huffpost--2020-04-29--Ex-NAACP Leader Kweisi Mfume Wins Special Election To Replace Elijah Cummings

Maryland opened just three polling stations Tuesday and sent ballots weeks in advance to encourage mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Earlier this month , thousands of Wisconsin primary voters waited hours outside overcrowded polling stations , and Maryland ’ s contest could be a test for future races in a key election year .
Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 4-1 in the majority-black district , which includes a significant portion of the city of Baltimore and parts of Baltimore and Howard counties .
The diverse district includes areas of Baltimore that struggle with poverty and violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas and landmarks such as Johns Hopkins Hospital .
Mfume was scheduled to speak to supporters in Baltimore later in the evening after capturing an overwhelming number of votes in the city and strong majorities in the two neighboring counties.. Maryland ’ s senior Sen. Ben Cardin , a fellow Democrat , welcomed Mfume back to the state ’ s congressional delegation .
“ As both the predecessor and now successor to our friend and colleague Elijah Cummings , I know Congressman Mfume will serve the people of the 7th Congressional district in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep legacy , ” Cardin ’ s statement said .
For her part , Klacik tweeted : “ That one time when hard work didn ’ t pay off .
Perhaps one day District 7 will want a change .
Proud of my team & the work we put in .
We will continue to wait for the final results.
” Mfume supports stronger gun-control measures , including reauthorizing a federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2005 .
Baltimore had 348 homicides last year — the fifth straight year topping 300 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent year ever per capita .
Mfume also is focusing on the root causes of crime , including the inability of young adults to find jobs , and supports apprenticeships to develop employable skills for young people .
Mfume is to serve the rest of Cummings ’ term until January .
Vicotry also means Mfume , 71 , will run as an incumbent in Maryland ’ s June primary to be the nominee for a full term in November .
Mfume held for five terms from 1987 to 1996 and chaired the NAACP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is based in Baltimore .
The 7th district attracted national attention last year when President Donald Trump referred to it on Twitter as a “ disgusting , rat and rodent infested mess ” where “ no human being would want to live.
” At the time , Cummings was the powerful House Oversight Committee chairman , leading multiple investigations of the president .
Trump ’ s tweets also followed an appearance by Klacik on the Fox News network ’ s program “ Fox & Friends , ” which invited her on air to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Baltimore .
Klacik , a Baltimore County Republican Central Committee member , had campaigned on economic development and helping struggling parts of Baltimore via a federal “ opportunity zones ” program .
The district includes an area in Baltimore that had the state ’ s highest number of reported coronavirus cases for weeks .
Democratic lawmakers sounded the alarm over the virus killing African Americans at a higher rate .
Mfume , who spent years at the National Institutes of Health Council for Minority Health Disparities , called it frustrating the black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wants : “ It ’ s almost like being attacked by the virus and having someone tie your arm behind your back.
” In the June 2 primary , Mfume will face many of the same opponents he defeated in February .
The primary was originally scheduled for April but was postponed by Gov .
Larry Hogan due to the virus .

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Democrat Kweisi Mfume easily won a special election Tuesday to finish the term of the late Elijah Cummings, retaking a Maryland congressional seat Mfume held for five terms before leaving to lead the NAACP.
Mfume defeated Republican Kimberly Klacik in the heavily Democratic 7th Congressional district.
Maryland opened just three polling stations Tuesday and sent ballots weeks in advance to encourage mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, thousands of Wisconsin primary voters waited hours outside overcrowded polling stations, and Maryland’s contest could be a test for future races in a key election year.
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Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 4-1 in the majority-black district, which includes a significant portion of the city of Baltimore and parts of Baltimore and Howard counties. The diverse district includes areas of Baltimore that struggle with poverty and violent crime, as well as more affluent areas and landmarks such as Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Mfume captured an overwhelming number of votes in the city and strong majorities in both Howard and Baltimore counties.
Mfume was scheduled to speak to supporters in Baltimore later in the evening after capturing an overwhelming number of votes in the city and strong majorities in the two neighboring counties.. Maryland’s senior Sen. Ben Cardin, a fellow Democrat, welcomed Mfume back to the state’s congressional delegation.
“As both the predecessor and now successor to our friend and colleague Elijah Cummings, I know Congressman Mfume will serve the people of the 7th Congressional district in a way that honors Elijah’s deep legacy,” Cardin’s statement said.
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For her part, Klacik tweeted: “That one time when hard work didn’t pay off. Perhaps one day District 7 will want a change. Proud of my team & the work we put in. We will continue to wait for the final results.”
Mfume supports stronger gun-control measures, including reauthorizing a federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2005. Baltimore had 348 homicides last year — the fifth straight year topping 300 — making it the city’s most violent year ever per capita.
Mfume also is focusing on the root causes of crime, including the inability of young adults to find jobs, and supports apprenticeships to develop employable skills for young people.
Mfume is to serve the rest of Cummings’ term until January. Vicotry also means Mfume, 71, will run as an incumbent in Maryland’s June primary to be the nominee for a full term in November.
Mfume held for five terms from 1987 to 1996 and chaired the NAACP from 1996 until 2004. The NAACP is based in Baltimore.
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The 7th district attracted national attention last year when President Donald Trump referred to it on Twitter as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.” At the time, Cummings was the powerful House Oversight Committee chairman, leading multiple investigations of the president.
Trump’s tweets also followed an appearance by Klacik on the Fox News network’s program “Fox & Friends,” which invited her on air to discuss her social media posts showing trash in Baltimore. Klacik, a Baltimore County Republican Central Committee member, had campaigned on economic development and helping struggling parts of Baltimore via a federal “opportunity zones” program.
The district includes an area in Baltimore that had the state’s highest number of reported coronavirus cases for weeks. Democratic lawmakers sounded the alarm over the virus killing African Americans at a higher rate.
Mfume, who spent years at the National Institutes of Health Council for Minority Health Disparities, called it frustrating the black community can’t fight back as it wants: “It’s almost like being attacked by the virus and having someone tie your arm behind your back.”
In the June 2 primary, Mfume will face many of the same opponents he defeated in February. The primary was originally scheduled for April but was postponed by Gov. Larry Hogan due to the virus.
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huffpost--2020-06-18--6 Easy Ways To Make Your Coffee Taste Like It Came From The Coffee Shop

Do you remember the last time you whiled away time at a coffee shop ?
For me , it was March 2 , just two weeks before our world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic .
I met up with a friend and we chatted for hours as we sipped our drinks — an Americano with cream for me — and noshed on cookies .
We were blissfully unaware that it would be our last time sharing such a moment for the indefinite future .
For many of us , coffee shops aren ’ t just about the coffee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
From working for hours on a project with a steady flow of drip coffee to overhearing an awkward first date while sipping an expertly crafted latte , coffee shops are unique ecosystems .
While we can ’ t recreate everything about them , we can at least channel our inner barista and up our coffee game at home ― whether or not your local coffee shop has re-opened .
Whether you brew your coffee with a drip coffee pot or a Chemex , one of the best pieces of equipment you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next level is a burr grinder .
Unlike a standard coffee grinder , a burr grinder allows you to choose the coarseness of your grind .
Because of this , they tend to be a bit more expensive than standard grinders , with prices starting around $ 50 , but they ’ ll last a while and immediately improve your coffee-drinking experience .
“ People should get a burr coffee grinder because that ’ s when you can start to experience a super personalized cup of coffee and tailor it to your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cups into the coffee machine , ” said Gabi Ingersoll , a barista at Peaks Coffee Company in Syracuse , New York .
To ensure a consistent brew every time , Leticia Pollock , co-founder of Panther Coffee in Miami , likes to use a kitchen scale .
“ You ’ ll make a cup of coffee and you ’ re like , ‘ Oh my God , this is delicious.
’ But you can ’ t make it again , ” Pollock said .
By using a kitchen scale ( which you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , you can track exactly how much coffee went into the dream cup you finally concocted .
To make it , slice one pint of strawberries and toss them in a saucepan with one cup of water and one cup of sugar .
Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20-30 minutes , making sure to occasionally stir .
Once the liquid is bright red and the strawberries are cooked down , strain it into a jar or heat-safe bowl and chill in the fridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot coffee , but it ’ s especially great in iced beverages .
Instead of just stirring it in , use a cocktail shaker .
“ It makes the drink kind of frothy , which I like that texture .
And then you just get whatever flavor in every sip instead of just when you get to the bottom of the drink , ” Ingersoll said .
You can drop them into iced coffee , but Doughty ’ s favorite way to enjoy them is in a blended drink .
Blitz three to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with about five ounces of milk and a teaspoon of honey .
“ It ’ s delicious , it ’ s cold and frosty in the summertime , but you get the strength of the coffee flavor that you want , ” he said .
Making a batch of cold brew is great , but it needs time to steep ― at least 12 hours .
Japanese-style iced coffee is quicker and the result can be just as jolting .
Ingersoll makes hers by brewing a double-strength pot of coffee ( just double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d normally use ) and then immediately pouring it over ice .
“ When it melts down , it doesn ’ t lose any of that strong coffee flavor , and it doesn ’ t dilute the coffee , ” Ingersoll said .
The key is to pour it over ice immediately to prevent acidity from developing .
How many times have you stood in line at the coffee shop wondering if this will be the day you step out of your comfort zone and try one of the specialty blends of coffee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Now may be a good opportunity to step out of your coffee comfort zone and try something new .
Coffee beans have different flavor profiles depending on where they ’ re grown , how they ’ re processed , how they ’ re roasted and how they ’ re brewed .
Let ’ s say you like Pike Place at Starbucks ( or your local coffee shop ’ s signature roast ) with its nutty cocoa notes .
Consider trying a coffee with a fruitier flavor profile , like the Apollo by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or the Guatemala San Sebastian by Perc with notes of berries .
Pay attention to which beans you like and how you like them ( fruitier coffees are great for iced coffee ) and you ’ ll be able to broaden your coffee drinking experience .
Get fancy with your milk

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Do you remember the last time you whiled away time at a coffee shop? For me, it was March 2, just two weeks before our world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. I met up with a friend and we chatted for hours as we sipped our drinks — an Americano with cream for me — and noshed on cookies. We were blissfully unaware that it would be our last time sharing such a moment for the indefinite future.
For many of us, coffee shops aren’t just about the coffee drinks but the experiences that come with them. From working for hours on a project with a steady flow of drip coffee to overhearing an awkward first date while sipping an expertly crafted latte, coffee shops are unique ecosystems. While we can’t recreate everything about them, we can at least channel our inner barista and up our coffee game at home ― whether or not your local coffee shop has re-opened.
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From equipment to techniques, here are a few ways to make shop-worthy java at home.
Gear up
Ideally, you’re going to need a burr grinder and a kitchen scale.
Whether you brew your coffee with a drip coffee pot or a Chemex, one of the best pieces of equipment you can purchase to take your coffee to the next level is a burr grinder. Unlike a standard coffee grinder, a burr grinder allows you to choose the coarseness of your grind. Because of this, they tend to be a bit more expensive than standard grinders, with prices starting around $50, but they’ll last a while and immediately improve your coffee-drinking experience.
AlexLMX via Getty Images Fancy burr grinders can cost an arm and a leg, but perfectly good versions start at around $50.
“People should get a burr coffee grinder because that’s when you can start to experience a super personalized cup of coffee and tailor it to your needs, instead of just scooping three cups into the coffee machine,” said Gabi Ingersoll, a barista at Peaks Coffee Company in Syracuse, New York.
For example, if you’re brewing a cup of coffee in a basic coffee pot, you’ll want to set your grind to medium, while a coarse grind is ideal if you’re using a French press or making cold brew.
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To ensure a consistent brew every time, Leticia Pollock, co-founder of Panther Coffee in Miami, likes to use a kitchen scale. “You’ll make a cup of coffee and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is delicious.’ But you can’t make it again,” Pollock said. By using a kitchen scale (which you can buy for less than $20), you can track exactly how much coffee went into the dream cup you finally concocted.
Make infused simple syrups
Daydreaming about the soothing lavender latte that only your favorite barista can make? Making infused simple syrups is easier than you think and a fun way to add flavor to your coffee.
Ingersoll is partial to a strawberry simple syrup, thanks to a batch of strawberries that was once accidentally sent to the coffee shop. “You know how Hershey’s has that strawberry syrup in the bottle? It was like a homemade version of that,” she laughed.
To make it, slice one pint of strawberries and toss them in a saucepan with one cup of water and one cup of sugar. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20-30 minutes, making sure to occasionally stir. Once the liquid is bright red and the strawberries are cooked down, strain it into a jar or heat-safe bowl and chill in the fridge.
Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images There's nothing in those coffee-shop syrups you can't make at home.
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You can use your syrup in hot coffee, but it’s especially great in iced beverages. Instead of just stirring it in, use a cocktail shaker. “It makes the drink kind of frothy, which I like that texture. And then you just get whatever flavor in every sip instead of just when you get to the bottom of the drink,” Ingersoll said.
Put ice, coffee and a half teaspoon or so of syrup in your shaker, shake it to your heart’s content and then strain it over ice into a glass.
Other syrups to experiment with include rosemary, orange and salted caramel.
Make coffee ice cubes
It sounds so simple, but the small act of freezing some of your coffee in an ice cube tray can make your cold coffee drinks more potent. Ren Doughty, outreach and customer support coordinator for Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters in Olympia, Washington, likes to make his coffee double strength before freezing it.
“You pop out the ice cubes, toss them in a Ziploc freezer bag, and now you’ve just got these strong coffee ice cubes ready to go,” he explained.
You can drop them into iced coffee, but Doughty’s favorite way to enjoy them is in a blended drink. Blitz three to four coffee ice cubes in the blender with about five ounces of milk and a teaspoon of honey. “It’s delicious, it’s cold and frosty in the summertime, but you get the strength of the coffee flavor that you want,” he said.
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In a hurry? Skip the cold brew process
Making a batch of cold brew is great, but it needs time to steep ― at least 12 hours. Japanese-style iced coffee is quicker and the result can be just as jolting. Ingersoll makes hers by brewing a double-strength pot of coffee (just double the amount of coffee grounds you’d normally use) and then immediately pouring it over ice. “When it melts down, it doesn’t lose any of that strong coffee flavor, and it doesn’t dilute the coffee,” Ingersoll said. The key is to pour it over ice immediately to prevent acidity from developing.
Pay attention to your beans
How many times have you stood in line at the coffee shop wondering if this will be the day you step out of your comfort zone and try one of the specialty blends of coffee, only to stick with your usual? Now may be a good opportunity to step out of your coffee comfort zone and try something new.
Coffee beans have different flavor profiles depending on where they’re grown, how they’re processed, how they’re roasted and how they’re brewed. Let’s say you like Pike Place at Starbucks (or your local coffee shop’s signature roast) with its nutty cocoa notes. Consider trying a coffee with a fruitier flavor profile, like the Apollo by Counter Culture, which has citrusy notes, or the Guatemala San Sebastian by Perc with notes of berries. Pay attention to which beans you like and how you like them (fruitier coffees are great for iced coffee) and you’ll be able to broaden your coffee drinking experience.
“It’s like wine ― one day you want to have Cabernet, one day you want a Sauvignon Blanc,” Pollock said.
Get fancy with your milk
If you prefer lattes and cappuccinos, it’s going to be hard to replicate them at home without dropping some change on an espresso machine. But a strong batch of brewed coffee and a simple milk-frothing tool will help you imitate that experience at home.
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RyanJLane via Getty Images Clearly, milk or cream can make all the difference in your iced coffee drink.
“I’ll put oat milk either on the stovetop or in the microwave and get it almost boiling and then put it in my French Press, actually,” Ingersoll said. “And just plunge it up and down and it actually makes a really beautiful frothy milk.”
Other low-cost options include whisking milk in a pot or buying a frothing wand.
Create a coffee ritual at home
Pre-pandemic, going to the coffee shop often offered a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of real life for a bit. At home, you can also design a coffee ritual that breaks up the monotony of the day. For me, that’s playing a coffee house-inspired playlist, snacking on some Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookie and trying to do a crossword puzzle before the baby wakes up from her nap.
Doughty likes to start the day by brewing a French press to specificity using a digital thermometer. For Ingersoll, the ritual varies by circumstance. At home in Syracuse, she likes to take things slow by weighing her coffee and making it in a V60 pour-over, but for the time being she’s quarantining with her family in Maine, where they buy Chock full o’Nuts coffee and brew it in a drip coffee pot.
“And for me, being home, I enjoy that coffee ritual with my family, just waking up and drinking that coffee.”


huffpost--2020-06-22--John Oliver Mocks Saddest Thing About Trump's Tulsa Rally Attendance

“ There ’ s absolutely no one in the room with me right now , although interestingly that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ people than were at president Trump ’ s Oklahoma rally last night , which was @ @ @ @ @ claiming a million people had requested tickets.
” Oliver said .
The “ Last Week @ @ @ @ @ campaign for building an outdoor stage for a planned but scrapped second speech , before @ @ @ @ @ outcome of the underwhelming turnout : Trump getting trolled by Pink .
In response to @ @ @ @ @ the musician tweeted , “ I think I sold that same place out in five @ @ @ @ @

“There’s absolutely no one in the room with me right now, although interestingly that’s still somehow only slightly fewer people than were at president Trump’s Oklahoma rally last night, which was half empty despite his campaign claiming a million people had requested tickets.” Oliver said.
The “Last Week Tonight” host mocked the campaign for building an outdoor stage for a planned but scrapped second speech, before he joked about a hilarious outcome of the underwhelming turnout: Trump getting trolled by Pink.
In response to the Tulsa rally attendance, the musician tweeted, “I think I sold that same place out in five minutes #donkeyshow.”


huffpost--2020-06-19--Show Your Support For Black-Owned Businesses By Posting The Receipt

The coronavirus pandemic has only compounded the financial challenges faced by the Black community .
Black entrepreneurs , for example , were disproportionately affected , with a 40 % drop in the number of working Black business owners ― a far greater percentage than any other racial group .
But the racial wealth gap is not a new problem .
As of 2016 , the net worth of a typical white family was nearly 10 times greater than that of a Black family ( $ 171,000 vs. $ 17,150 ) , according to the Brookings Institute .
One way you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting Black businesses .
And a new campaign , My Black Receipt , aims to make that a long-term practice among consumers of all backgrounds .
Here ’ s how to participate .
What Is My Black Receipt ?
My Black Receipt is an initiative started by Black upStart , an organization that trains Black entrepreneurs to start job-creating businesses .
Kezia Williams , the CEO , noted that , according to the last census , there were 2.56 million Black-owned businesses but only 109,000 of them had at least one paid employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classroom-based business .
But once the coronavirus pandemic hit , like many other businesses , it had to be taken online .
Then over the past couple of weeks , civil unrest started unfolding .
“ We asked ourselves : How can we continue to support entrepreneurs during this time , especially since there is a call to action right now for people to buy Black and support Black-owned businesses , ” Williams told HuffPost .
“ Usually , when people buy Black , it ’ s in response to a boycott , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examples such as when H & M came under fire for featuring an image of a Black boy wearing a “ coolest monkey in the jungle ” T-shirt , or when a Starbucks manager called 911 on two Black men for attempting to use the restroom .
Consumers fought back by supporting Black-owned businesses instead , a response Willams said was honorable .
However , “ there was no measurable way to see what our collected impact was.
” From Juneteenth ( June 19 ) through Independence Day ( July 4 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses and use the tool on MyBlackReceipt.com to report how much they spent and upload the receipt .
The goal is for consumers to spend and post at least $ 5 million in purchases by the end of the campaign .
There is also an opportunity for business owners to join a preferred shopping list , a directory of Black-owned businesses that users can select from when uploading their receipts .
Nearly 7,000 businesses from 15 countries have added their names to the list .
Among them are Mayvven , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and products industry , and Aunt Dot ’ s Sweet Shop , a small company based in Lodi , New Jersey .
You can also make a tax-deductible donation to My Black Receipt .
Williams said that 100 % of the funds are used to pay for the developers and designers who built the technology .
All founding members have contributed financially to the project as well .
“ We ’ re proud to team up with My Black Receipt to help amplify this important movement to support Black-owned businesses at such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a director on Yelp ’ s Community team , told HuffPost .
“ It ’ s inspiring to see the outpouring of support for the Black community across the country , and we ’ ve seen that reflected on Yelp as well with a 35-times increase in the frequency of searches for Black-owned businesses in recent weeks.
” Lewis added that by partnering with My Black Receipt , Yelp hopes to help this movement reach its goal of economically empowering the Black community by making it easier for consumers to find and support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the initial steps we ’ re taking as part of our commitment to change , and we ’ ll continue to explore different ways to take action in addressing the challenges faced by the Black community.
” ‘ Buying Black ’ Needs To Be More Than A Trend As Williams pointed out , consumers are quick to promote Black-owned businesses following some sort of transgression by a major corporation .
But for these boycotts to really make a difference , they need to be part of a long-term commitment rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to talk about how this technology can incentivize buying Black long-term , not just in response to protests , and how we can build community around the recirculation of the dollar using technology , ” Williams said .

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The coronavirus pandemic has only compounded the financial challenges faced by the Black community. Black entrepreneurs, for example, were disproportionately affected, with a 40% drop in the number of working Black business owners ― a far greater percentage than any other racial group.
But the racial wealth gap is not a new problem. As of 2016, the net worth of a typical white family was nearly 10 times greater than that of a Black family ($171,000 vs. $17,150), according to the Brookings Institute.
Advertisement
One way you can help solve this disparity is by supporting Black businesses. And a new campaign, My Black Receipt, aims to make that a long-term practice among consumers of all backgrounds. Here’s how to participate.
What Is My Black Receipt?
My Black Receipt is an initiative started by Black upStart, an organization that trains Black entrepreneurs to start job-creating businesses. Kezia Williams, the CEO, noted that, according to the last census, there were 2.56 million Black-owned businesses but only 109,000 of them had at least one paid employee.
Black upStart used to be a classroom-based business. But once the coronavirus pandemic hit, like many other businesses, it had to be taken online. Then over the past couple of weeks, civil unrest started unfolding. “We asked ourselves: How can we continue to support entrepreneurs during this time, especially since there is a call to action right now for people to buy Black and support Black-owned businesses,” Williams told HuffPost.
Advertisement
“Usually, when people buy Black, it’s in response to a boycott,” Williams said. She pointed out examples such as when H&M came under fire for featuring an image of a Black boy wearing a “coolest monkey in the jungle” T-shirt, or when a Starbucks manager called 911 on two Black men for attempting to use the restroom. Consumers fought back by supporting Black-owned businesses instead, a response Willams said was honorable. However, “there was no measurable way to see what our collected impact was.”
And so, because the goal of these founding organizations is to make change over time, they decided to pair the Buy Black movement with a measurable, technical tool.
From Juneteenth (June 19) through Independence Day (July 4), consumers are encouraged to buy from Black-owned businesses and use the tool on MyBlackReceipt.com to report how much they spent and upload the receipt. The goal is for consumers to spend and post at least $5 million in purchases by the end of the campaign.
There is also an opportunity for business owners to join a preferred shopping list, a directory of Black-owned businesses that users can select from when uploading their receipts. Nearly 7,000 businesses from 15 countries have added their names to the list. Among them are Mayvven, one of the largest companies in the ethnic hair care and products industry, and Aunt Dot’s Sweet Shop, a small company based in Lodi, New Jersey.
“The diversity on the list is really empowering,” Williams said.
You can also make a tax-deductible donation to My Black Receipt. Williams said that 100% of the funds are used to pay for the developers and designers who built the technology. All founding members have contributed financially to the project as well.
Advertisement
On Thursday, Yelp announced that it partnered with My Black Receipt by giving businesses a way to self-identify as Black-owned on the platform (if they choose to opt-in) with a free searchable attribute.
“We’re proud to team up with My Black Receipt to help amplify this important movement to support Black-owned businesses at such a pivotal time,” Tara Lewis, a director on Yelp’s Community team, told HuffPost. “It’s inspiring to see the outpouring of support for the Black community across the country, and we’ve seen that reflected on Yelp as well with a 35-times increase in the frequency of searches for Black-owned businesses in recent weeks.”
Lewis added that by partnering with My Black Receipt, Yelp hopes to help this movement reach its goal of economically empowering the Black community by making it easier for consumers to find and support Black-owned businesses. “This is just part of the initial steps we’re taking as part of our commitment to change, and we’ll continue to explore different ways to take action in addressing the challenges faced by the Black community.”
‘Buying Black’ Needs To Be More Than A Trend
As Williams pointed out, consumers are quick to promote Black-owned businesses following some sort of transgression by a major corporation. But for these boycotts to really make a difference, they need to be part of a long-term commitment rather than a short-term reaction.
“We are starting to talk about how this technology can incentivize buying Black long-term, not just in response to protests, and how we can build community around the recirculation of the dollar using technology,” Williams said.
Advertisement
One of the biggest resources at their disposal is the aggregate data collected from the project, which should provide insight into spending patterns, sectors and cities with the highest spending, whether people are choosing online versus brick-and-mortar businesses, and more.


huffpost--2020-06-22--Anderson Cooper And Andy Cohen Marked Father's Day By Introducing Their Sons

The event , which took place Sunday on “ Watch What Happens Live , ” marked the first time Cohen and Cooper ’ s two sons were formally introduced to one another .
“ Look , that ’ s gon na be your good buddy , Wyatt , ” Cohen told a somewhat-confused-looking Benjamin , gesturing toward the screen .
“ If you like him half as much as I like his daddy , you ’ re gon na be great friends.
” Though Sunday marked their first virtual encounter , Benjamin and Wyatt have already been connected through their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on “ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ” last month , Cooper revealed that Wyatt had already inherited some of Benjamin ’ s hand-me-downs .
“ I ’ m inherently cheap , I like a good value , ” the CNN anchor said .
Noting that many retail outlets were shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic , he added , “ I was planning on going shopping , which I hate to do .
And then online shopping , how do you that for baby clothes ?
Do you go to Buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know !
It just seemed weird , so he just gave me all the clothes.
” Weeks later , Cohen said on his Radio Andy talk show that Cooper had scooped up one of Benjamin ’ s former nannies to care for Wyatt .
“ We had long planned this transition , but I certainly didn ’ t expect it to happen during a quarantine , of course , ” he said .
“ So we had to really handle this hand-off from one home to the next very carefully , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Anderson .
I know she ’ s gon na get Wyatt on a great sleep schedule just like she got Ben .
”

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Pals Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper observed a socially distant Father’s Day together.
The event, which took place Sunday on “Watch What Happens Live,” marked the first time Cohen and Cooper’s two sons were formally introduced to one another.
Cooper welcomed Wyatt Morgan in April, while Cohen became a first-time dad to 1-year-old Benjamin Allen last year.
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“Look, that’s gonna be your good buddy, Wyatt,” Cohen told a somewhat-confused-looking Benjamin, gesturing toward the screen. “If you like him half as much as I like his daddy, you’re gonna be great friends.”
Cooper, meanwhile, showed off Wyatt’s nautical striped outfit, joking that it resembled a 1920s bathing suit.
Watch the adorable moment below.
Though Sunday marked their first virtual encounter, Benjamin and Wyatt have already been connected through their famous dads for some time.
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Appearing on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last month, Cooper revealed that Wyatt had already inherited some of Benjamin’s hand-me-downs.
“I’m inherently cheap, I like a good value,” the CNN anchor said. Noting that many retail outlets were shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he added, “I was planning on going shopping, which I hate to do. And then online shopping, how do you that for baby clothes? Do you go to Buy Buy Baby or Amazon? I don’t know! It just seemed weird, so he just gave me all the clothes.”
Weeks later, Cohen said on his Radio Andy talk show that Cooper had scooped up one of Benjamin’s former nannies to care for Wyatt.
“We had long planned this transition, but I certainly didn’t expect it to happen during a quarantine, of course,” he said. “So we had to really handle this hand-off from one home to the next very carefully, but we did and she is now with Anderson. I know she’s gonna get Wyatt on a great sleep schedule just like she got Ben.”


huffpost--2020-06-22--Trump Baselessly Claims 2020 Election Is 'RIGGED' Months Before Any Votes Are Cast

President Donald Trump on Monday baselessly claimed that the general election in November will be “ RIGGED ” because of mail-in ballots , a method for voting that the president himself has used multiple times .
“ This will be the Election disaster of our time , ” Trump tweeted , citing an article from right-wing website Breitbart that featured comments Attorney General William Barr made Sunday during an interview with Fox News .
Barr told Fox News that voting by mail “ opens the floodgates to fraud.
” He warned a foreign country could “ print up tens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be difficult to figure out which ballots were valid .
Barr has not publicly provided any evidence to support his claim .
And election administrators in multiple states have disputed this theory , stating it would be virtually impossible for a foreign country to peddle phony ballots undetected .
“ RIGGED 2020 ELECTION : MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES , AND OTHERS , ” he tweeted without evidence .
“ IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES !
” In a subsequent tweet , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupidity ” of mail-in ballots and appeared to accuse Democrats of “ using Covid in order to cheat.
” Several states have moved to expand mail-in voting practices in response to the public health threat that the coronavirus poses .
The method could help curb contagion by reducing the number of voters at polling locations , particularly in some poorer communities where voters have traditionally waited in line for hours to cast their ballots .
Plus , much of the country already votes by mail .
More than 23 % of voters cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general election .
Though Trump has questioned the legitimacy of mail-in voting , he has voted by mail multiple times .
Barr , first lady Melania Trump , the president ’ s adviser and eldest daughter Ivanka Trump and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany have also voted or attempted to vote using absentee ballots .
Trump ’ s tweets Monday are the latest examples of him sowing doubt about the integrity of the upcoming presidential election .
He has peddled unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in battleground states and had threatened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail voting .
He later backed off that threat .
Earlier this month , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden warned that Trump is “ going to try and steal this election.
” The New York Times reported that several Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans share the former vice president ’ s concerns .
“ Since 2016 , Donald Trump has shown that he is always ready to sacrifice our basic democratic norms for his personal and political interests , ” Bob Bauer , a Biden senior adviser and a lawyer for the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assume he may well resort to any kind of trick , ploy or scheme he can in order to hold onto his presidency .
”

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President Donald Trump on Monday baselessly claimed that the general election in November will be “RIGGED” because of mail-in ballots, a method for voting that the president himself has used multiple times.
“This will be the Election disaster of our time,” Trump tweeted, citing an article from right-wing website Breitbart that featured comments Attorney General William Barr made Sunday during an interview with Fox News.
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Barr told Fox News that voting by mail “opens the floodgates to fraud.” He warned a foreign country could “print up tens of thousands of counterfeit ballots” and that it would be difficult to figure out which ballots were valid.
Barr has not publicly provided any evidence to support his claim. And election administrators in multiple states have disputed this theory, stating it would be virtually impossible for a foreign country to peddle phony ballots undetected.
Nonetheless, Trump declared the process compromised, months before any votes have been cast in the general election.
“RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS,” he tweeted without evidence. “IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES!”
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In a subsequent tweet, Trump called for an end to the “stupidity” of mail-in ballots and appeared to accuse Democrats of “using Covid in order to cheat.”
Several states have moved to expand mail-in voting practices in response to the public health threat that the coronavirus poses. The method could help curb contagion by reducing the number of voters at polling locations, particularly in some poorer communities where voters have traditionally waited in line for hours to cast their ballots.
Plus, much of the country already votes by mail. More than 23% of voters cast their ballot by mail in the 2016 general election.
Though Trump has questioned the legitimacy of mail-in voting, he has voted by mail multiple times. Barr, first lady Melania Trump, the president’s adviser and eldest daughter Ivanka Trump and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany have also voted or attempted to vote using absentee ballots.
Trump’s tweets Monday are the latest examples of him sowing doubt about the integrity of the upcoming presidential election. He has peddled unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in battleground states and had threatened to withhold federal funding to states that expand mail voting. He later backed off that threat.
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Earlier this month, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden warned that Trump is “going to try and steal this election.” The New York Times reported that several Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans share the former vice president’s concerns.


huffpost--2020-03-19--U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Rises To 150

( Reuters ) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) on Thursday reported 10,491 cases @ @ @ @ @ of 3,404 cases from its previous count , and said the death toll had risen @ @ @ @ @ The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness , COVID-19 , caused @ @ @ @ @ as of 4 p.m .
ET on March 18 compared with its tally a day @ @ @ @ @ been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia .
The CDC figures @ @ @ @ @ reported by individual states .

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(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 10,491 cases of coronavirus, an increase of 3,404 cases from its previous count, and said the death toll had risen by 53 to 150.
The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness, COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on March 18 compared with its tally a day earlier.
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Coronavirus cases have been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.
(This story corrects paragraph 2 to say “as of 4 pm ET on March 18 compared with its tally a day earlier”, not “4 pm ET on Thursday compared with its report on Wednesday”.)


huffpost--2020-03-19--Wuhan Reports No New Coronavirus Infections For First Time

BEIJING , March 19 ( Reuters ) - The central Chinese city of Wuhan , the epicentre of the country ’ s coronavirus outbreak , reported no new infections for the first time , while imported cases surged by a record , led by new infections in the capital of Beijing .
The new imported infections also accounted for all of the new confirmed cases in mainland China , placing more pressure on authorities to screen travelers at key travel hubs .
Mainland China had 34 new confirmed cases on Wednesday , the country ’ s National Health Commission said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day earlier .
Of the 34 imported infections , Beijing accounted for 21 cases , a daily record for the city .
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,928 , the health authority said in a statement on Thursday .
The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 3,245 as of the end of Wednesday , up by eight from the previous day .
In the central province of Hubei , there were eight new deaths , with the provincial capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatalities .
( Reporting by Ryan Woo and Huizhong Wu Editing by Shri Navaratnam )

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BEIJING, March 19 (Reuters) - The central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the country’s coronavirus outbreak, reported no new infections for the first time, while imported cases surged by a record, led by new infections in the capital of Beijing.
The new imported infections also accounted for all of the new confirmed cases in mainland China, placing more pressure on authorities to screen travelers at key travel hubs.
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Mainland China had 34 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the country’s National Health Commission said, more than doubling from 13 cases a day earlier.
Of the 34 imported infections, Beijing accounted for 21 cases, a daily record for the city.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,928, the health authority said in a statement on Thursday.
The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 3,245 as of the end of Wednesday, up by eight from the previous day.


huffpost--2020-03-19--How Italian Food Imports In The U.S. Will Be Affected By Coronavirus

Bucatini , anchovy fillets in olive oil , cans of San Marzano tomatoes , Sicilian extra virgin oil olive — these are items we buy from grocery stores or consume at restaurants and don ’ t think much about where they came from .
As the coronavirus pandemic continues , Americans are learning not to take food for granted , especially food that comes from northern Italy ’ s Lombardia , Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions , which together account for 52 % of the total production of Italy ’ s food sector .
“ The strangest thing is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to a halt , ” said Rolando Beramendi , who owns the Oakland and New York-based Italian food import company Manicaretti .
“ People are still producing and shipping .
Every day I ’ m in close communication with the 38 producers I work with in Italy .
They ’ re fine .
The trucks are able to get to the port.
” As an importer , Beramendi is one of many people based in the U.S. who helps stores and restaurants get their ( clean ) hands on Italy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the news changes hourly .
Last Wednesday , President Donald Trump said in his address to the nation that the U.S. was banning “ all travel ” from Europe to the U.S. — including cargo — but an hour later he clarified it didn ’ t include American travelers or cargo .
“ When I heard the president saying that , my heart sank , ” Beramendi said .
“ With a virus , it ’ s a completely different game .
You don ’ t know where it is , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s uncharted territory what we ’ re going into .
I feel like somebody hit me with a pan on my head .
We ’ re all sitting on the edge of the table right now not knowing what ’ s going to happen.
” Beatrice Ughi , founder of the Bronx-based Italian food import company Gustiamo and a native of Naples , Italy , got one last trip to her homeland at the end of February , before the world changed .
“ I arrived in Italy like it was nothing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole world collapsed on us , ” she said .
After spending a whole week in the country , including visiting producers in Sardinia , she had no choice but to abridge her trip and return to New York City the first weekend of March — though she said no one at customs asked her questions nor took her temperature .
Alessandro Bellini of the Italian food import company Viola Imports , is based in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village .
All three importers we spoke to corral products from Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beramendi and Ughi , Bellini ’ s shipments include some perishable items , like mozzarella di bufala and burrata , though the cheeses are just a small portion of the business .
Cargo is able to get to the U.S. for now , but a recent cheese order has been affected .
For Gustiamo , a truck transfers goods from its warehouse in Milan to the port , and a boat ferries the food to a Bronx warehouse .
Ughi and a staff of 10 people manage accounts that include 40 prominent restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants across the U.S. Gustiamo also distributes to grocery stores and sells the products on the company ’ s website so the public can fill their pandemic pantries .
If the travel ban scare wasn ’ t enough , over the past week , governors announced restaurants and bars in a number of states , which include large cities like Chicago and New York , would either close down completely or allow only takeout and/or delivery .
The mayor of Los Angeles also implemented a similar order there .
And areas of Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place ” order that began Monday night .
Beramendi has also seen a jump in sales , as much as 10 times the usual orders , from Whole Foods and Fresh Market .
“ We have started to ration our orders among all our clients in order not to leave anyone without product , and we are trying really hard to get more inventory here ASAP , ” Beramendi said .
( Viola said it has plenty of inventory . )
But without functioning restaurants in much of the U.S. and with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. ) , the grim reality is Gustiamo and Viola might have to lay off or reduce hours for their employees .
“ One of our key philosophies at Viola is to always be diversified , but this is going to hit us regardless , as much as we want to be diversified , ” Bellini said .
“ What we ’ re doing now is finding new opportunities and new customers , and that ’ s all we can do .
At the end of the day , people have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these importers — Italy and its producers aren ’ t anywhere near out of the woods .
For now , Americans will still be able to enjoy their Bella di Cerignola olives and orecchiette .
The main concern is how the importers ’ businesses will be affected with COVID-19 spreading in the U.S. , leading to restaurants closing , mandatory lockdowns and looming staff layoffs .
During our interview , Ughi lamented one of her restaurants was more than a month late paying for supplies , and that restaurant is now closed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepays her producers , so a lack of revenue flow to her company could be devastating .
Despite what continues in Italy and what is happening now in the U.S. , we can take refuge in knowing that great Italian food will weather the COVID-19 maelstrom , and so far there are no signs of San Marzano tomato shortages , thanks to the hardworking and passionate Italian producers and their American-based importers .
“ We ’ ve got ta give business to the good Italian people supporting their families and the people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we have to do , ” Bellini said .
Ughi got reflective and said she thought the virus was revealing how short life is .
“ Your time is precious , therefore let ’ s spend it doing something with good food , ” she said .
“ It ’ s showing me that when this is over , more people will have realized that food is important in the world — and they should take better care of themselves .
We ’ ll get through this .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Bucatini, anchovy fillets in olive oil, cans of San Marzano tomatoes, Sicilian extra virgin oil olive — these are items we buy from grocery stores or consume at restaurants and don’t think much about where they came from. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Americans are learning not to take food for granted, especially food that comes from northern Italy’s Lombardia, Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions, which together account for 52% of the total production of Italy’s food sector.
“We’ve gotta give business to the good Italian people supporting their families and the people who work in Italy — that’s what we have to do.” - Alessandro Bellini of Viola Imports
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But is Italy’s crisis impeding shipments of our beloved pastas and balsamic vinegars? Not necessarily.
“The strangest thing is, production and shipping in Italy has not come to a halt,” said Rolando Beramendi, who owns the Oakland and New York-based Italian food import company Manicaretti. “People are still producing and shipping. Every day I’m in close communication with the 38 producers I work with in Italy. They’re fine. The trucks are able to get to the port.”
As an importer, Beramendi is one of many people based in the U.S. who helps stores and restaurants get their (clean) hands on Italy’s high-quality products. Though, these days, the news changes hourly. Last Wednesday, President Donald Trump said in his address to the nation that the U.S. was banning “all travel” from Europe to the U.S. — including cargo — but an hour later he clarified it didn’t include American travelers or cargo.
David Silverman via Getty Images Italian Parmesan cheese is made only in "Protected Designation of Origin" areas of Italy.
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“When I heard the president saying that, my heart sank,” Beramendi said. “With a virus, it’s a completely different game. You don’t know where it is, where it’s going. It’s uncharted territory what we’re going into. I feel like somebody hit me with a pan on my head. We’re all sitting on the edge of the table right now not knowing what’s going to happen.”
For the first time in 30 years, Beramendi, who divides his time between New York and Florence, is unable to travel, which is an important part of his import business. “I sort of feel it’s the best way to handle all of this,” he said.
Beatrice Ughi, founder of the Bronx-based Italian food import company Gustiamo and a native of Naples, Italy, got one last trip to her homeland at the end of February, before the world changed. “I arrived in Italy like it was nothing. In a couple of hours, the whole world collapsed on us,” she said. After spending a whole week in the country, including visiting producers in Sardinia, she had no choice but to abridge her trip and return to New York City the first weekend of March — though she said no one at customs asked her questions nor took her temperature.
Alessandro Bellini of the Italian food import company Viola Imports, is based in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village. All three importers we spoke to corral products from Italy via plane and boat. But unlike Beramendi and Ughi, Bellini’s shipments include some perishable items, like mozzarella di bufala and burrata, though the cheeses are just a small portion of the business. Cargo is able to get to the U.S. for now, but a recent cheese order has been affected.
Jessica Flores, Viola’s general manager, said, “The cheese is not coming. A combination of surge pricing in the air cargo rates and a series of flight cancellations gave us no choice but to cancel the cheese shipment. We have canceled all imported cheese orders until things get better.”
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“If Lufthansa has no passengers, they’re not sending the plane,” Bellini said.
The way importing works is that the company representatives spend time in Italy visiting established vendors and food shows, such as Florence’s Taste, which Beramendi was supposed to attend in early March. Bellini and Flores were supposed to visit Italy for food shows and meetings in March too.
“Everything started to get pushed to September,” Beramendi said. “That really hurt. It hurts because Italy depends so much on the relationship with the U.S. We can’t live without each other now.” (The U.S. is Italy’s third-largest trading partner.)
Each company works with 30 to 50 producers, mainly small, family-owned businesses, who cultivate things like San Marzano tomatoes, De Carlo olive oil (the best, according to Bellini) and Ligurian pine nuts. The importers sell between 300 and 400 goods to hundreds of accounts.
“I’m an ambassador or translator and try to get people to embrace sometimes obscure little products,” Beramendi said. He sells wholesale to big accounts like Whole Foods and Fresh Market, as well as restaurants.
For Gustiamo, a truck transfers goods from its warehouse in Milan to the port, and a boat ferries the food to a Bronx warehouse. Ughi and a staff of 10 people manage accounts that include 40 prominent restaurants in New York City and 40 more restaurants across the U.S. Gustiamo also distributes to grocery stores and sells the products on the company’s website so the public can fill their pandemic pantries.
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Viola supplies 300 places across the country, including cruise ships, airlines and Chicago chefs. The company doesn’t have online ordering, but is planning to add it soon.
Sabinoparente via Getty Images Olives are pressed into extra virgin olive oil in Mola di Bari, Puglia, Italy.
If the travel ban scare wasn’t enough, over the past week, governors announced restaurants and bars in a number of states, which include large cities like Chicago and New York, would either close down completely or allow only takeout and/or delivery. The mayor of Los Angeles also implemented a similar order there. And areas of Northern California were given a “shelter in place” order that began Monday night.
These mandates transformed a tough situation into something more nebulous. Ughi said she’s seen an increase in online sales, which will mitigate declining restaurant business, but she speculated sales were linked to unnecessary panic buying.
“I can’t tell you how many orders we received from customers who stocked their pantries for four months compared to what they usually buy,” she said. “We have to be calm.”
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Beramendi has also seen a jump in sales, as much as 10 times the usual orders, from Whole Foods and Fresh Market. “We have started to ration our orders among all our clients in order not to leave anyone without product, and we are trying really hard to get more inventory here ASAP,” Beramendi said. (Viola said it has plenty of inventory.)
But without functioning restaurants in much of the U.S. and with a pending recession in Italy (and in the U.S.), the grim reality is Gustiamo and Viola might have to lay off or reduce hours for their employees. “One of our key philosophies at Viola is to always be diversified, but this is going to hit us regardless, as much as we want to be diversified,” Bellini said. “What we’re doing now is finding new opportunities and new customers, and that’s all we can do. At the end of the day, people have to eat.”
His employees can’t work for home — they have to deliver the food. Ughi, however, admits she’s worried but is also optimistic her restaurants will return in a month or so. “If it’s longer than two months, then we have some problems,” she said.
The future remains volatile for these importers — Italy and its producers aren’t anywhere near out of the woods. For now, Americans will still be able to enjoy their Bella di Cerignola olives and orecchiette. The main concern is how the importers’ businesses will be affected with COVID-19 spreading in the U.S., leading to restaurants closing, mandatory lockdowns and looming staff layoffs.
During our interview, Ughi lamented one of her restaurants was more than a month late paying for supplies, and that restaurant is now closed for the foreseeable future. She said she prepays her producers, so a lack of revenue flow to her company could be devastating. Despite what continues in Italy and what is happening now in the U.S., we can take refuge in knowing that great Italian food will weather the COVID-19 maelstrom, and so far there are no signs of San Marzano tomato shortages, thanks to the hardworking and passionate Italian producers and their American-based importers. “We’ve gotta give business to the good Italian people supporting their families and the people who work in Italy — that’s what we have to do,” Bellini said.
Advertisement
Ughi got reflective and said she thought the virus was revealing how short life is. “Your time is precious, therefore let’s spend it doing something with good food,” she said. “It’s showing me that when this is over, more people will have realized that food is important in the world — and they should take better care of themselves. We’ll get through this.”


huffpost--2020-03-19--Uninsured And Worried About COVID-19? You May Be Able To Get Covered.

The open enrollment period for health insurance on state and federally run exchanges , which are for people obtaining coverage on their own rather than through employers , ended months ago .
But people looking for insurance , either because they lost coverage or because they suddenly decided to get it , have opportunities to buy ― although the exact circumstances will vary depending on the state .
The exchanges in Colorado , Connecticut , Maryland , Massachusetts , Minnesota , Nevada , New York , Rhode Island , Vermont and Washington state have reopened under “ special enrollment periods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans who have or may have contracted COVID-19 .
As of Monday , enrollment was underway in each of those states .
In addition , California , which was already accepting new sign-ups to help people avoid paying tax penalties for not adhering to the state ’ s new individual mandate to get coverage , has extended its deadline to accommodate people needing coverage during the coronavirus outbreak .
The District of Columbia ’ s exchange already had been reactivated to enable uninsured people to get insurance at the same time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The special enrollment periods allow residents of those states who are uninsured an opportunity to protect themselves from high medical costs , but time is limited , and every jurisdiction except California and the District of Columbia has April deadlines to sign up .
Enrollment Not Happening In Most States The federal government hasn ’ t announced a special enrollment period for the people in the 38 states that use HealthCare.gov for enrollment , and neither has the state-run exchange Your Health Idaho .
But it might still be possible to get covered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ periods are part of the ACA and are required for all marketplaces , state-based as well as the federal marketplaces , ” said Jennifer Tolbert , director of state health reform at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington .
“ There is discretion , however , and in the case of a number of state-based marketplaces ― these are states that run their own marketplaces , have their own websites ― they have made this decision to create a special enrollment period in response to the coronavirus.
” In the states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage is available to any uninsured people who would otherwise qualify to use the marketplace : U.S. citizens or lawful residents who are not incarcerated .
People who bought alternative forms of health coverage , such as short-term plans , may also be eligible to shop on the exchanges .
Those who earn between the poverty level and 250 % of that , or up to $ 31,900 for a single person , may qualify for extra assistance that reduces out-of-pocket costs , such as deductibles and copayments .
Anyone who is offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s standards for affordability is not permitted to receive tax credit subsidies on exchange policies .
In other states , people may also still have a chance to get coverage if they need it .
The same special enrollment periods under the ACA that enable states to reopen their exchanges also permit customers everywhere to enroll in health coverage under certain circumstances , even though HealthCare.gov and the state-run exchange in Idaho remain closed .
With a growing number of workers unemployed or otherwise unable to work because of the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people .
Other life changes ― such as getting married , having a baby , getting divorced , moving , or involuntarily losing health insurance for any reason ― also would allow people to use an exchange right now .
Medicaid Is Always Available In addition to access to private insurance from the health insurance exchange , people with low incomes may qualify for Medicaid coverage , and enrollment in the joint federal-state program is open year-round .
The income limits are different among the states and vary for different populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people with disabilities , parents and adults without children .
Typically , Medicaid only is available to adults earning up to 133 % of the federal poverty level , which is $ 16,971 for a single person , although coverage may be available for some groups , such as children , in families with higher incomes .
Children from households with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid may be eligible for the Children ’ s Health Insurance Program .
The federal government has taken two actions to bolster Medicaid during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Medicaid Services has invited states to seek permission to waive certain Medicaid rules to facilitate enrolling eligible people who need coverage , such as relaxing income documentation requirements and fast-tracking applications .
In addition , the coronavirus relief legislation Congress passed last week boosts federal funding for state Medicaid programs .
“ CMS is not currently offering a special enrollment period specifically designated for COVID-19 .
However , consumers who are not currently enrolled in coverage can see if they qualify for other special enrollment periods by visiting HealthCare.gov .
We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health plans around the country to assess what additional actions are necessary to ensure the American people have coverage for and access to the services they need during this time , ” the agency said .

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As the novel coronavirus continues its spread across the United States, Americans are understandably worried about the high costs of treatment. Most vulnerable are those without health insurance, and some states are stepping up to offer assistance.
The open enrollment period for health insurance on state and federally run exchanges, which are for people obtaining coverage on their own rather than through employers, ended months ago. But people looking for insurance, either because they lost coverage or because they suddenly decided to get it, have opportunities to buy ― although the exact circumstances will vary depending on the state.
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The exchanges in Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state have reopened under “special enrollment periods” in response to the growing number of Americans who have or may have contracted COVID-19. As of Monday, enrollment was underway in each of those states.
In addition, California, which was already accepting new sign-ups to help people avoid paying tax penalties for not adhering to the state’s new individual mandate to get coverage, has extended its deadline to accommodate people needing coverage during the coronavirus outbreak. The District of Columbia’s exchange already had been reactivated to enable uninsured people to get insurance at the same time of year they file their income taxes.
The special enrollment periods allow residents of those states who are uninsured an opportunity to protect themselves from high medical costs, but time is limited, and every jurisdiction except California and the District of Columbia has April deadlines to sign up.
Enrollment Not Happening In Most States
The federal government hasn’t announced a special enrollment period for the people in the 38 states that use HealthCare.gov for enrollment, and neither has the state-run exchange Your Health Idaho. But it might still be possible to get covered in those states.
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The Affordable Care Act, which created the exchanges, allows states that run their own insurance marketplaces and the federal government in other cases to enact special enrollment periods like this under certain circumstances.
“Special enrollment periods are part of the ACA and are required for all marketplaces, state-based as well as the federal marketplaces,” said Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington. “There is discretion, however, and in the case of a number of state-based marketplaces ― these are states that run their own marketplaces, have their own websites ― they have made this decision to create a special enrollment period in response to the coronavirus.”
In the states that have taken this action, exchange coverage is available to any uninsured people who would otherwise qualify to use the marketplace: U.S. citizens or lawful residents who are not incarcerated. People who bought alternative forms of health coverage, such as short-term plans, may also be eligible to shop on the exchanges.
People with incomes between the federal poverty level and 400% of that amount ― a range from $12,760 to $51,040 for a single person ― may be eligible for tax credits that reduce monthly premiums.
Those who earn between the poverty level and 250% of that, or up to $31,900 for a single person, may qualify for extra assistance that reduces out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles and copayments. Anyone who is offered employer health benefits that meet the ACA’s standards for affordability is not permitted to receive tax credit subsidies on exchange policies.
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As of Monday, the deadlines to sign up in those 11 states and the District of Columbia that are running special enrollment periods are:
In other states, people may also still have a chance to get coverage if they need it. The same special enrollment periods under the ACA that enable states to reopen their exchanges also permit customers everywhere to enroll in health coverage under certain circumstances, even though HealthCare.gov and the state-run exchange in Idaho remain closed.
Covered California's open enrollment, which kicked off with special events in November, is continuing until June 30. Casey Rogers/Invision for Covered California/AP Images
One of the main reasons a person would become eligible to shop for insurance outside of the annual open enrollment period is when she loses her job.
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With a growing number of workers unemployed or otherwise unable to work because of the coronavirus outbreak, this could apply to a substantial number of people. Other life changes ― such as getting married, having a baby, getting divorced, moving, or involuntarily losing health insurance for any reason ― also would allow people to use an exchange right now.
Medicaid Is Always Available
In addition to access to private insurance from the health insurance exchange, people with low incomes may qualify for Medicaid coverage, and enrollment in the joint federal-state program is open year-round. The income limits are different among the states and vary for different populations, such as children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, parents and adults without children.
Typically, Medicaid only is available to adults earning up to 133% of the federal poverty level, which is $16,971 for a single person, although coverage may be available for some groups, such as children, in families with higher incomes. Children from households with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid may be eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Adults who don’t have a disability and don’t have minor children living at home cannot qualify for Medicaid, no matter how low their incomes are, in the 14 states that refused to participate in the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of the program.
The federal government has taken two actions to bolster Medicaid during the coronavirus emergency. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has invited states to seek permission to waive certain Medicaid rules to facilitate enrolling eligible people who need coverage, such as relaxing income documentation requirements and fast-tracking applications. In addition, the coronavirus relief legislation Congress passed last week boosts federal funding for state Medicaid programs.
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is “looking closely at all its policies and across all its programs” to assist with the federal coronavirus response, the agency said in an email to HuffPost.
“CMS is not currently offering a special enrollment period specifically designated for COVID-19. However, consumers who are not currently enrolled in coverage can see if they qualify for other special enrollment periods by visiting HealthCare.gov. We will continue to work closely with states and health plans around the country to assess what additional actions are necessary to ensure the American people have coverage for and access to the services they need during this time,” the agency said.
Coronavirus is “not currently considered grounds for a Special Enrollment Period in Idaho,” a Your Health Idaho spokesperson wrote in an email.


huffpost--2020-03-19--Is It Safe For Older People To Shop During Senior Hours At Grocery Stores?

Supermarkets across the U.S. are launching seniors-only shopping hours for older people looking to avoid larger crowds during the coronavirus pandemic .
But some public health experts are split on whether the benefits outweigh the risks .
A few big chains , including Whole Foods and Stop & Shop , as well as some mom-and-pop stores , announced this week that they are blocking off the first hour or two of the business day for only people 60 or older to shop .
The new hours afford seniors , one of the populations most vulnerable to the coronavirus , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hopefully been freshly sanitized and restocked , and is less crowded than other times of the day .
Some stores ’ new schedules also apply to immunocompromised people who are especially vulnerable to the virus , too .
“ Albeit a grocery store is fairly expansive in terms of airspace , it ’ s still an enclosed system , ” Russo said .
“ It ’ s not quite as close quarters as a cruise ship , but it ’ s a variation of the model in my mind.
” The highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes .
Those droplets can remain in the air for hours , linger on cardboard for up to 24 hours and stick to other surfaces ― like plastic or stainless steel ― for days , according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday .
Nursing homes have been especially vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus .
In Washington state , at least 27 people who have died from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A potential problem with the seniors-only hours is that you can ’ t guarantee all of the shoppers and store employees are virus-free , Russo said .
Those infected , including older people , may be asymptotic or show mild symptoms and still be able to spread the virus .
Russo and other health experts acknowledge , however , that total isolation for older people can have negative mental health effects .
What ’ s more , doing their own grocery shopping may be the only option for obtaining essentials for some seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and negatives , ” said Nadia Abuelezam , an epidemiologist and an assistant professor at Boston College ’ s Connell School of Nursing .
“ It might not be the most ideal situation ... but as long as people are taking the proper precautions , it ’ s a decent option.
” “ Getting out of the house is important for older people and their mental health , ” she said , adding that people can also take walks outside and around the neighborhood for that type of stimulation at a lower risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venture to the grocery store , they should take the proper precautions : Keep at least 6 feet of distance between oneself and another person , disinfect the cart with a sanitizing wipe , use the self-checkout register and avoid touching your face as always .
The safest options , if possible , would be to order groceries online and have them delivered or pick them up at a drive-thru location , or to ask a loved one or neighbor to buy the items and leave them outside your front door .
Whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself or someone else delivers them , each item as well any bags carrying them should be disinfected with a sanitizing wipe before being brought into the house .
Produce should be thoroughly washed .
And you should , of course , wash your hands afterward .
“ You probably should hang back for at least the next few weeks ” if you ’ re an older person , said Paul Offit , a virology expert and a physician at the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia .
The seniors-only hours can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and less-crowded , Offit said .
“ But I ’ m not necessarily sure that you ’ re less likely to be exposed to the virus .
”

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Supermarkets across the U.S. are launching seniors-only shopping hours for older people looking to avoid larger crowds during the coronavirus pandemic. But some public health experts are split on whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
A few big chains, including Whole Foods and Stop & Shop, as well as some mom-and-pop stores, announced this week that they are blocking off the first hour or two of the business day for only people 60 or older to shop.
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The new hours afford seniors, one of the populations most vulnerable to the coronavirus, a chance to navigate a store that’s hopefully been freshly sanitized and restocked, and is less crowded than other times of the day. Some stores’ new schedules also apply to immunocompromised people who are especially vulnerable to the virus, too.
Though well-intentioned, the concept isn’t necessarily the safest, according to Thomas Russo, a doctor and the chief of infectious diseases at the State University of New York at Buffalo medical school.
“Albeit a grocery store is fairly expansive in terms of airspace, it’s still an enclosed system,” Russo said. “It’s not quite as close quarters as a cruise ship, but it’s a variation of the model in my mind.”
The highly contagious coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Those droplets can remain in the air for hours, linger on cardboard for up to 24 hours and stick to other surfaces ― like plastic or stainless steel ― for days, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday.
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Nursing homes have been especially vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus. In Washington state, at least 27 people who have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, have been linked to a single nursing home.
A potential problem with the seniors-only hours is that you can’t guarantee all of the shoppers and store employees are virus-free, Russo said. Those infected, including older people, may be asymptotic or show mild symptoms and still be able to spread the virus.
“You’re congregating a bunch of people who are at highest risk together,” Russo said. “If you’re our most vulnerable population, you want to practice maximum social distancing.”
Russo and other health experts acknowledge, however, that total isolation for older people can have negative mental health effects. What’s more, doing their own grocery shopping may be the only option for obtaining essentials for some seniors.
“I think there are positives and negatives,” said Nadia Abuelezam, an epidemiologist and an assistant professor at Boston College’s Connell School of Nursing. “It might not be the most ideal situation ... but as long as people are taking the proper precautions, it’s a decent option.”
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“Getting out of the house is important for older people and their mental health,” she said, adding that people can also take walks outside and around the neighborhood for that type of stimulation at a lower risk.
If an older person decides to venture to the grocery store, they should take the proper precautions: Keep at least 6 feet of distance between oneself and another person, disinfect the cart with a sanitizing wipe, use the self-checkout register and avoid touching your face as always.
An exposure to the virus during these hours could lead to a very serious epidemic within that group of vulnerable shoppers, warned Abuelezam.
The safest options, if possible, would be to order groceries online and have them delivered or pick them up at a drive-thru location, or to ask a loved one or neighbor to buy the items and leave them outside your front door.
Whether you buy the groceries at the store yourself or someone else delivers them, each item as well any bags carrying them should be disinfected with a sanitizing wipe before being brought into the house. Produce should be thoroughly washed. And you should, of course, wash your hands afterward.
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“You probably should hang back for at least the next few weeks” if you’re an older person, said Paul Offit, a virology expert and a physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The seniors-only hours can be helpful if the store is truly cleaner and less-crowded, Offit said. “But I’m not necessarily sure that you’re less likely to be exposed to the virus.”


huffpost--2020-03-19--These Cheeky Little Pet TikToks Will Help You Fur-get About Social Isolation

Social isolation during the coronavirus outbreak may be leaving you feeling less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed .
So we ’ @ @ @ @ @ few funny TikToks featuring little , fuzzy pets like hamsters , rabbits , guinea pigs @ @ @ @ @ help you ferret about it .
And if this list isn ’ t enough to @ @ @ @ @ , we have two other paw-some lists of cats and dogs for you to gobble @ @ @ @ @ or pellets ( depending on which list you decide to indulge in ) .
So @ @ @ @ @ these videos and make yourself feel like you ’ re running on a hamster wheel @ @ @ @ @ way possible .

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Social isolation during the coronavirus outbreak may be leaving you feeling less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
So we’ve decided to cute-rate a few funny TikToks featuring little, fuzzy pets like hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, hedgehogs and more to help you ferret about it.
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And if this list isn’t enough to subdue your boredom and stress, we have two other paw-some lists of cats and dogs for you to gobble up like kibble, catnip or pellets (depending on which list you decide to indulge in).
So, sit back, watch these videos and make yourself feel like you’re running on a hamster wheel ― in the absolute best way possible.
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huffpost--2020-03-19--Queen Elizabeth Encourages Solidarity Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

While the queen still held audiences this week at Buckingham Palace , she canceled forthcoming garden parties , as well @ @ @ @ @ on the Thursday before Easter .
Investiture ceremonies , as well as the planned state @ @ @ @ @ empress of Japan , are postponed , while the fate of Trooping the Colour ― @ @ @ @ @ birthday parade , which takes place in June ― remains up in the air .
@ @ @ @ @ has 2,626 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , according @ @ @ @ @ far , 103 people have died there .
Subscribe to HuffPost ’ s Watching the @ @ @ @ @ Windsor ( and beyond ) .
Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @

While the queen still held audiences this week at Buckingham Palace, she canceled forthcoming garden parties, as well as the Maundy Service held on the Thursday before Easter.
Investiture ceremonies, as well as the planned state visit by the emperor and empress of Japan, are postponed, while the fate of Trooping the Colour ― the queen’s official birthday parade, which takes place in June ― remains up in the air.
To date, the U.K. has 2,626 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to The Guardian. So far, 103 people have died there.
Subscribe to HuffPost’s Watching the Royals newsletter for all things Windsor (and beyond).
Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.


huffpost--2020-03-19--Younger Adults Are Also At Risk Of 'Severe Outcomes' Because Of Coronavirus, CDC Warns

It ’ s not just older adults who are at risk of suffering “ severe outcomes ” from the novel coronavirus , but younger people too , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in a new report .
Citing an early analysis of about 2,500 of the first confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. , the CDC said adults aged 20 to 54 accounted for 38 % of the 508 known hospitalizations .
Among the 121 patients known to have been admitted to the intensive care unit , 48 % were under the age of 65 .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual percentage of younger adults with coronavirus who required hospitalization or intensive care since some people with the disease are asymptomatic .
Still , medical experts said the CDC data should serve as a warning to younger adults to not be complacent about the virus .
“ I think everyone should be paying attention to this , ” Stephen Morse , a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University , told The New York Times .
“ It ’ s not just going to be the elderly .
There will be people age 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be careful , even if they think that they ’ re young and healthy.
” “ There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill and very seriously ill in the ICUs , ” Birx said .
“ I ’ m going to call on that generation ... not only calling on you to heed what ’ s in the guidance , but to really ensure that each and every one of you are protecting each other , ” she added , The Hill reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older adults are still at the highest risk of medical complications and death because of the coronavirus , known as COVID-19 .
Of the 44 U.S. fatalities analyzed in the report , 80 % were people over the age of 65 .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , noted on Wednesday , that younger people shouldn ’ t just be wary of the risks that COVID-19 could pose to their own health ― but should also be acutely aware of the “ societal responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You have a responsibility ― a societal responsibility ― to protect the vulnerable , ” Fauci said .
“ You do that , interestingly , by not letting yourself get infected because you need to make sure that you don ’ t inadvertently pass on the infection to someone who would not fare as well as you fared because you ’ re young and healthy .
”

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It’s not just older adults who are at risk of suffering “severe outcomes” from the novel coronavirus, but younger people too, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in a new report.
Citing an early analysis of about 2,500 of the first confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., the CDC said adults aged 20 to 54 accounted for 38% of the 508 known hospitalizations. Among the 121 patients known to have been admitted to the intensive care unit, 48% were under the age of 65.
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These numbers are likely an overestimation of the actual percentage of younger adults with coronavirus who required hospitalization or intensive care since some people with the disease are asymptomatic. Still, medical experts said the CDC data should serve as a warning to younger adults to not be complacent about the virus.
“I think everyone should be paying attention to this,” Stephen Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, told The New York Times. “It’s not just going to be the elderly. There will be people age 20 and up. They do have to be careful, even if they think that they’re young and healthy.”
At a White House briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the top experts on the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, echoed this advice.
“There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill and very seriously ill in the ICUs,” Birx said.
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“I’m going to call on that generation ... not only calling on you to heed what’s in the guidance, but to really ensure that each and every one of you are protecting each other,” she added, The Hill reported.
Dr. Anthony Fauci urges young people in particular to take caution saying “you have a responsibility, a societal responsibility, to protect the vulnerable.”
“You do that, interestingly, by not letting yourself get infected,” he adds. pic.twitter.com/CjRNeejJ28 — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) March 19, 2020
According to the CDC analysis, older adults are still at the highest risk of medical complications and death because of the coronavirus, known as COVID-19. Of the 44 U.S. fatalities analyzed in the report, 80% were people over the age of 65.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted on Wednesday, that younger people shouldn’t just be wary of the risks that COVID-19 could pose to their own health ― but should also be acutely aware of the “societal responsibility” they have to protect older Americans.


huffpost--2020-06-15--You Might Find A COVID-19 Surcharge On Your Next Bill

When Britta Gidican visited her dentist last week , she was surprised to find an extra $ 14 fee on her bill .
The surcharge was meant to cover the dental staff ’ s personal protective equipment and other costs associated with doing business during the coronavirus pandemic .
Gidican , a corporate communications professional in the Seattle area , said she wasn ’ t warned of the charge until she was sitting in the office with her son in the dental chair .
Her health insurance didn ’ t cover the charge .
It ’ s not just dentists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many smaller companies without a massive cash buffer to protect themselves from downturns , weathering the coronavirus pandemic has been a tall order .
As a solution , some are adding small COVID-19 surcharges to customers ’ bills , which help make up for the cost of heightened cleaning procedures and inflated inventory prices .
Rossman explained that these surcharges are generally added to compensate for the higher cost of doing business during the pandemic .
For example , a hair salon may charge a fee to cover the cost of extra sanitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher food prices and may charge a small percentage of the bill to make up for that .
One of the early high-profile cases was Kiko Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge in West Plains , Missouri , which added a 5 % COVID-19 surcharge to its customers ’ bills to make up for the rising prices of meat , seafood , poultry and produce .
At first , diners didn ’ t seem to mind .
But once the surcharge was brought up on social media , the restaurant received a ton of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar surcharges include Dan ’ s Super Subs in Woodland Hills , California , which charges an extra $ 0.75 to $ 1 per sandwich to cover rising meat prices and new procedures .
Several Las Vegas restaurants have also joined the trend , including El Segundo Sol , Mon Ami Gabi , Lotus of Siam and Joe ’ s Seafood , Prime Steak & Stone Crab .
But why break out this added cost as a separate line item ?
Rossman believes the surcharges are meant to indicate that the added cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers .
Even though it ’ s usually only a matter of a few dollars , Rossman said that instead of tacking on an additional fee , businesses could raise prices .
“ I think that tends to be more accepted by customers and less likely to be noticed , [ rather ] than a specific line item , ” he said .
“ It ’ s more of a public relations issue than a financial one.
” “ Technically , the surcharges are fine as long as they ’ re disclosed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are mixed reviews as to whether customers feel that they were appropriately notified of the fee in advance .
For those who aren ’ t expecting it , the situation can feel like a “ gotcha.
” “ A lot of the time it seems to catch them by surprise , ” Rossman added .
“ They don ’ t know about it until they see it on the receipt , and by then , it ’ s already been charged.
” Gidican agreed that it would have been nice to know about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the dental office called her on two occasions to confirm and remind her of the appointment , during which they could have mentioned the new surcharge .
Even so , it ’ s not a major issue for her .
“ Everyone is still figuring out what to do , how to address COVID-19 concerns and how to follow the new policies in place , ” she said .
“ I expect the process and customer communications will get better over time as everyone adjusts.
” Of course , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that a business is , in fact , experiencing higher costs that are proportionate to what it ’ s charging in added fees , and that those fees are truly going to the purpose indicated .
Customers will have to take business owners ’ word for it .
That is , unless these companies realize that they may be better off simply raising prices ― at least temporarily .

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When Britta Gidican visited her dentist last week, she was surprised to find an extra $14 fee on her bill. The surcharge was meant to cover the dental staff’s personal protective equipment and other costs associated with doing business during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gidican, a corporate communications professional in the Seattle area, said she wasn’t warned of the charge until she was sitting in the office with her son in the dental chair. Her health insurance didn’t cover the charge.
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Even so, she understood the reasoning behind the extra fee, she said. “It’s tough when the whole world needs this equipment.”
It’s not just dentists who are charging COVID-19 surcharges. For many smaller companies without a massive cash buffer to protect themselves from downturns, weathering the coronavirus pandemic has been a tall order. As a solution, some are adding small COVID-19 surcharges to customers’ bills, which help make up for the cost of heightened cleaning procedures and inflated inventory prices.
Though these charges aren’t commonplace, they are gaining popularity among businesses, from restaurants to hair salons.
“I would call it more of a trickle than a flood,” said Ted Rossman, an analyst for CreditCards.com. “It’s pretty easy to find at least a couple of notable examples in each major city.”
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Rossman explained that these surcharges are generally added to compensate for the higher cost of doing business during the pandemic. For example, a hair salon may charge a fee to cover the cost of extra sanitation measures. Many restaurants are dealing with higher food prices and may charge a small percentage of the bill to make up for that.
One of the early high-profile cases was Kiko Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge in West Plains, Missouri, which added a 5% COVID-19 surcharge to its customers’ bills to make up for the rising prices of meat, seafood, poultry and produce. At first, diners didn’t seem to mind. But once the surcharge was brought up on social media, the restaurant received a ton of blowback.
Other restaurants that have instituted similar surcharges include Dan’s Super Subs in Woodland Hills, California, which charges an extra $0.75 to $1 per sandwich to cover rising meat prices and new procedures. Several Las Vegas restaurants have also joined the trend, including El Segundo Sol, Mon Ami Gabi, Lotus of Siam and Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab.
Studio M, a salon in Amelia Court House, Virginia, also added a new $3 sanitation surcharge.
But why break out this added cost as a separate line item? Rossman believes the surcharges are meant to indicate that the added cost is temporary and to provide transparency for customers.
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Many consumers take no issue with spending a few extra dollars to cover these costs, but others feel as if they’re being nickel and dimed.
Even though it’s usually only a matter of a few dollars, Rossman said that instead of tacking on an additional fee, businesses could raise prices. “I think that tends to be more accepted by customers and less likely to be noticed, [rather] than a specific line item,” he said. “It’s more of a public relations issue than a financial one.”
Are COVID-19 surcharges legal?
“Technically, the surcharges are fine as long as they’re disclosed,” Rossman said. However, there are mixed reviews as to whether customers feel that they were appropriately notified of the fee in advance. For those who aren’t expecting it, the situation can feel like a “gotcha.”
“A lot of the time it seems to catch them by surprise,” Rossman added. “They don’t know about it until they see it on the receipt, and by then, it’s already been charged.”
Gidican agreed that it would have been nice to know about the surcharge ahead of time. She said the dental office called her on two occasions to confirm and remind her of the appointment, during which they could have mentioned the new surcharge. Even so, it’s not a major issue for her.
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“Everyone is still figuring out what to do, how to address COVID-19 concerns and how to follow the new policies in place,” she said. “I expect the process and customer communications will get better over time as everyone adjusts.”