huffpost--2020-04-29--27 Spot-On Tweets About Getting Dressed During Lockdown

Get dressed every morning , they say .
It will make you feel better to have some structure , they say .
To “ them ” we say : Thanks , but no thanks .
One of the more surprising aspects of lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic is how quickly many of us have gotten used to the home wardrobe groove .
We change out of daytime sweats into nighttime sweats , we ( sometimes ) wash and re-wear the same workout outfits over and over again , and in many cases , forgo things like pants altogether .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above , in favor of “ dressing up ” each day .
But it ’ s hard to find motivation to do that when our “ offices ” are dining room tables and our couches are always close by , beckoning us and our elastic waistbands back into the welcome arms of their warm embrace .
If there ’ s something to take comfort in ( besides stretchy pants ) right now , it ’ s that we are very much going through this together : The highs , the lows and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets about getting dressed ( or rather , not getting dressed ) that just ring a little too true at the moment .
Sit back , pull those pajama pants all the way up , and enjoy .

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Get dressed every morning, they say. It will make you feel better to have some structure, they say. To “them” we say: Thanks, but no thanks.
One of the more surprising aspects of lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic is how quickly many of us have gotten used to the home wardrobe groove. We change out of daytime sweats into nighttime sweats, we (sometimes) wash and re-wear the same workout outfits over and over again, and in many cases, forgo things like pants altogether.
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There are arguments, like the ones mentioned above, in favor of “dressing up” each day. But it’s hard to find motivation to do that when our “offices” are dining room tables and our couches are always close by, beckoning us and our elastic waistbands back into the welcome arms of their warm embrace.
If there’s something to take comfort in (besides stretchy pants) right now, it’s that we are very much going through this together: The highs, the lows and the leggings. Below, 27 hilariously spot-on tweets about getting dressed (or rather, not getting dressed) that just ring a little too true at the moment.
Sit back, pull those pajama pants all the way up, and enjoy.
my shoes probably think i died — gent (@gentv10) April 8, 2020
wearing jeans today like a goddamn first class passenger on the titanic — Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue) April 21, 2020
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People who are quarantining in jeans: what are you trying to prove — sarafcarter (@sarafcarter) March 21, 2020
Wear jeans during quarantine, they said. It will make you feel normal, they said. pic.twitter.com/vKSkNMZC4m — Ali Griffin Vingiano (@alivingiano) April 19, 2020
if I get through this quarantine without buying a tie-dye sweatsuit i can do anything — Alyssa Limperis (@alyssalimp) April 22, 2020
I just thought about my purse and laughed. Remember purses?! Hahahhahahha omg fuckin purses — Nikki Glaser (@NikkiGlaser) April 19, 2020
Hey put some pants on my guy pic.twitter.com/PpCIBRrjP5 — Adam Graham (@grahamorama) April 28, 2020
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MONDAY. The theme this week is "low bar for success." Did you brush your teeth? Gold star. Did you get out of bed to do it? Holy fuck, you're amazing. Are you wearing pants? YOU FOOL YOU FELL FOR THE TRAP, PANTS ARE A TOOL OF THE OPPRESSOR, SHIRK YOUR LEG BRIDLES AND RUN FREE — Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) April 27, 2020
No one is wearing a bra rn. Our titties are finally free, bitch. https://t.co/JDY6NDRBxm — Crystal Marie Denha (@IamCrystalMarie) April 25, 2020
I should have worn more intense hats back when wearing real clothes was a thing — JP (@jpbrammer) March 31, 2020
Me waking up in the morning and changing out of sweatpants and into a new pair of sweatpants pic.twitter.com/WCtB1ERRGZ — Nate Hoerger (@Nateral_Ice) March 30, 2020
Putting on jeans for the first time in two weeks pic.twitter.com/lYmCPt98QW — Gabriella Paiella (@GMPaiella) March 25, 2020
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Me: sitting in sweatpants wondering why I wasted money on clothes all of these years
Also me while checking my email:
Oh a sale! — jilly hendrix (@jillyhendrix) April 20, 2020
Every time I attempt to wear something other than a sweatshirt and pajamas pic.twitter.com/eDQryK821u — Marina Fang (@marinafang) April 23, 2020
If quarantine has taught me one thing, It’s that all those times I said I was “dressing for myself,” I was lying. — Emily McCombs (@msemilymccombs) April 21, 2020
why do I still have the urge to buy clothes online? like for why? where do I plan to where them? the kitchen? — quinta brunson (@quintabrunson) April 1, 2020
Resentful of anyone outside who looks hot, pls stop breaking the quarantine schlub code we need solidarity — Angelina Chapin (@angelinachapin) April 16, 2020
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Choosing your quarantine character 🍾👏😂
pic.twitter.com/tgsQfH1ZIZ — Danielle Baskin (@djbaskin) April 5, 2020
quarantine day ???: my husband just walked into the living room wearing in a t-shirt and nothing else, said "dress for the job you want" and then disappeared — amy b (@arb) March 20, 2020
Social distancing Day 12: Today my kids wanted me to wear my wedding dress at lunch & I couldn’t think of a reason not to pic.twitter.com/2snMmwxuGq — Curtis Sittenfeld (@csittenfeld) March 24, 2020
that i wore a bra...nearly every day before this...feels crazy to me — rachel syme (@rachsyme) March 17, 2020
My husband is wearing jeans to work from home ... psychotic — Gabriella Paiella (@GMPaiella) March 13, 2020
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I have been wearing hoodies and sweatpants for so long I think I’ve forgotten how to operate buttons. — Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) April 26, 2020
People: I can't wait for this to be over. I'm going to spend so much time outside and doing social stuff with others.
Me: *laughs nervously* Yes, me too. I will be doing all the social things outside my apartment and not laying around in sweatpants and no bra. — Charlotte Clymer 🏳🌈 (@cmclymer) April 26, 2020
Showered, put on clean clothes, then took a walk. With the day’s hard work out of the way I can now relax. — Mike Ginn (@shutupmikeginn) March 29, 2020
lot of talk on here about not wearing a bra during ~these uncertain times~ but not enough acknowledgement of my go-to: waking up and putting a sports bra on under my pajamas, thereby transforming sleep clothes into maybe-i'll-exercise-later clothes while still wearing pajamas — Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) April 23, 2020
I feel like I’m on that trip where you bring a bunch of clothes but only end up wearing the same 5 things — Sarah Levy (@sarahlevy_) April 11, 2020


huffpost--2020-04-29--Drug Proves Effective Against Coronavirus As Economic Damage Rises

Scientists on Wednesday announced the first effective treatment against the coronavirus — an experimental drug that can speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients — in a major medical advance that came as the economic gloom caused by the scourge deepened in the U.S. and Europe .
The U.S. government said it is working to make the antiviral medication remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible .
Stocks surged around the world on the news , with the Dow Jones Industrial average climbing more than 550 points , or over 2 % , in the afternoon .
The news came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ output is shriveling at an alarming rate in the biggest and fastest collapse since the Depression .
The virus has killed over 220,000 people worldwide since December , including about 60,000 confirmed deaths in the U.S. , and led to lockdowns and other restrictions that have closed factories and other businesses around the world .
Amid the shutdowns , the U.S. said its gross domestic product , or output of goods and services , shrank at an annual rate of 4.8 % in the January-March period , the sharpest quarterly drop since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade ago .
And the worst is yet to come : The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the GDP of the world ’ s biggest economy will plunge at a 40 % annual rate during the three-month period that ends in June .
The latest figures on people applying for unemployment benefits in the U.S. come out Thursday , with economists estimating perhaps 1 in 6 American workers , or about 30 million people , have lost their jobs over the past six weeks .
The U.S. unemployment rate for April will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , and economists have forecast that it could range as high as 20 % — a level not seen since the Depression .
Mario Franco , who worked at a McDonald ’ s at a rest stop along Interstate 95 in Darien , Connecticut , for 26 years , rising to night manager in charge of the kitchen staff , was laid off in late March .
The 50-year-old said he has little savings and now relies on a food bank and union donations .
“ They didn ’ t give us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interpreter .
“ They didn ’ t tell us about it .
Just suddenly the night shift ended and that was it .
There was no more work.
” Confirmed infections globally reached more than 3.2 million , including 1 million in the U.S. , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
The true numbers of deaths and infections are believed to be much higher because of limited testing , differences in counting the dead and concealment by some governments .
Biotech company Gilead Sciences and the U.S. government reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortened the time it takes for COVID-19 patients to recover by four days on average —from 15 days to 11 .
Also , a trend toward fewer deaths was seen among those on the drug , Fauci said .
It also projected that 1.6 billion workers in the “ informal economy , ” including those working without proper contracts or oversight by government regulation , “ stand in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed.
” That is nearly half the global workforce of 3.3 billion people .
In Europe , almost every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Figures due to be released Thursday are expected to show a drop of about 4 % in the first three months of the year in the eurozone , and an even steeper hit is projected this quarter .
Unemployment is expected to rise to about 8 % in March .
Many economists are skeptical the U.S. economy will bounce back quickly later in the year , noting that the virus could flare up again or consumers and employees might be too worried to return to business as usual .

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Scientists on Wednesday announced the first effective treatment against the coronavirus — an experimental drug that can speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients — in a major medical advance that came as the economic gloom caused by the scourge deepened in the U.S. and Europe.
The U.S. government said it is working to make the antiviral medication remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible. Stocks surged around the world on the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial average climbing more than 550 points, or over 2%, in the afternoon.
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“What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert. “This will be the standard of care.”
The news came as the U.S. government reported that American output is shriveling at an alarming rate in the biggest and fastest collapse since the Depression. The virus has killed over 220,000 people worldwide since December, including about 60,000 confirmed deaths in the U.S., and led to lockdowns and other restrictions that have closed factories and other businesses around the world.
Amid the shutdowns, the U.S. said its gross domestic product, or output of goods and services, shrank at an annual rate of 4.8% in the January-March period, the sharpest quarterly drop since the global financial meltdown of more than a decade ago.
And the worst is yet to come: The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the GDP of the world’s biggest economy will plunge at a 40% annual rate during the three-month period that ends in June.
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The latest figures on people applying for unemployment benefits in the U.S. come out Thursday, with economists estimating perhaps 1 in 6 American workers, or about 30 million people, have lost their jobs over the past six weeks.
The U.S. unemployment rate for April will be released at the end of next week, and economists have forecast that it could range as high as 20% — a level not seen since the Depression.
Mario Franco, who worked at a McDonald’s at a rest stop along Interstate 95 in Darien, Connecticut, for 26 years, rising to night manager in charge of the kitchen staff, was laid off in late March. The 50-year-old said he has little savings and now relies on a food bank and union donations.
“They didn’t give us any notice,” he said through an interpreter. “They didn’t tell us about it. Just suddenly the night shift ended and that was it. There was no more work.”
Confirmed infections globally reached more than 3.2 million, including 1 million in the U.S., according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers of deaths and infections are believed to be much higher because of limited testing, differences in counting the dead and concealment by some governments.
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Biotech company Gilead Sciences and the U.S. government reported that in a major study, remdesivir shortened the time it takes for COVID-19 patients to recover by four days on average —from 15 days to 11. Also, a trend toward fewer deaths was seen among those on the drug, Fauci said.
The study was run by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and involved 1,063 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world.
An effective treatment could have a profound effect on the outbreak, since a vaccine is probably a year or more away.
Economic damage, meanwhile, is piling up elsewhere around the world.
Globally, the United Nations’ main labor body raised its prediction of full-time-equivalent job losses in the second quarter to an estimated 305 million.
It also projected that 1.6 billion workers in the “informal economy,” including those working without proper contracts or oversight by government regulation, “stand in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed.” That is nearly half the global workforce of 3.3 billion people.
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In Europe, almost every measure of the economy is in free-fall. Figures due to be released Thursday are expected to show a drop of about 4% in the first three months of the year in the eurozone, and an even steeper hit is projected this quarter. Unemployment is expected to rise to about 8% in March.
The figure would be worse if not for massive amounts of government aid to keep millions of workers on payrolls. Government debt is exploding to cover the costs of such relief.
“The lockdowns to contain the COVID-19 pandemic are taking an unprecedented toll on the European economy,” said Florian Hense, an economist at Berenberg Bank.
In Paris, aircraft maker Airbus reported a first-quarter loss of 481 million euros ($515 million), laid off t housands of workers and sought billions in loans to pull through the crisis.
Italy’s credit rating was lowered in the first downgrade of a major economy as a result of the crisis. Its rating stands just one level above junk bond status. Italy expects its economy to shrink 8% this year.
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Germany’s economy minister said the government is projecting a contraction of about 11% in GDP by the end of the quarter. But he also predicted a sharp recovery in 2021.
Many economists are skeptical the U.S. economy will bounce back quickly later in the year, noting that the virus could flare up again or consumers and employees might be too worried to return to business as usual.
“The virus has done a lot of damage to the economy, and there is just so much uncertainty now,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.
In other developments, British raised its death toll to more than 26,000 after adding more than 3,800 nursing home deaths that were previously not included.
With the crisis easing in places like Italy, France and Spain, European governments are turning their attention to rethinking public transportation to get their economies running again without setting off a second wave of infections.
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Solutions include putting red stickers on the floor to tell bus passengers in Milan how far apart to stand. The Dutch are putting on longer, roomier trains. Berlin and many other cities are opening up more lanes to bicyclists. And in Britain, bus passengers are using the middle or rear doors to reduce the risk to the driver.
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Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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huffpost--2020-04-29--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

He added , however , that New Yorkers should continue to wear masks in public places and follow social distancing guidelines.
“ How can you not wear a mask ?
To me it ’ s disrespectful ... to the frontline workers , ” Cuomo said .
“ Just be responsible.
” Dr. Deborah Birx , a leading infectious disease expert on the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , described a recent protest of Michigan ’ s stay-at-home order as “ devastatingly worrisome ” after video of the event showed participants flouting social distancing guidelines .
On “ Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Birx to weigh in on from a public health perspective the hundreds of protesters who did not wear masks as they crammed inside Michigan ’ s state capitol building on Thursday .
“ It ’ s devastatingly worrisome to me personally , ” Birx said , “ because if they go home and infect their grandmother or their grandfather who has a comorbid condition and they have a serious or an unfortunate outcome , they will feel guilty for the rest of our lives.
” “ We need to protect each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voicing our discontent , ” she added .
White House Blocks Anthony Fauci From Testifying Next Week — 5/1/20 , 7:30 p.m .
ET The White House is blocking Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying before a House panel next week on the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Fauci , a leading infectious disease expert , is a prominent part of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force .
A White House spokesman said in a statement that it would be “ counterproductive ” to have people who are involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expediting vaccine development ” appear at congressional hearings .
“ We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time , ” added White House spokesman Judd Deere .
The Trump administration has been criticized for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The U.S. leads the world in coronavirus cases , with more than 1 million confirmed cases as of Friday .
Fauci , who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , has used the platform of the White House coronavirus briefings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abide by social distancing guidelines , warning about a possible increase in cases if they don ’ t .
A small rural county in California near the Oregon border on Friday allowed businesses to reopen , including restaurants , despite the state ’ s existing stay-at-home order disallowing such reopenings during the pandemic .
Modoc County , which is home to about 9,000 residents , has had no confirmed COVID-19 cases so far , a local official told the Associated Press .
California as a whole has reported more than 48,000 coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As other states across the country , including Texas and Georgia , have begun to reopen some businesses despite warnings from public health experts that this could lead to a possible spike in cases , California ’ s governor has stood firm in calling for people to stay home .
On Thursday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) closed all beaches in Orange County after large crowds over the weekend “ raised alarm bells ” about people ’ s willingness to comply with social distancing guidelines , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Workers To Strike Friday Over Safety Concerns — 5/1/20 , 9:00 a.m .
ET A huge coalition of workers from several major U.S. companies are planning a general strike Friday to demand hazard pay and greater safety precautions as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country .
Employees at Amazon , Instacart , Whole Foods , Walmart , Target , Shipt and FedEx are planning to participate .
They will either call in sick or walk off the job during their lunch breaks , according to The Intercept .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery and fulfillment centers have become essential employees for millions of Americans working and studying at home .
Although the companies have initiated some new safety policies , many workers believe they could be doing more , particularly as profits appear to be surging .
People who work these typically low-paid positions at Amazon , Whole Foods , Target and other companies are demanding hazard pay of an additional $ 5 per order , according to a press release about the strikes .
Workers are also demanding expanded access to personal protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they feel sick .
Amazon has been particularly opaque about the impact of COVID-19 among its workforce , going so far as to fire an employee back in March for staging a walkout in protest of its lax safety policies .
It remains unclear how many Amazon workers have contracted or died of the disease , but a group of employees in Indiana estimates that the number of cases is at least 500 across more than 135 buildings .
1 Million People Worldwide Have Recovered From Virus — 5/1/2020 , 5:30 a.m .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,022,447 recoveries from COVID-19 , Johns Hopkins data showed Friday .
There have been more than 3.2 million total cases worldwide , with over 233,000 deaths .
The U.S. has the highest number of recoveries — 153,947 — but also the highest number of deaths — 63,019 .
The recovery milestone comes as some U.S. states and countries around the world take steps to reopen businesses and loosen lockdown measures , even though the pandemic is far from over .
Poll Suggests Black And Latino New Yorkers More Likely To Know Someone Who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m .
ET We know that Black and Latino communities across the country have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus crisis , but a new poll out of Siena College has helped quantify the impact in New York state .
Asked whether they personally knew somebody who had died of the virus , 25 % of white respondents said they did , compared to 48 % of Black respondents and 52 % of Latino respondents .
The pollsters surveyed 803 registered voters across the state that ’ s been hit hardest by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus.The gap was not so wide , however , when respondents were asked whether they knew somebody who had merely tested positive for the virus ; 49 % of white respondents said they had , compared to 53 % of Black respondents and 62 % of Latino respondents .
Overall , a slim majority — 51 % of all respondents — said they personally knew somebody who has tested positive .
The reasons Black and Latino people are dying of COVID-19 at disproportional rates are complex , but center around the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is planning to host its first-ever virtual high school commencement ceremony for the entire city in June , as Chicago ’ s public schools remain closed for in-person classes through the end of the academic year .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the event Thursday in a TikTok video , where she ’ s first dancing in a button-down shirt and jeans and then later dancing in a graduation cap and gown .
The mayor said that Oprah Winfrey will host the celebration for all 12th graders at Chicago ’ s public , private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on high school milestones like prom and graduation .
“ The times we are living in are historic and stunning , forcing us all to take a deep look at who we are as a people and our place in the world , ” Lightfoot said in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times .
“ No one knows this better than Oprah , and I join all of Chicago in looking forward to hearing the wisdom she ’ ll be sharing with our incredible young people as they take this unforgettable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journey.
” The virtual celebration is expected to take place in mid-June , though specific details have not yet been released .
The ceremony will include speeches , performances and feature student achievements , according to the Sun-Times .
New York City made a similar announcement on Tuesday , with Mayor Bill de Blasio saying the city ’ s high school seniors “ have worked too hard to miss out on one of life ’ s defining moments.
” Some states are starting to loosen their stay-at-home orders meant to slow the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it is likely still too soon to reopen the economy .
Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) will lift Georgia ’ s stay-at-home order for the majority of the state ’ s more than 10 million residents starting Friday , though he encouraged people to stay home when it ’ s possible for them .
The order requires elderly and immunocompromised residents to stay home until June 12 , and mandates businesses to abide by a list of existing restrictions through May 13 in order to remain open .
Kemp also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear a mask in public , though he and his top health adviser said people can be more lenient at parks , beaches and other locations where there ’ s more room to social distance .
“ It isn ’ t as if a switch has been flipped and everything has opened , ” Georgia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said , according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
“ We ’ re moving into this phase carefully and cautiously and encouraging social distancing , wearing a mask in public.
” West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move from a stay-at-home order to what it called a “ better-at-home ” order starting Monday , a move that ’ s similar to the path Kemp is taking with Georgia .
States that are already beginning to loosen coronavirus restrictions have received fierce backlash from Democrats , health experts and even from President Donald Trump .
Officials warn that lifting stay-at-home orders too soon could lead to a spike in cases .
Deaf New Yorkers Sue Cuomo For Not Providing Sign Language Interpreter At Daily Briefings — 4/30/20 , 12:57 p.m .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D ) is excluding deaf New Yorkers from his daily coronavirus press conferences , a new lawsuit from disability rights advocates alleges , urging the governor to provide an American Sign Language interpreter .
Filed Wednesday , the lawsuit claims that Cuomo is the only U.S. state governor not providing an ASL interpreter during his highly watched daily briefings , meaning that deaf New Yorkers are “ unable to obtain vital life and death information at the time they need it most.
” In response , Cuomo ’ s office said an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing is available on Cuomo ’ s website .
However , the lawsuit points out that this option is not available to people who don ’ t have internet access .
Closed captioning , which is required by federal law , is also an insufficient alternative because it can be slow and inaccurate in real time , or if the person ’ s first language is not English .
More than 3.4 million Americans identify as deaf , and about 17 million report having “ serious difficulty hearing , ” according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least 200,000 residents of New York City , the epicenter of the global pandemic , are deaf or hard of hearing .
Well Again , Boris Johnson Returns To Daily UK Press Briefing — 4/30/20 , 12:15 p.m .
ET U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made his first appearance at the country ’ s daily press briefing since recovering from the coronavirus .
Johnson , whose fiancee Carrie Symonds gave birth to a son on Wednesday , said the United Kingdom is “ past the peak ” of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on the downward slope , ” the prime minister said , speaking in Downing Street .
“ And we have so many reasons to be hopeful for the long term.
” Johnson also said he will reveal plans for lifting the lockdown next week .
The number of people who have died in the U.K. after contracting the coronavirus has risen by 674 in 24 hours , bringing the total number of deaths to 26,711 .
Fauci Says Remdesivir ‘ Very Important First Step ’ In COVID-19 Treatment — 4/30/2020 ; 7:55 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug that can speed up the recovery of COVID-19 patients , has passed the “ gold standard ” of testing to prove it ’ s both safe and at least modestly effective , Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday .
“ It ’ s a really important proof of concept because this is the first very highly powered [ and ] placebo-controlled , randomized trial , ” Fauci told NBC ’ s “ Today.
” He called such trials the “ gold standard of how you prove something is safe and either works or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the first step in what we project will be better and better drugs coming along either alone or in combination , drugs of this type and drugs addressing other targets of the virus , ” he added .
“ So it ’ s good news .
...
This is not the total answer by any means but it ’ s a very important first step .
”

He added, however, that New Yorkers should continue to wear masks in public places and follow social distancing guidelines.“How can you not wear a mask? To me it’s disrespectful ... to the frontline workers,” Cuomo said. “Just be responsible.”
— Hayley Miller
Birx Calls Anti-Lockdown Protest in Michigan ‘Devastatingly Worrisome’ — 5/3/20, 1:15 p.m. ET
Dr. Deborah Birx, a leading infectious disease expert on the White House’s coronavirus task force, described a recent protest of Michigan’s stay-at-home order as “devastatingly worrisome” after video of the event showed participants flouting social distancing guidelines.
On “Fox News Sunday,” host Chris Wallace asked Birx to weigh in on from a public health perspective the hundreds of protesters who did not wear masks as they crammed inside Michigan’s state capitol building on Thursday.
“It’s devastatingly worrisome to me personally,” Birx said, “because if they go home and infect their grandmother or their grandfather who has a comorbid condition and they have a serious or an unfortunate outcome, they will feel guilty for the rest of our lives.”
“We need to protect each other at the same time we’re voicing our discontent,” she added.
— Hayley Miller
White House Blocks Anthony Fauci From Testifying Next Week — 5/1/20, 7:30 p.m. ET
The White House is blocking Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying before a House panel next week on the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert, is a prominent part of the White House’s coronavirus task force.
A White House spokesman said in a statement that it would be “counterproductive” to have people who are involved in “safely opening up America again and expediting vaccine development” appear at congressional hearings. “We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time,” added White House spokesman Judd Deere.
The Trump administration has been criticized for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. leads the world in coronavirus cases, with more than 1 million confirmed cases as of Friday. Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has used the platform of the White House coronavirus briefings to repeatedly urge the American public to abide by social distancing guidelines, warning about a possible increase in cases if they don’t.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Northern California County Reopens Businesses Against Governor’s Order — 5/1/20, 1:45 p.m. ET
A small rural county in California near the Oregon border on Friday allowed businesses to reopen, including restaurants, despite the state’s existing stay-at-home order disallowing such reopenings during the pandemic.
Modoc County, which is home to about 9,000 residents, has had no confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, a local official told the Associated Press.
California as a whole has reported more than 48,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 2,000 deaths as of Thursday.
As other states across the country, including Texas and Georgia, have begun to reopen some businesses despite warnings from public health experts that this could lead to a possible spike in cases, California’s governor has stood firm in calling for people to stay home.
On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) closed all beaches in Orange County after large crowds over the weekend “raised alarm bells” about people’s willingness to comply with social distancing guidelines, he said.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Amazon, Walmart, Target, Instacart Workers To Strike Friday Over Safety Concerns — 5/1/20, 9:00 a.m. ET
A huge coalition of workers from several major U.S. companies are planning a general strike Friday to demand hazard pay and greater safety precautions as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country.
Employees at Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Shipt and FedEx are planning to participate. They will either call in sick or walk off the job during their lunch breaks, according to The Intercept.
In the current crisis, people who work in delivery and fulfillment centers have become essential employees for millions of Americans working and studying at home. Although the companies have initiated some new safety policies, many workers believe they could be doing more, particularly as profits appear to be surging. People who work these typically low-paid positions at Amazon, Whole Foods, Target and other companies are demanding hazard pay of an additional $5 per order, according to a press release about the strikes.
Workers are also demanding expanded access to personal protective equipment and the ability to stay home if they feel sick.
Amazon has been particularly opaque about the impact of COVID-19 among its workforce, going so far as to fire an employee back in March for staging a walkout in protest of its lax safety policies. It remains unclear how many Amazon workers have contracted or died of the disease, but a group of employees in Indiana estimates that the number of cases is at least 500 across more than 135 buildings.
— Sara Boboltz
1 Million People Worldwide Have Recovered From Virus — 5/1/2020, 5:30 a.m. ET
Countries around the world have reported 1,022,447 recoveries from COVID-19, Johns Hopkins data showed Friday. There have been more than 3.2 million total cases worldwide, with over 233,000 deaths. The U.S. has the highest number of recoveries — 153,947 — but also the highest number of deaths — 63,019.
The recovery milestone comes as some U.S. states and countries around the world take steps to reopen businesses and loosen lockdown measures, even though the pandemic is far from over.
— Liza Hearon
Poll Suggests Black And Latino New Yorkers More Likely To Know Someone Who Died Of COVID-19 — 4/30/20, 5:20 p.m. ET
We know that Black and Latino communities across the country have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus crisis, but a new poll out of Siena College has helped quantify the impact in New York state.
Asked whether they personally knew somebody who had died of the virus, 25% of white respondents said they did, compared to 48% of Black respondents and 52% of Latino respondents. The pollsters surveyed 803 registered voters across the state that’s been hit hardest by COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.The gap was not so wide, however, when respondents were asked whether they knew somebody who had merely tested positive for the virus; 49% of white respondents said they had, compared to 53% of Black respondents and 62% of Latino respondents. Overall, a slim majority — 51% of all respondents — said they personally knew somebody who has tested positive.
The reasons Black and Latino people are dying of COVID-19 at disproportional rates are complex, but center around the country’s legacy of social inequality.
— Sara Boboltz
Chicago Announces Virtual Citywide High School Commencement — 4/30/20, 4:42 p.m. ET
Chicago is planning to host its first-ever virtual high school commencement ceremony for the entire city in June, as Chicago’s public schools remain closed for in-person classes through the end of the academic year.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the event Thursday in a TikTok video, where she’s first dancing in a button-down shirt and jeans and then later dancing in a graduation cap and gown. The mayor said that Oprah Winfrey will host the celebration for all 12th graders at Chicago’s public, private and charter schools who are currently missing out on high school milestones like prom and graduation.
“The times we are living in are historic and stunning, forcing us all to take a deep look at who we are as a people and our place in the world,” Lightfoot said in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. “No one knows this better than Oprah, and I join all of Chicago in looking forward to hearing the wisdom she’ll be sharing with our incredible young people as they take this unforgettable next step on their life’s journey.”
The virtual celebration is expected to take place in mid-June, though specific details have not yet been released. The ceremony will include speeches, performances and feature student achievements, according to the Sun-Times.
New York City made a similar announcement on Tuesday, with Mayor Bill de Blasio saying the city’s high school seniors “have worked too hard to miss out on one of life’s defining moments.”
— Sanjana Karanth
Some States Begin Loosening Stay-At-Home Orders — 4/30/20, 3:55 p.m. ET
Some states are starting to loosen their stay-at-home orders meant to slow the spread of coronavirus, despite health experts cautioning that it is likely still too soon to reopen the economy.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will lift Georgia’s stay-at-home order for the majority of the state’s more than 10 million residents starting Friday, though he encouraged people to stay home when it’s possible for them. The order requires elderly and immunocompromised residents to stay home until June 12, and mandates businesses to abide by a list of existing restrictions through May 13 in order to remain open.
Kemp also urged Georgia residents for the first time to wear a mask in public, though he and his top health adviser said people can be more lenient at parks, beaches and other locations where there’s more room to social distance.
“It isn’t as if a switch has been flipped and everything has opened,” Georgia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re moving into this phase carefully and cautiously and encouraging social distancing, wearing a mask in public.”
West Virginia also announced that the state will move from a stay-at-home order to what it called a “better-at-home” order starting Monday, a move that’s similar to the path Kemp is taking with Georgia.
States that are already beginning to loosen coronavirus restrictions have received fierce backlash from Democrats, health experts and even from President Donald Trump. Officials warn that lifting stay-at-home orders too soon could lead to a spike in cases.
— Sanjana Karanth
Deaf New Yorkers Sue Cuomo For Not Providing Sign Language Interpreter At Daily Briefings — 4/30/20, 12:57 p.m. ET
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is excluding deaf New Yorkers from his daily coronavirus press conferences, a new lawsuit from disability rights advocates alleges, urging the governor to provide an American Sign Language interpreter.
Filed Wednesday, the lawsuit claims that Cuomo is the only U.S. state governor not providing an ASL interpreter during his highly watched daily briefings, meaning that deaf New Yorkers are “unable to obtain vital life and death information at the time they need it most.”
In response, Cuomo’s office said an ASL version of each day’s briefing is available on Cuomo’s website. However, the lawsuit points out that this option is not available to people who don’t have internet access. Closed captioning, which is required by federal law, is also an insufficient alternative because it can be slow and inaccurate in real time, or if the person’s first language is not English.
More than 3.4 million Americans identify as deaf, and about 17 million report having “serious difficulty hearing,” according to a 2014 Census survey of Americans with disabilities. At least 200,000 residents of New York City, the epicenter of the global pandemic, are deaf or hard of hearing.
Read more here.
— Marina Fang
Well Again, Boris Johnson Returns To Daily UK Press Briefing — 4/30/20, 12:15 p.m. ET
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made his first appearance at the country’s daily press briefing since recovering from the coronavirus.
Johnson, whose fiancee Carrie Symonds gave birth to a son on Wednesday, said the United Kingdom is “past the peak” of the outbreak.
“We are past the peak and on the downward slope,” the prime minister said, speaking in Downing Street. “And we have so many reasons to be hopeful for the long term.”
Johnson also said he will reveal plans for lifting the lockdown next week.
The number of people who have died in the U.K. after contracting the coronavirus has risen by 674 in 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 26,711.
Read more here.
— James Martin
Fauci Says Remdesivir ‘Very Important First Step’ In COVID-19 Treatment — 4/30/2020; 7:55 a.m. ET
Remdesivir, an experimental drug that can speed up the recovery of COVID-19 patients, has passed the “gold standard” of testing to prove it’s both safe and at least modestly effective, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday.
“It’s a really important proof of concept because this is the first very highly powered [and] placebo-controlled, randomized trial,” Fauci told NBC’s “Today.” He called such trials the “gold standard of how you prove something is safe and either works or doesn’t work.”
“It’s the first step in what we project will be better and better drugs coming along either alone or in combination, drugs of this type and drugs addressing other targets of the virus,” he added. “So it’s good news. ... This is not the total answer by any means but it’s a very important first step.”


huffpost--2020-04-29--LA County Nursing Students Forced To Choose Between Delaying Graduation Or Risking COVID-19 Infectio

LA County Nursing Students Forced To Choose Between Delaying Graduation Or Risking COVID-19 Infection

Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press Students at a nursing program operated by Los Angeles County 's Department of Health Services are required to continue their clinical rotations in hospitals in order to graduate on time , even as other nursing schools have transitioned to online simulations in response to the coronavirus .
Most hospitals are no longer allowing nursing students to come in for clinicals .
Because students require near-constant supervision , their presence in facilities overwhelmed by COVID-19 can create more work for nurses than it can provide relief .
With limited supplies of personal protective equipment , hospitals throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and avoid putting themselves at an unnecessarily high risk of contracting the virus or spreading it to others .
Because of this , several states , including California , have loosened restrictions on in-person clinical hours to allow nursing students impacted by the pandemic to graduate on time .
But in Los Angeles County , where there are more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus , the College of Nursing & Allied Health ( CONAH ) is still sending students into several county-owned hospitals for unpaid clinical rotations .
Of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , several do not have health insurance or live with elderly parents , who are particularly vulnerable to serious illness or death from COVID-19 .
There are plenty of students who are eager to continue their clinical rotation , even throughout the pandemic .
But few are being forced to choose between accepting that risk and delaying their ability to graduate and earn an income as a nurse .
The Association of American Medical Colleges , which called for medical schools to pause clinical rotations back in March , emphasized in later guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals should do so on a voluntary basis .
There is no comparable guidance for nursing students , who have frequent interaction with patients in hospitals .
CONAH students returned to the county hospitals earlier this month after an extended spring break .
Some of the nurses appeared surprised , and at times , annoyed by their presence , several students told HuffPost .
“ They ’ re letting you guys come back ?
” a nurse said to one student , who recalled the interaction in an interview .
“ We felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the hospital .
Everybody ’ s kind of on edge , ” said the student , who , like others interviewed for this story , requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation .
Another nurse urged a different CONAH student to try to convince the school to suspend clinical rotations .
A third nurse who works at a hospital in Los Angeles that is not currently taking students told HuffPost in a text message that nursing students “ are not helpful ” during the pandemic .
The stress and anxiety most nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to teach students , said the nurse , who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation .
“ We would prefer [ students ] to stay home and not spread the virus , ” she said .
CONAH Dean Mildred Gonzales said that the school ’ s faculty supervise students and are mindful of not creating extra work for nurses .
Hospital administrators , she said , have told her they want help from nursing students during the pandemic .
Because of the pandemic , the school has paused rotations in intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students to work on the medical surgical floor .
CONAH provides students with surgical masks so that they are not cutting into the hospital ’ s supply of personal protective equipment , Gonzales said .
As student nurses who are apprehensive with the crisis , this is also the time , perhaps , to think and reflect if the nursing profession is for you .
Mildred Gonzales , dean of the College of Nursing And Allied Health “ For those who are afraid and anxious of coming back to clinical due to potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you that this is the profession wherein we face and care for patients with numerous disease conditions and sometimes with unknown etiology in a daily basis , ” Gonzales wrote .
“ As nurses ( your faculty ) , this is our calling .
We go to the hospital to take care of patients as the need arise .
As student nurses who are apprehensive with the crisis , this is also the time , perhaps , to think and reflect if the nursing profession is for you , ” Gonzales continued .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s creation of a new program called California Health Corps as part of the reason for the school sending students in for clinicals .
At the end of March , the governor called on all licensed health care professionals , medical retirees , members of medical disaster response teams and medical and nursing students to sign up to get placed in a facility that needs support .
Although the Health Corps program is open to nursing students , those who get accepted are paid and participation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Newsom ’ s ] order , we are resuming clinical earlier than our previous schedule , ” Gonzales wrote in an email .
But unlike members of the Health Corps , students at CONAH do not get paid to help out at hospitals and they don ’ t have much of a choice in whether to subject themselves to the risk .
If they don ’ t go into their assigned hospitals for clinicals , they will have to push back their graduation date , which means they will go even longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a nurse .
Students were initially told they would not be asked to treat COVID-19-positive patients or those suspected of having the virus .
Asked if that policy could change if the coronavirus overwhelmed the hospitals , Gonzales said the school would have to “ evaluate ” the situation .
Even under the current policy , students are still at risk of contracting the virus from asymptomatic patients .
At least one student has treated a patient who later tested positive for COVID-19 , Gonzales acknowledged .
There are currently coronavirus patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assigned .
Some students who can ’ t afford their own place live with elderly parents .
If they were salaried nurses , students told HuffPost , they could afford to move out or at least find another place to stay during the pandemic .
For now , they resort to precautions like changing clothes in the garage after a shift at the hospital and avoiding being in the same room of the house as family members , two students said in interviews .
The school gave students until April 17 to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students pulled out and will have to finish their coursework next semester , Gonzales said .
Some of the students who decided to complete the semester only did so because they couldn ’ t afford to postpone completing their degree .
If any of the students who are trying to make it through clinical end up deciding they can no longer do it , their only option will be to withdraw and redo the entire semester .
Students who withdraw are not typically guaranteed a spot in future semesters .

Students at a nursing program operated by Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services are required to continue their clinical rotations in hospitals in order to graduate on time, even as other nursing schools have transitioned to online simulations in response to the coronavirus. Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press
A nursing school operated by Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services is requiring nursing students to continue their clinical rotation in county-owned hospitals, even as other nursing programs in the country have transitioned to online education in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Most hospitals are no longer allowing nursing students to come in for clinicals. Because students require near-constant supervision, their presence in facilities overwhelmed by COVID-19 can create more work for nurses than it can provide relief. With limited supplies of personal protective equipment, hospitals throughout the country have encouraged nursing students to stay home and avoid putting themselves at an unnecessarily high risk of contracting the virus or spreading it to others. Because of this, several states, including California, have loosened restrictions on in-person clinical hours to allow nursing students impacted by the pandemic to graduate on time.
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But in Los Angeles County, where there are more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the College of Nursing & Allied Health (CONAH) is still sending students into several county-owned hospitals for unpaid clinical rotations. Of the nearly 200 students in the nursing program, several do not have health insurance or live with elderly parents, who are particularly vulnerable to serious illness or death from COVID-19.
There are plenty of students who are eager to continue their clinical rotation, even throughout the pandemic. But few are being forced to choose between accepting that risk and delaying their ability to graduate and earn an income as a nurse. The Association of American Medical Colleges, which called for medical schools to pause clinical rotations back in March, emphasized in later guidance that medical students who do assist in hospitals should do so on a voluntary basis. There is no comparable guidance for nursing students, who have frequent interaction with patients in hospitals.
CONAH students returned to the county hospitals earlier this month after an extended spring break. Some of the nurses appeared surprised, and at times, annoyed by their presence, several students told HuffPost. “They’re letting you guys come back?” a nurse said to one student, who recalled the interaction in an interview. “We felt like we were walking on eggshells going into the hospital. Everybody’s kind of on edge,” said the student, who, like others interviewed for this story, requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. Another nurse urged a different CONAH student to try to convince the school to suspend clinical rotations.
A third nurse who works at a hospital in Los Angeles that is not currently taking students told HuffPost in a text message that nursing students “are not helpful” during the pandemic. The stress and anxiety most nurses are dealing with would impact their ability to teach students, said the nurse, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. “We would prefer [students] to stay home and not spread the virus,” she said.
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CONAH Dean Mildred Gonzales said that the school’s faculty supervise students and are mindful of not creating extra work for nurses. Hospital administrators, she said, have told her they want help from nursing students during the pandemic. Because of the pandemic, the school has paused rotations in intensive care units and operating rooms, instead assigning students to work on the medical surgical floor. CONAH provides students with surgical masks so that they are not cutting into the hospital’s supply of personal protective equipment, Gonzales said.
In the past, students at CONAH would go to campus and use the school’s secure computers to select a patient and research their conditions. But because campus is now closed and students can’t access patient information at home, their only chance to prepare is to get to the hospital an hour early.
“Normally, you would try to find people with a problem you want to learn more about,” another student told HuffPost. “Now we try to just choose one that’s safest for us,” she said. “I, personally, try to find patients who don’t have a fever.”
Students get their temperatures checked before entering the facility and are given surgical masks each day, but they aren’t allowed to wear N95 masks. Surgical masks prevent students from spreading their own germs but, unlike N95s, do little to protect them from others.
“As student nurses who are apprehensive with the crisis, this is also the time, perhaps, to think and reflect if the nursing profession is for you.” - Mildred Gonzales, dean of the College of Nursing And Allied Health
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As the risk of the coronavirus started to become apparent last month, CONAH administrators sent students home for an extended spring break in accordance with California’s shelter-in-place order. The school would eventually resume with “web-based presentations,” Gonzales wrote in an email. But midway through their break, Gonzales emailed students again, summoning them back into the hospitals for clinical rotations.
“For those who are afraid and anxious of coming back to clinical due to potential exposure, I want to reiterate to you that this is the profession wherein we face and care for patients with numerous disease conditions and sometimes with unknown etiology in a daily basis,” Gonzales wrote. “As nurses (your faculty), this is our calling. We go to the hospital to take care of patients as the need arise. As student nurses who are apprehensive with the crisis, this is also the time, perhaps, to think and reflect if the nursing profession is for you,” Gonzales continued.
“I was insulted by it,” the second student said of the dean’s email.
“I was pissed,” a third said.
Gonazles told HuffPost she did not intend to put students down or suggest that people with concerns are not fit to be nurses.
In her email to students, Gonzales cited California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s creation of a new program called California Health Corps as part of the reason for the school sending students in for clinicals. At the end of March, the governor called on all licensed health care professionals, medical retirees, members of medical disaster response teams and medical and nursing students to sign up to get placed in a facility that needs support. Although the Health Corps program is open to nursing students, those who get accepted are paid and participation is voluntary.
“In line with [Newsom’s] order, we are resuming clinical earlier than our previous schedule,” Gonzales wrote in an email. But unlike members of the Health Corps, students at CONAH do not get paid to help out at hospitals and they don’t have much of a choice in whether to subject themselves to the risk. If they don’t go into their assigned hospitals for clinicals, they will have to push back their graduation date, which means they will go even longer without the ability to earn an income as a nurse.
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Students were initially told they would not be asked to treat COVID-19-positive patients or those suspected of having the virus. Asked if that policy could change if the coronavirus overwhelmed the hospitals, Gonzales said the school would have to “evaluate” the situation. Even under the current policy, students are still at risk of contracting the virus from asymptomatic patients. At least one student has treated a patient who later tested positive for COVID-19, Gonzales acknowledged. There are currently coronavirus patients in the wards where CONAH students are assigned.
Nursing students understand they are choosing to enter a profession that carries health risks — and they are ready to take on that risk once they are working nurses with health insurance and income, several CONAH students said in interviews. Students aren’t just worried about their own safety — they have to factor in the risk of exposing their loved ones to COVID-19.
The third student said she sometimes thinks about worst-case scenarios. What if she catches the virus at the hospital, brings it home and her partner gets sick and dies? “I think carrying that burden for the rest of my life would be too much weight,” she said.
Some students who can’t afford their own place live with elderly parents. If they were salaried nurses, students told HuffPost, they could afford to move out or at least find another place to stay during the pandemic. For now, they resort to precautions like changing clothes in the garage after a shift at the hospital and avoiding being in the same room of the house as family members, two students said in interviews.
For the students in the program who are parents, being summoned into the hospital poses an additional problem: finding child care and a way to pay for it. Los Angeles County Unified School District closed schools back in March and the hospitals “can only accommodate childcare for employees,” Gonzales wrote in an email. A nonprofit affiliated with one of the county hospitals has since offered to help students with child care, Gonzales told HuffPost.
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The school gave students until April 17 to decide whether to continue the semester. Twenty-six students pulled out and will have to finish their coursework next semester, Gonzales said. Some of the students who decided to complete the semester only did so because they couldn’t afford to postpone completing their degree. If any of the students who are trying to make it through clinical end up deciding they can no longer do it, their only option will be to withdraw and redo the entire semester. Students who withdraw are not typically guaranteed a spot in future semesters.
Until recently, California’s Board of Registered Nursing required nursing students to complete 75% of their clinical hours in-person in direct contact with patients. Because most hospitals are not allowing student nurses in their facilities during the COVID-19 crisis, that requirement would have made it impossible for many nursing students to graduate on time. In March, the deans of several nursing schools in California called on the governor to temporarily lower the in-person requirement to 50%. Ryane Panasewicz, a nursing student at West Coast University, started a Change.org petition with a similar demand, which received more than 137,000 signatures.
The lobbying effort worked. Earlier this month, California modified its requirements to allow students who do not have access to in-person clinical training at a hospital within 50 miles of their campus to complete half of their clinical training hours through online simulations. But by the time the state relaxed its rules, CONAH administrators had already reached an agreement with several county-owned hospitals for students to continue in-person clinicals.
“I feel like we’re disposable to [the Department of Health Services],” the second student said. “Is it going to take a student getting sick for them to change their minds?”


huffpost--2020-06-01--17 Too-True Tweets About Having, Wanting And Cutting Bangs In Lockdown

A lot of conflicting ideas have been hurled at bang enthusiasts and novices alike over the course of shelter-in-place orders @ @ @ @ @ them yourself , other stylists offering tips on how to do it , and no @ @ @ @ @ the risk of the at-home cut .
But some comfort can be taken in the @ @ @ @ @ not alone .
Not when we pick up the scissors , not when we fantasize @ @ @ @ @ when we mess up our own heads of hair .
Below , 17 too-true tweets @ @ @ @ @ bangs that far too many of us can relate to .
Plus , one vivid @ @ @ @ @ you to keep following shelter-in-place orders .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A lot of conflicting ideas have been hurled at bang enthusiasts and novices alike over the course of shelter-in-place orders ― hairstylists warning against cutting them yourself, other stylists offering tips on how to do it, and no shortage of memes warning about the risk of the at-home cut.
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It’s been a roller coaster.
But some comfort can be taken in the fact that we’re not alone. Not when we pick up the scissors, not when we fantasize over a fringe and not when we mess up our own heads of hair.
Below, 17 too-true tweets about the temptation of lockdown bangs that far too many of us can relate to. Plus, one vivid Instagram that will certainly convince you to keep following shelter-in-place orders.
What my coworkers see during a conference call three weeks into quarantine after I’ve cut my own hair #TigerKing #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/9irninJKma — wileekylee (@wileekylee) March 23, 2020
Quarantine bangs: who wore it better pic.twitter.com/WwBUyEqgUE — Tashas[E]v (@TashasEv) May 25, 2020
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My reason for not watching Normal People? I don't want to be tricked into becoming so obsessed with Daisy Edgar-Jones's perfect haircut that I end up cutting myself quarantine bangs. — Silvia Killingsworth (@silviakillings) May 27, 2020
my favourite thing about these weird times is that when you get on the wines alone on a saturday night and cut your own fringe you know that this time, you're not the only one. — rose (@roseybish) May 23, 2020
On a scale of constantly weeping to cutting your own bangs, how is everyone feeling today? ✂ #NormalPeople pic.twitter.com/s2lZpIz84T — Normal People (@normalpeople) May 5, 2020
honestly seeing dakota johnson's perfect bangs whilst in lockdown is an attack https://t.co/2Z9KkPgMjz — Jamie Alyson Feldman (@RealGirlProject) May 12, 2020
I trimmed my own bangs last night. It went just as well as you’d expect... #coronavirus #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/k44F1dqu6H — Melissa Gilligan (@MeliGilligan) March 18, 2020
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Waaaayy tooooo late pic.twitter.com/A0ttODNGEh — Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) March 30, 2020
trying new things with my hair during coronavirus lockdown pic.twitter.com/6PSruMK4tD — David Mack (@davidmackau) March 24, 2020
i will not succumb to quarantine and end up getting bangs, i will not succumb to quarantine and end up getting bangs — n i k 🦋 (@pimpnikkii) May 27, 2020
quarantine has me thinking many different deep thoughts, such as "should i be a lawyer?" "am i waste of human life?" "should i get bangs?" "how much peanut butter is too much?" — taylor (@walkthemunoz) May 28, 2020
When people give themselves bangs in quarantine pic.twitter.com/BFnfd4ICvs — Nick Roberts (@anxious_baker_) May 28, 2020
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I have passed the cutting bangs stage and moved right into the considering a home perm stage of quarantine. Get on my level. — Divergent Mama (@Divergentmama) April 21, 2020
Great I was mentally steering clear of wanting quarantine bangs and now Marianne looks so fucking angelic in normal people and fuck — Patricia Camerota (@pacamer_) April 30, 2020
What's interesting is that me cutting my own bangs does not produce the same result as Bella Hadid cutting her own bangs — mimi (@mklsqxoxo) May 21, 2020
Don’t cut your own bangs, and don’t rely on the government. — Alex Clark 💖🇺🇸 (@yoalexrapz) May 19, 2020
If you’re looking for a sign not to cut your own bangs today, this is it 🙅♀💇♀ pic.twitter.com/Df9cZSXCgh — Trixie Cosmetics (@TrixieCosmetics) May 28, 2020


huffpost--2020-06-01--Protests, Erosion Of Trust In Government Upend Coronavirus Control

ASSOCIATED PRESS People kneel in front of the Hall of Justice in San Francisco , Sunday , May 31 , 2020 , at protests over the Memorial Day death of George Floyd .
( AP Photo/Jeff Chiu ) NEW YORK ( AP ) — Protests erupting across the nation over the past week — and law enforcement ’ s response to them — are threatening to upend efforts by health officials to track and contain the spread of coronavirus just as those efforts were finally getting underway .
Health experts need newly infected people to remember and recount everyone they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to alert others who may have been exposed , and prevent them from spreading the disease further .
But that process , known as contact tracing , relies on people knowing who they ’ ve been in contact with — a daunting task if they ’ ve been to a mass gathering .
“ These events that are happening now are further threats to the trust we need , ” said Dr. Sandro Galea , dean of the Boston University School of Public Health .
“ If we do not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control new outbreaks becomes more limited , ” he said .
Government officials have been hoping to continue reopening businesses , churches and other organizations after months of stay-at-home orders and other infection-prevention measures .
But health experts also hoped that any reopening would be accompanied by widespread testing , contact tracing and isolation to prevent new waves of illness from beginning .
Over the past week , protests sparked by the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned a knee to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered tightly together in large crowds in more than 20 cities nationwide .
It ’ s unclear if the protests themselves will trigger large new outbreaks .
The protests were outside , where infections don ’ t spread as readily as indoors .
Also , many of the protesters were wearing masks , and much of the contact was likely less-hazardous “ transient ” moments of people moving around , passing each other , said Dr. William Schaffner , an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University .
In Los Angeles , the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing centers were being closed because of safety concerns related to violent protests .
Testing in Minneapolis will be affected because some of the clinics that provide the service have been damaged in the protests , according to a city government spokesperson .
And contract tracing , which is only just getting going in several states , is an even bigger concern .
It involves people who work for or with health departments asking intimate questions about where a person has been and who they ’ ve been talking to — and getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In this current environment which has enhanced or brought forth a mistrust of governmental authority , it might make them disinclined to speak with anyone in government , ” Schaffner said .
That is especially true in black communities trying to cope with episodes of police violence and longstanding frustrations with how they have been marginalized and mistreated by people who work for government agencies .
And those are the communities that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus in the U.S. and most in need of public health measures to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington used the term “ contact tracing ” when describing an investigation into arrested protesters there .
He said the goal is to “ see if there are crime or white supremacy organizations that have played a role ” and “ to understand how do we go after them , legally , ” Harrington said .
But Harrington ’ s use of “ contact tracing ” by law enforcement may complicate the job of health workers as they try to track the virus ’ s spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing is a service to patients and their contacts to provide services for patients and warning for contacts .
It has nothing to do with police activity .
Nothing , ” said Frieden , who is currently president of Resolve to Save Lives , a nonprofit that works to prevent epidemics .
Galea said he hopes many people will separate in their minds the contact tracing done by public health workers from crime investigations by the police .
But , he added , “ I do think sometimes it ’ s difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by , and targeted by , the entire government .
”

People kneel in front of the Hall of Justice in San Francisco, Sunday, May 31, 2020, at protests over the Memorial Day death of George Floyd. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Protests erupting across the nation over the past week — and law enforcement’s response to them — are threatening to upend efforts by health officials to track and contain the spread of coronavirus just as those efforts were finally getting underway.
Health experts need newly infected people to remember and recount everyone they’ve interacted with over several days in order to alert others who may have been exposed, and prevent them from spreading the disease further. But that process, known as contact tracing, relies on people knowing who they’ve been in contact with — a daunting task if they’ve been to a mass gathering.
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And the process relies on something that may suddenly be in especially short supply: Trust in government.
“These events that are happening now are further threats to the trust we need,” said Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health. “If we do not have that, I worry our capacity to control new outbreaks becomes more limited,” he said.
Government officials have been hoping to continue reopening businesses, churches and other organizations after months of stay-at-home orders and other infection-prevention measures. But health experts also hoped that any reopening would be accompanied by widespread testing, contact tracing and isolation to prevent new waves of illness from beginning.
Demonstrators pray during a march, Sunday, May 31, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Over the past week, protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned a knee to his neck, have involved thousands of people gathered tightly together in large crowds in more than 20 cities nationwide.
It’s unclear if the protests themselves will trigger large new outbreaks. The protests were outside, where infections don’t spread as readily as indoors. Also, many of the protesters were wearing masks, and much of the contact was likely less-hazardous “transient” moments of people moving around, passing each other, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.
But, still, experts worry that public efforts to contain the disease in the future could be undermined.
In Los Angeles, the city’s mayor announced Saturday that COVID-19 testing centers were being closed because of safety concerns related to violent protests. Testing in Minneapolis will be affected because some of the clinics that provide the service have been damaged in the protests, according to a city government spokesperson.
Reduced testing could “be giving the virus another head start,” Schaffner said.
And contract tracing, which is only just getting going in several states, is an even bigger concern. It involves people who work for or with health departments asking intimate questions about where a person has been and who they’ve been talking to — and getting full, truthful answers in return.
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“In this current environment which has enhanced or brought forth a mistrust of governmental authority, it might make them disinclined to speak with anyone in government,” Schaffner said.
That is especially true in black communities trying to cope with episodes of police violence and longstanding frustrations with how they have been marginalized and mistreated by people who work for government agencies. And those are the communities that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus in the U.S. and most in need of public health measures to help control it.
In a press conference Saturday, Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington used the term “contact tracing” when describing an investigation into arrested protesters there. He said the goal is to “see if there are crime or white supremacy organizations that have played a role” and “to understand how do we go after them, legally,” Harrington said.
But Harrington’s use of “contact tracing” by law enforcement may complicate the job of health workers as they try to track the virus’s spread, some experts said.
“That was an abuse of the word ‘contact tracing.’ That is not what contact tracing is,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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“Contact tracing is a service to patients and their contacts to provide services for patients and warning for contacts. It has nothing to do with police activity. Nothing,” said Frieden, who is currently president of Resolve to Save Lives, a nonprofit that works to prevent epidemics.
Galea said he hopes many people will separate in their minds the contact tracing done by public health workers from crime investigations by the police. But, he added, “I do think sometimes it’s difficult to make a distinction when you feel marginalized by, and targeted by, the entire government.”
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huffpost--2020-06-01--Unrest Overshadows Peaceful U.S. Protests For Another Night

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — With cities wounded by days of violent unrest , America headed into a new week with neighborhoods in shambles , urban streets on lockdown and shaken confidence about when leaders would find the answers to control the mayhem amid unrelenting raw emotion over police killings of black people .
Sunday capped a tumultuous weekend and month that saw city and state officials deploy thousands of National Guard soldiers , enact strict curfews and shut down mass transit systems .
Even with those efforts , many demonstrations erupted into violence as protesters hurled rocks and Molotov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fire near the White House and were hit with tear gas and pepper spray in Austin and other cities .
Seven Boston police officers were hospitalized .
In some cities , thieves smashed their way into stores and ran off with as much as they could carry , leaving shop owners , many of them just ramping up their business again after coronavirus pandemic lockdowns , to clean up their shattered storefronts .
The demonstrations were sparked by the death of George Floyd , a black man who pleaded for air as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neck .
Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis came after tensions had already flared after two white men were arrested in May for the February shooting death of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia , and the Louisville police shooting death of Breonna Taylor in her home in March .
Tensions rose Sunday outside the White House , the scene of three days of demonstrations , where police fired tear gas and stun grenades into a crowd of more than 1,000 chanting protesters across the street in Lafayette Park .
The crowd ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barriers to light a raging fire in a nearby street .
Some pulled an American flag from a building and threw it into the blaze .
A building in the park with bathrooms and a maintenance office went up in flames .
The district ’ s entire National Guard — roughly 1,700 soldiers — was called in to help control the protests , according to two Defense Department officials who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter .
“ Maybe this country will get the memo that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black men , ” said Lex Scott , founder of Black Lives Matter Utah .
“ Maybe the next time a white police officer decides to pull the trigger , he will picture cities burning.
” Yet thousands still marched peacefully in Phoenix , Albuquerque and other cities , with some calling for an end to the fires , vandalism and theft , saying it weakened calls for justice and reform .
In downtown Atlanta , authorities fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators .
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said two officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desk duty after video showed police surrounding a car Saturday , and using stun guns on the man and woman inside .
In Los Angeles , a police SUV accelerated into several protesters in a street , knocking two people to the ground .
Nearby in Santa Monica , not far from a peaceful demonstration , groups broke into stores , walking out with boxes of shoes and folding chairs , among other items .
A fire broke out at a restaurant across the street .
Scores swarmed into nearby outlet stores in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clothing from a Forever 21 store away in garbage bags .
In Minneapolis , the officer who pressed his knee onto Floyd ’ s neck has been charged with murder , but protesters are demanding the other three officers at the scene be prosecuted .
All four were fired .
“ We ’ re not done , ” said Darnella Wade , an organizer for Black Lives Matter in neighboring St. Paul , where thousands gathered peacefully in front of the state Capitol .
“ They sent us the military , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Tim Walz brought in thousands of National Guard soldiers on Saturday to help quell violence that had damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings in Minneapolis over days of protests .
That appeared to help minimize unrest , but thousands marching on a closed freeway were shaken when a semitrailer rolled into their midst .
Disgust over generations of racism in a country founded by slaveholders combined with a string of recent racially charged killings to stoke the anger .
Adding to that was angst from lockdowns brought on by the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color , not only in terms of infections but in job losses and economic stress .
Morrison reported from Minneapolis and Vertuno reported from Austin , Texas .
Zeke Miller from Washington and Associated Press journalists across the U.S. contributed to this report .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — With cities wounded by days of violent unrest, America headed into a new week with neighborhoods in shambles, urban streets on lockdown and shaken confidence about when leaders would find the answers to control the mayhem amid unrelenting raw emotion over police killings of black people.
All of it smashed into a nation already bludgeoned by a death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surging past 100,000 and unemployment that soared to levels not seen since the Great Depression.
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Demonstrators start a fire as they protest the death of George Floyd near the White House in Washington, D.C. on Sunday night. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sunday capped a tumultuous weekend and month that saw city and state officials deploy thousands of National Guard soldiers, enact strict curfews and shut down mass transit systems. Even with those efforts, many demonstrations erupted into violence as protesters hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at police in Philadelphia, set a fire near the White House and were hit with tear gas and pepper spray in Austin and other cities. Seven Boston police officers were hospitalized.
In some cities, thieves smashed their way into stores and ran off with as much as they could carry, leaving shop owners, many of them just ramping up their business again after coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, to clean up their shattered storefronts.
In others, police tried to calm tensions by kneeling in solidarity with demonstrators, while still maintaining a strong presence for security.
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BREAKING- Truck moves at full speed into a crowd of thousands of demonstrators #GeorgeFloyd #Minnesota @KSTP pic.twitter.com/pUscK8JgFB — Brett Hoffland (@BrettHoffland) May 31, 2020
The demonstrations were sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who pleaded for air as an officer pressed a knee into his neck. Floyd’s death in Minneapolis came after tensions had already flared after two white men were arrested in May for the February shooting death of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and the Louisville police shooting death of Breonna Taylor in her home in March.
The scale of the coast-to-coast protests rivaled the historic demonstrations of the civil rights and Vietnam War eras.
“They keep killing our people. I’m so sick and tired of it,” said Mahira Louis, 15, who was at a Boston protest with her mother Sunday, leading chants of “George Floyd, say his name.”
Tensions rose Sunday outside the White House, the scene of three days of demonstrations, where police fired tear gas and stun grenades into a crowd of more than 1,000 chanting protesters across the street in Lafayette Park. The crowd ran, piling up road signs and plastic barriers to light a raging fire in a nearby street. Some pulled an American flag from a building and threw it into the blaze. A building in the park with bathrooms and a maintenance office went up in flames.
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Outside of the White House, protesters stand feet away from a police line chanting, “George Floyd. Say his name.” pic.twitter.com/clMAEeAuSh — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) June 1, 2020
The district’s entire National Guard — roughly 1,700 soldiers — was called in to help control the protests, according to two Defense Department officials who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
As the protests grew, President Donald Trump retweeted conservative commentator Buck Sexton who called for “overwhelming force” against violent demonstrators.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, visited the site of protests in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, and talked to demonstrators. He also wrote a post on Medium expressing empathy for those despairing about Floyd’s killing.
At least 4,400 people have been arrested over days of protests, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press. Arrests ranged from stealing and blocking highways to breaking curfew.
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In Salt Lake City, an activist leader condemned the destruction of property but said broken buildings shouldn’t be mourned on the same level as black men like Floyd.
“Maybe this country will get the memo that we are sick of police murdering unarmed black men,” said Lex Scott, founder of Black Lives Matter Utah. “Maybe the next time a white police officer decides to pull the trigger, he will picture cities burning.”
A woman who was hit with pepper spray had milk poured on her to ease the sting during a protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Scott Olson via Getty Images
Yet thousands still marched peacefully in Phoenix, Albuquerque and other cities, with some calling for an end to the fires, vandalism and theft, saying it weakened calls for justice and reform.
In downtown Atlanta, authorities fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said two officers had been fired and three placed on desk duty after video showed police surrounding a car Saturday, and using stun guns on the man and woman inside.
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In Los Angeles, a police SUV accelerated into several protesters in a street, knocking two people to the ground. Nearby in Santa Monica, not far from a peaceful demonstration, groups broke into stores, walking out with boxes of shoes and folding chairs, among other items. A fire broke out at a restaurant across the street. Scores swarmed into nearby outlet stores in Long Beach. Some hauled armloads of clothing from a Forever 21 store away in garbage bags.
In Minneapolis, the officer who pressed his knee onto Floyd’s neck has been charged with murder, but protesters are demanding the other three officers at the scene be prosecuted. All four were fired.
“We’re not done,” said Darnella Wade, an organizer for Black Lives Matter in neighboring St. Paul, where thousands gathered peacefully in front of the state Capitol. “They sent us the military, and we only asked them for arrests.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz brought in thousands of National Guard soldiers on Saturday to help quell violence that had damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings in Minneapolis over days of protests. That appeared to help minimize unrest, but thousands marching on a closed freeway were shaken when a semitrailer rolled into their midst.
Disgust over generations of racism in a country founded by slaveholders combined with a string of recent racially charged killings to stoke the anger. Adding to that was angst from lockdowns brought on by the pandemic, which has disproportionately hurt communities of color, not only in terms of infections but in job losses and economic stress.
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The droves of people congregating for demonstrations threatened to trigger new outbreaks, a fact overshadowed by the boiling tensions.
In Indianapolis, two people were reported dead in bursts of downtown violence this weekend, adding to deaths reported in Detroit and Minneapolis.
In tweets Sunday, Trump blamed anarchists and the media for fueling violence. Attorney General William Barr pointed a finger at “far left extremist” groups. Police chiefs and politicians accused outsiders of causing the problems.
At the Minneapolis intersection where Floyd was killed, people gathered with brooms and flowers, saying it was important to protect what they called a “sacred space.”
Among those in Minneapolis was Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown, whose killing by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, set off unrest in 2014.
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“I understand what this family is feeling. I understand what this community is feeling,” he said.
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huffpost--2020-05-15--J.C. Penney files for bankruptcy protection

NEW YORK ( Reuters ) - J.C. Penney Co Inc ( JCP.N ) filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday , the latest among traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to crumble as prolonged store closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic deliver the final blow to troubled businesses .
The U.S. department store chain , known for selling family apparel , cosmetics and jewelry at roughly 850 locations , said it reached an agreement with creditors for about $ 900 million of fresh financing to aid operations , while it navigates bankruptcy proceedings .
The company filed for Chapter 11 protection at the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas .
Reuters earlier reported that it was nearing a bankruptcy filing and negotiating the financing .
The bankruptcy filing caps a long decline for the 118-year-old department store chain , which once operated more than 1,600 locations that became fixtures in U.S. malls .
The company at one point employed nearly 200,000 people .
Even before the coronavirus outbreak , J.C. Penney was struggling with nearly $ 4 billion of debt and pressure from both discount retailers and e-commerce companies .
Larger retailers such as Walmart Inc ( WMT.N ) and Target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivals by offering bargain-price apparel , including online .
The coronavirus outbreak , which has resulted in more than 80,000 deaths in the United States , is now forcing a financial reckoning among an array of retailers that had to temporarily close their doors under states ’ orders .
Earlier this month , both luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus Group and clothing retailer J .
Crew Group Inc filed for bankruptcy protection after alternative attempts to rework their finances failed .
Stage Stores Inc , a U.S. department store chain selling mid-priced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural areas , said earlier this week it would liquidate unless it finds a buyer .

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NEW YORK(Reuters) - J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N) filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, the latest among traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to crumble as prolonged store closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic deliver the final blow to troubled businesses.
The U.S. department store chain, known for selling family apparel, cosmetics and jewelry at roughly 850 locations, said it reached an agreement with creditors for about $900 million of fresh financing to aid operations, while it navigates bankruptcy proceedings.
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The company filed for Chapter 11 protection at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Reuters earlier reported that it was nearing a bankruptcy filing and negotiating the financing.
The bankruptcy filing caps a long decline for the 118-year-old department store chain, which once operated more than 1,600 locations that became fixtures in U.S. malls. The company at one point employed nearly 200,000 people.
Even before the coronavirus outbreak, J.C. Penney was struggling with nearly $4 billion of debt and pressure from both discount retailers and e-commerce companies.
Larger retailers such as Walmart Inc (WMT.N) and Target Corp (TGT.N) have squeezed smaller rivals by offering bargain-price apparel, including online.
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The coronavirus outbreak, which has resulted in more than 80,000 deaths in the United States, is now forcing a financial reckoning among an array of retailers that had to temporarily close their doors under states’ orders.
Earlier this month, both luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus Group and clothing retailer J. Crew Group Inc filed for bankruptcy protection after alternative attempts to rework their finances failed.
Stage Stores Inc, a U.S. department store chain selling mid-priced apparel at hundreds of stores in mostly rural areas, said earlier this week it would liquidate unless it finds a buyer.


huffpost--2020-05-16--Trump Bashes Reporter Rattled By Maskless Anti-Lockdown Protester

President Donald Trump took time out from the COVID-19 crisis Friday to attack a journalist on Twitter after the newsman nervously dodged a maskless lock-down protester who deliberately invaded the reporter ’ s social distancing space .
Trump slammed the TV report about the protesters on New York ’ s Long Island on Thursday — which included demonstrators berating the reporter — as “ fake news.
” But everything was captured on film by journalist Kevin Vesey for a report on the protest on News 12 Long Island .
“ FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL , ” Trump posted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the videos Vesey posted showing him being menaced by the protesters .
Vesey ’ s response to being attacked by the president ?
“ Unreal , ” he tweeted .
Vesey noted in another tweet Thursday that he was “ insulted , ” “ berated ” and “ practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic.
” He added : “ All the while , I was there to tell THEIR story.
” At one point a protester without a mask and wearing a red MAGA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vesey ( who was wearing a mask ) .
“ I think you need to back away from me , ” the reporter told him on video , turning his face away .
“ No , I ’ ve got hydroxychloroquine , ” said the unidentified protester as he strode closer .
“ I ” m fine.
” The drug , touted by Trump , has not proved to be effective against COVID-19 and can have lethal side effects .
I 'll probably never forget what happened today .
I was insulted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic .
All the while , I was there to tell THEIR story .
Here 's the finished product .
pic.twitter.com/HV2Hrcs7gi — Kevin Vesey ( @ KevinVesey ) May 14 , 2020 Twitter critics had a thing or two to say about Trump ’ s attack .
Ladies and gentlemen ...
I present the president of the United States ... the Sociopath-in-Chief who 's egging on foul-mouthed , menacing violators of mask and distancing guidelines while harassing a reporter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ covid19 — Andy Ostroy ( @ AndyOstroy ) May 16 , 2020

President Donald Trump took time out from the COVID-19 crisis Friday to attack a journalist on Twitter after the newsman nervously dodged a maskless lock-down protester who deliberately invaded the reporter’s social distancing space.
Trump slammed the TV report about the protesters on New York’s Long Island on Thursday — which included demonstrators berating the reporter — as “fake news.” But everything was captured on film by journalist Kevin Vesey for a report on the protest on News 12 Long Island.
“FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL,” Trump posted on Twitter with a link to one of the videos Vesey posted showing him being menaced by the protesters.
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“FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL!”https://t.co/5286zgRVWQ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2020
Vesey’s response to being attacked by the president? “Unreal,” he tweeted.
Vesey noted in another tweet Thursday that he was “insulted,” “berated” and “practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic.” He added: “All the while, I was there to tell THEIR story.”
At one point a protester without a mask and wearing a red MAGA hat and Trump T-shirt deliberately advanced on Vesey (who was wearing a mask). “I think you need to back away from me,” the reporter told him on video, turning his face away.
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“No, I’ve got hydroxychloroquine,” said the unidentified protester as he strode closer. “I”m fine.” The drug, touted by Trump, has not proved to be effective against COVID-19 and can have lethal side effects.
I'll probably never forget what happened today.
I was insulted. I was berated. I was practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic.
All the while, I was there to tell THEIR story. Here's the finished product. pic.twitter.com/HV2Hrcs7gi — Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 14, 2020
Twitter critics had a thing or two to say about Trump’s attack.
FAKE NEWS:
TRUMP FEBRUARY 28th ⁰“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” — jen pal (@jennyrachelpal) May 16, 2020
FAKE PRESIDENT IS NOT ESSENTIAL — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) May 16, 2020
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Ladies and gentlemen...I present the president of the United States...the Sociopath-in-Chief who's egging on foul-mouthed, menacing violators of mask and distancing guidelines while harassing a reporter. MAGA... #Trump #coronavirus #covid19 — Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 16, 2020