huffpost--2020-06-11--The Difference Between A Therapist, Psychologist And Psychiatrist

However , seeking out mental health help is no easy task .
It takes work to find a match who meets your needs , and that starts with discerning which type of expert will work best for you .
Do you need a psychiatrist ?
A therapist ?
A psychologist ?
A licensed clinical social worker ?
What is even the difference ?
Psychologist : The expert who mainly focuses on mental health issues and management .
What distinguishes psychologists from other mental health providers is their knowledge of and treatment ability for a wide range of mental health issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health disorder , but they can also go if they need help with everyday issues and stressors ― like overwhelming anger or sadness , panic attacks , headaches , sleep disturbances , etc .
― have become difficult to manage .
A psychologist is often the go-to provider when a patient thinks they might need an evaluation for unexplainable mood symptoms and/or ineffective interpersonal functioning .
It is also a standard practice for family medical practitioners to refer to a psychologist before prescribing psychiatric medication or referring them to someone who can , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perry Psychological & Consultation Services in Rockwall , Texas .
Once a formulation is made about symptoms and a comprehensive treatment plan is developed , the psychologist will then typically hop into utilizing an evidence-based treatment , such as cognitive-behavioral therapy , Perry said .
She described CBT as “ a treatment that helps you focus less on what happens to you but rather better understand the connection between how your perception of the event negatively impacts your behavior and emotions.
” Psychiatrist : The doctor who will likely prescribe any medication you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will typically have a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree .
It is also required that they complete a residency in psychiatry and that they are licensed in the state wherever they are practicing .
Psychiatrists may also be credentialed as “ board certified ” by the Board of Neurology and Psychiatry .
Therapists : The professional ( and term ) most commonly associated with regular talk therapy .
Figuring out which type of mental health professional to see can be daunting , but pairing yourself with the right type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get the care you are seeking out .

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At this point, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t experienced extreme stress or fear in the last few months. Our mental health is at risk, between police brutality and racial trauma and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to recent data, about one-third of Americans are exhibiting clinical signs of depression, anxiety or both. And managing that may require help from a professional.
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“Now that telehealth is being so widely adopted, I hope that more people will turn to mental health providers sooner rather than later. This is what we’re trained for and we’re here to help,” said Ariana Mufson, a licensed independent clinical social worker in Brookline, Massachusetts.
However, seeking out mental health help is no easy task. It takes work to find a match who meets your needs, and that starts with discerning which type of expert will work best for you. Do you need a psychiatrist? A therapist? A psychologist? A licensed clinical social worker? What is even the difference?
While some of these professionals provide similar services, stark variations exist among them. Here’s a breakdown of what each one does so you can better determine what kind of mental health professional may be the most suited for you:
Psychologist: The expert who mainly focuses on mental health issues and management.
Psychologists are doctoral-level mental health providers who have typically earned a doctor of philosophy or doctor of psychology degree.
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What distinguishes psychologists from other mental health providers is their knowledge of and treatment ability for a wide range of mental health issues. People see psychologists for a mental health disorder, but they can also go if they need help with everyday issues and stressors ― like overwhelming anger or sadness, panic attacks, headaches, sleep disturbances, etc. ― have become difficult to manage.
A psychologist is often the go-to provider when a patient thinks they might need an evaluation for unexplainable mood symptoms and/or ineffective interpersonal functioning. It is also a standard practice for family medical practitioners to refer to a psychologist before prescribing psychiatric medication or referring them to someone who can, said QuaVaundra Perry, a psychologist with Perry Psychological & Consultation Services in Rockwall, Texas.
“A psychologist is skilled at clinical interviews and comprehensive psychological evaluations to confirm and rule out mental illness diagnoses.” - QuaVaundra Perry
“A psychologist is skilled at clinical interviews and comprehensive psychological evaluations to confirm and rule out mental illness diagnoses,” Perry said. “These sessions are useful because they illuminate and help people make sense of their symptoms, since most people’s experience is not as clear as a textbook description.”
Once a formulation is made about symptoms and a comprehensive treatment plan is developed, the psychologist will then typically hop into utilizing an evidence-based treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, Perry said. She described CBT as “a treatment that helps you focus less on what happens to you but rather better understand the connection between how your perception of the event negatively impacts your behavior and emotions.”
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Joy Lere, a psychologist practicing in Napa, California, noted that psychologists are credentialed and licensed by the state. Those who have completed their doctorate studies “are required to complete a specific number of supervised hours and pass state licensure examinations following graduation in order to practice as a psychologist,” she said.
Aimee Daramus, a psychologist in Chicago, also noted that in a few states, including Illinois, New Mexico, Iowa, Idaho and Louisiana, psychologists can prescribe a limited range of mental health medications if they have an additional masters degree in psychopharmacology. But typically this practice is rare.
Psychiatrist: The doctor who will likely prescribe any medication you may need.
A psychiatrist is a licensed medical doctor who has completed psychiatric training. This professional is licensed to diagnose mental health conditions and can also prescribe and monitor medications, such as antidepressants.
“Many psychiatrists are also trained to do talk therapy,” said Fran Walfish, a Beverly Hills, California-based family and relationship psychotherapist and author of “The Self-Aware Parent.”
However, most psychiatrists will focus on the condition and subsequent treatment from a physiological standpoint. This often means analyzing the symptoms, then prescribing medication to help manage a mental health disorder.
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In plenty of cases, a psychiatrist will also talk about your relationships, especially parental ones, starting with analyzing your early childhood. But many psychiatrists will refer a patient to a psychologist or another therapist for more in-depth, talk-therapy-based treatments.
These mental health professionals will typically have a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree. It is also required that they complete a residency in psychiatry and that they are licensed in the state wherever they are practicing. Psychiatrists may also be credentialed as “board certified” by the Board of Neurology and Psychiatry.
artbesouro via Getty Images Finding the right type of mental health professional is the first step to getting help.
Therapists: The professional (and term) most commonly associated with regular talk therapy.
“Therapist” is basically a catch-all term for master-level mental health professionals who can help treat mental health struggles. And the term “counselor” and “therapist” are often used interchangeably.
This group, outside of psychologists and psychiatrists, can include social workers (LCSWs), marriage and family therapists (MFTs), and licensed professional clinical counselors (LPCC). These experts typically will have attended a two-year graduate school program after obtaining their undergraduate degree, said Emin Gharibian, a psychologist with Verdugo Psychological Associates In Los Angeles.
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“There are some minor differences between these degrees, but for the most part, (therapists) will do individual and group therapy in a variety of settings, including private practice, schools, hospitals, clinics, community mental health centers, jails and prisons,” he said.
Ted Chan, CEO of the health care directory CareDash, noted that those with just this level of training and certification cannot prescribe medication.
“For patients that require therapy to manage more defined day-to-day issues, counselors are typically easier to schedule, more responsive and less expensive,” he said.
“I don’t give up fighting for what is right and just for my clients, and I help them discover their best interests, their self-respect, their empowerment, and their ability to evolve and grow.” - Lynn Zaker
The differences between the different practitioners within this group vary depending on the treatment setting. For example, Amy Rollo, owner of Heights Family Counseling in Houston, explained that “a marriage and family therapist’s training is heavily focused on relationships and systems, as well treating couples and families.”
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When a licensed MFT “is working with an individual, they seek to understand the impact relationships have on an individual’s life and mood,” she said.
Licensed clinical social workers provide therapy and diagnostic evaluations to help with emotional support and mental health issues.
“Many social workers specialize in working with vulnerable and marginalized populations, as well as help treat systemic racial trauma,” Rollo said. “Using case management skills, social workers are able to provide therapy, as well as coordinate and manage the care of additional resources to meet the client’s needs.”
They can also work in various settings. Lynn Zakeri, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Skokie, Illinois, previously worked with foster families and as a school social worker.
“I don’t give up fighting for what is right and just for my clients, and I help them discover their best interests, their self-respect, their empowerment, and their ability to evolve and grow,” she said.
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Other types of therapists can include substance abuse or behavioral disorder-focused counselors, like for eating disorders, alcohol abuse and more.
Pastoral counselors offer similar services to that of a therapist or clinical counselor, but will also incorporate theological, religious or spiritual teachings alongside psychotherapy. Pastoral counselors often help clients deal with faith, marriage, family and other personal issues.
These professionals are typically clergy members with clinical pastoral education training and often hold an educational background in counseling and/or a postgraduate university degree. They are accredited by a local religious community and are members of the Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC).


huffpost--2020-06-11--Kelly Clarkson Files For Divorce From Brandon Blackstock After Nearly 7 Years Of Marriage

“ It ’ s a really beautiful ranch and it ’ s a nice getaway for our family , ” @ @ @ @ @ recent tour of the property .
“ It ’ s something Brandon and I have @ @ @ @ @ both kids .
This is what we would call home.
” Clarkson recently unloaded another @ @ @ @ @ $ 10 million mansion in Encino , California .

“It’s a really beautiful ranch and it’s a nice getaway for our family,” the singer said during a recent tour of the property. “It’s something Brandon and I have dreamed about since we were both kids. This is what we would call home.”
Clarkson recently unloaded another of her homes, a $10 million mansion in Encino, California.


huffpost--2020-06-11--Racism Is A Mental Health Crisis. Here's How To Fight It.

Exhaustion .
If one word has echoed around our social media feeds these past few weeks , it ’ s this one .
Black people are tired : tired of justifying how we feel , as if 400 years of oppression were not enough to explain it ; tired of showing we are human beings with emotions ; and tired of proving how valuable our lives are .
And this exhaustion goes beyond mere fatigue .
It ’ s a mental health issue .
Black Lives Matter has opened unhealed intergenerational wounds from centuries of trauma , oppression , anger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much evident in the protests that have spread across the country and the world since the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery , Breonna Taylor and George Floyd , in what has become the biggest civil rights movement in history .
Racism is a disease that can kill a human being , directly , as we have seen in these horrific cases of police brutality , or indirectly , in its lifelong impact on our physical and mental health .
The rage we ’ re seeing now has been burning for a long time – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the present day .
I ’ ve also suffered and continue to suffer from the “ superwoman syndrome ” ― not realizing this persona is a means of survival linked to a wider socio-historical context in which Black women could never display signs of weakness .
This has contributed to my stress and anxiety levels , trying to be as “ perfect ” as possible just to prove that I am worthy ― a narrative that I need to dismantle .
Being a Black person is often described as being in “ fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that is the best way to explain it .
Nor am I alone in how I feel .
I have been collecting the voices of Black people across the UK , Europe and the U.S. , asking them how racism has affected their mental health and well-being .
“ I ’ m tired and drained , constantly having to provide for myself in an industry and in a company among very few Black people and a sea of white faces , ” says one 25-year-old PR executive from London .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front everyday and dismiss micro-aggressive comments , to always be smiling and just get on with it during a fight for freedom .
No one understands , they don ’ t understand.
” Racism in the workplace ranges from the discreet to the blatant , a 24-year-old woman who works in marketing told me .
“ The looks , the stares , the judgement and the questions alienate you from your inner being .
I found myself constantly adapting my language and behavior to fit in with a group of people that wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of work , ” she says .
“ Being told that my natural hairstyle resembled someone that had ‘ put their hand in a plug socket ’ or seeing my non-Black friends enter high paying jobs right after graduation , while I struggled , jobless , for six months was just the beginning , ” she continues .
“ Despite being told that ‘ by applying yourself at school and university you would achieve , ’ being a young , Black , queer woman entails transgressing barriers that the average white woman would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not an overnight job .
While we are collectively engrossed in the fight against injustice , it ’ s important to not forget about your own personal well-being while supporting the cause .
Look after yourself first .
Here ’ s how : How To Support Others As a trained Mental Health First Aider in the workplace , I recognize the impact that systemic racism can have on a person ’ s well-being and the repercussions it can have if not addressed .
Here is what white people or non-Black people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : If you or someone you know needs help , call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline .
You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free , 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line .
Outside of the U.S. , please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources .

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Exhaustion. If one word has echoed around our social media feeds these past few weeks, it’s this one. Black people are tired: tired of justifying how we feel, as if 400 years of oppression were not enough to explain it; tired of showing we are human beings with emotions; and tired of proving how valuable our lives are. And this exhaustion goes beyond mere fatigue. It’s a mental health issue.
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Black Lives Matter has opened unhealed intergenerational wounds from centuries of trauma, oppression, anger and humiliation. This has been very much evident in the protests that have spread across all 50 US states – and the world – since the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, in what has become the biggest civil rights movement in history.
Racism is a disease that can kill a human being, directly, as we have seen in these horrific cases of police brutality, or indirectly, in its lifelong impact on our physical and mental health. The rage we’re seeing now has been burning for a long time – anger at why systemic racism continues to the present day.
Barack Obama recently joined civil rights icon John Lewis and lawyer Bryan Stevenson to address mental wellbeing during a pandemic – of racism. The former US president said of the Black community: “We inherited extraordinary strengths, but we have also inherited trauma.”
So, how do we protect Black minds as we strive to protect Black lives?
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Mental health and prejudice
It’s important to understand how white supremacy has fundamentally harmed Black people’s psyche. Black people face racial prejudice no matter where in the world they are. As a Black person, hypervigilance is always on your mind –a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder that goes largely undiagnosed in Black people due to failures in mental health services.
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In the UK, Black people are more likely to suffer with severe mental health issues than any other race and are also more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act. According to NHS Digital data, Black people have a detention rate of 306.8 per 100,000 in England (2018-2019) – more than four times higher than white people, where the rate is 72.9 per 100,000.
Black people are also more likely to receive Community Treatment Orders – a legal order that requires a person to accept mental health treatment, including taking medication and therapy. “Racial disparity in the use of the Act is an ongoing injustice,” says Vicky Nash, head of policy and campaigns at Mind.
At the same time, Black and minority therapists are underrepresented in mental health services and research has shown that if a Black person’s experience does not resonate with a white therapist, it can often lead to misdiagnosis.
tommaso79 via Getty Images
Longstanding inequalities have a weathering effect on wellbeing and mental health, which is toxic to the body’s stress response system, spiking up further health issues. Black women are more prone to anxiety, depression, panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorders, NHS data shows.
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Conditions such as diabetes and high-blood pressure are more prevalent in Black communities than any other race group and Black people are also dying disproportionately during the Covid-19 crisis, as belatedly confirmed by Public Health England.
All these factors explain the vicious cycle a Black person can be stuck in: traumatised by racism, but facing mental health stigma; impacted by social and economic inequalities, but also by implicit biases in healthcare and justice.
Racism as a daily reality
As a Danish-British woman of Somali origin, and also Muslim, I’ve never felt like I belonged anywhere. Being a woman is difficult enough without also being a Black woman and a Muslim woman.
I feel like I’ve always had to prove my worth in white spaces, fighting micro-aggressions like “you’re so articulate,” which sounds like a compliment but is actually backhanded. Are Black people not articulate?
I’ve also suffered and continue to suffer from the ‘superwoman syndrome’ – not realising this persona is a means of survival linked to a wider socio-historical context in which Black women could never display signs of weakness. This has contributed to my stress and anxiety levels, trying to be as ‘perfect’ as possible just to prove that I am worthy – a narrative that I need to dismantle.
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Being a Black person is often described as being in ‘fight or flight’ mode, and honestly, that is the best way to explain it. Nor am I alone in how I feel. I have been collecting the voices of Black people across the UK, Europe and the US, asking them how racism has affected their mental health and wellbeing.
“I’m tired and drained, constantly having to provide for myself in an industry and in a company among very few Black people and a sea of white faces,” said one 25-year-old PR executive from London. “It’s tiring to put up a front everyday and dismiss micro-aggressive comments, to always be smiling and just get on with it during a fight for freedom. No one understands, they don’t understand.”
“The looks, the stares, the judgement and the questions alienate you from your inner being.”
Racism in the workplace ranges from the discreet to the blatant, a 24-year-old woman who works in marketing told me. “The looks, the stares, the judgement and the questions alienate you from your inner being. I found myself constantly adapting my language and behaviour to fit in with a group of people that wouldn’t look twice at me outside of work,” she says.
“Being told that my natural hairstyle resembled someone that had ‘put their hand in a plug socket’ or seeing my non-Black friends enter high paying jobs right after graduation, while I struggled, jobless, for six months was just the beginning. Despite being told that ‘by applying yourself at school and university you would achieve’, being a young, Black, queer woman entails transgressing barriers that the average white woman would never have to consider.”
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A 32-year-old teacher from New York summed it up: “I constantly have to fight and feeling like you’re not heard is exhausting… it tricks you into thinking you don’t matter. We are more valuable than they treat us.”
Be Kind To Yourself
Fighting racism is not an overnight job. While we are collectively engrossed in the fight against injustice, it’s important to not forget about your own personal wellbeing while supporting the cause. Look after yourself first:
Talk about your feelings and offload emotional baggage
Take regular breaks from social media
Take time to reflect, meditate and journal
Keep active throughout the day and eat well
Watch light-hearted shows/movies and take your mind off the news
Ask for help when you need it – vulnerability is not a weakness.
Some Resources:
How To Support Others
As a trained Mental Health First Aider in the workplace, I recognise the impact that systemic racism can have on a person’s wellbeing and the repercussions it can have if not addressed. Here is what you can do to help from today:
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Listen
Actively listen to the experiences that Black people face.
Employ non-judgemental listening skills and do not engage in racial gaslighting while doing so.
Discuss racism even if it’s awkward for you. It’s a privilege to learn about racism, rather than experience it on a daily basis.
Ask questions and engage in the conversation.
Donate If You Are Able
These are just some of the UK organisations supporting Black people’s mental health.
Black Minds Matter is hoping to raise £300,000 to connect Black people in the UK to Black therapists. Help it surpass its goal.
Black Girls Camping Trip creates retreats for Black women in the UK and while it has met its crowdfunding target, it is still open for donations.
Black Lives Matter (UK) is a fundraiser organised by Black activists and organisers from the UK to support Black communities in the UK.
You will find further causes, petitions and ways to show up and take action among these resources for how to support Black British people right now.
Most Importantly
Diversify your circle and get to know more people outside of your own race.
Reach out to a friend who you know might be affected by recent protests.
If you have Black co-workers, check in on them.
Challenge your own beliefs, prejudice and unconscious biases.
Take charge of your own learning and be an active citizen of the world.
Continue to re-educate yourself and share your knowledge with members of your own household, family, and friends.
Use your talents, whether than be writing, speaking, filming or other creative endeavours, to raise awareness.
Finally, use your white privilege to always speak up when you witness an injustice in this world – don’t be neutral.
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Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk


huffpost--2020-06-11--Trump Administration Proposes Sweeping Asylum Restrictions

SAN DIEGO ( AP ) — The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed sweeping restrictions on asylum , seeking to align a legal framework with the president ’ s efforts to limit immigration to the United States .
The moves are only the latest in a series of measures that Trump has taken to limit asylum — this time aimed at changing complicated guidelines and procedures governing immigration courts .
The changes , outlined in 150 pages of legalese , aim to redefine how people qualify for asylum and similar forms of protection to prevent them from being persecuted or tortured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to dismiss cases without court hearings if supporting evidence is determined to be too weak .
Rules will define when a claim may be declared “ frivolous ” and raise the threshold for initial screenings under the United Nations Convention Against Torture .
The administration will propose new definitions for some ways people qualify for asylum , specifically “ political opinion ” and membership in a “ particular social group.
” Asylum is for people who face persecution for their race , religion , nationality , political opinion or membership in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may include victims of gang or domestic violence .
Narrowing those ways to qualify would mean more rejected claims .
The Justice and Homeland Security departments said asylum-seekers who clear initial screenings will have claims heard by an immigration judge in “ streamlined proceedings , ” according to a brief press release , replacing longstanding rules in immigration law .
Since the U.S. became the world ’ s top destination for asylum-seekers in 2017 , the Trump administration has made multiple attempts to make it harder to get , asserting that the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Homeland Security departments said the changes would bring more efficiency to a system with an immigration court backlog of more than 1.1 million cases .
The rules will “ more effectively separate baseless claims from meritorious ones , ” the departments said .
“ This would better ensure groundless claims do not delay or divert resources from deserving claims.
” Critics swiftly condemned the measure .
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick , policy counsel for the American Immigration Council , said it was much more far-reaching than Trump ’ s previous attempts to curb asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of virtually every claim except a lucky few.
” “ The proposed changes would represent the end of the asylum system as we know it , ” he said .
Details are expected to be published in the Federal Register on Monday with 30 days for public comment before they take effect .
Lawsuits may delay or derail the effort .
The administration effectively put asylum out of reach for many people at the Canadian and Mexican borders in March under a 1944 public health law aimed at preventing spread of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary .
It allows the government to immediately expel people from Mexico and Central America to Mexico without claiming asylum , usually within two hours .

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed sweeping restrictions on asylum, seeking to align a legal framework with the president’s efforts to limit immigration to the United States.
The moves are only the latest in a series of measures that Trump has taken to limit asylum — this time aimed at changing complicated guidelines and procedures governing immigration courts.
Advertisement
The changes, outlined in 150 pages of legalese, aim to redefine how people qualify for asylum and similar forms of protection to prevent them from being persecuted or tortured if sent home.
Judges will be allowed to dismiss cases without court hearings if supporting evidence is determined to be too weak. Rules will define when a claim may be declared “frivolous” and raise the threshold for initial screenings under the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
The administration will propose new definitions for some ways people qualify for asylum, specifically “political opinion” and membership in a “particular social group.”
Asylum is for people who face persecution for their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group, a loose category that may include victims of gang or domestic violence. Narrowing those ways to qualify would mean more rejected claims.
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The Justice and Homeland Security departments said asylum-seekers who clear initial screenings will have claims heard by an immigration judge in “streamlined proceedings,” according to a brief press release, replacing longstanding rules in immigration law.
Since the U.S. became the world’s top destination for asylum-seekers in 2017, the Trump administration has made multiple attempts to make it harder to get, asserting that the system is rife with abuse.
The Justice and Homeland Security departments said the changes would bring more efficiency to a system with an immigration court backlog of more than 1.1 million cases.
The rules will “more effectively separate baseless claims from meritorious ones,” the departments said. “This would better ensure groundless claims do not delay or divert resources from deserving claims.”
Critics swiftly condemned the measure. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy counsel for the American Immigration Council, said it was much more far-reaching than Trump’s previous attempts to curb asylum and “would lead to the denial of virtually every claim except a lucky few.”
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“The proposed changes would represent the end of the asylum system as we know it,” he said.
Details are expected to be published in the Federal Register on Monday with 30 days for public comment before they take effect. Lawsuits may delay or derail the effort.


huffpost--2020-06-11--NASCAR Driver Ray Ciccarelli Says He'll Quit After Confederate Flag Ban

Ray Ciccarelli , a part-time NASCAR truck series driver , just found a dubious way to make a name for himself .
Ciccarelli announced Wednesday that he ’ ll leave the circuit after 2020 because NASCAR is banning the Confederate flag at all events .
In a since-deleted but screen-captured Facebook post , Ciccarelli said he “ could care less about the Confederate Flag but there are ppl that do and it doesn ’ t make them a racist all you are doing is f―-ing one group to cater to another and i ain ’ t spend the money we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
!
” Ciccarelli , 50 , who drives the No .
49 CMI Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series , has earned one top 10 finish in the past three years , Sports Illustrated noted .
NASCAR helmet artist Jason Beam accused the racing group of “ cherry picking propaganda to pander [ to ] what happened last week.
” On Wednesday , NASCAR , which has deep roots in the South , banned the Confederate flag , widely seen as a symbol of slavery and segregation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote a more inclusive environment .
The move came soon after Black driver Bubba Wallace called for a ban .
The announcement came as the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum amid the national outcry over the police killing of George Floyd .
NASCAR now also allows team members to kneel during the national anthem as a form of peaceful protest .
NASCAR , one of the few prominent sports organizations up and running since the coronavirus pandemic began , has been televising races without fans in the stands .
But a limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ select races on June 14 .
Ray Ciccarelli driving the No .
49 CMI Motorsports Chevrolet earlier this year .

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Ray Ciccarelli, a part-time NASCAR truck series driver, just found a dubious way to make a name for himself.
Ciccarelli announced Wednesday that he’ll leave the circuit after 2020 because NASCAR is banning the Confederate flag at all events.
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In a since-deleted but screen-captured Facebook post, Ciccarelli said he “could care less about the Confederate Flag but there are ppl that do and it doesn’t make them a racist all you are doing is f―-ing one group to cater to another and i ain’t spend the money we are to participate in any political BS!!”
Ciccarelli, 50, who drives the No. 49 CMI Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, has earned one top 10 finish in the past three years, Sports Illustrated noted.
Ray Ciccarelli accused NASCAR of "political BS!" Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
NASCAR helmet artist Jason Beam accused the racing group of “cherry picking propaganda to pander [to] what happened last week.”
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On Wednesday, NASCAR, which has deep roots in the South, banned the Confederate flag, widely seen as a symbol of slavery and segregation, from all events and properties to promote a more inclusive environment. The move came soon after Black driver Bubba Wallace called for a ban.
The announcement came as the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum amid the national outcry over the police killing of George Floyd. NASCAR now also allows team members to kneel during the national anthem as a form of peaceful protest.
NASCAR, one of the few prominent sports organizations up and running since the coronavirus pandemic began, has been televising races without fans in the stands. But a limited number of spectators will be allowed at select races on June 14.
Ray Ciccarelli driving the No. 49 CMI Motorsports Chevrolet earlier this year. Jared C. Tilton via Getty Images


huffpost--2020-06-11--GOP State Senator Asks If Black People Get Coronavirus From Lax Handwashing

Ohio state Sen. Steve Huffman ( R ) sparked anger this week as he pondered why “ the colored population ” is more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus .
Huffman , an emergency room physician , asked the offensive question during an Ohio Senate Health Committee hearing on Tuesday to determine whether the state should declare racism a public health crisis .
“ I understand that African Americans have a higher incidence of prior conditions and it makes them more susceptible to death from COVID , ” Huffman said .
“ But why it does not make them more susceptible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued : “ We know it ’ s twice as often .
Correct ?
Could it just be that African Americans or the colored population do not wash their hands as well as other groups ?
Or wear a mask ?
Or do not socially distance themselves ?
Could that just be maybe the explanation of why there ’ s a higher incidence ?
” “ That is not the opinion of leading medical experts in this country , ” responded Angela Dawson , the director of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the reasons why some populations are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others would not be found in handwashing data .
Instead , it was preexisting disparities in chronic conditions and health care , she said .
Around 33 % of people who have been hospitalized with the contagion in the United States are Black , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
State Rep. Stephanie Howse ( D ) told the Dayton Daily News that Huffman had highlighted “ what racism is from a systematic perspective.
” State Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ an example of why we have to have this discussion about racism and how it impacts people.
” Huffman later attempted to clarify his comments , reported The Columbus Dispatch , saying he ’ d asked the question “ in an unintentionally awkward way that was perceived as hurtful and was exactly the opposite of what I meant.
” “ I was trying to focus on why COVID-19 affects people of color at a higher rate since we really do not know all the reasons , ” he added .

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Ohio state Sen. Steve Huffman (R) sparked anger this week as he pondered why “the colored population” is more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus.
Huffman, an emergency room physician, asked the offensive question during an Ohio Senate Health Committee hearing on Tuesday to determine whether the state should declare racism a public health crisis.
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“I understand that African Americans have a higher incidence of prior conditions and it makes them more susceptible to death from COVID,” Huffman said. “But why it does not make them more susceptible just to get COVID?”
He continued: “We know it’s twice as often. Correct? Could it just be that African Americans or the colored population do not wash their hands as well as other groups? Or wear a mask? Or do not socially distance themselves? Could that just be maybe the explanation of why there’s a higher incidence?”
Check out Huffman’s comments from the 49:40 mark in the video here.
“That is not the opinion of leading medical experts in this country,” responded Angela Dawson, the director of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health.
Dawson, who is Black, said the reasons why some populations are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others would not be found in handwashing data. Instead, it was preexisting disparities in chronic conditions and health care, she said.
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Around 33% of people who have been hospitalized with the contagion in the United States are Black, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Current data suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups,” the CDC notes on its website.
Huffman’s comments were fiercely condemned by Ohio Democrats and people on Twitter.
State Rep. Stephanie Howse (D) told the Dayton Daily News that Huffman had highlighted “what racism is from a systematic perspective.” State Sen. Cecil Thomas (D) said Huffman is “an example of why we have to have this discussion about racism and how it impacts people.”
Huffman later attempted to clarify his comments, reported The Columbus Dispatch, saying he’d asked the question “in an unintentionally awkward way that was perceived as hurtful and was exactly the opposite of what I meant.”
“I was trying to focus on why COVID-19 affects people of color at a higher rate since we really do not know all the reasons,” he added.


huffpost--2020-06-11--Pulitzer-Winning Pandemic Reporter On Coronavirus: We're Far From Out Of The Woods

Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter Laurie Garrett on Wednesday issued a stark warning about the continuing coronavirus threat , saying “ we are far from being out of the woods on this.
” Garrett , who wrote the 1994 book “ The Coming Plague : Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance , ” told MSNBC ’ s Lawrence O ’ Donnell that “ most of America ” seems to have been “ lulled into a kind of happy complacency ” about the public health crisis that has now killed at least 115,000 people nationwide .
“ Nobody likes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m sick and tired of it , right , we all are , ” Garrett acknowledged .
“ But , to have a president just sort of shrug it off and move on to the next topic , as if it was all over , merely is encouraging millions and millions of Americans to believe you can go back outside , you don ’ t need the mask , you don ’ t need the gloves and so on.
” “ And nothing could be further from the truth , ” Garrett continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the weeks since Memorial Day , as many states lifted restrictions and allowed businesses to reopen .
“ We are far from being out of the woods on this , ” Garrett said .
She warned the virus could kill 250,000 in the U.S. by September if infections continue to spread at the same rate as they are now .

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Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter Laurie Garrett on Wednesday issued a stark warning about the continuing coronavirus threat, saying “we are far from being out of the woods on this.”
Garrett, who wrote the 1994 book “The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance,” told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell that “most of America” seems to have been “lulled into a kind of happy complacency” about the public health crisis that has now killed at least 115,000 people nationwide.
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“Nobody likes to be under lockdown. I’m sick and tired of it, right, we all are,” Garrett acknowledged. “But, to have a president just sort of shrug it off and move on to the next topic, as if it was all over, merely is encouraging millions and millions of Americans to believe you can go back outside, you don’t need the mask, you don’t need the gloves and so on.”
“And nothing could be further from the truth,” Garrett continued.
The number of infections have surged in the weeks since Memorial Day, as many states lifted restrictions and allowed businesses to reopen.
“We are far from being out of the woods on this,” Garrett said.
She warned the virus could kill 250,000 in the U.S. by September if infections continue to spread at the same rate as they are now.
Check out the interview above.


huffpost--2020-06-19--TSA Worsened Coronavirus Pandemic, Whistleblower Says

The Transportation Security Administration worsened the coronavirus outbreak by failing to institute early safety measures despite pleas from its employees , a whistleblower at the agency said in a complaint revealed on Thursday .
The federal watchdog that investigated the whistleblower ’ s claims now wants the Department of Homeland Security ― which oversees the TSA ― to investigate the allegations , The Washington Post first reported .
“ We did not take adequate steps to make sure that we were not becoming carriers and spreaders of the virus ourselves , ” the whistleblower , Jay Brainard , who runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I believe absolutely that that contributed to the spread of the coronavirus.
” In March , as the virus spread in the U.S. before many states instituted stay-home orders , the TSA told Brainard and other managers they could not require officers to wear masks and refused to tap its stockpile of more than 1 million N-95 masks .
The agency did not institute measures like pandemic-related training , contact tracing , installing plastic screens to separate TSA employees and passengers , or mandating the use of hand sanitizer and frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation , at this time , you can not issue N-95s , ” TSA leadership wrote in a mid-March email shared with NPR .
“ Waiting two or more weeks for them may be too late , ” agency official Robert Krekorian wrote back .
Since then , more than 700 TSA employees have tested positive for COVID-19 , the agency reports .
Five staff members and one screening contractor who contracted the virus have died .
Brainard took his concerns about what he called “ gross mismanagement ” to the Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaints .
On Thursday , the agency told Brainard and his attorneys it had directed DHS to launch a probe into his concerns , in a sign that officials there believe they have some credibility , the Post and NPR reported .
TSA required employees to wear masks starting in the first week of May and has left the use of eye protection up to them , TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston told HuffPost via email .
The agency has begun rolling out plastic barriers to prevent contact between staff and travelers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screening , changing them after each pat-down .
The agency needs to take further action , like developing procedures for handling passengers with symptoms , Brainard told the Post .
Travel is starting to return to normal nationwide as many states reopen despite continued growth in COVID-19 cases .
The watchdog office highlighted the gaps in using plastic barriers and the failure to require eye protection and hand sanitizer use in its referral to DHS .
“ We ’ re very concerned … they ’ re going to institutionalize the TSA workforce as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Tom DeVine , an attorney for Brainard , told the Post .

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The Transportation Security Administration worsened the coronavirus outbreak by failing to institute early safety measures despite pleas from its employees, a whistleblower at the agency said in a complaint revealed on Thursday.
The federal watchdog that investigated the whistleblower’s claims now wants the Department of Homeland Security ― which oversees the TSA ― to investigate the allegations, The Washington Post first reported.
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“We did not take adequate steps to make sure that we were not becoming carriers and spreaders of the virus ourselves,” the whistleblower, Jay Brainard, who runs transportation security in Kansas, told NPR. “I believe absolutely that that contributed to the spread of the coronavirus.”
In March, as the virus spread in the U.S. before many states instituted stay-home orders, the TSA told Brainard and other managers they could not require officers to wear masks and refused to tap its stockpile of more than 1 million N-95 masks. The agency did not institute measures like pandemic-related training, contact tracing, installing plastic screens to separate TSA employees and passengers, or mandating the use of hand sanitizer and frequently changing gloves.
“While we understand the situation, at this time, you cannot issue N-95s,” TSA leadership wrote in a mid-March email shared with NPR. “Waiting two or more weeks for them may be too late,” agency official Robert Krekorian wrote back.
Since then, more than 700 TSA employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the agency reports. Five staff members and one screening contractor who contracted the virus have died.
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Brainard took his concerns about what he called “gross mismanagement” to the Office of Special Counsel, which manages whistleblower complaints. On Thursday, the agency told Brainard and his attorneys it had directed DHS to launch a probe into his concerns, in a sign that officials there believe they have some credibility, the Post and NPR reported.
TSA required employees to wear masks starting in the first week of May and has left the use of eye protection up to them, TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston told HuffPost via email. The agency has begun rolling out plastic barriers to prevent contact between staff and travelers and requires TSA agents to use gloves during screening, changing them after each pat-down.
The agency needs to take further action, like developing procedures for handling passengers with symptoms, Brainard told the Post. Travel is starting to return to normal nationwide as many states reopen despite continued growth in COVID-19 cases.
The watchdog office highlighted the gaps in using plastic barriers and the failure to require eye protection and hand sanitizer use in its referral to DHS.
“We’re very concerned … they’re going to institutionalize the TSA workforce as a major threat for spreading the pandemic,” Tom DeVine, an attorney for Brainard, told the Post.


huffpost--2020-06-19--Court Says Trump Rally Attendees Don't Have To Wear Masks

TULSA , Okla. ( AP ) — The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request to require everyone attending President Donald Trump ’ s rally in Tulsa this weekend to wear a face mask and stay at least six feet apart from everyone else in the arena to guard against the spread of the coronavirus .
The court ruled that the two local residents who asked that the thousands expected at the rally be required to take the precautions couldn ’ t establish that they have a clear legal right to the relief they sought .
In a concurring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s reopening plan is “ permissive , suggestive and discretionary.
” The request was made by John Hope Franklin for Reconciliation , a nonprofit that promotes racial equality , and the Greenwood Centre , Ltd. , which owns commercial real estate , and on behalf of the two locals , who are described as having compromised immune systems and being particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 .
Tulsa ’ s mayor , G.T .
Bynum , declared a civil emergency and set a curfew for the area around the BOK Center ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , Trump tweeted Friday that he spoke to Bynum and the mayor told him there would be no curfew , after all .
The mayor ’ s office didn ’ t immediately reply to a phone message seeking confirmation that the curfew had been lifted .
A police spokeswoman , Jeanne Pierce , said by email that “ it ’ s a fluid situation.
” The curfew around the arena took effect Thursday night and was initially supposed to remain in effect from 10 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday and from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. Sunday .
In setting it , Bynum cited the unrest that followed some of the recent protests around the country over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month .
“ I have received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies that shows that individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive and violent behavior in other States are planning to travel to the City of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally , ” Bynum said in his order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Facebook and Twitter pages .
Bynum didn ’ t elaborate as to which groups he meant and police Capt .
Richard Meulenberg declined to identify any .
Although President Trump has characterized those who have clashed with law enforcement after Floyd ’ s death as organized , radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism , an Associated Press analysis found that the vast majority of people arrested during recent protests in Minneapolis and Washington , D.C. , were locals .
Trump on Friday morning tweeted : “ Any protesters , anarchists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to Oklahoma please understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis .
It will be a much different scene !
” Police said the scores of Trump supporters who have camped in parking lots and on sidewalks outside of the 19,000-seat arena must leave the area during the curfew or face possible arrest .
Meulenberg said there had been no arrests since the curfew took effect at 10 p.m. Thursday .
Trump ’ s campaign manager , Brad Parscale , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get into the arena are expected to attend what he described as a “ festival ” outside where the president might also appear .
He said he would “ probably be wearing a mask ” during the event , which Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt has said will be safe .
McEnany said she and many other White House staffers would be traveling with Trump to Tulsa and that she wouldn ’ t wear a mask at the rally , calling it a personal decision and noting that she is regularly tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proximity to Trump .
She declined to say whether Trump was taking and additional personal precautions ahead of the rally .
The nation ’ s top public health professionals strongly recommend wearing a mask when social distancing can ’ t be maintained , as will be the case Saturday .
“ As someone who is cautious by nature , I don ’ t like to be the first to try anything .
I would have loved some other city to have proven the safety of such an event already , ” Bynum wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , but it was moved back a day following an uproar that it otherwise would have happened on Juneteenth , which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. , and in a city where a 1921 white-on-black attack killed as many as 300 people .
Oklahoma has seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases , setting a daily high on Thursday of 450 .
Health officials on Friday reported 125 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tulsa County , which is the most of any county in Oklahoma .
Statewide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus death reported Friday , raising the state ’ s total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 9,706 and its death toll to 367 .

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TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request to require everyone attending President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa this weekend to wear a face mask and stay at least six feet apart from everyone else in the arena to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.
The court ruled that the two local residents who asked that the thousands expected at the rally be required to take the precautions couldn’t establish that they have a clear legal right to the relief they sought. In a concurring opinion, two justices wrote that the state’s reopening plan is “permissive, suggestive and discretionary.”
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“Therefore, for lack of any mandatory language in the (plan), we are compelled to deny the relief requested.”
The request was made by John Hope Franklin for Reconciliation, a nonprofit that promotes racial equality, and the Greenwood Centre, Ltd., which owns commercial real estate, and on behalf of the two locals, who are described as having compromised immune systems and being particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.
Tulsa’s mayor, G.T. Bynum, declared a civil emergency and set a curfew for the area around the BOK Center ahead of Trump’s rally Saturday night. However, Trump tweeted Friday that he spoke to Bynum and the mayor told him there would be no curfew, after all. The mayor’s office didn’t immediately reply to a phone message seeking confirmation that the curfew had been lifted. A police spokeswoman, Jeanne Pierce, said by email that “it’s a fluid situation.”
The curfew around the arena took effect Thursday night and was initially supposed to remain in effect from 10 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday and from the conclusion of the rally until 6 a.m. Sunday. In setting it, Bynum cited the unrest that followed some of the recent protests around the country over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
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“I have received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies that shows that individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive and violent behavior in other States are planning to travel to the City of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally,” Bynum said in his order, which was posted on the police department’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Bynum didn’t elaborate as to which groups he meant and police Capt. Richard Meulenberg declined to identify any. Although President Trump has characterized those who have clashed with law enforcement after Floyd’s death as organized, radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism, an Associated Press analysis found that the vast majority of people arrested during recent protests in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., were locals.
Trump on Friday morning tweeted: “Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany clarified later that Trump’s tweet did not refer to all protesters, rather only to those who are “violent.”
Police said the scores of Trump supporters who have camped in parking lots and on sidewalks outside of the 19,000-seat arena must leave the area during the curfew or face possible arrest. Meulenberg said there had been no arrests since the curfew took effect at 10 p.m. Thursday.
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A video shared by Breitbart News showed several people leaving an area within the curfew zone at the direction of a police officer, moving tents beyond a barricade and carrying chairs and backpacks.
Bynum’s order said crowds of 100,000 or more were expected in the area around the rally.
Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, told Fox News on Friday that those unable to get into the arena are expected to attend what he described as a “festival” outside where the president might also appear. He said he would “probably be wearing a mask” during the event, which Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has said will be safe.
That has not reassured the arena’s management, who requested a written health and safety plan from the Trump campaign on Thursday. In a statement to Oklahoma City television station KFOR, rally organizers appeared unimpressed but said they would review the request.
The Trump campaign said it takes “safety seriously,” noting that organizers are providing masks, hand sanitizers and doing temperature checks for all attendees.
McEnany said she and many other White House staffers would be traveling with Trump to Tulsa and that she wouldn’t wear a mask at the rally, calling it a personal decision and noting that she is regularly tested for COVID-19 because she works in close proximity to Trump. She declined to say whether Trump was taking and additional personal precautions ahead of the rally. The nation’s top public health professionals strongly recommend wearing a mask when social distancing can’t be maintained, as will be the case Saturday.
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In a Facebook post Tuesday, the mayor confessed to feeling anxious about the potential spread of the coronavirus by people attending the rally.
“As someone who is cautious by nature, I don’t like to be the first to try anything. I would have loved some other city to have proven the safety of such an event already,” Bynum wrote.
The city’s health director, Dr. Bruce Dart, has said he would like to see the rally postponed, noting that large indoor gatherings are partially to blame for the recent spread of the virus in Tulsa and Tulsa County.
The rally was originally scheduled for Friday, but it was moved back a day following an uproar that it otherwise would have happened on Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S., and in a city where a 1921 white-on-black attack killed as many as 300 people.
Marc Lotter, the Trump campaign’s strategic communications director, told MSNBC on Friday that the rally “is really a celebration of an America that’s reopening.”
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He said the campaign asks that supporters to stay away from the rally if they or a family member are in a high risk category for serious complications from the coronavirus.
That message has not been widely echoed by the president or his campaign, which has encouraged supporters to attend, and Lotter said the campaign would not require wearing face coverings.
Oklahoma has seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases, setting a daily high on Thursday of 450. Health officials on Friday reported 125 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tulsa County, which is the most of any county in Oklahoma. Statewide, there were 352 new cases and one new coronavirus death reported Friday, raising the state’s total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 9,706 and its death toll to 367.
The actual number of people who have contracted the virus is likely higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest that people can be infected but not feel sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the highly contagious virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.


huffpost--2020-06-19--Little Sign Of COVID Spike After Nationwide Protests, But Officials Remain Cautious

“ Because of the potential for asymptomatic spread of this virus , giving an ‘ all-clear ’ time frame is difficult , ” Bartkey said in an email on Tuesday .
“ We need to allow about 21 days for the first generation of infections to appear ( i.e .
21 days from exposure to test result – 14 day incubation plus another few days to seek health care or get tested and for the result to come to us ) ; but if there is asymptomatic spread in a household , it could be another 14-21 days for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Minnesota National Guard said fewer than five personnel had to move from one task to the other , while a spokesperson for the Georgia National Guard acknowledged that there had been “ a lot of juggling ” involving the more than 2,000 Guard personnel who had been conducting COVID-19-related missions immediately prior to the civil unrest , but she was unable to immediately say how many of the more than 3,000 Guard troops who Georgia now counts as being involved in either COVID-19 or domestic unrest missions had to be shifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We never stopped working COVID-19 , ” she said .

When protests started following the May 25 killing of George Floyd, health experts worried that the large gatherings could spark outbreaks of coronavirus. Yet more than two weeks since those protests hit their peak, there is little evidence that has happened, though officials caution is it far too early ― and the circumstances far too complicated ― to draw any broad conclusions.
“We’re not seeing an increase in cases associated with the demonstrations (as of yet),” New York City Department of Health spokesman Michael Lanza wrote in an email to Yahoo News on Tuesday.
Between June 3 and June 14, New York City reported an average decline of approximately 8.3 percent in the number of positive cases each day. In the seven days immediately preceding potential post-protest incubation, New York City reported an average increase of roughly 11 percent in the number of positive cases each day.
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The question of health risks from mass gathering is a fraught one, because supporters of President Trump have claimed a double-standard, whereby some public health officials who have pushed for closures of businesses have recently expressed public support for the protests. While it’s hard to know why the George Floyd protests haven’t caused a spike, at least not yet, supporters point to the fact the protests were outdoors as well as widespread use of face coverings ― organizers even helped distribute face covering and hand sanitizer.
Analyzing the effect of the demonstrations is complicated by many variables, including irregularities in how daily numbers are reported, overall progress on coronavirus, and protesters from outside the various cities. Also, the demonstrations coincided with reopening measures and warmer weather, which has led more people to venture outside, including in defiance of social distancing recommendations.
Rich Azzopardi, a senior advisor to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, noted recent crowds at city restaurants, and concurred that it is too soon to understand the effect the protests may have had.
“We’re keeping a close eye on the metrics, but at the moment it’s too soon to say what effect things like last weekend’s restaurant crowding or the protests will have, if any. Stay smart, wear a mask and wash your hands,” Azzopardi told Yahoo News.
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AP
In Minneapolis, where large protests began shortly after Floyd was killed on May 25 and are ongoing, Casper Hill, a spokesman for the city, also cited variables, and he said it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about any impact the protests may have had there.
“It is too soon to report on that given the delay in reporting and the testing timeline. Additionally, we only have access to Minneapolis data and protesters came from other places so the State may be a better source of information overall,” Casper wrote in an email to Yahoo News on Wednesday evening.
Julie Bartkey, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Health, said they believe it will take 42 days from the end of the protests to be clear about their impact.
“Because of the potential for asymptomatic spread of this virus, giving an ‘all-clear’ time frame is difficult,” Bartkey said in an email on Tuesday. “We need to allow about 21 days for the first generation of infections to appear (i.e. 21 days from exposure to test result – 14 day incubation plus another few days to seek health care or get tested and for the result to come to us); but if there is asymptomatic spread in a household, it could be another 14-21 days for those secondary cases to appear.”
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However, for now, Minnesota has not seen a high positivity rate in tests from protesters. Bartkey said Health Partners, a healthcare provider in the state that is conducting testing, has conducted coronavirus tests on 8,500 people at its sites “where the person is confirmed to have been at a protest, vigil or clean up mass event.” Of this, Bartkey said there has been “a one percent positivity rate.”
AFP via Getty Images
Washington, DC saw some of the largest protests in the country, particularly between May 29 and the first week of June. In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Dr. LaQuandra S. Nesbitt, the director of the DC Department of Health, said it was too early to tell what impact the demonstrations may have had.
“I cannot give you trends on that,” Nesbitt said in response to a question from a reporter. “We would expect again because of the incubation period of the virus that it would be too early to start to make any inference about trends that we’re seeing being related to peoples’ participation in First Amendment demonstrations.”
Nesbitt also pointed to “complicating epidemiological factors,” which included the phased reopening taking place at the same time as the protests.
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At that same press conference, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said that, as of Wednesday, the city had “achieved thirteen days of sustained decline in community spread” of the virus.
Chicago has also been a site of major protest activity since Floyd’s death. Kim Junius, a spokesperson for the Cook County Department of Health, where Chicago is located, also said it is not possible to draw a conclusion about the protests, though officials there are monitoring the situation.
“We have not seen any increases as of yet related to protests,” Junius said in an email. “We are monitoring COVID-like illness using emergency room chief complaints, which is often used to detect potential issues before formal diagnoses are made or clusters are reported,”
The county, she added is, “keeping a watchful eye on it.”
Erica Duncan, a spokesperson for the city of Chicago Department of Public Health, provided a similar response. “At this time we haven’t seen any impact on cases due to the protests,” Duncan wrote on Wednesday.
On the West Coast, there have been large protests in multiple cities including Los Angeles and San Francisco. “We don’t have any information about positive cases conclusively linked to the protests,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Health wrote in an email.
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In response to questions about potential cases of coronavirus linked to the protests, San Francisco’s Department of Health issued a statement that expressed support for the demonstrations while also encouraging protesters to get tested by their healthcare provider or at two free sites run by the city.
“We support the right to protest injustice, and doing so safely is critically important, especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic,” the statement said, adding, “San Francisco supports the community in taking civic action, and also supports continued vigilance against the coronavirus. We are offering free COVID-19 testing for people who have been to recent protests and want to be tested.”
The San Francisco Department of Health also specified, “The two testing sites mentioned above do not ask people getting tested if they recently have participated in any demonstrations. Therefore, we do not know the data for protesters who have tested positive.”
“We are monitoring closely for any correlation between the protest demonstrations and the # of positive cases,” the statement said.
AP
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Along with concerns about the spread of COVID among protestors, the police and law enforcement who responded were also potentially at risk, though data on police is not easily available from the cities with biggest protests.
In New York, the NYPD did not respond to a request for comment about the number of coronavirus cases in the department and whether any were linked to protests.
In Minneapolis, John Elder, the public information officer for the city’s police force, noted they have had an increase, but the total number of cases remains in the single digits.
“We have increased by one,” Elder said in a phone conversation on Wednesday. “We have had four cases and we have increased up to five at this time.”
Elder noted this small number of cases makes Minneapolis an “anomaly” compared to other “major city departments” that have seen hundreds of cases.
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“A lot of the protesters were wearing masks, a lot of our officers were wearing masks,” Elder said of the demonstrations. “We did have a very, very proactive approach to this. We had a COVID task force put together. We did everything we could to get … supplies in the hands of our staff.”
That equipment included personal protective gear like masks and gloves, hand sanitizer, and well as supplies to clean uniforms.
While large protests are ongoing in Minneapolis, Elder said they are now largely peaceful, eliminating the “face to face contact” between officers and demonstrators that occurred during more violent clashes in the early days of the protests.
In Washington DC, the Metropolitan Police Department is reporting 142 cases of coronavirus among “sworn personnel.” That figure includes three new cases since June 4, or a spike of 2.2 percent in the period when incubation could have occurred following the protests.
In Chicago, the police department said that, as of Wednesday morning, there were 569 total cases of coronavirus among civilian and sworn personnel. The department’s public information officer, Sally Brown, said “there has not been a spike in cases” among Chicago’s police force since the protest.
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On the West Coast, Sergeant Michael Andraychak, a public information officer for the San Francisco Police Department, told Yahoo News that, as of Thursday, they had “six members” who tested positive for COVID-19. “There is nothing to indicate that any of these cases are related to recent protests,” Andraychak added.
The Los Angeles Police Department has reported a pronounced spike in new coronavirus cases. According to Officer Norma Eisenmann, as of Wednesday, there were 177 cases among the department’s sworn and civilian personnel. That’s an increase of 35 cases, or about 24.6 percent, since June 3, though it’s difficult to know whether that was a result of protests, or the recent record-setting increases in the city at large.
Alex Comisar, deputy communications director for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garceitti, responded to questions about the increase in coronavirus cases among LAPD officers with a statement on Friday that emphasized the steps the city has taken to protect its police force.
“COVID-19 is as dangerous today as it was the moment we experienced our first case, and Mayor Garcetti is taking every possible step to protect Angelenos from this deadly illness. Los Angeles was the first city in the country to make free testing available to our essential workers, including police officers,” Comisar said. “These officers and first responders are on the front lines of this crisis, and the Department is taking extensive precautions to keep them safe.”
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Along with local police forces, the National Guard deployed to cities around the country to respond to protests. As the Guard took up their protest missions, there was a concern that not only might they get infected, but their deployment could shift resources away from Covid-19 testing. Neither appears to be the case, according to spokespeople from multiple states’ Guard bureaus.
National Guard Bureau spokesman Army Maj. Rob Perino said that as of June 5, around the height of many of the protests, the National Guard had 41,506 personnel supporting civil unrest missions across 33 states and the District of Columbia, while another 37,485 Guardsmen were conducting COVID-19 missions.
“It’s not going to appear that states are sacrificing one mission for another,” Perino said. “We have a very deep bench of 450,000 troops nationwide.”
Of 18 states that Yahoo News queried, officials in twelve – New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin – said they had not been forced to cut the number of Guard personnel working on COVID-19 missions in order to provide forces to support local law enforcement during the recent protests.
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A spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard said fewer than five personnel had to move from one task to the other, while a spokesperson for the Georgia National Guard acknowledged that there had been “a lot of juggling” involving the more than 2,000 Guard personnel who had been conducting COVID-19-related missions immediately prior to the civil unrest, but she was unable to immediately say how many of the more than 3,000 Guard troops who Georgia now counts as being involved in either COVID-19 or domestic unrest missions had to be shifted from the former to the latter. “We never stopped working COVID-19,” she said.
However, a spokesperson for the Florida National Guard said that of the 550 Florida Guardsmen who conducted civil unrest missions, “a couple of hundred” had been redirected from COVID-19 duty. “The Soldiers who were conducting COVID-19 missions prior to being redirected to civil unrest missions were primarily involved in the operation of Community Based Testing Sites,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Caitlin Brown. ”Those Soldiers were backfilled, and any COVID-19 mission that was affected was fully operational again within 24 hours.”
Spokespersons for the California and District of Columbia National Guards did not respond to queries.
Army Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, a spokesman for the Illinois National Guard, disputed a news account that stated that the state’s Guardsmen had been reassigned from COVID-19 testing sites “to help local police departments reduce violence and protect property.” That did not happen, he said, in part because the COVID-19 missions being paid for by the federal government, while any support to law enforcement coming out of the state’s coffers.
There also did not appear to be any known spikes of cases among Guardsmen, among those states contacted by Yahoo News.
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AP
Spokespeople for Guardsmen who deployed from other states to support law enforcement authorities in handling the protests in Washington, D.C., said that for the most part they wore masks and took all possible precautions to avoid catching or spreading the Coronavirus.
For the 400 Mississippi National Guardsmen who deployed to DC, “the guidance provided for the staging area and the on-site mission was to maintain social distancing wherever and whenever possible, and to don masks whenever social distancing was not a viable option in maintaining mission focus,” said Army Lt. Col. Deidre Smith, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Guard, in an email to Yahoo News.
The Mississippi Guardsmen were screened for the virus before departing Mississippi and daily during the mission, and were placed in quarantine while completing their military orders upon their return to their home state, according to Smith. As of June 12, none of them had tested positive for COVID-19.
The Idaho National Guard also deployed “just over 400” troops to DC, according to Air Force Lt. Col. Chris Borders, a spokesperson for the Idaho Guard. All the Idaho Guardsmen were issued masks and screened for COVID-19 before they left for DC, according to Borders, who added that their mission, which was to protect the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, meant they avoided close contact with protesters.
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huffpost--2020-06-16--We Found Black-Owned Etsy Shops For Face Masks

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page .
Prices and availability subject to change .
There are many things you can do to support the Black community right now while also staying safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — including using your spending power to shop from Black-owned brands .
Data indicates that Black and Latinx people remain far more vulnerable to the coronavirus , while the economic fallout from the pandemic continues to hit people of color the hardest .
As a consumer , how you choose to spend your money can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peer-to-peer marketplace , has become an appealing platform for both aspiring and established designers who want to easily market their products .
From Black-owned Etsy jewelry shops to Black-owned Etsy brands for furniture and home decor , there are plenty of small businesses on the platform to support right now — including Black-owned Etsy shops for coronavirus face masks .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises that everyone should wear a face mask when going outside , preferably a cloth face mask that has a filter pocket so you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health professionals who really need them .
Support the Black community and do your part in limiting the spread of coronavirus by shopping Black-owned Etsy shops for face masks .
We found face masks featuring celestial designs , as well as some eye-catching masks made with traditional African prints and fabrics .
Below , we ’ ve rounded up a guide to Black-owned Etsy shops for face masks , so you can stay safe and support the cause while you do it .

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Prices and availability subject to change.
Anastasia Rostovtseva via Getty Images Support the Black community and do your part in limiting the spread of coronavirus by shopping from Black-owned Etsy shops for face masks.
There are many things you can do to support the Black community right now while also staying safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — including using your spending power to shop from Black-owned brands.
Advertisement
Data indicates that Black and Latinx people remain far more vulnerable to the coronavirus, while the economic fallout from the pandemic continues to hit people of color the hardest.
As a consumer, how you choose to spend your money can make a big impact.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises that everyone should wear a face mask when going outside, preferably a cloth face mask that has a filter pocket so you don’t take medical-grade masks from the health professionals who really need them.
Support the Black community and do your part in limiting the spread of coronavirus by shopping Black-owned Etsy shops for face masks. We found face masks featuring celestial designs, as well as some eye-catching masks made with traditional African prints and fabrics.
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huffpost--2020-06-18--Billie Eilish Gets 3-Year Restraining Order For Trespasser

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — A judge has extended to three years a restraining order taken out by Billie Eilish against a man who repeatedly appeared at her Los Angeles home .
In a hearing , Superior Court Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman agreed to the extension of the May 11 order preventing 24-year-old Prenell Rousseau of Farmingville , New York from attempting to contact or coming within 100 yards ( 91 meters ) of the 18-year-old pop star or her parents .
Eilish , her attorney and her parents phoned in to the hearing , held in a courtroom that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press and court staff because of tight coronavirus restrictions .
All including the judge wore face masks .
The order also prohibits Rousseau from assaulting or harassing the family , or from coming near Eilish ’ s workplaces .
Neither Rousseau nor an attorney for him appeared at the hearing .
Messages left with possible relatives seeking comment from him were not immediately returned .
Eilish listened by phone but did not speak .
Both of her parents answered yes when the judge asked them if they would like to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court documents that Rousseau showed “ erratic behavior ” as he appeared at the home she shares with her parents seven times on May 4 and 5 until he was finally arrested for trespassing .
Her attorney Mark D. Passin asked the judge for a five-year restraining order , but Gould-Saltman settled on three years after hearing that Rousseau had made no attempt to contact Eilish or her family outside of those two days .
The judge said she was not trying to minimize the threat , and emphasized that the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his first appearance at the home , Rousseau rang the doorbell and asked Eilish ’ s father through the a surveillance camera whether she lived there , and persisted after he was told he had the wrong house .
“ While we waited for security , Mr. Rousseau remained on our porch , sat down and began to read a book , while also continuing to engage in a periodic monologue , ” Eilish said in court documents .
“ My father repeatedly asked him to leave , but he refused.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ family were frightened by Rousseau , in part because he did not wear a face mask in five of his appearances at the home , and repeatedly touched the doorbell and doorknob without gloves .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has extended to three years a restraining order taken out by Billie Eilish against a man who repeatedly appeared at her Los Angeles home.
In a hearing, Superior Court Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman agreed to the extension of the May 11 order preventing 24-year-old Prenell Rousseau of Farmingville, New York from attempting to contact or coming within 100 yards (91 meters) of the 18-year-old pop star or her parents.
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Eilish, her attorney and her parents phoned in to the hearing, held in a courtroom that was empty except for a reporter from The Associated Press and court staff because of tight coronavirus restrictions. All including the judge wore face masks.
The order also prohibits Rousseau from assaulting or harassing the family, or from coming near Eilish’s workplaces.
Neither Rousseau nor an attorney for him appeared at the hearing. Messages left with possible relatives seeking comment from him were not immediately returned.
Eilish listened by phone but did not speak. Both of her parents answered yes when the judge asked them if they would like to be included in the order.
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Eilish said in court documents that Rousseau showed “erratic behavior” as he appeared at the home she shares with her parents seven times on May 4 and 5 until he was finally arrested for trespassing.
Her attorney Mark D. Passin asked the judge for a five-year restraining order, but Gould-Saltman settled on three years after hearing that Rousseau had made no attempt to contact Eilish or her family outside of those two days.
The judge said she was not trying to minimize the threat, and emphasized that the order can be amended and extended if necessary.
In his first appearance at the home, Rousseau rang the doorbell and asked Eilish’s father through the a surveillance camera whether she lived there, and persisted after he was told he had the wrong house.
The family called their private security service when he returned later the same evening.
“While we waited for security, Mr. Rousseau remained on our porch, sat down and began to read a book, while also continuing to engage in a periodic monologue,” Eilish said in court documents. “My father repeatedly asked him to leave, but he refused.”
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The documents say Eilish and her family were frightened by Rousseau, in part because he did not wear a face mask in five of his appearances at the home, and repeatedly touched the doorbell and doorknob without gloves.
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huffpost--2020-06-19--Tennessee Lawmakers Advance 6-Week Abortion Ban In Overnight Vote

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) — Amid nationwide unrest and a global pandemic that wrecked the state budget , Tennessee lawmakers headed to the end of a legislative session early Friday by advancing an anti-abortion proposal that includes some of the strictest restrictions in the country .
The passage of the bill shocked Democratic lawmakers and reproductive rights activists who had been assured for weeks that the GOP-dominated Senate would not take up the measure .
“ People are going to wake up tomorrow and we will have passed a bill that we said we weren ’ t going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville .
Under the bill , abortions would be banned once a fetal heartbeat is detected — about six weeks into pregnancy , before many women know they ’ re pregnant .
Similar legislation has been enacted in other states , such as Mississippi and Georgia , but has been blocked by legal challenges .
Also tucked in the 38-page bill was a requirement that doctors inform women that drug-induced abortions may be halted halfway .
Medical groups say the claim isn ’ t backed up by science and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedure ’ s safety .
“ I believe that life is precious .
Every human being is created in the image of God and protecting those lives is important to me .
This legislation is an effort to do that , ” he said .
“ Politicians should not be deciding what is best for women and certainly not making reproductive health care decisions for them .
As promised , we will see them in court , ” said Hedy Weinberg , executive director of the ACLU Tennessee .
State lawmakers made sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as strip away $ 41 million that was set aside to implement a contentious school voucher plan that is currently being blocked by an ongoing legal battle .
Additionally , $ 210 million will be funneled to the state ’ s cities and counties .
There are no restrictions on how the money can be spent .
The House had initially proposed a $ 100 million sales tax holiday that would be spread over a week , but that was significantly pared down .
The $ 25 million compromise would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants and retail shops .
Lawmakers entered their election-year legislative session in January , only to leave town in March for months because of the coronavirus pandemic .
They returned to work about three weeks ago .
Senate Republicans pared down the election-year agenda , but still opted to advance Lee ’ s anti-abortion bill .
The House went it alone to pass other controversial bills , including Lee ’ s proposal to drop a requirement to get a permit to carry handguns , only to see the Senate decline to take them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests and unrest , Tennessee Republicans stirred more outrage locally by spiking a resolution this week for Ashanti Nikole Posey , a black teen shot and killed this year .
Police officers had said the 17-year-old was killed after she and a friend made a “ small marijuana sale , ” though the sale has never been proven .

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Amid nationwide unrest and a global pandemic that wrecked the state budget, Tennessee lawmakers headed to the end of a legislative session early Friday by advancing an anti-abortion proposal that includes some of the strictest restrictions in the country.
The passage of the bill shocked Democratic lawmakers and reproductive rights activists who had been assured for weeks that the GOP-dominated Senate would not take up the measure.
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Senate leaders had promised only to consider coronavirus- or budget-related proposals. However, just after midnight, the chamber passed the abortion bill backed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee as budget negotiations stalled.
“People are going to wake up tomorrow and we will have passed a bill that we said we weren’t going to take up,” said Democratic Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, center, and fellow Republicans in the state General Assembly introduced the anti-abortion proposal that includes some of the strictest restrictions in the country. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Under the bill, abortions would be banned once a fetal heartbeat is detected — about six weeks into pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant. Similar legislation has been enacted in other states, such as Mississippi and Georgia, but has been blocked by legal challenges.
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The bill also requires women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound and have the doctor describe and display the image to her.
Also tucked in the 38-page bill was a requirement that doctors inform women that drug-induced abortions may be halted halfway. Medical groups say the claim isn’t backed up by science and there is little information about the reversal procedure’s safety.
In this 2019 file photo, people wait for a Senate hearing to begin to discuss a fetal heartbeat abortion ban. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville said that women’s reproductive rights were being used “like a bargaining chip” to get the budget passed.
Lee, a Republican, had encouraged the Senate to take up his proposal while talking to reporters earlier that Thursday.
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“I believe that life is precious. Every human being is created in the image of God and protecting those lives is important to me. This legislation is an effort to do that,” he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee promised to challenge the law immediately, calling it “flatly unconstitutional.”
“Politicians should not be deciding what is best for women and certainly not making reproductive health care decisions for them. As promised, we will see them in court,” said Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU Tennessee.
Meanwhile, bleary-eyed after spending hours hashing out spending plan details, lawmakers eventually passed a $39.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2020-21.
A key win for the Senate was the elimination of the state’s Hall income tax on stocks and bonds.
The Tennessee Legislature began phasing out the state’s Hall tax in 2016, with its total elimination beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The current Hall tax rate is 1% on dividends from stock.
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State lawmakers made sure to remove their automatic salary bumps, as well as strip away $41 million that was set aside to implement a contentious school voucher plan that is currently being blocked by an ongoing legal battle.
Additionally, $210 million will be funneled to the state’s cities and counties. There are no restrictions on how the money can be spent.
The House had initially proposed a $100 million sales tax holiday that would be spread over a week, but that was significantly pared down. The $25 million compromise would be spread over two weekends and apply to restaurants and retail shops.
Lawmakers entered their election-year legislative session in January, only to leave town in March for months because of the coronavirus pandemic. They returned to work about three weeks ago.
Senate Republicans pared down the election-year agenda, but still opted to advance Lee’s anti-abortion bill. The House went it alone to pass other controversial bills, including Lee’s proposal to drop a requirement to get a permit to carry handguns, only to see the Senate decline to take them up.
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After George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests and unrest, Tennessee Republicans stirred more outrage locally by spiking a resolution this week for Ashanti Nikole Posey, a black teen shot and killed this year. Police officers had said the 17-year-old was killed after she and a friend made a “small marijuana sale,” though the sale has never been proven.
Republican House Majority Leader William Lamberth helped block the joint resolution after he told the chamber he could not support the legislation due to the circumstances surrounding Posey’s death.
However, by Thursday night, Senate members passed their own version honoring Posey that did not require approval from the House.