huffpost--2020-06-05--Scorning Extinction Crisis, Trump Opens East Coast Marine Monument To Commercial Fishing

NOAA OKEANOS Explorer Program 2013 Northeast US Canyons Expedition A glimpse at what the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is protecting .
Established by the Obama administration in 2016 , the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument encompasses more than 4,900 square miles off the East Coast and is home to ancient seafloor canyons and seamounts , endangered whales , deep ocean corals and numerous migratory fish species .
Rolling back the restrictions on that area , the liberal Center for American Progress estimated , would eliminate nearly 85 % of ocean protections along the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action comes amid a rapidly worsening global extinction crisis , a deadly COVID-19 pandemic , widespread protests over racial injustice and one week after Trump proclaimed June as National Oceans Month .
At the time , he called on Americans to “ reflect on the value and importance of oceans not only to our security , environment , and economy but also as a source of recreation and enjoyment.
” “ You ’ re opening up 5,000 square miles with the stroke of a pen , ” Bernhardt told Trump of his proclamation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little if any understanding of what his own proclamation actually does .
Bernhardt had to explain the details to the president several times .
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic , the Trump administration has engaged in a frenzy of environmental rollbacks that it says are meant to jumpstart the struggling U.S. economy .
But the administration has had its eyes on Northeast Canyons and Seamounts and other marine protected sites since Trump took office , part of its broader review of more than two dozen national monument designations and expansions made under the Antiquities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led Trump to carve more than 2 million acres from a pair of protected land monuments in Utah , Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante ― the largest rollback of national monuments in U.S. history .
In a draft report to the White House in August 2017 , then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended that Trump greenlight commercial fishing in three marine monuments : Pacific Remote Islands , Rose Atoll , and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts .
But his final report , submitted later that year , made no mention of opening up commercial fishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an internal document outlining the Commerce Department ’ s “ Strategic Priorities for 2018 , ” which included advancing maritime commerce and reducing America ’ s seafood trade deficit .
One of the ways the agency intended to boost seafood production , the document noted , is by approving “ permit fishing in marine monuments ” within 90 days .
Last month , Trump directed the Commerce Department to start drafting new rules to open federal waters to industrial fish-farming operations .
The executive order infuriated commercial fishers and environmentalists , who warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment when oceans are already under extreme stress and flood the market with farmed fish , making it impossible for boat captains to eke out a living .
Experts say opening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument to fishing will do little to improve the lot of fishermen , whose industry has contracted over the past few decades as the Gulf of Maine ― which stretches 36,000 square miles from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia , Canada ― is warming faster than almost any other body of water on Earth .
At an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year over the past three decades , Gulf of Maine temperatures are surging more rapidly than those in 99 % of global oceans .
So-called climate shocks ― significant deviations from average temperatures ― sent fishing jobs in New England ’ s coastal counties plummeting 16 % from 1996 to 2017 , according to a peer-reviewed University of Delaware study published in December .
Meanwhile , the New England fishery for Northern shrimp has remained closed for seven consecutive years and record lobster hauls over the past decade in Maine now look set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published last year .
“ What rolling back the monument does is it puts a really vulnerable and ancient ocean ecosystem at risk for minimum economic benefit , at the cost of distracting from the real problem facing Maine ’ s fisheries and U.S. fisheries as a whole , which is climate change , ” said Miriam Goldstein , the director of ocean policy at the Center for American Progress .
Scientists warn that the simultaneous climate and biodiversity crises pose an existential threat to support systems upon which humans rely , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to better safeguard intact ecosystems .
A United Nations draft biodiversity plan released earlier this year calls for protecting 30 % of all lands and oceans by 2030 , with at least 10 % put under “ strict protection.
” Policy ideas to implement those goals are being developed .
Last year , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
vowed to implement a “ Blue New Deal ” as part of her presidential campaign .
The plan , now championed by groups drafting climate policies for the Democratic Party , includes proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up prosecutions of polluters , particularly agribusiness giants whose waste runoff is a major source of toxic algae-fueling nitrogen .
Trump ’ s proclamation does not shrink the boundary of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument , although critics argue that opening the site to commercial fishing undermines the very intent of the designation .
The site and other U.S. marine monuments were established to protect resources and restore the health of the ocean , including fish stocks .

A glimpse at what the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is protecting. NOAA OKEANOS Explorer Program 2013 Northeast US Canyons Expedition
During a visit to rural Maine on Friday, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to open a vast protected site off the East Coast to commercial fishing ― a move that goes against the very purpose of designating a marine monument.
Established by the Obama administration in 2016, the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument encompasses more than 4,900 square miles off the East Coast and is home to ancient seafloor canyons and seamounts, endangered whales, deep ocean corals and numerous migratory fish species. Rolling back the restrictions on that area, the liberal Center for American Progress estimated, would eliminate nearly 85% of ocean protections along the United States outside the remote western Pacific.
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Trump signed the proclamation during a roundtable with representatives of the commercial fishing industry.
“We’re opening it today,” Trump said of the monument. “We’re undoing [President Barack Obama’s] executive order. It’s ridiculous. What reason did he have for closing 5,000 square miles?”
“He didn’t have a reason, in my opinion,” Trump added. “So we’re opening it up.”
The action comes amid a rapidly worsening global extinction crisis, a deadly COVID-19 pandemic, widespread protests over racial injustice and one week after Trump proclaimed June as National Oceans Month. At the time, he called on Americans to “reflect on the value and importance of oceans not only to our security, environment, and economy but also as a source of recreation and enjoyment.”
At Friday’s roundtable, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt accused the Obama administration of slapping a “no fishing” sign on a large swath of federal waters and said Americans should not have to “fight” their own government.
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“You’re opening up 5,000 square miles with the stroke of a pen,” Bernhardt told Trump of his proclamation. It was clear that Trump had little if any understanding of what his own proclamation actually does. Bernhardt had to explain the details to the president several times.
“You’re taking down a ‘no fishing’ sign,” Bernhardt said.
“I love that,” Trump replied.
“That’s a big thing,” Trump later added. “You’re so lucky I’m president.”
President Donald Trump joins a roundtable in support of commercial fishermen, in Bangor, Maine, on June 5. NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration has engaged in a frenzy of environmental rollbacks that it says are meant to jumpstart the struggling U.S. economy. But the administration has had its eyes on Northeast Canyons and Seamounts and other marine protected sites since Trump took office, part of its broader review of more than two dozen national monument designations and expansions made under the Antiquities Act of 1906. That review ultimately led Trump to carve more than 2 million acres from a pair of protected land monuments in Utah, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante ― the largest rollback of national monuments in U.S. history.
In a draft report to the White House in August 2017, then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended that Trump greenlight commercial fishing in three marine monuments: Pacific Remote Islands, Rose Atoll, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. But his final report, submitted later that year, made no mention of opening up commercial fishing. The plan resurfaced last summer in an internal document outlining the Commerce Department’s “Strategic Priorities for 2018,” which included advancing maritime commerce and reducing America’s seafood trade deficit. One of the ways the agency intended to boost seafood production, the document noted, is by approving “permit fishing in marine monuments” within 90 days.
Last month, Trump directed the Commerce Department to start drafting new rules to open federal waters to industrial fish-farming operations. The executive order infuriated commercial fishers and environmentalists, who warned that finfish aquaculture could increase pollution at a moment when oceans are already under extreme stress and flood the market with farmed fish, making it impossible for boat captains to eke out a living.
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Experts say opening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument to fishing will do little to improve the lot of fishermen, whose industry has contracted over the past few decades as the Gulf of Maine ― which stretches 36,000 square miles from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia, Canada ― is warming faster than almost any other body of water on Earth. At an average increase of 0.11 degrees Fahrenheit per year over the past three decades, Gulf of Maine temperatures are surging more rapidly than those in 99% of global oceans.
So-called climate shocks ― significant deviations from average temperatures ― sent fishing jobs in New England’s coastal counties plummeting 16% from 1996 to 2017, according to a peer-reviewed University of Delaware study published in December. Meanwhile, the New England fishery for Northern shrimp has remained closed for seven consecutive years and record lobster hauls over the past decade in Maine now look set to decline, according to two studies published last year.
“What rolling back the monument does is it puts a really vulnerable and ancient ocean ecosystem at risk for minimum economic benefit, at the cost of distracting from the real problem facing Maine’s fisheries and U.S. fisheries as a whole, which is climate change,” said Miriam Goldstein, the director of ocean policy at the Center for American Progress.
Scientists warn that the simultaneous climate and biodiversity crises pose an existential threat to support systems upon which humans rely, and there are growing calls for world governments to better safeguard intact ecosystems. A United Nations draft biodiversity plan released earlier this year calls for protecting 30% of all lands and oceans by 2030, with at least 10% put under “strict protection.”
Policy ideas to implement those goals are being developed. Last year, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) vowed to implement a “Blue New Deal” as part of her presidential campaign. The plan, now championed by groups drafting climate policies for the Democratic Party, includes proposals to conserve more open ocean and ramp up prosecutions of polluters, particularly agribusiness giants whose waste runoff is a major source of toxic algae-fueling nitrogen.
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Trump’s proclamation does not shrink the boundary of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument, although critics argue that opening the site to commercial fishing undermines the very intent of the designation. The site and other U.S. marine monuments were established to protect resources and restore the health of the ocean, including fish stocks.
Ahead of Trump’s trip, Saving Seafood, a Washington, D.C.-based industry group, issued a press release about a letter that the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils sent late last month calling for the Department of Commerce to lift fishing restrictions in all U.S. marine monuments.
“The ban on commercial fishing within Marine National Monument waters is a regulatory burden on domestic fisheries, requiring many of the affected American fishermen to travel outside U.S. waters with increased operational expenses and higher safety-at-sea risks,” the councils wrote.
The president’s action on Friday is certain to face legal challenges.
“This unlawful order to remove critical protections for the only marine national monument in the Atlantic will push numerous endangered species closer to the brink,” Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in a statement. “Just as we are committed to reversing the illegal assaults on western national monuments, so too will we work with our partners to reverse this dreadful decision.”


huffpost--2020-04-30--9 Easy Home Projects To Help You Forget We're In The Midst Of A Pandemic

Since you ’ re stuck at home anyway , now might be a good opportunity to work on a project or two that will spruce up your home and take your mind off the coronavirus pandemic .
Most major hardware stores are offering online ordering with curbside pickup , so getting supplies should be a breeze .
And as long as you ’ re handy with a few basic tools and paintbrush , you can tackle these easy home improvement projects .
“ A quick and easy solution to make a large impact in a room is by throwing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one feature wall , ” said Bo Keuleers , interior designer at MVA Home .
She recommends going with a darker color or fun vibrant color to add contrast to the room .
If you want to get slightly more advanced , use a few complementary colors and painter ’ s tape to incorporate color blocking or other geometric designs .
Intimidated by paint ?
No problem .
Another alternative is putting up patterned wallpaper .
“ During the stay at home order , it may be difficult to find someone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the easiest task to execute yourself , ” Keuleers said .
“ Luckily , there are many alternatives , such as removable wallpaper or a paperless wallpaper option ( stickers for the walls to create the illusion of wallpaper ) that you can easily do yourself.
” Do you have furniture sitting in your garage that needs a bit of TLC before it can be used again ?
Are there items in your home that you wish looked a little less lived-in ?
All you need are a few basic tools to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Marty Basher , designer and home improvement expert with Modular Closets .
For a new paint job , you ’ ll need sandpaper , cleaning solutions like rubbing alcohol , a good quality primer and the paint of your choice .
“ You can add new drawer pulls , knobs , etc .
to further upgrade the look , ” Basher said .
“ It ’ s a relatively inexpensive project that packs a big punch.
” And you can probably revamp a table or dresser in one afternoon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you started .
The team at Garden Safe suggested putting together an “ urban garden ” with different lettuce varieties , veggies and herbs .
Try selecting a creative location and containers to house your plants ― just make sure there ’ s adequate drainage to prevent too much moisture from building up , which can cause your plants to drown or develop disease .
You ’ ll also want to consider water and sunlight : “ Container-grown plants have different needs than in-ground counterparts ; wind and sun dry out soil much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more exposed to the elements , ” according to Garden Safe .
Once you come up with an arrangement you like , hang the centerpiece first ; it ’ s easier to keep your design balanced and space out accordingly this way .
And if you ’ re short on pieces to incorporate , Jamieson said you can add in some framed fabric , wallpaper or wrapping paper to jazz up the mix .
Applying a fresh coat of paint to your front door is one of the easiest and fastest ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Eamon Lynch , director of warranty service at Power Home Remodeling .
“ With just a paint roller , drop cloth and a can of your desired color , you can update your entryway in a matter of hours , ” he said .
“ I also find it helpful to use strips of painter ’ s tape along the edges of the door to make sure paint doesn ’ t accidentally end up on the door frame where you don ’ t want it.
” Using paint and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closet door into a faux french-style door .
Fay said the project only takes about three hours of active work time , though you should allow for one to two days between coats of paint so it dries completely .
And her biggest tip : “ Don ’ t skip the primer !
It ’ s the key to ensuring your paint adheres.
” If you ’ re sick of your plain or outdated countertops , you don ’ t have to invest in new ones .
An easy , fast and cheap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to simply paint them , said Kaylee Strozyk , the blogger behind Mama and More .
“ All you need is a little bit of primer , a few $ 1 acrylic paints , a sea sponge and sealer , ” she said .
By following her tutorial , your counters will look just like granite .
“ Using a sea sponge makes it almost impossible to mess up … and since the acrylic paint is so cheap , you can choose exactly the right colors and pattern for your kitchen , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep things taped overnight for the primer to dry , the process is quite fast .
“ Depending on the way you choose to seal it , it will probably take a maximum of a few hours , ” Strozyk added , noting that this project , from start to finish , could take less than 24 hours .
8 .
Swap out the hardware on your cabinets As far as tools , Capra said that you will need the appropriate screwdriver for your hardware , and if there are handles on your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the distance from the center of the screws , center to center , to know what size hardware to order ) .

We’re spending way more time at home these days, which means it’s more important than ever for our living spaces to bring us joy and comfort. But if you’re like me, you’ve begun to notice ― maybe even fixate on ― imperfections like run down furniture and outdated wallpaper.
Since you’re stuck at home anyway, now might be a good opportunity to work on a project or two that will spruce up your home and take your mind off the coronavirus pandemic. Most major hardware stores are offering online ordering with curbside pickup, so getting supplies should be a breeze. And as long as you’re handy with a few basic tools and paintbrush, you can tackle these easy home improvement projects.
1. Add an accent wall
asbe via Getty Images
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A fresh coat of paint can transform a space. But if you don’t have the patience or energy to repaint an entire room, consider creating an accent wall instead.
“A quick and easy solution to make a large impact in a room is by throwing a pop of color or a fun pattern on one feature wall,” said Bo Keuleers, interior designer at MVA Home. She recommends going with a darker color or fun vibrant color to add contrast to the room. If you want to get slightly more advanced, use a few complementary colors and painter’s tape to incorporate color blocking or other geometric designs.
Intimidated by paint? No problem. Another alternative is putting up patterned wallpaper. “During the stay at home order, it may be difficult to find someone to install wallpaper ... it isn’t the easiest task to execute yourself,” Keuleers said. “Luckily, there are many alternatives, such as removable wallpaper or a paperless wallpaper option (stickers for the walls to create the illusion of wallpaper) that you can easily do yourself.”
And don’t overlook the ceiling. “It’s a blank canvas waiting to be used and an easy way to make an eye-catching impact, forcing the eye to draw upward to an otherwise overlooked area,” Keuleers said.
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2. Give your furniture a facelift
Kathrin Ziegler via Getty Images
Do you have furniture sitting in your garage that needs a bit of TLC before it can be used again? Are there items in your home that you wish looked a little less lived-in? All you need are a few basic tools to make old, drab furniture look amazing again, according to Marty Basher, designer and home improvement expert with Modular Closets.
For a new paint job, you’ll need sandpaper, cleaning solutions like rubbing alcohol, a good quality primer and the paint of your choice. “You can add new drawer pulls, knobs, etc. to further upgrade the look,” Basher said. “It’s a relatively inexpensive project that packs a big punch.” And you can probably revamp a table or dresser in one afternoon. Here’s some inspiration to get you started.
3. Start an urban garden
AleksandarNakic via Getty Images
There’s a reason millennials are obsessed with houseplants these days. Adding some greenery to your home can improve your mood, detoxify the air and bring nature to you when you can’t go outdoors.
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The team at Garden Safe suggested putting together an “urban garden” with different lettuce varieties, veggies and herbs. Try selecting a creative location and containers to house your plants ― just make sure there’s adequate drainage to prevent too much moisture from building up, which can cause your plants to drown or develop disease. You’ll also want to consider water and sunlight: “Container-grown plants have different needs than in-ground counterparts; wind and sun dry out soil much faster in containers because they’re more exposed to the elements,” according to Garden Safe.
4. Create a gallery wall
Sara Monika via Getty Images
If you have old photographs, picture frames and artwork stashed around your house, you can put it all on display with a trendy gallery wall.
Start by arranging your pieces on the floor, said Susan Jamieson, founder and principal of Bridget Beari Designs. “If you’d like a frame of reference, measure out the wall size onto your floor with painter’s tape or string to outline your dimensions,” she suggested.
Try out a few different compositions and take pictures so you can compare layouts (check Pinterest for ideas). “One general rule of thumb for displaying artwork is to hang at eye level, so keep this in mind when creating your gallery layout,” Jamieson said.
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Once you come up with an arrangement you like, hang the centerpiece first; it’s easier to keep your design balanced and space out accordingly this way. And if you’re short on pieces to incorporate, Jamieson said you can add in some framed fabric, wallpaper or wrapping paper to jazz up the mix.
5. Repaint your front door
DebraLee Wiseberg via Getty Images
Applying a fresh coat of paint to your front door is one of the easiest and fastest ways to boost your home’s curb appeal, according to Eamon Lynch, director of warranty service at Power Home Remodeling. “With just a paint roller, drop cloth and a can of your desired color, you can update your entryway in a matter of hours,” he said. “I also find it helpful to use strips of painter’s tape along the edges of the door to make sure paint doesn’t accidentally end up on the door frame where you don’t want it.”
6. Upgrade interior doors
AButterflyHouse.com
If you want to take your door design skills to the next level, Lindsay Fay, a DIY and home improvement writer at A Butterfly House, suggests an easy project.
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Using paint and some trim, you can upgrade a basic closet door into a faux french-style door. Fay said the project only takes about three hours of active work time, though you should allow for one to two days between coats of paint so it dries completely. And her biggest tip: “Don’t skip the primer! It’s the key to ensuring your paint adheres.”
7. Paint your countertops
Alessandro De Carli / EyeEm via Getty Images
If you’re sick of your plain or outdated countertops, you don’t have to invest in new ones. An easy, fast and cheap project that makes a huge difference is to simply paint them, said Kaylee Strozyk, the blogger behind Mama and More. “All you need is a little bit of primer, a few $1 acrylic paints, a sea sponge and sealer,” she said.
By following her tutorial, your counters will look just like granite. “Using a sea sponge makes it almost impossible to mess up … and since the acrylic paint is so cheap, you can choose exactly the right colors and pattern for your kitchen,” she said. Although you have to keep things taped overnight for the primer to dry, the process is quite fast. “Depending on the way you choose to seal it, it will probably take a maximum of a few hours,” Strozyk added, noting that this project, from start to finish, could take less than 24 hours.
8. Swap out the hardware on your cabinets
Grace Cary via Getty Images
Advertisement
Repainting cabinets can be a time consuming project. But one quick and easy way to upgrade their look is by changing out the hardware. You can also do this for bedroom nightstands and dressers.
Today, there are so many stylish finishes for hardware, such as brushed gold, matte black and champagne bronze. “Lots of websites have great hardware choices, with quick delivery, and at a variety of price points,” said interior designer Alena Capra. She suggested checking out sites like Home Depot, Wayfair, Amazon and Lowes.
As far as tools, Capra said that you will need the appropriate screwdriver for your hardware, and if there are handles on your cabinets, a tape measure (measure the distance from the center of the screws, center to center, to know what size hardware to order).
9. Update your flooring
Tuomas Lehtinen via Getty Images
Whether you want to refresh an outdated bathroom or completely redo the flooring throughout your home, peel and stick tiles can be a stylish yet durable option that are easy to install.
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Laying peel and stick tile requires a few simple household items, including scissors and a measuring tape, said Lauren Noel, founder of home improvement and decor website Love Remodeled.
Depending on the type of flooring you have in place, you may need to strip it down to the subfloor first. However, you can lay peel and stick tile down directly on top of existing vinyl flooring ― just be sure the surface is free of debris and wax.


huffpost--2020-04-30--Despite Warnings About Potential Harm To Black People And Latinos, Texas Will Reopen

Ronald Martinez via Getty Images A restaurant employee cleans a outdoor patio table at Benny 's Cafe prior to the Texas ' scheduled reopening of businesses during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27 , in Colleyville , Texas .
Soon , employees will trickle back into businesses as relaxed travel restrictions bring more people into the state .
But experts fear that the state hasn ’ t done its due diligence in testing for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , and doesn ’ t have a strong enough plan to mitigate risk for returning workers , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s administration released guidelines for businesses to reopen in mid-April , a number of experts ― including Dr. Anthony Fauci , the top infectious disease expert ― have warned states would need robust programs in place to test and track the disease in order to avoid another outbreak after reopening .
Texas currently ranks among states with the fewest coronavirus tests administered per capita , according to the COVID Tracking Project , an organization launched by The Atlantic to track coronavirus data .
Although much of Texas remains untested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported cases .
On Monday , Abbott announced three executive orders pertaining to reopening the state .
One will allow some businesses to open and call employees back to work on May 1 , another will loosen restrictions on travel from New Orleans to Texas , and another order reserves hospital space for patients who contract the virus .
In a press release , the governor said the orders are “ part of the safe , strategic plan to Open Texas in response to the COVID-19 disaster.
” A “ safe , strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they argue , if it lacks critical information needed to save lives .
And if , during a global pandemic , a plan isn ’ t safe , then it can not truly be considered “ strategic.
” And if a plan isn ’ t strategic , then it isn ’ t actually a plan at all .
“ Without robust testing , we don ’ t really know the magnitude of the problem , ” Rep. Veronica Escobar ( D-Texas ) said in a conference call with press on Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the darkness .
It helps you find your way .
It helps you find your path.
” One consequence of inadequate testing in Texas has been incomplete data concerning the disparate impact coronavirus has had on Black and Latino communities compared to predominantly white ones .
In early April , the Texas Tribune reported , “ limited testing of Texans in general — and of residents of color in particular — is also impeding the efforts of public health workers and epidemiologists to get a firm grasp on the virus ’ impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve not had enough tests to administer , and we don ’ t have enough locations [ to administer them ] .
I don ’ t think my neighborhood , my city and my region are ready for an opening .
“ We ’ ve not had enough tests to administer , and we don ’ t have enough locations [ to administer them ] , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t think my neighborhood , my city and my region are ready for an opening.
” With more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where Houston is located , is the most populous county in Texas .
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services reported that around 6,000 cases have been discovered in the county , but Texas officials have said cases would likely be undercounted in counties with insufficient testing programs .
Still , on Gov .
Abbott ’ s orders , Texas will effectively open on Friday in spite of any technical or moral headwinds .
Starting at 12:01 Friday morning , Abbott is giving businesses including retail stores , restaurants , bowling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and museums permission to open and welcome up to 25 % of their maximum occupancy .
It ’ s unclear whether , or how , the state will enforce the cap on patrons .
Throughout the pandemic , Black and Hispanic workers have been less likely than workers of any other race or ethnicity to be able to work from home , according to the Economic Policy Institute , in part because the former are overrepresented in jobs the government has deemed essential .
As employers in Texas gradually call their employees back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large number of the employees asked to work in proximity to one another during this deadly pandemic will be from minority groups .
Some health institutions around the country are already prepared to hold states accountable for maintaining detailed breakdowns of any new contractions of the coronavirus .
Dr. Keshia Pollack Porter , an epidemiologist and Associate Dean of Faculty at Johns Hopkins , said the interactive tool is meant to hold states accountable for racial data , but also to urge states like Texas to improve the quality of their data and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s not just about collecting the data ; it ’ s about the quality of the data , ” Dr. Porter said .
“ And we know that in some of these states , how these data are being collected are not consistent.
” “ Lots of potential workers may not own cars , maybe they ’ re taking public transit to get to work .
In many instances , these people are putting themselves at risk because they can ’ t socially distance appropriately , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said those are those people ― those at the greatest risk ― who need to be centered in any plans .

A restaurant employee cleans a outdoor patio table at Benny's Cafe prior to the Texas' scheduled reopening of businesses during the coronavirus pandemic on April 27, in Colleyville, Texas. Ronald Martinez via Getty Images
Earlier this week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued multiple executive orders that will effectively open the state for in-person business on May 1, relaxing social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Soon, employees will trickle back into businesses as relaxed travel restrictions bring more people into the state. But experts fear that the state hasn’t done its due diligence in testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and doesn’t have a strong enough plan to mitigate risk for returning workers, who are disproportionately Black and Latino.
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Although President Donald Trump’s administration released guidelines for businesses to reopen in mid-April, a number of experts ― including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert ― have warned states would need robust programs in place to test and track the disease in order to avoid another outbreak after reopening. Texas currently ranks among states with the fewest coronavirus tests administered per capita, according to the COVID Tracking Project, an organization launched by The Atlantic to track coronavirus data. Although much of Texas remains untested, there have been more than 27,000 reported cases.
On Monday, Abbott announced three executive orders pertaining to reopening the state. One will allow some businesses to open and call employees back to work on May 1, another will loosen restrictions on travel from New Orleans to Texas, and another order reserves hospital space for patients who contract the virus. In a press release, the governor said the orders are “part of the safe, strategic plan to Open Texas in response to the COVID-19 disaster.”
But the governor’s language doesn’t comport with the evidence in a state with an inadequate testing program, leading several legislators and health officials to sound the alarm in recent weeks.
A “safe, strategic plan” cannot truly be safe, they argue, if it lacks critical information needed to save lives. And if, during a global pandemic, a plan isn’t safe, then it cannot truly be considered “strategic.” And if a plan isn’t strategic, then it isn’t actually a plan at all.
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Staff work at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Dallas, March 21. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
“Without robust testing, we don’t really know the magnitude of the problem,” Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) said in a conference call with press on Monday. “Testing is like having a flashlight in the darkness. It helps you find your way. It helps you find your path.”
One consequence of inadequate testing in Texas has been incomplete data concerning the disparate impact coronavirus has had on Black and Latino communities compared to predominantly white ones. In early April, the Texas Tribune reported, “limited testing of Texans in general — and of residents of color in particular — is also impeding the efforts of public health workers and epidemiologists to get a firm grasp on the virus’ impact across different demographics and communities.”
“We’ve not had enough tests to administer, and we don’t have enough locations [to administer them]. I don’t think my neighborhood, my city and my region are ready for an opening.” - Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas)
During the call with press on Monday, Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), whose district includes much of Houston, said Black people account for 55 to 60% of deaths in the city, while Latinos account for about 20% of deaths.
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“We’ve not had enough tests to administer, and we don’t have enough locations [to administer them],” she said. “I don’t think my neighborhood, my city and my region are ready for an opening.”
With more than 4.5 million people, Harris County, where Houston is located, is the most populous county in Texas. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services reported that around 6,000 cases have been discovered in the county, but Texas officials have said cases would likely be undercounted in counties with insufficient testing programs.
Still, on Gov. Abbott’s orders, Texas will effectively open on Friday in spite of any technical or moral headwinds. Starting at 12:01 Friday morning, Abbott is giving businesses including retail stores, restaurants, bowling alleys, shopping malls, movie theaters and museums permission to open and welcome up to 25% of their maximum occupancy. It’s unclear whether, or how, the state will enforce the cap on patrons.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott arrives for his COVID-19 press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Pool via Getty Images
Throughout the pandemic, Black and Hispanic workers have been less likely than workers of any other race or ethnicity to be able to work from home, according to the Economic Policy Institute, in part because the former are overrepresented in jobs the government has deemed essential.
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As employers in Texas gradually call their employees back to work, it is likely a large number of the employees asked to work in proximity to one another during this deadly pandemic will be from minority groups. Some health institutions around the country are already prepared to hold states accountable for maintaining detailed breakdowns of any new contractions of the coronavirus.
At Johns Hopkins University, for example, researchers recently unveiled a “Racial Data Transparency” tool designed to inform users which states are breaking down the numbers of tests administered as well as confirmed cases and deaths by race.
Dr. Keshia Pollack Porter, an epidemiologist and Associate Dean of Faculty at Johns Hopkins, said the interactive tool is meant to hold states accountable for racial data, but also to urge states like Texas to improve the quality of their data and testing capabilities before they consider reopening businesses.
“It’s not just about collecting the data; it’s about the quality of the data,” Dr. Porter said. “And we know that in some of these states, how these data are being collected are not consistent.”
Dr. Porter said any efforts to reopen must take into account the idea of “health equity,” or the belief every person ― regardless of race or wealth ― is entitled to humane health treatment.
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“Lots of potential workers may not own cars, maybe they’re taking public transit to get to work. In many instances, these people are putting themselves at risk because they can’t socially distance appropriately,” she said, calling for empathy. Dr. Porter said those are those people ― those at the greatest risk ― who need to be centered in any plans.


huffpost--2020-04-30--U.S. Intelligence Agencies Conclude Coronavirus 'Not Manmade'

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — U.S. intelligence agencies are debunking a conspiracy theory , saying they have concluded that the new coronavirus was “ not manmade or genetically modified ” but say they are still examining a notion put forward by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab .
The statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , the clearinghouse for the web of U.S. spy agencies , comes as President Donald Trump and his allies have touted the as-yet-unproven theory that an infectious disease lab in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , was the source of the global pandemic , which has killed more than 220,000 people worldwide .
In recent days the Trump administration has sharpened its rhetoric on China , accusing the geopolitical foe and vital trading partner of failing to act swiftly enough to sound the alarm to the world about the outbreak or to stop the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 .
U.S. officials have said the Chinese government should “ pay a price ” for its handling of the pandemic .
“ The IC will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.
” “ We just got hit by a vicious virus that should never have been allowed to escape China , ” he said during an Oval Office meeting with New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy .
Earlier this month , Trump addressed the lab theory saying , “ More and more , we ’ re hearing the story.
” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know the answers — that China hasn ’ t shared the answers — I think is very , very telling.
” While Trump and Pompeo have made public statements speculating about the lab , a U.S. intelligence official disputed the notion that there was any pressure on agencies to bolster a particular theory .
The intelligence official was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue and spoke only on condition of anonymity .
Scientists say the virus arose naturally in bats .
Even so , Pompeo and others have pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Chinese Academy of Sciences .
It has done groundbreaking research tracing the likely origins of the SARS virus , finding new bat viruses and discovering how they could jump to people .
“ We know that there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was , ” Pompeo said two weeks ago .
The institute has an address 8 miles , or 13 kilometers , from the market that is considered a possible source .
U.S. officials say the American Embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues at the lab in Wuhan in 2018 , but they have yet to find any evidence the virus originated there nearly two years later .
“ I would like to point out again that the origin of the virus is a complex scientific issue , and it should be studied by scientists and professionals , ” Geng said .
Geng also criticized U.S. politicians who have suggested China should be held accountable for the global pandemic , saying they should spend their time on “ better controlling the epidemic situation at home.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zhao Lijian , demonstrated that China was not above sowing confusion in the face of the pandemic .
He tweeted in March the falsehood that the virus might have come from the U.S. Army .
Trump , whose early response to the outbreak has been questioned , also pushed back on news reports that he was repeatedly warned about the virus by intelligence agencies .
Trump said he was given the first intelligence briefing in “ later January.
” Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar also briefed Trump on the threat @ @ @ @ @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence agencies are debunking a conspiracy theory, saying they have concluded that the new coronavirus was “not manmade or genetically modified” but say they are still examining a notion put forward by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab.
The statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the clearinghouse for the web of U.S. spy agencies, comes as President Donald Trump and his allies have touted the as-yet-unproven theory that an infectious disease lab in Wuhan, the epicenter of the Chinese outbreak, was the source of the global pandemic, which has killed more than 220,000 people worldwide.
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In recent days the Trump administration has sharpened its rhetoric on China, accusing the geopolitical foe and vital trading partner of failing to act swiftly enough to sound the alarm to the world about the outbreak or to stop the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. U.S. officials have said the Chinese government should “pay a price” for its handling of the pandemic.
The new statement says, “The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified.”
“The IC will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.”
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting about the coronavirus response with Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Trump on Thursday again blamed China for not doing enough to contain the coronavirus.
“We just got hit by a vicious virus that should never have been allowed to escape China,” he said during an Oval Office meeting with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
Earlier this month, Trump addressed the lab theory saying, “More and more, we’re hearing the story.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added at the time, “The mere fact that we don’t know the answers — that China hasn’t shared the answers — I think is very, very telling.”
Pompeo also pressed China to let outside experts into the lab “so that we can determine precisely where this virus began.”
While Trump and Pompeo have made public statements speculating about the lab, a U.S. intelligence official disputed the notion that there was any pressure on agencies to bolster a particular theory. The intelligence official was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Scientists say the virus arose naturally in bats. Even so, Pompeo and others have pointed fingers at an institute that is run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has done groundbreaking research tracing the likely origins of the SARS virus, finding new bat viruses and discovering how they could jump to people.
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“We know that there is the Wuhan Institute of Virology just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was,” Pompeo said two weeks ago. The institute has an address 8 miles, or 13 kilometers, from the market that is considered a possible source.
U.S. officials say the American Embassy in Beijing flagged concerns about potential safety issues at the lab in Wuhan in 2018, but they have yet to find any evidence the virus originated there nearly two years later.
The Chinese government said Thursday that any claims that the coronavirus was released from a laboratory are “unfounded and purely fabricated out of nothing.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang cited the institute’s director, Yuan Zhiming, as saying the lab strictly implements bio-security procedures that would prevent the release of any pathogen.
“I would like to point out again that the origin of the virus is a complex scientific issue, and it should be studied by scientists and professionals,” Geng said.
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Geng also criticized U.S. politicians who have suggested China should be held accountable for the global pandemic, saying they should spend their time on “better controlling the epidemic situation at home.”
But a Chinese government spokesman, Zhao Lijian, demonstrated that China was not above sowing confusion in the face of the pandemic. He tweeted in March the falsehood that the virus might have come from the U.S. Army.
Trump, whose early response to the outbreak has been questioned, also pushed back on news reports that he was repeatedly warned about the virus by intelligence agencies. Trump said he was given the first intelligence briefing in “later January.” Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar also briefed Trump on the threat by phone on Jan. 18.
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huffpost--2020-04-30--Kylie Jenner Goes Off On Commenter Who Criticized Her Hair: 'I Know Bitch'

Kylie Jenner can ’ t keep up with her hair in lockdown .
Then again , who can ?
The beauty mogul posted a sweet video of her playing with her daughter Stormi on Monday .
It showed the back of Jenner ’ s head with what looked like new , lighter hair extensions as Stormi giggled and yelled in her arms .
“ A visual representation of how my friends are gon na have to drag me out the first party post quarantine , ” Jenner joked in the caption .
A person on Instagram who claimed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star for the discrepancy in her hair colors .
“ Kylie honey , you need some blending on that hair , ” she wrote .
Jenner won praise earlier this month for coming for a commenter who said she looked different at a Sugar Factory store opening in 2017 .
“ Wow she ’ s so skinny here 🤗 🤗 🤗 , ” a user wrote below a video of Jenner at the store .
Another commenter added : “ she was better.
” Jenner shut down the body-shaming troll with one line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Keeping Up With the Kardashians ” cast member from creating art during stay-at-home time .
Jenner and one of her best friends , Anastasia “ Stassi ” Karanikolaou , recently parodied some of the most memorable quotes from the “ KUWTK ” series and turned them into an even more iconic compilation : Considering that TV reality shows might look a lot different after the coronavirus , this could be a glimpse of the Kardashian family ’ s next season .

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Kylie Jenner can’t keep up with her hair in lockdown. Then again, who can?
The beauty mogul posted a sweet video of her playing with her daughter Stormi on Monday. It showed the back of Jenner’s head with what looked like new, lighter hair extensions as Stormi giggled and yelled in her arms.
“A visual representation of how my friends are gonna have to drag me out the first party post quarantine,” Jenner joked in the caption.
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A person on Instagram who claimed to be a color corrective specialist zinged the reality star for the discrepancy in her hair colors.
“Kylie honey, you need some blending on that hair,” she wrote.
Jenner went in.
“I know bitch it’s been a long day,” she replied.
Actually, it’s been a long few months.
Instagram Instagram
Jenner won praise earlier this month for coming for a commenter who said she looked different at a Sugar Factory store opening in 2017.
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“Wow she’s so skinny here 🤗 🤗 🤗,” a user wrote below a video of Jenner at the store. Another commenter added: “she was better.”
Jenner shut down the body-shaming troll with one line:
“I birthed a baby.”
Rude comments aren’t keeping the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” cast member from creating art during stay-at-home time.
Jenner and one of her best friends, Anastasia “Stassi” Karanikolaou, recently parodied some of the most memorable quotes from the “KUWTK” series and turned them into an even more iconic compilation:
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huffpost--2020-04-30--Rosie O'Donnell Visits Trump's Former Lawyer In Prison

Rosie O ’ Donnell was willing to let bygones be bygones in her long feud with President Donald Trump ― well , at least with one of his associates .
The comedian told “ Late Night ” host Seth Meyers on Wednesday that she ’ d visited former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen in prison before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the U.S. She said Cohen was contrite about his crimes ― and apologized for his role in Trump ’ s treatment of her .
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after he pleaded guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finance law by funneling hush money to women who allegedly had trysts with Trump .
Trump has feuded with O ’ Donnell for years , starting long before he was elected president .
He repeatedly threatened to sue the former talk show host , as is his pattern .
But mostly the rivalry has involved name-calling .
Trump has labeled her a “ loser ” and a “ pig , ” among other insults , while O ’ Donnell has dissed Trump as “ dumb ” and a “ con man.
” O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw something familiar in Cohen .
As Trump ’ s impeachment unfolded , she found herself thinking that while Cohen was sitting in prison , the man he did the dirty work for was sitting in the White House .

Rosie O’Donnell was willing to let bygones be bygones in her long feud with President Donald Trump ― well, at least with one of his associates.
The comedian told “Late Night” host Seth Meyers on Wednesday that she’d visited former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen in prison before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the U.S. She said Cohen was contrite about his crimes ― and apologized for his role in Trump’s treatment of her.
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and violating campaign finance law by funneling hush money to women who allegedly had trysts with Trump.
Trump has feuded with O’Donnell for years, starting long before he was elected president. He repeatedly threatened to sue the former talk show host, as is his pattern. But mostly the rivalry has involved name-calling. Trump has labeled her a “loser” and a “pig,” among other insults, while O’Donnell has dissed Trump as “dumb” and a “con man.”
O’Donnell explained to Meyers that she saw something familiar in Cohen. As Trump’s impeachment unfolded, she found herself thinking that while Cohen was sitting in prison, the man he did the dirty work for was sitting in the White House.


huffpost--2020-04-30--Trump Erupts At Campaign Team As His Poll Numbers Slide

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump erupted at his top political advisers last week when they presented him with worrisome polling data that showed his support eroding in a series of battleground states as his response to the coronavirus comes under criticism .
As the virus takes its deadly toll and much of the nation 's economy remains shuttered , new surveys by the Republican National Committee and Trump 's campaign pointed to a harrowing picture for the president as he faces reelection .
While Trump saw some of the best approval ratings of his presidency during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlighted the growing political cost of the crisis and the unforced errors by Trump in his freewheeling press briefings .
“ I am not f—-ing losing to Joe Biden , ” he repeated in a series of heated conference calls with his top campaign officials , according to five people with knowledge of the conversations .
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions .
The message to the president was sobering : Trump was trailing the former Democratic vice president in many key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would have lost the Electoral College if the election had been held earlier this month .
On the line from the White House , Trump snapped at the state of his polling during a series of calls with campaign manager Brad Parscale , who called in from Florida ; RNC chair Ronna McDaniel , on the line from her home in Michigan ; senior adviser Jared Kushner ; and other aides .
Echoing a number of White House aides and outside advisers , the political team urged Trump to curtail his daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sessions were costing him in the polls , particularly among seniors .
Trump initially pushed back , pointing to high television ratings .
But , at least temporarily , he agreed to scale back the briefings after drawing sharp criticism for raising the idea that Americans might get virus protection by injecting disinfectants .
Even as Trump preaches optimism , the president has expressed frustration and even powerlessness as the dire economic statistics pile up .
It 's been a whiplash-inducing moment for the president , who just two months ago planned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an economy that was experiencing unprecedented employment levels .
Now , as the records mount in the opposite direction , Trump is feeling the pressure .
“ I think you ’ ll see by June a lot of the country should be back to normal , and the hope is that by July the country ’ s really rocking again , '' Kushner told “ Fox & Friends ” on Wednesday morning .
But other aides , business leaders and economists predict a far longer road toward recovery .
Trump has long distrusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years that his gut was right about the 2016 race , when he insisted that he was ahead in the Midwest and Florida .
At the same time , Parscale and other Trump aides are talking up the sophistication of their data and voter outreach capabilities this time .
The president and some aides have had simmering frustrations with Parscale for a while , believing the campaign manager — a close Kushner ally — has enriched himself from his association with Trump and sought personal publicity .
Trump had previously been angered when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This latest episode flared before the campaign manager was featured in a New York Times Magazine profile this week .
Trump announced Wednesday that he will visit Arizona next week — his first trip outside Washington in a month — as he looks to declare that much of the nation is ready to begin reopening after the virus .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump erupted at his top political advisers last week when they presented him with worrisome polling data that showed his support eroding in a series of battleground states as his response to the coronavirus comes under criticism.
As the virus takes its deadly toll and much of the nation's economy remains shuttered, new surveys by the Republican National Committee and Trump's campaign pointed to a harrowing picture for the president as he faces reelection.
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While Trump saw some of the best approval ratings of his presidency during the early weeks of the crisis, aides highlighted the growing political cost of the crisis and the unforced errors by Trump in his freewheeling press briefings.
Trump reacted with defiance, incredulous that he could be losing to someone he viewed as a weak candidate.
“I am not f—-ing losing to Joe Biden,” he repeated in a series of heated conference calls with his top campaign officials, according to five people with knowledge of the conversations. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions.
The message to the president was sobering: Trump was trailing the former Democratic vice president in many key battleground states, he was told, and would have lost the Electoral College if the election had been held earlier this month.
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On the line from the White House, Trump snapped at the state of his polling during a series of calls with campaign manager Brad Parscale, who called in from Florida; RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, on the line from her home in Michigan; senior adviser Jared Kushner; and other aides.
Echoing a number of White House aides and outside advisers, the political team urged Trump to curtail his daily coronavirus briefings, arguing that the combative sessions were costing him in the polls, particularly among seniors. Trump initially pushed back, pointing to high television ratings. But, at least temporarily, he agreed to scale back the briefings after drawing sharp criticism for raising the idea that Americans might get virus protection by injecting disinfectants.
Trump aides encouraged the president to stay out of medical issues and direct his focus toward more familiar and politically important ground: the economy.
Even as Trump preaches optimism, the president has expressed frustration and even powerlessness as the dire economic statistics pile up. It's been a whiplash-inducing moment for the president, who just two months ago planned to run for reelection on the strength of an economy that was experiencing unprecedented employment levels. Now, as the records mount in the opposite direction, Trump is feeling the pressure.
“We built the greatest economy in the world,” Trump has said publicly. “I’ll do it a second time.”
Trump's political team warned that the president's path to reelection depends on how quickly he can bring about a recovery.
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“I think you’ll see by June a lot of the country should be back to normal, and the hope is that by July the country’s really rocking again," Kushner told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning. But other aides, business leaders and economists predict a far longer road toward recovery.
Representatives for the RNC and the Trump campaign did not comment on the polling or last week's phone calls.
According to people familiar with the incident, Trump vented much of his frustration at Parscale, who served as the bearer of bad news.
Trump has long distrusted negative poll numbers — telling aides for years that his gut was right about the 2016 race, when he insisted that he was ahead in the Midwest and Florida. At the same time, Parscale and other Trump aides are talking up the sophistication of their data and voter outreach capabilities this time.
The president and some aides have had simmering frustrations with Parscale for a while, believing the campaign manager — a close Kushner ally — has enriched himself from his association with Trump and sought personal publicity. Trump had previously been angered when Parscale was the subject of magazine profiles. This latest episode flared before the campaign manager was featured in a New York Times Magazine profile this week.
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Aides have grown particularly worried about Michigan — which some advisers have all but written off -- as well as Florida, Wisconsin and Arizona.
Trump announced Wednesday that he will visit Arizona next week — his first trip outside Washington in a month — as he looks to declare that much of the nation is ready to begin reopening after the virus.
The president has mocked Biden, his presumptive general election rival, for being "stuck in his basement" in his Delaware home during the pandemic.
Trump said Wednesday that he hopes to soon visit Ohio, a battleground state that Trump carried handily in 2016 but that aides see as growing slightly competitive in recent weeks.
Aides acknowledged that the president's signature rallies would not be returning anytime soon. Some have privately offered doubts that he would be able to hold any in his familiar format of jam-packed arenas before Election Day, Nov. 3.
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huffpost--2020-03-23--The President Of Slovakia Has, Uh, Nailed Her Coronavirus Look

As the world attempts to contain the coronavirus outbreak , many people who are lucky enough to work from home kick off another week of wearing cozy , comfy and couch-friendly work attire .
Not Zuzana Čaputová , president of Slovakia .
She attended a swearing-in ceremony of the new four-party coalition government in Bratislava , Slovakia ’ s capital , on Saturday in a head-to-toe color-coordinated look .
Čaputová wore a rosy red boatneck dress with matching red pumps and red fabric mask for the occasion .
Her outfit stood out even more because the rest of the attendees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all coordinated with their outfits .
The look is a bit “ Handmaid ’ s Tale , ” a bit confusing and , well , a bit chic ?
At least according to some of the over 150,000 people who liked a tweet calling her “ corona drip ” “ impeccable.
” As a reminder , you don ’ t need to wear a mask unless you are sick .
We ’ re in the midst of a nationwide mask shortage , prompting fashion designer Christian Siriano and others to begin production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Grey ’ s Anatomy ” to donate their supplies .
Not to mention the Slovakian politicians are not exactly practicing social distancing here .

As the world attempts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, many people who are lucky enough to work from home kick off another week of wearing cozy, comfy and couch-friendly work attire.
Not Zuzana Čaputová, president of Slovakia. She attended a swearing-in ceremony of the new four-party coalition government in Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital, on Saturday in a head-to-toe color-coordinated look.
Face mask included.
JOE KLAMAR via Getty Images Zuzana Čaputová's all-red outfit sparked a lot of questions on Twitter this weekend.
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Čaputová wore a rosy red boatneck dress with matching red pumps and red fabric mask for the occasion. Her outfit stood out even more because the rest of the attendees opted for standard light blue masks not at all coordinated with their outfits.
JOE KLAMAR via Getty Images One of these things is not like the others.
The look is a bit “Handmaid’s Tale,” a bit confusing and, well, a bit chic? At least according to some of the over 150,000 people who liked a tweet calling her “corona drip” “impeccable.”
Corona is temporary, but drip is forever pic.twitter.com/kHDDez6qna — skinny legend? (@wale__awe) March 22, 2020
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she said just bc its a pandemic doesn't mean you can't look cute — valeska (@iatemuggles) March 21, 2020
‘The idea of the thing, not the thing itself’?
The folly of elites ... pic.twitter.com/TOLFL3tQPs — AC Fick (@acfick72) March 22, 2020
As a reminder, you don’t need to wear a mask unless you are sick. We’re in the midst of a nationwide mask shortage, prompting fashion designer Christian Siriano and others to begin production on them and medical television shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” to donate their supplies.
Not to mention the Slovakian politicians are not exactly practicing social distancing here.


huffpost--2020-04-30--SEALs Tried To Locate U.S. Citizen Taken By Afghan Militants

While the circumstances surrounding the abduction remain unclear , the previously unreported operation described by multiple American officials over the past month shed new light on early efforts to locate Mark R. Frerichs , a contractor from Illinois whose disappearance has been shrouded in mystery and whose case has been the subject of minimal public discussion by the U.S. government .
“ The Taliban kidnapped my brother in January .
In February , the U.S. signed a peace deal with the Taliban .
My brother wasn ’ t part of the deal .
Now we are arranging for the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners , ” Charlene Cakora , one of Frerichs ’ sisters , said in a statement provided to the AP .
“ Why can ’ t we make an American hostage be one of them ?
” The Pentagon and U.S. Special Operations Command declined to comment on the SEALs raid .
The rescue effort is being coordinated through the FBI-led , multiagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell , which said in a statement that it was working with its partners to ensure “ that Mark Frerichs and all Americans held hostage abroad are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the case to come forward .
A former U.S. national security official who is advising the Frerichs family called on Washington peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to resolve the situation and that “ he is aware of Mark ’ s presence , but it does not appear yet that he understands that he needs to get him home.
” The former official insisted on anonymity to speak candidly since the official sometimes works with the Trump administration .
“ I have real concerns about suggestions that the Taliban are serious about peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the deal when — as we speak today — they are holding a former Navy veteran and American citizen hostage that they took , again , during the peace negotiations , ” Waltz said in an interview .
Members of the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group , more familiarly known as SEAL Team Six , who were involved in the Frerichs effort had spent late January working to recover the bodies of two American service members who died when their aircraft crash-landed in Ghazni in central Afghanistan , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winter weather that limited overhead surveillance of the airplane wreckage by U.S. military drones also worked against officials during the later SEAL operation on the night of Feb. 3 .
Periods of poor-to-nonexistent visibility ultimately delayed a planned intelligence-gathering operation on a known Taliban location , said the senior U.S. government official , who has direct knowledge of the raid .
The senior U.S. government official and the Defense Department source with knowledge of the raid , who also requested anonymity , said the SEAL platoon was not met with any Taliban resistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they detained several alleged Haqqani militants and uncovered a weapons cache .
It ’ s not known if the weapons cache was destroyed at the scene or given to Afghan security forces .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — In the days following the capture of an American contractor in Afghanistan earlier this year, Navy commandos raided a village and detained suspected members of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network while the U.S. intelligence community tried to track the cellphones of the man and his captors, The Associated Press has learned.
While the circumstances surrounding the abduction remain unclear, the previously unreported operation described by multiple American officials over the past month shed new light on early efforts to locate Mark R. Frerichs, a contractor from Illinois whose disappearance has been shrouded in mystery and whose case has been the subject of minimal public discussion by the U.S. government.
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The new details emerge as violence and political infighting in Kabul threaten to scuttle a Taliban peace deal with the U.S. Last month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced frustrations after a failed attempt to mediate a power struggle between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and political rival Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. The Trump administration said it would cut $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan.
Washington has urged Kabul to release Taliban prisoners, which is part of the peace agreement, arguing the detainees were at risk of spreading the coronavirus.
But there are no public indications Frerichs, a Navy veteran, has been part of negotiations between the U.S. and Taliban leadership, or that his release is part of any peace deal.
Mark Frerichs, a contractor from Illinois, poses in Iraq in this undated photo obtained from Twitter that he would include with his resume when job hunting. AP
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“The Taliban kidnapped my brother in January. In February, the U.S. signed a peace deal with the Taliban. My brother wasn’t part of the deal. Now we are arranging for the Taliban and Afghan government to exchange thousands of prisoners,” Charlene Cakora, one of Frerichs’ sisters, said in a statement provided to the AP. “Why can’t we make an American hostage be one of them?”
Frerichs’ father, Art, said in a statement that though he has faith in President Donald Trump and Pompeo, “I just need them to tell their people negotiating with the Taliban that America won’t lift a finger until my son comes home. He’s a veteran. This is America. We don’t leave people behind.”
The Pentagon and U.S. Special Operations Command declined to comment on the SEALs raid. The rescue effort is being coordinated through the FBI-led, multiagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, which said in a statement that it was working with its partners to ensure “that Mark Frerichs and all Americans held hostage abroad are returned home.” It encouraged anyone with information about the case to come forward.
The State Department said it was aware of an American who’d been abducted in Afghanistan.
“The welfare, safety and security of Americans is the Trump Administration’s highest priority,” the department said. “The United States will continue to push for the safe return of this and all other U.S citizens through all relevant channels.”
A former U.S. national security official who is advising the Frerichs family called on Washington peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to resolve the situation and that “he is aware of Mark’s presence, but it does not appear yet that he understands that he needs to get him home.” The former official insisted on anonymity to speak candidly since the official sometimes works with the Trump administration.
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U.S. officials believe Frerichs, 57, of Lombard, Illinois, was held for at least some time in Khost, an eastern province along the border with Pakistan and its so-called tribal regions, a mountainous area that has historically been a haven for Taliban and al-Qaeda militants.
The former national security official said that Frerichs has been in Afghanistan for about a decade working on commercial projects and was not a U.S. government contractor.
“The first 96 hours is crucial,” a senior U.S. government official briefed on the case told the AP on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. “If they’re not recovered in the first few days, it becomes harder every minute after.”
Though no formal demands are known to have been made, U.S. intelligence officials believe Frerichs was captured by members of the Haqqani network, a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Haqqanis have strong links to North Waziristan, a tribal region in Pakistan, south of Afghanistan’s Khost province.
The Obama administration designated the Haqqani network as a foreign terrorist organization in 2012 for its ties with the Taliban and the group’s attacks on U.S. military and civilian personnel. Though the Haqqanis are known to carry out assassinations and kidnappings for ransom, Taliban leadership has not acknowledged Frerichs’ capture.
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“I have not received any information about him,” said a Taliban source who asked not to be named. “There has been no clue despite my contacts with every side to get information.”
In November, the Afghan government released three prominent members of the Haqqani network in exchange for an American citizen and an Australian professor abducted in 2016. Pompeo characterized the prisoner swap as a “goodwill gesture.”
Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican and Army veteran who led the teams that searched for Bowe Bergdahl after the Army soldier abandoned his post in 2009 and wound up captured by the Taliban, said the Taliban frequently hides American hostages until they can move them over the border into Pakistan.
“I have real concerns about suggestions that the Taliban are serious about peace, that the Taliban are upholding their end of the deal when — as we speak today — they are holding a former Navy veteran and American citizen hostage that they took, again, during the peace negotiations,” Waltz said in an interview.
The search area for Frerichs began in Khost and extended south to the province of Kandahar, according to the senior U.S. government official and a second official at the Defense Department.
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Members of the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group, more familiarly known as SEAL Team Six, who were involved in the Frerichs effort had spent late January working to recover the bodies of two American service members who died when their aircraft crash-landed in Ghazni in central Afghanistan, according to the two U.S. officials.
The bitter winter weather that limited overhead surveillance of the airplane wreckage by U.S. military drones also worked against officials during the later SEAL operation on the night of Feb. 3. Periods of poor-to-nonexistent visibility ultimately delayed a planned intelligence-gathering operation on a known Taliban location, said the senior U.S. government official, who has direct knowledge of the raid.
Once the weather cleared, the SEALs loaded onto helicopters and flew to the undisclosed location. The senior official declined to disclose the exact location of the province for operational security reasons.
The senior U.S. government official and the Defense Department source with knowledge of the raid, who also requested anonymity, said the SEAL platoon was not met with any Taliban resistance and that once at the compound, they detained several alleged Haqqani militants and uncovered a weapons cache. It’s not known if the weapons cache was destroyed at the scene or given to Afghan security forces.
The suspected Haqqani members were questioned about Frerichs’ whereabouts and ultimately turned over to the Afghan government, according to the senior U.S. government official.
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On Feb. 4, American intelligence officials received a report that Frerichs had possibly been moved to Quetta, Pakistan, a historical haven for the Taliban, the two officials said. But the information was deemed not credible enough to warrant a special operations mission, according to the senior U.S. government official.
The report also conflicted with signals intelligence U.S. officials had at the time. Signals intelligence is information gathered from the electronic signals that are broadcast from devices like portable radios and cellphones. The information can be used to track the movements of individuals or eavesdrop on conversations, known in the spy business as low-level voice intercepts.
U.S. intelligence officials continued to receive location pings from the suspected cellphones of Frerichs and his captors, but the trail went cold on Feb. 5, according to the senior U.S. government and Defense Department officials.
While the senior U.S. government official would not say where exactly the last location ping for Frerichs came from, the official said it was near where he was captured. The AP was not able to determine how the U.S. intelligence community knew to target these specific cellphones to monitor.
“Operationally, the reason why time is critical in a kidnapping is because you can close the distance quicker, ideally immediately or by utilizing sources,” said the senior U.S. government official. “This is not the case right now. He could be two houses down from where he was taken and we would not know.”
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____
LaPorta reported from Delray Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Kathy Gannon in Islamabad and Allen G. Breed in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
___


huffpost--2020-06-18--Trump Begging Xi For Election Help May Crimp His Efforts To Paint Biden As Soft On China

WASHINGTON ― The revelation that Donald Trump begged China ’ s dictator for help winning reelection could prove fatal to what the president ’ s campaign had hoped would be one of its strongest themes : that Democrat Joe Biden is soft on China .
For over a year , Trump ’ s campaign , his supporters and the president personally have claimed that the former vice president who is now the presumptive Democratic nominee would be unable to take a tough stance against China and Xi Jinping .
All of that , though , was before Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lavish praise of Xi ― “ the greatest leader in Chinese history ” ― and his June 2019 request for help in his coming reelection by agreeing to purchase large amounts of American agricultural products .
“ Trump then , stunningly , turned the conversation to the coming U.S. presidential election , alluding to China ’ s economic capability and pleading with Xi to ensure he ’ d win , ” according to an excerpt from John Bolton ’ s soon-to-be-released book , “ The Room Where it Happened : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The Wall Street Journal .
Trump , who in early 2018 had spoken admiringly of the way Xi had essentially made himself president for life , told Xi that Americans similarly wanted Trump to stay on beyond two four-year terms .
“ Trump replied that people were saying that the two-term constitutional limit on presidents should be repealed for him , ” Bolton wrote .
John Weaver , a Republican consultant who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich and who now works with the anti-Trump organization The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book pretty much ends Trump ’ s ability to hit Biden on China .
One former Trump campaign aide , who spoke on condition of anonymity , said Bolton ’ s description of the exchange with Xi could actually work to Trump ’ s advantage with farmers who have been financially devastated by Trump ’ s trade war because they will see that he is trying to help them .
“ I think the farmers will like that , ” the aide said .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says in private is pretty.
” For Biden ’ s campaign and outside supporters , though , the Bolton material is just more proof that it is Trump , not Biden , who is unable to deal with China , particularly on the coronavirus pandemic , which was first recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .
“ This whole time , the American people have asked why on earth Trump gave President Xi a pass as he disregarded warning after warning from his own intelligence advisers , public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we couldn ’ t take Xi ’ s word , ” said campaign spokesman Andrew Bates .
“ Now we know why Trump looked the other way.
” “ We already knew Trump ’ s smears against Vice President Biden on China were baseless projections of his own failures , ” added Jeb Fain , spokesman for the Democratic super PAC American Bridge that aired ads attacking Trump in response to America First ’ s ads .
“ Now we know the full extent of Trump ’ s betrayal of America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask Xi for help is not surprising .
He did so publicly on the South Lawn of the White House last autumn .
“ Likewise , China should start an investigation into the Bidens , because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine , ” he said .
He had just finished telling reporters that the new president of Ukraine should investigate Biden , essentially confirming the main thrust of a newly started House probe into his efforts to tie $ 391 million in congressionally approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a politically motivated investigation .
All Senate Republicans except for Utah ’ s Mitt Romney , however , chose not to remove Trump from office for that act .
Some argued that while it was wrong , it was not sufficient to force him from the presidency , while others said that Trump was fully within his rights to use his office in that manner .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON ― The revelation that Donald Trump begged China’s dictator for help winning reelection could prove fatal to what the president’s campaign had hoped would be one of its strongest themes: that Democrat Joe Biden is soft on China.
For over a year, Trump’s campaign, his supporters and the president personally have claimed that the former vice president who is now the presumptive Democratic nominee would be unable to take a tough stance against China and Xi Jinping.
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“He’s a weak man. He’s an ineffective man. President Xi laughs at guys like that,” Trump said of Biden last July.
Trump’s “official” super PAC, America First Action, even created a webpage and a series of ads dedicated to “Beijing Biden,” which try to portray him as confused and overly supportive of China.
All of that, though, was before Trump’s previous national security adviser detailed the president’s lavish praise of Xi ― “the greatest leader in Chinese history” ― and his June 2019 request for help in his coming reelection by agreeing to purchase large amounts of American agricultural products.
“Trump then, stunningly, turned the conversation to the coming U.S. presidential election, alluding to China’s economic capability and pleading with Xi to ensure he’d win,” according to an excerpt from John Bolton’s soon-to-be-released book, “The Room Where it Happened: A White House Memoir,” that appeared in The Wall Street Journal.
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Trump, who in early 2018 had spoken admiringly of the way Xi had essentially made himself president for life, told Xi that Americans similarly wanted Trump to stay on beyond two four-year terms. “Trump replied that people were saying that the two-term constitutional limit on presidents should be repealed for him,” Bolton wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping attend a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017. Thomas Peter / Reuters
John Weaver, a Republican consultant who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich and who now works with the anti-Trump organization The Lincoln Project, said Bolton’s book pretty much ends Trump’s ability to hit Biden on China.
“Any attacks are now laughable,” he said. “Trump is Xi’s house poodle.”
Neither Trump’s campaign nor his super PAC would respond to HuffPost’s queries about where Bolton’s revelations leave the “Beijing Biden” efforts.
One former Trump campaign aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bolton’s description of the exchange with Xi could actually work to Trump’s advantage with farmers who have been financially devastated by Trump’s trade war because they will see that he is trying to help them. “I think the farmers will like that,” the aide said. “I don’t think it’s pretty. But nothing about what Trump says in private is pretty.”
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For Biden’s campaign and outside supporters, though, the Bolton material is just more proof that it is Trump, not Biden, who is unable to deal with China, particularly on the coronavirus pandemic, which was first recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
“This whole time, the American people have asked why on earth Trump gave President Xi a pass as he disregarded warning after warning from his own intelligence advisers, public health experts, and from Joe Biden that we couldn’t take Xi’s word,” said campaign spokesman Andrew Bates. “Now we know why Trump looked the other way.”
“We already knew Trump’s smears against Vice President Biden on China were baseless projections of his own failures,” added Jeb Fain, spokesman for the Democratic super PAC American Bridge that aired ads attacking Trump in response to America First’s ads. “Now we know the full extent of Trump’s betrayal of America’s values and interests.”
That Trump would ask Xi for help is not surprising. He did so publicly on the South Lawn of the White House last autumn. “Likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens, because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine,” he said.
He had just finished telling reporters that the new president of Ukraine should investigate Biden, essentially confirming the main thrust of a newly started House probe into his efforts to tie $391 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine’s help with a politically motivated investigation.
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Trump wound up being impeached for that, as well as subsequent efforts to prevent Congress from learning details about it.


huffpost--2020-06-18--I Officiated A Zoom Funeral. Here’s What I Didn’t Expect.

I have officiated at funerals for 16 years in my community of West Bloomfield , Michigan .
As a busy working mother , I am loving and patient , organized and a wizard at time management .
As a rabbi , I am serious , focused and available to families around the clock .
Real life doesn ’ t have office hours .
Hospice work is my niche , so I spend a lot of time with grieving families .
Usually I am the calm presence in the room , the one who isn ’ t shaking .
A kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed away .
He had been in a rehab facility working on walking and building back his strength after a long stint in the hospital .
He was optimistic about his recovery .
When I visited with him , he always told me he couldn ’ t wait to get back home .
Saul ’ s family chose an online service rather than gathering at the cemetery for a few reasons .
First , they feared the coronavirus .
Second , it allowed more people to attend .
The Michigan Board of Rabbis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines , as well as our own governor ’ s orders , and that meant services were graveside only , with fewer than 10 people allowed to attend .
As clergy , I felt gutted that we could not perform so many of the rituals that Judaism prescribes for mourning .
When a loved one dies , we tear our clothes or wear a torn black ribbon for the seven days following a death , the period of shiva .
Before coronavirus , I would stand in front of a mourner , pin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk them through the prayer that is recited and give them a hug .
Now I couldn ’ t even come within arm ’ s length and had to walk mourners through the ritual from at least 6 feet away .
Our tradition usually provides space for friends and family to greet mourners before the services .
People form a line and wait quietly to offer their condolences .
This sacred offering is impossible now , so mourners are left to look at each other , perhaps put their hands on their hearts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At an e-funeral , so many elements would be out of my control .
What if I froze ― literally or figuratively ?
What if one of my children knocked on the door to my workspace , crying ?
What if the attendees accidentally unmuted themselves ?
There is one thing that all rabbis want when they are officiating at an event : control .
It isn ’ t about being a control freak , it is about my role as comforter in chief .
My role is to make the service as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible , using the traditional words and customs that are soothing for the soul .
I feared I wouldn ’ t be able to provide cyber-comfort .
About an hour before the service was set to begin , I changed out of my quarantine uniform of sweats and a hoodie and into nicer yoga pants and a black sweater .
They ’ d only see me from the chest up anyway , so why not stay comfortable ?
I put on some makeup and set out to arrange my “ pulpit.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and set my computer on top .
I nervously tinkered with the lighting for half an hour .
Pre-pandemic , I was a happy Luddite .
I still write by hand when talking to families about a eulogy .
Now I was responsible for one of the most sacred moments in a person ’ s lifecycle , and I had to hand over my control to my laptop .
Luckily , my colleague agreed to be on Zoom with me to troubleshoot .
I made sure Saul ’ s family could see me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office doors behind me and welcomed everyone to the service .
There were over 100 video squares populating the service ― hundreds of people joining Saul ’ s family to say goodbye .
People were quiet as they entered , even when not on mute .
The family sent me a thank you text before we even began .
What I feared would be a more terrible version of a board meeting morphed into a surprisingly intimate service .
The mourners could see my face clearly , and I was looking directly at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen between us , but somehow that didn ’ t matter .
Saul ’ s 45-year-old daughter gave me a reassuring smile , and I relaxed .
I recited the familiar words of Psalm 23 in Hebrew and English , and it helped me remember that I had been shepherding families through the valley for nearly two decades , and I would do the same for Saul ’ s family .
In my home office .
Wearing yoga pants .
Officiating at my first computerized funeral , I realized just how much comfort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Long-distance friends and family were brought close in a way that wouldn ’ t have been possible without this technology .
A cantor from my congregation was able to join me , and his singing rounded out the liturgy perfectly .
Every ritual performed , every prayer spoken or sung , I pray , carried Saul ’ s soul to its final resting place .

Toltemara via Getty Images
I have officiated at funerals for 16 years in my community of West Bloomfield, Michigan. As a busy working mother, I am loving and patient, organized and a wizard at time management. As a rabbi, I am serious, focused and available to families around the clock. Real life doesn’t have office hours. Hospice work is my niche, so I spend a lot of time with grieving families. Usually I am the calm presence in the room, the one who isn’t shaking.
Not now. This time, I was all by myself, in my home office, a wreck.
A kind and gentle 70-year-old man named Saul had passed away. He had been in a rehab facility working on walking and building back his strength after a long stint in the hospital. He was optimistic about his recovery. When I visited with him, he always told me he couldn’t wait to get back home.
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Then COVID-19 came. It swept through the halls of the rehab facility like the angel of death. Saul, working so hard to recover, got sick, and he wasn’t strong enough to fight off the coronavirus.
Saul’s family chose an online service rather than gathering at the cemetery for a few reasons. First, they feared the coronavirus. Second, it allowed more people to attend. The Michigan Board of Rabbis had agreed that we should follow federal guidelines, as well as our own governor’s orders, and that meant services were graveside only, with fewer than 10 people allowed to attend.
As clergy, I felt gutted that we could not perform so many of the rituals that Judaism prescribes for mourning. When a loved one dies, we tear our clothes or wear a torn black ribbon for the seven days following a death, the period of shiva. Before coronavirus, I would stand in front of a mourner, pin the little ribbon onto their clothes, walk them through the prayer that is recited and give them a hug. Now I couldn’t even come within arm’s length and had to walk mourners through the ritual from at least 6 feet away.
My instinct is to reach out and hold someone’s hand or embrace them, an unconscious rabbinic reflex to offer physical as well as spiritual comfort. Now I found myself recoiling, slightly embarrassed that I’d so easily forgotten about social distancing rules.
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Our tradition usually provides space for friends and family to greet mourners before the services. People form a line and wait quietly to offer their condolences. This sacred offering is impossible now, so mourners are left to look at each other, perhaps put their hands on their hearts in a gesture of mutual love.
At an e-funeral, so many elements would be out of my control. What if I froze ― literally or figuratively? What if one of my children knocked on the door to my workspace, crying? What if the attendees accidentally unmuted themselves? There is one thing that all rabbis want when they are officiating at an event: control.
It isn’t about being a control freak, it is about my role as comforter in chief. My role is to make the service as meaningful as possible, and as stress-free as possible, using the traditional words and customs that are soothing for the soul. I feared I wouldn’t be able to provide cyber-comfort.
About an hour before the service was set to begin, I changed out of my quarantine uniform of sweats and a hoodie and into nicer yoga pants and a black sweater. They’d only see me from the chest up anyway, so why not stay comfortable? I put on some makeup and set out to arrange my “pulpit.” I piled up a bunch of books and set my computer on top. I nervously tinkered with the lighting for half an hour.
Pre-pandemic, I was a happy Luddite. I still write by hand when talking to families about a eulogy. Now I was responsible for one of the most sacred moments in a person’s lifecycle, and I had to hand over my control to my laptop.
Advertisement
Luckily, my colleague agreed to be on Zoom with me to troubleshoot. I made sure Saul’s family could see me and hear me. I closed the office doors behind me and welcomed everyone to the service.
“My instinct is to reach out and hold someone’s hand or embrace them, an unconscious rabbinic reflex to offer physical as well as spiritual comfort. Now I found myself recoiling, slightly embarrassed that I’d so easily forgotten about social distancing rules.”
There were over 100 video squares populating the service ― hundreds of people joining Saul’s family to say goodbye. People were quiet as they entered, even when not on mute. The family sent me a thank you text before we even began.
What I feared would be a more terrible version of a board meeting morphed into a surprisingly intimate service. The mourners could see my face clearly, and I was looking directly at theirs. There might have been a screen between us, but somehow that didn’t matter. Saul’s 45-year-old daughter gave me a reassuring smile, and I relaxed.
I recited the familiar words of Psalm 23 in Hebrew and English, and it helped me remember that I had been shepherding families through the valley for nearly two decades, and I would do the same for Saul’s family. In my home office. Wearing yoga pants.
Advertisement
Officiating at my first computerized funeral, I realized just how much comfort can be expressed through words and eyes. Long-distance friends and family were brought close in a way that wouldn’t have been possible without this technology. A cantor from my congregation was able to join me, and his singing rounded out the liturgy perfectly. Every ritual performed, every prayer spoken or sung, I pray, carried Saul’s soul to its final resting place.
And similarly, I imagined that those same words and melodies helped carry the souls of the mourners to a place of comfort and peace. Going forward, I feel confident knowing that although physical presence and affection are integral to human connection, love and concern will make themselves known regardless of the medium.