huffpost--2020-05-12--Louisiana Inmate Dies From COVID-19 Just 2 Days After Scheduled Release

Escamilla was the eighth person to die from the disease at Oakdale , which has seen one of the worst outbreaks of any prison in the federal system .
At the time of his death , he was nearly 12 years into a 16 year sentence for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting .
But the federal Bureau of Prisons had prioritized his release — presumably because he was imprisoned on a nonviolent offense and because he was particularly vulnerable to complications from the disease .
On March 18 , nearly a month before Escamilla went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 , and over seven weeks before his death , he called his son Michael in Austin , Texas , to tell him that he expected to be released soon .
He told him to send his driver ’ s license , vehicle registration , and insurance information to the prison , and asked him to install a landline in his home — which Michael did .
Then , on April 9 , a reentry case worker came to Michael ’ s house to ensure that the landline was installed and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his father ’ s home confinement .
They found that it was .
‘ I would like for you to put in bold letters that we do hold the prison responsible for this ’ “ We grew up with him , ” she said .
“ We were always at his house .
We would get out of school and go to my grandpa ’ s house .
That was our routine for a few years before he had gone to jail .
He has always been in my life since we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he always gave me a lot of life lessons .
He always made sure that I knew that school was a number one priority , he wanted me to graduate college , which I am in the process of .
He always said that the last thing he would want for any of his grandchildren was for them to end up in prison .
He wanted all of us to learn from the mistakes that he made , you know ?
”

A memorial at George Jr.'s home. Provided to The Lens by George Jr. Escamilla
This article is from The Lens, the New Orleans area’s first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, dedicated to unique investigative and explanatory journalism.
Arrangements began back in mid-March for George Escamilla to be released from the federal prison in Oakdale, Louisiana to home confinement. Instead, on May 8, two days after his scheduled release date, he became the latest person incarcerated at the prison to die from COVID-19.
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Escamilla was the eighth person to die from the disease at Oakdale, which has seen one of the worst outbreaks of any prison in the federal system. At the time of his death, he was nearly 12 years into a 16 year sentence for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting. But the federal Bureau of Prisons had prioritized his release — presumably because he was imprisoned on a nonviolent offense and because he was particularly vulnerable to complications from the disease.
Escamilla was 67 years old and wheelchair-bound, having lost both legs as a result of complications from diabetes, a major underlying risk for COVID-19 patients.
He was also a father and a grandfather, and his imminent release was eagerly anticipated by those close to him.
“He was someone that whenever he called and I had a problem, I knew I could talk to him about things that I couldn’t talk to my parents about,” his granddaughter, Frida Escamilla, remembered in a phone interview with The Lens. “Because my grandpa, aside from the fact that I had a different bond with him than I do with my parents, he just had a different outlook on life. He was always trying to see the positive in everything, you know?”
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For Escamilla’s family, along with advocates and attorneys working to mitigate the damage of coronavirus behind bars, his death illustrates the failures of the federal prison system to respond to the pandemic. They have questioned the necessity of keeping non-violent offenders incarcerated — particularly those who are medically vulnerable — and the lack of urgency shown by correctional institutions to release prisoners from custody.
According to the federal Bureau of Prisons website, there are currently 3,379 prisoners in custody who have tested positive for COVID-19, and 49 prisoners have died from the disease. Public health experts have warned that prisons and jails are uniquely susceptible to the spread of the virus due to the inability for prisoners to practice social distancing and, in many cases, the lack of hygienic products provided to them.
In response to the threat, U.S. Attorney General William Barr has sent two memos to the federal Bureau of Prisons urging officials to review and release prisoners to home confinement in order to slow the spread of the disease in federal facilities.
“Could Mr. Escamilla’s death have been avoided?” wrote Jose Gonzalez-Falla, a federal public defender in Austin who had been working on getting Escamilla released, in a Monday court filing. “Was Mr. Escamilla’s demise a necessary consequence of his incarceration at FCI Oakdale? Is such a fatal outcome to be expected for future medically compromised inmates in B.O.P custody as Covid-19 spreads throughout the inmate population? Mr. Escamilla’s children hope that their father’s death will serve the purpose of preventing other needless inmate deaths.”
‘And that was it’
On March 18, nearly a month before Escamilla went into respiratory failure and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, and over seven weeks before his death, he called his son Michael in Austin, Texas, to tell him that he expected to be released soon. He told him to send his driver’s license, vehicle registration, and insurance information to the prison, and asked him to install a landline in his home — which Michael did. Then, on April 9, a reentry case worker came to Michael’s house to ensure that the landline was installed and that his house was a suitable place for his father’s home confinement. They found that it was.
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Escamilla was given a release on home confinement date of May 6. Prior to that, he was supposed to spend two weeks in quarantine at the prison.
By that time, the coronavirus outbreak at Federal Correctional Complex, Oakdale had become serious. On March 29, the first federal prisoner to die from the disease was an Oakdale inmate named Patrick Jones. Around the same time, The Lens reported that the prison had stopped testing symptomatic inmates for the coronavirus due to “sustained transmission” at the facility.
On April 3, U.S. Attorney General William Barr wrote a memo to the director of the Bureau of Prisons ordering supervised release or transfer for inmates in facilities with outbreaks. The memo specifically mentioned Oakdale.
“For all inmates you deem suitable candidates for home confinement, you are directed to immediately process them for transfer and then immediately transfer them following a 14-day quarantine at an appropriate BOP facility, or, in appropriate cases subject to your case-by-case discretion, in the residence to which the inmate is being transferred,” Barr wrote.
FCC Oakdale is made up of three separate facilities. The outbreak began at FCI Oakdale I, a low-security prison that is currently holding around 1,000 prisoners. But on April 7, two days before the staff from the halfway house inspected Escamilla’s son’s home in Austin, The Lens reported that the virus had spread to a minimum security camp at the complex. By that time five prisoners at FCI Oakdale I had already died.
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Escamilla was one of about 140 prisoners being held at the camp, all living in a dorm-style setting with bunk beds about three feet apart.
But despite the proven threat of the virus, Escamilla’s high risk factors, and the fact that he appeared to have already been cleared for home confinement, Escamilla was not immediately transferred, and he had not yet been put into a 14-day quarantine. He remained in the minimum security prison camp until April 15, when he developed respiratory failure, was taken to a local hospital and tested positive for COVID-19 .
It wasn’t until April 30 — over two weeks after his hospitalization — when Escamilla’s condition declined and he was put on a ventilator, that the prison called his sons to inform them he was in the hospital and had tested positive.
“He was on a ventilator, and they had to sedate him,” his son George Jr. said BOP officials told him when they finally called. “But they told us he is stable. He’s fighting. All of his organs are fine. The liver, the kidney, the heart, everything’s fine. We just have to sedate him. That went on for three days.”
“Then they called us again; they told us that his kidney was not reacting to the medicine, that his blood-pressure went up, but that he was still fighting. They called us again two days later and they told us that the kidney had shut down, and that he wasn’t reacting to the medicine they were giving him.”
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George Escamilla with his grandson Sebastian. Provided to The Lens by George Jr. Escamilla
By that time it was nearing the date when Escamilla was supposed to be released. But instead of Michael going to pick him up from prison to bring him back home where he would be reunited with his family, his other son, Geoge Escamilla, Jr., drove with his wife to the hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana, where Escamilla was on life support.
“We were there when he died,” George Jr. said. “We could only see him through the window for five minutes. And that was it.”
The Bureau of Prisons confirmed Escamilla’s death on May 9, in a press release. In response to questions from The Lens, Emery Nelson, a spokesperson for the Bureau, declined to comment on Escamilla’s case, citing privacy concerns.
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‘I would like for you to put in bold letters that we do hold the prison responsible for this’
“I can’t understand it,” said George Escamilla, Jr. “I am holding the people at FCI accountable for it, and BOP. Because I don’t see why when my brother’s home got approved, why couldn’t they call him, and tell him, ‘Hey, come and get your dad,’ you know? Because he was a non-violent offender.”
George Escamilla, Sr. had been arrested in 2008 in Austin and pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and aiding and abetting. He was given a 20-year sentence, which was reduced to 16 years following a change in federal sentencing guidelines.
At the time of his death, Escamilla had served nearly 12 years of his sentence. He had been at FCC Oakdale since 2018, according to the BOP. At the time he contracted the coronavirus he was being held in a minimum security satellite camp at the prison, reserved for the lowest risk prisoners.
Escamilla had petitioned for early release due to his medical conditions before. In 2019, following the passage of the First Step Act — federal criminal justice reform legislation that expanded the criteria in which courts can grant compassionate release — he appealed to the warden of Oakdale, Rod Myers, for a reduction in his sentence. When the warden denied his appeal, Escamilla filed a motion in federal court.
U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel, of the Western District of Texas in Austin, denied his motion, writing that despite Escamilla’s health problems, the court found “no compelling or extraordinary reasons that warrant a reduction” in his sentence.
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“Although Escamilla indicates he is committed to a wheelchair and suffers from other medical conditions, he fails to show his ability to provide self-care within the environment of a correctional facility is substantially diminished,” the judge wrote. “Additionally, as noted by the warden, Escamilla’ s medical conditions are not solely related to the aging process and he fails to show why conventional treatment promises no substantial improvement to his mental or physical condition.”
In his motion, Escamilla described the difficulties of daily activities such as getting in and out of bunk and using the restroom. In previous court filings, from 2018, Escamilla said he relied on the compassion of other inmates to assist him in his daily activities.
“Self care is extremely difficult for me and I am confined to my wheelchair 100% of my waking hours,” he wrote. “Moreover, my quality of life is dramatically diminished, and the cost of care is enormous to the BOP compared to ambulatory and non-debilitated inmates.”
“I’ve been incarcerated before, and I know the way they feel about prisoners,” Michael Escamilla said. “But my dad was a non-threat. He was a sick old man. So, why didn’t he get released before?”
On April 6, three days after Barr issued the memo directing the BOP to review all prisoners at Oakdale for home confinement, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit requesting the immediate release of all medically vulnerable prisoners from the prison.
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They argued that Barr’s memo did not require the BOP to act with appropriate urgency, and left too much in the hands of prison staff, who they argued could not be trusted to expedite releases.
“Critical decisions are left entirely to the discretion of BOP personnel, who have already demonstrated that they lack the expertise and resources to implement AG Barr’s directives and otherwise deal with the COVID-19 outbreak at Oakdale,” the lawsuit read. “Further, there is no indication how many people incarcerated at Oakdale will be considered and approved for transfer to home confinement. The only appropriate response to this emergency is immediate intervention by the Court.”
It called the case-by-case review that Barr called for both “unnecessary” — due to the fact that Oakdale is a low-security facility — and “inadequate to the moment.”
That lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, who ruled that he did not have the authority to mandate releases or home confinement, and that doing so would make the court a “de facto ‘super’ warden of Oakdale.”
“My dad being there, with no legs, in a wheelchair, I don’t know why they waited so long to release him,” Michael said.
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“I would like for you to put in bold letters that we do hold the prison responsible for this.”
“Mr. Escamilla’s death is a tragic example of BOP’s failure to improve conditions at Oakdale and heed Attorney General Barr’s urgent command, more than five weeks ago, to ‘immediately maximize’ transfers,” said Bruce Hamilton, an attorney for the ACLU of Louisiana. “Mr. Escamilla’s death was preventable and avoidable, but Oakdale has obviously failed to prevent the spread of coronavirus inside the prison and protect its most vulnerable population. Mr. Escamilla was in no way a threat to public safety, and his death is a reminder of federal officials’ inexcusable failure to protect the people in their custody.”
George Escamilla’s granddaughter Frida, who is 23, said that caring for her grandfather when he got out of prison was going to be a family effort.
“Taking care of him was going to be a priority,” she said, “not only for me, but I know for everyone — my uncles, my dad, my brother, my mom — we all knew that we were going to have to take care of him since he didn’t have legs, and he was also a diabetic.”
“We grew up with him,” she said. “We were always at his house. We would get out of school and go to my grandpa’s house. That was our routine for a few years before he had gone to jail. He has always been in my life since we were little. While he was in prison, he always gave me a lot of life lessons. He always made sure that I knew that school was a number one priority, he wanted me to graduate college, which I am in the process of. He always said that the last thing he would want for any of his grandchildren was for them to end up in prison. He wanted all of us to learn from the mistakes that he made, you know?”


huffpost--2020-05-13--The Deadly Spread Of Coronavirus Is Hitting Women's Prisons

Courtesy of Rhonda Dupree Andrea Circle Bear , who was in federal prison on a drug charge , gave birth on a ventilator before dying of COVID-19 .
“ She was asking about her children , and I told her not to worry about them , that they were well taken care of , ” LeBeau said in a phone call with HuffPost .
“ We prayed together and told each other we loved each other , and that was the last time I spoke with her.
” The following day , Circle Bear had an emergency caesarean section while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On April 28 , almost a month later , she became the first woman to die from coronavirus while in federal custody .
Since the outbreak ’ s start , the virus has spread stealthily inside jails and prisons .
More than 27,000 prisoners have been infected and 370 have died , according to a tally kept by the COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project , though it is unknown how many of those impacted are female .
Social distancing is essentially futile as people are housed in confined spaces , eat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to cleaning supplies or personal protective gear .
Incarcerated women across the country have reported rampant illness , subpar medical care and chronic undertesting .
In a statement , Tina Luongo , an attorney at the Legal Aid Society , welcomed the release of the women , but called on the state to act swiftly to release their other pregnant clients .
“ There is no justification to hold these women in custody further as the COVID-19 infection rate continues to climb , endangering the lives of everyone in prison , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is heartless and will keep our clients and their unborn children in serious danger.
” When women do kill , their victims are often their family members , and in some cases , women who use violence are victims of severe violence themselves .
Although there is no national data on the number of women imprisoned for defending themselves or their children , a 2005 study in New York found that two-thirds of women sent to prison for killing someone close to them were abused by that person .
“ Many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed the crime and they were there and they may have had a hand in it but usually it ’ s very minor , if at all .
And now they ’ re serving sentences that are often as much as the killer themselves , ” Jacobsen said .
Her prison makes masks , she said , and she was given two .
While the facility was attempting to practice social distancing , the rules were often contradictory .
In the cafeteria , the women were spaced out , but they had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter .
Greene said she was especially worried about contracting the virus because she has heart conditions .

Andrea Circle Bear, who was in federal prison on a drug charge, gave birth on a ventilator before dying of COVID-19. Courtesy of Rhonda Dupree
When Andrea Circle Bear, a heavily pregnant 30-year-old from South Dakota, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a drug-related offense, the prosecutor held her up as an example. “Don’t let yourself or your property get mixed up in the world of illegal drugs,” the U.S. attorney involved in the case warned in a press release. “It ends badly.”
For Circle Bear, the prison stint was ultimately a death sentence. Eleven days after arriving at a federal prison in Texas, she was transported to a hospital with a dry cough and fever. Her grandmother, Clara LeBeau, said Circle Bear called her from her hospital bed, sounding confused and afraid.
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“She was asking about her children, and I told her not to worry about them, that they were well taken care of,” LeBeau said in a phone call with HuffPost. “We prayed together and told each other we loved each other, and that was the last time I spoke with her.” The following day, Circle Bear had an emergency caesarean section while on a ventilator, gasping for breath. On April 28, almost a month later, she became the first woman to die from coronavirus while in federal custody.
Her tragic death has brought sharp attention to the plight of incarcerated women during the coronavirus pandemic. Like Circle Bear, most women in prison are mothers of young children, their pathways into the criminal justice system marked by substance abuse, poverty and trauma. Though there are many more men behind bars than women, female incarceration has grown at twice the pace of men’s in recent decades.
Since the outbreak’s start, the virus has spread stealthily inside jails and prisons. More than 27,000 prisoners have been infected and 370 have died, according to a tally kept by the COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project, though it is unknown how many of those impacted are female. Social distancing is essentially futile as people are housed in confined spaces, eat and bathe in shared rooms and have limited access to cleaning supplies or personal protective gear. Incarcerated women across the country have reported rampant illness, subpar medical care and chronic undertesting.
Andrea Circle Bear with various members of her family. Her grandmother said she was a talented baker and loving mother. Courtesy of Rhonda Dupree
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“Being told to separate is impossible,” one incarcerated woman in Florida told the Miami Herald. “We are sleeping 12 inches from other inmates in a dorm of 86 women who share 12 toilets and nine showers.”
While federal and state officials have begun releasing some women to address the health crisis, activists say they’re not moving fast or thinking big enough.
“Women are afraid that they’re going to die in prison,” said Donna Hylton, a prison reform activist who served over 20 years at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York’s maximum-security prison for women. “They’re afraid like everybody else.”
Many incarcerated women have preexisting conditions after years of inadequate health care, entering prison with diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and heart issues, she said. About two-thirds of women in prison report having a chronic health condition.
Inside Bedford Hills, 42 women have tested positive for the coronavirus. In early May, at least 10 women in the facility were pregnant, leaving them particularly vulnerable to the virus. After the Legal Aid Society called on state officials to release them, eight were sent home.
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In a statement, Tina Luongo, an attorney at the Legal Aid Society, welcomed the release of the women, but called on the state to act swiftly to release their other pregnant clients. “There is no justification to hold these women in custody further as the COVID-19 infection rate continues to climb, endangering the lives of everyone in prison,” she said. “Any further delay is heartless and will keep our clients and their unborn children in serious danger.”
Bedford Hills has seen one death from the virus, 61-year-old Darlene “Lulu” Benson-Seay. She was a survivor of domestic violence who had hoped to be released under a new state law that allows judges to take a second look at cases where abuse played a significant role in the conviction.
The mood in the prison was grim after her death, Hylton said.
“She made everyone laugh, you know, she was a joy,” she said. “Lots of people were fighting to get her out.”
Much of the states and federal effort to release prisoners due to the coronavirus has focused on nonviolent offenders with short sentences as well as the elderly, who are at the highest risk from dying from the infection.
But in many cases, the elderly are barred for release because they are serving decades or life for violent crime convictions ― even though research suggests that people age out of crime.
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In New York, for example, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that prisoners who are at least 55 years old and have less than 90 days remaining on their sentence may be released. But those who committed a violent felony, like Benson-Seay, were not eligible.
“We continue to have this narrative about the separation between nonviolent and violent crimes, and it’s only doing more harm,” Hylton said.
Susan Farrell, 74, had served more than 30 years in Michigan for the death of her abusive husband, who she maintained she did not kill. She was the first female prisoner in the state to die from COVID-19. Michigan Department of Corrections
While the majority of women are in prison for drugs and property offenses, about 37% are convicted of “violent crimes,” a nebulous category that can include acts like purse-snatching or manufacturing methamphetamine, depending on the state.
When women do kill, their victims are often their family members, and in some cases, women who use violence are victims of severe violence themselves. Although there is no national data on the number of women imprisoned for defending themselves or their children, a 2005 study in New York found that two-thirds of women sent to prison for killing someone close to them were abused by that person.
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In Michigan, the first female prisoner to die from COVID-19 was an elderly domestic violence survivor named Susan Farrell. The 74-year-old had served more than 30 years for the death of her abusive husband, who she maintained she did not kill.
She was held at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, the state’s only prison for women, where inmates have complained about severe overcrowding for years. Two other women have died of the virus in the prison since, a spokesperson for the department told HuffPost.
“For so many women, their crimes are connected to acts of survival,” said Carol Jacobsen, the director of the Michigan Women’s Justice & Clemency Project, who advocated for Farrell’s unsuccessful clemency bid. “These women are no threat to anyone. They were acting the way any reasonable person would act in a situation where they thought their life was under threat.”
Others are in prison for crimes connected to male co-defendants, she added.
“Many of the women are in because of men who committed the crime and they were there and they may have had a hand in it but usually it’s very minor, if at all. And now they’re serving sentences that are often as much as the killer themselves,”Jacobsen said.
Faye Brown, the first female prisoner to die of COVID-19 in North Carolina, was convicted of murder for her role in the 1975 shooting death of a state trooper during a bank robbery. She was in the car when a male acquaintance shot the trooper. NC DPS
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That was the case for Faye Brown, the first female prisoner to die of COVID-19 in North Carolina. She was convicted of murder for her role in the 1975 shooting death of a state trooper during a bank robbery. While she didn’t fire the gun, she was in the car when a male acquaintance shot the trooper.
In 2009, she almost won her release after her lawyers argued that when she was sent to prison, a life sentence meant no longer than 80 years. The credits she earned for good behavior should have reduced her time so she could go free. She ultimately lost the court battle.
Brown should have been released back then, Mary Pollard, executive director of the nonprofit N.C. Prisoner Legal Services, told The State. “This is a woman who was immediately parole ready,” she said. “There was really no public safety reason to keep her in prison, and now she’s dead.”
Jails and prisons have suspended visitations to stop the spread of infection. For the families of incarcerated women, it has become increasingly difficult to check in on the safety of their loved ones or assess prison conditions.
When Tiffany Mofield, a 43-year-old woman serving time in New Jersey’s Edna Mahan Correctional Facility For Women, began experiencing extreme fatigue and respiratory distress, her family was led to believe that she was receiving care at a local hospital. Only after her death did they learn that she was never hospitalized, according to a lawsuit filed by her family.
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“We want to know what happened,” said the woman’s daughter, Shatifia Cooke, in a press release. “I feel like my mother was crying out for help and instead of being taken to a hospital, she was just ignored.”
Female prisoners are also suffering from the lack of communication from the outside world. Stephanie Greene, an incarcerated woman in South Carolina, said she was feeling more isolated than usual due to the canceled visits.
“Quite depressing not even getting to see my kids today,” she wrote to HuffPost on Mother’s Day. “This place is just soul-sucking and spirit crushing and erodes the psyche day after day, week after week.”
Her prison makes masks, she said, and she was given two. While the facility was attempting to practice social distancing, the rules were often contradictory. In the cafeteria, the women were spaced out, but they had to form a crowd in the lobby to enter. Greene said she was especially worried about contracting the virus because she has heart conditions.
“Of course we are frightened,” she wrote in another email. “I do not want to die in a disease infested cage.”
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Clara LeBeau, the grandmother of Circle Bear, is now caring for a newborn baby girl. A few weeks after Circle Bear gave birth, LeBeau drove 16 hours from South Dakota to Texas to pick up her great-granddaughter from the hospital.
LeBeau was not allowed to see Circle Bear, who was struggling for her life on a ventilator. “It was very hurtful when I drove all the way down there and I couldn’t see her,” LeBeau said, crying.
The baby is healthy and thriving, she said. Circle Bear’s other children — she had five — are being cared for by their grandfather. Her family is raising money for the kids on GoFundMe.
LeBeau described her granddaughter as a loving mother and a talented baker who used to sell fresh cinnamon rolls to local office buildings. “I taught her how to bake,” she said. “She was so good at it.”
She said she hoped that Circle Bear’s death would spur new examination of the laws around pregnant women in prison.
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huffpost--2020-04-16--How To Get A Failing Grade In Homeschooling

8:30 a.m. : Gather near , young scholar !
Behold my color-blocked , bedazzled daily school schedule !
Luxuriate in your brand new desk , which is the right side of the kitchen table , the part that doesn ’ t have curry stains on it .
Grab your learning device , a cracked seven-year-old iPad .
Also , I guess you need a pencil or something ?
Let ’ s take a moment to thank the universe for the gift of education and quiet our minds to make space for learning .
9:00 a.m. : No you can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Mommy ’ s snack .
Those two loaves of bread are also Mommy ’ s snack .
That sourdough starter is Mommy ’ s snack , too .
All the snacks are Mommy ’ s snacks .
10:00 am : RECESS .
We don ’ t have a backyard so instead you can look at these pictures of clouds on your iPad as tears silently slide down your cheeks because that ’ s what I plan to do TBH .
11:00 a.m. : DRAMA .
Wow , you ’ re doing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave me alone !
!
!
” while writhing around on the floor like a thing possessed by an evil most unholy .
Is that from Macbeth ?
12 p.m. : LUNCH .
Stick your tongue into this jar of peanut butter and swirl it around .
To the left .
To the right .
To the left again .
This is teaching you important survival skills !
Also I ’ ve already prepared 1,273 meals within the last four days so I need to save some of my inspiration .
1:00 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ procedural writing , ” So , I guess you ’ re supposed to be writing an episode of “ Law & Order ” ?
Wait , I see .
It says here you ’ re supposed to “ Bake a cake , and write out all the steps as you go !
” Maybe just write down : “ LOL.
” 1:35 p.m. : While I applaud your honesty , I think the single phrase , “ I would rather sit all day and do nothing than go to this school !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Try again , and this time , use more adjectives .
1:40 p.m. : SOCIAL STUDIES .
Are the grownups in your home a girl grownup and a boy grownup ?
If so , make a graph of which one of them is working from home while also being a full-time teacher , and which one is getting some actual fucking work done .
It ’ s interesting , isn ’ t it ?
I agree !
2:00 p.m. : SCIENCE .
Watch this animated TV show starring pigs who talk and wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know a lot about nature !
Also , they ’ re British , so this covers geography as well .
“ British ” is where “ Downton Abbey ” lives .
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus .
The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time , but it ’ s possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus .
Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations .

8:30 a.m.: Gather near, young scholar! Behold my colour-blocked, bedazzled daily school schedule! Luxuriate in your brand new desk, which is the right side of the kitchen table, the part that doesn’t have curry stains on it.
Grab your learning device, a cracked seven-year-old iPad. Also, I guess you need a pencil or something? Let’s take a moment to thank the universe for the gift of education and quiet our minds to make space for learning.
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8:32 a.m.: Yup, you’re right. I spelled science wrong. That was a test. You get a B!
8:33 a.m.: Alrighty, let’s see what work your teacher has sent for you to do today.
8:34 a.m.: Since when are you in Grade 3?!
9:00 a.m.: No you can’t have a snack. This cupcake is Mommy’s snack. Those two loaves of bread are also Mommy’s snack. That sourdough starter is Mommy’s snack, too. All the snacks are Mommy’s snacks.
9:07 a.m.: Fine, have a snack. Yes, chips count as a protein.
9:30 a.m.: MATH. Is it hot in here?
9:41 a.m.: OK, math is over!
10:00 am: RECESS. We don’t have a backyard so instead you can look at these pictures of clouds on your iPad as tears silently slide down your cheeks because that’s what I plan to do TBH.
11:00 a.m.: DRAMA. Wow, you’re doing an amazing job of shouting, “Just leave me alone!!!” while writhing around on the floor like a thing possessed by an evil most unholy. Is that from Macbeth?
11:22 a.m.: MUSIC. *Just the sound of howling
12 p.m.: LUNCH. Stick your tongue into this jar of peanut butter and swirl it around. To the left. To the right. To the left again. This is teaching you important survival skills! Also I’ve already prepared 1,273 meals within the last four days so I need to save some of my inspiration.
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12:29 p.m.: RECESS. Run up and down the street shouting, “I’m doing self-directed learning!” and take note of who shouts back, “I bet you are!”
RichVintage via Getty Images Time for physics and gym class!
1:00 p.m.: Time for something your teacher calls “procedural writing,” So, I guess you’re supposed to be writing an episode of “Law & Order”? Wait, I see. It says here you’re supposed to “Bake a cake, and write out all the steps as you go!” Maybe just write down: “LOL.”
1:01 p.m.: Yes, “Oh, please, LOL” would be better. Great idea. You get a B!
1:15 p.m.: FRENCH. Oooh, I got this. Check Mommy out: “Voulez vous couchez avec moi!”
1:16 p.m.: Sorry, you actually do speak French?
1:17 p.m.: Tabernac.
1:30 p.m.: CREATIVE WRITING. “Write a letter to your teacher telling them how you’re feeling about home schooling.”
1:35 p.m.: While I applaud your honesty, I think the single phrase, “I would rather sit all day and do nothing than go to this school!” isn’t descriptive enough. Try again, and this time, use more adjectives.
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1:36 p.m.: Actually, please don’t.
1:40 p.m.: SOCIAL STUDIES. Are the grownups in your home a girl grownup and a boy grownup? If so, make a graph of which one of them is working from home while also being a full-time teacher, and which one is getting some actual fucking work done. It’s interesting, isn’t it? I agree!
coolmilo via Getty Images "Hands-on" learning.
1:47 p.m.: I’m not a mean teacher, you’re a mean teacher.
2:00 p.m.: SCIENCE. Watch this animated TV show starring pigs who talk and wear shirts but no pants. Now you know a lot about nature! Also, they’re British, so this covers geography as well. “British” is where “Downton Abbey” lives.
2:23 p.m.: Read the numbers on the clock and tell me why it isn’t your bedtime yet.
2:47 p.m.: SPELLING. This is a G&T. It has two letters: a G, and then a T. Write them down. The Z is silent.
3 p.m.: Oh thank God. It’s time for you go to aftercare!
3:01 p.m.: Well, fuck.
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huffpost--2020-04-16--Trump Gives Governors 3-Phase Plan To Reopen Economy

The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus , while holding the line in harder-hit locations .
They make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned , with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak .
And they largely reinforce the plans already under development by governors , who have the primary responsibility for public health in their states .
“ We ’ re days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line and then you have to have 14 days of declining cases , of declining symptoms and hospital capacity that exists in case you have a rebound , ” he said .
“ All would be forgotten very quickly if we moved into a stage quicker than we should , and then we got into a situation where we had people dying like flies , ” Justice told reporters .
At earliest , the guidelines suggest , some parts of the country could see a resumption in normal commerce and social gatherings after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on restrictions has led to a resurgence in virus cases .
In other parts of the country , or if virus cases pick up , it could be substantially longer .
In briefing the governors on the plan , Trump said they were going to be responsible for deciding when it is safe to lift restrictions in their states .
Just days before , he had drawn swift pushback for claiming he had the absolute authority to determine how and when states reopen .
Those most susceptible to the respiratory disease are advised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area enters the final phase — and even then are encouraged to take precautions to avoid close contact with other people .
Governors , for their part , have been moving ahead with their own plans for how to safely revive normal activity .
Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday they will coordinate on reopening their economies .
Similar pacts were announced earlier in the week in the West and Northeast .
Trump also held conference calls Thursday with lawmakers he named to a new congressional advisory task force on reviving the economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal data showing that at least 22 million Americans have been thrown out of work in the last month .
But the legislators repeatedly urged the president not to sacrifice public health by moving too quickly .
The federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus , in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available — a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year .
Trump on Thursday claimed the U.S. has “ built the most advanced and robust testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people close to him warned more would be necessary .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump gave governors a road map Thursday for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out “a phased and deliberate approach” to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.
“We’re starting our life again,” Trump said during his daily press briefing. “We’re starting rejuvenation of our economy again.”
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He added, “This is a gradual process.”
The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations. They make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak. And they largely reinforce the plans already under development by governors, who have the primary responsibility for public health in their states.
“You’re going to call your own shots,” Trump told the governors Thursday afternoon in a conference call, according to an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press. “We’re going to be standing alongside of you.”
Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phase gradual reopening of businesses and schools.
In phase one, for instance, the plan recommends strict social distancing for all people in public. Gatherings larger than 10 people are to be avoided and nonessential travel is discouraged.
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In phase two, people are encouraged to maximize social distancing where possible and limit gatherings to no more than 50 people unless precautionary measures are taken. Travel could resume.
Phase three envisions a return to normalcy for most Americans, with a focus on identification and isolation of any new infections.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the guidelines before their public release.
Governors of both parties made clear they will move at their own pace.
Delaware Gov. John Carney, a Democrat, said the guidelines “seem to make sense.”
“We’re days, maybe weeks away from the starting line and then you have to have 14 days of declining cases, of declining symptoms and hospital capacity that exists in case you have a rebound,” he said.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Trump ally, cautiously floated the idea of reopening parts of the state, but said testing capacity and contact tracing would need to be considerably ramped up before restrictions could be safely lifted.
“All would be forgotten very quickly if we moved into a stage quicker than we should, and then we got into a situation where we had people dying like flies,” Justice told reporters.
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At earliest, the guidelines suggest, some parts of the country could see a resumption in normal commerce and social gatherings after a month of evaluating whether easing up on restrictions has led to a resurgence in virus cases. In other parts of the country, or if virus cases pick up, it could be substantially longer.
In briefing the governors on the plan, Trump said they were going to be responsible for deciding when it is safe to lift restrictions in their states. Just days before, he had drawn swift pushback for claiming he had the absolute authority to determine how and when states reopen.
“We have a very large number of states that want to get going and they’re in very good shape,” Trump said. “That’s good with us, frankly.”
The guidelines also include general recommendations to businesses as they plan for potential reopenings, suggesting temperature-taking, rapid COVID-19 testing and widespread disinfection efforts in workplaces.
Those most susceptible to the respiratory disease are advised to remain sheltered in place until their area enters the final phase — and even then are encouraged to take precautions to avoid close contact with other people.
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Governors, for their part, have been moving ahead with their own plans for how to safely revive normal activity. Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday they will coordinate on reopening their economies. Similar pacts were announced earlier in the week in the West and Northeast.
Two in three Americans expressed concerns that restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus would be eased too quickly, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Thursday.
Trump also held conference calls Thursday with lawmakers he named to a new congressional advisory task force on reviving the economy. The economic costs were clear in new federal data showing that at least 22 million Americans have been thrown out of work in the last month. But the legislators repeatedly urged the president not to sacrifice public health by moving too quickly.
“My highest priority on this task force will be to ensure the federal government’s efforts to reopen our economy are bipartisan, data-driven, and based on the expertise of public health professionals,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia.
The federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available — a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year.
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“It’s not going to immediately be a situation where we have stadiums full of people,” said Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Thursday. “We’re Americans. We will adapt,” he added.
Trump on Thursday claimed the U.S. has “built the most advanced and robust testing anywhere in the world.” But even people close to him warned more would be necessary.
“We are struggling with testing at a large scale,” South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told ABC’s “The View.” “You really can’t go back to work until we have more tests.”
But some of Trump’s conservative allies, like economist Stephen Moore, have encouraged him to act swiftly, warning of “a mini Great Depression if we keep the economy shut down.”
“That is a catastrophic outcome for our country. Period,” Moore said he advised the president. “We can’t have 30 million people in this country unemployed or you’re going to have social chaos.”
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A big testing ground for Trump’s road map could be Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has stuck close to federal guidance throughout the crisis, will lay out his reopening plan Friday. Abbott has said the process will be gradual, but he is facing pressure from conservative lawmakers to get Texas back to work.
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huffpost--2020-04-16--How To Host An Alternative Baby Shower During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Of course , families are prioritizing health and safety , but just because we all have to stay home for a while doesn ’ t mean parents-to-be can ’ t have memorable baby showers .
We asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share their ideas for socially distant ways to celebrate this pregnancy milestone right now , and they delivered .
Read on for some creative baby shower inspiration .
“ Our neighborhood did a sprinkle shower .
Everyone signed up for a spot , and the women gave a gift to the mom-to-be every hour on the hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every half hour , the men dropped off a gift for the dad .
So every half hour , the doorbell rang , and we dashed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We put a sign out front .
It was a fun little surprise for the couple.
” ― Amber Scharf “ I just had a Zoom baby shower/birthday party and it worked out a lot better than we all thought !
The organizers posted decorations to our place , and my husband and daughter decorated the room .
They also ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a guest book with messages printed and posted to me , and I received it the day before .
And then we played some games .
It was all just a bit over an hour and it was great !
” ― Tiffany Chang “ Planning on having a virtual shower , even if stay-at-home lifts in June .
Going to use Zoom and Webbabyshower.com to do the planning .
Saved a ton of money , too , not having to book a venue .
I will miss my family , but their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would rather have them see their new addition to the family than the inside of a hospital , traveling cross-country.
” ― Amber Hartman “ My husband and I hosted our own shower on Facebook Live .
Everyone that would have been invited to the actual shower was invited to a private ‘ virtual shower ’ on Facebook .
( If they didn ’ t have an account , there is an option to save the video and share it later . )
When it was time for the shower to begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone that was watching was able to comment or chime in at any time .
The nice part is that we didn ’ t have to worry about people talking over each other like in a traditional video chat .
... We then opened gifts via live stream .
We hosted the whole thing in our nursery , and it was over in an hour and 40 minutes .
Afterward , all that was left was to clean up all of the tissue paper , put items away , and start writing out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m due May 4th .
Our shower was canceled , so we are opting to have a virtual one instead .
We posted our baby needs list and then we will open the gifts we get in the mail on a determined date over Facebook Live .
I am also planning on a few fun virtual games during the shower ; a virtual shower is great for those who don ’ t have family within driving distance.
” ― Jessica Wilkes “ We did a driveway/drive-by baby shower .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one for diapers and one for gifts , and I sat up by the garage and waved as people went by or stopped to drop off gifts .
We asked everyone who left diapers to write their name and number on the box , so we could enter them in the diaper raffle .
For the family and friends that wanted to walk up , we had ‘ no touch activities ’ like guess the date and time the baby will arrive and how many diapers are in the diaper cake tower .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as disinfectant spray if needed.
” ― Kristina Savoy “ Send invites out , include advice cards , cards to guess baby ’ s birth date and weight ( prize is a gift card for the guest ) , do a diaper raffle so everyone who brings diapers has a card with their name on it .
The day of the shower , set up tables at the end of the driveway with boxes for the raffle tickets for the diaper raffle , birth date and weight guesses , and advice notes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ baggies for refreshments .
People drop off all the games and advice cards and gifts , and get a refreshment.
” ― Jenny Milburn Seitz “ Consider using this time to support moms in need as well .
The New Mom Project is a registered charity that supports moms in Toronto .
You can donate through a site like Wish & Give to give some of the funds to mom and donate some to get favorite charity.
” ― Gwen Broda “ Please consider having an after-baby shower ― wonderful for multiple reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an after-shower !
I had high-risk pregnancies ( I lost four babies at different stages from three months to six months ) and finally carried my beloved ones to term !
So I really enjoyed having an after-baby shower ― it was a fantastic time with friends and family when my babies were a month young !
” ― Diane Gabrele

JGI/Jamie Grill via Getty Images There are ways to safely celebrate expectant parents during this time of social distancing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation and postponement of countless events, from graduations to weddings to birthday parties. And for expectant parents, the idea of having a traditional baby shower is pretty much off the table right now.
Of course, families are prioritizing health and safety, but just because we all have to stay home for a while doesn’t mean parents-to-be can’t have memorable baby showers. We asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share their ideas for socially distant ways to celebrate this pregnancy milestone right now, and they delivered. Read on for some creative baby shower inspiration.
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Send Gifts To The Parents-To-Be
“Use Amazon to purchase and deliver the gifts. People could always drop something off at the house, keeping proper distance.” ― Dana Larmore Hlusko
“Our neighborhood did a sprinkle shower. Everyone signed up for a spot, and the women gave a gift to the mom-to-be every hour on the hour throughout the day. And then on every half hour, the men dropped off a gift for the dad. So every half hour, the doorbell rang, and we dashed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We put a sign out front. It was a fun little surprise for the couple.” ― Amber Scharf
“Have gifts delivered to the house of the mom!” ― Barb Cza-Bla
Organize A Zoom Shower
“I just had a Zoom baby shower/birthday party and it worked out a lot better than we all thought! The organizers posted decorations to our place, and my husband and daughter decorated the room. They also ordered cupcakes to be delivered. They made a guest book with messages printed and posted to me, and I received it the day before. And then we played some games. It was all just a bit over an hour and it was great!” ― Tiffany Chang
“We did a virtual baby shower for my sister-in-law. We used Zoom, and she opened gifts for us to enjoy. We talked, and it’s been the best part of the lockdown thus far.” ― Jessalynn Porter
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MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images via Getty Images Expectant mother Carolyn Nash had a virtual baby shower on May 23, 2010. She lives in Florida, but friends from Colorado and Chile participated.
“We did a fun Zoom shower for my sister-in-law. Games, a toast and saw her nursery.” ― Daniela Lopez Barragan
“Planning on having a virtual shower, even if stay-at-home lifts in June. Going to use Zoom and Webbabyshower.com to do the planning. Saved a ton of money, too, not having to book a venue. I will miss my family, but their health is very important to me. I would rather have them see their new addition to the family than the inside of a hospital, traveling cross-country.” ― Amber Hartman
“I just got invited to a Zoom baby shower. Gifts sent ahead of time so she can open with us. I think we’re playing games, too.” ― Lisa Price McDonald
Host A Facebook Live Event
“My husband and I hosted our own shower on Facebook Live. Everyone that would have been invited to the actual shower was invited to a private ‘virtual shower’ on Facebook. (If they didn’t have an account, there is an option to save the video and share it later.) When it was time for the shower to begin, we streamed live video, and everyone that was watching was able to comment or chime in at any time. The nice part is that we didn’t have to worry about people talking over each other like in a traditional video chat. ... We then opened gifts via live stream. We hosted the whole thing in our nursery, and it was over in an hour and 40 minutes. Afterward, all that was left was to clean up all of the tissue paper, put items away, and start writing out thank you cards.” ― LeRae Hinz
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“I’m due May 4th. Our shower was canceled, so we are opting to have a virtual one instead. We posted our baby needs list and then we will open the gifts we get in the mail on a determined date over Facebook Live. I am also planning on a few fun virtual games during the shower; a virtual shower is great for those who don’t have family within driving distance.” ― Jessica Wilkes
“Create a Facebook event. On the day/time you choose, they can open all the gifts people sent ahead of time and stream it, so people can still see and make them feel celebrated.” ― Kristina Hermanson
Play Games
“We played a couple of games where people could just type in their answers ― guess the circumference of my belly in inches, and ‘The Price Is Right’ with baby items like bottles, diapers, etc.” ― LeRae Hinz
“You can make a virtual trivia game using Kahoot. Add questions such as when the baby is due, how parents met, what is the baby’s room theme/decor, and whoever gets the most points gets a gift like an eGift Card.” ― Wanda I Betancourt
Arrange A Drive-By Shower
“We did a driveway/drive-by baby shower. We placed two boxes by the curb, one for diapers and one for gifts, and I sat up by the garage and waved as people went by or stopped to drop off gifts. We asked everyone who left diapers to write their name and number on the box, so we could enter them in the diaper raffle. For the family and friends that wanted to walk up, we had ‘no touch activities’ like guess the date and time the baby will arrive and how many diapers are in the diaper cake tower. Hand sanitizer was everywhere, as well as disinfectant spray if needed.” ― Kristina Savoy
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“I own a Yard Card business outside of Atlanta. Set up a Yard Card with your local business and do a drive-by shower!” ― Christen Forsyth Garrett
Courtesy of Christen Forsyth Garrett Christen Forsyth Garrett's local "Yard Card" business gives families under quarantine a way to celebrate a new baby.
“Send invites out, include advice cards, cards to guess baby’s birth date and weight (prize is a gift card for the guest), do a diaper raffle so everyone who brings diapers has a card with their name on it. The day of the shower, set up tables at the end of the driveway with boxes for the raffle tickets for the diaper raffle, birth date and weight guesses, and advice notes. Have bottles of juice and cookies in baggies for refreshments. People drop off all the games and advice cards and gifts, and get a refreshment.” ― Jenny Milburn Seitz
“Maybe mom can make a wish list on Amazon and have friends and family send items? Drive-by parades are great!” ― Amanda King
Send Supplies To The Guests
“We’re doing a Zoom ‘cheers baby!’ toast with my family this weekend. We passed out bottles of champagne on doorsteps.” ― Michelle Lorentzen
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“My aunt has thrown great virtual baby showers for my cousins using Google Hangouts. She sends each guest a small cake, decorations, party favors, and games. We all ship our gifts to the mom-to-be, and she opens them during the party. Then we play games, chat and eat cake. It’s a lot of fun!” ― Kate Thornton Wert
“Have the host send out a meal to guests from where the shower would have been held anyways!” ― Barb Cza-Bla
“I am dropping off favors to the guests since we already had the favors done.” ― Daniela Lopez Barragan
Consider Charitable Giving
“Consider using this time to support moms in need as well. The New Mom Project is a registered charity that supports moms in Toronto. You can donate through a site like Wish & Give to give some of the funds to mom and donate some to get favorite charity.” ― Gwen Broda
Plan A “Sip And See” Or “After-Baby Shower”
“We had to cancel a baby shower for my husband’s cousin. We requested gifts be mailed to her home so she can use them, and will host a sip and see in the fall.” ― Clare Herlihy Dych
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“Please consider having an after-baby shower ― wonderful for multiple reasons! I had other reasons for having an after-shower! I had high-risk pregnancies (I lost four babies at different stages from three months to six months) and finally carried my beloved ones to term! So I really enjoyed having an after-baby shower ― it was a fantastic time with friends and family when my babies were a month young!” ― Diane Gabrele
“We were going to do a sprinkle for No. 3, our first boy. But I think we are doing a meet-the-baby party after instead.” ― Lauren Sanford
“We had to cancel my baby shower because I ended up delivering seven weeks early, so we did a meet-the-baby party about two months later.” ― Nickol Correa
Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.


huffpost--2020-04-16--Trump Looks To Ease Distancing In Places; CEOs Urge Caution

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he ’ s prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work .
The new guidelines , expected to be announced Thursday , are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus , while keeping them in place in harder-hit places .
The ultimate decisions will remain with governors .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envisions a gradual recovery from the virus , in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available — a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year .
Trump said at his daily briefing that data indicates the U.S. is “ past the peak ” of the COVID-19 epidemic , clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to “ reopen ” the country .
She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors under the guidelines set to be released Thursday .
Birx said the White House was particularly concerned about Rhode Island , noting it is now seeing a surge in cases from the Boston metro area after seeing a spike several weeks ago from cases from New York .
He received a mixed message from the industry leaders .
They , too , said they want to get the economy going but had worries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another person who participated in Wednesday ’ s calls said it was stressed to Trump that expansion of testing and contact tracing was crucial , as well as guidelines for best practices on reopening businesses in phases or in one fell swoop .
The participant said those on the call noted to the administration that there was about to be a massive rush on personal protective equipment .
Many businesses that are now shuttered will need the protective equipment to keep their employees and customers safe .
Mark Cuban , the billionaire entrepreneur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was among several representatives from major sports leagues to speak with Trump .
During a Fox News interview ahead of the calls , he credited the president with gathering some of the “ best of the best ” to help shape his approach on reopening the economy .
Still , Cuban did not embrace Trump ’ s push to reopen parts of the economy May 1 .
“ This is such a moving target that I think the biggest mistake we can make is rush to a decision , ” said Cuban , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s response to the pandemic .
“ But I ’ m going to help him in every way I can , whatever he needs me to do.
” The panel , which Trump dubbed the new Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups , also could help give Trump a measure of cover .
If cases surge once restrictions are lifted , as many experts have warned , Trump will be able to tell the public he didn ’ t act alone and the nation ’ s top minds — from manufacturing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan .
Rich Nolan , president and CEO of the National Mining Association , who participated in one of the calls with Trump , said there was also discussion about tax relief as well as “ making sure that people are optimistic about the economy and they feel safe coming back to work.
” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka didn ’ t know until he heard his name announced in the Rose Garden on Tuesday that he would be part of the advisory group , according to Carolyn Bobb , a spokeswoman for the @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he’s prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work.
The industry executives cautioned Trump that the return to normalcy will be anything but swift.
The new guidelines, expected to be announced Thursday, are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.
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“We’ll be opening some states much sooner than others,” Trump said.
But in a round of calls with business leaders Wednesday, Trump was warned that a dramatic increasing in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary for the safe restoration of their operations.
The new guidelines come as the federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available — a milestone unlikely to be reached until sometime next year.
Trump said at his daily briefing that data indicates the U.S. is “past the peak” of the COVID-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to “reopen” the country.
He called the latest data “encouraging,” saying the numbers have “put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country.”
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Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, added that data from across the country showed the nation “improving,” but that Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.
She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen new cases per day. She said those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors under the guidelines set to be released Thursday.
Birx said the White House was particularly concerned about Rhode Island, noting it is now seeing a surge in cases from the Boston metro area after seeing a spike several weeks ago from cases from New York.
Trump consulted dozens of high-profile CEOs, union officials and other executives via conference calls Wednesday.
He received a mixed message from the industry leaders. They, too, said they want to get the economy going but had worries about how to safely do so.
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In a tweet midway through Trump’s round of conference calls with the executives, the president said the participants were “all-in on getting America back to work, and soon.”
But participants in a morning call that included dozens of leading American companies raised concerns about the testing issue, according to one participant who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion.
Another person who participated in Wednesday’s calls said it was stressed to Trump that expansion of testing and contact tracing was crucial, as well as guidelines for best practices on reopening businesses in phases or in one fell swoop.
The participant said those on the call noted to the administration that there was about to be a massive rush on personal protective equipment. Many businesses that are now shuttered will need the protective equipment to keep their employees and customers safe.
Trump was told “the economy will look very different and operations will look very different,” one participant said.
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Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was among several representatives from major sports leagues to speak with Trump. During a Fox News interview ahead of the calls, he credited the president with gathering some of the “best of the best” to help shape his approach on reopening the economy. Still, Cuban did not embrace Trump’s push to reopen parts of the economy May 1.
“This is such a moving target that I think the biggest mistake we can make is rush to a decision,” said Cuban, who previously had been critical of Trump’s response to the pandemic. “But I’m going to help him in every way I can, whatever he needs me to do.”
The panel, which Trump dubbed the new Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, also could help give Trump a measure of cover. If cases surge once restrictions are lifted, as many experts have warned, Trump will be able to tell the public he didn’t act alone and the nation’s top minds — from manufacturing to defense to technology — helped shape the plan.
Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, who participated in one of the calls with Trump, said there was also discussion about tax relief as well as “making sure that people are optimistic about the economy and they feel safe coming back to work.”
“I think you’ll see steps to reopen the country at different rates in different states in the not too distant future,” Nolan said.
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The launch of the council was not without hiccups.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka didn’t know until he heard his name announced in the Rose Garden on Tuesday that he would be part of the advisory group, according to Carolyn Bobb, a spokeswoman for the union.
“We were not asked,” Bobb said in an email. It was “just announced.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Trump has appointed some “smart people” to his task force who could offer state leaders helpful guidelines as they negotiate the way forward.
“There are certain roles that only the federal government can play and should play, but I think the governors are going to make their own decisions within those recommended guidelines,” Hogan said.
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Washington, Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, and Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed reporting. Madhani reported from Chicago.


huffpost--2020-04-16--EPA Loosens Rule On Toxic Mercury Emissions As Pandemic Rages

The proposed change to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards ( MATS ) does not completely abandon limits on mercury pollution , which damages brains and lungs , but changes the methodology regulators use to weigh the pros and cons of such restrictions , giving more weight to the economic costs and less to the indirect benefits to public health .
“ There will be no increased mercury emissions , ” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said on a call with reporters Thursday evening .
“ The outrageous claims by the environmental community that this is in some way going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re either not reading it or they ’ re purposely misrepresenting it.
” Rather , he said , the changes met the requirements of a 2015 Supreme Court decision in which the conservative majority ruled it was “ appropriate ” for the EPA to consider whether the cost to businesses of complying with the rule outweighed the direct benefits to public health .
“ It ’ s not too often that the Supreme Court hears an environmental case , ” Wheeler said .
“ When they reach a decision , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court and follow their direction , which is what we ’ re doing.
” The announcement Thursday came two weeks after the administration moved forward on its biggest rollback of Obama-era climate rules to date , which weakens rules on tailpipe emissions and , over the next five years , allows automobiles sold in the United States to average far fewer miles per gallon than vehicles sold in most of Europe or East Asia .
The proposal , pushed by both EPA and the Department of Transportation , argued that Americans favored gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety features reduce the risk of deaths in auto collisions .
Therefore , the agency said , clearing the way for less fuel-efficient vehicles had the indirect benefit of saving lives .
“ So , it looks like the Trump administration ’ s approach is to rely on co-benefits when their consideration supports weaker regulations but ignore them when they would support rules protecting the health of Americans , ” Revesz said .
The oil industry , which quietly lobbied the Trump administration to gut the auto emission rule , could be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it split the auto industry , with several major carmakers backing California regulators ’ campaign to keep the existing standard in place .
Thursday ’ s rule change could similarly divide the coal industry .
When the EPA first proposed loosening the rule in 2018 , trade groups representing utilities ― including the Edison Electric Institute , the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the American Public Power Association ― urged the agency to keep the rule in tact because power companies had already invested in the equipment required to comply .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing on costs could prompt litigious coal-mining companies such as Murray Energy , for which Wheeler worked as a lobbyist until 2017 , to challenge the MATS regulation outright .
Doing so could end up encouraging some utilities to mothball retrofits on plants and burn more coal , or increase the ( currently slim ) chances of a new coal plant being built .
“ Only in this upside-down Trumpian world could EPA consider already-implemented controls on extremely deadly pollution from coal-fired power plants not ‘ appropriate , ’ ” said Ann Weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force .
“ If today ’ s action ultimately spurs challenges to the MATS , we could see coal-fired power plants actually turning off scrubbers and other lifesaving air pollution controls that have been installed and paid for to meet MATS , just so Trump ’ s coal industry cronies can sell a few more tons of coal.
” The potential outcome seems unlikely to stem the growing list of coal companies that have gone bottom up since President Donald Trump took office .
On Tuesday , Longview Power , a West Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the industry ’ s future , declared bankruptcy .
“ It ’ s honest accounting , ” he said , growing audibly frustrated on the call .
“ As a society , we have limited resources to address different problems .
If we ’ re going to address a particular pollutant , we need to be upfront and honest with the American public about what those pollutants are.
” But the decision came as the administration ramps up its efforts to scale back regulations on polluters in what critics view as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the nation is distracted by a pandemic that has already killed more than 26,000 in the U.S. Days before the auto rule was finalized , the EPA halted enforcement of the most basic clean air and water rules for the duration of the pandemic , a decision the agency downplayed as temporary but that environmentalists blasted as giving companies carte blanche to pollute .
Meanwhile , the Interior Department approved a slate of new fossil fuel projects and held an auction to lease new offshore drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico @

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The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday finalized its proposal to loosen rules on oil- and coal-fired power plants’ emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants in its latest rollback of public health protections during the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposed change to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) does not completely abandon limits on mercury pollution, which damages brains and lungs, but changes the methodology regulators use to weigh the pros and cons of such restrictions, giving more weight to the economic costs and less to the indirect benefits to public health.
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“There will be no increased mercury emissions,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said on a call with reporters Thursday evening. “The outrageous claims by the environmental community that this is in some way going to cause mercury emissions to go up, they’re either not reading it or they’re purposely misrepresenting it.”
Rather, he said, the changes met the requirements of a 2015 Supreme Court decision in which the conservative majority ruled it was “appropriate” for the EPA to consider whether the cost to businesses of complying with the rule outweighed the direct benefits to public health.
Wheeler said the Obama administration took a “dishonest” approach to interpreting the rule that tipped the scales “so any regulation could be justified regardless of cost.”
“It’s not too often that the Supreme Court hears an environmental case,” Wheeler said. “When they reach a decision, we have a responsibility to listen to the court and follow their direction, which is what we’re doing.”
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But environmental lawyers accused the EPA of downplaying the indirect benefits from restricting releases of toxic heavy metals just two weeks after the EPA defending its rollback of another major environmental rule by focusing “almost exclusively” on similar indirect benefits.
“There is no plausible economic argument for this one-sided approach,” said Richard Revesz, a professor at New York University’s School of Law. “The hypocrisy of this move is particularly striking.”
A coal facility in Pennsylvania. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
The announcement Thursday came two weeks after the administration moved forward on its biggest rollback of Obama-era climate rules to date, which weakens rules on tailpipe emissions and, over the next five years, allows automobiles sold in the United States to average far fewer miles per gallon than vehicles sold in most of Europe or East Asia.
The proposal, pushed by both EPA and the Department of Transportation, argued that Americans favored gas guzzlers, and new vehicles with more safety features reduce the risk of deaths in auto collisions. Therefore, the agency said, clearing the way for less fuel-efficient vehicles had the indirect benefit of saving lives.
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“So, it looks like the Trump administration’s approach is to rely on co-benefits when their consideration supports weaker regulations but ignore them when they would support rules protecting the health of Americans,” Revesz said.
The oil industry, which quietly lobbied the Trump administration to gut the auto emission rule, could be the biggest beneficiary of that rollback. But it split the auto industry, with several major carmakers backing California regulators’ campaign to keep the existing standard in place.
Thursday’s rule change could similarly divide the coal industry. When the EPA first proposed loosening the rule in 2018, trade groups representing utilities ― including the Edison Electric Institute, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the American Public Power Association ― urged the agency to keep the rule in tact because power companies had already invested in the equipment required to comply.
But legal experts warned that the new rule focusing on costs could prompt litigious coal-mining companies such as Murray Energy, for which Wheeler worked as a lobbyist until 2017, to challenge the MATS regulation outright. Doing so could end up encouraging some utilities to mothball retrofits on plants and burn more coal, or increase the (currently slim) chances of a new coal plant being built.
“Only in this upside-down Trumpian world could EPA consider already-implemented controls on extremely deadly pollution from coal-fired power plants not ‘appropriate,’” said Ann Weeks, legal director of Clean Air Task Force. “If today’s action ultimately spurs challenges to the MATS, we could see coal-fired power plants actually turning off scrubbers and other lifesaving air pollution controls that have been installed and paid for to meet MATS, just so Trump’s coal industry cronies can sell a few more tons of coal.”
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The potential outcome seems unlikely to stem the growing list of coal companies that have gone bottom up since President Donald Trump took office. On Tuesday, Longview Power, a West Virginia coal-plant operator once hailed as a model for the industry’s future, declared bankruptcy.
Asked how the rule change improves public health, Wheeler said it “forces the agency to be more upfront about the regulatory costs and benefits to the public.”
“It’s honest accounting,” he said, growing audibly frustrated on the call. “As a society, we have limited resources to address different problems. If we’re going to address a particular pollutant, we need to be upfront and honest with the American public about what those pollutants are.”
But the decision came as the administration ramps up its efforts to scale back regulations on polluters in what critics view as a cynical bid to complete unpopular rule changes while the nation is distracted by a pandemic that has already killed more than 26,000 in the U.S.
Days before the auto rule was finalized, the EPA halted enforcement of the most basic clean air and water rules for the duration of the pandemic, a decision the agency downplayed as temporary but that environmentalists blasted as giving companies carte blanche to pollute. Meanwhile, the Interior Department approved a slate of new fossil fuel projects and held an auction to lease new offshore drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico.
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huffpost--2020-04-16--Pastors Sue California Governor Over Ban On Gatherings, Insist They're Social Distancing

Pastors from three California churches are suing Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) and several local officials for restricting religious gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic ― arguing that their congregations can worship in person and practice social distancing at the same time .
In a federal lawsuit filed in the Central District of California on Monday , the evangelical Christian plaintiffs insist it ’ s unconstitutional for the state to allow some businesses to stay open ― such as grocery stores , restaurants , and laundromats ― while houses of worship are forced to close , even if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s guidelines for social distancing .
“ If a Californian is able to go to Costco or the local marijuana shop or liquor store and buy goods in a responsible , socially distanced manner , then he or she must be allowed to practice their faith using the same precautions , ” Harmeet Dhillon , former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party and a lawyer representing the plaintiffs , told The Associated Press .
The plaintiffs include the pastors of three churches , one in San Bernardino County and two in Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Bernardino church is also listed as a plaintiff .
Moffatt had his church building cleaned and disinfected after hearing about the virus , according to the complaint .
The pastor also made sanitizers available to everyone who entered , encouraged families to sit at least six feet apart , and told anyone who was sick or uncomfortable with coming to church to stay at home .
Moffatt believes it is important for Christians to “ come together , remember , and celebrate all that Jesus has done for this world , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes the Bible commands him to baptize people and pray for the sick by laying his hands on them ― two acts that can ’ t be done online .
Brenda Wood , senior pastor of Riverside ’ s Word of Life Ministries International , held a drive-up church service at her church on Easter .
Parishioners wore masks and each car was parked at least six feet from other vehicles , the complaint says .
Church restrooms were off-limits during the service .
Wood spoke through a portable sound amplification system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to listen .
Wood wants to continue holding drive-up church services until the state of emergency has been lifted , the lawsuit states , citing a Bible verse from the book of Hebrews as the pastor ’ s inspiration .
The verse encourages believers to not give up on “ meeting together , as some are in the habit of doing.
” Patrick Scales , lead pastor of Shield of Faith Family Church in San Bernardino , also wants to have church services while practicing social distancing guidelines .
Scales said most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he would like to be available for those who are healthy and believe they can safely attend in-person services .
Families would stay six feet apart from other families and all worshippers would wear masks , the complaint says .
Scales “ believes that religious services are essential for the spiritual health of the congregation so that the congregants can exhort one another during these difficult times , ” the lawsuit states .
The way California and these two counties have enforced their bans on religious gatherings has been inconsistent and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Riverside , for example , made an exception to its order for Easter Sunday , but didn ’ t make exceptions for other Holy Week events or for the holidays of other faiths .

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Pastors from three California churches are suing Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and several local officials for restricting religious gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic ― arguing that their congregations can worship in person and practice social distancing at the same time.
In a federal lawsuit filed in the Central District of California on Monday, the evangelical Christian plaintiffs insist it’s unconstitutional for the state to allow some businesses to stay open ― such as grocery stores, restaurants, and laundromats ― while houses of worship are forced to close, even if they agree to abide by the government’s guidelines for social distancing.
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“If a Californian is able to go to Costco or the local marijuana shop or liquor store and buy goods in a responsible, socially distanced manner, then he or she must be allowed to practice their faith using the same precautions,” Harmeet Dhillon, former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party and a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press.
The plaintiffs include the pastors of three churches, one in San Bernardino County and two in Riverside County. A woman who attends the San Bernardino church is also listed as a plaintiff.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order to combat COVID-19 on March 19. Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
The lawsuit claims Newsom’s stay-at-home order from March 19, and similar measures by Riverside and San Bernardino local officials, are a “gross abuse” of power that takes advantage of the pandemic to expand government authority “by unprecedented lengths.”
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Newsom’s order deems as essential “faith-based services that are provided through streaming or other technology, but in-person services are not listed.
James Dean Moffatt, senior pastor of Church Unlimited in Indio, California, was fined $1,000 for violating Riverside’s order prohibiting social gatherings after holding an in-person service on April 5, Palm Sunday, the lawsuit states.
Moffatt had his church building cleaned and disinfected after hearing about the virus, according to the complaint. The pastor also made sanitizers available to everyone who entered, encouraged families to sit at least six feet apart, and told anyone who was sick or uncomfortable with coming to church to stay at home.
Moffatt believes it is important for Christians to “come together, remember, and celebrate all that Jesus has done for this world,” the lawsuit states. The pastor also believes the Bible commands him to baptize people and pray for the sick by laying his hands on them ― two acts that can’t be done online.
A 5-year-old child put his head down on an empty pew at a church in Oakland, California, on March 22. Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
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Days later, Riverside issued a clarification to its order stating that drive-up church services that practiced social distancing would be allowed just for Easter Sunday.
Brenda Wood, senior pastor of Riverside’s Word of Life Ministries International, held a drive-up church service at her church on Easter. Parishioners wore masks and each car was parked at least six feet from other vehicles, the complaint says. Church restrooms were off-limits during the service. Wood spoke through a portable sound amplification system, which meant congregants rolled down their windows to listen.
Communion was served by an individual wearing a mask and gloves, who handed out pre-packaged elements using tongs.
The pastor shared photos of the service on her Facebook page on Tuesday.
Wood wants to continue holding drive-up church services until the state of emergency has been lifted, the lawsuit states, citing a Bible verse from the book of Hebrews as the pastor’s inspiration. The verse encourages believers to not give up on “meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.”
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“Wood believes she can implement proper social distancing measures similar to those practiced by restaurants, auto mechanics, and abortion clinics,” the lawsuit states.
Patrick Scales, lead pastor of Shield of Faith Family Church in San Bernardino, also wants to have church services while practicing social distancing guidelines. Scales said most of his congregants will stay at home, but he would like to be available for those who are healthy and believe they can safely attend in-person services. Families would stay six feet apart from other families and all worshippers would wear masks, the complaint says.
Scales “believes that religious services are essential for the spiritual
health of the congregation so that the congregants can exhort one another during these difficult times,” the lawsuit states.
The way California and these two counties have enforced their bans on religious gatherings has been inconsistent and “ad hoc,” the complaint alleges. Riverside, for example, made an exception to its order for Easter Sunday, but didn’t make exceptions for other Holy Week events or for the holidays of other faiths.
Neither Newsom’s office nor officials in Riverside and San Bernardino counties have responded to HuffPost requests for comments on the lawsuit.
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A church in Sacramento held a Palm Sunday service on April 5, despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order. Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Most churches in California have stopped holding in-person services, The Associated Press reported.
California’s legal tussle over the constitutionality of limiting religious gatherings emerges as similar debates take shape nationwide. States have approached the issue in a variety of ways ― some have explicitly prohibited religious groups from worshipping in-person while others have offered religious exemptions to statewide stay-at-home orders.


huffpost--2020-04-16--California To Give Cash Payments To Immigrants Impacted By Coronavirus

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) — California will be the first state to give cash to immigrants living in the country illegally who are hurt by the coronavirus , offering $ 500 apiece to 150,000 adults who were left out of the $ 2.2 trillion stimulus package approved by Congress .
Many Americans began receiving $ 1,200 checks from the federal government this week , and others who are unemployed are getting an additional $ 600 a week from the government that has ordered them to stay home and disrupted what had been a roaring economy .
But people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eligible for any of that money , and advocates have been pushing for states to fill in the gap .
Wednesday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced he would spend $ 75 million of taxpayer money to create a Disaster Relief Fund for immigrants living in the country illegally .
“ We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportations that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians , ” said Newsom , who noted 10 % of the state ’ s workforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who paid more than $ 2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year .
California has an estimated 2.2 million immigrants living in the country illegally , the most of any state , according to the Pew Research Center .
State officials wo n't decide who gets the money .
Instead , the state will give the money to a network of regional nonprofits to find and vet potential recipients .
Advocates say that 's key to making the plan work because immigrants are unlikely to contact the government for fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to raising another $ 50 million for the fund from private donors , potentially offering benefits to another 100,000 people .
But that money will have fewer limitations , meaning grants could be more than $ 500 or less , depending on the cost-of-living where a person lives .
Organizers began raising money on Friday and have raised more than $ 6 million so far , with contributions from the Emerson Collective , Blue Shield of California Foundation , the California Endowment , the James Irvine Foundation , the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want this to be as equitable as possible and benefit as many people as possible , ” said Daranee Petsod , president of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees .
California has been the most aggressive state in the nation when it comes to giving benefits to immigrants living in the country illegally .
Last year , California became the first state to give taxpayer-funded health benefits to low-income adults 25 and younger living in the country illegally .
This year , Newsom had proposed expanding those benefits to seniors 65 and older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed those measures , arguing the state should not use public money for people who are not citizens .
But immigrants rights advocates say California — the fifth largest economy in the world with a population of nearly 40 million people — has a responsibility to care for all of its residents .
The spending announced Wednesday means Newsom has committed to spending more than $ 2 billion responding to the coronavirus , an extraordinary amount in just over one month .
Thursday , state lawmakers are scheduled to have their first oversight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
California has more than 26,600 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 850 deaths , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
Those numbers are far behind other virus hot spots like U.S. like New York and New Jersey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's aggressive implementation of physical distancing and stay-at-home orders .
Wednesday , Newsom announced the state 's call center will expand its hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. , seven days a week .
More than 1,300 state employees have been reassigned to help process the claims .
And Newsom said the state will begin distributing federal unemployment benefits by the end of the month to people who usually are n't eligible for them , including the gig workers and the self-employed .

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will be the first state to give cash to immigrants living in the country illegally who are hurt by the coronavirus, offering $500 apiece to 150,000 adults who were left out of the $2.2 trillion stimulus package approved by Congress.
Many Americans began receiving $1,200 checks from the federal government this week, and others who are unemployed are getting an additional $600 a week from the government that has ordered them to stay home and disrupted what had been a roaring economy.
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But people living in the country illegally are not eligible for any of that money, and advocates have been pushing for states to fill in the gap. Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he would spend $75 million of taxpayer money to create a Disaster Relief Fund for immigrants living in the country illegally.
“We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportations that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians,” said Newsom, who noted 10% of the state’s workforce are immigrants living in the country illegally who paid more than $2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year.
California has an estimated 2.2 million immigrants living in the country illegally, the most of any state, according to the Pew Research Center. State officials won't decide who gets the money. Instead, the state will give the money to a network of regional nonprofits to find and vet potential recipients. Advocates say that's key to making the plan work because immigrants are unlikely to contact the government for fear of deportation.
“You need to use organizations that have trusted relationships with these families,” said Jacqueline Martinez, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation.
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A group of charities has committed to raising another $50 million for the fund from private donors, potentially offering benefits to another 100,000 people. But that money will have fewer limitations, meaning grants could be more than $500 or less, depending on the cost-of-living where a person lives.
Organizers began raising money on Friday and have raised more than $6 million so far, with contributions from the Emerson Collective, Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Endowment, the James Irvine Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and an anonymous donor.
“We want this to be as equitable as possible and benefit as many people as possible,” said Daranee Petsod, president of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees.
California has been the most aggressive state in the nation when it comes to giving benefits to immigrants living in the country illegally. Last year, California became the first state to give taxpayer-funded health benefits to low-income adults 25 and younger living in the country illegally. This year, Newsom had proposed expanding those benefits to seniors 65 and older.
Republicans and conservative groups have mostly opposed those measures, arguing the state should not use public money for people who are not citizens. But immigrants rights advocates say California — the fifth largest economy in the world with a population of nearly 40 million people — has a responsibility to care for all of its residents.
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The spending announced Wednesday means Newsom has committed to spending more than $2 billion responding to the coronavirus, an extraordinary amount in just over one month. Thursday, state lawmakers are scheduled to have their first oversight hearing of Newsom's spending.
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.
California has more than 26,600 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 850 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Those numbers are far behind other virus hot spots like U.S. like New York and New Jersey, which public health officials attribute to the state's aggressive implementation of physical distancing and stay-at-home orders.
Since mid-March, 2.7 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits — more than all of the claims California processed in 2019 combined. The state's Employment Development Department has been overwhelmed, causing delays for many people seeking assistance.
Wednesday, Newsom announced the state's call center will expand its hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. More than 1,300 state employees have been reassigned to help process the claims. And Newsom said the state will begin distributing federal unemployment benefits by the end of the month to people who usually aren't eligible for them, including the gig workers and the self-employed.
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At least five other states are already issuing those benefits, prompting criticism from some state lawmakers.