huffpost--2020-04-01--8 Of The Best Stoner Movies And Shows To Watch High On Netflix

Saturday is April 4 , 2020 .
Or put another way , this Saturday is 4/4/2020 .
Not since April 20 , 420 ― 10 years after the Visgoths ransacked Rome ― has the calendar offered a double “ 420 , ” if you will .
Today is also April Fools ’ Day and the world continues to be under the existential threat of the coronavirus pandemic , so just bear with me here .
In the spirit of all of the above , I ’ ve curated a list of stoner movies and shows to watch on Netflix today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period of self-isolation .
Various U.S. cities have deemed marijuana dispensaries as “ essential ” during the shutdown .
I wish you luck in acquiring the right accompaniment to these streaming recs .
Unfortunately , such classic stoner movies as “ Dazed and Confused ” and “ Pineapple Express ” aren ’ t on Netflix .
But the service has at least a few greats .
And , of course , almost half of the things listed here involve Seth Rogen .
Premise : In this travel and food show , chef David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with celebrity companions .
Chang and Seth Rogen smoke weed together in Vancouver , Canada .
You can see a clip below ...
Premise : In this satirical comedy , a duo of high school journalists investigates the mystery of “ who drew the dicks ” on faculty cars in the school ’ s parking lot .
Much of this team ’ s investigation has to wade through the pot smoke of their classmates .
Premise : In this comedic thriller , a group of college students travels to Florida for spring break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Florida , they get tangled up with drug dealers , find themselves in a dangerous situation , and each has to choose a flight or fight response .
Premise : In this documentary , hip hop star Fab Five Freddy hosts a series of topics relating to the history of marijuana use and attitudes toward it in U.S. , particularly in terms of race and law enforcement .
Interviews range from Snoop Dogg to those affected by racist drug policies .
Premise : In this comedy charity special , Rogen hosts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comedians and other entertainers with the goal of raising Alzheimer ’ s awareness .
Despite being for charity , the comedy skews heavily toward sex and weed .
Premise : In this sitcom , a group of high schoolers hang out together and often smoke pot to pass the time .
The friends repeatedly get into small-time hijinks without suffering long-term consequences due to the sitcom nature of the show .
Premise : In this comedy , two long-time friends are stuck in arrested development and can ’ t pay their bills .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reunion spurs the idea to raise money by making a porno together .
Kevin Smith wrote and directed .
Smith has said in various interviews that Rogen turned him into a “ stoner ” as they worked on the movie , making it an honorary stoner film .
Premise : In this comedy , two best friends are dissatisfied with their careers .
A weed-fueled journey to an out-of-town White Castle leads them to rethink what they want from life .

New Line Cinema John Cho and Kal Penn in "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle"
Saturday is April 4, 2020. Or put another way, this Saturday is 4/4/2020. Not since April 20, 420 ― 10 years after the Visgoths ransacked Rome ― has the calendar offered a double “420,” if you will. Today is also April Fools’ Day and the world continues to be under the existential threat of the coronavirus pandemic, so just bear with me here.
In the spirit of all of the above, I’ve curated a list of stoner movies and shows to watch on Netflix today, Saturday or any day during this period of self-isolation. Various U.S. cities have deemed marijuana dispensaries as “essential” during the shutdown. I wish you luck in acquiring the right accompaniment to these streaming recs.
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Unfortunately, such classic stoner movies as “Dazed and Confused” and “Pineapple Express” aren’t on Netflix. But the service has at least a few greats. And, of course, almost half of the things listed here involve Seth Rogen.
And if you want to stay informed of the movies and shows joining Netflix every week, subscribe to the Streamline newsletter.
Ji Sub Jeong/HuffPost Streamline
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Premise: In this travel and food show, chef David Chang tours different parts of the world with celebrity companions. Chang and Seth Rogen smoke weed together in Vancouver, Canada. You can see a clip below...
Setting: Global
Runtime: Four episodes of roughly 43 minutes
Premise: In this satirical comedy, a duo of high school journalists investigates the mystery of “who drew the dicks” on faculty cars in the school’s parking lot. Much of this team’s investigation has to wade through the pot smoke of their classmates.
Setting: A high school in southern California
Notable Cast: Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck, Jimmy Tatro and Travis Tope
Runtime: Two seasons of eight, roughly 30-minute episodes
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Premise: In this comedic thriller, a group of college students travels to Florida for spring break with naive aspirations of a good time. In Florida, they get tangled up with drug dealers, find themselves in a dangerous situation, and each has to choose a flight or fight response.
Setting: St. Petersburg, Florida
Notable Cast: Ashley Benson, James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Rachel Korine and Gucci Mane
Harmony Korine wrote and directed.
Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Premise: In this documentary, hip hop star Fab Five Freddy hosts a series of topics relating to the history of marijuana use and attitudes toward it in U.S., particularly in terms of race and law enforcement. Interviews range from Snoop Dogg to those affected by racist drug policies.
Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
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Premise: In this comedy charity special, Rogen hosts an event featuring a long list of comedians and other entertainers with the goal of raising Alzheimer’s awareness. Despite being for charity, the comedy skews heavily toward sex and weed.
Setting: Hollywood Palladium
Notable Cast: Tiffany Haddish, John Mulaney, and many other comedians.
Runtime: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Premise: In this sitcom, a group of high schoolers hang out together and often smoke pot to pass the time. The friends repeatedly get into small-time hijinks without suffering long-term consequences due to the sitcom nature of the show.
Setting: 1970s small town in Wisconsin
Notable Cast: Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith and Wilmer Valderrama
Runtime: Eight seasons with a total of 200 episodes, each roughly 21 minutes long.
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Premise: In this comedy, two long-time friends are stuck in arrested development and can’t pay their bills. An encounter at their 10-year high school reunion spurs the idea to raise money by making a porno together.
Setting: Pittsburgh suburb
Notable Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Craig Robinson and Rogen
Kevin Smith wrote and directed. Smith has said in various interviews that Rogen turned him into a “stoner” as they worked on the movie, making it an honorary stoner film.
Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Premise: In this comedy, two best friends are dissatisfied with their careers. A weed-fueled journey to an out-of-town White Castle leads them to rethink what they want from life.
Setting: New Jersey, around Princeton University
Notable Cast: Anthony Anderson, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris, Kal Penn and Fred Willard


huffpost--2020-04-01--Women Are Leaning In And Loving Their Gray Hair Like Never Before

I got really excited when the first silvers showed .
I liked how they looked ― like natural highlights !
My mother had a glorious head of silver hair herself and didn ’ t want me to quit coloring .
She ’ d always say , “ Wait for me to die at least !
” There ’ s a right time for everyone , and at my mum ’ s funeral , I felt my time had come .
I felt older , more mature , and ready to bare my so-called flaws to the world without giving a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since August 2016 .
I ’ d been wanting to do it for a while ― the sheer drudgery of the process got to me , also hiding the gray made me feel fake and slightly desperate .
In my business , many older women who are naturally gray but color it assume that I color my hair this way .
They have even said , “ Well , you might like that now , but wait until you ’ re my age and it starts coming in natural.
” I tell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s always the same ― wide eyes , open mouths .
They are stunned .
It ’ s kind of funny !
If my clients tell me they ’ re ready to embrace their gray , I fully support them .
Even though color services are big money , I want them to trust that I do what I do to make them feel happy and beautiful .
I want to see this in all salons .
It ’ s getting better but there is still a lot of work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go gray in my early 30s , my hair was dark brown .
The gray came through just as a silver streak at the front , so I continued to use semi colors on the rest of my dark hair to keep the depth , but leave the streak to stay silver .
Around 15 years ago , it started to become more gray through the rest of the hair .
I was never interested in dyeing it and just let it come on through naturally .
My dad had the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always admired , but I knew it was going to be harder for a woman to be accepted as having gray hair especially at a young age .
Now that it ’ s more silver than not , my hair has really come into its own .
It has always been quite fine and , since going gray , it seems to have a better weight and strength to it .
I ignore the old adage that women over 50 shouldn ’ t have long hair , so I enjoy twisting and plaiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look great against the silver .
I ’ ve also found that I can pull off a classic look better , and for the first time in my life , rock a red lipstick .
I see strength in my hair ’ s silver , rather than the weakness usually associated with gray hair .
People absolutely should dye their hair whatever color they choose , should they choose , but so many adverts push women to think that the gray is wrong and needs covering up .
When I was younger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision ― no one else had gray hair .
I also have a blind eye and occasionally use a walking stick ; because all these are stereotypical representations of what old/weak looks like , I like to fight them and rock my own individual look .
I ’ ve recently been signed on by a talent agency , and a big part of that was the new trend for gray models/actors , which was a great moment .
I ’ ve also had someone come up to me on a crowded dance floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ditch the dye and now herself had beautiful silver hair .
I was 18 when I first started graying .
I remember my hair stylist joking back then saying I needed to get rid of the grays because I was too young to have gray hair , so that ’ s when I started getting it colored .
I think that ’ s the first negative messaging I received around the idea that gray/silver tresses weren ’ t an acceptable beauty standard .
I stopped coloring my hair nine years ago and funnily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip I took to Europe for my 40th birthday .
While I was away for two weeks , my gray strands started coming in ( I had my hair colored before I left ) and I liked what I saw in the mirror .
I felt different .
When I returned to the States , I told my stylist not to color my hair anymore .
She protested , so I got rid of her and started my journey to gray hair .
I was a mess when I started going through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from friends , family and strangers .
“ Why are you doing this ?
” they said or “ I could never !
” was all I heard .
There were days when I wanted to run back to hair color and give up .
I ’ m glad I didn ’ t .
The transition process made me stronger and more secure about myself .
I learned that how I felt and what I thought of myself was more important than what other people thought of me .
It has been one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I had been dyeing my hair for 30 years when I first decided to stop .
I cut my hair off in 2012 in an attempt to let my gray hair grow out , but I wasn ’ t quite ready .
When my son said I was too young to be gray , I went back to the salon .
I finally ditched the dye at 48 after spending three hours in the hairdresser ’ s chair to be gray-free for the holidays , because I wanted to be as sexy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Instagram .
Today my hair is thick , healthy and makes me feel so much more free and feminine .
I started seeing my first grays at 14 , I would pull them out and my mom would say that for every gray I pulled out , three would come to the funeral .
I started coloring my hair at 19 until 2014 .
I was so tired of dyeing my hair every two to three weeks ; my scalp would get irritated and the burning sensation would last a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was dull and it would not grow long .
Now , I love my hair color , the texture , how healthy and long it is .
I love that it makes me feel unique .
I wear it so proudly .
Before going gray , I looked average ; now people pay me so many nice compliments .
They approach me in the street and ask about my hair .
Now , I stand out .
To me , self-awareness and a sense of purpose are precursors to joy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ color your hair is .
Joy comes from within so the work must be internal .
Figure out who you are , what you truly value , what ’ s your unique purpose , what gives you inner peace , and don ’ t compare yourself to others .
I would caution women , especially women of color , against buying into the manufactured fear and shame about aging that is propagated by mainstream media and advertising .
Instead , we need to counter by building our own narratives around aging , based @ @ @ @ @

The aesthetics of women’s aging have always mattered in a way that men’s just haven’t.
In films and on TV, ageist casting is rife ― silver-haired women are either gummy grannies or washed-out women set up for a second sexual wind. Increasingly, they are villains like Narcissa Malfoy (Helen McCrory in the Harry Potter movies) and Alma Coin (Julianne Moore in ”The Hunger Games”), their hair visual affirmation of their frosty, amoral personas and dysfunctional inner lives. Occasionally they are flat, sexless, oracular or quasi-authority figures like M (Dame Judi Dench in the James Bond films) and Nova Prime (Glenn Close in “Guardians of the Galaxy”), placed firmly outside the humanizing influences of family and friendships and defined exclusively by their solitariness.
In real life, white-haired icons are few and far between: Queen Elizabeth II with her prim, fluffy nimbus of a hairdo; Christine Lagarde’s textbook French chicness; and politician Theresa May, whose hair has had to compensate for her lively sartorial style to be declared suitably prime ministerial.
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Gray hair has had several “moments” recently, like when Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and Lady Gaga went silver, and when young South Koreans flooded Instagram with unexpectedly flattering pastel-tinted styles. It felt revelatory, but also costumey: For those who struggle with ageist comments and policies at work, the trend felt especially cruel.
Newer imagery feels like a definite improvement: Salma Hayek’s lush pewter look in “The Hummingbird Project” and Nicole Kidman’s silver seaweed-hair cascading down her warrior’s exoskeleton in “Aquaman” are good examples. Women are showing us that attitudinally, the severe “power gray” isn’t the only way to wear silver hair.
We interviewed eight women who shared what it means to lean into their gray hair right now.
Anuja Chauhan, author, columnist and screenplay writer, India
Courtesy of Anuja Chauhan
Life gets so much better as you get older. You become less eager to please, more unapologetic, you gain perspective and lose uptightness, you figure out how you like your drinks, your promotions, your orgasms, your boundaries and your balance of life. It’s all great!
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I got really excited when the first silvers showed. I liked how they looked ― like natural highlights! My mother had a glorious head of silver hair herself and didn’t want me to quit coloring. She’d always say, “Wait for me to die at least!” There’s a right time for everyone, and at my mum’s funeral, I felt my time had come. I felt older, more mature, and ready to bare my so-called flaws to the world without giving a damn. I’ve been dye-free since August 2016. I’d been wanting to do it for a while ― the sheer drudgery of the process got to me, also hiding the gray made me feel fake and slightly desperate.
There are two perceptions about silver hair in India. 1. It will make you look old. 2. It will make you look dark. Being a dark, old woman is pretty low on the totem pole in Indian society, but I love that there’s a tribe of ladies who are proving that one can still be powerful, relevant, sexually active and gorgeous while being an “old, dark woman.”
Right now I’m enjoying how healthy my hair feels. Being gray makes me feel super smug and virtuous. Also, I’m blunt and a little obnoxious, and I find people take obnoxiousness from gray-haired people better than they take it from people with colored hair. I love sticking flowers in my hair ― they stand out so well against the gray!
I’d like to see more excitement around silver hair! More styles, rinses, lowlights, streaks. Stuff that celebrates the arrival of our grays, the way the arrival of our breasts was celebrated all those years ago.
April Showers, actor, model, hairstylist and burlesque dancer, United States
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I got my first silvers when I was 18 and in beauty school. I was surprised! I instantly colored my entire head. At that time, the teachers at my school said I had to “do something about those grays.” Once, my boss at the salon told me that people wouldn’t want their hair done by me because of my hair. He believed that if graying women won’t color, they should just cut it all off, wear overalls and go live on a farm. That broke my heart.
Now, I’m loving everything about my hair! It’s the healthiest it’s ever been. It kind of changes color depending on the light I’m in. It’s strong and sparkly and it got me on billboards all over Europe and the U.K. last year! So, yeah, I’d say I love my hair.
In my business, many older women who are naturally gray but color it assume that I color my hair this way. They have even said, “Well, you might like that now, but wait until you’re my age and it starts coming in natural.” I tell them, “This is natural.” And it’s always the same ― wide eyes, open mouths. They are stunned. It’s kind of funny! If my clients tell me they’re ready to embrace their gray, I fully support them. Even though color services are big money, I want them to trust that I do what I do to make them feel happy and beautiful. I want to see this in all salons. It’s getting better but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Lolly Streek, business owner, model and actor, England
Courtesy of Lolly Streek
When I first started to go gray in my early 30s, my hair was dark brown. The gray came through just as a silver streak at the front, so I continued to use semi colors on the rest of my dark hair to keep the depth, but leave the streak to stay silver. Around 15 years ago, it started to become more gray through the rest of the hair. I was never interested in dyeing it and just let it come on through naturally. My dad had the most beautiful startling white hair, which I always admired, but I knew it was going to be harder for a woman to be accepted as having gray hair especially at a young age.
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Now that it’s more silver than not, my hair has really come into its own. It has always been quite fine and, since going gray, it seems to have a better weight and strength to it. I ignore the old adage that women over 50 shouldn’t have long hair, so I enjoy twisting and plaiting my hair and adding flowers, which look great against the silver. I’ve also found that I can pull off a classic look better, and for the first time in my life, rock a red lipstick. I see strength in my hair’s silver, rather than the weakness usually associated with gray hair.
People absolutely should dye their hair whatever color they choose, should they choose, but so many adverts push women to think that the gray is wrong and needs covering up. When I was younger, it was much harder to make the decision ― no one else had gray hair. I also have a blind eye and occasionally use a walking stick; because all these are stereotypical representations of what old/weak looks like, I like to fight them and rock my own individual look. I’ve recently been signed on by a talent agency, and a big part of that was the new trend for gray models/actors, which was a great moment. I’ve also had someone come up to me on a crowded dance floor to say that she was inspired to ditch the dye and now herself had beautiful silver hair.
Lashawnda Becoats, lifestyle magazine editor, life coach and model, United States
London Becoats
I was 18 when I first started graying. I remember my hair stylist joking back then saying I needed to get rid of the grays because I was too young to have gray hair, so that’s when I started getting it colored. I think that’s the first negative messaging I received around the idea that gray/silver tresses weren’t an acceptable beauty standard. I stopped coloring my hair nine years ago and funnily enough, it all started with a trip I took to Europe for my 40th birthday. While I was away for two weeks, my gray strands started coming in (I had my hair colored before I left) and I liked what I saw in the mirror. I felt different. When I returned to the States, I told my stylist not to color my hair anymore. She protested, so I got rid of her and started my journey to gray hair.
I got scouted for my first professional modeling gig in New York because of my hair. I cried because I couldn’t believe that something that made me feel so uneasy initially was now something to be celebrated and embraced. Today I’m loving the freedom of wearing my natural gray locs. Without saying a word, I think my hair says I’m a woman who embraces who she is and doesn’t conform to societal standards of beauty.
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I was a mess when I started going through the transition because I got so much flak from friends, family and strangers. “Why are you doing this?” they said or “I could never!” was all I heard. There were days when I wanted to run back to hair color and give up. I’m glad I didn’t. The transition process made me stronger and more secure about myself. I learned that how I felt and what I thought of myself was more important than what other people thought of me. It has been one of the greatest lessons of my life.
A Black woman’s hair is her crown and glory and we express ourselves through our hairstyles and hair color. I love that in my culture gray hair is being embraced more now because the color is being seen as “cool” and isn’t associated as much with age or beauty. A lot of younger women are getting gray weaves and braids and coloring their hair gray. I love it! People ask me often what hair dye I use to get my hair color. I just laugh and say “genes.”
Sandrine, teacher, France
I had been dyeing my hair for 30 years when I first decided to stop. I cut my hair off in 2012 in an attempt to let my gray hair grow out, but I wasn’t quite ready. When my son said I was too young to be gray, I went back to the salon. I finally ditched the dye at 48 after spending three hours in the hairdresser’s chair to be gray-free for the holidays, because I wanted to be as sexy and confident as the ladies I admired on Instagram. Today my hair is thick, healthy and makes me feel so much more free and feminine.
In France, women really pay attention to how they look. They tend to become invisible once they hit 50 or start to go gray. I remember writing a post about it saying I would prove people wrong. I have modeled for clothing brand Soi Paris and lingerie makers Pomm’Poire and Le Slip Français. I often feel like a pioneer but things are slowly changing as more and more French women let their grays out. I secretly hope I inspire them as I was inspired.
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I believe that if the media showed more women with gray hair, it would be easier for women to embrace their grays. Why would you have a lady or man with gray hair promote only hearing aids or funeral conventions?
Carla Martin, graphic designer and homemaker, Mexico
Courtesy of Carla Martin
I started seeing my first grays at 14, I would pull them out and my mom would say that for every gray I pulled out, three would come to the funeral. I started coloring my hair at 19 until 2014. I was so tired of dyeing my hair every two to three weeks; my scalp would get irritated and the burning sensation would last a couple of days. My hair had no life, it was dull and it would not grow long. Now, I love my hair color, the texture, how healthy and long it is. I love that it makes me feel unique. I wear it so proudly. Before going gray, I looked average; now people pay me so many nice compliments. They approach me in the street and ask about my hair. Now, I stand out.
In Mexico, you see many women with gray hair but they are usually 60-plus. We are still just a few silver-haired women and when I started my transition, I saw disapproving faces everywhere. I’d get angry when I had to explain that we are programmed to think that gray hair is ugly, meant only for old women, or shows that you don’t care for your image. Going dye-free has helped me a lot; I feel real and true to myself.
To transition, you have to know it won’t be easy. But feeling your newly healthy hair grow gives you the courage and freedom to continue. In my case, I found an inner strength I never knew; my husband has been my biggest supporter and if he likes me like this then that’s what matters. Aging is a privilege. Stay active and healthy and if you feel young, that’s what you will show to the world.
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Regina Burton, model, Germany
I have been dye-free since late 2017. Now my white and dark streaks are my trademark, because you could not dye it gray this way. That’s the beauty of being natural ― it’s not reproducible.
My decision came from seeing women and men over 70 with bleached blond or pitch-black hair ― they didn’t seem authentic. As a European, I learned early on that beauty comes in various forms. There isn’t a formula. Beauty is defined by special characteristics like inner strength, vitality and having conviction and charm. The idea was that you always have a choice; you can choose to highlight what you like about yourself.
I learned a lot about patience and believing in myself during the transitioning process, which was very tiring and tedious. I also learned that I can always start something new. After the transition was done, I embraced my transformation fully. I am growing into it more and more with every passing day, because I realize that I am a role model for other women, women of all ages.
I feel like I truly belong in this newly founded group of women who are really excited about their transition and happy about freeing themselves from peer pressure ― without feeling alone.
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Karen Williams, producer and model, United States
There’s nothing more empowering and liberating than being authentically, unapologetically me. And that’s what my silver hair is. I was about 17 when I spotted my first silver-gray strand. Since both my parents started graying around the same age, I was not at all surprised. As a beauty minimalist, I love the ease of living dye free. About every four years, I grow my hair down the middle of my back and then cut it really short, almost to the scalp. It’s the most exhilarating feeling. Only when it’s not there do you realize how distracting it can actually be and how conditioned women are to believe in the importance of hair.
In Caribbean cultures like most communities of color worldwide, living with, loving and admiring intergenerational family members is commonplace. Intimacy with older role models growing up normalizes aging and makes embracing and celebrating silver/gray hair a natural rite of passage. I’m inspired by my mum and my blood-related and non-kin aunties whom I’ve watched embrace every chapter of their lives with utmost ease and grace.
To me, self-awareness and a sense of purpose are precursors to joy. It really doesn’t matter what color your hair is. Joy comes from within so the work must be internal. Figure out who you are, what you truly value, what’s your unique purpose, what gives you inner peace, and don’t compare yourself to others. I would caution women, especially women of color, against buying into the manufactured fear and shame about aging that is propagated by mainstream media and advertising. Instead, we need to counter by building our own narratives around aging, based on our lived experiences.


huffpost--2020-04-01--Many Struggle To Pay Rent As First Of The Month Arrives Amid Pandemic

ASSOCIATED PRESS Jade Brooks at her apartment , Tuesday , March 31 , 2020 , in Boston .
It 's the first of the month and everybody knows the rent 's due .
Wednesday is the first time the landlord is knocking on the door since the coronavirus turned the economy upside down .
( AP Photo/Elise Amendola ) Many of those renters are without jobs - nearly 3.3 million people in the U.S. filed for unemployment the week of March 16 , about five times the previous high in 1982 .
Most state and local governments are putting evictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment and the federal government prepares to send stimulus checks .
So for most , April ’ s knock won ’ t come with a notice to get out .
“ I don ’ t want her to grow up in a homeless shelter , having to sleep in a bunk bed with other people , asking why we have to stand in a long line to get a room to sleep in , why we have to stand in a long line to get food , why she can ’ t invite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s hard to explain that to an 8-year-old .
”

Jade Brooks at her apartment, Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in Boston. It's the first of the month and everybody knows the rent's due. Wednesday is the first time the landlord is knocking on the door since the coronavirus turned the economy upside down. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) ASSOCIATED PRESS
It’s the first of the month, and everybody knows the rent’s due. For millions of Americans, Wednesday is the first time the landlord is knocking on the door since the coronavirus outbreak turned the economy upside down.
Many of those renters are without jobs - nearly 3.3 million people in the U.S. filed for unemployment the week of March 16, about five times the previous high in 1982. Most state and local governments are putting evictions on pause as states prepare to pay unemployment and the federal government prepares to send stimulus checks. So for most, April’s knock won’t come with a notice to get out.
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But a roof over the head is one of the most basic needs in life. Without money for rent, how can the other bills get paid? And while many will get a reprieve in April, eventually the rent comes due, whether or not the restaurant, plant or construction site reopens when the COVID-19 threat lessens.
Here are some of the stories of Americans trying to make the rent, this month and beyond.
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At 21 years old, Jade Brooks pulls in her family’s only full-time salary, working at a hospital switchboard.
Brooks’ mother just lost her job at a health insurance company - a casualty of the plummeting economy. She’s found part-time work at the hospital, but between them, they make only $400 weekly after taxes and insurance, Brooks said. Their rent is $1,810.
During sleepless nights, Brooks worries most about her 8-year-old cousin, who lives with them.
“I don’t want her to grow up in a homeless shelter, having to sleep in a bunk bed with other people, asking why we have to stand in a long line to get a room to sleep in, why we have to stand in a long line to get food, why she can’t invite her friends over,” Brooks said. “It’s hard to explain that to an 8-year-old.”
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- Michael Casey, Boston
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Itza Sanchez knows she can’t make her $400 rent for April. She’s praying to Virgin of Guadalupe that she doesn’t get kicked out of her Richmond, Virginia, mobile-home park.
Sanchez made her money searching for and recycling scrap metal and selling tamales in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood. Fear of getting sick has stopped both income streams.
A single mother of two who immigrated from Honduras to the U.S. 14 years ago, Sanchez’s 7-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son have been eating lunches delivered to the neighborhood by schools and depending on churches for other meals.
“I’m basically penniless,” Sanchez, 39, said in Spanish.
She hasn’t heard from the landlord about what will happen if the rent isn’t paid. So she keeps praying.
“May she help us. May the virgin put her love over us and help us.”
- Regina Garcia Cano, Washington
___
Andrea Larson made $70,000 a year curating wine lists and suggesting pairings to customers at 5th & Taylor. But the popular Nashville restaurant closed its dining area, and working as a sommelier isn’t something Larson can do from home.
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The first unemployment check was $275 for a week. Larson said she was humiliated but applied for food stamps.
“I’m screwed financially,” Larson said. “If I do pay my rent, it’s going to eat into my food money.”
Larson, 42, moved from a high-rise downtown apartment to a house in east Nashville four months ago. Rent was cheaper. She planned to pay off debt and start saving. Instead, she called credit-card companies and said she couldn’t pay the minimum.
Larson’s restaurant offered a few shifts answering phones for takeout, but she figures it’s not worth the risk of getting COVID-19.
“I do wine, and nobody wants to hear about wine right now,” she said. “They just want to chug it.”
- Travis Loller, Nashville
___
Roushaunda Williams was able to scrimp and use credit-card cash advances to pay the $1,850 rent for April for her two-bedroom Uptown Chicago apartment.
But the rent comes due again in 30 days. Can she afford a smaller apartment in her building if one’s available? Should she move in with friends if they’ll let her?
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“April 1 isn’t even here yet, and I’m already working on what I’m going to do for May 1,” Williams, 52, said.
Before being laid off, she made drinks and chatted with people from around the world for 20 years as a bartender at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in the heart of Chicago’s downtown Loop.
Income depended on tips — in the best times, she’d make $70,000 to $100,000 annually. Now, she’s on unemployment for the first time and searching for work.
- Kathleen Foody, Chicago
___
Tnia Morgan shares her Baltimore County, Maryland, townhouse with her 18-year-old pregnant daughter and 18-year-old nephew. And they all spend a lot more time together since Morgan was laid off March 6 from her job serving food at a hotel banquet hall.
Morgan’s landlord told her to take her time with the rent. But it isn’t the only bill piling up. She ticks them off — car payment, car insurance, cellphone, internet, water, gas and electricity. And she always has to buy food, so tough choices are ahead, especially until unemployment benefits kick in.
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Morgan, 39, has checked on getting food stamps and looked for work at stores and warehouses with no luck.
She appreciates her landlord’s kindness this month. But she knows he needs her rent money to pay his bills.
“If I don’t pay the rent, it falls on him,” Morgan said. “We can’t be evicted right now, but eventually they’re going to want their money.”
- Michael Kunzelman, Silver Spring, Maryland
___
Bartender Luke Blaine was laid off when downtown Phoenix restaurant Fez closed, but he’s not too worried about rent — yet.
He shares his small adobe-style home and backyard garden of tomatoes, beets, squash, radish, lettuce and eggplants with his boyfriend, Kyle Schomer. Schomer still has his job in technology and works from home.
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Blaine, 30, figures unemployment will kick in. His car is paid for, and he owes little beyond a small credit-card balance.
Blaine credits his thrifty nature to his family. And that’s whom he worries about most these days. His mother and sister are nurses in Illinois, not far from hard-hit Chicago.
“It definitely is nerve-racking having your family on the front line,” Blaine said.
- Anita Snow, Phoenix
___
Ruqayyah Bailey’s life had balance — so important with her autism — before coronavirus.
She was going to college and was a part-time cafe cashier. She couldn’t wait for the Special Olympics in March, to run and compete in long jump and shot put.
But the virus closed the cafe, canceled the meet and ended the community college’s personal instruction.
Bailey, 30, of St. Louis County, was dipping into savings for food and other necessities, so she’s moved back in with her mother. She hopes it’s temporary and she can get back to her apartment, with its $400 monthly rent.
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“I had to suspend my internet and my cable,” Bailey said of her apartment. “It’s tough because I’m so used to being there in my own little space.”
- Jim Salter, St. Louis
___
Jason W. Still was let go from his job as a cook, and he’s found one small benefit: He hasn’t spent as much money since he’s inside most days.
Still and his wife — who works in packaging for a marijuana dispenser in Spokane, Washington — should be able to make April’s rent as they wait to see what he’ll get in unemployment and from the federal government.
Still, 30, worked at a high-end restaurant and just finished the last classes for his bachelor’s degree. Now he’s applying for graduate school to study environmental economics and public policy.
In unemployment, he has a lot of time on his hands: “I’ve seen corners of my house that I didn’t know existed.”
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- Anita Snow, Phoenix
___
It’s a lousy choice, but an easy one for personal trainer and apparel designer Sakai Harrison — food in the refrigerator over April rent for his Brooklyn apartment.
Harrison, 27, moved from Atlanta to see whether he could succeed in the toughest place in the world. And he was on his way, with 20 clients training one-on-one.
Then, his gym shut down with the rest of the city. And the $1,595 rent is due.
“The way I see it, the whole world is on pause,” Harrison said. “I’d rather allocate my money towards my actual survival, which would be food.”
An acquaintance is letting Harrison use a basement as a makeshift gym. It has dumbbells, a bench and a punching bag left by a previous tenant. Harrison wears disposable gloves and keeps his distance. A few clients keep coming, but not as many as before.
“My clients are like my family, for the most part, especially in New York, because I’m here alone,” he said.
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- Aaron Morrison, New York
___
Tinisha Dixon was homeless before she moved into her current apartment and is now struggling to make the rent.
She said she was about to start a new job at the State Road and Tollway Authority. But the job was put on hold, thanks to the virus.
The rent bill of $1,115 is due whether she’s working or not. It covers the apartment near downtown Atlanta she shares with her partner and their five kids. Dixon, 26, said she’s trying to braid hair, and her partner has sought work as a security guard.
Dixon’s landlord had gone to court to evict the family before the coronavirus. Now she worries not making April’s payment will strengthen that case.
“Are we going to be out on the street when this is over?” she said. “Because this is what we’ve been fighting for this whole time, not being back out on the street.”
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- Sudhin Thanawala, Atlanta
___
With help from friends and a nonprofit, Jas Wheeler can pay April’s rent. But Wheeler and their partner just bought a house down the road in Vergennes, Vermont, and the first mortgage payment is due in May.
“I am just really just trying to pray,” said Wheeler, who hopes to see unemployment checks soon but worries the system is overwhelmed with so many people out of work.
Wheeler was laid off from a bakery. The 30-year-old thought about a grocery-store job, but they don’t want to risk exposure to the coronavirus. So for now, they’ll wait to see whether the bakery reopens.
“I would rather just get an unemployment check and ride it out ... I’m really thinking at the end of all this whenever that is, I’ll be happy to get any job that I can get.”
- Michael Casey, Boston
___
Neal Miller is refusing to pay April’s rent, to make a point.
Miller’s last stable job was as an adjunct professor at Loyola University in Chicago. He recently was working temporary jobs, until that dried up, thanks to the virus.
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Miller, 38, shares a house on the west side of Chicago with four others and pays $400 of the $1,500 monthly rent.
Miller and his roommates decided to join leaders of Chicago activist groups calling for a rent strike amid the virus outbreak.
“We wrote a letter, sort of stated our situation,” Miller said. “We’re still waiting to hear back. We’re not sure if that’s a good sign or if that lack of response means we’ll be hearing from a lawyer.”
- Kathleen Foody, Chicago
___


huffpost--2020-04-01--Larry David Is Ticked Off At Coronavirus Idiots. ‘You Know Who You Are.'

Larry David has a message for all the “ idiots ” out there : Stay inside .
The “ Curb Your Enthusiasm ” star on Tuesday joined the parade of celebrities recording PSAs urging people to keep home to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
“ I basically want to address the idiots out there , and you know who you are , ” he said , referring to people still going out despite the warnings and shelter-in-place orders .
“ You ’ re hurting old people like me , ” he said .
“ Well , not me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
I ’ ll never see you .
But , you know , other — let ’ s say , other old people who might be your relatives .
Who the hell knows.
” The “ Seinfeld ” co-creator told people they ’ re missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit home and watch TV : “ You ’ re hurting old people like me .
Well , not me ...
I ’ ll never see you.
” Larry David wants everyone to stay home to protect older Californians from # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things .
Listen to Larry.
# StayHomeSaveLiveshttps : //t.co/snYe5v55Rw pic.twitter.com/C5cKOaAufE — Office of the Governor of California ( @ CAgovernor ) March 31 , 2020

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Larry David has a message for all the “idiots” out there: Stay inside.
The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star on Tuesday joined the parade of celebrities recording PSAs urging people to keep home to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“I basically want to address the idiots out there, and you know who you are,” he said, referring to people still going out despite the warnings and shelter-in-place orders.
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“You’re hurting old people like me,” he said. “Well, not me, I have nothing to do with you. I’ll never see you. But, you know, other — let’s say, other old people who might be your relatives. Who the hell knows.”
The “Seinfeld” co-creator told people they’re missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit home and watch TV:


huffpost--2020-04-01--Indian Migrants Walk Hundreds Of Miles To Return Home Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

But they walked anyway for hundreds of miles , in groups of families that included men and women , young and old — all trudging along deserted highways .
Some had nothing but flip-flops on their feet , and others lugged bags on their heads .
Young parents balanced children on their shoulders .
Over the past week , India ’ s migrant workers — the mainstay of the country ’ s labor force — spilled out of big cities that have been shuttered due to the coronavirus and returned to their villages , sparking fears that the virus could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exodus unlike anything seen in India since the 1947 Partition , when British colonial rule ended and the subcontinent was split between Hindu-majority India and mostly Muslim Pakistan .
India ’ s 21-day lockdown has effectively kept 1.3 billion people at home for all but essential trips to places like markets or pharmacies .
But the world ’ s largest lockdown has turned into a humanitarian crisis for India ’ s improvised workforce .
In this Saturday , March 28 , 2020 , photo , Indian migrant laborers wait for buses provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hometowns , following a lockdown amid concern over spread of coronavirus in New Delhi , India .
Over the past week , India ’ s migrant workers -- the mainstay of the country ’ s labor force -- spilled out of big cities that have been shuttered due to the coronavirus and returned to their villages , sparking fears that the virus could spread to the countryside .
They mostly live in squalid housing in congested urban ghettos .
But with no daily earnings , no savings , and thus no way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their home villages to survive .
Train services are suspended , taxis are unaffordable and the hundreds of buses brought to the outskirts of New Delhi to ferry people home lacked enough seats .
Some people died under the physical strain of the relentless walking , while others were killed in road accidents .
Some were beaten at state borders by police , who said they were just trying to manage the crowds of people .
In this Sunday , March 29 , 2020 , photo , migrant workers walk to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2In this Saturday , March 28 , 2020 , file photo , a young girl lies on a luggage as she along with her family awaits transportation to her village following a lockdown 1-day countrywide lockdown in Mumbai , India .
In this Thursday , March 26 , 2020 , photo , an Indian couple carrying an infant walk along an expressway hoping to reach their home , hundreds of miles away , as the city comes under lockdown in Ghaziabad , on the outskirts of New Delhi , India .
In this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo , an injured foot of a daily wage laborer is seen as he rests on way to his village on the outskirts of Prayagraj , India .
Shiv Kumari , 50 , said she was thrown out of her rented accommodation in the northern state of Haryana by her landlord .
She and her 28-year-old son packed their bags and set off on an arduous journey of 900 kilometers ( 550 miles ) to their home .

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NEW DELHI (AP) — They were hungry. Some had not eaten for days. Others survived on water and biscuits.
But they walked anyway for hundreds of miles, in groups of families that included men and women, young and old — all trudging along deserted highways.
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Some had nothing but flip-flops on their feet, and others lugged bags on their heads. Young parents balanced children on their shoulders.
Over the past week, India’s migrant workers — the mainstay of the country’s labor force — spilled out of big cities that have been shuttered due to the coronavirus and returned to their villages, sparking fears that the virus could spread to the countryside.
It was an exodus unlike anything seen in India since the 1947 Partition, when British colonial rule ended and the subcontinent was split between Hindu-majority India and mostly Muslim Pakistan.
India’s 21-day lockdown has effectively kept 1.3 billion people at home for all but essential trips to places like markets or pharmacies. But the world’s largest lockdown has turned into a humanitarian crisis for India’s improvised workforce.
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In this Saturday, March 28, 2020, photo, Indian migrant laborers wait for buses provided by the government to transport them to their hometowns, following a lockdown amid concern over spread of coronavirus in New Delhi, India. Over the past week, India’s migrant workers -- the mainstay of the country’s labor force -- spilled out of big cities that have been shuttered due to the coronavirus and returned to their villages, sparking fears that the virus could spread to the countryside. AP
In this Saturday, March 28, 2020, photo, Indian migrant workers sit atop a bus, provided by the government, as others walk along an expressway to their villages. AP
In this Saturday, March 28, 2020, photo, a young girl lies on a piece of luggage as she and her family awaits transportation to her village. AP
They mostly live in squalid housing in congested urban ghettos. But with no daily earnings, no savings, and thus no way to buy food, they must head to their home villages to survive.
Train services are suspended, taxis are unaffordable and the hundreds of buses brought to the outskirts of New Delhi to ferry people home lacked enough seats.
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That leaves walking. The government told India’s top court on Tuesday that 500,000 to 600,000 migrants have walked to their villages from cities.
As the crisis worsened, authorities scrambled to arrange transport, shelter and food for them.
But it was too late.
Some people died under the physical strain of the relentless walking, while others were killed in road accidents. Some were beaten at state borders by police, who said they were just trying to manage the crowds of people.
In this Sunday, March 29, 2020, photo, migrant workers walk to their villages along the Mumbai Pune highway during 2In this Saturday, March 28, 2020, file photo, a young girl lies on a luggage as she along with her family awaits transportation to her village following a lockdown 1-day countrywide lockdown in Mumbai, India. AP
In this Thursday, March 26, 2020, photo, an Indian couple carrying an infant walk along an expressway hoping to reach their home, hundreds of miles away, as the city comes under lockdown in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. AP
In this Monday, March 30, 2020, photo, an injured foot of a daily wage laborer is seen as he rests on way to his village on the outskirts of Prayagraj, India. AP
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In this Saturday, March 28, 2020, photo, a migrant laborer's family is silhouetted as they proceed towards their village on foot from New Delhi, India. AP
Shiv Kumari, 50, said she was thrown out of her rented accommodation in the northern state of Haryana by her landlord. She and her 28-year-old son packed their bags and set off on an arduous journey of 900 kilometers (550 miles) to their home.
On Monday afternoon, the mother-son duo, visibly exhausted, crossed a bridge over the Yamuna River, which is considered sacred by Hindus. But they were still 110 kilometers (68 miles) short of their destination.


huffpost--2020-04-01--Jimmy Kimmel Offers Up Some Hilariously Terrible Coronavirus April Fools' Pranks

Given the state of the world at the moment , many people aren ’ t exactly in the mood for @ @ @ @ @ this year .
Even Google canceled its annual gag out of sensitivity to the ongoing @ @ @ @ @ .
But just in case anyone feels like attempting one , Jimmy Kimmel has a @ @ @ @ @ one is very ripe because everyone is so on edge and we have nothing but @ @ @ @ @ , before offering up some “ simple ways to torment your loved ones.
” And @ @ @ @ @ to the toilet paper made the list .
Watch Kimmel ’ s full monologue is @ @ @ @ @ ’ Day suggestions begin at the 9:45 mark :

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Given the state of the world at the moment, many people aren’t exactly in the mood for April Fools’ Day jokes this year.
Even Google canceled its annual gag out of sensitivity to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
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But just in case anyone feels like attempting one, Jimmy Kimmel has a few ideas.
“This one is very ripe because everyone is so on edge and we have nothing but time,” he cracked, before offering up some “simple ways to torment your loved ones.”
And yes — doing something terrible to the toilet paper made the list.


huffpost--2020-04-27--No, The Stimulus Benefits Aren’t Turning Workers Into Lazy Freeloaders

The story quoted none of Black-Lewis ’ employees , but HuffPost spoke to three of them .
They all disputed the central narrative ― that they resented Black-Lewis for securing the loans , and that they heaped “ hatred ” on her for it .
Indeed , group messages from Black-Lewis herself to her workers undermine her own quotes .
In messages before and after the CNBC story ran , she thanked them profusely for supporting her as she pursued the loans .
The workers HuffPost interviewed said most employees did stand to earn more on unemployment than on Black-Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low wages and the increased federal benefit .
The fact was indeed on their minds as Black-Lewis told them they would be rehired ― as it would be for any sentient person with bills to pay .
At the same time , there may have been workers who were ineligible for unemployment benefits for one reason or another .
If so , Black-Lewis would have wanted to get them back to work as soon as possible .
Even though lawmakers have said it doesn ’ t matter if employees are actually working , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of step with the goals of the unemployment benefits , which for some workers may be higher than what they usually earn .
But the program might also be out of step with the pandemic itself ; business groups have complained that two months of immediate payroll support is less than ideal since nobody expects the pandemic to be over that quickly .
“ While I believe that the article is accurate , I want all of you to know that I am aware that most of you were very supportive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Black-Lewis wrote .
“ I am very grateful to those who have supported me and my efforts to ensure that we all have jobs when we can return to work.
” Some of the tension ahead of the article ’ s publication may have been of Black-Lewis ’ own making .
She had sent a note to employees after the pandemic began , when millions of workers were on the verge of losing their jobs : “ I know this is a difficult and scary time for all of us and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do things that violate your noncompete .
Please don ’ t ― we need to stay united and not divided ... ” “ The firestorm of hatred ” cited in the CNBC story allegedly came during the online meeting when she explained the CARES loans to employees .
The three workers HuffPost spoke with said they don ’ t recall any exchanges they would consider hateful .
At least one employee on the call brought up the fact that their income might go down , casting it as something most people were thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message to employees after the CNBC story ran , Black-Lewis told them she had been invited to go on Fox News and a local NBC affiliate to talk about the situation .
She said she was inclined to take the offer and set a few things straight ― “ that many of you have been a serious source of support for me and the business since the start of this covid fiasco .
”

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CNBC ran a story last Wednesday about Jamie Black-Lewis, owner of Oasis Medspa & Salon and Amai Day Spa in Washington state. The article detailed how Black-Lewis secured two loans through the new Paycheck Protection Program, for $177,000 and $43,800, to keep her businesses afloat through the pandemic.
But according to the article, Black-Lewis’ employees were fuming when they heard the good news. The reason? The money they were collecting through unemployment benefits was more than the wages they earn working for Black-Lewis, due to an extra $600 per week that the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stability Act provides.
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Black-Lewis recounted the reaction as “a firestorm of hatred about the situation.” “They were pissed I’d take this opportunity away from them to make more for my own selfish greed to pay rent,” she told the outlet. CNBC described the employee “animosity” as “an unintended consequence” of the $2.2 trillion relief package. It ran with the headline: “She got a forgivable loan. Her employees hate her for it.”
The story seemed to confirm the suspicion that generous government benefits would turn willing workers into lazy mooches on the dole. Right-leaning outlets like the Federalist, the Blaze, the Washington Times and the New York Post all picked up the story. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) tweeted out the story, saying it’s wrong “to pay people more NOT to work than to actually go to work.”
The story quoted none of Black-Lewis’ employees, but HuffPost spoke to three of them. They all disputed the central narrative ― that they resented Black-Lewis for securing the loans, and that they heaped “hatred” on her for it. Indeed, group messages from Black-Lewis herself to her workers undermine her own quotes. In messages before and after the CNBC story ran, she thanked them profusely for supporting her as she pursued the loans.
The workers said their portrayal was unfair and mortifying.
“It just makes us look awful ― greedy, money-hungry, selfish, just lazy. It’s very embarrassing,” said one worker, who, like the others, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing her job.
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“I felt like I got punched in the stomach,” said another.
The spa dustup involves just one boss and her three dozen or so employees, but it reveals a lot about the tough tradeoff facing some small business owners and their employees across the country as the government offers help through separate but overlapping programs. It also says plenty about the hardships facing service workers in the worst downturn since the Great Depression, as well as the nasty politics of America’s social safety net.
“For once [employees] were getting paid what they could live off of.”
The workers HuffPost interviewed said most employees did stand to earn more on unemployment than on Black-Lewis’ payroll, due to their relatively low wages and the increased federal benefit. The fact was indeed on their minds as Black-Lewis told them they would be rehired ― as it would be for any sentient person with bills to pay. At the same time, there may have been workers who were ineligible for unemployment benefits for one reason or another. If so, Black-Lewis would have wanted to get them back to work as soon as possible.
The three workers all described themselves as living “paycheck to paycheck” in normal times. The possibility of an extra few hundred dollars a week during a period of extreme economic uncertainty felt like a lifeline.
“For once,” one worker said, employees “were getting paid what they could live off of.”
Given Washington state’s ongoing stay-at-home order, the employees wouldn’t be working whether they were receiving unemployment or on Black-Lewis’ payroll, at least not working the way most of them normally do. During a pandemic, they cannot give massages, manicures, pedicures, facials or haircuts — the core services the spas provide — though there may be administrative and promotional work to do.
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“I’m not at all complaining that we’re going to be getting paid by Jamie,” said one worker. “Especially if it means we’ll have a job when this is all over, and Jamie doesn’t lose her business.”
Congress passed the CARES Act last month as the country hunkered down to slow the spread of a virus that has since killed more than 50,000 Americans. The bill aimed for comprehensiveness, with provisions to pay households directly, to pay laid-off workers and to pay both big corporations and small businesses that have had to curtail operations.
Lawmakers boosted unemployment benefits to cover the income loss from layoffs ― but also specifically to help people stay at home, since social distancing is essentially the country’s only prescription for fighting the virus. They chose $600 because it is roughly the difference between the average weekly unemployment benefit and the average weekly wage. Congress also specifically told states to waive the usual requirement that unemployment claimants keep searching for work while they receive benefits.
Nevertheless, some Republicans have acted as though there’s no pandemic outside, complaining like they would during any old recession that extra unemployment benefits present too much of a work disincentive.
The Paycheck Protection Program, on the other hand, is designed to keep workers attached to their employers by covering two months of payroll costs through loans that are forgiven if the borrower avoids layoffs during that time.
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Even though lawmakers have said it doesn’t matter if employees are actually working, the goals of the payroll program seem out of step with the goals of the unemployment benefits, which for some workers may be higher than what they usually earn. But the program might also be out of step with the pandemic itself; business groups have complained that two months of immediate payroll support is less than ideal since nobody expects the pandemic to be over that quickly.
In a message to workers before the CNBC article ran, Black-Lewis braced them for what was to come. She said she told the reporter she had received “negative feedback” about their pay being less than unemployment benefits, and that it might become the focus of the story.
“While I believe that the article is accurate, I want all of you to know that I am aware that most of you were very supportive of my decision to proceed with the PPP,” Black-Lewis wrote. “I am very grateful to those who have supported me and my efforts to ensure that we all have jobs when we can return to work.”
In another message, she stressed that “nearly ALL of you have been supportive.”
“The one thing I would want people to know is I’m not ungrateful to have a job.”
Some of the tension ahead of the article’s publication may have been of Black-Lewis’ own making. She had sent a note to employees after the pandemic began, when millions of workers were on the verge of losing their jobs: “I know this is a difficult and scary time for all of us and some of you might be tempted to do things that violate your noncompete. Please don’t ― we need to stay united and not divided ... ”
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Like several other states, Washington recently passed a law restricting the use of noncompete agreements because they weaken worker leverage and depress wages. HuffPost could not obtain a copy of the one used by Black-Lewis, but it may not be legally enforceable depending on how much her workers earn and other factors.
After her business was approved for the federal aid, Black-Lewis told everyone she had good news, but the details would have to wait for an online meeting. In the meantime, their assignment was to watch the movie “Brewster’s Millions,” a 1985 Richard Pryor vehicle about a down-and-out minor league pitcher who stands to inherit $300 million. In order to receive it, he must spend $30 million in 30 days.
If the assignment was a joke, it didn’t go over well with some anxious employees, who just wanted to hear whatever news Black-Lewis had.
“The firestorm of hatred” cited in the CNBC story allegedly came during the online meeting when she explained the CARES loans to employees. The three workers HuffPost spoke with said they don’t recall any exchanges they would consider hateful. At least one employee on the call brought up the fact that their income might go down, casting it as something most people were thinking about, one worker recalled.
“We all asked questions,” the worker said. “It doesn’t mean we’re angry. We’re just trying to navigate this. We all sympathized with her plight.”
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Even if the workers’ account is correct, it’s possible Black-Lewis received nasty individual messages about the loans and their loss of unemployment. She did not respond to several emails requesting an interview.
Black-Lewis sent out an apology to employees after the story appeared.
“I’m so sorry that many of you were embarrassed and hurt by the article,” she wrote. “It really left out many significant parts of my conversation where I praised you guys. I was so saddened when it came out the way it did. I have been working hard to respond to social media letting people know who you REALLY are!”
Not even a pandemic can shut down the politics of social spending, in which Republicans are eternally skeptical that everyone who benefits from government spending actually deserves the help. Lawmakers agreed on stimulus checks for the vast majority of households, agreed on hundreds of billions in business subsidies, but still fought over the increase in benefits for laid-off workers.
“I can promise you this: If you pay somebody $23 an hour not to work, they are probably going to find a way to get there rather than staying in the workforce,” Graham said during a Senate floor debate on the extra $600.
The spa workers who spoke with HuffPost said they resented the scorn heaped on them, much of it from people who probably don’t struggle financially the way they do.
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“The one thing I would want people to know is I’m not ungrateful to have a job,” said one. “I would like people to understand this is a really hard time for everyone. Having extra money so you can take a breath and not have to worry, that was something that was great.”
“We’re very hard workers,” said another. “We have [employees] who come in on their days off to accommodate clients. We’re working five or six days a week. We’re ready to work, but our state is shut down.”
In a message to employees after the CNBC story ran, Black-Lewis told them she had been invited to go on Fox News and a local NBC affiliate to talk about the situation. She said she was inclined to take the offer and set a few things straight ― “that many of you have been a serious source of support for me and the business since the start of this covid fiasco.”


huffpost--2020-04-27--The 10 Most Popular Shows On Netflix Right Now

“ Outer Banks ” is about beach teens searching for a hidden treasure .
Last week it was in second @ @ @ @ @ reality show “ Too Hot to Handle.
” That reality show fell to fourth place @ @ @ @ @ appears that “ Outer Banks ” has won the battle of the beaches .
Netflix @ @ @ @ @ the Top 10 spots .
Only the Paramount Network show “ Waco ” ( starring @ @ @ @ @ ) broke that pattern ; it ’ s at No .
3 this week .
@ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus , Explained ” earned the second-place spot .
With a runtime of only 26 @ @ @ @ @ an easy-to-watch primer on the current situation .

“Outer Banks” is about beach teens searching for a hidden treasure. Last week it was in second place, behind the beach-centric reality show “Too Hot to Handle.” That reality show fell to fourth place this week, so it appears that “Outer Banks” has won the battle of the beaches.
Netflix Original shows fill nine of the Top 10 spots. Only the Paramount Network show “Waco” (starring Taylor Kitsch and Michael Shannon) broke that pattern; it’s at No. 3 this week.
The Vox news special “Coronavirus, Explained” earned the second-place spot. With a runtime of only 26 minutes, it’s an easy-to-watch primer on the current situation.


huffpost--2020-04-27--City Official Who Tossed Cat During Zoom Meeting Resigns From Commission

VALLEJO , Calif. ( AP ) — A planning commissioner of Vallejo , California , has resigned after throwing his pet cat and apparently drinking a beer during a Zoom meeting between city officials that was made public , according to a newspaper report .
During the April 20 teleconference of the city ’ s Planning Commission , Chris Platzer announced , “ I ’ d like to introduce my cat , ” and then picked up his pet before suddenly tossing the animal off-screen .
Platzer was seen sipping from a green bottle during the meeting , the Times-Herald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be heard making derogatory remarks .
“ I ’ m going to call bull— on you little b—s , ” according to the original commission meeting video released by the Northern California city .
In an email to the Times-Herald on Saturday , Platzer said he has resigned from the planning commission , effective immediately .
The resignation came days before the City Council was set to consider a resolution removing him from the seven-person panel , the newspaper said .
“ I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted , ” Platzer wrote in the email .
“ I serve at the pleasure of the council and no longer have that trust and backing .
I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure .
I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving .
We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly , like many of you , am adjusting to a new normalcy.
” Vallejo spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was still attempting to confirm if Platzer had officially resigned from the commission .
Platzer couldn ’ t be reached for comment via phone on Saturday .
Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan said on Friday that decorum needs to be followed for each and every public meeting .
“ This hurts the credibility of the city , ” Sampayan added .
“ What happens if a developer is watching the meeting ( and sees that ) ?
They would obviously have concerns about the city .
”

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VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) — A planning commissioner of Vallejo, California, has resigned after throwing his pet cat and apparently drinking a beer during a Zoom meeting between city officials that was made public, according to a newspaper report.
During the April 20 teleconference of the city’s Planning Commission, Chris Platzer announced, “I’d like to introduce my cat,” and then picked up his pet before suddenly tossing the animal off-screen.
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Platzer was seen sipping from a green bottle during the meeting, the Times-Herald reported. After the conference ended he could be heard making derogatory remarks. “I’m going to call bull— on you little b—s,” according to the original commission meeting video released by the Northern California city.
In an email to the Times-Herald on Saturday, Platzer said he has resigned from the planning commission, effective immediately. The resignation came days before the City Council was set to consider a resolution removing him from the seven-person panel, the newspaper said.
“I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in a manner befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted,” Platzer wrote in the email. “I serve at the pleasure of the council and no longer have that trust and backing. I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure. I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving. We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy.”
Vallejo spokesperson Christina Lee told the Times-Herald the city was still attempting to confirm if Platzer had officially resigned from the commission. Platzer couldn’t be reached for comment via phone on Saturday.
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Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan said on Friday that decorum needs to be followed for each and every public meeting.


huffpost--2020-04-16--Kenya Barris On ‘#blackAF’ And What It Means To Criticize Black Hollywood

I would say I think I only have one story to tell .
[ Laughs ] But no , I really do enjoy the family story part of sitcoms .
One of the things that I feel happens in most shows — whether it be “ Modern Family ” or “ black-ish ” or “ Everybody Loves Raymond ” or even “ The Cosby Show ” — I think that it makes us closer to people .
Everything basically starts at home , all the lessons and stuff that we ’ ve been taught , it really starts at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened is really important to me .
When I left ABC to go to Netflix , I knew I wanted to do the family show that I wanted to do when I was at ABC , which was a higher dysfunctional family .
I can not tell you how many more lessons we ’ ve learned from our failures and successes as parents .
There was no version of being able to do the network version of that .
You don ’ t want to fix what ’ s not broken , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different tread on the tire of family sitcoms .
I agree .
Spike Lee is one of my people who sort of got me going .
I enjoy social commentary , which also often comes into the form of satire when you put it into a comedic form .
And I wanted to have it portray a part of the world that we know exists around us every day , but we ’ re not able to sort of talk about .
And so I think that was the best way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satire .
So having those things and knowing that it ’ s going to be recorded and broadcast back out to the world is really , really , really scary .
But some ... of my heroes would be the people who said , “ You know what ?
I don ’ t give a fuck .
I ’ m going to say what I feel and I ’ m going to leave it up to conversation.
” And though some of those may start some conversation .
And that ’ s really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just saying because , really , in some aspects , I mean it may sound hyperbolic , it ’ s changed the world .
Richard Pryor , he ’ s my hero .
He was , of course , a flawed hero , but so much of what he did and so much of the self-deprecating and the things that he talked about pulled the curtain back on us as a people , and to white Americans , on them .
It really sort of changed the conversation , and still most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s derivative of what Richard Pryor is doing there .
And Dave Chappelle we ’ re seeing does that , and I think that it ’ s really important to be able to try and say some things that might start a conversation to hopefully lead to a more productive place .
Yeah .
And why does everyone have to have the same opinion ?
Why does everything Black have to be for everyone ?
We ’ re not monolithic as a people ; we strive to really not be seen that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in our art ?
We ’ re nascent in the world of film and television .
We got into the game late .
And so the only way that we ever will elevate ourselves is to maybe externally celebrate it because we know we need to show up for one another , but at least internally we can have conversation .
At the same time , I respect and I understand that different people have different experiences that have shaped their life in different ways .
The media and critics have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were not being kind to me , they ’ d been fair .
And so it ’ s like you can ’ t draw some of it and take others .
I think I ’ ve taken all of that , aggregated it into what it means to me and how I can sort of grow from it .
I think this particular show , for me , it ’ s based on my family .
My kid ’ s mother was biracial .
And the same thing with “ blackish.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what this family would actually look like .
I think throughout my career I ’ ve worked with and done so many different things , and I think the whole notion of it is I ’ m not going to go and start just hitting like , “ When I did this , when I cast this person ... ” That ’ s ridiculous .
But I do think the idea of it is I wanted to do as much as I can , and I ’ ve been a big , big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my career has really been about is making sure that we get seen ― and get seen in a certain way .
And I feel like the more projects that I do , the more representation I will continue to show .
I definitely have gotten into conversations and rebuttals and things like that .
I feel like everyone ’ s experiences are different , and they ’ re valid and they should be able to express it , and I respect it .
I would love for that .
I think if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for ...
I would love to tell Dana and those guys to air it .
It ’ s all done now .
We need ... Actually , when I hang this phone , I ’ m going to call Dana .
[ laughs ] And , I ’ m so serious .
Is there a version of the episode that could be aired ?
That would give something similar or a real piece of content ― especially right now it ’ s a really smart idea .

Kenya Barris’s new Netflix show, “#blackAF,” is like “black-ish” reloaded.
The satirical eight-episode series premieres Friday and is loosely based on Barris’s life as a dad. But “#blackAF” stars the writer-producer as an exaggerated version of himself who is married to Rashida Jones, and together they are raising a highly dysfunctional, superrich family.
The story is told from the perspective of their daughter Drea, portrayed by Iman Benson, who’s shooting a documentary for her application to New York University’s film school. She captures her parents referring to their kids as thots and assholes on occasion, rolling on molly at a music festival and often arguing over who’s the best parent.
It’s a hilarious hot mess with plenty of cringe-worthy moments.
But it’s not all crass language and choices worthy of calling child protective services over. Each episode — and episode title — dedicates time to explaining why everything that happens today in America is related to slavery, a theme that mostly works but can feel like a heavy-handed explanation at times. The show also features delightful cameos from Black celebrities playing extended family and friends, including Nia Long, Mike Epps and Kim Whitley.
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Episode 5, which features guest spots from Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, Ava DuVernay, Will Packer, Lena Waithe and Tim Story, is a standout. It addresses the often touchy topic of the proper way to critique Black creators in Hollywood, especially given that so few of them have influence and opportunity.
“The only way we’re gonna keep ourselves in the conversation is to really police each other,” Barris’s character says at the end of the episode. “Because we’re, right now, in this thing where white people aren’t going to be honest with us. They’re either gonna celebrate us publicly because that’s what’s hip right now or secretly behind closed doors wait for our demise, so we have to sort of tell each other the truth.”
When the trailer premiered in early April, this episode felt even more relevant as social media users criticized Barris for making, what they believe, is a redundant version of “black-ish.” They said Barris showed colorism in casting the entire family, who, with the exception of Benson, are all light-skinned actors, an accusation the producer has faced before with his other shows.
Barris spoke to HuffPost about criticizing Black art, making a Black satire and whether or not we’ll finally see the NFL episode of “black-ish.”
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The cast of "#blackAF." Gabriel Delerme
How’s life social distancing and quarantining with this new reality we have?
Kenya Barris: It’s OK. I think I’m getting sort of crazy. I have a really close friend who is having a really rough time, so that’s the first thing. So it’s affecting everybody every day now. I’m sure you’re hearing how the virus is affecting our community because of socioeconomic conditions and things like that. But everything’s delayed, so it’s hitting home.
We went from these jokes of, “Oh, Black people can’t get it” to now we’re just seeing how catastrophic it is for us. It’s just something new every day.
Oh, I know, and I think it’s going to affect us even more moving forward. You and I do have our jobs, fortunately. People who now are going on three, four weeks being out of work, well most Americans can’t deal with that. The impacts of that, I’d say, are quite scary.
It really is. Fortunately, we have a few avenues of levity, for what that’s worth. I enjoyed a little level of escapism with “#blackAF.” And I know that you discussed it being inspired by your life as a dad and your family. We see a little glimpse of inspiration from your home life through “black-ish,” so I’m wondering, why this show?
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I would say I think I only have one story to tell. [Laughs] But no, I really do enjoy the family story part of sitcoms. One of the things that I feel happens in most shows — whether it be “Modern Family” or “black-ish” or “Everybody Loves Raymond” or even “The Cosby Show” — I think that it makes us closer to people. Everything basically starts at home, all the lessons and stuff that we’ve been taught, it really starts at home. And so, seeing how that happened is really important to me.
When I left ABC to go to Netflix, I knew I wanted to do the family show that I wanted to do when I was at ABC, which was a higher dysfunctional family. I cannot tell you how many more lessons we’ve learned from our failures and successes as parents. There was no version of being able to do the network version of that. You don’t want to fix what’s not broken, but I do think it was time for a different tread on the tire of family sitcoms.
I really enjoyed the fact that it was a satire because I don’t think we see enough Black satire on screen.
I agree. Spike Lee is one of my people who sort of got me going. I enjoy social commentary, which also often comes into the form of satire when you put it into a comedic form. And I wanted to have it portray a part of the world that we know exists around us every day, but we’re not able to sort of talk about. And so I think that was the best way to sort of present it as a family satire.
One thing that I thought was funny and smart — and I feel like would be definitely obvious to black viewers but white viewers may be, like, “Oh, what the hell is going on?” — is the fact that every episode mentions and relates something back to slavery. Why is that important for the show?
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That so much of our behavior that people outside of, and even inside of, our culture look to sort of mock and have furrowed brows and have lots of comments on, they don’t understand that it’s the people doing more than anyone could expect of us considering what we came from.
It’s still very much in our DNA. We’re always fighting against it. And some of those things make us stronger and everything that makes us the amazing people that we are today, but they still present in our behaviors. I actually thought about naming the show “Because of Slavery” because I think so much of what we do is linked back to that atrocity that we endured.
Tyler Perry makes a guest appearance on Episode 5 of "#blackAF." Emily V. Aragones/Netflix
Those traumas can still be very much felt even when, as we were talking about earlier, we’re being disproportionately affected by coronavirus, that is because of slavery. I’d never seen it on a comedic platform where it’s done in the way you’ve done it, so I thought that was interesting.
That means a lot. Free thought [in comedy] is under attack right now. And so the idea of sort of trying to say something different ― and not say it’s because it’s provocative or because it’s an actual feeling ― is really scary. You never know if that filming is going to be the thing that ends up being the end of your career.
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So having those things and knowing that it’s going to be recorded and broadcast back out to the world is really, really, really scary. But some ... of my heroes would be the people who said, “You know what? I don’t give a fuck. I’m going to say what I feel and I’m going to leave it up to conversation.” And though some of those may start some conversation. And that’s really some of those things that people were just saying because, really, in some aspects, I mean it may sound hyperbolic, it’s changed the world.
Richard Pryor, he’s my hero. He was, of course, a flawed hero, but so much of what he did and so much of the self-deprecating and the things that he talked about pulled the curtain back on us as a people, and to white Americans, on them. It really sort of changed the conversation, and still most of the comedy 40 years later, it’s derivative of what Richard Pryor is doing there. And Dave Chappelle we’re seeing does that, and I think that it’s really important to be able to try and say some things that might start a conversation to hopefully lead to a more productive place.
Episode 5 discusses how we criticize subpar work by Black creators and whether we do it publicly or among ourselves. Where’s the line between rooting for everybody Black and critiquing our art in an honest and constructive way that pushes it forward?
Yeah. And why does everyone have to have the same opinion? Why does everything Black have to be for everyone? We’re not monolithic as a people; we strive to really not be seen that way, so why do we do it in our art? We’re nascent in the world of film and television. We got into the game late. And so the only way that we ever will elevate ourselves is to maybe externally celebrate it because we know we need to show up for one another, but at least internally we can have conversation.
Internally, we can’t have debate? Internally, we can’t speak honestly to one another so that when we step into our next project we see things a little bit differently and maybe take some of those conversations to heart.
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At the same time, I respect and I understand that different people have different experiences that have shaped their life in different ways. The media and critics have been really kind to me. Even when they were not being kind to me, they’d been fair. And so it’s like you can’t draw some of it and take others. I think I’ve taken all of that, aggregated it into what it means to me and how I can sort of grow from it.
What is your response to people who critique your casts for consisting of mainly lighter-skinned Black people?
I think this particular show, for me, it’s based on my family. My kid’s mother was biracial. And the same thing with “blackish.” I wanted to have those people reflect what this family would actually look like. I think throughout my career I’ve worked with and done so many different things, and I think the whole notion of it is I’m not going to go and start just hitting like, “When I did this, when I cast this person...” That’s ridiculous.
But I do think the idea of it is I wanted to do as much as I can, and I’ve been a big, big, big advocate of representation. All my career has really been about is making sure that we get seen ― and get seen in a certain way. And I feel like the more projects that I do, the more representation I will continue to show. I definitely have gotten into conversations and rebuttals and things like that. I feel like everyone’s experiences are different, and they’re valid and they should be able to express it, and I respect it.
I do feel like this is my family, and I feel like I do want these characters to be seen as Black, once again in the same way, I don’t want us to be divisive.
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Tim Story, Issa Rae, WIll Packer, Ava DuVernay and Lena Waithe make guest appearances on Episode 5. Courtesy of Netflix
In Episode 5, a few other Black Hollywood writers and directors chime in to check your character, and it shows how the Black Hollywood tribe holds each other down. I’m wondering what that support system looks like?
Well, I think it’s everything. We have not seen a time like this ever in terms of that tribe being stronger. And I feel, more importantly, the thing that I’m seeing is we’ve not seen a time like this in terms of that tribe being more supportive of one another. All those people came on and did that for nothing, and were really busy and made time. It was out of love for the culture and other art.
The real thing is we need more of us, and we need enough of us to sort of spread the love and throw it back out, and I think we have to open the doors for one another.
One last thing real quick. Will we ever see the NFL episode of “black-ish”? Is that a possibility?
I would love for that. I think if ABC were smart, especially during this time for... I would love to tell Dana and those guys to air it. It’s all done now. We need... Actually, when I hang this phone, I’m going to call Dana. [laughs] And, I’m so serious. Is there a version of the episode that could be aired? That would give something similar or a real piece of content ― especially right now it’s a really smart idea.


huffpost--2020-04-27--Prince Harry Unveils New Project 3 Years In The Making

The Duke of Sussex helped launch a new mental wellness tool called HeadFIT on Monday , in partnership with the Royal Foundation ’ s Heads Together program , Britain ’ s Ministry of Defense and King ’ s College London .
The services are intended for veterans and military members to improve and maintain their mental fitness , but Harry said “ everyone ” can use and benefit from the tool .
“ Today when we talk about fitness , we don ’ t just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the British army , says in a video on the website ’ s home page .
“ This is about mental fitness , strength and resilience , not just while wearing a uniform , but for the rest of your life.
” He continues : “ If you want to be truly fit , strong and healthy , you need to train your mind and body as one .
Some people run , others swim , cycle or lift weights in order to be physically fit .
But what do you do to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows the user to choose from four mental fitness goals : de-stress , drive , confidence and mood .
It provides videos , audio and written resources to help people understand mental wellness approaches .
Harry said in a separate statement that the project was three years in the making .
He first announced the initiative in October 2017 .
“ I ’ ve long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society , ” he said in a separate statement about the project .
“ For too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to arise and then reacting to them .
HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness , focusing on our own potential to increase our performance , using proven methods in sport science.
” Mental health has long been a focus for Prince Harry , Prince William and Kate Middleton ’ s Royal Foundation .
Though Harry and Meghan Markle split from the foundation last year , Kensington Palace said in a statement that both couples would continue to work on projects together , including ones for Heads Together .
Also on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first installment of its new mental health series , called “ 60 Second Support.
” The minute-long bit promises helpful advice managing mental well-being amid the coronavirus pandemic .

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Prince Harry officially stepped back as a senior working member of the royal family in March, but he’s still busy.
The Duke of Sussex helped launch a new mental wellness tool called HeadFIT on Monday, in partnership with the Royal Foundation’s Heads Together program, Britain’s Ministry of Defense and King’s College London.
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The services are intended for veterans and military members to improve and maintain their mental fitness, but Harry said “everyone” can use and benefit from the tool.
“Today when we talk about fitness, we don’t just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry,” Harry, who served 10 years in the British army, says in a video on the website’s home page. “This is about mental fitness, strength and resilience, not just while wearing a uniform, but for the rest of your life.”
He continues: “If you want to be truly fit, strong and healthy, you need to train your mind and body as one. Some people run, others swim, cycle or lift weights in order to be physically fit. But what do you do to stay mentally fit?”
Prince Harry speaks at a Remembrance Sunday service at Kandahar Airfield Nov. 9, 2014, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Harry served 10 years in the military. Matt Cardy via Getty Images
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The website allows the user to choose from four mental fitness goals: de-stress, drive, confidence and mood. It provides videos, audio and written resources to help people understand mental wellness approaches.
Harry said in a separate statement that the project was three years in the making. He first announced the initiative in October 2017.
“I’ve long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society,” he said in a separate statement about the project. “For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them. HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science.”
Mental health has long been a focus for Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Royal Foundation. Though Harry and Meghan Markle split from the foundation last year, Kensington Palace said in a statement that both couples would continue to work on projects together, including ones for Heads Together.
Also on Monday, the Heads Together campaign announced the first installment of its new mental health series, called “60 Second Support.” The minute-long bit promises helpful advice managing mental well-being amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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