huffpost--2020-03-31--I Just Got Out Of The COVID-19 ICU. Here's How I Made It Through.

Courtesy of Kelli Dunham `` Some patients find this a little windy , '' explained the respiratory therapist about the high flow nasal cannula , `` or maybe like you have a garden hose up your nose . ''
Despite my 15-plus years in the five boroughs , there are days when my Wisconsin-born soul unexpectedly ― and quite inconveniently I might add ― intrudes on my Brooklyn life .
Like last week , when I found myself leaning against a stretcher gasping for breath in a local pediatric ER turned COVID-19 ER .
I felt not just the substantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is serious ” but also the embarrassment of “ Can we please not make quite such a big deal about this ?
And also , “ P.S.
, can you please quit looking at me ?
” I walked in with a red flannel button-up shirt tied midlevel around my face .
If any of the initial assessment staffers thought I looked like a middle-aged genderqueer version of an Old West bank robber , they were kind enough not to share their impression .
Instead , the triage nurse said dryly , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me an actual disposable mask that hadn ’ t been part of anyone ’ s wardrobe in the last hour , and took my vitals .
I tried to keep my eyes on my own paper as the tech walked me past row after row of beds separated by opaque plastic walls that had been pulled out from freestanding columns like portable movie screens turned sideways .
Each makeshift cubicle was stuffed with various pieces of equipment , a patient who was trying very hard to breathe , and one or more staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kind Doctor ( whose name I can not remember despite having inquired about it three times ) asked if I would be OK with being intubated .
I can remember thinking that it was a weird time to have a theoretical conversation about such a serious matter .
What was she doing , taking a survey ?
But then I noticed the gathering of health care providers outside the room , suiting up in their protective gear and circling like scrub-clad extraordinarily helpful jackals .
This was alarming .
No visitors were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set aside for patients whose symptoms placed them squarely in the “ presumed COVID-19 ” category .
I messaged folks to let them know where I was , asking my sister and my girlfriend to pass along the info since I ’ d forgotten an extra phone battery .
After I shut off my cellphone , I had some time to think .
Cheryl struggled to breathe for three months , cycling through the intensive care unit , the stepdown unit and then back to the ICU .
The memory of standing outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m here , honey !
Just look at my face !
” while they put her on a BiPAP machine , a single tear running outside the mask and down her cheek , is one of the most searingly painful of my life , perhaps even more painful than the moment she died in my arms .
After a little less than a week , I was able to breathe well enough to leave the hospital and I am acutely aware of how lucky ― and privileged ― I am .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention that will likely become much more scarce in New York in upcoming weeks .
I speak the language of health care and feel comfortable enough in the hospital setting to advocate for myself , even when I was quite sick .
I have a job and an apartment to return to .
But to paraphrase my Midwestern mom , we can ’ t work with the pandemic we ’ d like to have , we have to work with the pandemic we ’ ve got .
And this becomes our everyday challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for the people we care about when the nature of the crisis requires us to be physically apart ?
We can ’ t say that these small moments of connection through plastic , masks or Wi-Fi mitigate any of the actual human tragedy .
But these moments can reinforce our faltering humanity .
And while this is far from enough , it is a profound and stunning improvement over no connection at all .

"Some patients find this a little windy," explained the respiratory therapist about the high flow nasal cannula, "or maybe like you have a garden hose up your nose." Courtesy of Kelli Dunham
I live with two unrelated roommates even though I’m 51 years old, I have multiple day jobs (nursing, and working with high school students) that support my art (performing comedy), and until two weeks ago I hated New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a stunning array of well-thought-out political reasons but now I’m not sure whether I’m in love with him or want him to be my dad.
In other words, I’m a typical New Yorker.
Despite my 15-plus years in the five boroughs, there are days when my Wisconsin-born soul unexpectedly ― and quite inconveniently I might add ― intrudes on my Brooklyn life. Like last week, when I found myself leaning against a stretcher gasping for breath in a local pediatric ER turned COVID-19 ER. I felt not just the substantial terror of “Oh shit, this is serious” but also the embarrassment of “Can we please not make quite such a big deal about this? And also, “P.S., can you please quit looking at me?”
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It’s a Midwestern thing. Making people worry feels like bad manners.
But I’d had a bad cough for a few days and then had grown steadily more short of breath. I hadn’t initially suspected COVID-19 since I hadn’t really had a fever. But red-faced with the embarrassment of, OMG, needing something and blue-lipped with lack of oxygen, I headed to the Manhattan hospital where I’ve received extremely competent medical care in the past.
I walked in with a red flannel button-up shirt tied midlevel around my face. If any of the initial assessment staffers thought I looked like a middle-aged genderqueer version of an Old West bank robber, they were kind enough not to share their impression. Instead, the triage nurse said dryly, “I applaud your efforts,” handed me an actual disposable mask that hadn’t been part of anyone’s wardrobe in the last hour, and took my vitals.
For a moment, it seemed like a regular Thursday morning in any emergency room. But then a tech clad head to toe in plastic protective gear called my name and motioned me to follow her. We stepped through a heavy door.
“Oh,” I said. “Oh, this is where you’re keeping the pandemic.”
I tried to keep my eyes on my own paper as the tech walked me past row after row of beds separated by opaque plastic walls that had been pulled out from freestanding columns like portable movie screens turned sideways. Each makeshift cubicle was stuffed with various pieces of equipment, a patient who was trying very hard to breathe, and one or more staff members in their astronaut-esque gear.
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And then I was in my own room, leaning against a stretcher, with an ER doc ― who looked as exhausted as if she’d just completed the New York City Marathon even though it was not yet 9 a.m. ― staring intently at me.
“I’m worried about how rapidly you’re breathing.”
“Ah ... yes,” I said, trying to lighten the mood a little although my comic timing was being annoyingly hampered by the whole gasping-for-air business. “We ... ah ... share ... this concern.”
Tired and Kind Doctor (whose name I cannot remember despite having inquired about it three times) asked if I would be OK with being intubated. I can remember thinking that it was a weird time to have a theoretical conversation about such a serious matter. What was she doing, taking a survey? But then I noticed the gathering of health care providers outside the room, suiting up in their protective gear and circling like scrub-clad extraordinarily helpful jackals. This was alarming.
I also suddenly realized that no one had ever asked for my insurance info.
This scared me even more.
I was lucky: I responded to non-invasive efforts, so the Helpful Jackals moved on to address the dozens of similar situations I heard going on around me.
The first rule of the COVID-19 floor is that there are no visitors on the COVID-19 floor. Courtesy of Kelli Dunham
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No visitors were allowed in the area of the ER set aside for patients whose symptoms placed them squarely in the “presumed COVID-19” category. I messaged folks to let them know where I was, asking my sister and my girlfriend to pass along the info since I’d forgotten an extra phone battery. After I shut off my cellphone, I had some time to think.
I thought about my girlfriend’s smile.
I thought about how my students were dealing with the pandemic, even ― or perhaps especially ― the kid who makes the most fun of my tattoos.
I thought about my 86-year-old mother who has been on chemo for a rare blood disorder nearly five years and how pissed off she would be if I died before her.
And how she would smile if she knew that’s what I was worried about.
And then without other distractions and surrounded by the alarming sounds of respiratory distress (including my own), I could no longer not think about what I was trying not to think about.
I’ve been a nurse for more than two decades but the vast majority of my experience managing severe respiratory distress has been in my personal rather than professional life.
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In 2010, my then-partner Cheryl was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which ― with treatment ― has a five-year survival rate of 86 PERCENT. In a grossly ironic (for real this time, Alanis) instance of the cure being worse than the disease, the standard chemo treatment that Cheryl received caused her to develop pulmonary side effects.
When her symptoms became so severe that she had to be admitted to the hospital, I moved in alongside her, sleeping curled up in a blanket on the radiator next to her bed. I was lucky to be able to do that: I had supportive friends and short legs.
Cheryl struggled to breathe for three months, cycling through the intensive care unit, the stepdown unit and then back to the ICU. The memory of standing outside her hospital room yelling, “I’m here, honey! Just look at my face!” while they put her on a BiPAP machine, a single tear running outside the mask and down her cheek, is one of the most searingly painful of my life, perhaps even more painful than the moment she died in my arms.
In that instant of physical separation, I had felt so helpless, like I was doing nothing for her.
After wrestling my respiratory rate into something more compatible with ongoing life, the staff moved me upstairs into the ICU. The next few days were as unpleasant as you might imagine ― struggling to breathe, reliving those terrible moments in the hospital with Cheryl and negotiating all the random death-related worries that popped into my head.
“Damn, I wish I’d given someone my Facebook passcode to shut down my page,” I thought. “I don’t want people writing corny shit on my wall.”
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And then ― with its usual flair for the dramatic ― the city serves up a stunning sunset over the Manhattan skyline as seen from the ICU. Courtesy of Kelli Dunham
Despite the logistical isolation and the very real physical distress, however, there were moments of connection that kept me from feeling truly alone.
My girlfriend called and said, “You don’t have to talk. We’ll just stay on the phone.”
My roommates texted me photos of our ridiculous cats doing ridiculous things.
Friends sent video messages of their choreographed quarantine dance moves.
A nurse took an extra moment to look into my eyes and not just at my vitals on the monitor.
A respiratory therapist putting me on high flow oxygen started our interaction with “I know this is scary but ....”
The director of pulmonary care laughed at my attempted (but not funny) joke.
After a little less than a week, I was able to breathe well enough to leave the hospital and I am acutely aware of how lucky ― and privileged ― I am. I had economic and logistical access to medical attention that will likely become much more scarce in New York in upcoming weeks. I speak the language of health care and feel comfortable enough in the hospital setting to advocate for myself, even when I was quite sick. I have a job and an apartment to return to.
COVID-19 ― like most crises ― has magnified social and economic inequities and left the planet’s most vulnerable citizens exponentially more vulnerable. On the macro level, if we really believe that everyone deserves the kind of care and support Prince Charles and Tom Hanks are getting, it’s the responsibility of all decent humans to collectively scrap like hell to make that a possibility.
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If I’m being honest, I was hoping for a slightly different flavor of global crisis, maybe involving a giant gorilla, a great soundtrack, lots of sexy costumes and the Rock saving us all in the end.
Or at the very least, a scenario in which we could hug.
But to paraphrase my Midwestern mom, we can’t work with the pandemic we’d like to have, we have to work with the pandemic we’ve got. And this becomes our everyday challenge: What does it mean to show up for the people we care about when the nature of the crisis requires us to be physically apart?
I doubt that anyone I referenced earlier understands what a profound difference their small actions made to me, just as I didn’t understand ― until this past week ― how being present while just out of reach for Cheryl could have made any difference in her distress.
We can’t say that these small moments of connection through plastic, masks or Wi-Fi mitigate any of the actual human tragedy. But these moments can reinforce our faltering humanity. And while this is far from enough, it is a profound and stunning improvement over no connection at all.
Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch!
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huffpost--2020-05-08--Prince George Has Some Home-Schooling Complaints, Kate Middleton Says

“ But don ’ t tell the children , we ’ ve actually kept it going through the holidays .
@ @ @ @ @ ” she said , laughing , during an interview with BBC Breakfast in April .
@ @ @ @ @ the kids , including little Prince Louis , for their “ stamina.
” “ The @ @ @ @ @ , I don ’ t know how , ” she said .
“ Honestly , @ @ @ @ @ of the day and you write down the list of all the things that you @ @ @ @ @ day .
”

“But don’t tell the children, we’ve actually kept it going through the holidays. I feel very mean!” she said, laughing, during an interview with BBC Breakfast in April. She also praised all of the kids, including little Prince Louis, for their “stamina.”
“The children have got such stamina, I don’t know how,” she said. “Honestly, you get to the end of the day and you write down the list of all the things that you’ve done in that day.”


huffpost--2020-05-08--Agency Says Vaccine Official's Ouster May Have Been Retaliation: Report

“ I believe this transfer was in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions , and not in drugs , vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit , ” he said in his statement .
“ I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus , science — not politics or cronyism — has to lead the way.
” One of Bright ’ s concerns about hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine , another drug pushed by Trump , was that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan that had not been inspected by the FDA , he said in his whistleblower statement .
He tried to express his concerns to government officials , but felt that they “ refused to listen or take appropriate action to accurately inform the public.
” Bright finally turned to the media himself after concluding “ that he had a moral obligation to the American public , including those vulnerable as a result of illness from COVID-19 , to protect it from drugs which he believed constituted a substantial and specific danger to public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his whistleblower complaint .
Bright earned his PhD from Emory University and has worked in infectious disease research and treatment development for more than 25 years .
Until April , he had been serving in his position at the HHS since 2010 .

“I believe this transfer was in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit,” he said in his statement. “I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science — not politics or cronyism — has to lead the way.”
Trump called Bright a “disgruntled employee” when asked about the Office of Special Counsel’s findings, according to a Friday afternoon pool report.
One of Bright’s concerns about hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, another drug pushed by Trump, was that they are manufactured in factories in India and Pakistan that had not been inspected by the FDA, he said in his whistleblower statement. He tried to express his concerns to government officials, but felt that they “refused to listen or take appropriate action to accurately inform the public.”
Bright finally turned to the media himself after concluding “that he had a moral obligation to the American public, including those vulnerable as a result of illness from COVID-19, to protect it from drugs which he believed constituted a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety,” according to his whistleblower complaint.
Bright earned his PhD from Emory University and has worked in infectious disease research and treatment development for more than 25 years. Until April, he had been serving in his position at the HHS since 2010.


huffpost--2020-05-08--Do You Have To Pay Taxes On Your Coronavirus Stimulus Check?

In mid-April , the government began sending out direct payments to Americans as part of the larger coronavirus stimulus package .
While the money was much needed by those who lost income as a result of the pandemic , many are wondering whether there ’ s a catch .
Will the money be taxed later ?
Is it simply a tax refund advance that will need to be paid back next year ?
A tax credit is not actually income .
Instead , it ’ s a specific amount of money that taxpayers are allowed to deduct from total taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce your taxable income , credits are a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your overall tax bill .
And since tax credits are not income , they can ’ t be taxed as such .
Does getting a stimulus payment mean a smaller tax refund next year ?
You may have seen some claims spreading on social media that the stimulus payment is simply a refund advance , and will be “ taken out ” of your tax refund for 2020 .
That ’ s not the case .
“ The stimulus payment is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Allec said .
Now let ’ s come back to reality where the stimulus does exist and you ’ re eligible for the full $ 1,200 payment .
In this case , the refund reflected on your 2020 tax return would be $ 2,200 ( your original $ 1,000 refund + the $ 1,200 thanks to the new credit ) .
However , the government already sent you that extra $ 1,200 in advance in the form of a stimulus check .
So now , all else being equal , you would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your tax return that you would have received if the new tax credit ( and the related stimulus payments ) had never been created .
In other words , if you qualify for a stimulus payment in 2020 , your refund next year would actually be larger than usual , but you ’ re getting that extra chunk now .
Alternatively , if you owe taxes , your tax liability will be reduced in the same manner .
Your stimulus check amount could change based on 2020 tax info .
Even though you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes on your stimulus check , you will still need to report that you received one .
Jaeger noted that since stimulus payments are currently being calculated against a prior year tax return ( 2018 or 2019 , whichever is most recently available to the IRS ) , the amount you ultimately receive will be reconciled against your 2020 tax information when you file next year .
There are three scenarios that could potentially come of that , he said .
In some cases , the tax credit will end up greater than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filers who fall into this situation include anyone who gains a new child dependent in 2020 or whose AGI was above the stimulus threshold in 2019 , but fell below it in 2020 .
If this happens , the difference will either be added to your refund or further reduce your total tax bill .
Additionally , the IRS has stated that if you didn ’ t receive the full credit amount you were supposed to in advance ― for example , you received the $ 1,200 for yourself , but not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children ― you will be made whole on your 2020 tax return .
On the other hand , it could turn out that your stimulus payment was greater than the credit once it ’ s reconciled on your tax return .
“ Tax filers in this scenario would be anyone who has a dependent that turned 17 in 2020 or whose income increased over the threshold in 2020 but was under the threshold in 2019 , ” Jaeger said .
What ’ s yet to be seen , Allec noted , is whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more stimulus money than they were entitled to repay the overage on their 2020 tax return .
Although the CARES Act states that Americans whose stimulus payments ended up being too high should not have to pay back the difference , the IRS hasn ’ t released official guidance on this point .
One scenario in which the IRS has already pushed back , however , is with stimulus payments sent to dead people .
Though millions of Americans are still waiting to receive their checks , the IRS erroneously sent out payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survivors to return the money .
It ’ s not clear what the consequences are for failing to do so .

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Last April, the government sent the first round of direct payments to Americans as part of the larger coronavirus stimulus package. In January, a second round of stimulus checks began going out, and Congress is currently working out the details of a third payment.
While the money is much needed by those who lost income as a result of the pandemic, many are wondering whether there’s a catch. Will the money be taxed later? Is it simply a tax refund advance that will need to be paid back next year?
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If you’re confused about how stimulus payments affect your taxes, you’re not the only one. Here’s what you need to know.
Are stimulus checks taxable?
The short answer: no.
The stimulus payments are actually a new type of refundable tax credit that will ultimately be computed based on your 2020 tax return information, according to Mark Jaeger, director of tax development for TaxAct.
Technically known as “economic impact payments” in IRS parlance, the first stimulus checks received in 2020 were valued at up to $1,200 per qualifying adult and up to $500 per qualifying dependent child under the age of 17.
A tax credit is not actually income. Instead, it’s a specific amount of money that taxpayers are allowed to deduct from total taxes owed. Unlike tax deductions, which reduce your taxable income, credits are a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your overall tax bill. And since tax credits are not income, they can’t be taxed as such.
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So why are these tax credits being awarded in the form of a check?
“Instead of Americans having to wait to file their 2020 tax return in order to claim this credit, the CARES Act permitted the Treasury Department to advance these credits to the American people,” explained Logan Allec, a certified public accountant and founder of personal finance blog Money Done Right. Likewise, the second round of checks worth up to $600 per qualifying adult and child dependent, will be claimed on your 2021 taxes.
Does getting a stimulus payment mean a smaller tax refund next year?
You may have seen some claims spreading on social media that the stimulus payments are simply a refund advance, and will be “taken out” of your tax refund for 2020. That’s not the case. “The stimulus payment is an advance of an entirely new credit,” Allec said.
He shared this example: Say the stimulus payments didn’t exist and you would be eligible for a $1,000 refund on your 2020 tax return.
Now let’s come back to reality where the stimulus does exist and you were eligible for a $1,200 payment in 2020. In this case, the refund reflected on your 2020 tax return would be $2,200 (your original $1,000 refund + the $1,200 thanks to the new credit). However, the government already sent you that extra $1,200 in advance in the form of a stimulus check.
So now, all else being equal, you would receive the same $1,000 refund on your tax return that you would have received if the new tax credit (and the related stimulus payments) had never been created.
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In other words, if you qualified for a stimulus payment in 2020, your refund this year will actually be larger than usual, but you got that extra chunk last year. Alternatively, if you owe taxes, your tax liability will be reduced in the same manner. And the same is true for 2021 taxes: If you received stimulus payments this year, you’ll officially claim that credit when your file taxes in 2022.
Your stimulus check amount could change based on 2020 tax info.
Even though you won’t have to pay income taxes on your stimulus checks, you will still need to report that you received them. Jaeger noted that since the first two stimulus payments were calculated against a prior year’s tax return (2018 or 2019, whichever is most recently available to the IRS), the amount you ultimately receive will be reconciled against your 2020 tax information when you file this tax season. There are three scenarios that could potentially come of that, he said.
For most tax filers, the credit will equal the stimulus payment they received, which leads to a net $0 on the 2020 tax return. “This scenario includes tax filers whose tax situation didn’t change much from the prior year to 2020,” Jaeger said.
In some cases, the tax credit will end up greater than the stimulus payment you received. Tax filers who fall into this situation include anyone who gains a new child dependent in 2020 or whose AGI was above the stimulus threshold in 2019 but fell below it in 2020. If this happens, the difference will either be added to your refund or further reduce your total tax bill. Additionally, the IRS has stated that if you didn’t receive the full credit amount you were supposed to in advance ― for example, you received the $1,200 for yourself, but not the $500 for each of your qualifying children ― you will be made whole on your 2020 tax return.
On the other hand, it could turn out that your stimulus payment was greater than the credit once it’s reconciled on your tax return. “Tax filers in this scenario would be anyone who has a dependent that turned 17 in 2020 or whose income increased over the threshold in 2020 but was under the threshold in 2019,” Jaeger said.
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What’s yet to be seen, Allec noted, is whether the IRS will require those who received more stimulus money than they were entitled to repay the overage on their 2020 tax return. Although the CARES Act states that Americans whose stimulus payments ended up being too high should not have to pay back the difference, the IRS hasn’t released official guidance on this point.


huffpost--2020-05-08--Watch A Black Bear Living Its Best Life In The Tub

If you need a reminder to relax , take note from Takoda the bear .
Oregon Zoo ’ s black bear won hearts this week after he was seen taking a leisurely soak in the tub in a video posted by the zoo .
In a tangle of big bear limbs , Takoda splashes around , belly up , with a toy .
The zoo said the 400-pound bear was making the most of the spring temperatures in a 300-gallon tub filled with cool water for residents of the black bear exhibit .
“ The warm weather is starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around in his tub , ” said Amy Cutting , who oversees the zoo ’ s Great Northwest area .
“ He ’ s quite a goofy bear .
He was just cooling down and having some fun on a nice spring day.
” Takoda , which means “ friend to all ’ in Sioux , has lived at Oregon Zoo since November 2010 after he was orphaned as a cub in Montana , the zoo said .
Oregon Zoo remains closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
However it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents passing the time in the absence of visitors .

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If you need a reminder to relax, take note from Takoda the bear.
Oregon Zoo’s black bear won hearts this week after he was seen taking a leisurely soak in the tub in a video posted by the zoo. In a tangle of big bear limbs, Takoda splashes around, belly up, with a toy.
The zoo said the 400-pound bear was making the most of the spring temperatures in a 300-gallon tub filled with cool water for residents of the black bear exhibit.
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“The warm weather is starting to come on, and Takoda loves splashing around in his tub,” said Amy Cutting, who oversees the zoo’s Great Northwest area. “He’s quite a goofy bear. He was just cooling down and having some fun on a nice spring day.”
Tub time cub time pic.twitter.com/8FILacNfSC — Oregon Zoo (@OregonZoo) May 4, 2020
Takoda, which means “friend to all’ in Sioux, has lived at Oregon Zoo since November 2010 after he was orphaned as a cub in Montana, the zoo said.
Oregon Zoo remains closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However it continues to share delightful videos of its residents passing the time in the absence of visitors.


huffpost--2020-05-07--Here’s How Americans’ Views About The Pandemic Are Starting To Shift

ASSOCIATED PRESS Hannah Contreras helps to clean , sanitize and prepare Alamo Heights Baptist Church for services this Sunday , in San Antonio , May 6 .
In a new HuffPost/YouGov poll , support for state stay-at-home orders has fallen from its peak , but remains high .
( AP Photo/Eric Gay ) In the past few weeks , public views about some aspects of the coronavirus crisis have shifted , a set of new HuffPost/YouGov polling finds , with levels of concern and support for stay-at-home orders ticking down from record highs .
A decisive majority of support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans continuing to say they ’ re personally making an effort to stay home , and worried about reopening too quickly .
Americans ’ concerns about coronavirus peaked in early April , when 58 % said they were very worried about the virus ’ s spread in the U.S. , and 46 % said they were very concerned they or a family member would contract the disease .
In the most recent survey , 47 % say they ’ re very concerned by the outbreak nationally , and about a third are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perceptions of the federal response to the crisis have also leveled off .
Americans ’ net approval of the U.S. government ’ s handling of issues relating to coronavirus is now just +3 , down from a high of +20 in late March .
Their approval for Trump ’ s handling of such issues is effectively split at a net -1 , down from +7 in March and April .
About two-thirds of Americans now say it ’ s currently the right decision for states to tell residents to stay at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going out , down from a high of 81 % who said the same in early April .
An 18 % minority say it ’ s the wrong decision , up from a low of 8 % .
Many Americans , however , continue to say that they , themselves aren ’ t ready to return to public life .
An overwhelming 83 % majority say they ’ re trying to stay home as much as possible , down only slightly from a high of 89 % at the start of April .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , the poll finds , would try to stay home as much as possible even in the absence of any restrictions imposed in their area .
Just 19 % of Americans say there are too many restrictions in place where they live , with about three-quarters saying their local restrictions are too weak or at the right level .
And by a 38-point margin , they ’ re more concerned by states lifting restrictions too quickly than by their not doing so quickly enough ― a number that ’ s remained close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Another thing that hasn ’ t changed : most Americans still expect the pandemic to have a continuing effect on American life .
A 63 % majority say they expect the outbreak to have a lasting effect on the country , with just 22 % believing things will soon go back to normal .
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups : HuffPost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily opinion polls .
You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov ’ s nationally representative opinion polling .
More details on the polls ’ methodology are available here .
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Hannah Contreras helps to clean, sanitize and prepare Alamo Heights Baptist Church for services this Sunday, in San Antonio, May 6. In a new HuffPost/YouGov poll, support for state stay-at-home orders has fallen from its peak, but remains high. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In the past few weeks, public views about some aspects of the coronavirus crisis have shifted, a set of new HuffPost/YouGov polling finds, with levels of concern and support for stay-at-home orders ticking down from record highs. A decisive majority of support for such orders remains, however, with Americans continuing to say they’re personally making an effort to stay home, and worried about reopening too quickly.
Results of HuffPost/YouGov polling on the coronavirus outbreak. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
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Americans’ concerns about coronavirus peaked in early April, when 58% said they were very worried about the virus’s spread in the U.S., and 46% said they were very concerned they or a family member would contract the disease. In the most recent survey, 47% say they’re very concerned by the outbreak nationally, and about a third are very concerned their family will be personally affected.
Perceptions of the federal response to the crisis have also leveled off. Americans’ net approval of the U.S. government’s handling of issues relating to coronavirus is now just +3, down from a high of +20 in late March. Their approval for Trump’s handling of such issues is effectively split at a net -1, down from +7 in March and April.
About two-thirds of Americans now say it’s currently the right decision for states to tell residents to stay at home unless they have an essential reason for going out, down from a high of 81% who said the same in early April. An 18% minority say it’s the wrong decision, up from a low of 8%.
Many Americans, however, continue to say that they, themselves aren’t ready to return to public life. An overwhelming 83% majority say they’re trying to stay home as much as possible, down only slightly from a high of 89% at the start of April. About 61% of people in the country, the poll finds, would try to stay home as much as possible even in the absence of any restrictions imposed in their area.
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Just 19% of Americans say there are too many restrictions in place where they live, with about three-quarters saying their local restrictions are too weak or at the right level. And by a 38-point margin, they’re more concerned by states lifting restrictions too quickly than by their not doing so quickly enough ― a number that’s remained close to unchanged over the past three weeks.
Another thing that hasn’t changed: most Americans still expect the pandemic to have a continuing effect on American life. A 63% majority say they expect the outbreak to have a lasting effect on the country, with just 22% believing things will soon go back to normal.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted May 1-3 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate.


huffpost--2020-05-08--The Saudi Crown Prince's Latest Crackdown Should Worry His Wealthy Foreign Friends

It ’ s the first death connected to Neom , a proposed $ 500 billion city in a remote northwestern corner of Saudi Arabia that is a signature project for the country ’ s crown prince , Mohammed bin Salman .
The de facto Saudi ruler says the metropolis will be stunningly futuristic , with residents ’ every need met by robots and the so-called internet of things , and unique in the ultraconservative kingdom for relaxed social norms and laws .
“ You have no one there , so the regulations will be based on the needs of companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , known as MBS , said in 2017 .
For some of MBS ’ s most important allies , it could be time for a reckoning , if only for the sake of public perception .
Neom ’ s board of advisers boasts big names : Rob Speyer , the head of real estate company Tishman Speyer ; Masayoshi Son , the chairman of SoftBank ; Timothy Collins , the CEO of private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings and chairman of the board of advisers for Yale University ’ s School of Management ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dynamics ; John Rossant , the NewCities Foundation chairman ; Alexandra Cousteau , the president of the Oceans 2050 Foundation ; noted MIT professor Carlo Ratti ; former DowDuPont chairman Andrew Liveris ; and top chemist Jean Fréchet .
None of those nine listed Neom advisers responded to HuffPost ’ s inquiries about their involvement and whether they had heard about al-Huwaiti ’ s death .
The only board member to do so was the tenth , Ali Shihabi , who joined the group earlier this year .
Previously known as an advocate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said via email that the government responded appropriately and questioned al-Huwaiti and his tribe .
‘ We Want To Be Part Of This Successful Thing ’ The community initially saw the potential of the project but soon became anxious , said Alhwaiti , who lived in the area as a child and now resides in London .
They were given few details about the compensation they would receive for being displaced and worried that authorities would destroy their homes without even considering if they were empty .
Alhwaiti amplified Twitter hashtags critical of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Huwaiti ’ s videos .
Then officials came to his home last month and he filmed himself describing their arrival , apparently on his roof .
What happened next is disputed .
Saudi authorities say he shot at them instead of surrendering himself as a “ wanted ” man .
Alhwaiti , who is in touch with members of her tribe who are on the ground , says he did not have a gun and shared photographs of a shot-up building .
“ People have yet to see any benefits from new cinemas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter for a rural population where there ’ s still not enough jobs , ” she said .
“ It highlights that so much of what MBS has done so far is aimed at this Saudi young elite and also aimed at the global elite with his use of all their catchwords ― and a lot of it is smoke and mirrors.
” As Saudis hear their government warn of less spending and a reduced standard of living because of the downturn in the global economy and the end of a period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s clear to them the prince ’ s “ Vision 2030 ” plan has not overhauled their country ― and that when their leader did have income to experiment with , he spent it on expensive boondoggles like Neom .
Experts now say the city and similarly ambitious projects should be wound down to save money .

On April 13, Saudi security forces killed an activist named Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti. When authorities came to raid his house and arrest him, he opened fire, Saudi officials claimed.
It’s the first death connected to Neom, a proposed $500 billion city in a remote northwestern corner of Saudi Arabia that is a signature project for the country’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The de facto Saudi ruler says the metropolis will be stunningly futuristic, with residents’ every need met by robots and the so-called internet of things, and unique in the ultraconservative kingdom for relaxed social norms and laws. “You have no one there, so the regulations will be based on the needs of companies and the investors,” the prince, known as MBS, said in 2017.
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But 20,000 people were there, mostly members of the ancient Huwaitat tribe ― including al-Huwaiti, who spent months speaking up for them in online videos before his government shot him to death in his own home.
As MBS’s international reputation has swung between wunderkind and tyrant, his rich foreign friends, including powerful Americans, have consistently pushed one narrative. They argue that his economic reforms for Saudi Arabia, the biggest economy in the Arab world, are worth supporting regardless of his human rights abuses.
It’s now becoming clear that his repression is inseparable from his plans for the Saudi markets.
After al-Huwaiti’s death, prominent Saudi rights advocates began sharing a hashtag on Twitter ― one of the most popular social networks in the kingdom ― calling him a martyr. Another activist from the tribe, Alya Abutayah Alhwaiti, told HuffPost, other media outlets and her followers that she received threats of government retribution for her posts.
For some of MBS’s most important allies, it could be time for a reckoning, if only for the sake of public perception. Neom’s board of advisers boasts big names: Rob Speyer, the head of real estate company Tishman Speyer; Masayoshi Son, the chairman of SoftBank; Timothy Collins, the CEO of private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings and chairman of the board of advisers for Yale University’s School of Management; Marc Raibert, the chairman of Boston Dynamics; John Rossant, the NewCities Foundation chairman; Alexandra Cousteau, the president of the Oceans 2050 Foundation; noted MIT professor Carlo Ratti; former DowDuPont chairman Andrew Liveris; and top chemist Jean Fréchet.
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Those nine individuals have been on the board since Riyadh first announced its formation in 2018 ― one week after Saudi agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. As other board members announced they were stepping down, Ratti’s office told Fast Company he would decide how to proceed following U.S. investigations. Weeks later, the CIA concluded MBS ordered Khashoggi’s killing. Ratti appears to have stayed on the board anyway.
None of those nine listed Neom advisers responded to HuffPost’s inquiries about their involvement and whether they had heard about al-Huwaiti’s death. The only board member to do so was the tenth, Ali Shihabi, who joined the group earlier this year. Previously known as an advocate of MBS in the U.S., Shihabi said via email that the government responded appropriately and questioned al-Huwaiti and his tribe.
Their decision likely isn’t about income ― Shihabi wrote that he wasn’t aware of compensation for the role other than for travel expenses.
Instead, board members are likely grappling with the same dilemma facing hundreds of other individuals, businesses and even governments over their relationships with MBS: how close to remain to a partner who is sometimes useful for his wealth and influence, but seemingly always just days away from another reprehensible, embarrassing move.
Leaders in global business stuck by the prince despite his responsibility for Khashoggi’s murder and a Saudi military intervention in Yemen that’s caused thousands of deaths. Will they do the same as he launches crackdowns on behalf of projects that bear their names?
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‘We Want To Be Part Of This Successful Thing’
Filming videos in his hometown of Khuraybah, al-Huwaiti portrayed MBS as out of touch with Saudi citizens. Members of the Huwaitat tribe were not prepared to move on behalf of Neom, he suggested, and they worried the government would persecute them for their refusal.
The community initially saw the potential of the project but soon became anxious, said Alhwaiti, who lived in the area as a child and now resides in London. They were given few details about the compensation they would receive for being displaced and worried that authorities would destroy their homes without even considering if they were empty. Alhwaiti amplified Twitter hashtags critical of Neom for months, as well as al-Huwaiti’s videos.
Al-Huwaiti repeatedly told his viewers he expected to be targeted.
Then officials came to his home last month and he filmed himself describing their arrival, apparently on his roof. What happened next is disputed. Saudi authorities say he shot at them instead of surrendering himself as a “wanted” man. Alhwaiti, who is in touch with members of her tribe who are on the ground, says he did not have a gun and shared photographs of a shot-up building.
“They made an example of Abdul Rahim. … That’s what the government does,” she said.
World leaders welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a global summit just months after Saudi agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The heavy-handed approach reflects the man now running Saudi Arabia day to day.
And his backers insist there’s no scandal in either the shooting or the displacement. Shihabi, the Neom board member, claimed al-Huwaiti was armed and forced police to call in special backup, though he said he was not sure if the activist shot first. (The Saudi state narrative does not mention a second team being called in.)
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A similar sequence of events would have occurred in the U.S., Shihabi suggested.
“Police shoot people for much less than threatening them with an AK-47,” he wrote.
He also defended MBS’s approach to the land. Saudi households have received government requests for their property for decades, Shihabi wrote, saying his own family had sold land to the state. Plus, he asserted, “the Huwaitat is not particularly ‘native’ to that spot” since the tribe has members in multiple countries.
Limiting citizens’ ability to protest displacement is important in the kingdom, Shihabi argued. “If the [government] allowed a [Western-style] process to take place every time they exercised eminent domain Saudi would not have been built in 50 years,” he wrote.
In the past, however, the process of the government taking land typically involved a negotiation, said Yasmine Farouk, a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“Opposition is not tolerated but it doesn’t always get this violent,” she said.
But MBS has little appetite for the tactics of his forebears
“MBS has been destroying all sources and dynamics of traditional legitimacy on which his family has relied,” Farouk said. “One of them was the respect for the tribal social fabric.”
Al-Huwaiti referenced “the rule of children” in his videos ― a seeming nod to not just the 34-year-old prince’s age but also his style of leadership.
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While some Huwaitat leaders reiterated their allegiance to MBS and his father, King Salman, in the weeks after al-Huwaiti’s killing, according to Saudi media reports, Alhwaiti believes that was simply further evidence of bullying by the regime.
She wants MBS and Neom officials to prevent harassment tied to the development. “It’s very simple,” she said. “Don’t move us from our home. We want to be part of this successful thing.”
The region’s residents are ready for a long fight, she believes.
“He wants to vanish anything original here,” Alhwaiti said. “He will be very stubborn, but we are as well.”
A lawyer representing Alhwaiti wrote to the entire Neom board on April 28 asking it to ensure the development respects Saudi citizens’ rights, but received no response.
A New Headache For A Beleaguered Leader
This was supposed to be MBS’s year. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, he was scheduled to host a summit of international leaders in November, a public relations coup for a young ruler who just recently risked global pariah status.
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The world seemed to be getting accustomed to the prince’s pugnacity. MBS’s arrest of two rival princes in March drew little international condemnation compared to his previous assaults on royal family members, or his even more audacious targeting of Khashoggi, Lebanon’s prime minister and Yemeni civilians.
Neom is central to his strategy of winning international approval and investment to wean Saudi Arabia off of oil. Along with the new city’s modern features, Saudi authorities have promoted plans to tie it closely to neighboring Jordan and Egypt ― the only two Arab states to recognize another Saudi neighbor that’s also a stone’s throw from Neom, Israel. Washington has been eager to encourage cooperation between the Israelis and the Saudis, its two closest regional partners.
Headlines tying the project to a killing and a David-and-Goliath-style struggle threaten the prince’s pitch.
Al-Huwaiti’s killing drew global media attention. It came as MBS received a new, separate wave of criticism from influential Americans, one of his most important audiences. Republicans slammed him for hurting U.S. fossil fuel companies by driving oil prices down. This was a shift: Most GOP members traditionally support the kingdom and follow President Donald Trump’s example of backing the prince, while most Democrats have already been skeptical of MBS for years over human rights concerns and pledged to get tougher on him.
At home, bad news about Neom wouldn’t ordinarily represent a big problem. Citizens in major Saudi cities like Riyadh and Jeddah often overlook, or hear heavily controlled information about, sparsely populated corners of the country, Farouk said.
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“To Saudis, Neom is one of the things that Mohammed bin Salman has used in a very systematic way to sell his vision to the West more than to inside,” she said.
But the timing of the trouble with the Huwaitat is unhelpful for MBS within the kingdom. It’s one more sign of a mismatch between the prince’s proposals and what many of his people actually need, according to Annelle Sheline, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute.
“People have yet to see any benefits from new cinemas. … Those things don’t matter for a rural population where there’s still not enough jobs,” she said. “It highlights that so much of what MBS has done so far is aimed at this Saudi young elite and also aimed at the global elite with his use of all their catchwords ― and a lot of it is smoke and mirrors.”
As Saudis hear their government warn of less spending and a reduced standard of living because of the downturn in the global economy and the end of a period of historically high oil prices, it’s clear to them the prince’s “Vision 2030” plan has not overhauled their country ― and that when their leader did have income to experiment with, he spent it on expensive boondoggles like Neom. Experts now say the city and similarly ambitious projects should be wound down to save money.
For MBS, downgrading the city would be hard to swallow. “All authoritarian leaders want to talk of big things … want a big thing linked to their name that lasts forever,” Farouk said. “He still doesn’t have this kind of legacy.”
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Most of his fellow citizens face even more visceral disappointment.


huffpost--2020-05-08--Kellyanne Conway Rails Against Husband's Anti-Trump Group On Fox News

She made the remarks during an at-times testy interview on Fox News with host Harris Faulkner , who asked her to address this week ’ s public feud between President Donald Trump and The Lincoln Project over a new ad released by the Republican group .
Faulkner also quoted from George Conway ’ s op-ed published Wednesday in The Washington Post in which he said that Trump ’ s “ narcissism ” renders him unable to perform his duties as president under the Constitution and that “ he can only act for himself , not for the nation.
” Faulkner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not about your husband , this is not about your marriage .
This is about that group .
It just so happens that George Conway wrote this op-ed today.
” “ It certainly is about my husband or you would have quoted other people in the group , ” Conway fired back .
She went on to criticize the political strategists who run The Lincoln Project as having failed where she had succeeded in electing a president .
They “ never achieved what I achieved , which is success as a presidential campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
The group , founded by a number of “ never Trump ” Republicans , released a blistering ad Monday targeting the president ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as having created a “ weaker , sicker and poorer ” United States .
Titled “ Mourning in America , ” it was a grim take on former President Ronald Reagan ’ s optimistic 1984 “ Morning in America ” campaign ad .
The ad prompted a visceral midnight Twitter reaction from Trump that drew significant publicity for the group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PAC said it saw its biggest fundraising day yet .
Trump had invoked the Conways ’ marriage himself in the four-tweet blast .
“ I don ’ t know what Kellyanne did to her deranged loser of a husband , Moonface , but it must have been really bad , ” he wrote .
He labeled the group ’ s founders as “ losers ” who “ failed badly ” on various campaigns .
Asked if Trump would do better to “ ignore them ” than tweet the way he did ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this behavior ― Conway said , “ That ’ s great advice .
I sure do.
” “ Once in a while he doesn ’ t , ” she said , claiming he wanted to “ expose ” its members “ who act like they are so dignified and holier-than-thou than everyone when nobody ever says what their track record is .
”

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White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Thursday slammed The Lincoln Project, the conservative anti-Trump group co-founded by her husband, conservative attorney George Conway.
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Faulkner added a disclaimer that “this is not about your husband, this is not about your marriage. This is about that group. It just so happens that George Conway wrote this op-ed today.”
“It certainly is about my husband or you would have quoted other people in the group,” Conway fired back.
She went on to criticize the political strategists who run The Lincoln Project as having failed where she had succeeded in electing a president.
They “never achieved what I achieved, which is success as a presidential campaign manager. They all failed,” she said.
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The group, founded by a number of “never Trump” Republicans, released a blistering ad Monday targeting the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as having created a “weaker, sicker and poorer” United States. Titled “Mourning in America,” it was a grim take on former President Ronald Reagan’s optimistic 1984 “Morning in America” campaign ad.
The ad prompted a visceral midnight Twitter reaction from Trump that drew significant publicity for the group. Following Trump’s insult-laden tirade, the PAC said it saw its biggest fundraising day yet.
Trump had invoked the Conways’ marriage himself in the four-tweet blast. “I don’t know what Kellyanne did to her deranged loser of a husband, Moonface, but it must have been really bad,” he wrote. He labeled the group’s founders as “losers” who “failed badly” on various campaigns.
Asked if Trump would do better to “ignore them” than tweet the way he did ― and if he’s alienating moderates with this behavior ― Conway said, “That’s great advice. I sure do.”
“But the president isn’t ignoring them,” Faulkner interjected.
“Once in a while he doesn’t,” she said, claiming he wanted to “expose” its members “who act like they are so dignified and holier-than-thou than everyone when nobody ever says what their track record is.”
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huffpost--2020-05-04--J. Crew Files For Bankruptcy Protection As COVID-19 Pushes Retailers To The Brink

( Reuters ) — J .
Crew Group Inc filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday with a plan to hand over control to lenders , adding to a list of brick-and-mortar retailers pushed to the brink by widespread store closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The New York-based chain , known for preppy clothing at times worn by former first lady Michelle Obama , filed for bankruptcy in a Virginia federal court with an agreement to eliminate its roughly $ 1.65 billion of debt in exchange for ceding ownership to creditors .
It is the first big retailer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capital Group , Blackstone Group Inc ’ s GSO Capital Partners and Davidson Kempner Capital Management hold significant portions of J.
Crew ’ s senior debt and are in line to take control of the company .
They are also providing about $ 400 million of fresh financing to aid J.
Crew ’ s operations , while it navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings , the company said in a statement .
In addition to cancelling debt , J .
Crew plans to close stores , though the final number it plans to shutter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person familiar with the matter said .
The coronavirus outbreak forced the company to temporarily close its nearly 500 J .
Crew , J .
Crew factory and Madewell stores .
In addition , the economic fallout and market turmoil stemming from the public health crisis resulted in J .
Crew shelving plans for an initial public offering of its Madewell business .
Madewell will remain part of J.Crew Group and Libby Wadle will continue in her role as Chief Executive Officer of Madewell , the company added .
J .
Crew had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reduce its debt rather than use bankruptcy to address its strained finances , the person familiar with the matter said .
Before the pandemic , J .
Crew was already struggling along with other traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to compete amid a consumer shift to online shopping .
It also suffered after a strategic misstep of raising prices that turned off some shoppers .
Talks in 2014 to sell J .
Crew to Japan ’ s Fast Retailing Co , the owner of the Uniqlo apparel chain , fell apart .
J .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ TPG and Leonard Green & Partners in a roughly $ 3 billion leveraged buyout , and their investments are now expected to be wiped out , the person familiar with the matter said .
The company had avoided bankruptcy in 2017 in a deal with creditors that reduced total debt and pushed out due dates on obligations .
But its struggles continued .
Millard “ Mickey ” S. Drexler , a longtime leader of the chain known for his fashion acumen who also at one point helmed Gap Inc < GPS.N > , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alter the retail landscape .
He stepped aside as J.
Crew ’ s chief executive in 2017 , and last year relinquished his seat as board chairman .
J .
Crew listed both assets and liabilities in the range of $ 1 billion to $ 10 billion in the voluntary Chapter 11 document .

(Reuters) — J. Crew Group Inc filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday with a plan to hand over control to lenders, adding to a list of brick-and-mortar retailers pushed to the brink by widespread store closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New York-based chain, known for preppy clothing at times worn by former first lady Michelle Obama, filed for bankruptcy in a Virginia federal court with an agreement to eliminate its roughly $1.65 billion of debt in exchange for ceding ownership to creditors. It is the first big retailer to fail during the pandemic.
Anchorage Capital Group, Blackstone Group Inc’s GSO Capital Partners and Davidson Kempner Capital Management hold significant portions of J. Crew’s senior debt and are in line to take control of the company.
They are also providing about $400 million of fresh financing to aid J. Crew’s operations, while it navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, the company said in a statement.
In addition to cancelling debt, J. Crew plans to close stores, though the final number it plans to shutter has not yet been determined, a person familiar with the matter said.
The coronavirus outbreak forced the company to temporarily close its nearly 500 J. Crew, J. Crew factory and Madewell stores. In addition, the economic fallout and market turmoil stemming from the public health crisis resulted in J. Crew shelving plans for an initial public offering of its Madewell business.
Madewell will remain part of J.Crew Group and Libby Wadle will continue in her role as Chief Executive Officer of Madewell, the company added.
J. Crew had planned to use proceeds from the IPO to reduce its debt rather than use bankruptcy to address its strained finances, the person familiar with the matter said.
Before the pandemic, J. Crew was already struggling along with other traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to compete amid a consumer shift to online shopping.
It also suffered after a strategic misstep of raising prices that turned off some shoppers. Talks in 2014 to sell J. Crew to Japan’s Fast Retailing Co, the owner of the Uniqlo apparel chain, fell apart.
J. Crew was taken private in 2011 by TPG and Leonard Green & Partners in a roughly $3 billion leveraged buyout, and their investments are now expected to be wiped out, the person familiar with the matter said.
The company had avoided bankruptcy in 2017 in a deal with creditors that reduced total debt and pushed out due dates on obligations.
But its struggles continued. Millard “Mickey” S. Drexler, a longtime leader of the chain known for his fashion acumen who also at one point helmed Gap Inc , conceded he misjudged how technological developments would alter the retail landscape.
He stepped aside as J. Crew’s chief executive in 2017, and last year relinquished his seat as board chairman.
J. Crew listed both assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion in the voluntary Chapter 11 document.
(Reporting by Mike Spector in New York, Subrat Patnaik and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel, Bernard Orr)


huffpost--2020-05-04--The Original Avengers Reunite, And It Gets 'Super' Awkward

Not even the coronavirus can stop the Avengers from assembling .
At Nickelodeon ’ s virtual Kids ’ Choice Awards on Saturday , “ Avengers : Endgame ” took the award for Favorite Movie .
So in celebration , the original six Avengers remotely reunited to inspire kids and also dunk on each other .
Though 2019 ’ s “ Endgame ” was the end of the collective journey for the original six , the group immediately got back into its old banter , with Thor , aka Chris Hemsworth , and Captain America , aka Chris Evans , arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This was my life for a decade , ” Black Widow actor Scarlett Johansson quipped about their bickering .
Then Robert Downey Jr. joined the call , and things between the superheroes got super awkward .
Downey ’ s Iron Man died in “ Endgame , ” seemingly capping off the character ’ s story for good ( unlike Black Widow , who also died but still has a movie coming out ) .
“ We thought you were uh— ” Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner began , apparently about to bring up Iron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was all done in good fun , and the actors also had some positive messages for kids , telling them to stay safe and stay strong .

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Not even the coronavirus can stop the Avengers from assembling.
At Nickelodeon’s virtual Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, “Avengers: Endgame” took the award for Favorite Movie. So in celebration, the original six Avengers remotely reunited to inspire kids and also dunk on each other.
Though 2019’s “Endgame” was the end of the collective journey for the original six, the group immediately got back into its old banter, with Thor, aka Chris Hemsworth, and Captain America, aka Chris Evans, arguing about who was actually stronger.
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“This was my life for a decade,” Black Widow actor Scarlett Johansson quipped about their bickering.
Then Robert Downey Jr. joined the call, and things between the superheroes got super awkward. Downey’s Iron Man died in “Endgame,” seemingly capping off the character’s story for good (unlike Black Widow, who also died but still has a movie coming out).
“Oh?” Johansson said.
“Robert?” Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo added.
“We thought you were uh—” Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner began, apparently about to bring up Iron Man’s death.
“What? Social distancing? Aren’t we all?” Downey replied. Cue the crickets.
did you catch this Avengers: Endgame reunion during #KCA2020? 🙌 pic.twitter.com/fUFpiI6BWL — Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) May 3, 2020
Of course, it was all done in good fun, and the actors also had some positive messages for kids, telling them to stay safe and stay strong.
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huffpost--2020-05-04--Store Security Guard Fatally Shot After Dispute Over Facial Mask: Prosecutor

A security guard at a Family Dollar store in Michigan was fatally shot after refusing to allow a customer to enter the store because she wasn ’ t follow the state ’ s guidance on wearing a face mask in public , authorities said Monday .
Calvin Munerlyn , a 43-year-old father of nine , was shot once in the head while working at the store in Flint on Friday afternoon , according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton .
There is a state-wide order that requires all store customers and employees to wear a facial covering amid the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that order when he stopped Sharmel Teague , 45 , because her daughter wasn ’ t covering her face .
“ From all indications , Mr. Munerlyn was simply doing his job in upholding the Governor ’ s Executive Order related to the COVID-19 pandemic for the safety of store employees and customers , ” Leyton said .
Teague became angry and allegedly spit on Munerlyn , who then directed the store ’ s cashier not to serve her .
Teague left the store but contacted her husband , Larry Edward Teague , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her son , Ramonyea Travon Bishop , 23 .
Larry Edward Teague , 44 , and Ramonyea Travon Bishop , 23 , are wanted in the shooting death of a Family Dollar security guard .
Sharmel Teague , 45 , who is Teague 's wife and the mother of Bishop , is in custody facing related charges in the shooting .
Larry Teague allegedly confronted Munerlyn and accused him of disrespecting his wife before Bishop shot the security guard , witnesses said .
Both men then left the store .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragic and those responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent under the law , ” the prosecutor said .
Bishop and Larry Teague remained at large as of Monday afternoon .
Both men are wanted for first-degree premeditated murder , carrying a concealed weapon and a felony firearm charge .
Larry Teague faces additional charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the governor ’ s executive order that mandates all customers and employees wear face covers .
Both men are considered armed and dangerous .
District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a news conference that he had known Munerlyn personally .
Nolden described Munerlyn as a kind family man who volunteered in the community .
“ He was just an all-around good guy , ” Nolden said .
“ He didn ’ t bother a soul .
All he wanted to do was take care of his family and he always had his kids with him.
” Michigan ’ s stay-at-home order requires everyone to wear some kind of face covering when out in public to help stop the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permitted to refuse service to customers that are not complying with the order , which is set to expire on May 15 .

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A security guard at a Family Dollar store in Michigan was fatally shot after refusing to allow a customer to enter the store because she wasn’t follow the state’s guidance on wearing a face mask in public, authorities said Monday.
Calvin Munerlyn, a 43-year-old father of nine, was shot once in the head while working at the store in Flint on Friday afternoon, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.
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There is a state-wide order that requires all store customers and employees to wear a facial covering amid the coronavirus pandemic. Leyton said Munerlyn was following that order when he stopped Sharmel Teague, 45, because her daughter wasn’t covering her face.
“From all indications, Mr. Munerlyn was simply doing his job in upholding the Governor’s Executive Order related to the COVID-19 pandemic for the safety of store employees and customers,” Leyton said.
Teague became angry and allegedly spit on Munerlyn, who then directed the store’s cashier not to serve her. Teague left the store but contacted her husband, Larry Edward Teague, 44, who traveled to the store with her son, Ramonyea Travon Bishop, 23.
Larry Edward Teague, 44, and Ramonyea Travon Bishop, 23, are wanted in the shooting death of a Family Dollar security guard. Sharmel Teague, 45, who is Teague's wife and the mother of Bishop, is in custody facing related charges in the shooting. Genesee County Prosecutor's Office
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Larry Teague allegedly confronted Munerlyn and accused him of disrespecting his wife before Bishop shot the security guard, witnesses said. Both men then left the store.
Munerlyn was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Leyton.
“The death of Calvin Munerlyn is senseless and tragic and those responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent under the law,” the prosecutor said.
Employees stand outside the Family Dollar store in Flint, Michigan, where a security guard was killed on Friday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bishop and Larry Teague remained at large as of Monday afternoon. Both men are wanted for first-degree premeditated murder, carrying a concealed weapon and a felony firearm charge. Larry Teague faces additional charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the governor’s executive order that mandates all customers and employees wear face covers. Both men are considered armed and dangerous.
Sharmel Teague has been arrested and is waiting to be arraigned on first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm charges.
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District County Commissioner Bryant W. Nolden said Monday at a news conference that he had known Munerlyn personally. Nolden described Munerlyn as a kind family man who volunteered in the community.
“He was just an all-around good guy,” Nolden said. “He didn’t bother a soul. All he wanted to do was take care of his family and he always had his kids with him.”
Calvin Munerlyn's cousin Pete Tedford embraces Munerlyn's sister Dorothy Nelson outside the Family Dollar store on Sunday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michigan’s stay-at-home order requires everyone to wear some kind of face covering when out in public to help stop the spread of the virus, which causes COVID-19. Businesses are permitted to refuse service to customers that are not complying with the order, which is set to expire on May 15.
A Family Dollar spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost that it is cooperating with authorities on their investigation.
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huffpost--2020-05-04--Senate Set To Reopen Amid Pandemic With Focus On Trump Judicial, Executive Nominees

ASSOCIATED PRESS Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. , speaks with reporters on Tuesday , April 21 , 2020 , on Capitol Hill in Washington .
( AP Photo/Patrick Semansky ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Senate will gavel in Monday as the coronavirus rages , returning to an uncertain agenda and deepening national debate over how best to confront the deadly pandemic and its economic devastation .
With the House staying away due to the health risks , and the 100 senators convening for the first time since March , the conflicted Congress reflects an uneasy nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot-spot under stay-home rules .
Senate Republicans are trying to set the terms of debate , frustrated that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was able to fill up earlier aid bills with Democratic priorities .
They ’ re reluctant to unleash federal funds beyond the nearly $ 3 trillion Congress already approved in virus relief .
Instead , Senate Republicans are counting on the country ’ s reopening to kick-start the economy as their best hope to limit a new round of big spending on virus aid .
“ We have to reopen our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he revised upward his projection for the total U.S. death total to 80,000 or 90,000 .
In making a snap decision to return , Senate Majority Mitch McConnell said the Senate can not “ sit on the sidelines.
” He compared the senators to the essential work force of grocery clerks , truck drivers and others keeping Americans fed during the crisis .
Yet re-opening part of Capitol Hill poses health risks not just for the lawmakers but the cooks , cleaners , police officers and other workers who keep the lights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an extraordinary rebuff , McConnell and Pelosi said in a rare joint statement Saturday that they would “ respectfully decline ” the offer and instead direct resources to the front lines “ where they can do the most good.
” Senators will instead return to a partially reopened Capitol Hill with new guidelines , including the recommendation that senators wear masks — blue face coverings will be available for free — keep their distance and leave most staff at home .
Hand sanitizer is back in stock .
But public access will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Capitol itself remains closed to visitors and tours .
Democrats complain the risks of reopening the Capitol complex is not worth the noticeably light agenda , which is focused on confirming Trump ’ s judicial and executive nominees rather than the virus pandemic .
With more than 65,000 U.S. deaths due to the virus and 30 million Americans suddenly unemployed , Democratic senators say the focus needs to be singular — to ease this crisis and prevent a second wave of infections .
McConnell has loaded up the agenda with hearings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justin Walker , a conservative , McConnell-backed pick to be a federal judge on the U.S. Courts of Appeal in the District of Columbia Circuit , which is seen as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court .
Several committees will meet to debate issues related to the virus outbreak , including the nominee for a new oversight commission .
The Health Committee will hold a session on potential cures and the Commerce Committee a hearing on the airline industry .
Republican senators still plan to sit down for their regular luncheons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidance limits them to three to a table .
It was after one of their lunches in March that several senators went into self-quarantine because of their exposure to fellow GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky , who tested positive .

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks with reporters on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate will gavel in Monday as the coronavirus rages, returning to an uncertain agenda and deepening national debate over how best to confront the deadly pandemic and its economic devastation.
With the House staying away due to the health risks, and the 100 senators convening for the first time since March, the conflicted Congress reflects an uneasy nation. The Washington area remains a virus hot-spot under stay-home rules.
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Tops on the Senate agenda is not necessarily the next virus aid package, despite a nationwide jobless rate that’s approaching Great Depression-level heights and pleas from the governors for more money.
“There’s kind of a pause period right now,” said White House’s Larry Kudlow, director of the national economic counsel, on CNN. “Let’s see how it’s doing as we gradually reopen the economy.”
Senate Republicans are trying to set the terms of debate, frustrated that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was able to fill up earlier aid bills with Democratic priorities. They’re reluctant to unleash federal funds beyond the nearly $3 trillion Congress already approved in virus relief.
“We are going to need more help,” Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, the chairman of the National Governors Association, said on CNN.
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Instead, Senate Republicans are counting on the country’s reopening to kick-start the economy as their best hope to limit a new round of big spending on virus aid.
President Donald Trump, on the eve of the Senate’s return, held a town hall encouraging Americans to get back to work.
“We have to reopen our country,” Trump said, even as he revised upward his projection for the total U.S. death total to 80,000 or 90,000.
The COVID-19 crisis has all but closed Congress since late March, a longer absence than during the 1918 Spanish Flu or the 2001 terror attacks.
In making a snap decision to return, Senate Majority Mitch McConnell said the Senate cannot “sit on the sidelines.” He compared the senators to the essential work force of grocery clerks, truck drivers and others keeping Americans fed during the crisis.
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Yet re-opening part of Capitol Hill poses health risks not just for the lawmakers but the cooks, cleaners, police officers and other workers who keep the lights on at the Capitol complex.
Capitol Hill erupted late last week after the attending physician informed top GOP officials the health office did not have the means to perform instant virus tests on returning lawmakers or staff.
Over the weekend, Trump himself offered Congress access to the instant virus test system used to screen visitors to the White House.
But in an extraordinary rebuff, McConnell and Pelosi said in a rare joint statement Saturday that they would “respectfully decline” the offer and instead direct resources to the front lines “where they can do the most good.”
Senators will instead return to a partially reopened Capitol Hill with new guidelines, including the recommendation that senators wear masks — blue face coverings will be available for free — keep their distance and leave most staff at home. Hand sanitizer is back in stock. But public access will be limited, including at public hearings. The Capitol itself remains closed to visitors and tours.
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Democrats complain the risks of reopening the Capitol complex is not worth the noticeably light agenda, which is focused on confirming Trump’s judicial and executive nominees rather than the virus pandemic.
With more than 65,000 U.S. deaths due to the virus and 30 million Americans suddenly unemployed, Democratic senators say the focus needs to be singular — to ease this crisis and prevent a second wave of infections.
“If we’re going to go back, let’s do something about COVID,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
McConnell has loaded up the agenda with hearings for Trump’s nominees, including Justin Walker, a conservative, McConnell-backed pick to be a federal judge on the U.S. Courts of Appeal in the District of Columbia Circuit, which is seen as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.
A nomination hearing also is scheduled for John Ratcliffe, the Texas Republican congressman who is Trump’s choice to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
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Several committees will meet to debate issues related to the virus outbreak, including the nominee for a new oversight commission. The Health Committee will hold a session on potential cures and the Commerce Committee a hearing on the airline industry.
For all that’s changed during the pandemic, some traditions remain in Congress.
Republican senators still plan to sit down for their regular luncheons, though the physician’s social distancing guidance limits them to three to a table. It was after one of their lunches in March that several senators went into self-quarantine because of their exposure to fellow GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tested positive.
Democrats, who will meet for lunch over conference call, are assessing whether to appear in person for the committee hearings or dial in remotely.
The physician’s office sent guidelines late Friday encouraging Senate offices to minimize staff presence and reschedule any visitors who are visibly ill with “shaking chills” or “vomiting.”
But for Republicans, operating the Senate even in a diminished capacity aligns with Trump’s effort to return to a sense of normalcy, despite the ongoing health risks.


huffpost--2020-05-04--What Not To Say To Someone Who Lost Their Job Because Of Coronavirus

1 .
“ Why now ?
How did they tell you ?
Did they give you a severance package ?
” 2 .
“ You ’ re not alone .
At least you ’ re not the only one who is unemployed right now !
” 3 .
“ Think of all you have to be grateful for .
Thank goodness it ’ s not ... ” 5 .
“ You ’ re going to be fine .
You ’ re going to be OK. ” Instead of making uncertain promises , be more direct and specific in your acknowledgment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said if it is true to your relationship with the unemployed person , you can say something like , “ I certainly have great confidence that you ’ ll figure this out , but right now must be really scary .
I certainly wish for you that you can get things back to the way they were before the pandemic , but let ’ s just talk about right now.
” Showing support to an unemployed person means staying present to their needs , not what you need .
“ Don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consult , ” O ’ Malley said .
“ These are two very different forms of interaction : the listening , reflecting , supporting and holding and support versus the consulting , advising and directing .
My opinion is that you never start with the latter .
You only go to the latter if you ’ re invited.
“ Acknowledgment is better than silence .
Even if it ’ s awkward to bring it up , O ’ Malley said engaging and attempting to connect about job loss is better than not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake if you ’ re making a mistake is to engage ... than not say anything at all , ” he said .
Share your professional contacts .
If you feel comfortable doing so , you can offer to the other person , “ If there ’ s a contact you want me to reach out to , I would be more than happy to do so , ” Orbé-Austin said , adding that a letter of reference or LinkedIn recommendation are also helpful ways to show professional support .
Check in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t see support as a one-and-done interaction , O ’ Malley said .
See it as an ongoing process of engaging and connecting so that your unemployed friend or colleague feels supported .
If you ’ re trying to be a good friend or colleague to someone going through job loss , “ make yourself a note to check in on them once a month or every few weeks , just saying , ‘ Checking in .
Want to see what ’ s the same , what ’ s different and how you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ” O ’ Malley said .
Team up with others to provide help .
You and other supportive friends and colleagues can send a letter or card , deliver a favorite meal or give a gift card , Bianchi said .
If you ’ re giving a gift card , “ consider using anonymity if you sense that although the contribution is needed , knowledge of the sender might be injurious to [ their ] pride , ” she said .
If the unemployed person has disclosed their need for help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with other members of their social network to provide them with various types of support , ” Bianchi added .
“ This may involve crowdfunding , meal trains and many other types of assistance with the logistics of staying afloat in the absence of an income .
”

Prostock-Studio via Getty Images Don't assume you know how people going through layoffs or furloughs are feeling right now.
In the past six weeks, more than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits because of the coronavirus outbreak. One in 6 American workers are estimated to be out of a job as of last Thursday.
Maybe one of those workers is someone you know. If you’re wondering how to support and show up for your former colleague or friend right now, first consider what you shouldn’t say to someone who’s just lost their job.
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The lack of control people are feeling and the stress of staying healthy during a deadly pandemic is “stress on top of stress” for people going through job loss right now, Patrick O’Malley, a grief and trauma psychotherapist based in Texas, told HuffPost.
These well-meaning words of support could be doing more harm than good:
1. “Why now? How did they tell you? Did they give you a severance package?”
“Asking people for details pertaining to loss of employment is a boundary breach,” said Kristin Bianchi, a Maryland-based licensed psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Behavior Change. “This is particularly true when the loss in question may be a source of shame to the individual.”
Instead of prying for information, let the person decide how much they are willing to share with you before you ask. Asking less and listening more is the most respectful approach.
“While it’s perfectly human to have questions, exercising restraint demonstrates that we prioritize their privacy over our curiosity,” Bianchi told HuffPost.
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If you are still employed, O’Malley added, a former colleague’s job loss is also not your opportunity to gossip or complain to them about work.
“If the person who is supposed to be helping is complaining, that’s an insensitivity,” he said. “You are talking to somebody who likely wishes they had something.”
2. “You’re not alone. At least you’re not the only one who is unemployed right now!”
When you tell your unemployed friend or colleague that they are not the only person unemployed during the pandemic, you are making broad assumptions about their specific experience.
Telling someone they are not alone “doesn’t feel personal,” said Lisa Orbé-Austin, a licensed psychologist and executive coach in New York. “Somebody might be laid off and they’re OK, and for some people, it’s devastating. It’s not always OK. Not thinking about things from your perspective can be helpful.”
3. “Think of all you have to be grateful for. Thank goodness it’s not ... ”
Sometimes, people try to be supportive by comparing worse situations or pointing out the positive things in people’s lives.
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This kind of comparison can show up in language like “‘But at least you’ve got this’ or ‘Thank goodness it’s not that.’ That’s all well-intended,” O’Malley said, “but it’s invalidating, minimizing to the individual’s story, because typically for many folks, this is loss and fear.”
“What not to do is to assume that your role is to make somebody feel better about it.” - Patrick O'Malley, grief and trauma psychotherapist
Many people have abject fear about how the pandemic will affect their finances, while others may be OK with finances but they’re losing the meaning they get from work, O’Malley said.
“The rule of thumb is, don’t try to fix. Listen more than talk,” he said.
When you ask someone who is unemployed to stay positive, you are signaling that it’s not OK for that person to be less than happy right now.
“Reminding people to count their blessings in the wake of any life-changing loss can make it seem as though we perceive them to be ungrateful,” Bianchi said. “This has the potential to make them feel guilty and to question their character.”
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4. “When I lost my job...”
“While we may wish to show solidarity by sharing that we have an experience in common, this type of statement takes attention away from the person who has lost their job and puts them in a position of feeling as though they have to console us during their time of loss,” Bianchi said.
5. “You’re going to be fine. You’re going to be OK.”
People who want to be supportive may say, “You’re going to be fine” to give their friend hope, but O’Malley said this is not helpful because it’s a cliche that is not specific to the person’s experience.
“What not to do is to assume that your role is to make somebody feel better about it,” he said. “They’re more likely to get there if you make the space [for them] to get through whatever is going on.”
Instead of making uncertain promises, be more direct and specific in your acknowledgment of their feelings. O’Malley said if it is true to your relationship with the unemployed person, you can say something like, “I certainly have great confidence that you’ll figure this out, but right now must be really scary. I certainly wish for you that you can get things back to the way they were before the pandemic, but let’s just talk about right now.”
The goal, O’Malley said, is to make sure your words of support aren’t trying to spin or fix the problem.
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Showing support to an unemployed person means staying present to their needs, not what you need.
Listen more than talk, and share advice only when asked. Accept that you may not be the person your unemployed colleague or friend wants to talk to about this. And if they do talk, listen ― don’t offer your two cents about what they should do next.
“Don’t consult unless you’re clearly asked to consult,” O’Malley said. “These are two very different forms of interaction: the listening, reflecting, supporting and holding and support versus the consulting, advising and directing. My opinion is that you never start with the latter. You only go to the latter if you’re invited.“
Acknowledgment is better than silence. Even if it’s awkward to bring it up, O’Malley said engaging and attempting to connect about job loss is better than not acknowledging it happened. “Your better mistake if you’re making a mistake is to engage ... than not say anything at all,” he said.
Share your professional contacts. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can offer to the other person, “If there’s a contact you want me to reach out to, I would be more than happy to do so,” Orbé-Austin said, adding that a letter of reference or LinkedIn recommendation are also helpful ways to show professional support.
Check in on them more than once. Don’t see support as a one-and-done interaction, O’Malley said. See it as an ongoing process of engaging and connecting so that your unemployed friend or colleague feels supported.
If you’re trying to be a good friend or colleague to someone going through job loss, “make yourself a note to check in on them once a month or every few weeks, just saying, ‘Checking in. Want to see what’s the same, what’s different and how you’re feeling about all of this,’” O’Malley said.
Team up with others to provide help. You and other supportive friends and colleagues can send a letter or card, deliver a favorite meal or give a gift card, Bianchi said. If you’re giving a gift card, “consider using anonymity if you sense that although the contribution is needed, knowledge of the sender might be injurious to [their] pride,” she said.
If the unemployed person has disclosed their need for help publicly, you can “team up with other members of their social network to provide them with various types of support,” Bianchi added. “This may involve crowdfunding, meal trains and many other types of assistance with the logistics of staying afloat in the absence of an income.”


huffpost--2020-03-13--U.S. Masters Golf Tournament Postponed Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

March 13 ( Reuters ) - The Masters , which brings together the world ’ s best golfers in April @ @ @ @ @ first major , has been postponed because of concerns about the coronavirus , Augusta National @ @ @ @ @ .
People from all over the world attend the Masters at Augusta National , which @ @ @ @ @ April 9-12 .
“ We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to @ @ @ @ @ and our amateur events at some later date , ” Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley @ @ @ @ @ ( Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto ; Editing by Kevin Liffey )

LOADING ERROR LOADING
March 13 (Reuters) - The Masters, which brings together the world’s best golfers in April for the year’s first major, has been postponed because of concerns about the coronavirus, Augusta National Golf Club said on Friday.
People from all over the world attend the Masters at Augusta National, which this year was scheduled for April 9-12.
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huffpost--2020-03-13--Joy Behar Taking Time Off 'The View' Over Age-Related Coronavirus Concerns: Report

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) moved to ban gatherings of 500 people or more on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom ( D ) banned groups of 250 or more in an announcement late @ @ @ @ @ 1,500 people had been infected with COVID-19 nationwide , and at least 39 patients with @ @ @ @ @ of Thursday .

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) moved to ban gatherings of 500 people or more on Thursday, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) banned groups of 250 or more in an announcement late Wednesday night.
More than 1,500 people had been infected with COVID-19 nationwide, and at least 39 patients with the virus had died as of Thursday.


huffpost--2020-03-13--Broadway Speaks Out As Coronavirus Ensures Shows Will Not Go On In NYC

She said the whole ban feels “ kind of crazy.
” “ I ’ m like , ‘ Whoa , I have a month off .
What does that mean financially ?
’ We ’ re still figuring out through our union if we ’ re going to get paid , what we ’ re going to get paid .
It ’ s rather up in the air.
” Baker ’ s union is the Actors ’ Equity Association , the national labor union representing professional actors and stage managers in live theater .
Its executive director , Mary McColl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement released after Cuomo ’ s announcement .
“ Today ’ s decision means tremendous uncertainty for thousands who work in the arts , including the prospect of lost income , health insurance and retirement savings , ” it reads .
“ Equity will use all of our options to advocate for all our members and is engaged at all levels to ensure members are protected and paid .
Now is the time for Congress and local governments to put workers first to ensure that everyone who works in the arts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave , health care and unemployment benefits.
” The statement also implored the government to “ act , and quickly ” to protect both public health and “ arts funding at all levels that ensures local arts employers have the resources they need to quickly recover and reopen.
” As of Thursday evening , it was still unclear as to what sort of payment and benefits those in the union would be eligible for .
In addition to Baker , other actors in the community shared their unsettled feelings on the ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star Javier Muñoz posted a melancholy video on Twitter , indicating he ’ d be tightening his belt “ extra tight ” in the coming weeks .

She said the whole ban feels “kind of crazy.”
“I’m like, ‘Whoa, I have a month off. What does that mean financially?’ We’re still figuring out through our union if we’re going to get paid, what we’re going to get paid. It’s rather up in the air.”
Baker’s union is the Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing professional actors and stage managers in live theater. Its executive director, Mary McColl, addressed the concerns of the members in a statement released after Cuomo’s announcement.
“Today’s decision means tremendous uncertainty for thousands who work in the arts, including the prospect of lost income, health insurance and retirement savings,” it reads.
“Equity will use all of our options to advocate for all our members and is engaged at all levels to ensure members are protected and paid. Now is the time for Congress and local governments to put workers first to ensure that everyone who works in the arts and entertainment sector has access to paid leave, health care and unemployment benefits.”
The statement also implored the government to “act, and quickly” to protect both public health and “arts funding at all levels that ensures local arts employers have the resources they need to quickly recover and reopen.” As of Thursday evening, it was still unclear as to what sort of payment and benefits those in the union would be eligible for.
In addition to Baker, other actors in the community shared their unsettled feelings on the ban on social media. Former “Hamilton” star Javier Muñoz posted a melancholy video on Twitter, indicating he’d be tightening his belt “extra tight” in the coming weeks.