huffpost--2020-03-23--What You Need To Know About Filing For Unemployment Insurance

How much money should I expect to receive for unemployment ?
I have a job , but I have been placed on unpaid leave or furloughed .
Do I qualify ?
How exactly do I apply ?
Is it quicker to apply by phone or online ?
My state ’ s unemployment site crashed while I was applying .
What should I do ?
I am undocumented .
Do I qualify for unemployment insurance ?
I am on sick leave due to coronavirus .
Do I qualify ?
If you ’ re already receiving unemployment benefits , or your UI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help from the coronavirus bill ?
What happens if I get denied ?
What happens if I get approved for unemployment benefits ?
In most states , receiving unemployment insurance comes with the condition that you continually verify that you are ready , able and willing to work immediately , and that you are actively looking for work .
Under the CARES Act , you still need to be “ actively seeking work ” to receive unemployment benefits , but the bill gives states flexibility on how applicants who can ’ t look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or restricted movement should meet that requirement .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the nation, many Americans are losing their jobs as nonessential businesses grind to a halt. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. workers lost their jobs or had their hours cut as of March 14, according to one poll, and that number is expected to grow. Unemployment claims skyrocketed to nearly 3.3 million last week, and the Economic Policy Institute estimated Wednesday that 14 million jobs will be lost by this summer.
Applying for unemployment insurance is one way eligible workers can get back some of the income they used to generate. Unemployment insurance is temporary income that eligible workers receive when they lose their job through no fault of their own. If you’re wondering if you qualify, don’t count yourself out of consideration.
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“If you think you might be eligible for benefits, by all means claim,” said Stephen Woodbury, the senior economist for the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. “It may not be a simple process, it’ll take some time, it may be frustrating because the website crashes or you have to hang on the line, but do it.”
Here are answers to questions that may be on your mind if you lost your job because of this pandemic and are navigating your state’s unemployment insurance system:
When can I apply?
As soon as you believe you have a claim, you should apply, experts said.
“Immediately” is how Michele Evermore, the National Employment Law Project’s senior policy analyst for social insurance, put it.
“No matter how well-funded or well-staffed a UI agency is, it often takes a couple of weeks to process benefits even in the best of times,” Evermore said.
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The CARES Act, a new coronavirus stimulus package passed by Congress, incentivizes states to waive the one-week waiting period penalty for unemployment insurance. States including California, New York, Washington, Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have already waived the typical one-week waiting period between the time you lose your job and when you become eligible to collect unemployment insurance.
How much money should I expect to receive for unemployment?
Under the coronavirus relief bill, eligible workers can expect to receive up to $600 per week of federal unemployment income on top of what they get from their state program.
Usually, “workers can expect to see wage replacement of 40-50 percent” under state benefits, Evermore said. “This bill was intended to replace 100% of wages.”
State benefits are usually a percentage of the income from the job you held, but can vary dramatically from state to state. The amount you get is determined by a formula in your state’s law that factors in what you earned and how many hours or weeks you worked.
How long can I collect unemployment benefits?
Most states let you collect benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks. North Carolina, Georgia and Florida have among the lowest number of benefit weeks in the country, because they award UI on a sliding scale based on overall unemployment rates. In those states, the number ranges from 12 weeks to 20 weeks.
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The CARES Act now provides an additional 13 weeks of state unemployment insurance benefits.
I have a job, but I have been placed on unpaid leave or furloughed. Do I qualify?
If it’s because of COVID-19, you may qualify for unemployment benefits through the CARES Act.
Experts encourage professionals who are furloughed or put on unpaid leave because they were quarantined to apply. If you’re placed on unpaid leave, you may qualify because “it’s lack of work, it’s no fault of your own,” Woodbury said.
But if you volunteer for unpaid leave due to the coronavirus, like some airline staff are being asked to, you may not qualify for unemployment insurance.
If your hours are cut because you’ve been put under a mandatory quarantine, you may also be entitled to partial unemployment benefits.
How exactly do I apply?
You should file a claim in the state where you worked. If you worked in multiple states, you can discuss with the state unemployment office where you live on how you should file in the other states.
Many states require you to file online. The U.S. Department of Labor’s list will direct you to your state’s website or note if there’s an option to phone. Be prepared with your employer’s address and the first and last day of your employment.
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Based on the high volume of applicants, states including New York and Kentucky are now asking claimants to follow an application schedule based on the alphabetic order of their names.
If you have experienced job loss, we want to make sure you get the services you need. In order to serve you well, we are asking you to file your Unemployment Insurance claim on a specific day this week. See below. For more information, visit https://t.co/nIGPqvyohL. #Togetherky pic.twitter.com/FoSrnZjQ4D — Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman (@LtGovColeman) March 18, 2020
Is it quicker to apply by phone or online?
Woodbury said most claims are made online, but there’s “no hard and fast rule” on which path is easier or quicker.
Some states let you apply both on the phone and online; others don’t. You can check the options for your state on this Department of Labor website. Oregon highlighted its phone option after online crashes.
Anyone experiencing difficulty using the @ORemployment online claim system can also call the agency’s contact centers, where Employment Department staff can help with starting a claim for unemployment benefits: 1-877-FILE-4-UI (1-877-345-3484) #COVID19 #UIbenefits — Oregon Employment Department (@ORemployment) March 17, 2020
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My state’s unemployment site crashed while I was applying. What should I do?
Multiple states like New York and New Jersey reported that unemployment insurance websites crashed as applications surged.
If this happens to your application, Woodbury’s advice is to start over, which he recognizes is frustrating. He highlighted how Washington state is hiring more than 100 staff for its unemployment insurance program to deal with increasing demand.
Whatever you do, don’t lose the password to your application process, Evermore said. “Many state UI systems can’t retrieve your password electronically. They may mail it to you,” she said.
I am undocumented. Do I qualify for unemployment insurance?
If you are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gives you relief from deportation and a work permit, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits. In California, for example, you can apply for unemployment insurance if you are in satisfactory immigration status and authorized to work in the U.S.
Iliana Perez is the director of research and entrepreneurship at the San Francisco-based organization Immigrants Rising, which compiled a resource guide for undocumented immigrants during the coronavirus pandemic. She said DACA recipients “should definitely apply.”
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But if you are undocumented without work authorization, you will be ineligible for UI, Perez said. If that’s your situation, she suggests you consider additional ways to generate income through freelancing or entrepreneurship.
I am on sick leave due to coronavirus. Do I qualify?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, if the leave is paid, then no, you can’t get unemployment insurance at the same time.
But if you’re on unpaid medical leave due to COVID-19, you may qualify for the CARES Act’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which gives unemployment benefits to people who are unable and unavailable to work due to the pandemic. States were already making these adjustments before the stimulus bill. In Virginia, for example, if a medical or public health official tells a worker to quarantine themselves and the worker is not receiving paid sick or medical leave from their employer, the worker may be eligible to get unemployment benefits.
What if you choose not to work and self-quarantine because you believe you are asymptomatic? In Missouri, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits “if the employer required the individual to stay home but did not offer telework.”
The Department of Labor recently issued guidance to states saying that they can be more flexible with their unemployment insurance eligibility due to coronavirus. If you have to leave your job because of a risk of exposure or to care for a family member who had the coronavirus, you should be eligible, the federal government advised.
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glegorly via Getty Images Don't count yourself out of unemployment benefits if the COVID-19 pandemic forces closures, furloughs or layoffs at your company.
I’m a gig worker. Do I qualify?
Under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance part of the CARES Act, gig workers, independent contractors, self-employed workers and workers who don’t have a long enough work history to qualify for regular state unemployment insurance now qualify for unemployment income, so long as their job loss is connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. These provisions are modeled on the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance program.
Even before the CARES Act, experts encouraged such applicants to apply, because even if your company calls you an independent contractor, you may be misclassified.
“To be eligible, people have to be employees. What people need to know is that it is not up to the company that hires you to decide if you are an employee or not, even if they call you an independent contractor,” said Terri Gerstein, director of the state and local enforcement project at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program. “Ultimately that is a legal determination that the state decides when you apply for unemployment insurance.”
New Jersey, for example, ordered Uber to pay $650 million in unemployment and disability insurance taxes for misclassifying drivers as independent contractors.
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If you’re already receiving unemployment benefits, or your UI ran out, would you receive UI help from the coronavirus bill?
Yes.
“The extra $600 applies to every person who gets an unemployment insurance check no matter when they became unemployed,” Evermore said. “If a worker has exhausted UI, there is an additional 13 weeks of benefits that would apply to them.”
What happens if I get denied?
You can be denied for making false statements, or if you voluntarily left your job, or if you’re not ready or able to work. But you do have the right to appeal. Check with your state’s unemployment agency for how the appeals process works.
What happens if I get approved for unemployment benefits?
Once your claim has been accepted, a check should come in the mail or through a direct deposit you set up. If everything goes smoothly, you should start receiving benefits in two to three weeks, Woodbury said.
In most states, receiving unemployment insurance comes with the condition that you continually verify that you are ready, able and willing to work immediately, and that you are actively looking for work. Under the CARES Act, you still need to be “actively seeking work” to receive unemployment benefits, but the bill gives states flexibility on how applicants who can’t look for work because of quarantine, illness or restricted movement should meet that requirement.
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States are starting to loosen that job search requirement in these extraordinary times. Wisconsin, Nevada, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas, for example, are no longer requiring claimants to submit work search actions if they are applying for UI because of COVID-19.


huffpost--2020-03-23--What Parenting Immunocompromised Kids Taught Me About Battling Coronavirus

d3sign via Getty Images `` I know from experience that isolating at home , while extreme , works .
The more we stay away , the more lives we save . ''
Both of my children were born with genetic immune deficiencies , which means when they get sick , they can ’ t get well again without help .
My son has Hypogammaglobulemia of Infancy , which impacts 3 % of the population .
My 4-year-old daughter has Common Variable Immune Deficiency ( CVID ) , which impacts one in 100,000 .
Parenting two kids with weakened immune systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best of times .
Before COVID-19 , the disease caused by coronavirus , began sweeping the globe , every time I heard a cough across the aisle at the grocery store , I worried they ’ d catch something .
The daily vigilance against germs gave me continual anxiety .
Now , it seems like the whole world knows what it ’ s like to be constantly vigilant and constantly afraid .
Before the coronavirus pandemic took over our lives and sent us into total isolation at home , last fall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preschool she attends in our Los Angeles community looking pale .
She ’ s only able to attend preschool when no other children or teachers are sick and with the help of a weekly infusion of donor plasma .
The infusion helps her fight off infection by providing the antibodies her body doesn ’ t make .
Immune diseases are not something that ’ s tested for in utero , so when our children were diagnosed it felt as random as lightning .
Many people with immune deficiencies are not diagnosed until later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinical histories are often dismissed or fall through the cracks in the health care system .
There is a saying in the medical field : “ If you hear hoof beats , think of a horse not a zebra.
” The Immune Deficiency Foundation has embraced the zebra as its mascot because people with immune diseases are the rare cases .
With our daughter , I was told over and over by medical professionals that kids just get sick a lot .
But our daughter was sick nine days out of 10 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kids she was around were sick .
In my gut I knew something was wrong , so we sought a referral to a pediatric allergist and immunologist .
After allergy testing revealed nothing , bloodwork showed our daughter ’ s immune system was basically nonexistent , and she ’ d need lifelong help to bolster it .
There is no cure for CVID , and the worst-case scenario is eventual incurable lung disease caused by scarring from repeated respiratory infections .
Armed with this knowledge , my husband and I set out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our children well .
Now , with coronavirus attacking even healthy people ’ s lungs , we are understandably terrified .
However , in the last two years , my family has learned a lot , and much of it is helpful today as we battle this novel coronavirus .
We limit our exposure to other people , especially anyone exhibiting even the most minimal cold symptoms .
We wash hands religiously .
We eat healthy , organic food and make sure to get enough sleep .
We were also trained to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plasma each week at home .
Every Tuesday night we do “ special medicine , ” so she gets her “ protectors.
” At first it was hard for her to understand , but now that she gets to watch Netflix on the iPad , negotiate for M & Ms , and feels better the day after , infusions have become our new normal .
When our son was in the hospital , I spent three days and two long nights alternating between opening my spreadsheet to work with the doctors and holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot away from the crib so the wires could reach .
Stuck in the isolation wing , I thought of parents who don ’ t have access to quality healthcare , or who can ’ t afford to take time off work to care for their sick children .
It ’ s heartbreaking .
As hard as these experiences were , I ’ m so grateful I could be with my children when they needed me .
Last fall , when my son finally slept , I stared out the window at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in this tiny room where anyone who came in had to be gowned , gloved and masked made me lonely .
It was devastating to think this is my kids ’ never-ending reality , and now the reality for thousands of people of all ages around the world who are hospitalized with COVID-19 .
I am sure they are terrified , and without visitors they have to battle this illness alone .
It ’ s tragic .
When we think about the rest of our lives with immunocompromised kids , my husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our daughter needs weekly infusions for the rest of her life — not only during the coronavirus pandemic , but while she ’ s navigating middle school cliques , prepping for the SATs , and throughout college , if she ’ s well enough to attend .
We are hopeful our son ’ s immune system will mature , but it ’ s too early to tell .
We imagine what our kids ’ conversations with potential partners down the road will be like .
How do you tell someone you love that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a chance your kids will get it ?
Much like today , how do people with COVID-19 tell their loved ones to stay away ?
These decisions are agonizing .
Our family and friends have reminded us in the past to be optimistic , that future medical advances may improve our kids ’ quality of life .
While this wishful thinking feels like putting a Band-Aid over a gaping wound , and a better treatment in 10 years doesn ’ t help me today , when I have to start the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; when I ’ m trying to decide who in our family will go to the store ; when both of our kids get recurrent staph skin infections and now all the doctors ’ offices are closed , it is a good reminder to focus on the positive .
We will find a vaccine for COVID-19 , and I know from experience that isolating at home , while extreme , works .
The more we stay away , the more lives we save .
Remember , the life you save may be your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better for everyone ’ s well-being .
I know my days are better when I focus on the good , not on the bad .
Often the stresses we face in addition to normal parenting challenges feel overwhelming .
Surrounded by piles of laundry , toys scattered all over the floor , dishes in the kitchen sink , I open the refrigerated box of infusion supplies and double check the list .
Today , I ’ m grateful above all else that our daughter ’ s life-saving medicine is still shipping .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IV tubing , I wonder what other parents are doing .
Maybe they ’ re taking their kids to the park and keeping their distance from other people .
Maybe they ’ re calling a friend .
Maybe they ’ re trying to work from home and wishing they had more help .
Parenting the medically fragile during these times is an amalgamation of all these thoughts , apprehensions and dreams of other realities .
In the early morning during our most recent hospital stay , our son woke up in a puddle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working and leaked all over the crib sheet .
He was crying , so I pulled the lever on the metal crib bars and gathered him into my arms to wait for the IV team .
He was very still while we waited , so much so that I thought I might even be able to fall back asleep .
Then I realized I might not get many more of these moments , so I tried to memorize the feel of his soft baby hairs brushing his forehead , the sweet fresh scent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriousness behind his large owlish eyes .
I started unbuckling seat belts and opened the garage door .
I ’ m not sure where my parenting journey will take me next , or what challenges lie down the road , especially during this global health crisis .
All I can say is that the bad days have taught me so much about what it means to love someone and that everything — the struggles , the worry , the anxiety — is worth it .
As my kids raced toward the house , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if I blink , I ’ ll miss it all .

"I know from experience that isolating at home, while extreme, works. The more we stay away, the more lives we save." d3sign via Getty Images
Dehydrated, with no tears to cry, my 17-month-old son kept repeating one of the words he’d just learned: “Go.” As in, “let’s go home.”
“We get that a lot,” the nurses said. Tethered to an IV and vitals sensors, he was captive in a crib with metal bars. His forlorn expression made me feel helpless that I couldn’t spring him from this place.
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Both of my children were born with genetic immune deficiencies, which means when they get sick, they can’t get well again without help. My son has Hypogammaglobulemia of Infancy, which impacts 3% of the population. My 4-year-old daughter has Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID), which impacts one in 100,000. Parenting two kids with weakened immune systems is a frustrating and exhausting challenge during the best of times. Before COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, began sweeping the globe, every time I heard a cough across the aisle at the grocery store, I worried they’d catch something. The daily vigilance against germs gave me continual anxiety. Now, it seems like the whole world knows what it’s like to be constantly vigilant and constantly afraid.
Before the coronavirus pandemic took over our lives and sent us into total isolation at home, last fall, my daughter came home from the co-op preschool she attends in our Los Angeles community looking pale. She’s only able to attend preschool when no other children or teachers are sick and with the help of a weekly infusion of donor plasma. The infusion helps her fight off infection by providing the antibodies her body doesn’t make.
Her infusion was scheduled for 24 hours later, so I figured her antibodies were low and that’s why her energy seemed off. The next day, the seal-like barking of croup filled the house. Two weeks of missed school later, a chest X-ray revealed pneumonia. An exam at the pediatrician’s showed she also had a strep infection.
Then our son got sick. He started with the same croupy cough and progressed to vomiting and diarrhea. I bounced back and forth from our house to the pediatrician like a ping pong ball. Our daughter began improving with antibiotics, but our son didn’t, despite a steroid dose. Over the next two days his symptoms worsened, and we were admitted to Children’s Hospital.
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Immune diseases are not something that’s tested for in utero, so when our children were diagnosed it felt as random as lightning. Many people with immune deficiencies are not diagnosed until later in life, because their symptoms and clinical histories are often dismissed or fall through the cracks in the health care system. There is a saying in the medical field: “If you hear hoof beats, think of a horse not a zebra.” The Immune Deficiency Foundation has embraced the zebra as its mascot because people with immune diseases are the rare cases.
With our daughter, I was told over and over by medical professionals that kids just get sick a lot. But our daughter was sick nine days out of 10, with frequent hospitalizations, and none of the kids she was around were sick. In my gut I knew something was wrong, so we sought a referral to a pediatric allergist and immunologist. After allergy testing revealed nothing, bloodwork showed our daughter’s immune system was basically nonexistent, and she’d need lifelong help to bolster it. There is no cure for CVID, and the worst-case scenario is eventual incurable lung disease caused by scarring from repeated respiratory infections. Armed with this knowledge, my husband and I set out to do whatever we could to keep our children well. Now, with coronavirus attacking even healthy people’s lungs, we are understandably terrified.
“We imagine what our kids’ conversations with potential partners down the road will be like. How do you tell someone you love that you have a genetic disease and there’s a chance your kids will get it? Much like today, how do people with COVID-19 tell their loved ones to stay away? These decisions are agonizing.”
However, in the last two years, my family has learned a lot, and much of it is helpful today as we battle this novel coronavirus. We limit our exposure to other people, especially anyone exhibiting even the most minimal cold symptoms. We wash hands religiously. We eat healthy, organic food and make sure to get enough sleep. We were also trained to give our daughter a subcutaneous infusion of donor plasma each week at home. Every Tuesday night we do “special medicine,” so she gets her “protectors.” At first it was hard for her to understand, but now that she gets to watch Netflix on the iPad, negotiate for M&Ms, and feels better the day after, infusions have become our new normal.
Advertisement
When our son was in the hospital, I spent three days and two long nights alternating between opening my spreadsheet to work with the doctors and holding his 25-pound body in a chair one foot away from the crib so the wires could reach. Stuck in the isolation wing, I thought of parents who don’t have access to quality healthcare, or who can’t afford to take time off work to care for their sick children. It’s heartbreaking. As hard as these experiences were, I’m so grateful I could be with my children when they needed me.
Last fall, when my son finally slept, I stared out the window at the city covered in Christmas lights. Cooped up in this tiny room where anyone who came in had to be gowned, gloved and masked made me lonely. It was devastating to think this is my kids’ never-ending reality, and now the reality for thousands of people of all ages around the world who are hospitalized with COVID-19. I am sure they are terrified, and without visitors they have to battle this illness alone. It’s tragic.
When we think about the rest of our lives with immunocompromised kids, my husband and I have a hard time. Our daughter needs weekly infusions for the rest of her life — not only during the coronavirus pandemic, but while she’s navigating middle school cliques, prepping for the SATs, and throughout college, if she’s well enough to attend. We are hopeful our son’s immune system will mature, but it’s too early to tell. We imagine what our kids’ conversations with potential partners down the road will be like. How do you tell someone you love that you have a genetic disease and there’s a chance your kids will get it? Much like today, how do people with COVID-19 tell their loved ones to stay away? These decisions are agonizing.
Our family and friends have reminded us in the past to be optimistic, that future medical advances may improve our kids’ quality of life. While this wishful thinking feels like putting a Band-Aid over a gaping wound, and a better treatment in 10 years doesn’t help me today, when I have to start the pre-meds for our daughter’s infusion; when I’m trying to decide who in our family will go to the store; when both of our kids get recurrent staph skin infections and now all the doctors’ offices are closed, it is a good reminder to focus on the positive.
We will find a vaccine for COVID-19, and I know from experience that isolating at home, while extreme, works. The more we stay away, the more lives we save. Remember, the life you save may be your own. Also, being optimistic is better for everyone’s well-being. I know my days are better when I focus on the good, not on the bad.
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Although having to watch tears stream down our daughter’s still-chubby cheeks during her infusion, or hearing our son scream during one of his blood draws has been unbearable, and sometimes I think the unthinkable ― that we shouldn’t have had kids ― I remember all the joyful moments we have together and I know my kids are here for a reason.
Often the stresses we face in addition to normal parenting challenges feel overwhelming. Surrounded by piles of laundry, toys scattered all over the floor, dishes in the kitchen sink, I open the refrigerated box of infusion supplies and double check the list. Today, I’m grateful above all else that our daughter’s life-saving medicine is still shipping. As I sort syringes, numbing cream and IV tubing, I wonder what other parents are doing. Maybe they’re taking their kids to the park and keeping their distance from other people. Maybe they’re calling a friend. Maybe they’re trying to work from home and wishing they had more help. Parenting the medically fragile during these times is an amalgamation of all these thoughts, apprehensions and dreams of other realities.
In the early morning during our most recent hospital stay, our son woke up in a puddle of wet. His IV had stopped working and leaked all over the crib sheet. He was crying, so I pulled the lever on the metal crib bars and gathered him into my arms to wait for the IV team. He was very still while we waited, so much so that I thought I might even be able to fall back asleep. Then I realized I might not get many more of these moments, so I tried to memorize the feel of his soft baby hairs brushing his forehead, the sweet fresh scent of his barely year-old skin, the seriousness behind his large owlish eyes.
When our son got better, and we were discharged, I drove us home. I felt hollowed out inside. Turning into our driveway, I contemplated a stiff drink or a hot bath. Parking the car, I thought of all the things I still had to do; pick up stray socks, empty water bottles and throw away Goldfish wrappers, restock the diaper bag, put the stroller back, ensure their prescriptions would come through. Make dinner, give baths, check for rashes, give meds ... My dreams of cocktails and spa time faded, and the familiar sense of self-pity returned.
I started unbuckling seat belts and opened the garage door. I’m not sure where my parenting journey will take me next, or what challenges lie down the road, especially during this global health crisis. All I can say is that the bad days have taught me so much about what it means to love someone and that everything — the struggles, the worry, the anxiety — is worth it. As my kids raced toward the house, I realized they move so fast that if I blink, I’ll miss it all.
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Mina Manchester is an assistant editor for Narrative Magazine and an MFA Candidate at Sewanee. Her writing has appeared in The Columbia Journal, The Normal School, Hither & Thither and elsewhere.


huffpost--2020-03-23--Astronauts Share Insightful Tips On Self-Isolation During Coronavirus Pandemic

“ Take time for fun activities : I met up with crewmates for movie nights , complete with snacks , @ @ @ @ @ Game of Thrones ” — twice.
” He stressed the importance of a consistent bedtime @ @ @ @ @ outside and experience nature .
When that ’ s not possible , he suggested something @ @ @ @ @ recordings of Earth sounds , like birds calling and trees rustling .
He also suggested @ @ @ @ @ playing an instrument , art or crafts , all of which he said astronauts practice @ @ @ @ @ a journal and connecting with friends and family via videoconference .
Kelly shouted out former @ @ @ @ @ Chris Hadfield for his famous cover of David Bowie ’ s “ Space Oddity , @ @ @ @ @ station .
Hadfield , too , has shared tips on self-isolation in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ a video titled “ An Astronaut ’ s Guide to Self Isolation , ” Hadfield @ @ @ @ @ getting by .

“Take time for fun activities: I met up with crewmates for movie nights, complete with snacks, and binge-watched all of “Game of Thrones” — twice.”
He stressed the importance of a consistent bedtime, and remembering to go outside and experience nature. When that’s not possible, he suggested something his colleagues relied on ― recordings of Earth sounds, like birds calling and trees rustling.
He also suggested hobbies (including reading, playing an instrument, art or crafts, all of which he said astronauts practice in space), keeping a journal and connecting with friends and family via videoconference.
Kelly shouted out former Canadian astronaut and ISS commander Chris Hadfield for his famous cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” shot from the space station.
Hadfield, too, has shared tips on self-isolation in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
In a video titled “An Astronaut’s Guide to Self Isolation,” Hadfield recapped four key steps for getting by.


huffpost--2020-03-23--Why We'll Never Treat The Climate Crisis With The Same Urgency As The Coronavirus

The vast majority of climate stories these days are various takes on how to view the issue through the lens of the coronavirus and vice versa .
Of course , anyone who knows anything about climate change knows that it is just as fundamental a worldwide threat over the next several decades as COVID-19 is right now ( and will continue to be in the coming weeks and months ) .
World leaders and fossil fuel titans have been saying for decades that it would be impossible to mobilize at such a scale against climate change .
Now , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the 1940s for proof that it ’ s not .
When lawmakers are convinced a crisis is a real and a mortal threat , most of them can find the will to put everything into stopping it .
The U.S. fossil fuel industry made a profit of $ 28 billion in 2018 , the most since 2013 .
That was in spite of the fact that oil prices actually dipped in 2018 , but were balanced out by an increase in production .
According to the International Monetary Fund , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than $ 5 trillion in subsidies , if you count all of the problems it creates but doesn ’ t have to pay for — such as the $ 81 billion the U.S. government spends annually protecting oil supplies , or the cost of untaxed greenhouse gas emissions ( many of which would not be touched by a carbon tax ) .
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic ― when epidemiologists like Eric Feigl-Ding were warning about it and being called alarmists , while Fox News was calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smear President Donald Trump ― the pandemic response bore some resemblance to how the powers that be have dealt , or not , with climate change .
Especially the part where , as we ’ re now learning in reporting by ProPublica and The Daily Beast , a powerful few used classified information not to protect the public , but to profit personally .
Comparing coronavirus to climate change is like comparing apples to the whole idea of fruit .
Climate change is not one single issue or threat .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , made steeper by each wrong step , each failure to move .
It persists because it is the result of a system that benefits the powerful , and those in power have mostly proven desperate not to give up that system .
Imagine if , for some bizarre reason , all of our transportation options ran on the coronavirus , and those who had figured out that a virus makes a great fuel had spent decades and millions convincing the world that societies and economies could not function without it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative impacts of the virus , suppressed the fact that it makes a lot of people sick , even kills some .
So much so that a lot of people didn ’ t even really notice the impact .
Now imagine these virus barons had also developed a vaccine for the virus , then told everyone it was too expensive , didn ’ t work very well , and wasn ’ t something we really needed anyway .
Imagine that with all of their vast wealth locked up in the ability to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had decided the occasional infection and death was an acceptable risk .
To keep the virus flowing , they had greased the political system , cozied up to the media , inundated the public with ads about how no one knows disease better than them and we should all trust that they are ON IT .
That ’ s the situation we ’ re in with climate change .
The inability to address it has not been a failing of humanity , the result of our collective inability to mobilize or care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t come down solely to our notorious lack of foresight , either ( although yes , evolutionarily we are better wired to react to an immediate threat like a pandemic than a long term one like climate change ) .
The specific individuals and groups that dedicated their time and resources to stopping action on climate were enabled by a system that gave them the power to do such a thing .
What futurist Alex Steffen calls “ predatory delay ” — the blocking or slowing of needed change in order to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could only happen in such a context .
But it ’ s no more a human inevitability than any other social trend , although it has stuck around longer than most .

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The vast majority of climate stories these days are various takes on how to view the issue through the lens of the coronavirus and vice versa. Of course, anyone who knows anything about climate change knows that it is just as fundamental a worldwide threat over the next several decades as COVID-19 is right now (and will continue to be in the coming weeks and months).
As state after state and, more haltingly, the Trump administration commit billions of dollars to measures against the coronavirus at a speed and scope comparable to how the U.S. mobilized during World War II, the comparisons drawn between the pandemic and climate change make sense.
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World leaders and fossil fuel titans have been saying for decades that it would be impossible to mobilize at such a scale against climate change. Now, we don’t even have to look back to the 1940s for proof that it’s not. When lawmakers are convinced a crisis is a real and a mortal threat, most of them can find the will to put everything into stopping it.
Some stories have marveled at the emissions reductions the virus has brought. “There’s an unlikely beneficiary of coronavirus: The planet,” a CNN headline proclaimed. The Guardian went with the more cautious: “Coronavirus could cause fall in global CO2 emissions.”
A resident walking in Beijing on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. China's efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus have shuttered factories, emptied airports and resulted in a steep drop in carbon emissions and other pollutants. However, analysts caution that the dip in pollution is likely temporary. AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Others, in The Conversation, CNBC, and Fortune, for example, pointed to the coronavirus response as proof that action on climate could be swift and effective. A handful of reporters have argued, as Kate Aronoff did in The New Republic, that green jobs could and should be part of the recovery plan in the wake of COVID-19.
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There are less rosy views, too. The New York Times warns that the drop in oil prices could spell disaster for climate action in the months and years ahead. Time magazine cautions that coronavirus gives us a window into pandemics that catastrophic climate change will bring, except they’ll likely come alongside extreme weather events, too. I’ll see your quarantine and raise you a hurricane.
None of these stories is untrue or off base. But, like the corona-climate conversation in general, they do ignore a critical difference between the coronavirus pandemic and climate change: who benefits from addressing the problem, and who suffers.
The U.S. fossil fuel industry made a profit of $28 billion in 2018, the most since 2013. That was in spite of the fact that oil prices actually dipped in 2018, but were balanced out by an increase in production. According to the International Monetary Fund, the fossil fuel industry is also the recipient of more than $5 trillion in subsidies, if you count all of the problems it creates but doesn’t have to pay for — such as the $81 billion the U.S. government spends annually protecting oil supplies, or the cost of untaxed greenhouse gas emissions (many of which would not be touched by a carbon tax).
“Comparing coronavirus to climate change is like comparing apples to the whole idea of fruit.”
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic ― when epidemiologists like Eric Feigl-Ding were warning about it and being called alarmists, while Fox News was calling it a hoax cooked up by Democrats to smear President Donald Trump ― the pandemic response bore some resemblance to how the powers that be have dealt, or not, with climate change. Especially the part where, as we’re now learning in reporting by ProPublica and The Daily Beast, a powerful few used classified information not to protect the public, but to profit personally.
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But that delay was fleeting. At this point, the coronavirus is directly benefiting almost no one. Vaccine manufacturers may see some profit eventually. Digital service providers like Zoom are seeing their value rocket, and the growth in demand for products and deliveries from Amazon looks set to further widen the gap between Jeff Bezos and the next-richest person on earth.
But in general, mobilizing to flatten the curve of this pandemic benefits every citizen and business ― literally everyone.
The billions that federal and state governments are committing to measures ranging from direct payments to citizens to grants and interest-free loans for small businesses to even the bailouts for major industries (whatever you think of them), should eventually help get money flowing through the economy again, and stabilize cratering financial markets. At least that’s the idea.
Mobilizing on climate change also benefits the general public and provides stability to the economy in the long run. But in the short term, it hurts the bottom lines of some big and very powerful industries. And therein lies the rub. How exactly do you get a coronavirus-style mobilization when it threatens the profits of a historically powerful minority?
Delta Air Lines planes lined up on a runway at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 21, 2020. They are parked due to flight reductions made to slow the spread of coronavirus disease. Elijah Nouvelage / Reuters
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Comparing coronavirus to climate change is like comparing apples to the whole idea of fruit. Climate change is not one single issue or threat. It’s the hill we’re all dying on, made steeper by each wrong step, each failure to move. It persists because it is the result of a system that benefits the powerful, and those in power have mostly proven desperate not to give up that system.
Imagine if, for some bizarre reason, all of our transportation options ran on the coronavirus, and those who had figured out that a virus makes a great fuel had spent decades and millions convincing the world that societies and economies could not function without it. Imagine they had undermined research into the negative impacts of the virus, suppressed the fact that it makes a lot of people sick, even kills some. So much so that a lot of people didn’t even really notice the impact.
Now imagine these virus barons had also developed a vaccine for the virus, then told everyone it was too expensive, didn’t work very well, and wasn’t something we really needed anyway. Imagine that with all of their vast wealth locked up in the ability to continue pumping the virus through our economy, they had decided the occasional infection and death was an acceptable risk. To keep the virus flowing, they had greased the political system, cozied up to the media, inundated the public with ads about how no one knows disease better than them and we should all trust that they are ON IT.
“At its root, climate change is the result of too much political and economic power being placed in the hands of too few people.”
That’s the situation we’re in with climate change. The inability to address it has not been a failing of humanity, the result of our collective inability to mobilize or care about each other. It hasn’t come down solely to our notorious lack of foresight, either (although yes, evolutionarily we are better wired to react to an immediate threat like a pandemic than a long term one like climate change).
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At its root, climate change is the result of too much political and economic power being placed in the hands of too few people. Absent those power dynamics, a rational society would act when a majority of global scientists warned of certain catastrophe.
But when a small group of people are allowed to dictate terms for the world, things get real bad, real fast.
This is one of the many reasons why it’s impossible, dangerous even, to try to separate climate change from other social ills. Climate change is not just a matter of energy sources. It’s the fruit of the poisonous tree of inequality, the natural result of prizing individual success over the common good.
The specific individuals and groups that dedicated their time and resources to stopping action on climate were enabled by a system that gave them the power to do such a thing. What futurist Alex Steffen calls “predatory delay” — the blocking or slowing of needed change in order to make money off unsustainable, unjust systems ― could only happen in such a context. But it’s no more a human inevitability than any other social trend, although it has stuck around longer than most.
A solar farm in the Moroccan town of Ouarzazate. Governments could incorporate a clean energy transition, complete with thousands of new clean energy jobs, into any stimulus package. But big, polluting businesses will push back. FADEL SENNA via Getty Images
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Trump is being rightly criticized for downplaying the coronavirus crisis and failing to rally the vast federal resources soon enough to prevent the disease from endangering millions of Americans. That delay was predatory. Growing evidence suggests it was driven by political and financial concerns.
The fossil fuel industry has done the same on climate, aided and abetted by political elites, as well as utilities and the financial, automotive, and manufacturing industries.
But here’s another big difference between the coronavirus and climate change: The delay on COVID-19 was weeks or months, and was met with swift condemnation. On climate, the delay has gone on for decades and citizens’ outrage about it continues to be waved away as alarmism.
Even many who think we need to act on climate quickly are so invested in maintaining the status quo that they urge so-called pragmatic solutions that are so incremental that they won’t do enough in time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
That’s the reason it seems incredibly unlikely that lawmakers will incorporate a clean energy transition, complete with thousands of new clean energy jobs, into any stimulus package, despite the fact that, as many have argued, that would make enormous sense.
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The Oxford dictionary defines a virus as “an infective agent that ... is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host.” In this case, predatory delay is the virus, climate change is the symptom. Predatory delay has been the decades-long “infective agent” that multiplies and thrives to the benefit of a powerful few, enabling and encouraging them not only to ignore the plight of the rest of us, but to profit from it.
Until we’re testing and vaccinating for that, we won’t see a “corona-like mobilization” on climate.
Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.
For more content and to be part of the “This New World” community, follow our Facebook page.


huffpost--2020-04-14--Follow A Day In The Life Of A Paramedic During Coronavirus

When Arizona paramedic Ryan Hilliard gets an alert about someone who needs medical attention , he snaps into action .
That looks a little different these days as COVID-19 continues to sweep through the U.S. infecting thousands .
Hilliard must make sure there is a partition between the ambulance driver ’ s seat and the passenger in back .
He must suit up head-to-toe and put on gloves .
And then there ’ s the gas mask .
“ I think my patient was a little amused by [ the mask ] .
because he said , ‘ Are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HuffPost earlier this month .
“ He asked that to me and my partner , and we can ’ t ― we ’ re not really supposed to let any of them feel like we are insecure .
We ’ re supposed to be the strong ones all the time .
So we ’ re like , ‘ No , no , man , piece of cake.
’ But honestly , I was a little nervous.
” This is the new normal for Hilliard ― who works in the Sierra Vista area ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural areas across the country .
Every patient must be treated as if they have coronavirus , and every medical response worker must treat each sickness as a worst-case scenario .
Christopher Alleman , the chief and operations manager for Arizona Ambulance , told HuffPost he has worked in EMS for over 23 years .
He ’ s seen a lot , but nothing like this .
Rural areas can make it especially difficult to get patients the treatment they need .
Hilliard said it takes just six minutes to get to Canyon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a small hospital with limited ICU beds , so some patients might have to go to a Tucson hospital about an hour and a half away .
After a successful transport , Hilliard and his team must spend 30 minutes decontaminating themselves and the ambulance to ensure the virus doesn ’ t spread .
Hilliard is proud of the work he ’ s doing , but that doesn ’ t mean he ’ s immune to the fear that comes with the job .
“ I try not to show how scared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hilliard confessed .
“ I ’ m on a 36-hour shift right now , and I haven ’ t been home since the other morning .
It ’ s not fun to be away from home for this long.
” “ Every moment is pretty important when I ’ m at home , ” he added .
“ It ’ s like , this could be the last time I can see you for a long time .
So I try to cherish those moments.
” Alleman said his team is also working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paramedics like Hilliard could be deployed at any point to harder-hit areas like New York City .
Alleman said those on the front lines of this pandemic are selfless .
“ I think the selflessness that our guys have , you know , you don ’ t make a lot of money in this industry , you ’ re in it for people , ” Alleman said .
“ I know it sounds really corny , but you ’ re in it for humanity .
It ’ s times like this that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They have families at home .
They have little kids at home , and have the same fears that I do and still show up to work .
”

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When Arizona paramedic Ryan Hilliard gets an alert about someone who needs medical attention, he snaps into action. That looks a little different these days as COVID-19 continues to sweep through the U.S. infecting thousands. Hilliard must make sure there is a partition between the ambulance driver’s seat and the passenger in back. He must suit up head-to-toe and put on gloves. And then there’s the gas mask.
“I think my patient was a little amused by [the mask]. because he said, ‘Are you guys scared?’” Hilliard told HuffPost earlier this month. “He asked that to me and my partner, and we can’t ― we’re not really supposed to let any of them feel like we are insecure. We’re supposed to be the strong ones all the time. So we’re like, ‘No, no, man, piece of cake.’ But honestly, I was a little nervous.”
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This is the new normal for Hilliard ― who works in the Sierra Vista area ― and thousands of other EMS workers in rural areas across the country. Every patient must be treated as if they have coronavirus, and every medical response worker must treat each sickness as a worst-case scenario.
Paramedic Ryan Hilliard showcases the ambulance he uses in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Ryan Hilliard
Christopher Alleman, the chief and operations manager for Arizona Ambulance, told HuffPost he has worked in EMS for over 23 years. He’s seen a lot, but nothing like this.
“This whole [COVID-19] thing is one of the scariest things that I have been through,” Alleman said.
Rural areas can make it especially difficult to get patients the treatment they need. Hilliard said it takes just six minutes to get to Canyon Vista Medical Center. But it’s a small hospital with limited ICU beds, so some patients might have to go to a Tucson hospital about an hour and a half away.
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After a successful transport, Hilliard and his team must spend 30 minutes decontaminating themselves and the ambulance to ensure the virus doesn’t spread. Hilliard is proud of the work he’s doing, but that doesn’t mean he’s immune to the fear that comes with the job.
“I try not to show how scared I am to my family,” Hilliard confessed. “I’m on a 36-hour shift right now, and I haven’t been home since the other morning. It’s not fun to be away from home for this long.”
“Every moment is pretty important when I’m at home,” he added. “It’s like, this could be the last time I can see you for a long time. So I try to cherish those moments.”
Alleman said his team is also working with FEMA, which means he and paramedics like Hilliard could be deployed at any point to harder-hit areas like New York City. Alleman said those on the front lines of this pandemic are selfless.
“I think the selflessness that our guys have, you know, you don’t make a lot of money in this industry, you’re in it for people,” Alleman said. “I know it sounds really corny, but you’re in it for humanity. It’s times like this that I’m super proud of my guys. They have families at home. They have little kids at home, and have the same fears that I do and still show up to work.”
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huffpost--2020-04-14--Health Care Workers Make Up A Sizeable Percentage Of COVID-19 Cases

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Between 10 % and 20 % of U.S. coronavirus cases are health care workers , though they tended to be hospitalized at lower rates than other patients , officials reported Tuesday .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first national data on how the pandemic is hitting doctors , nurses and other health care professionals .
The data is important new information but not necessarily surprising , said Dr. Anne Schuchat , who is running the federal agency 's response to the outbreak .
Medical staff have also been hit hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10 % of cases in Italy and Spain were health care workers .
As of the middle of last week , the CDC had reports of more than 315,000 cases in the U.S .
The new report focused on about 49,000 for which researchers had data on whether or not they worked in health care .
About 9,300 , or 19 % , of them were medical professionals .
That included 27 who died .
But the data varied in how complete it was , researchers said .
In 12 states that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients worked in medicine , around 11 % of cases were health care workers .
Compared with U.S. cases overall , larger proportions of diagnosed health care workers were women , were white , and were young or middle-aged adults .
That 's consistent with the demographics of who works in health care , researchers said .
About 10 % of the health care workers were hospitalized with symptoms , compared with 21 % to 31 % of overall cases .
That may reflect the younger age of the workers , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees , the report said .
Slightly more than half of a group of infected health care workers studied said their only known exposure to the virus was at work , but researchers say it ’ s hard to know for sure how different people caught the bug .
A second report released Tuesday looked at three health care workers who became infected after treating a patient in Solano County , California , in what was one of the first instances of disease spread to medical personnel in the U.S. Workers didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the coronavirus .
All three did not wear eye protection or some other forms of protective equipment at least part of the time they were caring for the person , researchers said .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
This story has been corrected to show the last name of the CDC official is Schuchat , not Schucaht .

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NEW YORK (AP) — Between 10% and 20% of U.S. coronavirus cases are health care workers, though they tended to be hospitalized at lower rates than other patients, officials reported Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first national data on how the pandemic is hitting doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.
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The data is important new information but not necessarily surprising, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, who is running the federal agency's response to the outbreak. Medical staff have also been hit hard in other countries: Media reports said about 10% of cases in Italy and Spain were health care workers.
As of the middle of last week, the CDC had reports of more than 315,000 cases in the U.S. The new report focused on about 49,000 for which researchers had data on whether or not they worked in health care. About 9,300, or 19%, of them were medical professionals. That included 27 who died.
But the data varied in how complete it was, researchers said. In 12 states that did a better job reporting on whether patients worked in medicine, around 11% of cases were health care workers.
Compared with U.S. cases overall, larger proportions of diagnosed health care workers were women, were white, and were young or middle-aged adults. That's consistent with the demographics of who works in health care, researchers said.
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About 10% of the health care workers were hospitalized with symptoms, compared with 21% to 31% of overall cases. That may reflect the younger age of the workers, as well as prioritization of testing for health care employees, the report said.
Slightly more than half of a group of infected health care workers studied said their only known exposure to the virus was at work, but researchers say it’s hard to know for sure how different people caught the bug.
A second report released Tuesday looked at three health care workers who became infected after treating a patient in Solano County, California, in what was one of the first instances of disease spread to medical personnel in the U.S. Workers didn’t initially know the patient was infected with the coronavirus. All three did not wear eye protection or some other forms of protective equipment at least part of the time they were caring for the person, researchers said.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
___


huffpost--2020-04-14--Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Recipes For Your Next Virtual Happy Hour

Americans are buying significantly more liquor than this time last year and replacing in-person drinks with virtual happy hours during the coronavirus pandemic .
But chronic drinking can do serious damage to your immune system over time , and drinking too much during the crisis may put you at greater risk of a respiratory infection .
You can still enjoy a cocktail without weakening your immune system with non-alcoholic cocktails that still contain the flavor profiles and even the tingle you feel from the real thing .
In recent years , alcohol-free “ spirits ” have become more widely available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aroma , bitterness and burn of real alcohol .
Here are four recipes for cocktails that are kind to your immune system .
Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until frothy .
Strain into a cocktail glass , and garnish with a lemon wedge .
( Want to make it vegan ?
Swap the egg white for two tablespoons of chickpea juice . )
If you want a salt rim , prepare a rocks glass : Rub a lime wedge along the rim of the glass , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of salt .
Allow to dry for 30 seconds , and tap to dislodge excess salt .
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice .
Shake for 30 seconds , then strain over fresh ice in the prepared rocks glass .
Garnish with a lime wedge .
Combine Ludlow Red and sparkling water in an ice-filled highball glass .
Stir gently to combine and garnish with blackberries and rosemary .
Add ice to a rocks glass .
Stir in Kin High Rhode , citrus bitters , and grapefruit soda for 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ garnish with a fresh orange slice .

Americans are buying significantly more liquor than this time last year and replacing in-person drinks with virtual happy hours during the coronavirus pandemic. But chronic drinking can do serious damage to your immune system over time, and drinking too much during the crisis may put you at greater risk of a respiratory infection.
Non-alcoholic cocktail recipes
You can still enjoy a cocktail without weakening your immune system with non-alcoholic cocktails that still contain the flavor profiles and even the tingle you feel from the real thing. In recent years, alcohol-free “spirits” have become more widely available, often infused with botanicals that evoke the aroma, bitterness and burn of real alcohol. Here are four recipes for cocktails that are kind to your immune system.
Ritual
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Whiskey Sweet & Sour
2 ounces Ritual whiskey alternative
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white (optional)
Lemon wedge for garnish
Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until frothy. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon wedge. (Want to make it vegan? Swap the egg white for two tablespoons of chickpea juice.)
Seedlip
Grove Margarita
2 ounces Grove 42 (a distilled non-alcoholic spirit)
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Flaky margarita salt (optional)
Lime wedge
If you want a salt rim, prepare a rocks glass: Rub a lime wedge along the rim of the glass, then then dunk it in a shallow dish of salt. Allow to dry for 30 seconds, and tap to dislodge excess salt.
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain over fresh ice in the prepared rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Ludlow
Ludlow Highball
4 ounces chilled Proteau Ludlow Red
4 ounces chilled sparkling water
Combine Ludlow Red and sparkling water in an ice-filled highball glass. Stir gently to combine and garnish with blackberries and rosemary.
Kin
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The Kin Citron
2 ounces Kin High Rhode
1 ounce grapefruit soda
5 dashes citrus bitters
Sparkling water
Orange slice


huffpost--2020-04-13--New York's LGBTQ Community Sees COVID-19 And AIDS Parallels, Contrasts

NEW YORK ( AP ) — LGBT New Yorkers who lived through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s see some bleak parallels in the COVID-19 pandemic now wracking their city .
But more so , they stress the differences .
Now , they share the same plight as their fellow citizens while the federal government is pledging trillions of dollars to combat the pandemic .
Back then they were frighteningly marginalized in the face of indifference from government leaders and much of the public .
“ There was a lot of fear and a lot of anger , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City psychiatrist .
“ Fear because nobody knew what the cause was , anger because of the lack of concerted response.
” “ In that time , many died , including many of my professional colleagues , patients and friends , ” Drescher recalled .
“ My partner and I would sit down every once in a while and ask , ‘ Who have we lost ?
’ ” According to the city health department , more than 62,000 people died of AIDS in New York between 1981 and 1995 .
COVID-19 has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in just four weeks “ There ’ s the same anxiety and powerlessness and helplessness that was very present in the ’ 80s , ” he said .
“ And this virus could kill a person in 10 days , instead of years.
” Yet he also notes that HIV , the virus that causes AIDS , was far deadlier in its early years than the coronavirus .
It was viewed for a time as a terminal disease compared to a projected 1 % to 3 % overall mortality rate for COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-host of the weekly TV news hour Gay USA , was among several dozen gay men summoned by activist Larry Kramer to a meeting in August 1981 , shortly after the first news reports of a mysterious disease that was killing gays .
They heard a doctor “ softly and terrifyingly tell us what was going on , ” Humm said .
“ People gasped .
These were good-looking guys who now looked like the Phantom of the Opera , ” Humm said .
“ Two guys in my building tied themselves together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was confusion , chaos , a lot of denial , ” he said .
“ We didn ’ t even know what we were dealing with .
With homophobia so overt , we wondered if it might be some kind of plot.
” AIDS was not an equal-opportunity disease in its early years .
Overwhelmingly , its victims were gay men , intravenous drug users , Haitians and hemophiliacs .
Gay activists believe that the marginalized status of those victims made it easy for President Ronald Reagan ’ s administration — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s government — to dismiss the seriousness of the crisis .
“ AIDS was seen as God ’ s plague and as our just desserts for a hedonistic lifestyle , ” says James Esseks , a New Yorker since 1987 who heads the American Civil Liberties Union ’ s LGBT & HIV Project .
“ Most of the nation simply looked the other way.
” “ Over the next nine months , we ’ re all going to know people who will die , ” Staley said .
“ We ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what we went through over 15 years in New York City.
” “ At least we could go to funerals back then , and hug each other through all that pain , ” he said .
“ We ’ re not going to have that this time .
We can ’ t gather in person to celebrate the lives of those we ’ ve lost .
”

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NEW YORK (AP) — LGBT New Yorkers who lived through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s see some bleak parallels in the COVID-19 pandemic now wracking their city. But more so, they stress the differences.
Now, they share the same plight as their fellow citizens while the federal government is pledging trillions of dollars to combat the pandemic. Back then they were frighteningly marginalized in the face of indifference from government leaders and much of the public.
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“There was a lot of fear and a lot of anger,” said Dr. Jack Drescher, a New York City psychiatrist. “Fear because nobody knew what the cause was, anger because of the lack of concerted response.”
Drescher was doing his internship and residency at New York hospitals in the early ’80s as doctors struggled to learn the cause of AIDS. Effective treatment didn’t emerge until 1995.
“In that time, many died, including many of my professional colleagues, patients and friends,” Drescher recalled. “My partner and I would sit down every once in a while and ask, ‘Who have we lost?’”
According to the city health department, more than 62,000 people died of AIDS in New York between 1981 and 1995. COVID-19 has killed more than 6,300 in the city in just four weeks
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Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health and a specialist in HIV/AIDS prevention, was a student at Columbia University and Hunter College in New York during the ’80s. “I was petrified,” he recalls.
Halkitis says he and other gay survivors of that epoch carry permanent emotional scars. He finds it traumatic to see some similarities in the COVID-19 outbreak.
“There’s the same anxiety and powerlessness and helplessness that was very present in the ’80s,” he said. “And this virus could kill a person in 10 days, instead of years.”
Yet he also notes that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was far deadlier in its early years than the coronavirus. It was viewed for a time as a terminal disease compared to a projected 1% to 3% overall mortality rate for COVID-19 in the U.S.
Andy Humm, 66, co-host of the weekly TV news hour Gay USA, was among several dozen gay men summoned by activist Larry Kramer to a meeting in August 1981, shortly after the first news reports of a mysterious disease that was killing gays. They heard a doctor “softly and terrifyingly tell us what was going on,” Humm said.
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Kramer and a few colleagues soon founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the first nonprofit in New York focused on serving people with AIDS.
“I remember one GHMC meeting — the guys would break down, crying for the friends and the way of life they were losing,” Humm said. “It was chilling.”
He recalls the first major TV news broadcast showing men wasting away from AIDS.
“People gasped. These were good-looking guys who now looked like the Phantom of the Opera,” Humm said. “Two guys in my building tied themselves together and jumped out the window.”
Among the co-founders of Gay Men’s Health Crisis was Dr. Lawrence Mass, who in May 1981 wrote the first news article about AIDS.
“There was confusion, chaos, a lot of denial,” he said. “We didn’t even know what we were dealing with. With homophobia so overt, we wondered if it might be some kind of plot.”
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Now 73, Mass still practices in New York, specializing in addiction medicine. He recalls that some gay men, in the 1980s, continued engaging in promiscuous sex even as risks became more apparent.
AIDS was not an equal-opportunity disease in its early years. Overwhelmingly, its victims were gay men, intravenous drug users, Haitians and hemophiliacs. Gay activists believe that the marginalized status of those victims made it easy for President Ronald Reagan’s administration — and to some extent New York City’s government — to dismiss the seriousness of the crisis.
“AIDS was seen as God’s plague and as our just desserts for a hedonistic lifestyle,” says James Esseks, a New Yorker since 1987 who heads the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT & HIV Project. “Most of the nation simply looked the other way.”
COVID-19, by contrast, strikes virtually every demographic group, although some LGBT activists say their community may suffer disproportionately because of higher rates of HIV and cancer, and discrimination in some health care settings.
Peter Staley, a long-time AIDS/HIV activist in New York, said the Trump administration’s initial response to the coronavirus outbreak enraged him, reminding him of the Reagan administration’s indifference early in the AIDS crisis
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“Over the next nine months, we’re all going to know people who will die,” Staley said. “We’re going to have, compacted into nine months, what we went through over 15 years in New York City.”
“At least we could go to funerals back then, and hug each other through all that pain,” he said. “We’re not going to have that this time. We can’t gather in person to celebrate the lives of those we’ve lost.”
Among the thousands of New Yorkers killed by AIDS were a huge number of highly talented and creative gay men — artists, musicians, designers and others.
COVID-19 deaths are less focused, though the LGBT community has suffered notable losses. They include playwright Terrence McNally, transgender activist Lorena Borjas and lawyer Richard E. Weber, Jr., 57, a longtime board member of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York who managed its free legal clinic.
The association’s executive director, Eric Lesh, was a grade-schooler in Florida as the AIDS crisis unfolded, He’s been in New York nearly 20 years and knows many survivors of that epidemic.
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Lesh, 42, who along with his husband weathered a bout of COVID-19, was shocked by Weber’s death.
“Richard would have watched lots of his friends pass away in the AIDS crisis,” Lesh said. “And then to be swept up in another pandemic ― it just feels so sad.”
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huffpost--2020-04-14--9 Signs Your Casual Drinking Habit Is Becoming A Real Problem

Much of that can probably be attributed to stocking up on booze for several weeks ’ worth of self-isolation .
According to a survey by Alcohol.org , 1 in 5 respondents said they stockpiled alcohol for just that reason .
However , many people are also drinking more in general : 1 in 3 respondents said they are likely to increase alcohol consumption in isolation .
How much drinking is considered normal ?
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans , moderate alcohol consumption is defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind that these guidelines refer to the amount you drink on any single day ― it ’ s not meant to be an average of drinks consumed over several days .
However , these are just guidelines ; what ’ s considered “ normal ” drinking is somewhat subjective and based on your own body and behaviors .
“ If you don ’ t have a problem with alcohol , an extra glass of wine here and there isn ’ t something to be worried about , ” said Brian Wind , chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center JourneyPure .
“ People are bored , stuck in their homes and really stressed out .
For some , kicking back with a drink is perfectly normal.
” “ During the challenges of the looming threat of the pandemic , plus the stresses of lockdown , we are naturally turning to any coping skills we have available , ” she said .
“ Many of us are shut off from our best coping mechanisms , including social interactions , yoga class , time with extended family and friends and even time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restless , Mendonsa recommends going for a walk outside ( as long as it ’ s safe to do so ) or calling friends and family .
If you feel like you can ’ t rely on these healthy coping methods alone and must drink , you likely have a problematic relationship with alcohol .
3 .
You drink on the job .
Transitioning to a fully remote job can be tough if you ’ re not used to working from home .
It may be stressful learning new tools and communication methods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ productivity .
With no office to drive to and no boss looking over your shoulder , there may be more temptation to Irish up your morning coffee or crack open a beer at 3 p.m. “ If you ’ re working from home and have justified that it ’ s okay to drink while working , you are mistaken , ” Wind said .
“ While working from home , you should conduct yourself just as you would being on the job .
If you ’ re drinking to get through the workday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have a problem.
” 4 .
You ’ re constantly worried about having enough alcohol .
Another way to know that you ’ re drinking too much during isolation is if you worry about having enough alcohol and find yourself making extra trips to the store or gas station just to buy it .
“ We should be minimizing trips that aren ’ t essential right now , so if getting alcohol feels like an essential to you and you ’ re going out often to stock up on it , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wind said .
5 .
Your responsibilities are falling to the wayside .
Balancing your job , your child ’ s education and relationships with family and friends is hard enough without a pandemic adding to the chaos .
It ’ s understandable if you drop the ball on your obligations sometimes .
However , Eitches said that if alcohol use interferes with your priorities and obligations in any realm of your life ― including work , social connections and self-care ― it ’ s a sign that there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a secret slip or gone overboard online shopping after a few drinks .
Hey , mistakes happen ― we ’ re not here to judge .
But those alcohol-induced slip-ups should be few and far between .
If you regularly make decisions when intoxicated that you wouldn ’ t make or would regret when you are sober , there ’ s a larger issue at hand , Eitches said .
When you drink often enough , your body becomes reliant on alcohol to function .
Stopping alcohol intake when your body is dependent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which range from mild to severe and can include shaky hands , anxiety , sweating , racing heartbeat , hallucinations and even seizures .
You may begin to experience certain withdrawal symptoms within six hours of your last drink .
9 .
You want to stop drinking but can ’ t .

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In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have been panic-buying more than just toilet paper and eggs. U.S. alcohol sales spiked 55% in the week ending March 21, according to data from market research firm Nielsen. Online alcohol sales were up 243%.
Much of that can probably be attributed to stocking up on booze for several weeks’ worth of self-isolation. According to a survey by Alcohol.org, 1 in 5 respondents said they stockpiled alcohol for just that reason. However, many people are also drinking more in general: 1 in 3 respondents said they are likely to increase alcohol consumption in isolation.
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While a few extra drinks to get you through the stress and boredom of being stuck at home might not be a big deal, it can become a slippery slope.
How much drinking is considered normal?
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Keep in mind that these guidelines refer to the amount you drink on any single day ― it’s not meant to be an average of drinks consumed over several days.
However, these are just guidelines; what’s considered “normal” drinking is somewhat subjective and based on your own body and behaviors. “If you don’t have a problem with alcohol, an extra glass of wine here and there isn’t something to be worried about,” said Brian Wind, chief clinical officer at alcohol and drug treatment center JourneyPure. “People are bored, stuck in their homes and really stressed out. For some, kicking back with a drink is perfectly normal.”
It’s when your habits and thoughts surrounding alcohol begin to change for the worse that you should be concerned. Unhealthy alcohol use exists on a spectrum, which can range from alcohol misuse to abuse to dependency, according to Sari Eitches, an integrative internist who practices in Los Angeles.
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“During the challenges of the looming threat of the pandemic, plus the stresses of lockdown, we are naturally turning to any coping skills we have available,” she said. “Many of us are shut off from our best coping mechanisms, including social interactions, yoga class, time with extended family and friends and even time in nature.”
That means some people turn to coping methods that are available at home, including alcohol. Maybe that includes you. If so, keep an eye out for these signs that you might be drinking too much.
1. You drink because you’re stressed.
In general, it’s considered problematic when alcohol intake increases during stressful situations, “even during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Amanda Brown, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and an associate at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “It means that we are using alcohol to cope with the negative emotions caused by stress.”
Brown explained that when you’re stressed, you experience new or uncontrolled emotions that you’re not used to dealing with and your emotional equilibrium falls off balance. To adapt to these changes, you turn to coping mechanisms that help regulate emotions.
“But not all coping mechanisms are adaptive,” she said. “Alcohol use, for example, is a maladaptive coping mechanism that can ultimately cause more harm for an individual.”
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2. You drink because you’re bored.
The thought of spending another Saturday night at home in front of the TV might seem unbearable. That is, unless you also have a glass (OK, bottle) of wine at your side.
Similar to drinking due to stress, drinking to cope with boredom is a red flag, according to Andrew Mendonsa, a clinical psychologist with addiction treatment center Sprout Health Group. “When you say, ‘I’m bored at home, I’m going to turn to the bottle,’ that’s when you start to cross the line,” he said.
When you feel bored or restless, Mendonsa recommends going for a walk outside (as long as it’s safe to do so) or calling friends and family. If you feel like you can’t rely on these healthy coping methods alone and must drink, you likely have a problematic relationship with alcohol.
3. You drink on the job.
Transitioning to a fully remote job can be tough if you’re not used to working from home. It may be stressful learning new tools and communication methods. Plus, you might struggle with productivity. With no office to drive to and no boss looking over your shoulder, there may be more temptation to Irish up your morning coffee or crack open a beer at 3 p.m.
“If you’re working from home and have justified that it’s okay to drink while working, you are mistaken,” Wind said. “While working from home, you should conduct yourself just as you would being on the job. If you’re drinking to get through the workday, it’s a sign that you have a problem.”
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4. You’re constantly worried about having enough alcohol.
Another way to know that you’re drinking too much during isolation is if you worry about having enough alcohol and find yourself making extra trips to the store or gas station just to buy it. “We should be minimizing trips that aren’t essential right now, so if getting alcohol feels like an essential to you and you’re going out often to stock up on it, you’re probably drinking too much,” Wind said.
5. Your responsibilities are falling to the wayside.
Balancing your job, your child’s education and relationships with family and friends is hard enough without a pandemic adding to the chaos. It’s understandable if you drop the ball on your obligations sometimes. However, Eitches said that if alcohol use interferes with your priorities and obligations in any realm of your life ― including work, social connections and self-care ― it’s a sign that there’s a problem.
6. You’ve been making poor decisions while drunk.
Many of us have let a secret slip or gone overboard online shopping after a few drinks. Hey, mistakes happen ― we’re not here to judge. But those alcohol-induced slip-ups should be few and far between. If you regularly make decisions when intoxicated that you wouldn’t make or would regret when you are sober, there’s a larger issue at hand, Eitches said.
7. You don’t feel good physically.
Hangovers are a reminder that overindulging on alcohol isn’t great for your body. So if you regularly wake up with headaches, sensitivity to light, dehydration and other hangover symptoms, it’s a sign you’re going overboard.
Eitches added that generally feeling crappy due to drinking, due to disrupted sleep and eating patterns or less motivation to exercise, are also warning signs.
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8. You experience withdrawal symptoms.
When you drink often enough, your body becomes reliant on alcohol to function. Stopping alcohol intake when your body is dependent on it results in withdrawal symptoms, which range from mild to severe and can include shaky hands, anxiety, sweating, racing heartbeat, hallucinations and even seizures. You may begin to experience certain withdrawal symptoms within six hours of your last drink.
If mild hangovers have progressed to more serious signs of withdrawal when you stop drinking, it’s definitely time to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol.
9. You want to stop drinking but can’t.
Finally, if you recognize that drinking alcohol affects your life negatively but can’t seem to slow down, it’s time to get help. Fortunately, there are many resources available.
If you’re experiencing difficulty coping or having problems with drug or alcohol use, you should immediately call your doctor or the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They can refer you to local treatment facilities, support groups and community-based organizations.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also has an online treatment navigator to help you find and evaluate the right type of care for you.
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huffpost--2020-04-14--Yemen Is Fighting Coronavirus With A Health Care System America Helped Destroy

The coronavirus is now spreading in Yemen , which announced its first case on Friday .
It ’ s an extremely alarming development in a country suffering the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
Thirty million mostly impoverished people have lost at least half their health care facilities since neighboring Saudi Arabia began a punishing military intervention there in 2015 with U.S. support .
The coronavirus news panicked Yemenis and aid groups already fighting mass hunger and a yearslong cholera outbreak .
And it highlighted that while world powers like the U.S. , Britain and France struggle with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame for making places like Yemen especially vulnerable to the new global crisis .
Those three countries have given extensive support to the Saudis and allies like the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , risking complicity in war crimes , according to United Nations investigators .
Under two U.S. presidents ― Barack Obama , who originally approved assistance to the Saudi-led campaign , and Donald Trump ― America has helped pummel Yemen ’ s critical infrastructure even as government experts watched the country collapse and sent hundreds of millions of dollars in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose weapons largely come from the U.S. and other Western producers , attacked at least 32 Yemeni health facilities between 2015 and the end of 2018 , killing and injuring medical workers and putting units out of commission , per a recent report by Physicians for Human Rights and the Yemen-based group Mwatana for Human Rights .
Until November 2018 , the coalition ’ s planes were also receiving U.S. aerial refueling that enabled longer bombing runs .
As the coronavirus spread worldwide and charities warned it could devastate conflict zones , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 27 .
The U.S. Agency for International Development said it would suspend at least $ 73 million earmarked for the north of the country , which is controlled by the Houthis , a rebel militia the Saudis and their partners are fighting .
Outside assessments suggested the final cut could be as high as $ 200 million out of a $ 746 million budget that provided about one-fifth of the world ’ s humanitarian support for Yemen .
“ Putting Yemeni lives in the balance through a premature and unilateral funding suspension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Scott Paul of Oxfam America said in a press release last month .
The U.S. “ says it will continue supporting life-saving activities even as it eviscerates Yemen ’ s first and best defense against the defining health crisis of our time .
That is simply impossible to understand.
” Reps. Eliot Engel ( D-N.Y. ) and Adam Smith ( D-Wash. ) , who chair powerful committees overseeing foreign policy in the House of Representatives , led a letter urging the Trump administration to change course .
Administration officials have spoken with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to continue receiving U.S. funding , but the exemptions they are describing are “ very narrow , ” a Democratic aide told HuffPost .
Now that the coronavirus can definitively be added to the long list of Yemen ’ s problems , aid workers are even more distressed about the consequences of U.S. policy there .
“ For weeks we have feared this , and now it ’ s happened , ” Lise Grande , the U.N. ’ s humanitarian coordinator in the country , said in reaction to Friday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , people across the country have some of the lowest levels of immunity and highest levels of acute vulnerability in the world … more people who become infected are likely to become severely ill than anywhere else.
” One immediate way to give Yemenis a fighting chance would be to end the conflict between Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis .
Riyadh announced a two-week suspension in its campaign last week , and U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths is speeding up negotiations .
But rebel leaders say other steps are necessary to build goodwill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S.-backed coalition ’ s embargo of the areas under Houthi control , which has worsened the risk of famine by driving up prices and slowing down vital imports .
Lifting the blockade would be a crucial step , Khanna said .
He ’ s recently discussed Yemen ’ s plight with conservatives who have worked with him on anti-war measures and have some degree of influence on the president , who could push Saudi Arabia on the restrictions .
But he noted that their chief concern at present is their own districts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid cut as suiting his “ America First ” thinking .

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The coronavirus is now spreading in Yemen, which announced its first case on Friday. It’s an extremely alarming development in a country suffering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Thirty million mostly impoverished people have lost at least half their health care facilities since neighboring Saudi Arabia began a punishing military intervention there in 2015 with U.S. support.
The coronavirus news panicked Yemenis and aid groups already fighting mass hunger and a yearslong cholera outbreak. And it highlighted that while world powers like the U.S., Britain and France struggle with the novel coronavirus themselves, they bear significant blame for making places like Yemen especially vulnerable to the new global crisis. Those three countries have given extensive support to the Saudis and allies like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), risking complicity in war crimes, according to United Nations investigators.
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“We’ve unfortunately played a role … and have a moral responsibility to assist,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers making the U.S. role in Yemen a top concern in Congress in recent years.
Under two U.S. presidents ― Barack Obama, who originally approved assistance to the Saudi-led campaign, and Donald Trump ― America has helped pummel Yemen’s critical infrastructure even as government experts watched the country collapse and sent hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid there.
The Saudi-led coalition, whose weapons largely come from the U.S. and other Western producers, attacked at least 32 Yemeni health facilities between 2015 and the end of 2018, killing and injuring medical workers and putting units out of commission, per a recent report by Physicians for Human Rights and the Yemen-based group Mwatana for Human Rights. Until November 2018, the coalition’s planes were also receiving U.S. aerial refueling that enabled longer bombing runs.
Workers collect human remains outside a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders after it was hit by a Saudi-led coalition airstrike in the Abs district of Hajja province, Yemen, on August 16, 2016. ABDULJABBAR ZEYAD / Reuters
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As the coronavirus spread worldwide and charities warned it could devastate conflict zones, Trump slashed U.S. aid to Yemen on March 27. The U.S. Agency for International Development said it would suspend at least $73 million earmarked for the north of the country, which is controlled by the Houthis, a rebel militia the Saudis and their partners are fighting. Outside assessments suggested the final cut could be as high as $200 million out of a $746 million budget that provided about one-fifth of the world’s humanitarian support for Yemen.
American officials say their new policy will pressure the Houthis to stop interfering with aid deliveries and work. But humanitarian groups view that as a poor and badly timed response to a real problem.
“Putting Yemeni lives in the balance through a premature and unilateral funding suspension will not improve the humanitarian situation,” Scott Paul of Oxfam America said in a press release last month. The U.S. “says it will continue supporting life-saving activities even as it eviscerates Yemen’s first and best defense against the defining health crisis of our time. That is simply impossible to understand.”
The U.N. urged other donor countries to continue supporting north Yemen as its agencies and marquee charities like the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and Islamic Relief prepared to limit operations, the UAE-based outlet The National reported.
The Houthi-run areas affected include Yemen’s capital and biggest city, Sana’a, large refugee camps and regions that have been particularly badly hit by the Saudi-led coalition’s bombing.
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Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who chair powerful committees overseeing foreign policy in the House of Representatives, led a letter urging the Trump administration to change course. Administration officials have spoken with congressional staff about programs that might be allowed to continue receiving U.S. funding, but the exemptions they are describing are “very narrow,” a Democratic aide told HuffPost.
“America has helped pummel Yemen’s critical infrastructure even as government experts watched the country collapse and sent hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid there.”
Now that the coronavirus can definitively be added to the long list of Yemen’s problems, aid workers are even more distressed about the consequences of U.S. policy there.
“For weeks we have feared this, and now it’s happened,” Lise Grande, the U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator in the country, said in reaction to Friday’s news. “After five years of war, people across the country have some of the lowest levels of immunity and highest levels of acute vulnerability in the world … more people who become infected are likely to become severely ill than anywhere else.”
One immediate way to give Yemenis a fighting chance would be to end the conflict between Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis. Riyadh announced a two-week suspension in its campaign last week, and U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths is speeding up negotiations.
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But rebel leaders say other steps are necessary to build goodwill — notably, an end to the U.S.-backed coalition’s embargo of the areas under Houthi control, which has worsened the risk of famine by driving up prices and slowing down vital imports.
Lifting the blockade would be a crucial step, Khanna said. He’s recently discussed Yemen’s plight with conservatives who have worked with him on anti-war measures and have some degree of influence on the president, who could push Saudi Arabia on the restrictions. But he noted that their chief concern at present is their own districts and that Trump could well see the U.S. aid cut as suiting his “America First” thinking.


huffpost--2020-03-31--'Star Wars' Actor Andrew Jack Dies Of Coronavirus At 76

SYDNEY ( AP ) — Star Wars actor Andrew Jack has died in Britain as a result of the coronavirus , his agent said on Wednesday .
He was 76 .
The actor , who also worked as a dialect coach , died in a hospital in Surrey on Tuesday , Jack ’ s agent Jill McCullough said in a statement .
“ Andrew lived on one of the oldest working houseboats on the Thames , he was fiercely independent but madly in love with his wife , also a dialect coach , ” McCullough said .
Jack appeared in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Last Jedi ” as General Ematt , as well as “ Solo : A Star Wars Story ” and “ Star Wars : Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
” Star Wars actor Andrew Jack has died in Britain as a result of the coronavirus , his agent said on Wednesday .
He was 76 .
His wife , Gabrielle Rogers , who is quarantined in Australia , posted on social media : “ Andrew Jack was diagnosed with coronavirus 2 days ago .
He was in no pain , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were all ‘ with ’ him.
” Passengers arriving in Australia must isolate in hotels for two weeks .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .

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SYDNEY (AP) — Star Wars actor Andrew Jack has died in Britain as a result of the coronavirus, his agent said on Wednesday. He was 76.
The actor, who also worked as a dialect coach, died in a hospital in Surrey on Tuesday, Jack’s agent Jill McCullough said in a statement.
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“Andrew lived on one of the oldest working houseboats on the Thames, he was fiercely independent but madly in love with his wife, also a dialect coach,” McCullough said.
Jack appeared in “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” as General Ematt, as well as “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.”
Star Wars actor Andrew Jack has died in Britain as a result of the coronavirus, his agent said on Wednesday. He was 76. AndrewJack.com
His wife, Gabrielle Rogers, who is quarantined in Australia, posted on social media: “Andrew Jack was diagnosed with coronavirus 2 days ago. He was in no pain, and he slipped away peacefully knowing that his family were all ‘with’ him.”
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Passengers arriving in Australia must isolate in hotels for two weeks.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.


huffpost--2020-04-01--British Man Thwarts Lockdown By Running Marathon In Backyard

CHELTENHAM , England ( AP ) — Being stuck at home didn ’ t stop a British man from running an outdoor marathon .
James Campbell , a former professional javelin thrower , spent his 32nd birthday on Wednesday doing 6-meter ( 20-foot ) shuttles from one end of his small backyard to the other after promising to run a marathon if one of his Twitter messages received 10,000 retweets .
By the time Campbell completed the marathon in just over five hours , he had raised more than 18,000 pounds ( $ 22,000 ) for Britain ’ s National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
The effort — labeled the # 6metregardenmarathon — was live-streamed , with former England soccer great Geoff Hurst among the viewers .
Neighbors poked their heads over the backyard fence to give Campbell encouragement .
Campbell ran across a patch of grass , some stones and a small patio in 6-meter ( 20-foot ) stretches .
He calculated he would have to traverse his yard at least 7,000 times to reach 42.2 kilometers ( 26.2 miles ) .
James Campbell runs a charity marathon to raise funds for the NHS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus , in Cheltenham , England .

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CHELTENHAM, England (AP) — Being stuck at home didn’t stop a British man from running an outdoor marathon.
James Campbell, a former professional javelin thrower, spent his 32nd birthday on Wednesday doing 6-meter (20-foot) shuttles from one end of his small backyard to the other after promising to run a marathon if one of his Twitter messages received 10,000 retweets.
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By the time Campbell completed the marathon in just over five hours, he had raised more than 18,000 pounds ($22,000) for Britain’s National Health Service to help battle the coronavirus pandemic.
The effort — labeled the #6metregardenmarathon — was live-streamed, with former England soccer great Geoff Hurst among the viewers. Neighbors poked their heads over the backyard fence to give Campbell encouragement.
Campbell ran across a patch of grass, some stones and a small patio in 6-meter (20-foot) stretches. He calculated he would have to traverse his yard at least 7,000 times to reach 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles).
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