huffpost--2020-05-28--What Negative Interest Rates Mean For Your Mortgage, Savings And More

As the global economy continues to slow as a result of the coronavirus crisis , central banks around the world have been cutting interest rates in an attempt to stimulate growth .
In the U.S. , the Federal Reserve implemented a number of emergency rate cuts , most recently slashing its target rate to zero .
This leaves many people wondering if the Fed will follow the lead of countries that have set negative interest rates .
In banking , interest rates represent the cost lenders charge you to borrow money or the yield you earn on your savings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have negative rates , but when the central bank of a country reduces its target interest rate to below zero , banks are essentially charged money for maintaining excess liquidity , said Meenaz Sunderji , a banking expert and executive vice president of partner growth at Zafin .
That means banks have an incentive to lend money out , and are discouraged from keeping too much cash on deposit .
What does that mean for bank customers ?
For one , the cost of borrowing money is much cheaper , Sunderji said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get paid to borrow money .
“ They don ’ t give them direct cash in their hands , but every month , the debt is reduced by more than the amount that they ’ re required to pay , ” he said .
In Denmark , for example , banks issued the first negative-rate mortgages , where customers were charged -0.50 % per year on their home loans .
On the other hand , savers are discouraged from keeping money in bank accounts .
They either earn no interest on their savings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may be charged a fee to keep money on deposit .
“ It usually depends on the bank and the market , ” Sunderji said .
In essence , negative interest rates are a tool that central banks can use to stimulate the economy .
The theory is that if it costs money to save , but it ’ s cheap to borrow , consumers will be more likely to take out loans , increase spending and invest their money rather than hoard it .
This situation would be great for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have more money available to invest .
However , consumers would be even less likely to sock away money in their bank accounts than they already are .
“ As it sits now , the interest rate that we ’ re getting on our checking and savings account is extremely low , ” Voellm said .
“ If you add in average inflation against that abysmal rate of return ... you ’ re essentially losing money by safely keeping your money in the bank.
” Today , it ’ s fairly common for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards and then pay off that balance at the end of the month , especially with the proliferation of credit card rewards .
The big difference here would be that with no incentive to keep money in the bank , people may begin charging up higher amounts on their credit cards , leading to an upswing in consumer debt and lack of actual savings .
“ The more dangerous aspect of this is that consumers could start to rely on their credit cards as an emergency savings fund , instead of just having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Voellm explained .
“ Behaviorally , we do not want that as financial advisers.
” For those who want better interest rates on their savings , Voellm suggested moving to an online bank , as they ’ re in a better position to offer a more competitive rate due to low overhead .
However , the truth is that extremely low or even negative interest rates mean savers will have to leave their comfort zones to see any return on their money .
Will Negative Rates Come To The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tool to stimulate the economy makes sense in theory .
However , Voellm pointed out that there isn ’ t a whole lot of data to prove it would actually work .
A handful of countries have implemented negative rates in some fashion , but the sample size is too small to definitively say we ’ d have good results in the U.S. For one , negative rates would have a serious impact on banks ’ bottom lines , since they rely on the difference between the cost of holding deposits vs. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread ― to make money .
“ That [ spread ] gets squeezed significantly when you go down to lower interest rates and negative interest rates , ” Sunderji said .
A tightening spread would likely impact the amount of credit banks bring to the market and cause them to tighten up lending , which counters the goal of lowering rates to begin with .
Not to mention , unemployment in the U.S. is rampant thanks to the coronavirus pandemic .
Tens of millions of Americans are now faced with figuring out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , much less buying a new car or house .
Pushing rates lower and lower doesn ’ t fix that problem .
“ Those who don ’ t have the capacity to borrow are going to be in a worse situation , ” Voellm said .
“ They would essentially be a drag on this strategy .
”

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Imagine a world in which banks pay you to borrow money, and charge you a fee to keep savings in your bank account. Soon, that may not be difficult to fathom at all.
As the global economy continues to slow as a result of the coronavirus crisis, central banks around the world have been cutting interest rates in an attempt to stimulate growth. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve implemented a number of emergency rate cuts, most recently slashing its target rate to zero. This leaves many people wondering if the Fed will follow the lead of countries that have set negative interest rates.
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Once considered a short-term solution for struggling economies, negative interest rates are now in place in Japan, Denmark and other European countries. And it’s a concept President Donald Trump loves.
“We’re forced to compete with nations that are getting negative rates, something very new,” Trump said during a speech at the World Economic Forum in January. “Meaning, they get paid to borrow money, something I could get used to very quickly. Love that.”
In fact, the president has tweeted many times about his desire for negative interest rates.
As long as other countries are receiving the benefits of Negative Rates, the USA should also accept the “GIFT”. Big numbers! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2020
“Over in Europe and Japan they have NEGATIVE RATES. They get paid to borrow money. Don’t we have to follow our competitors?” @Varneyco Yes we do. The Fed doesn’t have a clue! We have unlimited potential, only held back by the Federal Reserve. But we are winning anyway! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2019
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Germany, and so many other countries, have negative interest rates, “they get paid for loaning money,” and our Federal Reserve fails to act! Remember, these are also our weak currency competitors! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2019
The Federal Reserve should get our interest rates down to ZERO, or less, and we should then start to refinance our debt. INTEREST COST COULD BE BROUGHT WAY DOWN, while at the same time substantially lengthening the term. We have the great currency, power, and balance sheet..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019
....The USA should always be paying the the lowest rate. No Inflation! It is only the naïveté of Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve that doesn’t allow us to do what other countries are already doing. A once in a lifetime opportunity that we are missing because of “Boneheads.” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019
But what does it mean to have negative interest rates? Here’s a look at how they work and what they would mean for your money.
How Negative Interest Rates Work
In banking, interest rates represent the cost lenders charge you to borrow money or the yield you earn on your savings. It might seem like a strange concept to have negative rates, but when the central bank of a country reduces its target interest rate to below zero, banks are essentially charged money for maintaining excess liquidity, said Meenaz Sunderji, a banking expert and executive vice president of partner growth at Zafin. That means banks have an incentive to lend money out, and are discouraged from keeping too much cash on deposit.
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What does that mean for bank customers? For one, the cost of borrowing money is much cheaper, Sunderji said. In fact, borrowers may essentially get paid to borrow money. “They don’t give them direct cash in their hands, but every month, the debt is reduced by more than the amount that they’re required to pay,” he said. In Denmark, for example, banks issued the first negative-rate mortgages, where customers were charged -0.50% per year on their home loans.
Borrowers who have existing debts such as a mortgage, student loans, or credit cards, can also consolidate their loans at a much lower rate, allowing them to pay less interest overall and use those savings to increase spending or pay off the debt more aggressively.
On the other hand, savers are discouraged from keeping money in bank accounts. They either earn no interest on their savings at all, or in some cases they may be charged a fee to keep money on deposit. “It usually depends on the bank and the market,” Sunderji said.
In essence, negative interest rates are a tool that central banks can use to stimulate the economy. The theory is that if it costs money to save, but it’s cheap to borrow, consumers will be more likely to take out loans, increase spending and invest their money rather than hoard it.
Great For Borrowers, Terrible For Savers
Implementing negative interest rates would flip traditional banking on its head. And depending on your financial situation and goals, that could be a good or bad thing.
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Under normal circumstances, people are rewarded for saving money in the bank through interest earned on their deposits. And it generally costs people to borrow money, since they have to pay interest on their loans. In a negative interest rate environment, however, the opposite is true.
“You're essentially losing money safely by keeping your money in the bank.”
Instead, consumers would be incentivized to spend their cash and disincentivized to build it up. “This would essentially create a behavioral shift in what we as consumers have been traditionally doing, which is building wealth through saving money,” said Joseph Voellm, a certified financial fiduciary and chartered financial consultant with The JL Smith Group.
This situation would be great for people who want to buy a house or have more money available to invest. However, consumers would be even less likely to sock away money in their bank accounts than they already are. “As it sits now, the interest rate that we’re getting on our checking and savings account is extremely low,” Voellm said. “If you add in average inflation against that abysmal rate of return ... you’re essentially losing money by safely keeping your money in the bank.”
Because of this, we could see a potentially concerning shift in consumer behavior.
“Those that have revolving lines of credit may see their cost of borrowing actually get lower, reflected in the APR attached to their credit card,” Voellm said. “Consumers may start to see their credit card more as the preferred method of payment.”
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Today, it’s fairly common for people to make purchases on their credit cards and then pay off that balance at the end of the month, especially with the proliferation of credit card rewards. The big difference here would be that with no incentive to keep money in the bank, people may begin charging up higher amounts on their credit cards, leading to an upswing in consumer debt and lack of actual savings. “The more dangerous aspect of this is that consumers could start to rely on their credit cards as an emergency savings fund, instead of just having that money stashed aside in the bank,” Voellm explained. “Behaviorally, we do not want that as financial advisers.”
For those who want better interest rates on their savings, Voellm suggested moving to an online bank, as they’re in a better position to offer a more competitive rate due to low overhead. However, the truth is that extremely low or even negative interest rates mean savers will have to leave their comfort zones to see any return on their money.
“Negative interest rates would hurt our savers and income investors of the world, because they would be forced into riskier positions than they otherwise would have been,” Voellm said. “As financial advisers, we don’t want to push people out of their risk tolerance.”
Will Negative Rates Come To The United States?
The concept of negative rates as a tool to stimulate the economy makes sense in theory. However, Voellm pointed out that there isn’t a whole lot of data to prove it would actually work. A handful of countries have implemented negative rates in some fashion, but the sample size is too small to definitively say we’d have good results in the U.S.
There are risks as well, which could outweigh the benefits.
For one, negative rates would have a serious impact on banks’ bottom lines, since they rely on the difference between the cost of holding deposits vs. the cost of lending ― known as the spread ― to make money. “That [spread] gets squeezed significantly when you go down to lower interest rates and negative interest rates,” Sunderji said. A tightening spread would likely impact the amount of credit banks bring to the market and cause them to tighten up lending, which counters the goal of lowering rates to begin with.
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With no incentive to keep money in banks, consumers could also pull their savings out and hide it under the mattress, à la the Great Depression. That massive drain of cash from the banking system would actually work to push rates higher.
Not to mention, unemployment in the U.S. is rampant thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Tens of millions of Americans are now faced with figuring out how to put food on the table, much less buying a new car or house. Pushing rates lower and lower doesn’t fix that problem. “Those who don’t have the capacity to borrow are going to be in a worse situation,” Voellm said. “They would essentially be a drag on this strategy.”
Fed Chair Jerome Powell stated during a webcast with the Peterson Institute for International Economics in mid May that the Fed is not considering moving to negative interest rates, as it already has a “good toolkit” to rely on. But Trump continues to push the idea. As recently as two weeks ago, he told reporters in the White House he “feels strongly we should have negative rates.” Fed funds futures are currently pricing in rates of about one basis point below zero by June 2021.
There is a real possibility that we could implement negative interest rates in the U.S., according to Voellm. However, that decision would rely on several economic factors. “I would say it’s certainly on the table. But there are certain things that need to happen before we take that step,” he said.
For example, the stock market seems to be on the upswing since its March low, so it’s unlikely we’d consider negative rates unless it crashed again, according to Voellm. Other situations that could push the U.S. toward negative interest rates, he said, include unemployment staying high for too long or even getting worse, a second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks or the economy remaining stagnant for an extended period despite other actions by the Fed. “I wouldn’t put too much weight on one thing tipping the scale,” he said.


huffpost--2020-05-28--Joe Biden Unveils 2 Separate Proposals To Help Americans With Disabilities

More than a year after he first announced his presidential bid , former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday released two separate plans to support Americans with disabilities — one detailing his proposals for ensuring full equality for the disability community , and another focusing on supporting disabled Americans during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Thanks to the leadership of people with disabilities , disability advocates , and their allies , we have made progress towards the goals of this law — ‘ equality of opportunity , full participation , independent living , and economic self-sufficiency ’ for people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a copy of which the campaign shared with HuffPost prior to its release .
“ But , there is much more work to do in order to ensure that all people with disabilities are able to participate fully in our communities and enjoy the same kinds of choices and opportunities that many Americans take for granted.
” In the plan , titled “ The Biden Plan For Full Participation And Equality For People With Disabilities , ” the former vice president says his administration would continue to build on the Affordable Care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and says he would ensure that people with low incomes would be covered .
He says he would increase tax credits to lower premiums and deductibles , implement a proposal created by Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
that makes it easier for people with large amounts of debt to obtain relief , and integrate mental health care into primary care settings .
Like many of his former Democratic rivals , Biden would fully fund and enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act , which ensures disabled students the right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan also says he would recruit and retain special education teachers from marginalized backgrounds and , as Warren previously proposed , encourage schools to include the disability movement in history lessons .
The plan also touches on immigration rights , saying Biden would revoke the Trump administration ’ s public charge so immigrants — including those with disabilities — would not be discouraged from accessing health care or other public benefits out of fear of blocking their path to citizenship or residency .
“ Despite decades of progress , our work to achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done , ” Sen. Tammy Duckworth ( D-Ill. ) said in a statement to HuffPost .
“ I ’ m proud to see Joe Biden advance his disability rights agenda that will help break down the barriers that remain in our country for the many Americans with disabilities , and I am confident that when he is President , Joe Biden will work to make our society more inclusive and accessible for all.
” Access to health care and disability rights as a whole have become even more urgent since the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunocompromised people are among those most vulnerable to the virus .
When the $ 2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package was passed in late March , advocates argued that it failed to provide necessary support for Americans with disabilities and chronic illnesses .
“ In a time of pandemic , when people with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable to this virus , we must redouble our efforts to ensure they have the resources and the protections to support their health , well-being and independence , ” Biden said in a Medium post published Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to a comprehensive disability policy , I ’ m also releasing a COVID-19 specific policy to ensure the needs of people with disabilities are being addressed during this crisis.
” Biden said he would expand access to home- and community-based services , including hiring additional caregivers .
Personal care attendants would be classified as “ essential workers ” so they would be provided with personal protective equipment , since caregiving requires in-person contact and leaves both disabled people and caregivers at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus .
He also proposed passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , including caregivers , and eliminating the “ benefit cliff ” that prevents Social Security Disability Insurance recipients from earning above a certain income without losing their benefits .
In addition , Biden would make it easier to receive prescribed medication through mail and expand access to Medicaid , including temporarily increasing Medicaid funding .
Disability advocates have urged Biden to release a disability platform for well over a year , going so far as to create the hashtag # AccesstoJoe in hopes of turning the former vice president ’ s attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who make up nearly a quarter of the entire U.S. population .
During the Democratic primary race , Biden was the only leading candidate who did not reveal a specific disability platform .
Disability advocates said the 900 or so words he had dedicated to “ Americans With Disabilities ” on his campaign website just wasn ’ t enough .

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More than a year after he first announced his presidential bid, former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday released two separate plans to support Americans with disabilities — one detailing his proposals for ensuring full equality for the disability community, and another focusing on supporting disabled Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.
The first plan includes a wide-ranging list of issues that the presumed Democratic nominee plans to tackle as president, including recruiting disabled policymakers to play key roles in his administration, promoting inclusive education, ending abuses of power in the pharmaceutical industry, expanding access to equal employment opportunities, protecting economic security for disabled people and providing affordable housing and accessible transportation.
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“Thanks to the leadership of people with disabilities, disability advocates, and their allies, we have made progress towards the goals of this law — ‘equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency’ for people with disabilities,” reads the 18-page plan, a copy of which the campaign shared with HuffPost prior to its release. “But, there is much more work to do in order to ensure that all people with disabilities are able to participate fully in our communities and enjoy the same kinds of choices and opportunities that many Americans take for granted.”
In the plan, titled “The Biden Plan For Full Participation And Equality For People With Disabilities,” the former vice president says his administration would continue to build on the Affordable Care Act. He promises “universal coverage” and says he would ensure that people with low incomes would be covered. He says he would increase tax credits to lower premiums and deductibles, implement a proposal created by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that makes it easier for people with large amounts of debt to obtain relief, and integrate mental health care into primary care settings.
Like many of his former Democratic rivals, Biden would fully fund and enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures disabled students the right to an accessible education. Biden’s plan also says he would recruit and retain special education teachers from marginalized backgrounds and, as Warren previously proposed, encourage schools to include the disability movement in history lessons.
The plan also touches on immigration rights, saying Biden would revoke the Trump administration’s public charge so immigrants — including those with disabilities — would not be discouraged from accessing health care or other public benefits out of fear of blocking their path to citizenship or residency.
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Another section states that Biden would expand the Violence Against Women Act to apply to women and young people with disabilities, as well as end the Title IX rule that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos passed to roll back the rights of sexual assault survivors.
Other proposals include safeguarding the rights of disabled parents, expanding access to housing, increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, training law enforcement on how to interact with and protect people with disabilities, and passing the Accessible Voting Act so disabled voters can cast their ballots more easily.
“Despite decades of progress, our work to achieve full accessibility for all Americans is not done,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said in a statement to HuffPost. “I’m proud to see Joe Biden advance his disability rights agenda that will help break down the barriers that remain in our country for the many Americans with disabilities, and I am confident that when he is President, Joe Biden will work to make our society more inclusive and accessible for all.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden delivering remarks about the coronavirus outbreak on March 12. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Disability rights have become a spotlight issue during the 2020 election cycle, earning significant airtime at one Democratic primary debate. Multiple candidates, including Warren, former Housing Secretary Julián Castro and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, also participated in Twitter town halls and answered questions directly submitted by people with disabilities.
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Access to health care and disability rights as a whole have become even more urgent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as elderly and immunocompromised people are among those most vulnerable to the virus. When the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package was passed in late March, advocates argued that it failed to provide necessary support for Americans with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
In Biden’s plan specifically about supporting people with disabilities during the current pandemic, he notably proposes enforcing nondiscrimination laws and prohibiting “the rationing of health care that refuses or diverts hospitalization, treatment, or supplies based on a patient’s disability” — an ableist practice in the health care system that the disability community has widely condemned.
“In a time of pandemic, when people with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable to this virus, we must redouble our efforts to ensure they have the resources and the protections to support their health, well-being and independence,” Biden said in a Medium post published Thursday afternoon. “So today, in addition to a comprehensive disability policy, I’m also releasing a COVID-19 specific policy to ensure the needs of people with disabilities are being addressed during this crisis.”
Biden said he would expand access to home- and community-based services, including hiring additional caregivers. Personal care attendants would be classified as “essential workers” so they would be provided with personal protective equipment, since caregiving requires in-person contact and leaves both disabled people and caregivers at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus.
He also proposed passing an emergency 14-day paid leave for all workers, including caregivers, and eliminating the “benefit cliff” that prevents Social Security Disability Insurance recipients from earning above a certain income without losing their benefits. In addition, Biden would make it easier to receive prescribed medication through mail and expand access to Medicaid, including temporarily increasing Medicaid funding.
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Disability advocates have urged Biden to release a disability platform for well over a year, going so far as to create the hashtag #AccesstoJoe in hopes of turning the former vice president’s attention toward the needs of disabled people, who make up nearly a quarter of the entire U.S. population.
During the Democratic primary race, Biden was the only leading candidate who did not reveal a specific disability platform. Disability advocates said the 900 or so words he had dedicated to “Americans With Disabilities” on his campaign website just wasn’t enough.
When asked why the candidate waited so long to release the disability plans, a campaign spokesperson said, “Joe Biden has introduced policies throughout the entirety of his campaign and incorporated the disability community key proposals on health care, education, and more.”
“The timing and order of his policies are not reflective of his unwavering commitment to Americans of all stripes,” the spokesperson told HuffPost.
The comprehensive new disability plans Biden dropped Thursday signal a more direct and engaging approach to amplifying disability rights moving forward. The spokesperson added that Biden consulted with experts in disability policy as well as advocates in the disability community to develop the plans.
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Biden and his campaign introduced the plans at a disability policy briefing Thursday afternoon featuring Duckworth, Deaf actor and activist Nyle DiMarco, and world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman, who is a wheelchair user.


huffpost--2020-05-28--Ruby Rose Speaks Out About Shocking 'Batwoman' Exit And We're Still Confused

Batwoman may prefer her cape and cowl , but we could use a decoder ring right about now to understand what Ruby Rose is trying to say about her abrupt exit from the CW series .
The Australian actor announced last week that she ’ d “ made the very difficult decision ” to leave the show after one season , shocking fans who were unsure how the series could continue without its star .
At the time , neither Rose nor producers let on why they were parting ways , but reports later circulated that the decision was mutual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the long hours demanded of a lead television role , ” which resulted in tension on set .
Now , the “ Orange is the New Black ” alum is speaking out about her departure for the first time in a cryptic Instagram post shared on Thursday .
“ Thank you everyone for coming on this journey .
If I mentioned everyone it would be 1000 tags.. but Thank you to the cast , crew , producers and studio .
It wasn ’ t an easy decision but those who know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not acknowledge everyone involved and how big this was for TV and for our community , ” Rose wrote alongside a fan-made video montage of the character .
“ I have stayed silent because that ’ s my choice for now but know I adore you all .
I ’ m sure next season will be amazing also , ” she concluded .
“ Xxx *hangs up cowl and cape.
” The series , which marked Rose ’ s first starring role , had already been renewed for a second season before her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Berlanti Productions on the hunt for a new actor to assume the role of Kate Kane , aka Batwoman .
Because of the coronavirus pandemic , the second season premiere has been pushed to January 2021 , allowing more than enough time to recast the lead .
And since “ Batwoman ” is the first superhero live-action TV series to feature a gay or lesbian title character , the production team is seeking a “ new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community , in the coming months , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman ’ s second season and long-term future , and we — along with the show ’ s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction , ” the companies said last week .
As for what Rose intends to do with her time off , she may have dropped a hint on Instagram stories .

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Batwoman may prefer her cape and cowl, but we could use a decoder ring right about now to understand what Ruby Rose is trying to say about her abrupt exit from the CW series.
The Australian actor announced last week that she’d “made the very difficult decision” to leave the show after one season, shocking fans who were unsure how the series could continue without its star.
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At the time, neither Rose nor producers let on why they were parting ways, but reports later circulated that the decision was mutual. One said Rose was “distressed by the long hours demanded of a lead television role,” which resulted in tension on set.
Now, the “Orange is the New Black” alum is speaking out about her departure for the first time in a cryptic Instagram post shared on Thursday.
“Thank you everyone for coming on this journey. If I mentioned everyone it would be 1000 tags.. but Thank you to the cast, crew, producers and studio. It wasn’t an easy decision but those who know, know.. I didn’t want to not acknowledge everyone involved and how big this was for TV and for our community,” Rose wrote alongside a fan-made video montage of the character.
“I have stayed silent because that’s my choice for now but know I adore you all. I’m sure next season will be amazing also,” she concluded. “Xxx *hangs up cowl and cape.”
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The series, which marked Rose’s first starring role, had already been renewed for a second season before her departure, leaving the studio, network, and Berlanti Productions on the hunt for a new actor to assume the role of Kate Kane, aka Batwoman.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the second season premiere has been pushed to January 2021, allowing more than enough time to recast the lead.
And since “Batwoman” is the first superhero live-action TV series to feature a gay or lesbian title character, the production team is seeking a “new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months,” the studio and network said in a statement.
“The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction,” the companies said last week.
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As for what Rose intends to do with her time off, she may have dropped a hint on Instagram stories.


huffpost--2020-05-28--Trump Readies Executive Order Targeting Protections For Social Media Companies

ASSOCIATED PRESS In this Tuesday , May 26 , 2020 file photo , President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during an event on protecting seniors with diabetes in the Rose Garden White House in Washington .
( AP Photo/Evan Vucci , File ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Thursday aimed at curbing liability protections for social media companies , two days after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets .
His proposed order would direct executive branch agencies including the Federal Communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study whether they can place new rules on the companies — though experts expressed doubts much could be done without an act of Congress .
Two administration officials outlined the draft order on the condition of anonymity because it was still being finalized Thursday morning .
But a draft was circulating on Twitter — where else ?
Trump on Wednesday claimed tech giants “ silence conservative voices.
” “ We will strongly regulate , or close them down , before we can ever allow this to happen.
” Trump and his campaign reacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots “ fraudulent ” and predicted “ mail boxes will be robbed.
” Under the tweets , there ’ s now a link reading “ Get the facts about mail-in ballots ” that guides users to a page with fact checks and news stories about Trump ’ s unsubstantiated claims .
Trump accused Twitter of interfering in the 2020 presidential election ” and declared “ as president , I will not allow this to happen.
” His campaign manager , Brad Parscale , said Twitter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign to pull “ all our advertising from Twitter months ago.
” In fact , Twitter has banned political advertising since last November .
Dorsey added : “ This does not make us an ‘ arbiter of truth.
’ Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves.
” “ I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn ’ t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online , ” he said .
Twitter ’ s decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in balloting came as the president was sparking another social media firestorm , continuing to stoke a debunked conspiracy theory suggesting MSNBC host Joe Scarborough killed a congressional office staffer .
Prominent Republicans , including Rep. Liz Cheney and Sen. Mitt Romney , have criticized him over that attack , which hasn ’ t been marked with a fact check by the social media company .
Trump and his allies have long accused the tech giants in liberal-leaning Silicon Valley of targeting conservatives on social media by fact-checking them or removing their posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , have scolded the platforms for allowing him to put forth false or misleading information that could confuse voters .
Some Trump allies have questioned whether platforms like Twitter and Facebook should continue to enjoy liability protections as “ platforms ” under federal law or be treated more like publishers , which can face lawsuits over content .
The executive order was expected to make that argument .
Meanwhile , the companies are gearing up to combat misinformation around the November elections .
Twitter and Facebook have begun rolling out dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the false postings about the candidates and the voting process that marred the 2016 election .
Last month , Twitter began a “ Get the Facts ” label to direct social media users to news articles from trusted outlets next to tweets containing misleading or disputed information about the virus .
Company leaders said the new labels could be applied to anyone on Twitter and they were considering using them on other topics .

In this Tuesday, May 26, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during an event on protecting seniors with diabetes in the Rose Garden White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Thursday aimed at curbing liability protections for social media companies, two days after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets.
Trump had threatened social media companies with new regulation or even shuttering, lambasting the new policy he believed interfered with his political messaging.
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But he alone can’t do that.
His proposed order would direct executive branch agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to study whether they can place new rules on the companies — though experts expressed doubts much could be done without an act of Congress.
A similar executive order was previously considered by the administration but shelved over concerns it couldn’t pass legal muster and that it violated conservative principles on deregulation and free speech.
Two administration officials outlined the draft order on the condition of anonymity because it was still being finalized Thursday morning. But a draft was circulating on Twitter — where else?
“This will be a Big Day for Social Media and FAIRNESS!” Trump tweeted.
Trump on Wednesday claimed tech giants “silence conservative voices.” “We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen.”
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Trump and his campaign reacted after Twitter added a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots “fraudulent” and predicted “mail boxes will be robbed.” Under the tweets, there’s now a link reading “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” that guides users to a page with fact checks and news stories about Trump’s unsubstantiated claims.
Trump accused Twitter of interfering in the 2020 presidential election” and declared “as president, I will not allow this to happen.” His campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said Twitter’s “clear political bias” had led the campaign to pull “all our advertising from Twitter months ago.” In fact, Twitter has banned political advertising since last November.
Late Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “We’ll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally.”
Dorsey added: “This does not make us an ‘arbiter of truth.’ Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves.”
On the other hand, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Fox News his platform has “a different policy, I think, than Twitter on this.”
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“I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online,” he said.
Twitter’s decision to mark Trump’s tweets regarding mail-in balloting came as the president was sparking another social media firestorm, continuing to stoke a debunked conspiracy theory suggesting MSNBC host Joe Scarborough killed a congressional office staffer. Prominent Republicans, including Rep. Liz Cheney and Sen. Mitt Romney, have criticized him over that attack, which hasn’t been marked with a fact check by the social media company.
Trump and his allies have long accused the tech giants in liberal-leaning Silicon Valley of targeting conservatives on social media by fact-checking them or removing their posts. The president’s critics, meanwhile, have scolded the platforms for allowing him to put forth false or misleading information that could confuse voters.
Some Trump allies have questioned whether platforms like Twitter and Facebook should continue to enjoy liability protections as “platforms” under federal law or be treated more like publishers, which can face lawsuits over content. The executive order was expected to make that argument.
The order was also expected to try to hold back federal advertising dollars from Twitter and other social media companies that “violate free speech principles.”
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Meanwhile, the companies are gearing up to combat misinformation around the November elections. Twitter and Facebook have begun rolling out dozens of new rules to avoid a repeat of the false postings about the candidates and the voting process that marred the 2016 election.
The coronavirus pandemic has further escalated the platforms’ response, leading them to take actions against politicians — a move they’ve long resisted — who make misleading claims about the virus.
Last month, Twitter began a “Get the Facts” label to direct social media users to news articles from trusted outlets next to tweets containing misleading or disputed information about the virus. Company leaders said the new labels could be applied to anyone on Twitter and they were considering using them on other topics.
The Democratic National Committee said Trump’s vote-by-mail tweets should have been removed, not just flagged, for violating the company’s rules on posting false voting information.
“After taking too long to act, Twitter once again came up short out of fear of upsetting Trump,” the party said in a statement.
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huffpost--2020-05-28--Kellyanne Conway Voted By Mail — But She Thinks You Should Have To Wait In Line

WASHINGTON — White House aide Kellyanne Conway — who , like her boss , the president , is falsely attacking voting by mail as prone to fraud — cast her own ballot by mail to vote in Bergen County , New Jersey , in the 2018 midterm election .
“ I mean , they wait in line for a Georgetown Cupcake for an hour , to get a cupcake , ” she told reporters at the White House .
“ So , I think they can probably wait in line to do something as consequential and critical and constitutionally significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was apparently unwilling to make that time commitment herself on Nov. 6 , 2018 , when she voted by mail , according to the Bergen County supervisor of elections .
Conway , who with her husband continues to own a home in northern New Jersey , tried to draw a distinction between an absentee ballot and a mail ballot , although many states — including New Jersey ― have no such distinction and allow voters to cast ballots by mail without having to assert that they will be out of town .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One completes it and posts it by U.S. Mail , ” Conway wrote in response to a HuffPost query .
“ Don ’ t confuse it with a ( non-absentee ) ‘ mail-in ballot ’ to serve your purposes.
” Records from the New Jersey Division of Elections show that the 2018 midterm was the first election in which Conway voted by mail rather than in person .
The records also indicate she failed to vote at all in the 2017 election , in which Democrat Phil Murphy defeated Republican Kim Guadagno @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generally have been repeating President Donald Trump ’ s claims that mail balloting is rife with fraud .
“ There is NO WAY ( ZERO ! )
that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent , ” Trump wrote in a post this week that earned a first-ever fact check warning from Twitter .
“ Mail boxes will be robbed , ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed.
” But Trump himself voted by mail in the Florida presidential primary election in March , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location on March 7 and 8 on his way to and from playing golf .
Instead , an RNC operative picked up his ballot for him on March 9 — an action that Trump and many Republicans have argued is an invitation to fraud .
The White House has refused to explain how Trump ’ s ballot got from Florida to the White House and then back to West Palm Beach on March 16 , the day it was hand-delivered to the elections office .
Trump , though , likely revealed his true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with Fox News on March 30 , when he explained why he opposed Democratic efforts to include an expansion of mail voting in the coronavirus relief legislation .
“ They had levels of voting , that if you ever agreed to it , you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again , ” Trump said .
“ This all comes from fear by Trump and like Republicans that more people voting means more non-white voters , ” said Stuart Stevens , a GOP consultant who worked on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney .
“ Data doesn ’ t support that , but data doesn ’ t support hydroxychloroquine , either.
” Conway ’ s colleague in the White House , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , also voted by mail in Florida — and , in fact , has only voted by mail since she began voting at age 20 in 2008 , according to Hillsborough County records .
“ Trump , Kayleigh , and now Kellyanne .
What a bunch of elitists , ” said Joe Walsh , the former GOP congressman who unsuccessfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They get to vote by mail but they don ’ t want their voters to ?
Further proof that Trump et al can ’ t stand their supporters .
”

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WASHINGTON — White House aide Kellyanne Conway — who, like her boss, the president, is falsely attacking voting by mail as prone to fraud — cast her own ballot by mail to vote in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the 2018 midterm election.
On Wednesday, Conway said voters should vote in person and compared it to the sacrifice involved in buying designer cupcakes.
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“I mean, they wait in line for a Georgetown Cupcake for an hour, to get a cupcake,” she told reporters at the White House. “So, I think they can probably wait in line to do something as consequential and critical and constitutionally significant as cast their ballot.”
Yet Conway was apparently unwilling to make that time commitment herself on Nov. 6, 2018, when she voted by mail, according to the Bergen County supervisor of elections.
Conway, who with her husband continues to own a home in northern New Jersey, tried to draw a distinction between an absentee ballot and a mail ballot, although many states — including New Jersey ― have no such distinction and allow voters to cast ballots by mail without having to assert that they will be out of town.
“That’s called an absentee ballot. One completes it and posts it by U.S. Mail,” Conway wrote in response to a HuffPost query. “Don’t confuse it with a (non-absentee) ‘mail-in ballot’ to serve your purposes.”
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Records from the New Jersey Division of Elections show that the 2018 midterm was the first election in which Conway voted by mail rather than in person. The records also indicate she failed to vote at all in the 2017 election, in which Democrat Phil Murphy defeated Republican Kim Guadagno to become governor.
White House officials generally have been repeating President Donald Trump’s claims that mail balloting is rife with fraud. “There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent,” Trump wrote in a post this week that earned a first-ever fact check warning from Twitter. “Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed.”
But Trump himself voted by mail in the Florida presidential primary election in March, even though he drove right past an early voting location on March 7 and 8 on his way to and from playing golf. Instead, an RNC operative picked up his ballot for him on March 9 — an action that Trump and many Republicans have argued is an invitation to fraud.
The White House has refused to explain how Trump’s ballot got from Florida to the White House and then back to West Palm Beach on March 16, the day it was hand-delivered to the elections office.
The RNC has also declined to comment.
Trump’s claims notwithstanding, elections experts have found that voting by mail does not lead to significant voter fraud.
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Trump, though, likely revealed his true reason for opposing mail voting in an interview with Fox News on March 30, when he explained why he opposed Democratic efforts to include an expansion of mail voting in the coronavirus relief legislation. “They had levels of voting, that if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Trump said.
“This all comes from fear by Trump and like Republicans that more people voting means more non-white voters,” said Stuart Stevens, a GOP consultant who worked on the campaigns of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. “Data doesn’t support that, but data doesn’t support hydroxychloroquine, either.”
Conway’s colleague in the White House, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, also voted by mail in Florida — and, in fact, has only voted by mail since she began voting at age 20 in 2008, according to Hillsborough County records.
“Trump, Kayleigh, and now Kellyanne. What a bunch of elitists,” said Joe Walsh, the former GOP congressman who unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the 2020 presidential nomination. “They get to vote by mail but they don’t want their voters to? Further proof that Trump et al can’t stand their supporters.”


huffpost--2020-05-28--Do You REALLY Need To Refrigerate Nut Butter?

While many of us are staying home during the coronavirus pandemic , any food that lasts a while and provides solid nutritional content is a staple .
Lately , you might find yourself staring down the various nut butter options in the pantry — cashew , almond and peanut — and thinking , “ Should I be refrigerating that ?
” Nut butter keeps you full for hours and fulfills your healthy fat needs , but it ’ s not uncommon to feel uneasy about the way you store it .
Some labels clearly state the product should be refrigerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an unusable texture .
Other labels are less clear , making you wonder how to keep it food-safe .
Natural and non-natural nut butters have different rules Natural nut butters — the easiest way to make this distinction , other than the label , is to check if there ’ s a layer of oil on top — are generally suggested to be stored in the refrigerator .
You don ’ t want that layer of oil to go rancid and ruin the flavor of your nut butter .
“ For maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nut butters , as the oils can go rancid after a while , especially if they ’ re exposed to warm or hot temperatures , ” explained Maggie Michalczyk , Chicago-based registered dietitian .
“ For nut butters that don ’ t have the layer of oil at the top , it ’ s perfectly fine to store them out of the fridge in your pantry with the lid closed .
Always store all nut butters in a cool , dry area.
” According to food safety expert and attorney Marc Sanchez , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food in the first place : Because keeping foods chilled at proper temperatures is one of the best ways to prevent or slow the growth of bacteria .
There are stabilizers used in non-natural nut butters that extend shelf life and make them safe to keep outside the refrigerator for long periods of time .
“ A natural type nut butter typically doesn ’ t contain stabilizers , and there ’ s a risk the oil could spoil if left at room temperature for more than three or four weeks , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible but generally doesn ’ t pose any serious health risks .
Take taste and texture into consideration If you put your natural nut butter in the fridge , you ’ ll notice it ’ s usually chunky and nearly impossible to spread .
So while the guidance tells us to refrigerate natural nut butters to prevent them from going rancid , keep in mind what Sanchez said ― rancid oil will taste bad , but it won ’ t make you sick .
So if you ’ re aiming for a smoother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep your natural nut butter in a cool , dry pantry .
Along with texture , Michalczyk recommends taking temperature into consideration .
“ Taste-wise , there is no difference between nut butters that are stored in the fridge versus the pantry , ” she said .
“ It ’ s more of a temperature thing .
If you don ’ t like your nut butter cold but you ’ re storing your oil-at-the-top nut butter in the fridge , you can always take it out for a few minutes before you plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to room temperature.
” While you ’ re at it , you probably shouldn ’ t eat your nut butter straight out of the jar While we ’ re on the topic of how to be safe with our nut butters , you might want to reconsider the habit of consuming nut butter by the spoonful .
According to Sanchez , multiple mouthfuls of nut butter from the same spoon could spread bacteria and moisture that could cause the nut butter to spoil sooner .
If the idea of kicking that habit is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If someone in your household has this habit , then refrigeration is best.
” While your natural nut butter will no doubt last longer if you refrigerate it , it ’ s comforting to know that as long as you ’ re responsibly storing your oil-topped nut butter in a cool , dry place and eating it within a few weeks ( and let ’ s be real , who isn ’ t these days ? )
, everything will be just fine .

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While many of us are staying home during the coronavirus pandemic, any food that lasts a while and provides solid nutritional content is a staple. Lately, you might find yourself staring down the various nut butter options in the pantry — cashew, almond and peanut — and thinking, “Should I be refrigerating that?”
Nut butter keeps you full for hours and fulfills your healthy fat needs, but it’s not uncommon to feel uneasy about the way you store it. Some labels clearly state the product should be refrigerated, but then the nut butter hardens to an unusable texture. Other labels are less clear, making you wonder how to keep it food-safe.
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In order to get some clear answers, we reached out to a food safety expert and a nutritionist. Here’s what they had to say.
Natural and non-natural nut butters have different rules
Whether it’s suggested that you refrigerate nut butter doesn’t depend on the type of nut used, but the method in which it’s prepared.
Natural nut butters — the easiest way to make this distinction, other than the label, is to check if there’s a layer of oil on top — are generally suggested to be stored in the refrigerator. You don’t want that layer of oil to go rancid and ruin the flavor of your nut butter.
If you opt for a non-natural, “no stir” type of nut butter (think popular peanut butter brands like Skippy or Jif), storing them in the pantry is completely fine.
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AtlasStudio via Getty Images If your nut butter contains a layer of oil on the top, it's suggested you refrigerate it. At the very least, keep it in a cool, dry place.
“For maximum freshness, I would recommend refrigerating natural-type nut butters, as the oils can go rancid after a while, especially if they’re exposed to warm or hot temperatures,” explained Maggie Michalczyk, Chicago-based registered dietitian. “For nut butters that don’t have the layer of oil at the top, it’s perfectly fine to store them out of the fridge in your pantry with the lid closed. Always store all nut butters in a cool, dry area.”
According to food safety expert and attorney Marc Sanchez, there’s a reason we refrigerate food in the first place: Because keeping foods chilled at proper temperatures is one of the best ways to prevent or slow the growth of bacteria. There are stabilizers used in non-natural nut butters that extend shelf life and make them safe to keep outside the refrigerator for long periods of time. “A natural type nut butter typically doesn’t contain stabilizers, and there’s a risk the oil could spoil if left at room temperature for more than three or four weeks,” he said, adding that rancid oil tastes terrible but generally doesn’t pose any serious health risks.
Take taste and texture into consideration
If you put your natural nut butter in the fridge, you’ll notice it’s usually chunky and nearly impossible to spread. So while the guidance tells us to refrigerate natural nut butters to prevent them from going rancid, keep in mind what Sanchez said ― rancid oil will taste bad, but it won’t make you sick. So if you’re aiming for a smoother, more spreadable texture, you can keep your natural nut butter in a cool, dry pantry.
Along with texture, Michalczyk recommends taking temperature into consideration. “Taste-wise, there is no difference between nut butters that are stored in the fridge versus the pantry,” she said. “It’s more of a temperature thing. If you don’t like your nut butter cold but you’re storing your oil-at-the-top nut butter in the fridge, you can always take it out for a few minutes before you plan on having it to help bring it to room temperature.”
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While you’re at it, you probably shouldn’t eat your nut butter straight out of the jar
While we’re on the topic of how to be safe with our nut butters, you might want to reconsider the habit of consuming nut butter by the spoonful. According to Sanchez, multiple mouthfuls of nut butter from the same spoon could spread bacteria and moisture that could cause the nut butter to spoil sooner. If the idea of kicking that habit is heartbreaking, Sanchez has a suggestion. “If someone in your household has this habit, then refrigeration is best.”


huffpost--2020-05-28--'Historic' Move Could Force Chevron To Be Transparent About Climate Lobbying

At the company ’ s annual meeting on May 26 , 53 % of shareholders voted in favor of the lobbying resolution , in defiance of the board ’ s recommendation to investors to vote against it .
Chevron argued that the measure was unnecessary because it already disclosed its lobbying activities .
Oil companies like Exxon and Chevron have said they support the Paris agreement ’ s goal of limiting global temperature rise to 2°C ( 3.6°F ) above preindustrial levels , but activists have long been pushing them to do more .
This resolution was a call for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t lobbying against — or funding trade organizations that actively oppose — action on climate change .
Environmental activists are counting the successful Chevron vote as a small win in a protracted campaign to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their impact on climate change .
And they will be keeping a close eye on how the successful vote might impact other efforts .
In the next two weeks , two similar resolutions on climate-related lobbying disclosures will be voted on at the annual meetings of General Motors and Caterpillar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized for spending millions lobbying against environmental regulations while green groups are typically the ones pushing lawmakers for stronger climate protections .
But that doesn ’ t need to be the case .
As Logan notes , if oil companies are serious about tackling climate change , how they lobby decision makers should reflect that .
The proposal was introduced by global asset manager BNP Paribas Asset Management , which has increasingly prioritized sustainable investments in recent years .
Chevron ’ s second-biggest shareholder , BlackRock ― whose CEO Larry Fink said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in companies that “ present a high sustainability-related risk ” ― also supported the resolution .
The vote comes after mounting calls for increased corporate transparency across sectors , from fossil fuels and chemical corporations to airlines and car companies .
Investors with a combined $ 6.5 trillion in assets under management urged companies last September to ensure corporate and trade association lobbying are consistent and aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement .
However , while the lobbying measure saw favor with Chevron shareholders , separate measures proposed at both the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies to report on the public health risks of expanding petrochemical operations in areas increasingly prone to climate change were shot down .
“ Exxon and Chevron continue to give lip service to the goals of the Paris Agreement , while failing to clarify for investors if or how they will reduce their emissions in alignment with the Paris Agreement ’ s critical 1.5 degree Celsius goal , ” Danielle Fugere , president of As You Sow , which backed the measures , said in a statement shared with HuffPost .
“ Rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with proactive plans and long-term business strategies responsive to the global energy transition , Exxon and Chevron ’ s focus appears short term as they lag their European peers , ” Fugere said .
“ Their actions are exacerbating the climate crisis and , in turn , putting their own operations , communities , and investors ’ portfolios at risk.
” In February , British oil major BP announced arguably the most ambitious climate plan by an oil company , pledging to eliminate or offset all of its operational emissions , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gas , by 2050 .
And in December , Spanish oil company Repsol vowed to go carbon neutral by 2050 .
Even while the announcements were praised as a step in the right direction , some activists and experts criticized the broad plans for having vague details on how the targets would be achieved .
Meanwhile , the pandemic has all too well highlighted just how precarious the fossil fuel market is right now ― oil prices plunged below zero for the first time ever in April .
At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic ’ s economic shocks .
This week Chevron announced that it would be cutting up to 15 % of its staff worldwide as it tries to restructure , in part due to the continued economic slump .
But even before the coronavirus hit , investors were weary .
This was made clear this year not just by BlackRock but also by CNBC ’ s Jim Cramer , host of “ Mad Money , ” in February .
Responding to the fourth-quarter earnings reports released by oil majors showing a continued decline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m done with fossil fuels .
They ’ re done .
They ’ re just done .
”

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In what may be considered a “historic,” if largely symbolic, first, Chevron’s shareholders are sending a message to the fossil fuel giant: Make good on your climate promises — we’re watching you.
A majority of Chevron’s investors agreed Tuesday that the company must produce a report detailing how much of its lobbying efforts align with the Paris climate goals of avoiding dangerous global warming.
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At the company’s annual meeting on May 26, 53% of shareholders voted in favor of the lobbying resolution, in defiance of the board’s recommendation to investors to vote against it. Chevron argued that the measure was unnecessary because it already disclosed its lobbying activities.
Oil companies like Exxon and Chevron have said they support the Paris agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rise to 2°C (3.6°F) above preindustrial levels, but activists have long been pushing them to do more. This resolution was a call for greater transparency and reassurance that oil companies aren’t lobbying against — or funding trade organizations that actively oppose — action on climate change.
The company later said that shareholder resolutions are “advisory votes” and that it will “carefully consider” the results. A similar resolution was rejected by investors at ExxonMobil’s annual meeting.
Fossil fuel companies have been criticized for spending millions lobbying against environmental regulations. But investors are now calling on them to push lawmakers to uphold the Paris climate targets. amriphoto via Getty Images
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Environmental activists are counting the successful Chevron vote as a small win in a protracted campaign to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their impact on climate change. And they will be keeping a close eye on how the successful vote might impact other efforts. In the next two weeks, two similar resolutions on climate-related lobbying disclosures will be voted on at the annual meetings of General Motors and Caterpillar.
Commenting on the “historic 53% majority” vote, Andrew Logan, senior director of oil and gas at sustainability nonprofit Ceres, said in a statement that this “puts Chevron, and companies everywhere, on notice that investors view lobbying as a critical part of a company’s core climate strategy.”
Historically, fossil fuel companies have been criticized for spending millions lobbying against environmental regulations while green groups are typically the ones pushing lawmakers for stronger climate protections. But that doesn’t need to be the case. As Logan notes, if oil companies are serious about tackling climate change, how they lobby decision makers should reflect that.
The proposal was introduced by global asset manager BNP Paribas Asset Management, which has increasingly prioritized sustainable investments in recent years. Chevron’s second-biggest shareholder, BlackRock ― whose CEO Larry Fink said in January that the firm would avoid investments in companies that “present a high sustainability-related risk” ― also supported the resolution.
The vote comes after mounting calls for increased corporate transparency across sectors, from fossil fuels and chemical corporations to airlines and car companies. Investors with a combined $6.5 trillion in assets under management urged companies last September to ensure corporate and trade association lobbying are consistent and aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
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However, while the lobbying measure saw favor with Chevron shareholders, separate measures proposed at both the Chevron and Exxon meetings calling on the companies to report on the public health risks of expanding petrochemical operations in areas increasingly prone to climate change were shot down.
Fossil fuel companies are exacerbating the climate crisis if they keep drilling for new oil activists say. ROBYN BECK via Getty Images
“Exxon and Chevron continue to give lip service to the goals of the Paris Agreement, while failing to clarify for investors if or how they will reduce their emissions in alignment with the Paris Agreement’s critical 1.5 degree Celsius goal,” Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow, which backed the measures, said in a statement shared with HuffPost.
“Rather than meet the science head on, with proactive plans and long-term business strategies responsive to the global energy transition, Exxon and Chevron’s focus appears short term as they lag their European peers,” Fugere said. “Their actions are exacerbating the climate crisis and, in turn, putting their own operations, communities, and investors’ portfolios at risk.”
In February, British oil major BP announced arguably the most ambitious climate plan by an oil company, pledging to eliminate or offset all of its operational emissions, along with those caused by the extraction of oil and gas, by 2050. And in December, Spanish oil company Repsol vowed to go carbon neutral by 2050. Even while the announcements were praised as a step in the right direction, some activists and experts criticized the broad plans for having vague details on how the targets would be achieved.
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Meanwhile, the pandemic has all too well highlighted just how precarious the fossil fuel market is right now ― oil prices plunged below zero for the first time ever in April. At the same time, renewables are proving resilient to the pandemic’s economic shocks.
This week Chevron announced that it would be cutting up to 15% of its staff worldwide as it tries to restructure, in part due to the continued economic slump.
But even before the coronavirus hit, investors were weary. This was made clear this year not just by BlackRock but also by CNBC’s Jim Cramer, host of “Mad Money,” in February. Responding to the fourth-quarter earnings reports released by oil majors showing a continued decline in stock prices, Cramer said, “I’m done with fossil fuels. They’re done. They’re just done.”
Many of Chevron’s investors seem to be of a similar mindset.
“Chevron’s investors have proven that climate risk is a real financial risk, and that how a company lobbies matters to investors in their evaluation of that risk,” concluded Ceres’s Logan. “They suspect Chevron is falling short, and they held them to account with this majority vote.”
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huffpost--2020-05-27--HBO Max Debuts With A Magical Surprise, But Is It Enough?

At the last minute , HBO Max also secured the entire “ Harry Potter ” catalog .
That magical addition was up in the air for the last few weeks since NBC Universal had locked up TV and digital rights to the movies based on J.K. Rowling ’ s fantasy book series back in 2016 .
But the team at HBO Max pushed hard to give the Boy Who Lived a life on their platform and so all eight of the Warner Bros. films appeared on the homepage at launch time .
( NBCU will reportedly continue to air the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How To Get Started Leigh Blickley : Bill , HBO Max has arrived and I , for one , am impressed .
No Baby Yoda , but no glitches !
And lots of “ Harry Potter.
” All I had to do was sign in with my cable package , and I was good to go .
How about you ?
Bill Bradley : Leigh , HBO Max reminds me of the first time I watched “ Inception.
” It ’ s confusing .
If you have HBO Go and HBO Now already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another entry in the HBO Cinematic Universe ?
Also , it ’ s not on certain devices , such as Roku and the Amazon Fire .
I signed in with my HBO Now account , but honestly I didn ’ t know if I ’ d have access until recently .
If you don ’ t have HBO Now or a cable package , you can also just separately purchase a $ 14.99-per-month subscription to HBO Max .
Even though I don ’ t get it ( and my credit card and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more streaming platforms ) , I like what I see .
I don ’ t need to know what dream level I ’ m on .
I just need to know “ Harry Potter ” will be there .
LB : Yes , I was also confused by the Go , Now , Max of it all , but as HBO explains it , Max is a WarnerMedia platform bundling all of the network ’ s content together with new originals plus classic movies and TV series .
( Go is a free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a stand-alone service for cord-cutters . )
Still puzzling , but whatever .
Once you sign in to HBO Max , the homepage is easy to navigate .
As you scroll down , you see categories like “ Featured Series , ” “ Max Originals , ” “ Featured Movies , ” “ HBO Series ” and “ Rom-Com Favorites , ” and then can add titles to your watchlist .
( Similar to Netflix . )
For those interested , I added all of the “ Harry Potter ” movies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trilogy and the “ Bachelor ” franchise to my docket with plans of watching them marathon-style one quarantined day .
Yes , Bill , if you ’ re into it , a few of the “ Bachelor ” and “ Bachelorette ” seasons are available to binge , including some international installments .
This platform truly has something for everyone !
The HBO Max library is , in a word , strange .
In two words , very strange .
There ’ s obviously not a ton of original Max content due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got a lot of cartoons and children ’ s shows , and it lists the “ Police Academy ” movies as a “ blockbuster franchise.
” That being said , this is basically an add-on to my HBO Now account , which I was already paying for .
So I ’ ll take it .
LB : And Turner Classic Movies !
But good point on the strangeness of selections .
I know it ’ s based on a novel , but “ The Town ” seems like an odd choice for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m looking forward to watching “ Singin ’ in the Rain ” followed by “ Jaws , ” because that ’ s just who I am these days .
LB : I ’ m pretty sure nothing can compare to Netflix .
Their library is just always stocked and constantly refreshed .
It ’ ll be interesting to see whether production shutdowns affect their upcoming schedule , but for now they stand pretty tall above Hulu and Amazon .
As for the newbies , HBO Max features both family-friendly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on Disney+ , and unlike Apple TV+ , it has more than just originals .
In truth , I ’ m more so leaning toward Max when considering those three .
In terms of Quibi , well , what ’ s there to say ?
That ’ s just a riot .
And we ’ ll have to see what NBC ’ s Peacock delivers this summer .
But HBO Max has a weird mix of things , dude .
Are Cartoon Network fans also the demo that ’ s binge-watching “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point , it almost feels like buying a whole CD just to listen to one song , whichever song that is .
You have to really love “ All Star ” to buy all of Smash Mouth ’ s “ Astro Lounge.
” But that is something I did ( “ All Star ” was slapping way before “ Shrek ” ) .
If HBO Max was separate from HBO Now , I just wouldn ’ t have subscribed .
But since it ’ s an add-on , I actually think this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you still get your HBO and now you ’ ve just discovered a Room of Requirement filled with all the lost TV shows and movies that didn ’ t have another home .
Is It Worth It ?

Presley Ann via Getty Images
A new streaming player has entered the game.
After months of anticipation, HBO Max arrived on Wednesday to amp up the streaming wars with fellow newcomers Disney+ and Apple TV+, as well as field dominator Netflix. The stand-alone service ― which is a separate beast from HBO Go and HBO Now ― costs $14.99 a month for non-HBO subscribers. (HBO Now and HBO cable subscribers receive HBO Max at no additional cost.)
The service already features 10,000 hours of premium content. Everything from series like “The Sopranos” and “Game of Thrones” to Max Originals like “Love Life” and beloved sitcoms and movies, including “Friends” and “A Star Is Born,” are available on the platform, guaranteeing a big splash this summer.
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At the last minute, HBO Max also secured the entire “Harry Potter” catalog. That magical addition was up in the air for the last few weeks since NBC Universal had locked up TV and digital rights to the movies based on J.K. Rowling’s fantasy book series back in 2016. But the team at HBO Max pushed hard to give the Boy Who Lived a life on their platform and so all eight of the Warner Bros. films appeared on the homepage at launch time. (NBCU will reportedly continue to air the films on its linear networks.)
Corporate negotiations aside, fans couldn’t contain their excitement.
All 8 Harry Potter Movies are on #HBOMax pic.twitter.com/8DPh6Jzlpa — myvcrstillworks (@myVCRstillworks) May 27, 2020
wait wait wait, did Warner get the licensing rights to the Harry Potter films back from Universal? they aren’t supposed to be on HBO Max????? #HBOMax pic.twitter.com/24d559li7q — Robert (@roblmn) May 27, 2020
HARRY POTTER IS FINALLY ON A STREAMING PLATFORM Y’ALL #HBOMax pic.twitter.com/nblFrOMEUI — Jenn✨ (@jennnboc) May 27, 2020
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But what else does HBO Max have to offer? HuffPost entertainment reporters Leigh Blickley and Bill Bradley walk through the streaming service and let potential viewers in on what they need to know.
The Bottom Line
HBO Max draws you in with “Friends” and “Harry Potter,” but it still might not be worth spending your hard-earned cash on.
Actor Daniel Radcliffe as the title character in the Warner Bros. film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," now available on HBO Max. Ho New / Reuters
How To Get Started
Leigh Blickley: Bill, HBO Max has arrived and I, for one, am impressed. No Baby Yoda, but no glitches! And lots of “Harry Potter.” All I had to do was sign in with my cable package, and I was good to go. How about you?
Bill Bradley: Leigh, HBO Max reminds me of the first time I watched “Inception.” It’s confusing. If you have HBO Go and HBO Now already, why are you trying to make another entry in the HBO Cinematic Universe? Also, it’s not on certain devices, such as Roku and the Amazon Fire.
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I signed in with my HBO Now account, but honestly I didn’t know if I’d have access until recently. If you don’t have HBO Now or a cable package, you can also just separately purchase a $14.99-per-month subscription to HBO Max. Even though I don’t get it (and my credit card and I both agree we don’t need more streaming platforms), I like what I see. I don’t need to know what dream level I’m on. I just need to know “Harry Potter” will be there.
LB: Yes, I was also confused by the Go, Now, Max of it all, but as HBO explains it, Max is a WarnerMedia platform bundling all of the network’s content together with new originals plus classic movies and TV series. (Go is a free streaming service for HBO subscribers; Now is a stand-alone service for cord-cutters.) Still puzzling, but whatever.
Once you sign in to HBO Max, the homepage is easy to navigate. As you scroll down, you see categories like “Featured Series,” “Max Originals,” “Featured Movies,” “HBO Series” and “Rom-Com Favorites,” and then can add titles to your watchlist. (Similar to Netflix.) For those interested, I added all of the “Harry Potter” movies, the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the “Bachelor” franchise to my docket with plans of watching them marathon-style one quarantined day. Yes, Bill, if you’re into it, a few of the “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” seasons are available to binge, including some international installments. This platform truly has something for everyone!
Season 20 of "The Bachelor" with Ben Higgins is available on HBO Max. Rick Rowell via Getty Images
What To Watch
BB: I tried to watch the “Bachelor” live premiere before, and even the audience members were proposing to each other. TBH, I’m not sure if I’m ready for that type of commitment.
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The HBO Max library is, in a word, strange. In two words, very strange. There’s obviously not a ton of original Max content due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s got a lot of cartoons and children’s shows, and it lists the “Police Academy” movies as a “blockbuster franchise.” That being said, this is basically an add-on to my HBO Now account, which I was already paying for. So I’ll take it.
Like you mentioned, having the “Harry Potter” movies, which weren’t previously announced, is a riddikulusly magical surprise. There are also a lot of other great random things like movies from Studio Ghibli and “Adventure Time.”
LB: And Turner Classic Movies! But good point on the strangeness of selections. I know it’s based on a novel, but “The Town” seems like an odd choice for the category “Book Club.” I digress. I’m looking forward to watching “Singin’ in the Rain” followed by “Jaws,” because that’s just who I am these days.
BB: That’s re-leigh Leigh. Bringing it back to commitments, I already have Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, Disney +, even Quibi. (Yeah, I still have Quibi.) How do you think HBO Max compares, and is it worth it as a stand-alone streamer?
HBO Max vs. Other Streaming Services
LB: I’m pretty sure nothing can compare to Netflix. Their library is just always stocked and constantly refreshed. It’ll be interesting to see whether production shutdowns affect their upcoming schedule, but for now they stand pretty tall above Hulu and Amazon. As for the newbies, HBO Max features both family-friendly and adult content so it has a leg up on Disney+, and unlike Apple TV+, it has more than just originals. In truth, I’m more so leaning toward Max when considering those three. In terms of Quibi, well, what’s there to say? That’s just a riot. And we’ll have to see what NBC’s Peacock delivers this summer.
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Bill, do you have a preference when it comes to the big streamers?
BB: Oh, wow. With all this talk about HBO Max, for a second I lived in a world where Peacock didn’t exist and I was still overwhelmed.
Interface-wise, it’s easy to use. I’ve never loved HBO’s video player, but as long as you’re using it in a browser, the platform doesn’t seem to have the connectivity issues Disney + originally had at launch.
But HBO Max has a weird mix of things, dude. Are Cartoon Network fans also the demo that’s binge-watching “Friends”? Maybe. But at this point, it almost feels like buying a whole CD just to listen to one song, whichever song that is. You have to really love “All Star” to buy all of Smash Mouth’s “Astro Lounge.” But that is something I did (“All Star” was slapping way before “Shrek”).
If HBO Max was separate from HBO Now, I just wouldn’t have subscribed. But since it’s an add-on, I actually think this puts it right behind Netflix, because you still get your HBO and now you’ve just discovered a Room of Requirement filled with all the lost TV shows and movies that didn’t have another home.
LB: Great way to put it. I’ve been looking to watch the rom-com “Something Borrowed” for weeks and finally found it on HBO Max. It’s the little things, Bill.
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Now, I’m with you on streaming fatigue ― there are almost too many services to sign up for/check out/scroll through all day. And that’s on top of your cable bill, if you have one. So, do you think HBO Max is worth it for non-HBO subscribers? Would you pay $14.99 a month?
Is It Worth It?
BB: Well, as a matter of fact, I am paying $14.99 lol. So I guess I’m going to have to say yes? Again, if it was separate from my HBO account, not a chance. Wait, so I have to pay $14.99 a month for the privilege of watching the Snyder Cut? No, thanks. But since it’s included with HBO, I guess I’ll see director Zack Snyder’s “darker” vision for “Justice League” finally realized. Whatever. As long as everybody’s moms aren’t all named Martha.
I know you’re the one “Lord of the Rings” fan to rule them all, so what do you think? Should people watch it?
LB: In my opinion, if you’re an HBO subscriber or have HBO Now, enjoy Max. (And “LOTR.”) If not, maybe wait a bit and decide if it’s really essential to your no doubt already stocked lineup of streaming services. (I’d personally hate to shell out more of my coveted paycheck for yet another platform.)
But how much content does one person need these days? A lot, apparently. So everyone do you.


huffpost--2020-05-28--Lady Gaga And Blackpink Are In Your Area With Sweet New Bop 'Sour Candy'

Sour never tasted so sweet on Lady Gaga ’ s new pop confection with the megapopular K-pop girl group Blackpink .
The next taste of the singer ’ s forthcoming sixth studio album “ Chromatica ” arrived ahead of schedule on Thursday morning and , in case her last Ariana-Grande-assisted track hadn ’ t made it clear , it ’ s a pop emergency .
Fusing Gaga and Blackpink ’ s distinct sounds into one dance-floor-primed , ’ 90s-house-inspired bop , “ Sour Candy ” lives up to the hype surrounding the long in the works collaboration that fans have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
The track ’ s title is a play on how the group demands to be seen as more than just one thing : Yes , they may be “ hard on the outside , ” but if you give them time to unwrap , then sweetness abounds .
“ I ’ m sour candy , so sweet then I get a little angry , ” Blackpink ’ s Jennie and Lisa sing both in English and Korean to kick off the song .
“ I ’ m super psycho , make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low.
” Then Gaga takes a bite of the track , speak-singing her way through various candy-themed double entendres .
“ I might be messed up , but I know what ’ s up , ” she sings .
“ You want a real taste ?
At least I ’ m not a fake .
Come unwrap me.
” In a recent interview , Gaga revealed that she approached the girl group about coming aboard the album .
“ I wanted to celebrate them because they love powerful women like us , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we had a great time together with this song , ” she told the Japanese outlet TV Groove , according to Rolling Stone .
“ I was excited to hear them interpret the song in Korean , and told them that the part was so creative and fun .
I was impressed when I heard their singing voice .
I ’ m a woman , really talented and proud to be the fifth member of Blackpink ( in this song ) .
” “ Chromatica , ” which arrives on Friday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also features a yet-to-be-heard collaboration with Elton John titled “ Sine From Above .
”

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Sour never tasted so sweet on Lady Gaga’s new pop confection with the megapopular K-pop girl group Blackpink.
The next taste of the singer’s forthcoming sixth studio album “Chromatica” arrived ahead of schedule on Thursday morning and, in case her last Ariana-Grande-assisted track hadn’t made it clear, it’s a pop emergency.
Advertisement
Fusing Gaga and Blackpink’s distinct sounds into one dance-floor-primed, ’90s-house-inspired bop, “Sour Candy” lives up to the hype surrounding the long in the works collaboration that fans have been filling up their mentions about for years.
The track’s title is a play on how the group demands to be seen as more than just one thing: Yes, they may be “hard on the outside,” but if you give them time to unwrap, then sweetness abounds.
“I’m sour candy, so sweet then I get a little angry,” Blackpink’s Jennie and Lisa sing both in English and Korean to kick off the song. “I’m super psycho, make you crazy when I turn the lights low.”
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Then Gaga takes a bite of the track, speak-singing her way through various candy-themed double entendres.
“I might be messed up, but I know what’s up,” she sings. “You want a real taste? At least I’m not a fake. Come unwrap me.”
In a recent interview, Gaga revealed that she approached the girl group about coming aboard the album.
“I wanted to celebrate them because they love powerful women like us, and they also wanted to celebrate me, and we had a great time together with this song,” she told the Japanese outlet TV Groove, according to Rolling Stone. “I was excited to hear them interpret the song in Korean, and told them that the part was so creative and fun. I was impressed when I heard their singing voice. I’m a woman, really talented and proud to be the fifth member of Blackpink (in this song).”
“Chromatica,” which arrives on Friday after an initial delay due to the coronavirus, also features a yet-to-be-heard collaboration with Elton John titled “Sine From Above.”
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