming but they will just replace me with another cog in the machine,” one groomer texted a friend. It took Minnesota police departments sending officers to Petco stores on April 9 and police chiefs arguing with its legal department before Petco finally gave in, according to law enforcement emails shared with HuffPost. A Petco salon in Maple Grove, a Minneapolis suburb, was still open and accepting appointments until this past weekend.
Even if it were not against current law, dog groomers with other companies have said the risk to human health just doesn’t justify keeping pet salons open.
The Washington state Pet groomer said that it would be impossible to keep a safe distance from other workers as long as there was more than one groomer working at a time, using bathtubs, kennels and tables that are closer than 6 feet apart.
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“Our business is back to operating in a normal way after closing for six days,” this person said. “There is no social distancing, no decrease in business, no switch to essential services and no lower staff volume. Petco’s answer was if anyone shows up to shut us down, direct them to our legal department and continue on as normal.”
The manager at the store where this groomer worked was urging groomers to book appointments back to back, leaving no time to sanitize between each client as the company is directing, the groomer added.
Several photos that Petco used in a company bulletin to highlight its safety measures showed employees standing less than 6 feet apart. Petco
Petco refused to answer specific questions about why its pet salons in Minnesota stayed open or whether its pet salons in Washington state will shut down. It emphasized that it has ordered salons to comply with specific social distancing rules. “We have sent clear guidance to all stores around social distancing and it would be disappointing to hear our direction is not being followed,” the Petco spokesperson said.
Petco also stressed that it is not requiring groomers to work in its salons; they have the option to work in retail during the pandemic, take paid time off, or unpaid time if they have run out.
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“This is a highly fluid situation and we’re working diligently to remain informed and in compliance with widely varying and quickly evolving local, state and federal guidelines,” a company spokeswoman said. “We may not be perfect, but we are proud of our responsiveness to date…. In Washington, we are working hard to comply with the applicable and widely varying county regulations.”
Petco also argues its grooming services are critical to the health of pets, although the company has acknowledged elsewhere that grooming is not a medical service.
“Without proper and routine grooming care and hygiene ― which includes everything from bathing to nail clipping, gland expression, teeth brushing, ear cleaning and more ― pets can be at risk for a number of negative health impacts,” the spokeswoman said. “Many pet parents are not capable nor properly equipped to groom their pets at home…. We believe grooming is essential, particularly for those pet parents who can’t groom their pets themselves, like our elderly and handicapped customers.” The company is not limiting its pet grooming services to customers who are elderly or have disabilities or service animals.
For a pet supply chain stores like Petco, dog grooming can be a high-margin business. A Petco executive said on a conference call this week that in stores where salons are closed, “We’re fighting like hell on the back end to get these salons open.”
‘Any Luck Finding A Mask?’
Petco has taken some steps to make the situation less painful for its employees. The company gave all store employees five extra days of paid time off at the beginning of the crisis, and any employee who tests positive for the novel coronavirus has paid sick leave for the 14-day quarantine period.
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This week, the store announced furloughs for thousands of retail workers but said it would continue to pay for those employees’ benefits. At the same time, it announced pay cuts of 15% to 25% for executive leadership and said CEO Ron Coughlin will not take a salary for two months.
Petco employees experiencing financial hardship are eligible to apply to the Petco Partner Assistance Fund. It is financed by $2 million from the company, donations from the Petco board and executives, and CVC Capital Partners, a private equity group that acquired a major stake in Petco in 2015.
The other private equity group that owns Petco, the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, is not listed as a donor on an internal memo about the fund and did not respond to questions about whether it had made a contribution.
To reduce in-store traffic, Petco pulled April ad campaigns for special sales and live animals, and it suspended services like dog training and self-grooming stations. By March 25, it had made the option to buy online and pick up at the store an option at most, though not all, of its 1,500 locations.
Some Petco employees made masks out of their old uniforms. Petco
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“We proactively ceased in-store services that were driving nonessential store traffic, including all dog training, puppy playtime, self-wash and Vetco vaccination clinics,” said the company spokesperson. In New York, New Jersey and southern Connecticut, all stores are temporarily pickup only, and Petco said it has limited the number of people in stores in some hard-hit regions.
But in other regions, Petco is leaving the decision of whether to limit the number of customers or workers in the store up to store managers. And there are clear financial incentives to do the opposite.
“My district general manager said we need to increase sales or we will lose our jobs,” a worker wrote on Workplace in March, after Petco says it took measures to reduce customer traffic. She said she challenged him: “If we are truly staying open to [do] essential business, do we really need to ask them if they need to upgrade their leash and collar? (This was his example.)”
Live pet sales could drive even more customers inside the stores that remain open to shoppers. Internal documents showed Petco never stopped restocking goldfish or minnows, although it temporarily paused restocking of other pets. And now Petco is shipping live animals to its stores again. Employees on Workplace complained of receiving aquarium fish, hamsters and parakeets, and the head of Animal Care Operations said some stores could expect to receive reptiles.
“Our location is near Walmart and we have been getting SO MUCH foot traffic and random people wanting to set up aquariums it’s seriously ridiculous,” an employee posted to Workplace in early April.
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“Do we really need to ask them if they need to upgrade their leash and collar?” - A Petco employee on Workplace, the company's internal social media platform
The company spokesperson said it was restocking live animals, such as mice and crickets, that are used as pet food and “where our suppliers have overcapacity in their facilities, putting animal lives at risk.” She said Petco explored housing the animals at its distribution centers or corporate headquarters before settling on stores as the safest option.
“No one should be confused, the health and safety of our employees, our guests and the communities we serve is our number one priority,” the spokesperson said.
“Without full-service pet specialty retailers like Petco, many animals would get sick and/or die,” the spokesperson continued. “Petco is open because we are the grocery store, the pharmacy and, in many cases, the doctor’s office for beloved pets.”
Last week, Petco began asking all employees to wear masks and to clean frequently handled items, such as credit card readers, three times a day. Petco also issued store signs and decals reminding customers to stay 6 feet apart. It rushed reusable cloth masks to its stores within a few days of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that everyone wear a mask in public. After workers complained that some of the masks were fraying and sheer, the company promised to send higher-quality disposable masks.
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But the measures are imperfect and, in some cases, inadequate. Recently, a photo of three employees in masks appeared in a company bulletin that highlighted Petco’s safety measures. That photo, however, and several others in the bulletin also showed employees standing well within 6 feet of each other.
Petco employees have felt obligated to come up with their own solutions for finding masks and shielding themselves from customers. A few days after the CDC recommended that everyone wear a mask to contain the spread of COVID-19, an employee posted on Workplace: “Has anyone had any luck finding a mask for a good deal?”
“The CDC is now recommending the use of cloth face masks to help stop the spread of Covid-19,” another worker wrote. “Idk about y’all but I’m taking a cue from [another employee] & making my own Petco masks from old shirts!”
“Great call out,” a Petco corporate employee replied. “We have had some great examples of innovative masks out there… including the petco shirts!”
This article has been updated.


huffpost--2020-04-16--As Paycheck Protection Program Runs Out Of Money, Many Firms Haven't Seen Any

More than 1.6 million small businesses applied for the program ’ s loans , which are issued by banks and backed by the federal government .
The Small Business Administration announced Thursday morning that it is “ currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding.
” More than 20 million Americans have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment in the last four weeks .
Under the payroll program , companies that already laid off workers can still qualify for the loans if they hire them back by the end of June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) have held firm in their demands that a portion of the new coronavirus funds be reserved for underbanked and minority communities .
They also want additional hundreds of billions in aid for struggling hospitals , states and localities .
Although the Senate is technically in recess , the chamber gaveled in for a brief pro forma session on Thursday afternoon .
In a brief speech on the floor , McConnell reported “ absolutely no progress ” in negotiations with Democrats over additional funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paycheck Protection Program applications is a testament to the suddenness and depth of the economic collapse from social distancing measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus , which has killed nearly 31,000 people in the U.S .
The uncertainty among business owners about the status of their applications may reflect the program ’ s rapid and chaotic start .
“ I think we have to have some perspective here , ” Rubio told Bloomberg this week , noting that the initiative had started disbursing funds within 17 days of its inception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program with this reach that has moved that quickly.
” When Ross closed her preschools last month , she told her employees not to apply for unemployment insurance because there would soon be something better .
She had read news stories about the Paycheck Protection Program , which received more funding than the unemployment insurance and direct payment provisions of the CARES Act .
Ross filed her application with Bank of America last week and is unsure of its status .
Without the loan , she doesn ’ t know how much longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 40 employees .
“ Had the Paycheck Protection Program not been a thought or an alternative , then of course I would have told all of them to apply for ” unemployment , Ross said .
“ Everybody was supposed to be taken care of in a different way that was appropriate for what they needed.
” In an emailed statement , a Bank of America spokesperson said the bank has received more than 350,000 applications and has “ a team of more than 3,000 people working full-time to process those applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents to verify the information provided by each applicant.
” The aim of the program is to prevent workers from signing up for unemployment , instead keeping them attached to their employers , which lawmakers said is a better social policy .
Even if a business is closed and its workers are at home , the program essentially will pay their salaries and save them from the alienation of joblessness .

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A new federal initiative to prevent layoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic is so popular with small businesses that in less than two weeks it has run out of the $350 billion Congress initially allocated.
But that doesn’t mean all that money is now in the hands of employers. Owners of several small businesses that applied have told HuffPost they’re still waiting for the funds.
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Sydney Ross, owner of two preschools in Palm Beach, Florida, said she applied for the special loan last week and is unsure of her status.
“We’re just still waiting and there’s no money and we haven’t heard anything, and that’s it,” Ross said.
As part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economy Security Act, Congress boosted unemployment insurance, sent cash payments directly to household bank accounts, and created new bailout programs for businesses big and small.
The Paycheck Protection Program offers loans covering two months of payroll, plus some rent and utility costs, for any firm with fewer than 500 employees. If a borrower avoids layoffs during that time, the loan is forgiven ― meaning the program essentially offers to pay a company’s wages.
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More than 1.6 million small businesses applied for the program’s loans, which are issued by banks and backed by the federal government. The Small Business Administration announced Thursday morning that it is “currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding.”
Congressional leaders have struggled to reach a deal to replenish the fund, opting instead for a high-stakes game of chicken that bodes poorly for prospects of broader coronavirus legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warned Democrats this week that their continued opposition to a clean funding increase of $250 billion for the program would result in “pink slips and shuttered businesses” across the country.
More than 20 million Americans have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment in the last four weeks. Under the payroll program, companies that already laid off workers can still qualify for the loans if they hire them back by the end of June.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have held firm in their demands that a portion of the new coronavirus funds be reserved for underbanked and minority communities. They also want additional hundreds of billions in aid for struggling hospitals, states and localities.
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“As has been clear since last week, Republicans’ bill which fails to address these critical issues cannot get unanimous consent in the House,” Pelosi said in a statement on Wednesday.
Democratic staff met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday and agreed to resume discussions on Thursday, according to a senior Democratic aide.
Although the Senate is technically in recess, the chamber gaveled in for a brief pro forma session on Thursday afternoon. In a brief speech on the floor, McConnell reported “absolutely no progress” in negotiations with Democrats over additional funding to the program.
The surge of Paycheck Protection Program applications is a testament to the suddenness and depth of the economic collapse from social distancing measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 31,000 people in the U.S. The uncertainty among business owners about the status of their applications may reflect the program’s rapid and chaotic start.
In a survey of businesses in the Washington suburbs she represents, Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va) said Wednesday that roughly 100 firms had applied for payroll protection loans, and of those, only three had actually received money.
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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a key architect of the program, said companies should receive their loans within 10 days of approval.
“I think we have to have some perspective here,” Rubio told Bloomberg this week, noting that the initiative had started disbursing funds within 17 days of its inception. “I know of no other program with this reach that has moved that quickly.”
When Ross closed her preschools last month, she told her employees not to apply for unemployment insurance because there would soon be something better. She had read news stories about the Paycheck Protection Program, which received more funding than the unemployment insurance and direct payment provisions of the CARES Act.
Ross filed her application with Bank of America last week and is unsure of its status. Without the loan, she doesn’t know how much longer she’ll be able to pay her 40 employees.
“Had the Paycheck Protection Program not been a thought or an alternative, then of course I would have told all of them to apply for” unemployment, Ross said. “Everybody was supposed to be taken care of in a different way that was appropriate for what they needed.”
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In an emailed statement, a Bank of America spokesperson said the bank has received more than 350,000 applications and has “a team of more than 3,000 people working full-time to process those applications as quickly as possible, including reviewing documents to verify the information provided by each applicant.”
The aim of the program is to prevent workers from signing up for unemployment, instead keeping them attached to their employers, which lawmakers said is a better social policy. Even if a business is closed and its workers are at home, the program essentially will pay their salaries and save them from the alienation of joblessness.
Some firms got their money almost immediately.
Tanya Weinreis, owner of a chain of drive-thru coffee shops in Montana, said she received funds from Yellowstone Bank, a small lender with eight locations, the day she applied ― on the first day of the program.
“We were just quick about it,” Weinreis told HuffPost. But the bank may have been speedy, Weinreis said, because it has served her company for years and “they already had my taxes and things like that.”
Even if it works as designed, the program has critics. The Treasury Department has encouraged banks to restrict applications to banks’ existing customers, and the program’s first-come, first-served nature advantages firms with better access to lawyers and financial managers (like hedge funds, for example).
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huffpost--2020-04-16--Man Arrested In Alleged White Supremacist Plot To Burn Down Jewish Nursing Home

A Massachusetts man attempted to burn down a Jewish nursing home earlier this month that had been discussed as a target on white supremacist platforms online , federal authorities say .
John Michael Rathbun , 36 , was arrested Wednesday on two counts of attempted arson .
He is accused of placing a gasoline-filled canister outside Ruth ’ s House , a Jewish-sponsored assisted living facility in Longmeadow , Massachusetts , and trying to ignite it .
It did not ignite , and no one at the facility was hurt .
The incident took place on April 3 , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they discovered a burnt Christian religious pamphlet in the nozzle of the canister .
Blood on the canister matched Rathbun ’ s DNA , according to federal investigators .
“ As alleged , John Rathbun placed a homemade incendiary device near the entrance of a Jewish assisted living facility , located within a short distance of three Jewish temples , a Jewish private school , and a Jewish Community Center , ” Joseph R. Bonavolonta , special agent in charge of the FBI ’ s Boston division , said in a statement Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real threat posed by racially motivated violent extremists.
” According to a federal affidavit , FBI agents started investigating a white supremacist group in March that used two unidentified social media platforms to promote and plot mass killings in the U.S. targeting religious and racial minorities .
The group often listed targets for such attacks , including mosques and synagogues , the affidavit states .
One member of the group suggested targeting “ that jew nursing home in longmeadow massachusetts.
” Authorities believe the same member created an “ event ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” scheduled for April 3 .
It named the location as “ Jew Nursery Home ” and contained the message “ FUCK JEWS , ” according to the affidavit .
The event was “ accepted ” by six other users .
When agents confronted Rathbun , the affidavit says , he “ categorically denied any involvement ” or interest in white supremacist groups .
He said he only used the internet to watch pornography and access a dating website .
Rathbun , who had cuts on his hand , also initially denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the agents “ informed him that his DNA matched the blood ” found on the gas canister , his demeanor changed and a short time later he “ stated that he did not know what he was going to do and that he wanted to cry , ” according to the affidavit .
Rathbun will make his initial court appearance this week via videoconference , according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney ’ s office , as courtrooms in the state and across the country are closed to slow the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 years in prison .
News of Rathbun ’ s alleged attempt to burn down the facility comes as nursing homes are struggling to cope with outbreaks of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , which is particularly fatal for the elderly .
Ruth ’ s House was already in lockdown on April 3 when Rathbun allegedly tried to burn it down , according to a note on the company ’ s website .
Although no one there has contracted coronavirus , almost 100 residents at an affiliated nursing home nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twenty-one of them have died .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A Massachusetts man attempted to burn down a Jewish nursing home earlier this month that had been discussed as a target on white supremacist platforms online, federal authorities say.
John Michael Rathbun, 36, was arrested Wednesday on two counts of attempted arson. He is accused of placing a gasoline-filled canister outside Ruth’s House, a Jewish-sponsored assisted living facility in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and trying to ignite it. It did not ignite, and no one at the facility was hurt.
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The incident took place on April 3, according to a criminal complaint. Police said they discovered a burnt Christian religious pamphlet in the nozzle of the canister. Blood on the canister matched Rathbun’s DNA, according to federal investigators.
“As alleged, John Rathbun placed a homemade incendiary device near the entrance of a Jewish assisted living facility, located within a short distance of three Jewish temples, a Jewish private school, and a Jewish Community Center,” Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division, said in a statement Wednesday. “This case highlights the very real threat posed by racially motivated violent extremists.”
According to a federal affidavit, FBI agents started investigating a white supremacist group in March that used two unidentified social media platforms to promote and plot mass killings in the U.S. targeting religious and racial minorities.
The group often listed targets for such attacks, including mosques and synagogues, the affidavit states. One member of the group suggested targeting “that jew nursing home in longmeadow massachusetts.”
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Authorities believe the same member created an “event” in the group calendar titled “jew killing day,” scheduled for April 3. It named the location as “Jew Nursery Home” and contained the message “FUCK JEWS,” according to the affidavit. The event was “accepted” by six other users.
When agents confronted Rathbun, the affidavit says, he “categorically denied any involvement” or interest in white supremacist groups. He said he only used the internet to watch pornography and access a dating website.
Rathbun, who had cuts on his hand, also initially denied involvement in the arson attempt. But when the agents “informed him that his DNA matched the blood” found on the gas canister, his demeanor changed and a short time later he “stated that he did not know what he was going to do and that he wanted to cry,” according to the affidavit.
Rathbun will make his initial court appearance this week via videoconference, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office, as courtrooms in the state and across the country are closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. He could face up to 20 years in prison.
News of Rathbun’s alleged attempt to burn down the facility comes as nursing homes are struggling to cope with outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which is particularly fatal for the elderly.
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Ruth’s House was already in lockdown on April 3 when Rathbun allegedly tried to burn it down, according to a note on the company’s website. Although no one there has contracted coronavirus, almost 100 residents at an affiliated nursing home nearby have tested positive for the virus. Twenty-one of them have died.


huffpost--2020-03-30--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

Nine doctors at a leading hospital in India have been placed in quarantine after a patient who hid his medical history came in contact with over 30 doctors and other medical staff , before testing positive for coronavirus .
The Government Medical College , the biggest hospital in the city of Nagpur , Maharashtra , has been one of two hospitals in the region to treat COVID-19 patients .
Maharashtra , India ’ s richest state , has reported 230 cases of coronavirus , the highest in the country .
Nagpur alone has 16 cases .
HuffPost India reports that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of cases—as experienced by other countries that are ahead of India in terms of the disease ’ s trajectory—could soon overwhelm the hospital ’ s staff , especially if more people need to be quarantined .
The hospital admitted 70 suspected coronavirus patients just on Monday alone .
Doctors , nurses and other medical staff employed by India ’ s overburdened public healthcare system have faced shortages of personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves .
Spain Health System On The Brink As Daily Death Toll Climbs — 3/31/20 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid the collapse of its health system , with hospitals in at least half of its 17 regions at or very near their ICU bed limits , and medical workers making up 14 % of its 88,000 reported infections .
The country registered 849 fatalities related to coronavirus overnight ― the highest number in 24 hours since the epidemic started , although the increase in percentage terms was slightly lower than in the previous days .
The death toll rose to 8,189 on Tuesday from 7,340 on Monday , while the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 85,195 on Monday .
However , HuffPost Spain reports ( in Spanish ) that the situation in the country ’ s intensive care units is at a critical point , with ICUs at risk of saturation in up to six of the country ’ s autonomous regions .
Macy ’ s , Kohl ’ s And Gap To Furlough Majority Of Workers — 03/31/20 , 12:08 a.m .
ET Macy ’ s , Kohl ’ s and The Gap announced Monday that they will stop paying a majority of their employees amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Almost 300,000 people across the three companies will be furloughed .
The workers will , however , continue to collect health benefits , The Associated Press reported .
New Jersey National Guardsman Is First U.S. Service Member To Die Of COVID-19 ― 03/30/2020 , 11:30 p.m .
ET A New Jersey National Guardsman is the first U.S. service member to die of COVID-19 , the Pentagon said Monday night .
The Guardsman , identified as Army Capt .
Douglas Linn Hickok , served as a physician assistant in the Army Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was reportedly not on active duty when he fell sick , died Saturday .
New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy expressed his sorrow at the news of Hickok ’ s death .
“ Our thoughts are with his wife , children , and their family , ” Murphy tweeted .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Monday that the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago will be turned into a field hospital with 3,000 beds , 500 of which are expected to be ready for use by the end of this week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army Corps of Engineers are expected to have the entire alternate care facility up and running by the end of April , according to Pritzker .
The facility will be dedicated to non-acute COVID-19 patients , whom the governor said are “ people whose condition could benefit from the care of medical professionals but who are likely not to need a formal ICU.
” McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America , with four buildings making up a combined total of 2.6 million square feet , and 1.2 million square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has 5,057 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Monday , more than 460 of which came in the last 24 hours .
The state ’ s death toll from the virus is at 73 , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
Instacart Workers Go On Strike For Better Protections Amid Coronavirus — 3/30/20 , 7:20 p.m .
ET Grocery shoppers and drivers working for Instacart went on strike nationwide to demand better protections — including hazard pay and expanded paid sick leave — as the coronavirus continues to spread across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not go back to work until the grocery delivery company provides them with protective equipment such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes , hazard pay of $ 5 per order , and expanded paid sick leave to cover those with health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus so they can afford to stay home .
“ They send their CEO in San Francisco home , but they ’ re doing nothing for the backbone of their company .
Without shoppers , they ’ re nothing , ” Sarah Polito , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike organizer in Newark , New York , told HuffPost .
She is one of more than 200,000 “ full-service ” shoppers who are not employees of Instacart , but contractors with limited benefits .
Read more .
California Seeking To Hire Former And In-Training Health Care Workers — 3/30/20 , 3:24 p.m .
ET California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) announced a new initiative Monday to temporarily expand the state ’ s pool of health care workers as COVID-19 cases surge .
Qualified individuals may sign up for a job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The program will place “ individuals that may have retired in the last five years may be in the process of getting licensed or re licensed people that are in nursing schools or medical schools that are nearing the completion of those efforts , ” Newsom said .
The move will allow for this flexibility in staffing through June 30 .
Beyond nurses and doctors , the search will extend to nearly every part of the health care system .
Other roles Newsom listed include mental health experts , EMTs , pharmacists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , technicians and medical administrators .
“ We are going out now to deeply find the kind of talent that is necessary beyond the scope of practice changes and beyond the regulatory changes to make sure that we have the adequate workforce , ” Newsom said .
California is also seeking more ventilators .
It currently has 4,252 ventilators , Newsom said , but officials want to amass 10,000 .
Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ( D ) is now the latest U.S. governor to issue a statewide “ stay-at-home ” order .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unless amended or rescinded , ” the latest date of any such order nationwide .
Several states have extended their orders to either April 15 or April 30 , with officials saying they will reevaluate every two weeks or so .

Nine doctors at a leading hospital in India have been placed in quarantine after a patient who hid his medical history came in contact with over 30 doctors and other medical staff, before testing positive for coronavirus.
The Government Medical College, the biggest hospital in the city of Nagpur, Maharashtra, has been one of two hospitals in the region to treat COVID-19 patients. Maharashtra, India’s richest state, has reported 230 cases of coronavirus, the highest in the country. Nagpur alone has 16 cases.
HuffPost India reports that there are fears that a rise in the number of cases—as experienced by other countries that are ahead of India in terms of the disease’s trajectory—could soon overwhelm the hospital’s staff, especially if more people need to be quarantined. The hospital admitted 70 suspected coronavirus patients just on Monday alone.
Doctors, nurses and other medical staff employed by India’s overburdened public healthcare system have faced shortages of personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves.
— James Martin
Spain Health System On The Brink As Daily Death Toll Climbs — 3/31/20, 7:10 a.m. ET
Spain is struggling to avoid the collapse of its health system, with hospitals in at least half of its 17 regions at or very near their ICU bed limits, and medical workers making up 14% of its 88,000 reported infections.
The country registered 849 fatalities related to coronavirus overnight ― the highest number in 24 hours since the epidemic started, although the increase in percentage terms was slightly lower than in the previous days. The death toll rose to 8,189 on Tuesday from 7,340 on Monday, while the number of cases rose to 94,417 on Tuesday from 85,195 on Monday.
However, HuffPost Spain reports (in Spanish) that the situation in the country’s intensive care units is at a critical point, with ICUs at risk of saturation in up to six of the country’s autonomous regions.
— James Martin
Macy’s, Kohl’s And Gap To Furlough Majority Of Workers — 03/31/20, 12:08 a.m. ET
Macy’s, Kohl’s and The Gap announced Monday that they will stop paying a majority of their employees amid collapsing sales caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Almost 300,000 people across the three companies will be furloughed. The workers will, however, continue to collect health benefits, The Associated Press reported.
— Dominique Mosbergen
New Jersey National Guardsman Is First U.S. Service Member To Die Of COVID-19 ― 03/30/2020, 11:30 p.m. ET
A New Jersey National Guardsman is the first U.S. service member to die of COVID-19, the Pentagon said Monday night.
The Guardsman, identified as Army Capt. Douglas Linn Hickok, served as a physician assistant in the Army Medical Command, NPR reported. Hickok, who was reportedly not on active duty when he fell sick, died Saturday.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy expressed his sorrow at the news of Hickok’s death. “Our thoughts are with his wife, children, and their family,” Murphy tweeted.
— Dominique Mosbergen
Illinois Gov. Announces Field Hospital In Nation’s Largest Convention Center — 3/30/20, 7:38 p.m. ET
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday that the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago will be turned into a field hospital with 3,000 beds, 500 of which are expected to be ready for use by the end of this week. The Illinois National Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are expected to have the entire alternate care facility up and running by the end of April, according to Pritzker.
The facility will be dedicated to non-acute COVID-19 patients, whom the governor said are “people whose condition could benefit from the care of medical professionals but who are likely not to need a formal ICU.”
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America, with four buildings making up a combined total of 2.6 million square feet, and 1.2 million square feet all on one level. Illinois has 5,057 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Monday, more than 460 of which came in the last 24 hours. The state’s death toll from the virus is at 73, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
— Sanjana Karanth
Instacart Workers Go On Strike For Better Protections Amid Coronavirus — 3/30/20, 7:20 p.m. ET
Grocery shoppers and drivers working for Instacart went on strike nationwide to demand better protections — including hazard pay and expanded paid sick leave — as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country.
Strike organizers insisted they will not go back to work until the grocery delivery company provides them with protective equipment such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, hazard pay of $5 per order, and expanded paid sick leave to cover those with health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus so they can afford to stay home.
“They send their CEO in San Francisco home, but they’re doing nothing for the backbone of their company. Without shoppers, they’re nothing,” Sarah Polito, a 28-year-old part-time shopper for Instacart and strike organizer in Newark, New York, told HuffPost. She is one of more than 200,000 “full-service” shoppers who are not employees of Instacart, but contractors with limited benefits. Read more.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
California Seeking To Hire Former And In-Training Health Care Workers — 3/30/20, 3:24 p.m. ET
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced a new initiative Monday to temporarily expand the state’s pool of health care workers as COVID-19 cases surge.
Qualified individuals may sign up for a job placement on a new website: HealthCorps.ca.gov. The program will place “individuals that may have retired in the last five years may be in the process of getting licensed or re licensed people that are in nursing schools or medical schools that are nearing the completion of those efforts,” Newsom said.
The move will allow for this flexibility in staffing through June 30. Beyond nurses and doctors, the search will extend to nearly every part of the health care system. Other roles Newsom listed include mental health experts, EMTs, pharmacists, phlebotomists, experts in respiratory care, technicians and medical administrators.
“We are going out now to deeply find the kind of talent that is necessary beyond the scope of practice changes and beyond the regulatory changes to make sure that we have the adequate workforce,” Newsom said.
California is also seeking more ventilators. It currently has 4,252 ventilators, Newsom said, but officials want to amass 10,000.
— Lydia O’Connor
Virginia Issues ‘Stay-At-Home’ Order Until June 10 — 3/30/20, 3:03 p.m. ET
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is now the latest U.S. governor to issue a statewide “stay-at-home” order. It is in effect until June 10 “unless amended or rescinded,” the latest date of any such order nationwide. Several states have extended their orders to either April 15 or April 30, with officials saying they will reevaluate every two weeks or so.


huffpost--2020-03-30--It Shouldn’t Take A Pandemic For Us To Care About Working People And The Poor

Weeks before any cancellations were announced , as a public speaker I knew the fate of my job was not going to fare well , if at all , as the coronavirus outbreak spread .
For weeks , I had a news channel on in both the kitchen and my bedroom , waiting for some kind of doomsday to happen .
No more gatherings of 250 or more , then 50 , then 10 , for eight weeks or more .
Possibly to July .
I turned to my husband , who stayed at home to care for our kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could travel several times a month , and said , “ We ’ re screwed.
” Things had been going well for me financially since my book , about working as a housekeeper while living in poverty , was a success , paving a way for a career as a public speaker and watching an adaptation of my story on Netflix .
Still , losing several months of expected income was enough for me to feel a sort of panic that can only be described as familiar .
Shortly after my first daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move into a homeless shelter .
For the next decade , I fought for security in all things : Food , housing , employment , transportation , child care , medical care and our future .
We never had any of those at the same time , but I remember almost every time we got close , like discovering my child care grant would cover the hours I spent in class at college , or when we received a boost in our SNAP ( Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , otherwise known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 .
Because of my experience with living under the poverty level , as realized the gravity of the current situation , I immediately went into action : I made a list of our monthly bills , crossed out subscriptions , made grocery lists for food that would last for weeks or months , then I went back into freelance writer mode and started pitching pieces to editors .
My husband began a periodic search for employment that , in our tourism-driven college town , could be described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling one of our vehicles , or refinancing loans .
Gone was the talk of purchasing our first house together in a few months , or taking a family vacation in July .
As a poor person and someone who now writes extensively about social and economic justice , I ’ ve often noticed a lack of a focus on poverty appearing in news cycles or in debates among White House contenders .
While politicians raise their voices for universal health care , they rarely discuss that millions of Americans are forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to be able to afford to take their children to the doctor .
When I saw that restaurants were closing , I didn ’ t think of the patrons .
When people were told to shelter at home and work remotely , and when kids were kept out of school , I didn ’ t think about how the family living in that home was affected .
I thought of the housekeeper who is undocumented and can ’ t apply for food stamps or any kind of government assistance who lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the workers who invisibly clean up after us at all hours of the day .
They vacuum and polish the airport floors , they collect trash in parks ; they sweep up the crumbs our children spread all over the place during brunch .
As Americans had to hunker down , and felt the panic of possibly running out of household staples , they seemed to be thinking about these affected people , too .
After the Bay Area began its Shelter At Home ordinance , people tweeted about still paying their dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive .
Bewildered parents who now had to homeschool their kids cried out that teachers should be paid a million dollars .
Athletes donated salaries to cover the workers in stadiums who were out of a job .
This wasn ’ t your average donation to a local food bank .
This was something I ’ d been waiting to see for several years : a recognition that minimum-wage , hourly work exists , and without it people can not survive .
These are the workers who invisibly clean up after us at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacuum and polish the airport floors , they collect trash in parks ; they sweep up the crumbs our children spread all over the place during brunch .
We ’ ve become so accustomed to having these people work to make our lives easier that we rarely talk about them or notice them .
Yet , when politicians claim tighter work requirements for various forms of government aid are necessary , when they try to make it more difficult for families to receive assistance for paying for their heat during the winter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly affecting .
What ’ s going to happen to those workers who now have no job ?
For most , a clock starts ticking .
Each SNAP recipient , if they ’ re able-bodied , between 18 and 59 years of age and without a child younger than six at home is allowed only three months out of any three-year period to work under 20 hours a week .
If a person has already used up that three-month period , say , looking for the job they just lost , they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with food , pandemic or not .
After our lives go back to normal , so will theirs : working hour by hour for no benefits and too little pay , unless we lift our voices in outrage .
It shouldn ’ t take a pandemic for us to take notice that millions of people can ’ t afford a single sick day .
But now that we have , it ’ s time for change .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Weeks before any cancellations were announced, as a public speaker I knew the fate of my job was not going to fare well, if at all, as the coronavirus outbreak spread. For weeks, I had a news channel on in both the kitchen and my bedroom, waiting for some kind of doomsday to happen. No more gatherings of 250 or more, then 50, then 10, for eight weeks or more. Possibly to July. I turned to my husband, who stayed at home to care for our kids, house and everything else so I could travel several times a month, and said, “We’re screwed.”
Before we were married last year, my husband and I were both full-time single parents. We knew what it was like to barely make ends meet, watch your life savings dwindle to nothing, and panic over bills coming out of bank accounts before expected payments were deposited.
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Things had been going well for me financially since my book, about working as a housekeeper while living in poverty, was a success, paving a way for a career as a public speaker and watching an adaptation of my story on Netflix. Still, losing several months of expected income was enough for me to feel a sort of panic that can only be described as familiar.
Shortly after my first daughter was born in 2007, we had to move into a homeless shelter. For the next decade, I fought for security in all things: Food, housing, employment, transportation, child care, medical care and our future. We never had any of those at the same time, but I remember almost every time we got close, like discovering my child care grant would cover the hours I spent in class at college, or when we received a boost in our SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps) allotment after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009.
Because of my experience with living under the poverty level, as realized the gravity of the current situation, I immediately went into action: I made a list of our monthly bills, crossed out subscriptions, made grocery lists for food that would last for weeks or months, then I went back into freelance writer mode and started pitching pieces to editors. My husband began a periodic search for employment that, in our tourism-driven college town, could be described as abysmal and grim. We discussed selling one of our vehicles, or refinancing loans. Gone was the talk of purchasing our first house together in a few months, or taking a family vacation in July.
For me, this was a pretty seamless transition. It wasn’t too long ago that I couldn’t afford to go out to eat. When restaurants began closing their doors, I expected people to endlessly complain. Americans, if anything, do not like to be told to cut back.
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As a poor person and someone who now writes extensively about social and economic justice, I’ve often noticed a lack of a focus on poverty appearing in news cycles or in debates among White House contenders. While politicians raise their voices for universal health care, they rarely discuss that millions of Americans are forced to prove they work 20 hours a week in order to be able to afford to take their children to the doctor.
When I saw that restaurants were closing, I didn’t think of the patrons. When people were told to shelter at home and work remotely, and when kids were kept out of school, I didn’t think about how the family living in that home was affected. I thought of the housekeeper who is undocumented and can’t apply for food stamps or any kind of government assistance who lost all of her clients.
I also thought of the single mom who works as a waitress who now can’t pay the bills. I thought of the families who are barely making ends meet, who have no savings and whose income relies entirely on one thing: them showing up to work.
“These are the workers who invisibly clean up after us at all hours of the day. They vacuum and polish the airport floors, they collect trash in parks; they sweep up the crumbs our children spread all over the place during brunch.”
As Americans had to hunker down, and felt the panic of possibly running out of household staples, they seemed to be thinking about these affected people, too. After the Bay Area began its Shelter At Home ordinance, people tweeted about still paying their dog walker because they needed that income to survive.
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I heard news anchors discussing how difficult these closures would be on the workers. And former Vice President Joe Biden, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, tweeted that it was a “disgrace” that millions of workers don’t have a single day of paid sick leave.
Bewildered parents who now had to homeschool their kids cried out that teachers should be paid a million dollars. Athletes donated salaries to cover the workers in stadiums who were out of a job. This wasn’t your average donation to a local food bank. This was something I’d been waiting to see for several years: a recognition that minimum-wage, hourly work exists, and without it people cannot survive.
These are the workers who invisibly clean up after us at all hours of the day. They vacuum and polish the airport floors, they collect trash in parks; they sweep up the crumbs our children spread all over the place during brunch.
We’ve become so accustomed to having these people work to make our lives easier that we rarely talk about them or notice them. Yet, when politicians claim tighter work requirements for various forms of government aid are necessary, when they try to make it more difficult for families to receive assistance for paying for their heat during the winter, those are the ones they’re mostly affecting.
What’s going to happen to those workers who now have no job? For most, a clock starts ticking. Each SNAP recipient, if they’re able-bodied, between 18 and 59 years of age and without a child younger than six at home is allowed only three months out of any three-year period to work under 20 hours a week. If a person has already used up that three-month period, say, looking for the job they just lost, they will not be able to apply for help with food, pandemic or not.
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In our rebuilding from this epidemic, my hope is that the empathy that has surfaced will lead to a lasting compassion. That we’ll remember the stadium workers and bartenders who suddenly had no way to pay rent and feed their families.
After our lives go back to normal, so will theirs: working hour by hour for no benefits and too little pay, unless we lift our voices in outrage. It shouldn’t take a pandemic for us to take notice that millions of people can’t afford a single sick day. But now that we have, it’s time for change.
Stephanie Land is the author of “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive” and a fellow at Community Change.