huffpost--2020-03-28--Detroit, An Emerging Coronavirus Hotspot, Is Uniquely Underprepared

ASSOCIATED PRESS Henry Ford Hospital is among the medical facilities in Detroit bracing for an onslaught of COVID-19 patients .
DETROIT ― With about one-third of all of its residents and nearly half of its children living in poverty , Detroit ranks as the nation ’ s poorest big city .
It ’ s also an emerging hotspot for COVID-19 cases , with 1,075 as of Friday afternoon .
That ’ s about 15 cases for every 10,000 residents in the city of nearly 700,000 ― a city where the average rate of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those of the state of Michigan and nation .
Additionally , tens of thousands of residents live without health insurance or easy access to healthcare , clean water , transportation and secure housing .
“ Where you have generations of concentrated poverty and social determinants of health , when you have pandemics like this , it is going to hit those places harder , ” Michigan ’ s Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said at a Thursday press conference .
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here than they did earlier in epicenters like New York City and Seattle .
And Wayne County , which encompasses Detroit and nearby suburbs , has the seventh-highest total of confirmed cases in the country , just behind Seattle ’ s King County .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) last week issued a shelter-in-place order through April 13 as the disease rapidly spread .
“ When you talk about any epidemic , it ’ s not enough to look at the virus or pathogen , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host and environment , and in Detroit you have hosts who are , for many reasons outside of their control , systematically less healthy , in general.
” The trajectory of Detroit ’ s outbreak is about one-and-a-half weeks behind New York City , which has been an epicenter of the pandemic , and there are no signs of the trendline slowing .
“ Getting people in low-income communities tested is difficult because oftentimes people are disconnected from the resources that exist , ” he said .
“ Second , a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure that ’ s available so they ’ re less likely to trust it , and for good reason.
” A similar issue is straining the region ’ s emergency rooms , said Dr. Teena Chopra , an infectious disease specialist at Wayne State University who has worked in Detroit hospitals for about 15 years .
Residents who lack health insurance , transportation or money to cover a doctor visit often wait for a health problem to grow severe before seeking treatment , she noted .
“ People are coming to us when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Chopra said .
“ They need to be intubated and put in an ( intensive care unit ) right away , and that ’ s unfortunate because that ’ s when the virus is way down in the lungs , and has caused a lot of damage already.
” The coronavirus also presents more of a threat to those with pre-existing and chronic health conditions that are common in Detroit .
The city ’ s rate of 3.2 deaths per 100,000 residents as of Friday afternoon is among the highest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , widespread water shutoffs are exacerbating the situation .
Though there ’ s no official total of how many homes are currently without water , activists estimate the figure to be over 10,000 .
The city announced a suspension of water shutoffs several weeks ago and is working to restore service to those who lost it because of unpaid bills .
But as of late last week , officials had managed to reconnect only about 450 homes by last Friday .
Whitmer has declined to intervene despite pleas from activists and residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The sum of the issues creates a situation in which hospitals in Detroit ’ s metro area face an influx of serious cases , with some within the Beaumont and Henry Ford Health systems already at capacity .
Beaumont converted some of its emergency and operating rooms to house COVID-19 patients , and it ’ s temporarily sending some patients who aren ’ t suffering from the disease to other Michigan health systems .
El-Sayed and others are calling for the military to set up hospitals in anticipation of the higher patient loads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the table , but added it would require “ a collective effort ” among the region ’ s hospital systems and state and federal governments .
He stressed that it would also demand appropriate “ staffing , nurses and technicians ” beyond the physical space ― all of which is also in short supply .

Henry Ford Hospital is among the medical facilities in Detroit bracing for an onslaught of COVID-19 patients. ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT ― With about one-third of all of its residents and nearly half of its children living in poverty, Detroit ranks as the nation’s poorest big city. It’s also an emerging hotspot for COVID-19 cases, with 1,075 as of Friday afternoon.
That’s about 15 cases for every 10,000 residents in the city of nearly 700,000 ― a city where the average rate of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and asthma far exceed those of the state of Michigan and nation. Additionally, tens of thousands of residents live without health insurance or easy access to healthcare, clean water, transportation and secure housing.
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Detroit’s deep poverty makes it especially vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak and the economic damage it has already inflicted, presenting the city’s public health system with a daunting challenge in slowing the pandemic.
“Where you have generations of concentrated poverty and social determinants of health, when you have pandemics like this, it is going to hit those places harder,” Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said at a Thursday press conference.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has increased faster here than they did earlier in epicenters like New York City and Seattle. And Wayne County, which encompasses Detroit and nearby suburbs, has the seventh-highest total of confirmed cases in the country, just behind Seattle’s King County. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) last week issued a shelter-in-place order through April 13 as the disease rapidly spread.
In Detroit, a history of poor public policy decisions is behind the systemic poverty that has made folks in the city “so much more susceptible,” said former Detroit Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed.
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“When you talk about any epidemic, it’s not enough to look at the virus or pathogen,” he said. “You also have to look at the host and environment, and in Detroit you have hosts who are, for many reasons outside of their control, systematically less healthy, in general.”
The trajectory of Detroit’s outbreak is about one-and-a-half weeks behind New York City, which has been an epicenter of the pandemic, and there are no signs of the trendline slowing.
Even Trump administration officials seem to recognize the situation’s gravity. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday labeled Detroit a “hot spot” that he predicted “will have a worse week next week.”
A Crisis We’ve Barely Begun To Measure
The local outbreak’s scope is only now coming into focus partly because of what El-Sayed characterized as a resource allocation issue.
“Getting people in low-income communities tested is difficult because oftentimes people are disconnected from the resources that exist,” he said. “Second, a lot of folks have not been well-treated by the infrastructure that’s available so they’re less likely to trust it, and for good reason.”
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A similar issue is straining the region’s emergency rooms, said Dr. Teena Chopra, an infectious disease specialist at Wayne State University who has worked in Detroit hospitals for about 15 years. Residents who lack health insurance, transportation or money to cover a doctor visit often wait for a health problem to grow severe before seeking treatment, she noted.
Volunteer Delores Wyatt prepares bags of food for distribution at the Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry in Detroit on Monday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
That hasn’t changed during the coronavirus outbreak.
“People are coming to us when they already have a severe COVID case,” Chopra said. “They need to be intubated and put in an (intensive care unit) right away, and that’s unfortunate because that’s when the virus is way down in the lungs, and has caused a lot of damage already.”
The coronavirus also presents more of a threat to those with pre-existing and chronic health conditions that are common in Detroit. The city’s rate of 3.2 deaths per 100,000 residents as of Friday afternoon is among the highest in the nation’s largest cities.
Meanwhile, widespread water shutoffs are exacerbating the situation. Though there’s no official total of how many homes are currently without water, activists estimate the figure to be over 10,000. The city announced a suspension of water shutoffs several weeks ago and is working to restore service to those who lost it because of unpaid bills. But as of late last week, officials had managed to reconnect only about 450 homes by last Friday. Whitmer has declined to intervene despite pleas from activists and residents.
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Hospitals Already At Or Near Capacity
The sum of the issues creates a situation in which hospitals in Detroit’s metro area face an influx of serious cases, with some within the Beaumont and Henry Ford Health systems already at capacity. Beaumont converted some of its emergency and operating rooms to house COVID-19 patients, and it’s temporarily sending some patients who aren’t suffering from the disease to other Michigan health systems.
The Henry Ford hospitals are also converting surgical facilities to handle new patients, chief clinical officer Dr. Adnan Munkarah said at a Friday press conference. The health system circulated a memo outlining guidelines to be followed for making life and death decisions about treating patients as hospital resources become scarce.
“Patients who have the best chance of getting better are our first priority,” the memo reads. “Patients will be evaluated for the best plan of care and dying patients will be provided comfort care.”
El-Sayed and others are calling for the military to set up hospitals in anticipation of the higher patient loads. Munkarah said that option is on the table, but added it would require “a collective effort” among the region’s hospital systems and state and federal governments. He stressed that it would also demand appropriate “staffing, nurses and technicians” beyond the physical space ― all of which is also in short supply.
“The tsunami has just started,” Chopra said. “We haven’t seen the worst of it, and it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”


huffpost--2020-03-28--Trump Claims Power To Gag Watchdog Overseeing New $500 Billion Bailout

President Donald Trump has issued a signing statement declaring that he can block a watchdog from telling Congress when information is withheld about payouts to businesses in the massive new $ 2 trillion economic relief law .
Democrats fought hard for provisions in the measure to ensure transparency and accountability regarding $ 500 billion in payouts to businesses to help them survive the coronavirus crisis .
In an early draft of the measure , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was granted enormous discretion to dole out payments with no oversight for a minimum of six months .
Creation of a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a key concession by Senate Republicans in order to win Democratic support to get the law passed .
The IG was granted authority to seek information from government agencies about payouts , and to inform Congress if such requests were not met .
But on Friday , Trump wrote in a statement to accompany his signature making the measure law that the new Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery can not go to Congress — as the law states — if refused information about loans and investments made by the treasury secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provision authorizing the IG to unilaterally inform Congress is “ unreasonable , ” Trump said in his statement .
“ My administration will not treat this provision as permitting the SIGPR to issue reports to Congress without ... presidential supervision , ” according to the statement .
Trump ’ s statement also said he would not follow the law ’ s requirement to consult with congressional committees about any reallocation of funds , because this would be an “ impermissible form of congressional aggrandizement.
” And he won ’ t consult Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the staffing of the new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee .
Former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub dismissed the signing statement as “ just a note saying ‘ I will fight you.
’ And what does Trump want to fight over ?
He says he wants to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud , waste and abuse in implementing the bailout , ” Shaub added .
Exactly !
A signing statement is just a note saying `` I will fight you . ''
And what does Trump want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud , waste and abuse in implementing the bailout .
Congress must fight back !
https : //t.co/85463Vziat — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) March 28 , 2020 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said on MSNBC Friday that Trump ’ s tactics to undermine spending supervision were “ not a surprise.
” But she vowed that Congress “ will exercise its oversight ” of the law through a panel .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that , the Congressional oversight provisions for the 1/2 TRILLION dollar Wall St slush fund ( which were *already* too weak ) are tossed away the day the bill is signed .
”

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President Donald Trump has issued a signing statement declaring that he can block a watchdog from telling Congress when information is withheld about payouts to businesses in the massive new $2 trillion economic relief law.
Democrats fought hard for provisions in the measure to ensure transparency and accountability regarding $500 billion in payouts to businesses to help them survive the coronavirus crisis.
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In an early draft of the measure, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was granted enormous discretion to dole out payments with no oversight for a minimum of six months. Creation of a special inspector general oversight post to supervise funding was a key concession by Senate Republicans in order to win Democratic support to get the law passed. The IG was granted authority to seek information from government agencies about payouts, and to inform Congress if such requests were not met.
But on Friday, Trump wrote in a statement to accompany his signature making the measure law that the new Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery cannot go to Congress — as the law states — if refused information about loans and investments made by the treasury secretary, unless the president approves.
The provision authorizing the IG to unilaterally inform Congress is “unreasonable,” Trump said in his statement. “My administration will not treat this provision as permitting the SIGPR to issue reports to Congress without ... presidential supervision,” according to the statement.
JUST IN: Trump signing statement on coronavirus bill says he’ll override a provision requiring the newly created inspector general to report to Congress any time agencies refuse to give him/her requested info. pic.twitter.com/XhbYKMGaGq — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 27, 2020
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Trump’s statement also said he would not follow the law’s requirement to consult with congressional committees about any reallocation of funds, because this would be an “impermissible form of congressional aggrandizement.” And he won’t consult Congress, as required by the law, about the staffing of the new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.
Former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub dismissed the signing statement as “just a note saying ‘I will fight you.’ And what does Trump want to fight over? He says he wants to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud, waste and abuse in implementing the bailout,” Shaub added.
Exactly! A signing statement is just a note saying "I will fight you." And what does Trump want to fight over? He says he wants to to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud, waste and abuse in implementing the bailout. Congress must fight back! https://t.co/85463Vziat — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) March 28, 2020
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on MSNBC Friday that Trump’s tactics to undermine spending supervision were “not a surprise.” But she vowed that Congress “will exercise its oversight” of the law through a panel.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in a tweet: “And just like that, the Congressional oversight provisions for the 1/2 TRILLION dollar Wall St slush fund (which were *already* too weak) are tossed away the day the bill is signed.”


huffpost--2020-05-13--Don't Force Passengers To Wear Masks, U.S. Airlines Tell Crews Amid Pandemic

( Reuters ) ― The top three U.S. airlines have told their flight attendants not to force passengers to comply with their new policy requiring face coverings , just encourage them to do so , according to employee policies reviewed by Reuters .
American Airlines Group Inc. , Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. have told employees that they may deny boarding at the gate to anyone not wearing a face covering , and are providing masks to passengers who do not have them , the three carriers told Reuters .
“ Once on board and off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes more lenient .
The flight attendant ’ s role is informational , not enforcement , with respect to the face covering policy , ” American told its pilots in a message seen by Reuters explaining its policy , which went into effect on Monday .
“ Bottom line to the pilots : a passenger on board your aircraft who is being compliant with the exception of wearing a face covering is NOT considered disruptive enough to trigger a Threat Level 1 response , ” referring to some kind of intentional disruption by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to divert the flight .
American spokesman Joshua Freed said : “ American , like other U.S. airlines , requires customers to wear a face covering while on board , and this requirement is enforced at the gate while boarding .
We also remind customers with announcements both during boarding and at departure.
” A United spokeswoman also said that any non-compliance by travelers would be addressed at the gate and that flight attendants had been counseled to use their “ de-escalation skills ” on the aircraft and to reseat any passengers as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exemptions for young children or people with medical conditions or disabilities , and when people are eating or drinking .
“ If the customer chooses not to comply for other reasons , please encourage them to comply , but do not escalate further , ” American told flight attendants in a message on Friday that it provided to Reuters .
“ Likewise , if a customer is frustrated by another customer ’ s lack of face covering , please use situational awareness to de-escalate the situation , ” it said .
U.S. travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic , prompting carriers to slash their flying schedules to roughly 30 % of normal this month .
With fewer planes in the skies , some are flying near capacity .
Global airlines body IATA came out last week in favor of passengers wearing masks onboard , as debate intensifies in the United States on the role that government agencies should play in mandating new safety measures for flying before a vaccine is developed .
While major U.S. airlines have individually mandated facial coverings , the Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirement , and it is not clear if the agency has the authority to compel passengers to wear face masks .
In a statement on Tuesday , the FAA said it would continue to engage in discussions about protecting the health and safety of flight crews and the traveling public and was “ lending aviation expertise to federal public health agencies and airlines as they issue guidance for crew members , including health monitoring , screening protocols and aircraft cleaning .
”

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(Reuters) ― The top three U.S. airlines have told their flight attendants not to force passengers to comply with their new policy requiring face coverings, just encourage them to do so, according to employee policies reviewed by Reuters.
American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. have told employees that they may deny boarding at the gate to anyone not wearing a face covering, and are providing masks to passengers who do not have them, the three carriers told Reuters.
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Inside the plane, enforcement becomes more difficult.
“Once on board and off the gate, the face covering policy becomes more lenient. The flight attendant’s role is informational, not enforcement, with respect to the face covering policy,” American told its pilots in a message seen by Reuters explaining its policy, which went into effect on Monday.
“Bottom line to the pilots: a passenger on board your aircraft who is being compliant with the exception of wearing a face covering is NOT considered disruptive enough to trigger a Threat Level 1 response,” referring to some kind of intentional disruption by a passenger that could cause the captain to divert the flight.
American spokesman Joshua Freed said: “American, like other U.S. airlines, requires customers to wear a face covering while on board, and this requirement is enforced at the gate while boarding. We also remind customers with announcements both during boarding and at departure.”
A United spokeswoman also said that any non-compliance by travelers would be addressed at the gate and that flight attendants had been counseled to use their “de-escalation skills” on the aircraft and to reseat any passengers as needed.
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Delta said it had a similar policy.
A passenger wearing a mask waits in line to check in for a flight at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, on March 21, 2020. Carlos Barria / Reuters
‘ENCOURAGE THEM TO COMPLY’
All three airlines offer certain exemptions for young children or people with medical conditions or disabilities, and when people are eating or drinking.
“If the customer chooses not to comply for other reasons, please encourage them to comply, but do not escalate further,” American told flight attendants in a message on Friday that it provided to Reuters.
“Likewise, if a customer is frustrated by another customer’s lack of face covering, please use situational awareness to de-escalate the situation,” it said.
U.S. travel demand has fallen by about 94% in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, prompting carriers to slash their flying schedules to roughly 30% of normal this month. With fewer planes in the skies, some are flying near capacity.
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Global airlines body IATA came out last week in favor of passengers wearing masks onboard, as debate intensifies in the United States on the role that government agencies should play in mandating new safety measures for flying before a vaccine is developed.
While major U.S. airlines have individually mandated facial coverings, the Federal Aviation Administration has declined to implement the requirement, and it is not clear if the agency has the authority to compel passengers to wear face masks.
In a statement on Tuesday, the FAA said it would continue to engage in discussions about protecting the health and safety of flight crews and the traveling public and was “lending aviation expertise to federal public health agencies and airlines as they issue guidance for crew members, including health monitoring, screening protocols and aircraft cleaning.”
Several airline union groups have called for a federal mandate on measures including masks, social distancing and cleaning.
“Airlines are implementing policies on the fly with essentially no coordination or direction from the federal government,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 19 airlines.
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huffpost--2020-05-13--John Cornyn Encourages People To Sign Up For Obamacare After Fighting To Repeal It

WASHINGTON ― After voting more than a dozen times to repeal the Affordable Care Act and leading Senate Republican efforts to dismantle it , Sen. John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) said Monday that the “ good news ” is that people can sign up for President Barack Obama ’ s signature health care law if they ’ ve lost their jobs and need health insurance amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ The good news is that if you lose your employer-provided coverage , which covers about a 180 million Americans , that is a significant life event , which makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Affordable Care Act , ” Cornyn said in a PBS Austin interview .
“ As you know , it has a sliding scale of subsidies up to 400 % of poverty .
So that ’ s an option for people.
” It ’ s quite a change of tune for Cornyn , who voted to repeal or defund the ACA ( or to move forward with bills to do so ) here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here and here and here and here and here and here .
Cornyn ’ s job was to secure the votes to repeal the ACA in 2017 when he was the Senate GOP Whip , the third-highest-ranking Republican .
He spoke confidently for months about having the votes to do it .
But the bill ultimately failed at the hands of Senate Democrats and three Republicans .
Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman praised Cornyn for “ finally supporting the Affordable Care Act ” and welcomed him to join the party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to overturn it in court .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is currently leading a coalition of 20 Republican states challenging the ACA before the Supreme Court .
“ Cornyn can ’ t have it both ways , ” Rahman said in a statement .
“ The question now becomes , where does Cornyn stand on the Paxton lawsuit to repeal Affordable Care for Texans who have recently lost their job ?
” “ Can you imagine ?
One of the leading people who is trying to dismantle health care now confronted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Here ’ s good news , we have ACA ?
’ What hypocrisy , ” Schumer said on a Wednesday call with Protect Our Care , a group focused on protecting the ACA .
“ But it also shows you where the public is ...
If you ever wanted evidence that corona has strengthened people ’ s desire for health care despite what this Trump administration is trying to do , there it is.
” CORRECTION : A previous version of this article said Cornyn tried to secure votes to repeal the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 .

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WASHINGTON ― After voting more than a dozen times to repeal the Affordable Care Act and leading Senate Republican efforts to dismantle it, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Monday that the “good news” is that people can sign up for President Barack Obama’s signature health care law if they’ve lost their jobs and need health insurance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The good news is that if you lose your employer-provided coverage, which covers about a 180 million Americans, that is a significant life event, which makes you then eligible to sign up for the Affordable Care Act,” Cornyn said in a PBS Austin interview. “As you know, it has a sliding scale of subsidies up to 400% of poverty. So that’s an option for people.”
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Here’s a video of the interview. His ACA comments are around the 6-minute mark.
It’s quite a change of tune for Cornyn, who voted to repeal or defund the ACA (or to move forward with bills to do so) here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.
Cornyn’s job was to secure the votes to repeal the ACA in 2017 when he was the Senate GOP Whip, the third-highest-ranking Republican. He spoke confidently for months about having the votes to do it. But the bill ultimately failed at the hands of Senate Democrats and three Republicans.
A Cornyn spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman praised Cornyn for “finally supporting the Affordable Care Act” and welcomed him to join the party’s efforts to protect the law from people trying to overturn it in court. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is currently leading a coalition of 20 Republican states challenging the ACA before the Supreme Court.
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“Cornyn can’t have it both ways,” Rahman said in a statement. “The question now becomes, where does Cornyn stand on the Paxton lawsuit to repeal Affordable Care for Texans who have recently lost their job?”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) seemed stunned to hear of Cornyn’s comments.
“Can you imagine? One of the leading people who is trying to dismantle health care now confronted with the crisis of corona, saying ‘Here’s good news, we have ACA?’ What hypocrisy,” Schumer said on a Wednesday call with Protect Our Care, a group focused on protecting the ACA. “But it also shows you where the public is ... If you ever wanted evidence that corona has strengthened people’s desire for health care despite what this Trump administration is trying to do, there it is.”


huffpost--2020-05-13--This Face Mask Sock Hack Is So Simple – But Is It Effective?

In the video , dance and Zumba instructor Safia Aggoune transforms a solitary striped sock into a cover that wraps around her ears in a matter of seconds – and she doesn ’ t even use elastic bands .
Just scissors .
Aggoune cuts off the bottom of the ankle sock so she ’ s left with the heel part and some fabric either side .
She then cuts along the top fold of the sock , opens it up , folds it again , and cuts slits to form hooks that wrap around her ears .
The Centers For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone in the United States wear a face mask or covering when it ’ s difficult to socially distance from others , for example on public transport and in some shops .
The aim of a face cover isn ’ t to protect yourself from others , but to protect others from droplets you might expel from your nose and mouth , which could transmit the virus .
As it stands , there ’ s limited evidence on the effectiveness of face covers when it comes to keeping coronavirus at bay .
Whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on many variables , such as how good the fit of the face cover is , what it ’ s made of , and whether you put it on and take it off properly .
There are studies that suggest certain materials are better .
One by social enterprise Smart Air looked at 30 different materials for DIY coverings , and analyzed the effectiveness in filtering coronavirus-sized microparticles , as well as breathability .
Denim , bed sheets ( 80-120 thread count ) , paper towels and canvas ( 0.4-0.5mm thick ) turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use .
Socks are often made from different materials – some from polyester , others from acrylic , nylon , spandex and polypropylene or a mixture of these .
So , are they protective enough for a face cover ?
William Keevil , professor of environmental healthcare at the University of Southampton , says T-shirt material is probably better than a sock .
“ A U.S. company showed that open weave fabrics are not good filters – so socks might be worse than T-shirts , ” he says .
However , Trisha Greenhalgh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Oxford , says it “ depends on the sock ” .
But ultimately , it ’ s best to use another material to layer up .
“ The main thing I ’ d want to see [ in a face cover ] is a double layer of cloth , and preferably two different fabrics as they ’ d have different physical and electrostatic properties , ” she says .
So it ’ s probably best to team your sock with another material .
Greenhalgh recommends sticking a mini panty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask .
“ Panty liners have a waterproof backing , ” she explains .
If you don ’ t have a panty liner , a handkerchief would do the trick , she adds .
Alternatively , you could pop a bit of paper towel or kitchen roll between your face and the sock to act as a secondary filter , as this material scored highly in the study on DIY masks .
Simply bin the paper towel when you get home and wash the material mask .
When I try the sock hack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time by cutting the slits for my ears on the wrong side of the sock .
However it ’ s pretty easy when I do it the second time and follow the video a little more closely .
My advice ?
Go for a larger sock if you can – mine are quite small , so the cover pulls my ears down slightly .
I also notice that tiny holes become visible in the fabric when I stretch it across my nose , so I ’ ll definitely be adding another layer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and about .

Natasha Hinde Sock face masks are easy to make – but are they effective?
A TikTok video showing how to make a face cover from a sock went viral, with some saying it’s the “simplest” DIY face mask tutorial they’ve seen yet.
In the video, dance and Zumba instructor Safia Aggoune transforms a solitary striped sock into a cover that wraps around her ears in a matter of seconds – and she doesn’t even use elastic bands. Just scissors.
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Aggoune cuts off the bottom of the ankle sock so she’s left with the heel part and some fabric either side. She then cuts along the top fold of the sock, opens it up, folds it again, and cuts slits to form hooks that wrap around her ears.
Watch how she does it below.
The simplest DIY mask yet - all you is a sock and a scissors pic.twitter.com/xYU0ZjHsSV — donal scannell (@donalscannell) May 11, 2020
Face coverings are now mandatory in many places, including on public transport. See government coronavirus rules for the latest advice.
Face coverings can be a scarf, piece of cloth or mask. The aim of wearing one is to protect others from droplets you might expel from your nose and mouth, which could transmit the virus. There is also some evidence emerging to suggest they can help protect the wearer.
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How well they work in public settings will depend on many variables, such as how good the fit of the face cover is, what it’s made from, whether you put it on and take it off properly, and how you clean it.
There are studies that suggest certain materials are better. One by US-based social enterprise Smart Air looked at 30 different materials for DIY coverings, and analysed the effectiveness in filtering coronavirus-sized microparticles, as well as breathability. Denim, bed sheets (80-120 thread count), paper towels and canvas (0.4-0.5mm thick) turned out to be the best materials to use.
Experts agree face covers are better than nothing – as long as they are worn in a correct way, while adopting stringent hygiene measures.
“If it’s a very thin sock, it won’t be as effective as a thicker fabric.” - Trisha Greenhalgh, professor of primary health care services at the University of Oxford
Socks are often made from different materials – some from polyester, others from acrylic, nylon, spandex and polypropylene or a mixture of these. So, are they protective enough for a face cover?
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William Keevil, professor of environmental healthcare at the University of Southampton, says T-shirt material is probably better than a sock. “A US company showed that open weave fabrics are not good filters – so socks might be worse than T-shirts,” he says.
However, Trisha Greenhalgh, professor of primary health care services at the University of Oxford, says it “depends on the sock”. But ultimately, it’s best to use another material to layer up. “The main thing I’d want to see [in a face cover] is a double layer of cloth, and preferably two different fabrics as they’d have different physical and electrostatic properties,” she says.
“Also, if it’s a very thin sock, it won’t be as effective as a thicker fabric.”
So it’s probably best to team your sock with another material. Greenhalgh recommends sticking a mini panty liner to the inside of the sock mask. “Panty liners have a waterproof backing,” she explains. If you don’t have a panty liner, a handkerchief would do the trick, she adds.
Alternatively, you could pop a bit of paper towel or kitchen roll between your face and the sock to act as a secondary filter, as this material scored highly in the study on DIY masks. Simply bin the paper towel when you get home and wash the material mask.
When I try the sock hack myself, I mess it up the first time by cutting the slits for my ears on the wrong side of the sock. However it’s pretty easy when I do it the second time and follow the video a little more closely.
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My advice? Go for a larger sock if you can – mine are quite small, so the cover pulls my ears down slightly. I also notice that tiny holes become visible in the fabric when I stretch it across my nose, so I’ll definitely be adding another layer to the mix when wearing out and about.


huffpost--2020-04-29--Oscars To Admit Streamed Films Next Year As Coronavirus Upends Movie Going

LOS ANGELES - The organizers of the Oscars said on Tuesday that films released only on streaming platforms or video on demand while movie theaters are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic would be eligible for Academy Awards next year .
The temporary change , which will apply only for next year ’ s Oscars and will lapse when movie theaters reopen across the nation , was announced in a statement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences .
Previously , a movie had to be screened in a movie theater in Los Angeles for at least seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oscar consideration .
An Oscar statue dries in the sunlight after receiving a fresh coat of gold paint ahead of the 89th Academy Awards in Hollywood , California .
“ The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater .
Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering .
Nonetheless , the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules , ” President David Rubin and Chief Executive Dawn Hudson said , referring to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platforms like Netflix ( NFLX.O ) have upended Hollywood , drawing A-list stars such as Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese and producing award-winning content like 2019 best foreign language winner “ Roma ” that have rivaled what traditional movie studios can offer .
Renee Zellweger , winner of the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for `` Judy , '' arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 9 , 2020 .
Movie theaters across the United States shut their doors in mid-March , forcing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three main movie theater chains - AMC , Regal and Cinemark - have said they do not expect to reopen until late June or July .
Universal will do the same with the upcoming Judd Apatow comedy “ The King of Staten Island , ” while Walt Disney ( DIS.N ) has announced it will release children ’ s fantasy film “ Artemis Fowl ” on its Disney+ streaming platform rather than wait for theaters to reopen .
Others are expected to follow .
The Oscars , the highest awards in the movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in Hollywood on Feb. 28 , 2021 .

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LOS ANGELES - The organizers of the Oscars said on Tuesday that films released only on streaming platforms or video on demand while movie theaters are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic would be eligible for Academy Awards next year.
The temporary change, which will apply only for next year’s Oscars and will lapse when movie theaters reopen across the nation, was announced in a statement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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Previously, a movie had to be screened in a movie theater in Los Angeles for at least seven days in order to be eligible for Oscar consideration.
An Oscar statue dries in the sunlight after receiving a fresh coat of gold paint ahead of the 89th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. Mike Blake / Reuters
“The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater. Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering. Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules,” President David Rubin and Chief Executive Dawn Hudson said, referring to the disease caused by the virus.
Streaming platforms like Netflix (NFLX.O) have upended Hollywood, drawing A-list stars such as Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese and producing award-winning content like 2019 best foreign language winner “Roma” that have rivaled what traditional movie studios can offer.
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Renee Zellweger, winner of the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for "Judy," arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 9, 2020. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Movie theaters across the United States shut their doors in mid-March, forcing the postponement of major film releases. The three main movie theater chains - AMC, Regal and Cinemark - have said they do not expect to reopen until late June or July.
Some films, including Universal Pictures CMSCA.O animated “Trolls World Tour,” have been released directly to streaming platforms or video on demand.
Universal will do the same with the upcoming Judd Apatow comedy “The King of Staten Island,” while Walt Disney (DIS.N) has announced it will release children’s fantasy film “Artemis Fowl” on its Disney+ streaming platform rather than wait for theaters to reopen. Others are expected to follow.
The Oscars, the highest awards in the movie industry, are still scheduled to take place in Hollywood on Feb. 28, 2021.


huffpost--2020-04-29--Sanders Advisers Form Super PAC Aimed At Pushing Biden Left

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Top advisers to Bernie Sanders ' unsuccessful presidential campaign are forming an outside political group to support Joe Biden , hoping to push the former vice president to the left on key issues and boost his appeal with progressives , young voters and Latinos who may remain wary of him .
The political action committee , announced Tuesday , is called A Future to Believe In .
It will be headed by Sanders ’ longtime senior strategist Jeff Weaver and include the Vermont senator ’ s top aide on Latino outreach , Chuck Rocha .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a veteran of Sanders ’ presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020 who was instrumental in building his formidable fundraising operation by attracting armies of small but consistent donors nationwide .
Weaver said Sanders brought ideas once dismissed as radical — such as universal health care coverage under “ Medicare for All ” and canceling student loan debt — into the political mainstream .
He said the group wants to ensure that voters energized by those ideals stay that way .
“ Over the last five years , the progressive movement in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate and changing the party , ” Weaver said in a phone interview .
He added that the organization now sees in Biden the chance to “ elect a candidate who will help us institutionalize some of those changes.
” A central theme of Sanders ’ campaign was denouncing super PACs , which he decried as corporate power brokers ' and political insiders ' way to unduly influence elections .
But Weaver said forming the group is necessary in a political environment where “ the Republicans are going to bring every asset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's reelection .
Weaver also said that the advisers spoke to Sanders before forming A Future to Believe In and that its fundraising will be separate from the senator ’ s , not relying on email or other digital lists of his supporters or receiving funds transferred from his campaign accounts .
Still , the announcement comes at a critical time for Biden as he works to consolidate the progressive movement behind him and bring together a Democratic Party he will likely need fully unified to win in November .
Sanders suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden days later , potentially defusing some tensions that divided the party in 2016 , when he waited until shortly before the Democratic National Convention to endorse his former rival , Hillary Clinton .
Some of the senator ’ s core supporters have been reluctant to embrace Biden , however , saying they 'd like to see him champion more progressive values .
Biden has since backed some of the proposals promoted by Sanders and fellow progressive Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on expanding health insurance coverage under Medicare , canceling student loans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s bankruptcy laws .
But he has continued to reject Medicare for All , even as its popularity has risen with some Americans during the coronavirus outbreak .
Weaver said Biden has adopted progressive positions on other issues like labor rights and higher education funding .
He also noted that Biden 's and Sanders ' campaign advisers are preparing joint task forces to tackle top issues at the Democratic National Convention , now scheduled for August .
But Weaver conceded that Biden likely wo n't undergo core philosophical changes , like endorsing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think anybody should be under the illusion that Joe Biden is suddenly going to become exactly like Bernie Sanders , ” he said .
“ Everything starts obviously with leaders saying , ’ Hey , let ’ s come together and let ’ s unite . '
But then there ’ s a lot of hard work that has to go on to take that vision and make that a reality , ” said Klain , who has no paid role with Biden 's presidential campaign but remains a close adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s doing is part of taking that vision — that vision that Vice President Biden and Sen. Sanders and others have had — and saying , ‘ Hey , now how can we go make this happen ?
’ ”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Top advisers to Bernie Sanders' unsuccessful presidential campaign are forming an outside political group to support Joe Biden, hoping to push the former vice president to the left on key issues and boost his appeal with progressives, young voters and Latinos who may remain wary of him.
The political action committee, announced Tuesday, is called A Future to Believe In. It will be headed by Sanders’ longtime senior strategist Jeff Weaver and include the Vermont senator’s top aide on Latino outreach, Chuck Rocha. Also helping lead it is Tim Tagaris, a veteran of Sanders’ presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020 who was instrumental in building his formidable fundraising operation by attracting armies of small but consistent donors nationwide.
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Weaver said Sanders brought ideas once dismissed as radical — such as universal health care coverage under “Medicare for All” and canceling student loan debt — into the political mainstream. He said the group wants to ensure that voters energized by those ideals stay that way.
“Over the last five years, the progressive movement in this country has had tremendous success in changing the debate and changing the party,” Weaver said in a phone interview. He added that the organization now sees in Biden the chance to “elect a candidate who will help us institutionalize some of those changes.”
A central theme of Sanders’ campaign was denouncing super PACs, which he decried as corporate power brokers' and political insiders' way to unduly influence elections. But Weaver said forming the group is necessary in a political environment where “the Republicans are going to bring every asset to bear” to promote President Donald Trump's reelection.
“Bernie Sanders remains opposed to super PACs. Joe Biden is already supported by a number of super PACs,” he said.
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Weaver also said that the advisers spoke to Sanders before forming A Future to Believe In and that its fundraising will be separate from the senator’s, not relying on email or other digital lists of his supporters or receiving funds transferred from his campaign accounts.
Mike Casca, a Sanders campaign spokesman, said Tuesday that “Sen. Sanders has always opposed the creation of super PACs, and his position has not changed.”
“This is an effort completely independent of him and his campaign,” Casca said in an email.
Still, the announcement comes at a critical time for Biden as he works to consolidate the progressive movement behind him and bring together a Democratic Party he will likely need fully unified to win in November.
Sanders suspended his campaign three weeks ago and endorsed Biden days later, potentially defusing some tensions that divided the party in 2016, when he waited until shortly before the Democratic National Convention to endorse his former rival, Hillary Clinton. Some of the senator’s core supporters have been reluctant to embrace Biden, however, saying they'd like to see him champion more progressive values.
Biden has since backed some of the proposals promoted by Sanders and fellow progressive Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on expanding health insurance coverage under Medicare, canceling student loans for millions of Americans and overhauling the nation’s bankruptcy laws. But he has continued to reject Medicare for All, even as its popularity has risen with some Americans during the coronavirus outbreak.
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Weaver said Biden has adopted progressive positions on other issues like labor rights and higher education funding. He also noted that Biden's and Sanders' campaign advisers are preparing joint task forces to tackle top issues at the Democratic National Convention, now scheduled for August. But Weaver conceded that Biden likely won't undergo core philosophical changes, like endorsing Medicare for All.
“I don’t think anybody should be under the illusion that Joe Biden is suddenly going to become exactly like Bernie Sanders,” he said.
Ron Klain, who was Biden’s chief of staff when he was vice president, said Sanders' advisers can bring deep knowledge of successful digital organizing and outreach to Biden's campaign.
“Everything starts obviously with leaders saying, ’Hey, let’s come together and let’s unite.' But then there’s a lot of hard work that has to go on to take that vision and make that a reality,” said Klain, who has no paid role with Biden's presidential campaign but remains a close adviser. “I think what Jeff’s doing is part of taking that vision — that vision that Vice President Biden and Sen. Sanders and others have had — and saying, ‘Hey, now how can we go make this happen?’”


huffpost--2020-04-29--Justin Amash Announces He's Running For President

WASHINGTON ― It ’ s been a question weighing on Rep. Justin Amash ’ s mind for months : whether to run for his House seat again as an independent , or whether he should run for president .
On Tuesday , the Michigan lawmaker finally decided he ’ s going for the White House .
However , he held back on the decision , waiting to see how the Democratic presidential primary would shake out .
Amash told some staff that he saw more of an opening for his run if Biden won the nomination instead of someone like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amash privately sounded confident that he could win his congressional seat again , despite facing attacks from Republicans and Democrats .
But as it became clear that Biden would be the Democratic nominee , Amash began thinking about running for president again .
The coronavirus has potentially complicated his campaign since Amash will rely heavily on earned media rather than paid advertising ― and it may be more difficult to get on TV or conduct interviews during the pandemic .
Rather than winning 270 electoral votes and the presidency outright , he may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― preventing either Trump or Biden from getting 270 .
In that situation , the election would be thrown to the House of Representatives , and Amash may think he can be a compromise candidate .
Still , if Amash is looking to steal votes from the president , the Republican Party ’ s fealty to Trump is a real problem .
He may think Trump ’ s lackluster response to the coronavirus will help him with Republicans .
But polling suggests views of the president ’ s handling of the crisis are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On average , more than 85 % of Republicans approve of Trump ’ s response , while only 16 % of Democrats approve .
Amash may find more traction with disaffected Democrats , but his track record of extreme conservatism may hamper him there , too .
He strongly opposes government spending and assistance , and he has taken many unpopular positions that have drawn public ire .
( In February , Amash voted against an anti-lynching bill , arguing that the bill would weaken African Americans ’ rights and only codify existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks . )
The former Republican from Michigan has stayed mostly quiet since then .
He ’ s largely avoided television appearances and interviews , but in those he did do ― like this interview with a local Michigan TV station ― Amash was coy about running for president .
When asked , he took to saying he wasn ’ t in the business of ruling things out .
He ’ s likely to make his obedience to the Constitution a main platform for his election , and he will almost certainly try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two men in their 70s .
But again , he ’ s also gained a reputation as someone who enjoys being the lone dissenter .
If there ’ s ever a vote in the House of Representatives in which all but one lawmaker votes yes , there ’ s a good chance the no vote is Amash .
Still , Amash has said he prides himself on his ability to take the proverbial half-loaf .
He will vote for legislation that he believes advances good ideas on the whole , even if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last Republican vote on the GOP health care bill in May 2017 , even though he expressed a number of reservations .
As one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus ― a group Amash has since quit ― he had assured GOP Whip Steve Scalise ( R-La . )
that he would support the measure if Republicans needed a vote .
When it became clear that Republicans actually needed the vote , Scalise shouted across the House floor , “ Amash !
Amash !
” Amash has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last of the tea party.
” And he ’ s made no secret of his opposition to Trump .
It ’ s as if the president was uniquely designed to represent all the things in the Republican Party that Amash dislikes .
But his personal feelings aside , Amash has said he supports impeaching Trump because of the facts presented in special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s report .
And he voted to impeach Trump in December over the president ’ s conduct regarding military assistance to Ukraine .

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WASHINGTON ― It’s been a question weighing on Rep. Justin Amash’s mind for months: whether to run for his House seat again as an independent, or whether he should run for president. On Tuesday, the Michigan lawmaker finally decided he’s going for the White House.
Amash, a five-term congressman who turned 40 last week, made the announcement Tuesday evening.
“We’re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together,” Amash wrote on Twitter. “I’m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president.”
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He will run, he said, as a Libertarian, which will allow him to more easily get on state ballots ― if he does, as expected, win the Libertarian Party’s nomination.
But Amash will still have a tough time finding traction in a race between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump.
Rep. Justin Amash was the first then-Republican member of Congress to say that President Donald Trump engaged in impeachable conduct. Bill Pugliano via Getty Images
The Michigan representative has long toyed with the idea of running for president. Sources close to Amash said he originally planned to announce his presidential campaign on Constitution Day, Sept. 17. (Amash declared his “independence from the Republican Party” on July 4 last year.)
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However, he held back on the decision, waiting to see how the Democratic presidential primary would shake out. Amash told some staff that he saw more of an opening for his run if Biden won the nomination instead of someone like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Amash privately sounded confident that he could win his congressional seat again, despite facing attacks from Republicans and Democrats. But as it became clear that Biden would be the Democratic nominee, Amash began thinking about running for president again.
The coronavirus has potentially complicated his campaign since Amash will rely heavily on earned media rather than paid advertising ― and it may be more difficult to get on TV or conduct interviews during the pandemic.
He may have a different strategy, though.
Rather than winning 270 electoral votes and the presidency outright, he may be looking to be a spoiler candidate ― preventing either Trump or Biden from getting 270. In that situation, the election would be thrown to the House of Representatives, and Amash may think he can be a compromise candidate.
That, however, seems like extremely wishful thinking.
Even if Amash is on the ballot in all 50 states, it’s unclear which states he thinks he could win ― and from which candidate he might steal more votes.
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A poll conducted last June by The Detroit News suggested Amash would hurt Biden in Michigan more than he would hurt Trump, though, with time, Amash’s small-government, get-spending-under-control-and-government-out-of-your-life platforms may end up appealing more to disaffected Republicans.
Still, if Amash is looking to steal votes from the president, the Republican Party’s fealty to Trump is a real problem. He may think Trump’s lackluster response to the coronavirus will help him with Republicans. But polling suggests views of the president’s handling of the crisis are largely seen through a partisan lens. On average, more than 85% of Republicans approve of Trump’s response, while only 16% of Democrats approve.
Amash may find more traction with disaffected Democrats, but his track record of extreme conservatism may hamper him there, too. He strongly opposes government spending and assistance, and he has taken many unpopular positions that have drawn public ire. (In February, Amash voted against an anti-lynching bill, arguing that the bill would weaken African Americans’ rights and only codify existing law. He was criticized online for weeks.)
Either way, Amash’s bid may be less about winning and more about sending a message.
Amash very famously became the first congressional Republican to support Trump’s impeachment in May 2019 before choosing to withdraw from the GOP in July.
The former Republican from Michigan has stayed mostly quiet since then. He’s largely avoided television appearances and interviews, but in those he did do ― like this interview with a local Michigan TV station ― Amash was coy about running for president. When asked, he took to saying he wasn’t in the business of ruling things out.
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Indeed, far from ruling things out, the introverted, often-Machiavellian Amash seems to have been plotting his run all along.
He’s likely to make his obedience to the Constitution a main platform for his election, and he will almost certainly try to draw a contrast between himself and two men in their 70s.
Amash will also likely use his reputation as a principled ideologue ― someone who has always valued his own ideas over his party’s — to try to win votes.
But again, he’s also gained a reputation as someone who enjoys being the lone dissenter. If there’s ever a vote in the House of Representatives in which all but one lawmaker votes yes, there’s a good chance the no vote is Amash.
Still, Amash has said he prides himself on his ability to take the proverbial half-loaf. He will vote for legislation that he believes advances good ideas on the whole, even if it’s imperfect.
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Amash was famously the last Republican vote on the GOP health care bill in May 2017, even though he expressed a number of reservations. As one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus ― a group Amash has since quit ― he had assured GOP Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) that he would support the measure if Republicans needed a vote. When it became clear that Republicans actually needed the vote, Scalise shouted across the House floor, “Amash! Amash!”
He reluctantly voted for the bill.
All the same, Amash’s run for president as a Libertarian is a natural step in his progression from a tea party Republican to an enemy of the modern GOP.
Amash has said he feels like he’s “the last of the tea party.” And he’s made no secret of his opposition to Trump. It’s as if the president was uniquely designed to represent all the things in the Republican Party that Amash dislikes. But his personal feelings aside, Amash has said he supports impeaching Trump because of the facts presented in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. And he voted to impeach Trump in December over the president’s conduct regarding military assistance to Ukraine.
If Amash follows through on his run, he will forgo running for reelection in his Republican-leaning congressional district, likely handing the seat to a Trump-friendly Republican.


huffpost--2020-04-29--8 Netflix Movies From Earlier This Year You've Already Forgotten About

At the end of March , a friend reminded me that Pete Buttigieg was still running for president at the beginning of the month .
I couldn ’ t believe it .
Americans generally began to reckon with the coronavirus pandemic around the middle of March .
( Arguably the night of March 11 , when Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they had COVID-19 and the NBA suspended its season . )
Everything before mid-March feels like a different era .
How does this relate to Netflix and streaming ?
It means that any movies that debuted in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel ancient rather than recent .
Of course , it comes from a place of great fortune to muse about warped time .
In the grand scheme , nobody needs to shed tears for the creators whose movies came and went in a blip due to the crisis .
But with so many needing the mental medicine of streaming right now , I figured I ’ d remind viewers of a few technically recent Netflix movies worth considering .
( Fair warning : not all of them are upbeat . )
Premise : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brie , a young woman experiences deteriorating mental health .
Amid her deep loneliness , visits to a local stable bring her a modicum of joy .
The woman begins dating someone new , but her mental health declines rapidly soon after the budding of this relationship .
Premise : In this political thriller directed and co-written by Dee Rees , a Washington Post reporter gets caught up in the Iran-Contra scandal .
Her dying father , who has a mysterious career , asks for a favor that ultimately puts her career and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on a 1996 novel by Joan Didion of the same name .
I should note this has a 6 % on Rotten Tomatoes , so it may be for the best if you forgot about this one .
Premise : In this thriller written and directed by Tyler Perry , a public defender tries to prove the innocence of an older woman accused of murdering her husband .
The public defender can tell that something ’ s missing in the case and spends the movie trying to figure out the truth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 9-year-old struggles to control her own aggressive , violent behavior .
Her mother puts her in different care programs , which reject her after her outbursts .
An anger management trainer tries his best , and the two end up bonding .
Premise : In this teen romantic comedy , a high schooler has begun dating a crush after writing him a love letter and then fake dating him to help him make his ex jealous ( again , the characters are teens ) .
But in a twist , another boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone she thought she ’ d never see again ― starts volunteering at the same place as she does .
So a love triangle ensues .
Premise : In this romantic drama , two teenagers mistrust the burgeoning love they feel for each other given past trauma .
One of them deals with thoughts of suicide and , therefore , both carry that emotional weight .
Premise : In this mystery drama , a mother fights to convince her community and local police force to continue looking for her missing daughter .
Through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovers a larger pattern of murders .
Premise : In this action comedy directed by Peter Berg , an ex-cop gets out of jail for a crime he insists he didn ’ t commit .
Soon after his release , he teams up with an old mentor and a new mentee to try to thwart a conspiracy involving cop killings .

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At the end of March, a friend reminded me that Pete Buttigieg was still running for president when the month began. I couldn’t believe it. What a long month March felt like ― but we all knew the pandemic would wrap up in just a couple of weeks and life would soon return to something near normal.
Now, in November ― after months and months of a never-ending pandemic and a brutal election season that’s still unresolved ― pretty much the whole first 10 months of the year seem like a distant era.
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How does this relate to Netflix and streaming? It means that any movies that debuted before today feel ancient rather than recent.
Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix Lauren Lapkus and Rob Schneider in "The Wrong Missy" on Netflix.
The below list is meant as a distraction. It’s a testament to the warped and flexible nature of time. I decided to only include movies from the first half of 2020. But personally, I’m feeling like even a film such as September’s “Enola Holmes” came out a decade ago.
I only included movies that we might forget about with the passage of time regardless of the year. This means the list doesn’t include great movies, like the serious “Da 5 Bloods” and the comedic “Eurovision Song Contest.” I enjoyed both thoroughly in their own ways and won’t forget about them anytime soon (The Rachel McAdams “Eurovision” song still gets stuck in my head).
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In a somewhat paradoxical caveat, I only put movies in here that earned enough attention to subsequently be forgotten. All of these earned hype at one point, either through anticipation, cast or early reviews.
Read on for the full list of movies. And if you want to stay informed of everything joining Netflix every week, subscribe to the Streamline newsletter.
Ji Sub Jeong/HuffPost
Premise: In this comedy, a young kid tries to make life miserable for his mom’s boyfriend, a cop in Detroit. The kid’s name is Kareem and the cop’s last name is Coffee. That’s a double reference/“joke” to the cliche of cops loving coffee and a play on the fact that the cop is white and the kid is Black. Kareem and Coffee have to team up after Kareem puts both their lives in danger, and they bond in the process.
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With the reckoning over pro-cop television shows and movies throughout 2020, this movie, more than any other, feels like it came from a different era.
“Coffee & Kareem” earned a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Setting: Detroit
Debut date: April 3, 2020
Notable cast: Ed Helms, Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Little Gardenhigh
Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes
Premise: In this romantic comedy, a “Groundhog Day” situation plays out (or should it now be “Palm Springs” situation?) at a wedding in a beautiful locale. A man and a woman attending the wedding fall in and out of love, depending on seating arrangements. Although a sweet movie, the premise has a dark undercurrent of love hanging on by a thread of past causes and effects.
Setting: Frascati, Italy
Debut date: April 10, 2020
Notable cast: Sam Claflin, Joel Fry, Olivia Munn and Eleanor Tomlinson
Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Premise: In this action thriller, a team of mercenaries attempts to rescue the kidnapped son of an incarcerated Indian drug lord. They must travel to Bangladesh to pull off the risky mission. A double-cross ends up making the task even more dangerous. Getting out alive, let alone getting paid, becomes increasingly unlikely for the team.
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The Russo brothers produced, while Joe Russo wrote the screenplay.
Setting: Bangladesh
Debut date: April 24, 2020
Notable cast: David Harbour, Chris Hemsworth, Randeep Hooda and Rudhraksh Jaiswal
Runtime: 1 hour, 56 minutes
Premise: In this animated comedy, young siblings lean on each other for entertainment and protection as their wealthy parents pay little attention to them. The children trick their parents into leaving, but then learn that protective services will remove them from their beloved house if they don’t have a guardian. The kids go on a global, whimsical quest to set things right.
The movie is based on a book by Lois Lowry.
Setting: A quirky house in a metropolis
Debut date: April 22, 2020
Notable voice cast: Alessia Cara, Terry Crews, Ricky Gervais, Jane Krakowski, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Martin Short
Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Premise: In this vacation comedy, an aging, single man with a particularly dull sensibility meets two women, both named Melissa, and saves their phone numbers. He thinks he has a connection with one of the women, but finds the other annoying. When the man gets a plus-one invitation for a Hawaiian corporate retreat, he decides to be bold and invite the Melissa he liked, but he asks “the wrong Missy” instead. The man thinks this is a travesty at first, but as “the wrong Missy’ pushes him out of his comfort zone, the burgeoning couple begin to have fun together.
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Adam Sandler co-produced the movie under Happy Madison productions.
“The Wrong Missy” earned a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Setting: Hawaii
Debut date: May 13, 2020
Notable cast: Lauren Lapkus, Roman Reigns and David Spade
Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Premise: In this romantic comedy directed by Michael Showalter, a couple is on the rocks, but an inevitable-seeming breakup keeps getting postponed. In an unexpected life shake-up, the couple gets framed for a bizarre murder. They decide to go on the run from the police together and start to reconsider the merits of the relationship.
Setting: New Orleans
Debut date: May 22, 2020
Notable cast: Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae
Runtime: 1 hour, 26 minutes
Premise: In this horror satire, prisoners live in a tower where a feast is lowered on a table through a shaft each day. The grand dinner stops at each level of the prison, but doesn’t get replenished. This means people on lower levels increasingly fight for scraps, even though the meal began its journey as a wonderful thing. People at the bottom of the tower have little choice but to fight each other for sustenance ― a commentary on contemporary capitalism.
The film is in Spanish.
Setting: A tower prison
Debut date: March 20, 2020
Notable cast: Iván Massagué and Antonia San Juan
Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
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Premise: In this psychological drama co-written by Alison Brie, a young woman experiences deteriorating mental health. Amid her deep loneliness, visits to a local stable bring her a modicum of joy. The woman begins dating someone new, but her mental health declines rapidly soon after the budding of this relationship.
Setting: Los Angeles
Debut date: Feb. 7, 2020
Notable cast: Alison Brie, John Reynolds, Debby Ryan and Molly Shannon
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Premise: In this political thriller directed and co-written by Dee Rees, a Washington Post reporter gets caught up in the Iran-Contra scandal. Her dying father, who has a mysterious career, asks for a favor that ultimately puts her career and life in danger. The movie is based on a 1996 novel by Joan Didion of the same name.
I should note this has a 6% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it may be for the best if you forgot about this one.
Setting: Washington, D.C., and Central America in the mid-1980s
Debut date: Feb. 21, 2020
Notable cast: Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Anne Hathaway and Rosie Perez
Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutes
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Premise: In this thriller written and directed by Tyler Perry, a public defender tries to prove the innocence of an older woman accused of murdering her husband. The public defender can tell that something’s missing in the case and spends the movie trying to figure out the truth.
Although it fared better than “The Last Thing He Wanted,” this movie has a 17% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Setting: Small-town Virginia
Debut date: Jan. 17, 2020
Notable cast: Crystal Fox, Tyler Perry and Phylicia Rashad
Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Premise: In this German drama, a 9-year-old struggles to control her own aggressive, violent behavior. Her mother puts her in different care programs, which reject her after her outbursts. An anger management trainer tries his best, and the two end up bonding.
Setting: Various locations in Germany
Debut date: Feb. 21, 2020
Notable cast: Helena Zengel
Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Premise: In this teen romantic comedy, a high schooler has begun dating a crush after writing him a love letter and then fake-dating him to help him make his ex jealous (again, the characters are teens). But in a twist, another boy she wrote a love letter to ― someone she thought she’d never see again ― starts volunteering at the same place as she does. So, a love triangle ensues.
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This movie is a sequel to the 2018 film “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” and they’re based on a book series by Jenny Han.
Setting: Portland, Oregon
Debut date: Feb. 12, 2020
Notable cast: Noah Centineo, Lana Condor, John Corbett and Jordan Fisher
Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Premise: In this romantic drama, two teenagers mistrust the burgeoning love they feel for each other, given past trauma. One of them deals with thoughts of suicide and, therefore, both carry that emotional weight.
Setting: Small-town Indiana
Debut date: Feb. 28, 2020
Notable cast: Elle Fanning, Keegan-Michael Key, Alexandra Shipp, Justice Smith and Luke Wilson
Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes
Premise: In this mystery drama, a mother fights to convince her community and local police force to continue looking for her missing daughter. Through searching for her daughter, the mother discovers a larger pattern of murders.
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Setting: Long Island, New York
Debut date: March 13, 2020
Notable cast: Lola Kirke, Oona Laurence, Thomasin McKenzie, Amy Ryan and Dean Winters
Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Premise: In this action comedy directed by Peter Berg, an ex-cop gets out of jail for a crime he insists he didn’t commit. Soon after his release, he teams up with an old mentor and a new mentee to try to thwart a conspiracy involving cop killings.
This movie was the most popular movie on Netflix for weeks, according to Netflix’s ranking system. So maybe you didn’t completely forget about it. But its debut still feels from another era.
Setting: Boston
Debut date: March 6, 2020
Notable cast: Alan Arkin, Winston Duke, Post Malone, Iliza Shlesinger and Mark Wahlberg


huffpost--2020-04-29--Senate Democrats Urge Lindsey Graham To Focus Hearings On COVID-19, Not More Judges

WASHINGTON ― Every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday urged Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , the chairman , to focus hearings on the coronavirus as soon as the Senate returns next week ― and to delay a confirmation hearing he is already planning to hold for another one of President Donald Trump ’ s judicial nominees .
“ Now is not the time to process routine judicial nominations , ” reads a new letter to Graham from all 10 committee Democrats .
“ We therefore urge you to delay the May 6 nominations hearing and instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and protecting the lives and livelihoods of all Americans.
” Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) is already planning to hold a confirmation hearing for one of President Donald Trump 's judicial nominees as soon as the Senate comes back into session .
The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over a number of issues related to the health and economic fallout from the coronavirus , as the Democrats note , and Graham could immediately make this his focus if he wanted to .
He could , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state and local law enforcement on the front lines of the pandemic , the health and safety of corrections staff and incarcerated people , changes in immigration policy tied to the pandemic or the spike in hate crimes against the Asian American community .
That ’ s not going to happen .
At least , not at the expense of judicial nominations .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has made it clear that he plans to get back to confirming more of Trump ’ s judges as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This has been his top priority since Trump became president , and he ’ s already delivered two Supreme Court justices , a whopping 51 appeals court judges and 138 district court judges .
All are lifetime seats .
“ Of course , we will go back to judges , ” McConnell said in a March 31 interview on the Hugh Hewitt radio show .
“ My motto for the rest of the year is , ‘ Leave no vacancy behind.
’ ” As luck would have it , the judicial nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing is a McConnell protege .
Justin Walker , 38 , is up for a seat on the D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals , the second-most-powerful court in the nation .
He ’ s got three things going for him ahead of his May 6 hearing : McConnell has known him since high school , McConnell knows his grandfather , and McConnell recommended him to the White House last year for a Kentucky district court seat .
The American Bar Association gave Walker a rare and embarrassing “ not qualified ” rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Senate Republicans confirmed him anyway as McConnell raved about him .
Now , barely six months later , Walker is poised to get a major promotion .

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WASHINGTON ― Every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday urged Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the chairman, to focus hearings on the coronavirus as soon as the Senate returns next week ― and to delay a confirmation hearing he is already planning to hold for another one of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees.
“Now is not the time to process routine judicial nominations,” reads a new letter to Graham from all 10 committee Democrats. “We therefore urge you to delay the May 6 nominations hearing and instead focus the Committee’s efforts on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and protecting the lives and livelihoods of all Americans.”
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is already planning to hold a confirmation hearing for one of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees as soon as the Senate comes back into session. ALEX EDELMAN via Getty Images
Here’s a copy of the letter, obtained by HuffPost. It is signed by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Chris Coons (Del.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Cory Booker (N.J.).
The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over a number of issues related to the health and economic fallout from the coronavirus, as the Democrats note, and Graham could immediately make this his focus if he wanted to.
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He could, for example, hold hearings that look at the needs of state and local law enforcement on the front lines of the pandemic, the health and safety of corrections staff and incarcerated people, changes in immigration policy tied to the pandemic or the spike in hate crimes against the Asian American community.
That’s not going to happen. At least, not at the expense of judicial nominations.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has made it clear that he plans to get back to confirming more of Trump’s judges as soon as the Senate returns from its monthlong hiatus. This has been his top priority since Trump became president, and he’s already delivered two Supreme Court justices, a whopping 51 appeals court judges and 138 district court judges. All are lifetime seats.
“Of course, we will go back to judges,” McConnell said in a March 31 interview on the Hugh Hewitt radio show. “My motto for the rest of the year is, ‘Leave no vacancy behind.’”
As luck would have it, the judicial nominee scheduled for next week’s confirmation hearing is a McConnell protege. Justin Walker, 38, is up for a seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the second-most-powerful court in the nation. He’s got three things going for him ahead of his May 6 hearing: McConnell has known him since high school, McConnell knows his grandfather, and McConnell recommended him to the White House last year for a Kentucky district court seat.
The American Bar Association gave Walker a rare and embarrassing “not qualified” rating when Trump nominated him last year. But Senate Republicans confirmed him anyway as McConnell raved about him. Now, barely six months later, Walker is poised to get a major promotion.
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Is there any chance that Graham will postpone Walker’s hearing to focus on COVID-19 issues next week?


huffpost--2020-04-29--Watch Meghan Markle Put A Smile On This Woman's Face

Meghan Markle managed to put a massive smile on the face of a Smart Works client last month when she joined in on a virtual mentoring session .
The Duchess of Sussex became patron of Smart Works last year .
The charity offers mentoring , coaching and styling sessions for women who are seeking employment .
The duchess spoke with a client before the woman ’ s job interview and wished her lots of luck .
“ You seem incredibly confident and prepared .
And I know everyone here is so excited , ” the duchess said during the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 .
“ When I was reading about what your interests are and especially you have a big focus on mental health as well , right ?
Psychology ?
I think that ’ s excellent.
” After the client explained the potential her internship offered , Meghan said that she thought the woman was “ going to be fantastic.
” “ Thank you so much , that means so much to me , ” the client said , with a massive smile on her face , later clasping her hands on her heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to be able to call in and wish you the best of luck and my fingers are crossed for you , ” the duchess said .
Meghan also developed a five-piece capsule clothing collection for Smart Works in partnership with her friend , designer Misha Nonoo , as well as Marks & Spencer , John Lewis and Jigsaw .
For every item sold , one was donated to the organization .
In a statement on Smart Works ’ website released on Wednesday , Meghan said she is “ really proud ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide over 200 hours of virtual service to its clients during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ It ’ s been such an honour to meet and learn from so many talented women in the Smart Works network over the years , and recently to see the amazing work they ’ re doing to adapt their programs to the reality of this pandemic , ” she said in a message to the charity .
Since Meghan and Prince Harry stepped back as working members of the royal family on March 31 , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patronages .

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Meghan Markle managed to put a massive smile on the face of a Smart Works client last month when she joined in on a virtual mentoring session.
The Duchess of Sussex became patron of Smart Works last year. The charity offers mentoring, coaching and styling sessions for women who are seeking employment.
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The duchess spoke with a client before the woman’s job interview and wished her lots of luck.
“You seem incredibly confident and prepared. And I know everyone here is so excited,” the duchess said during the video chat, which took place on March 27. “When I was reading about what your interests are and especially you have a big focus on mental health as well, right? Psychology? I think that’s excellent.”
After the client explained the potential her internship offered, Meghan said that she thought the woman was “going to be fantastic.”
“Thank you so much, that means so much to me,” the client said, with a massive smile on her face, later clasping her hands on her heart.
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“Of course! I just wanted to be able to call in and wish you the best of luck and my fingers are crossed for you,” the duchess said.
Meghan also developed a five-piece capsule clothing collection for Smart Works in partnership with her friend, designer Misha Nonoo, as well as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Jigsaw. For every item sold, one was donated to the organization.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the launch of the Smart Works capsule collection in London on Sept. 12, 2019. Henry Nicholls / Reuters
In a statement on Smart Works’ website released on Wednesday, Meghan said she is “really proud” to support her patronage, which has continued to provide over 200 hours of virtual service to its clients during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s been such an honour to meet and learn from so many talented women in the Smart Works network over the years, and recently to see the amazing work they’re doing to adapt their programs to the reality of this pandemic,” she said in a message to the charity.
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Since Meghan and Prince Harry stepped back as working members of the royal family on March 31, both have hosted video chats with their U.K. patronages.


huffpost--2020-04-29--Sen. Tammy Duckworth Says Trump Values TV Ratings Over Health Of West Point Cadets

Sen. Tammy Duckworth ( D-Ill. ) blasted President Donald Trump ’ s decision to bring 1,000 West Point cadets back to campus during the coronavirus pandemic so that he can give a speech to the graduating class .
“ Trump ’ s reckless decision to gather 1,000 Cadets at West Point for a speech puts our future military leaders at increased risk — all to stroke his own ego , ” Duckworth , an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient , said in a statement Wednesday .
“ Our troops need stable , consistent leadership during volatile times like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own photo ops and TV ratings over their health and safety .
I urge President Trump to evaluate the potential consequences of this vanity speech and reconsider holding the event.
” In mid-April , Trump suddenly announced that he would be giving the commencement speech on June 13 at the U.S. Military Academy ― which sits not far north of New York City , a COVID-19 hot spot .
“ He ’ s the commander in chief , that ’ s his call , ” Sue Fulton , a West Point graduate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s board of visitors , told The New York Times last week .
Previously , cadets had been told to stay home after spring break as COVID-19 spread around the country .
But on Wednesday , the Army and West Point both confirmed that the academy will be holding an in-person graduation ceremony .
Cadets will be returning from their homes all across the U.S. to the state hardest hit by the virus .
West Point said in its statement that this year ’ s procession “ will look different from recent graduation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirements.
” Rep. Jackie Speier ( D-Calif. ) also tore into Trump ’ s latest of many reckless decisions regarding the virus .
“ He ’ s forcing the creation of crowds in hopes of generating applause and adulation .
It ’ s always about him , ” Speier told HuffPost on Tuesday .
“ That ’ s why we have almost 1 million infected and over 50,000 Americans dead .
”

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) blasted President Donald Trump’s decision to bring 1,000 West Point cadets back to campus during the coronavirus pandemic so that he can give a speech to the graduating class.
“Trump’s reckless decision to gather 1,000 Cadets at West Point for a speech puts our future military leaders at increased risk — all to stroke his own ego,” Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, said in a statement Wednesday. “Our troops need stable, consistent leadership during volatile times like these, not a Commander-in-Chief who values his own photo ops and TV ratings over their health and safety. I urge President Trump to evaluate the potential consequences of this vanity speech and reconsider holding the event.”
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In mid-April, Trump suddenly announced that he would be giving the commencement speech on June 13 at the U.S. Military Academy ― which sits not far north of New York City, a COVID-19 hot spot.
“He’s the commander in chief, that’s his call,” Sue Fulton, a West Point graduate and former chairwoman of the academy’s board of visitors, told The New York Times last week.
Previously, cadets had been told to stay home after spring break as COVID-19 spread around the country. But on Wednesday, the Army and West Point both confirmed that the academy will be holding an in-person graduation ceremony. Cadets will be returning from their homes all across the U.S. to the state hardest hit by the virus.
West Point said in its statement that this year’s procession “will look different from recent graduation ceremonies due to current force health protection requirements.”
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Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) also tore into Trump’s latest of many reckless decisions regarding the virus.
“He’s forcing the creation of crowds in hopes of generating applause and adulation. It’s always about him,” Speier told HuffPost on Tuesday. “That’s why we have almost 1 million infected and over 50,000 Americans dead.”


huffpost--2020-04-29--Andrew Yang Sues New York State Board Of Elections For Canceling Presidential Primary

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is suing the New York State Board of Elections after the state became the first in the country to cancel its presidential primary over COVID-19 concerns .
The suit , obtained by Politico and filed in federal court on Tuesday by Yang and seven New York residents who ’ d intended to serve as his delegates to the Democratic National Convention , accuses the election commission of denying “ voters due process and … the right to vote.
” “ This unprecedented and unwarranted move infringes the rights of Plaintiffs and all New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are estimated to be more than 6 million , as it fundamentally denies them the right to choose our next candidate for the office of President of the United States , ” the complaint states .
The suit also argues that nixing the primary could impact down-ballot candidates as “ voters will have less incentive to vote if they can not cast a vote for the highest office in the land , and thereby negatively impact challenger candidates.
” New York originally postponed its Democratic presidential primary ― moving it from April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears .
The state ’ s Board of Elections said this week , however , that it had voted to cancel it entirely after Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) dropped out of the presidential race , leaving former Vice President Joe Biden as the last Democratic contender standing .
State and congressional primaries are still expected to go ahead in June ; but as The New York Times noted , about one-third of New York ’ s counties have no other primaries scheduled , so voters in those counties will no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ At a time when the goal is to avoid unnecessary social contact , our conclusion was that there was no purpose in holding a beauty contest primary that would marginally increase the risk to both voters and poll workers , ” Douglas Kellner , one of the board ’ s Democratic commissioners , told CNN of the decision to cancel the presidential primary .
As Jeff Weaver , a senior adviser to Sanders , noted , “ the primary process not only leads to [ a presidential nominee ] but also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform and rules of the Democratic Party.
” “ New York has clearly violated its approved delegate selection plan , ” Weaver said in a statement .
“ If this is not remedied , New York should lose all its delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention and there should be a broader review by the Democratic Party of New York ’ s checkered pattern of voter disenfranchisement.
” Sanders had said previously that he wants to keep amassing delegates so he can exert influence on the party platform on issues like “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Los Angeles Times reported .
But Jay Jacobs , the chairman of the New York Democratic Party , said this week that he hoped to find a way to allocate some delegates to Sanders .
“ What we ’ re going to do in discussions with the Biden campaign and the Sanders campaign is try to come up with some fair allocation , so that the delegates that go to the convention will have Sanders ’ voices as well , as they would have had had we had the primary , @ @ @ @

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Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is suing the New York State Board of Elections after the state became the first in the country to cancel its presidential primary over COVID-19 concerns.
The suit, obtained by Politico and filed in federal court on Tuesday by Yang and seven New York residents who’d intended to serve as his delegates to the Democratic National Convention, accuses the election commission of denying “voters due process and … the right to vote.”
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“This unprecedented and unwarranted move infringes the rights of Plaintiffs and all New York State Democratic Party voters, of which there are estimated to be more than 6 million, as it fundamentally denies them the right to choose our next candidate for the office of President of the United States,” the complaint states.
The suit also argues that nixing the primary could impact down-ballot candidates as “voters will have less incentive to vote if they cannot cast a vote for the highest office in the land, and thereby negatively impact challenger candidates.”
Voting is kind of a big deal. — Andrew Yang🧢🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) April 29, 2020
New York originally postponed its Democratic presidential primary ― moving it from April 28 to June 23 ― over coronavirus fears. The state’s Board of Elections said this week, however, that it had voted to cancel it entirely after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) dropped out of the presidential race, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden as the last Democratic contender standing.
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State and congressional primaries are still expected to go ahead in June; but as The New York Times noted, about one-third of New York’s counties have no other primaries scheduled, so voters in those counties will no longer need to go to the polls.
“At a time when the goal is to avoid unnecessary social contact, our conclusion was that there was no purpose in holding a beauty contest primary that would marginally increase the risk to both voters and poll workers,” Douglas Kellner, one of the board’s Democratic commissioners, told CNN of the decision to cancel the presidential primary.
He added that Sanders’ departure from the race “basically rendered the primary moot.”
But Sanders ― and Yang ― had wanted the presidential primary to go ahead.
As Jeff Weaver, a senior adviser to Sanders, noted, “the primary process not only leads to [a presidential nominee] but also the selection of delegates which helps determine the platform and rules of the Democratic Party.”
“New York has clearly violated its approved delegate selection plan,” Weaver said in a statement. “If this is not remedied, New York should lose all its delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention and there should be a broader review by the Democratic Party of New York’s checkered pattern of voter disenfranchisement.”
Our campaign statement on the New York State Board of Elections decision to cancel the state’s presidential primary: pic.twitter.com/BzylNaqCaS — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 27, 2020
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Sanders had said previously that he wants to keep amassing delegates so he can exert influence on the party platform on issues like “Medicare for all” and climate change, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Following the election board’s decision, Biden is expected to get all of New York’s 274 pledged delegates, The Hill noted.
But Jay Jacobs, the chairman of the New York Democratic Party, said this week that he hoped to find a way to allocate some delegates to Sanders.
“What we’re going to do in discussions with the Biden campaign and the Sanders campaign is try to come up with some fair allocation, so that the delegates that go to the convention will have Sanders’ voices as well, as they would have had had we had the primary,” Jacobs said.


huffpost--2020-04-29--How To ... Get Stuck With A Partner Or A Roommate

People everywhere are trying to cope with the coronavirus , facing problems from the serious to the mundane .
We @ @ @ @ @ into one house or apartment and attempting to stay calm about an invisible virus all @ @ @ @ @ re trying to learn how to home-school our kids or make bread for ourselves .
@ @ @ @ @ new world , and HuffPost ’ s illustration series is about how to live in @ @

People everywhere are trying to cope with the coronavirus, facing problems from the serious to the mundane. We’re jamming full lives into one house or apartment and attempting to stay calm about an invisible virus all around us. We’re trying to learn how to home-school our kids or make bread for ourselves. It’s a whole new world, and HuffPost’s illustration series is about how to live in it.