huffpost--2020-05-25--U.S. Memorial Day Kicks Off Amid Lockdowns As Some Countries Begin Reopening

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and four other remaining areas on Monday , but said that does not mean the end of the outbreak .
He also unveiled a new stimulus package worth about 100 trillion yen ( $ 930 billion ) to provide financial support for pandemic-hit companies .
That ’ s on top of an initial , 117 trillion yen package .
After two days of playing golf , President Donald Trump is scheduled to make Memorial Day appearances at Arlington National Cemetery , where he will lay a wreath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then heads off to speak at a historic fort in Baltimore .
The White House , meanwhile , slapped a travel ban on Latin America ’ s most populous nation , saying it would deny admission to foreigners who have recently been in Brazil .
The ban , which takes effect Thursday , does not apply to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents .
With over 363,000 reported infections , Brazil is second only to the U.S. despite limited testing .
Greece ’ s low COVID-19 infection rate allowed the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks earlier than previously planned .
In addition to resuming ferries with new passenger limits , it allowed cafes and restaurants to reopen under new social distancing rules .
All this , of course , was for Greek holidaymakers as foreign tourists aren ’ t expected until after June 15 .
“ We will implement exactly what the state has told us , whatever the doctors have told us , first and foremost for the safety of our customers , ” said Spiros Bairaktaris , owner of an Athens restaurant that was reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are also a little sad today , as we have lost two of our more elderly regular customers , ” Fernández said .
“ They use to come every day but now they have left us.
” “ We ’ re not out of the woods yet .
We have to take each day as it comes , each week as it comes and we keep our fingers crossed that Queenslanders will continue to flatten that curve , ” Palaszczuk said .
No new COVID-19 cases have been reported since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with no symptoms tested positive .
More than 3 million people had been tested prior to the campaign , the official Xinhua News Agency said .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Americans prepared to mark a Memorial Day like no other as the coronavirus pandemic upended traditional commemorations, while Greece sought to revive its crucial tourism sector by restoring ferry services to its popular Aegean islands.
U.S. authorities warned beach-goers to heed social distancing rules to avoid a resurgence of the virus that has infected 5.4 million people worldwide and killed over 345,000, including nearly 100,000 Americans, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Advertisement
People gather on the beach for the Memorial Day weekend in Port Aransas, Texas, Saturday, May 23, 2020. Beachgoers are being urged to practice social distancing to guard against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and four other remaining areas on Monday, but said that does not mean the end of the outbreak. He also unveiled a new stimulus package worth about 100 trillion yen ($930 billion) to provide financial support for pandemic-hit companies. That’s on top of an initial, 117 trillion yen package.
In New York City, honoring fallen military members will be done with car convoys and small ceremonies this year instead of parades to conform with coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
“It’s something we’re upset about, but we understand,” said Raymond Aalbue, chairman of the United Military Veterans of Kings County, which usually puts on a parade in Brooklyn.
Advertisement
There’s “no reason to put anybody in harm’s way,” he said, adding “it’s really cutting quick to the heart of all the veterans.”
Veterans, along with nursing home residents, have made up a significant portion of those who died in the U.S. outbreak.
After two days of playing golf, President Donald Trump is scheduled to make Memorial Day appearances at Arlington National Cemetery, where he will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and then heads off to speak at a historic fort in Baltimore.
Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young has criticized Trump’s visit, saying the city can’t afford the costs and the trip sends the wrong message about stay-at-home directives.
The Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building and the Washington Monument are visible behind the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
The White House, meanwhile, slapped a travel ban on Latin America’s most populous nation, saying it would deny admission to foreigners who have recently been in Brazil. The ban, which takes effect Thursday, does not apply to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. With over 363,000 reported infections, Brazil is second only to the U.S. despite limited testing.
Greece’s low COVID-19 infection rate allowed the government to restart the summer holiday season three weeks earlier than previously planned. In addition to resuming ferries with new passenger limits, it allowed cafes and restaurants to reopen under new social distancing rules. All this, of course, was for Greek holidaymakers as foreign tourists aren’t expected until after June 15.
“We will implement exactly what the state has told us, whatever the doctors have told us, first and foremost for the safety of our customers,” said Spiros Bairaktaris, owner of an Athens restaurant that was reducing capacity from 100 customers to 30.
“Many will come to Greece because we had the fewest number of deaths compared to other countries. And thank God for that,” he added.
Passengers wearing mask to reduce the spread of the coronavirus board a ferry at the Piraeus port near Athens on Monday, May 25, 2020. Greece restarted Monday regular ferry services to the islands as the country accelerated efforts to salvage its tourism season.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
Greece, which shut down quickly, has only 171 of Europe’s nearly 170,000 coronavirus deaths and depends on tourism for 10% of its economy.
Islands such as Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu and Samos are major draws for tourists but have been mostly off-limits since late March when the country’s lockdown took effect.
Hard-hit Spain reached a milestone Monday as half the population — including those in the two biggest cities, Madrid and Barcelona — were finally allowed to gather, albeit in limited numbers. Outdoor seating at bars and restaurants also reopened.
Madrid coffee bar owner Roberto Fernández said the mood was bittersweet.
“We are also a little sad today, as we have lost two of our more elderly regular customers,” Fernández said. “They use to come every day but now they have left us.”
Relaxations went a step further in the rest of Spain, where people can now visit beaches and nursing homes and hold weddings. Spain has recorded 28,700 virus deaths.
Advertisement
Police officers ask people to not sit while patrolling at the beach in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, May 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) ASSOCIATED PRESS
But as lockdown restrictions were rolled back across Europe, fresh outbreaks were reported in a Czech coal mine and a Dutch slaughterhouse.
The Darkov mine near the Czech Republic’s border with Poland halted operations after 212 people — mostly miners and family members — tested positive for coronavirus. Testing was carried out on 2,400 people.
Meanwhile, an outbreak among 657 employees of a meat processing plant in the Dutch city of Groenlo has spilled over into Germany. Dutch authorities said Monday that 19 of the 147 employees who had tested positive live in Germany.
After seeing several coronavirus clusters among abattoir employees in Germany, the government has pledged to crack down on poor working conditions.
Advertisement
In Russia, infections topped 350,000 — the third highest in the world — as health officials reported 9,000 new cases and 92 new deaths, bringing the overall death toll to 3,633. Russia denies allegations that its death rate is suspiciously low, insisting that’s due to its effective containment measures.
As millions of Australian children returned to school, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Monday that students and teachers had to observe one key message: Stay home if you are sick.
“We’re not out of the woods yet. We have to take each day as it comes, each week as it comes and we keep our fingers crossed that Queenslanders will continue to flatten that curve,” Palaszczuk said.
Chinese state media reported Monday that more than 6.5 million coronavirus tests were conducted in the city of Wuhan — the country’s virus epicenter — over a 10-day period in a bid to test all its 11 million residents.
No new COVID-19 cases have been reported since the 10-day campaign started, although some people with no symptoms tested positive. More than 3 million people had been tested prior to the campaign, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Advertisement
Boaters and paddle boarders use a harbor Sunday, May 24, 2020, in Newport Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The U.S. Memorial Day weekend saw tens of thousands of Americans head to beaches and parks, relieved to shake off some pandemic restrictions.
But Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, said she was “very concerned” about scenes of people crowding together. In the Tampa area along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the crowds were so big that authorities closed parking lots to stem the flood. In Missouri, people packed bars and restaurants at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Officials in California said most people were covering their faces and keeping their distance as they ventured out. Many Southern California beaches were open only for swimming, running and other activities, not sunbathing.
At New York’s Orchard Beach in the Bronx, kids played with toys and people sat in folding chairs, wrapped up in sweaters and masks.
Advertisement
“Fresh air. Just good to enjoy the outdoors,” said Danovan Clacken.
___
Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia, Cyprus. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.
___


huffpost--2020-05-25--Memorial Day Observances Smaller, More Subdued During Pandemic

BILLINGS , Mont .
( AP ) — Americans settled for small processions and online tributes instead of parades Monday as they observed Memorial Day in the shadow of the pandemic , which forced communities to honor the nation ’ s military dead with modest , more subdued ceremonies that also remembered those lost to the coronavirus .
On the weekend that marked the unofficial start of summer , authorities warned people heading to beaches , parks or backyard barbecues to heed social-distancing rules to avoid a resurgence of the disease that has infected 5.4 million people worldwide and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Memorial Day commemorations were canceled or toned down across the country .
Veterans , along with nursing home residents , have made up a significant portion of those who died in the U.S. outbreak .
Frank Groblebe and his wife placed lilacs on several graves at Mountview Cemetery in Billings , Montana , including those of his mother and father , who served in the Philippines as a Navy Seabee during World War II .
Groblebe said he approved of plans to curtail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procession and moments of quiet remembrance .
“ This is our freedom .
This is our history .
It ’ s what they fought for , ” Groblebe said , briefly choking up with tears .
“ Anything that shows respect for it is all right with me.
” Sharon Oakland placed mums on the grave of her father , also a Navy veteran in World War II .
She watched from a distance as the motorcycles rolled by .
“ What they ’ ve done is remarkable given what ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The day looked different across the U.S .
The 37,000 American flags traditionally placed on the Boston Common to honor Massachusetts military members who died in service were replaced with just 1,000 flags , to limit volunteers and onlookers .
In Minneapolis , several bagpipers and drummers lined up outside the Minnesota Veterans Home and played as a parade of cars drove past .
“ Even when the enemy is an invisible virus or a microscopic germ , the sacrifices made are just as meaningful , ” Windham said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performances and gunshots from a ceremonial rifle team , were filmed over a series of days last week and edited together , Windham said .
In Chicago , a neighborhood group that ’ s been holding a parade for more than a half century also moved its event online , with video clips from previous years and messages from special guests , including veterans and Mayor Lori Lightfoot .
In the suburb of Lisle , a convoy of vehicles from fire departments and VFW posts drove silently through village streets .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about , but we understand , ” said Raymond Aalbue , chairman of the United Military Veterans of Kings County , which usually puts on a parade in Brooklyn .
There ’ s “ no reason to put anybody in harm ’ s way , ” he said , adding “ it ’ s really cutting quick to the heart of all the veterans.
” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo joined a private ceremony at the Intrepid Sea , Air & Space Museum in Manhattan , with both the sacrifices of military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his mind .
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made his first in-person appearance in more than two months by laying a wreath at a veterans park near his Delaware home .
He wore a face mask as he and his wife bowed their heads in silence .
He saluted and could be heard saying “ Never forget.
” After two days of playing golf , President Donald Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery , where he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , which overlooks rolling hills dotted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Baltimore ’ s historic Fort McHenry , noting that tens of thousands of service members and national guard personnel are currently “ on the front lines of our war against this terrible virus.
” Tens of thousands of Americans still headed outdoors over the weekend to shake off some pandemic restrictions .
Missouri ’ s health director issued a dire warning Monday after photos and video showed weekend revelers partying close together .
One video posted on social media showed a crammed pool at Lake of the Ozarks .
Many of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who may not experience symptoms .
“ When they then carry the virus and transmit it to a more vulnerable person , this is when we tend to see the long-lasting and tragic impact of these decisions that are being made , ” said Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams .
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson called such high-risk behavior “ irresponsible and dangerous .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Americans settled for small processions and online tributes instead of parades Monday as they observed Memorial Day in the shadow of the pandemic, which forced communities to honor the nation’s military dead with modest, more subdued ceremonies that also remembered those lost to the coronavirus.
On the weekend that marked the unofficial start of summer, authorities warned people heading to beaches, parks or backyard barbecues to heed social-distancing rules to avoid a resurgence of the disease that has infected 5.4 million people worldwide and killed over 345,000, including nearly 100,000 Americans, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Advertisement
Memorial Day commemorations were canceled or toned down across the country. Veterans, along with nursing home residents, have made up a significant portion of those who died in the U.S. outbreak.
Frank Groblebe and his wife placed lilacs on several graves at Mountview Cemetery in Billings, Montana, including those of his mother and father, who served in the Philippines as a Navy Seabee during World War II. Groblebe said he approved of plans to curtail the ceremony, which included a motorcycle procession and moments of quiet remembrance.
“This is our freedom. This is our history. It’s what they fought for,” Groblebe said, briefly choking up with tears. “Anything that shows respect for it is all right with me.”
Sharon Oakland placed mums on the grave of her father, also a Navy veteran in World War II. She watched from a distance as the motorcycles rolled by. “What they’ve done is remarkable given what’s going on with the virus,” she said.
Advertisement
The day looked different across the U.S. The 37,000 American flags traditionally placed on the Boston Common to honor Massachusetts military members who died in service were replaced with just 1,000 flags, to limit volunteers and onlookers. In Minneapolis, several bagpipers and drummers lined up outside the Minnesota Veterans Home and played as a parade of cars drove past.
The city of Woodstock, Georgia, held its ceremony online. American Legion Post 316 Commander Julian Windham recognized service members who helped in the global fight against COVID-19.
“Even when the enemy is an invisible virus or a microscopic germ, the sacrifices made are just as meaningful,” Windham said. The ceremony, which included readings, vocal performances and gunshots from a ceremonial rifle team, were filmed over a series of days last week and edited together, Windham said.
In Chicago, a neighborhood group that’s been holding a parade for more than a half century also moved its event online, with video clips from previous years and messages from special guests, including veterans and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. In the suburb of Lisle, a convoy of vehicles from fire departments and VFW posts drove silently through village streets.
Fallen military members were honored in New York City with car convoys and small ceremonies.
“It’s something we’re upset about, but we understand,” said Raymond Aalbue, chairman of the United Military Veterans of Kings County, which usually puts on a parade in Brooklyn. There’s “no reason to put anybody in harm’s way,” he said, adding “it’s really cutting quick to the heart of all the veterans.”
Advertisement
On Long Island, a small group of veterans saluted, wearing masks and spaced several feet apart, as a parade of cars passed beneath a large American flag.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined a private ceremony at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in Manhattan, with both the sacrifices of military members and the challenge of the coronavirus on his mind.
“Over 100,000 Americans will lose their lives to this COVID virus. How do we honor them? We honor them by growing stronger together,” he said.
“We want to make sure we remember them and thank our heroes today.”
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made his first in-person appearance in more than two months by laying a wreath at a veterans park near his Delaware home. He wore a face mask as he and his wife bowed their heads in silence. He saluted and could be heard saying “Never forget.”
Biden told reporters, “I feel great to be out here.” He also yelled to a group standing nearby, “Thank you for your service.”
Advertisement
After two days of playing golf, President Donald Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery, where he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which overlooks rolling hills dotted with white tombstones. He later spoke at Baltimore’s historic Fort McHenry, noting that tens of thousands of service members and national guard personnel are currently “on the front lines of our war against this terrible virus.”
Trump said brave warriors from the nation’s past have shown that “in America, we are the captains of our own fate.”
Tens of thousands of Americans still headed outdoors over the weekend to shake off some pandemic restrictions. Missouri’s health director issued a dire warning Monday after photos and video showed weekend revelers partying close together. One video posted on social media showed a crammed pool at Lake of the Ozarks. Many of those seen in the video were young people, who may not experience symptoms.
“When they then carry the virus and transmit it to a more vulnerable person, this is when we tend to see the long-lasting and tragic impact of these decisions that are being made,” said Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson called such high-risk behavior “irresponsible and dangerous.”
___
Forliti reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Chicago and R.J. Rico in Atlanta also contributed to this report.
Advertisement
___


huffpost--2020-05-25--A North Carolina Hair Salon Reopened, But Poultry Workers Aren't Welcome

A sign posted on the shop window explained : “ Due to the number of Tyson employees who have tested positive for Covid19 , and given the close contact experienced during our services , we are unable to serve Tyson employees .
We sincerely apologize for this decision , and we ask for your understanding.
” The local Tyson poultry processing plant is one of the largest employers in the area .
Like other poultry , beef and pork facilities around the country , it has become a hotbed for the coronavirus ― with 570 workers recently testing positive out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hers sent Amy McGinty a photo of the SmartCuts sign , she was outraged .
The 13-year Tyson employee said people look at her and her colleagues “ like a disease.
” She said it was another indication of how poultry workers have been ostracized while they take on great risk to provide Americans with food during the pandemic .
A manager at SmartCuts confirmed the policy to HuffPost , saying it was a difficult decision but the salon ’ s owners believed it was in the interest of public health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 12 salons in North Carolina and Tennessee .
“ We respect their business , and we really appreciate that they ’ re essential workers , ” said the manager , Cathy , of the poultry plant employees .
“ But that puts them at risk.
” Cathy , who declined to give her last name , said the salon plans to allow Tyson employees back as of June 8 , and they will be eligible to receive a $ 3 discount off the price of their haircuts .
Photos of the SmartCuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook on Sunday and Monday , with a number of Tyson workers expressing anger over the salon ’ s decision .
Cathy noted that the plant ’ s workforce constitutes a large share of the salon ’ s clientele .
“ We don ’ t want to turn down business .
We ’ re trying to keep the general population safe and asking them [ Tyson employees ] to do the self-quarantine thing , where they ’ re not coming into contact with other people , ” she said .
Workers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a union , but the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1208 , which represents meatpacking workers elsewhere in the state , said poultry workers should not be “ shunned ” for doing their jobs .
“ North Carolina meatpacking workers are putting their lives on the line every day to make sure our families have the food they need during the coronavirus outbreak , ” the union said in a statement to HuffPost .
“ It is shocking and deeply offensive that certain businesses would want to refuse service to the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this crisis.
” McGinty said workers like her have received “ nothing but shame ” for their efforts on the front lines of the pandemic .
Because she works at the plant , McGinty said , it has been hard to find anyone to watch her 2-year-old ― other than her mother , who has a heart condition .
When she recently took her daughter to the doctor , the first question the doctor asked was whether the child had been exposed to any Tyson employees .
She said she doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but she should be able to if she wants .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The hair salon SmartCuts reopened its doors in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on Memorial Day weekend after a long closure due to the coronavirus.
But not every customer was welcome to hop in a chair like old times.
A sign posted on the shop window explained: “Due to the number of Tyson employees who have tested positive for Covid19, and given the close contact experienced during our services, we are unable to serve Tyson employees. We sincerely apologize for this decision, and we ask for your understanding.”
Advertisement
The local Tyson poultry processing plant is one of the largest employers in the area. Like other poultry, beef and pork facilities around the country, it has become a hotbed for the coronavirus ― with 570 workers recently testing positive out of around 2,200.
When a friend of hers sent Amy McGinty a photo of the SmartCuts sign, she was outraged. The 13-year Tyson employee said people look at her and her colleagues “like a disease.”
“They’re getting our food, but they won’t service us,” McGinty told HuffPost.
She said it was another indication of how poultry workers have been ostracized while they take on great risk to provide Americans with food during the pandemic.
“Even people I knew as friends, I can tell they don’t want to be around me,” she said.
A manager at SmartCuts confirmed the policy to HuffPost, saying it was a difficult decision but the salon’s owners believed it was in the interest of public health. The location is part of a chain with 12 salons in North Carolina and Tennessee.
Advertisement
A photo of the sign in the window of SmartCuts in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Facebook
“We respect their business, and we really appreciate that they’re essential workers,” said the manager, Cathy, of the poultry plant employees. “But that puts them at risk.”
Cathy, who declined to give her last name, said the salon plans to allow Tyson employees back as of June 8, and they will be eligible to receive a $3 discount off the price of their haircuts.
Hair salons were allowed to open their doors again in North Carolina this weekend if they adhered to rules on reduced capacity, as part of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s phased reopening plan.
Photos of the SmartCuts sign made the rounds among Wilkesboro residents on Facebook on Sunday and Monday, with a number of Tyson workers expressing anger over the salon’s decision. Cathy noted that the plant’s workforce constitutes a large share of the salon’s clientele.
Advertisement
She said SmartCuts received “a lot of negative feedback” over the decision, but the owners are standing by the policy.
“We don’t want to turn down business. We’re trying to keep the general population safe and asking them [Tyson employees] to do the self-quarantine thing, where they’re not coming into contact with other people,” she said.
Workers at the Wilkesboro plant are not represented by a union, but the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1208, which represents meatpacking workers elsewhere in the state, said poultry workers should not be “shunned” for doing their jobs.
“North Carolina meatpacking workers are putting their lives on the line every day to make sure our families have the food they need during the coronavirus outbreak,” the union said in a statement to HuffPost. “It is shocking and deeply offensive that certain businesses would want to refuse service to the people we’re all depending on in this crisis.”
McGinty said workers like her have received “nothing but shame” for their efforts on the front lines of the pandemic. Because she works at the plant, McGinty said, it has been hard to find anyone to watch her 2-year-old ― other than her mother, who has a heart condition. When she recently took her daughter to the doctor, the first question the doctor asked was whether the child had been exposed to any Tyson employees.
Advertisement
She said she doesn’t get her hair cut at SmartCuts, but she should be able to if she wants.
“We are people. We are humans,” she said.


huffpost--2020-05-14--Gabrielle Union Is Advocating For Black Hollywood's Gig Workers Amid Pandemic

Actor and author Gabrielle Union doesn ’ t know what Black Hollywood is going to look like when the world settles into the new reality brought on by COVID-19 , but she does know that it will look a lot like community support .
Especially for the entertainment industry ’ s gig workers .
“ None of us know how we ’ re going to come out of this , right , and what Hollywood is going to look like , ” Union said during an Instagram Live conversation Wednesday with HuffPost .
She noted that many scenes require actors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You see people ’ s deals being announced every day , but none of us have any clue about when they ’ re going to open up Hollywood.
” Union ’ s show “ L.A. ’ s Finest , ” which started out as an NBC pilot before Spectrum premiered it on its streaming service in 2019 , was just announced as a part of Fox ’ s fall prime-time lineup .
As unprecedented as the move is , she ’ s grateful not only for herself but also for those with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spirit of the late Andre Harrell , the Uptown Records founder and hip-hop pioneer who died May 7 at age 59 , as an example of someone who always helped bridge the gap in Hollywood .
She recalled meeting him at a club on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles when she was 23 .
“ We were at one of those tables and most of the guys who were coming up were trying to talk to my friends , and this guy kind of leans over to our table and he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re going to be a star , ’ ” she recalled .
It was Harrell .
She hadn ’ t appeared in many projects , and she said she doubted Harrell had seen “ Saved by the Bell : The New Class.
” “ I was like , he ’ s going to ask me about my friends or he ’ s going to be a creep or whatever , and that ’ s all he said and walked away , ” Union told HuffPost .
“ I ’ d run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Remember what I told you ?
’ And I didn ’ t think he would remember me .
I thought it was a line , and I said , ‘ OK , I didn ’ t think you were going to remember.
’ In that crowd especially , I was never seen , no one ever thought of me as anything , and you said that and I really haven ’ t forgotten it.
” Harrell and Union went on to become good friends .
And though Harrell didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit later in his career , she said he was constantly sharing information to help others .
“ He always hipped me to game , ” the actor said .
“ How you negotiate contracts , how you bridge those communities , how you put people on , how it ’ s OK to decenter yourself in a narrative and still consider it success , and for the world to be without people like Dre .
We have to pass that baton and give that information enthusiastically.
” “ When I talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just talking about actors that you ’ ve heard of or the famous producers or directors .
The Black Hollywood that is the nuts and bolts of Black Hollywood are people who you may never know their names but they ’ re really as vital and important and we can ’ t forget their stories and their plights and even if you had a steady gig , ” she said .
“ To have no work indefinitely , and you don ’ t even have the hope for a job , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us.
” “ I hope one of the things people take out of this [ pandemic ] is that success can look different , ” she said .
“ It can be a redistribution of wealth , opportunities , resources .
You can share resources and information ; it doesn ’ t take anything away from you.
” Union also talked about her new children ’ s book , released May 5 , that was inspired by her toddler daughter , Kaavia James Union Wade , “ Welcome to the Party.
” Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her miscarriages and attempted IVF cycles with her husband , former NBA star Dwyane Wade , said that “ Welcome to the Party ” is meant to be a celebration of blended and nontraditional families .
“ A lot of time , especially in marginalized families , our family ties and our bonds and even creating our family isn ’ t always one way .
It could be a family friend down the street that just lives with you now and there ’ s no legal paperwork , there ’ s nothing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to have Kaav through our awesome surrogate .
But just creating a space to welcome the introduction of a new family member , and after so much heartbreak , I wanted a celebration .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Actor and author Gabrielle Union doesn’t know what Black Hollywood is going to look like when the world settles into the new reality brought on by COVID-19, but she does know that it will look a lot like community support. Especially for the entertainment industry’s gig workers.
“None of us know how we’re going to come out of this, right, and what Hollywood is going to look like,” Union said during an Instagram Live conversation Wednesday with HuffPost. She noted that many scenes require actors to be very close on set. “You see people’s deals being announced every day, but none of us have any clue about when they’re going to open up Hollywood.”
Advertisement
Union’s show “L.A.’s Finest,” which started out as an NBC pilot before Spectrum premiered it on its streaming service in 2019, was just announced as a part of Fox’s fall prime-time lineup. As unprecedented as the move is, she’s grateful not only for herself but also for those with jobs on the show.
Union evoked the spirit of the late Andre Harrell, the Uptown Records founder and hip-hop pioneer who died May 7 at age 59, as an example of someone who always helped bridge the gap in Hollywood. She recalled meeting him at a club on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles when she was 23.
“We were at one of those tables and most of the guys who were coming up were trying to talk to my friends, and this guy kind of leans over to our table and he said, ‘I hope you know, you’re going to be a star,’” she recalled. It was Harrell. She hadn’t appeared in many projects, and she said she doubted Harrell had seen “Saved by the Bell: The New Class.”
“I was like, he’s going to ask me about my friends or he’s going to be a creep or whatever, and that’s all he said and walked away,” Union told HuffPost. “I’d run into him years later and he said, ‘Remember what I told you?’ And I didn’t think he would remember me. I thought it was a line, and I said, ‘OK, I didn’t think you were going to remember.’ In that crowd especially, I was never seen, no one ever thought of me as anything, and you said that and I really haven’t forgotten it.”
Advertisement
Harrell and Union went on to become good friends. And though Harrell didn’t get into TV and film until a bit later in his career, she said he was constantly sharing information to help others.
“He always hipped me to game,” the actor said. “How you negotiate contracts, how you bridge those communities, how you put people on, how it’s OK to decenter yourself in a narrative and still consider it success, and for the world to be without people like Dre. We have to pass that baton and give that information enthusiastically.”
That’s especially significant for those in Hollywood who aren’t big-name stars, including backstage workers like hairstylists and makeup artists.
“When I talk about Black Hollywood, I’m not just talking about actors that you’ve heard of or the famous producers or directors. The Black Hollywood that is the nuts and bolts of Black Hollywood are people who you may never know their names but they’re really as vital and important and we can’t forget their stories and their plights and even if you had a steady gig,” she said. “To have no work indefinitely, and you don’t even have the hope for a job, and it was already hard to begin with for us.”
“I hope one of the things people take out of this [pandemic] is that success can look different,” she said. “It can be a redistribution of wealth, opportunities, resources. You can share resources and information; it doesn’t take anything away from you.”
Advertisement
Union also talked about her new children’s book, released May 5, that was inspired by her toddler daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, “Welcome to the Party.” Union, who’s been open about her miscarriages and attempted IVF cycles with her husband, former NBA star Dwyane Wade, said that “Welcome to the Party” is meant to be a celebration of blended and nontraditional families.
“A lot of time, especially in marginalized families, our family ties and our bonds and even creating our family isn’t always one way. It could be a family friend down the street that just lives with you now and there’s no legal paperwork, there’s nothing,” she said. “We were able to have Kaav through our awesome surrogate. But just creating a space to welcome the introduction of a new family member, and after so much heartbreak, I wanted a celebration.”
Watch the full conversation on Black Voices’ Instagram.


huffpost--2020-05-25--As The Coronavirus Tore Through Seattle, These Sex Workers Built A Hand Sanitizer Factory

Things didn ’ t work out for Jensen ’ s vape company , but he still had contacts in the chemical industry , knowledge of liquid production and leads on vendors for labels and bottles .
He also had a girlfriend , Amanda Halverson , who had been volunteering for the Green Light Project for nearly a year and was with Lascelles at the dive bar the night they hatched the sanitizer plan .
“ We had to chase the thickener all the way up the supply chain to a company in France , ” he said .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check out .
We had to call them directly , then send a purchase order with our banking info .
It was like ordering from a catalog in the 1980s.
” The first few weeks , he said , were a constant back and forth between finding and losing suppliers .
“ Vendors were running out of their own supplies , or all of a sudden they decided to sell all their stock to first responders , health care workers or the government .
They were saying , ‘ We ’ ll ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tomorrow , then it became , ‘ Sorry , half our staff called in sick.
’ ” Still , just eight days after they first came up with the idea , the trio managed to scrape together all the ingredients they needed for their first batch .
Jensen and Halverson spent hours sanitizing their kitchen , then mixed the ingredients in paint buckets .
They used a blender to mix the thickener with water and a power drill fitted with a whisk attachment to stir the buckets .
After a few hours , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough for about 250 2-ounce bottles .
The team ’ s pride in its recipe is palpable .
Once you use it , the formulation goes through three stages : First it ’ s wet ( “ everyone thought it was lube when we handed it out the first time , ” Lascelles said ) , then it ’ s sticky , then it ’ s gone .
The liquid comes in vape-juice bottles ― Jensen knows where to get them and they ’ re dirt cheap due to the collapse of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The larger space and faster production have allowed them to develop their business model .
As well as being relatively easy to make , hand sanitizer is also profitable : Selling one bottle at retail price will allow them to give away two more .
Lascelles calls it , in air quotes , the “ Tom ’ s model , ” after the shoe company that ( haphazardly ) sends one pair to the developing world for every pair sold in the United States .

SEATTLE ― In March, the coronavirus pandemic was starting to unfold, and the Green Light Project, a nonprofit that provides cash and sanitation products to low-income sex workers, was running short on hand sanitizer.
The price had been creeping up since January. Stores ran out, then online retailers, then wholesalers. Green Light Project volunteers had been scouring the internet and texting their friends to scoop up every last ounce they could find, but they were getting increasingly desperate.
Advertisement
“Other than condoms and pepper spray, hand sanitizer is the most important product for staying safe while doing sex work on the streets,” said a Seattle sex worker who asked not to be identified. Many street-based sex workers don’t have access to soap and running water between clients. In a typical week, the Green Light Project handed out more than 500 single-use packets of Purell.
By mid-March, the group was down to its last 15 packets. On March 10, after another night dipping into their dwindling supply, Sherae Lascelles, the Green Light Project’s founder and director, and a group of volunteers got drinks at a dive bar on North Aurora Avenue, in Seattle’s red-light district.
“Every single person was begging us for sanitizer,” Lascelles said. Workers were worried about catching COVID-19 but couldn’t self-quarantine because they needed income. Some had run out of sanitizer days before. “We kept saying, ‘There has to be another way.’”
And so, that night, their desperation gave rise to an idea: What if we make it ourselves?
“Sex workers don’t stop needing hand sanitizer just because we can’t find it in stores,” Lascelles said. “As sex workers, losing the resources other people rely on is nothing new to us. So we just decided that if no one else was going to make it, it was up to us.”
Advertisement
Lascelles (who uses they/them pronouns) has been a fixture in Seattle sex worker organizing for nearly a decade. They grew up in Spokane, a mid-sized city six hours east of Seattle, and have been engaged in various forms of sex work since they were a teenager.
Sherae Lascelles, founder of Seattle’s Green Light Project, a nonprofit that gives sanitation products and cash to sex workers, got the idea of making hand sanitizer after supplies began to run out in early March. Grant Hindsley for HuffPost
When Lascelles moved to Seattle in 2010, they got a job at a sex shop and eventually joined an advocacy group pushing for better policies on sex work in the city. Last year, they founded the People of Color Sex Worker Outreach Project and the Green Light Project, both dedicated to political advocacy and direct services for sex workers. This fall, they’re running for a seat in the Washington state House of Representatives.
But though Lascelles knew the importance of hand sanitizer for sex workers, they had no idea how to make it in bulk.
“We didn’t want to give people something we made in a bathtub,” they said. “This is a group that has always been marginalized and I didn’t want them to feel like they were being experimented on.”
Advertisement
Enter John Jensen. Five years ago, Jensen was a software engineer trying to quit smoking. He took up vaping, but all the flavors he could find lacked something.
So one night, in his kitchen, he made his own. He liked his homemade formula more than the commercial brands, and, it turned out, so did his friends. Jensen quit his software job, found a collaborator — Colby Adam, an engineer and a former Washington State Mr. Leather — and started making vape liquid full time.
Things didn’t work out for Jensen’s vape company, but he still had contacts in the chemical industry, knowledge of liquid production and leads on vendors for labels and bottles. He also had a girlfriend, Amanda Halverson, who had been volunteering for the Green Light Project for nearly a year and was with Lascelles at the dive bar the night they hatched the sanitizer plan.
The First Batch
Jensen was between jobs and the nightclub where Halverson worked as a stripper was shut down under Washington’s lockdown order, so they had time to research hand sanitizer recipes. The substance, they found, is remarkably simple: mostly alcohol, plus glycerin for moisture, polyacrylate for texture and topped off with water. All the ingredients are safe to handle and available in bulk online.
Jensen (with some help from Adam, his former collaborator), consulted recipes and started making test batches. The World Health Organization’s formula, it turned out, was too thin: It had a watery consistency that would evaporate before sex workers could put the bottle back in their pocket. Jensen started reading the labels of Purell and GermX bottles to find out how they got their texture.
Advertisement
John Jensen formulated a recipe for hand sanitizer and is now working on expanding production to other liquid products. Grant Hindsley for HuffPost
“We had to chase the thickener all the way up the supply chain to a company in France,” he said. “There was no website and no ads to check out. We had to call them directly, then send a purchase order with our banking info. It was like ordering from a catalog in the 1980s.”
Once the thickener came in, they settled on their recipe. Most hand sanitizers are around 63% alcohol, but they decided to use a stronger 70% mixture in case workers needed to water it down to make it last longer. They also skipped artificial fragrances that could irritate users’ skin if they had allergies.
Next, they started looking for suppliers. There was a nationwide demand spike for sanitizer, and dozens of other companies were looking for the same ingredients.
“No one wanted to sell to us because they thought we were going to jack up the price and resell it,” Jensen said. He had to call each supplier individually and convince them the ingredients were for a product they would be giving away.”
Advertisement
The first few weeks, he said, were a constant back and forth between finding and losing suppliers. “Vendors were running out of their own supplies, or all of a sudden they decided to sell all their stock to first responders, health care workers or the government. They were saying, ‘We’ll ship it today,’ then it became tomorrow, then it became, ‘Sorry, half our staff called in sick.’”
Still, just eight days after they first came up with the idea, the trio managed to scrape together all the ingredients they needed for their first batch. Jensen and Halverson spent hours sanitizing their kitchen, then mixed the ingredients in paint buckets. They used a blender to mix the thickener with water and a power drill fitted with a whisk attachment to stir the buckets. After a few hours, they had 4 gallons of sanitizer, enough for about 250 2-ounce bottles.
Lascelles and a team of volunteers started handing out the homemade sanitizer (along with $20 bills) the next night.
“The response was overwhelming,” Lascelles said. “Some of our participants hadn’t been able to find sanitizer for a month.”
From Kitchen To Factory
Almost as soon as they made their first batch, Jensen and Halverson had already outgrown their kitchen. One afternoon in late March, Jensen visited an old friend — the chiropractor next door — and noticed the 3,000-square-foot office space in his building sitting vacant. Within a week, Jensen, Halverson and Lascelles had rented it.
Advertisement
Last week, the trio gave HuffPost a tour of their production facility, located in a squat brick square in a north Seattle strip mall. Roughly half of the businesses facing the street are defunct. Around back is a parking lot, a chiropractor’s office and the entrance to what they’ve dubbed Hygiene Hustle.
Amanda Halverson, left, fills bottles of hand sanitizer from a pneumatic filler while Makayla Deppa readies caps for the capping machine. Grant Hindsley for HuffPost
Two semiautomated production lines feed sanitizer into bottles, cap them with a lid, then stick on a label. Of the four volunteers manning the lines, all were either sex workers or their partners. They also have an office space and a “clean room” for sterilizing equipment.
The team’s pride in its recipe is palpable. Once you use it, the formulation goes through three stages: First it’s wet (“everyone thought it was lube when we handed it out the first time,” Lascelles said), then it’s sticky, then it’s gone. The liquid comes in vape-juice bottles ― Jensen knows where to get them and they’re dirt cheap due to the collapse of that industry since the start of the pandemic.
Right now, Jensen and Adam (they’ve both been promoted to Directors of Liquid Transmission, or DOLTs) are working on automating their production lines and extending their supply chain. When their alcohol vendor fell through, they started ordering pre-made sanitizer to ensure their outreach wouldn’t get interrupted.
Advertisement
Lascelles, for their part, is focusing on distribution. As well as the nightly outreach runs, they’ve sent more than 6,000 bottles to harm-reduction and homeless advocacy organizations. Lascelles even started handing out bottles as tips to food delivery drivers.
The larger space and faster production have allowed them to develop their business model. As well as being relatively easy to make, hand sanitizer is also profitable: Selling one bottle at retail price will allow them to give away two more. Lascelles calls it, in air quotes, the “Tom’s model,” after the shoe company that (haphazardly) sends one pair to the developing world for every pair sold in the United States.
The owners of the facility have given most of their sanitizer away to sex workers and nonprofit organizations, but they have started selling bottles to recoup their costs. Grant Hindsley for HuffPost
This is their blueprint for further expansion. Right now they’re making roughly 4,000 bottles a day and giving the vast majority of them away, either locally or shipping to sex worker organizations around the country. But they’ve also started to sell them: Other outreach organizations have purchased small batches, and a local school district recently ordered 1,200 bottles for its bus drivers.
The team plans to give away an additional 10,000 bottles in the next few weeks and hopes to sell enough stock to cover their costs and perhaps even make back some of their investment. So far, the co-founders have carried the financial burden themselves.
Advertisement
Ultimately, Lascelles plans to hire four to eight more employees — all current or former sex workers — to run the production lines. Jensen has built a website that will allow customers to put their own logo on each bottle.
They’re working on adapting their production line to make other sanitizer products or even body lotion, soap or shampoo. Green Light Project volunteers have already started to notice a looming lubricant shortage on their nightly outreach rounds.
“Sanitizer is the immediate need, but we could eventually make all of the hygiene products we hand out,” Lascelles said. “We’re connecting with the populations we serve every night, and they know better than anyone what they need.”


huffpost--2020-05-25--CDC Warns Of 'Aggressive Rodent Behavior' As Lockdown Eases

Rats !
Restaurants that closed or scaled back during the coronavirus pandemic have riled up hungry rodents , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned .
Lockdown measures to curb COVID-19 have created a food shortage for the vermin , and people should be prepared to confront the desperate critters .
“ Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to rodents and reports of unusual or aggressive rodent behavior , ” the CDC wrote in a bulletin last week .
The agency urged residents and business owners to seal up points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed .
And as if we didn ’ t already have enough to worry about , the CDC cautioned against rodent-borne diseases .
“ Follow established guidelines when cleaning up after rodent infestations to prevent exposure to rodent-borne diseases , ” the advisory said .
“ Fleas are common on rodents .
In areas of heavy rodent infestations , workers should consider using a repellent registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
” Reports of possible rat army wars and rat cannibalism have emerged , as the pests have been essentially cut off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ re mammals just like you and I , and so when you ’ re really , really hungry , you ’ re not going to act the same — you ’ re going to act very bad , usually , ” urban rodentologist Bobby Corrigan told NBC News last month .
“ So these rats are fighting with one another , now the adults are killing the young in the nest and cannibalizing the pups .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Rats! Restaurants that closed or scaled back during the coronavirus pandemic have riled up hungry rodents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned.
Lockdown measures to curb COVID-19 have created a food shortage for the vermin, and people should be prepared to confront the desperate critters.
Advertisement
“Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to rodents and reports of unusual or aggressive rodent behavior,” the CDC wrote in a bulletin last week.
tenra via Getty Images
The agency urged residents and business owners to seal up points of entry and keep trash cans firmly closed.
And as if we didn’t already have enough to worry about, the CDC cautioned against rodent-borne diseases.
Advertisement
tenra via Getty Images
“Follow established guidelines when cleaning up after rodent infestations to prevent exposure to rodent-borne diseases,” the advisory said. “Fleas are common on rodents. In areas of heavy rodent infestations, workers should consider using a repellent registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”
DieterMeyrl via Getty Images
Reports of possible rat army wars and rat cannibalism have emerged, as the pests have been essentially cut off from their street buffets during shelter-in-place orders.


huffpost--2020-03-25--Marie Newman: Coronavirus Makes 'Medicare For All' More Likely To Happen

Because I have a union background and taking care of everybody is really important to me , right now I think we have a good start .
I think we are finally coming together .
I am buoyed by the fact that we are coming together as a nation — that ’ s the most important thing .
I hope that our leaders in the Democratic Party continue to fight for paid leave for wage workers .
Some industries are being left out .
Some parts of industries are being left out , and that ’ s really distressing me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because I think the Republican Party is coming to their senses a little bit and realizing that working families have been let out of the economy more than they had thought — that 80 % of our economy is workers and working families .
By the way , if we inject them with this help , it will help the economy overall because they are the first ones that spend because they need things .
So it ’ s really a logical thing .
If you ’ re not going to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for logic .
Let ’ s credit Bernie , for sure .
But this is about many progressives .
I just want to be clear and inclusive .
He has been doing a fabulous job , I have no quibble with that whatsoever .
But this is not just Bernie , not just Elizabeth Warren .
This is many people , frankly outside of politics , that have been pushing these notions that we have to make an economy that works for everyone .
Just period .
What I am thrilled about is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its roots .
If you look back to the 1930s and the Great Depression , why these ideas became popular and worked really well is because they worked really well .
It ’ s that simple .
When we inject jobs into the economy and transportation and infrastructure and health care in all these places , guess what ?
The economy booms and families thrive .
This is not a new concept at all , but just one that we are going back to .
I see what you mean .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families and the middle class having a better economy to work from — I think it became glaringly apparent that when the economy did recover and we did see good recovery in spots , but it was clear to me going back to 2014 that , wow , you know what ?
Our average hourly wage hasn ’ t increased in 15 years .
That ’ s troublesome .
We were so busy getting out of the worst recession we ’ ve ever had that we were forgetting that many parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t move .
And that struck me in 2014 .
And for 25 years — you can test this with my husband — I ’ ve been saying CEOs make far too much money .
The executive suite makes far too much money .
And I mean large companies .
There are parts of our economy that are ridiculously overpaid , and greed has taken over the economy .
I ’ ve been saying that for 25 years .
Let ’ s be clear about that .
I think they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , I would put this forth : I think Medicare for All is going to be much more likely to happen as a result of having the tragedy of the pandemic on our hands .
Because it is very clear to me and everyone , even people who have been somewhat against Medicare for All , that if that had been in place , this probably wouldn ’ t have gone as poorly as it has .
Secondly , if we get that into place , it will be universal care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this again .
I actually think Medicare for All is going to be easier to pass .
It has to come from the grassroots , because nothing in this country that brings change comes from the top .
It always comes from the grassroots .
My campaign was emblematic of that — we were full grassroots and very powerful .
And infrastructure is now in place — we will push issues , we will push each other and we will work together .
Similarly , at the national level , I think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job .
Now they will have more members — well , they will have at least one more member .
That ’ s me .
They have momentum , they should use that momentum .
They have three great leaders in Reps. Mark Pocan , Pramila Jayapal and Ro Khanna , and I think they are making a difference .
I don ’ t think we are seeing full-on legislation come through , but when you look at Medicare for All ’ s acceptance in my district , it ’ s very high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s very high .
Despite conservatives of all stripes bludgeoning it , it is very resilient if you look at the polls .
It ’ s extremely resilient .
What that tells me is that the progressive caucus and its members have done a good job of telling their constituents and America that this is a tried and true program that we can make better and more robust and roll out in a measured fashion .
It will allow full choice of doctors instead of restricted networks .
It is the only , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system that by all studies shows will bring down costs .
That in itself should be commended , and the progressive caucus should feel good about that .
Our job is to make that whoever the nominee is , we make sure they move these ideas forward .
I believe there is power in numbers .
The progressive caucus is the largest caucus in Congress today .
There ’ s 90 and soon to be 91 .
There ’ s power in numbers and power in solutions and there is power in spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful in getting the nominee to move toward these things .
This is neither left nor right nor center .
I keep stressing this — stop putting labels on things .
These are ideas that are very , very , very , very practical .
Just stop .
Stop with the labels of “ Oh , this is socialist ” or “ Oh , it ’ s this or that.
” It ’ s the only one that ’ s practical .
Let ’ s go with practical .

Marie Newman smiles while campaigning in the Archer Heights neighborhood of Chicago on March 9. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Marie Newman thought she was surely going to lose last week’s election. With the coronavirus hitting the country in full force, her campaign couldn’t knock on doors or turn out the vote. Voters were scared to go to the polls.
Instead, she won. The progressive Democrat beat out longtime incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski in the primary election in Illinois’s 3rd Congressional District, located in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. It was one of the few wins for a progressive challenger this election cycle.
Advertisement
As the coronavirus continues to spread in the United States, infecting tens of thousands and threatening the livelihoods of millions, Newman is convinced the pandemic will lead the country toward the progressive policies she campaigned on.
“I think ‘Medicare for All’ is going to be much more likely to happen as a result of having the tragedy of the pandemic on our hands,” Newman told HuffPost, adding that she’s buoyed by the bipartisan support behind an emergency expansion of the social safety net.
“It’s really a logical thing. If you’re not going to do it for moral reasons, do it for logic,” she added.
Newman ran and won on Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, expanding union membership and raising the minimum wage. Lipinski once voted against the Affordable Care Act, repeatedly voted to defund Planned Parenthood and stood firm on the right wing of his party.
Advertisement
Progressives have already made the connection between universal health care and an adequate response to the pandemic, arguing that a Medicare For All program would lead to a healthier population less susceptible to the disease and protect Americans from astronomical treatment costs. Still, not all states have expanded public health programs in response to the outbreak.
Newman, who had the backing of both Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), is very likely to win her general election in the blue district and join the ranks of other progressives like Reps. Katie Porter (Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) in Congress.
In an interview with HuffPost, Newman laid out an optimistic path forward for progressive policies that she said will be seen as the practical option — even if a more moderate Democrat is at the top of the presidential ticket.
You’ll very likely be in these Congress members’ shoes next year. What do you make of the coronavirus relief legislation being negotiated right now in Congress?
Because I have a union background and taking care of everybody is really important to me, right now I think we have a good start. I think we are finally coming together. I am buoyed by the fact that we are coming together as a nation — that’s the most important thing. I hope that our leaders in the Democratic Party continue to fight for paid leave for wage workers. Some industries are being left out. Some parts of industries are being left out, and that’s really distressing me.
Advertisement
Are there specific industries you are particularly worried about?
It’s been alerted to me that some of the airline workers are not covered in this package. There are folks in the service industry and in the public sector that aren’t covered in the package, and we have to cover everybody. These are not people that have huge savings.
I am more hopeful, though, because I think the Republican Party is coming to their senses a little bit and realizing that working families have been let out of the economy more than they had thought — that 80% of our economy is workers and working families. By the way, if we inject them with this help, it will help the economy overall because they are the first ones that spend because they need things. So it’s really a logical thing. If you’re not going to do it for moral reasons, do it for logic.
“This is not just Bernie, not just Elizabeth Warren. This is many people, frankly outside of politics, that have been pushing these notions that we have to make an economy that works for everyone.” - Marie Newman
A lot of the ideas that progressives have been running on are now being talked about in real terms in Congress with this stimulus. I’m curious, you’ve said in the past that you ran on these ideas because you saw them aligning with your district. When did you realize that these ideas, many championed nationally by Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016, aligned with your district?
Let’s credit Bernie, for sure. But this is about many progressives. I just want to be clear and inclusive. He has been doing a fabulous job, I have no quibble with that whatsoever. But this is not just Bernie, not just Elizabeth Warren. This is many people, frankly outside of politics, that have been pushing these notions that we have to make an economy that works for everyone. Just period.
Advertisement
What I am thrilled about is that the party is finally getting back to its roots. If you look back to the 1930s and the Great Depression, why these ideas became popular and worked really well is because they worked really well. It’s that simple. When we inject jobs into the economy and transportation and infrastructure and health care in all these places, guess what? The economy booms and families thrive. This is not a new concept at all, but just one that we are going back to.
The reason I brought up Bernie was because he brought these ideas to the national conversation in 2016 in a way that hadn’t been done in a long time, the cycle before you first ran. I was curious, when did you see those policies aligning with your specific district?
I see what you mean. I would say that these ideas around working families and the middle class having a better economy to work from — I think it became glaringly apparent that when the economy did recover and we did see good recovery in spots, but it was clear to me going back to 2014 that, wow, you know what? Our average hourly wage hasn’t increased in 15 years. That’s troublesome. We were so busy getting out of the worst recession we’ve ever had that we were forgetting that many parts of the economy stayed in place. They didn’t move. And that struck me in 2014. And for 25 years — you can test this with my husband — I’ve been saying CEOs make far too much money. The executive suite makes far too much money. And I mean large companies. There are parts of our economy that are ridiculously overpaid, and greed has taken over the economy. I’ve been saying that for 25 years. Let’s be clear about that.
But what was nice — I’ve been politically active for the last 25 years, but in the last 10 years I would say that throughout our district, everyone is in agreement that it was great that we recovered. But guess what? Everyone else stayed in place.
Advertisement
What is the future for some of these ideas — like Medicare for All, like a Green New Deal — if there isn’t an explicitly progressive candidate backing these policies at the top of the Democratic ticket in the presidential race?
I think they’re still going to live on. In fact, I would put this forth: I think Medicare for All is going to be much more likely to happen as a result of having the tragedy of the pandemic on our hands. Because it is very clear to me and everyone, even people who have been somewhat against Medicare for All, that if that had been in place, this probably wouldn’t have gone as poorly as it has. Secondly, if we get that into place, it will be universal care, which could insulate us from something like this again. I actually think Medicare for All is going to be easier to pass.
The number of people that are worried about the climate is growing exponentially, and they’re not willing to back down. The sadness and tragedy of the pandemic will bring us together. I already see unity in Illinois-3 — of neighbors helping each other. It’s nature or God’s way, depending on who you talk to, of bringing us together to solve problems.
How do you see the organization around progressive policies in Congress?
It has to come from the grassroots, because nothing in this country that brings change comes from the top. It always comes from the grassroots. My campaign was emblematic of that — we were full grassroots and very powerful. And infrastructure is now in place — we will push issues, we will push each other and we will work together. Similarly, at the national level, I think the progressive caucus has done a really good job. Now they will have more members — well, they will have at least one more member. That’s me. They have momentum, they should use that momentum. They have three great leaders in Reps. Mark Pocan, Pramila Jayapal and Ro Khanna, and I think they are making a difference.
“This is neither left nor right nor center. I keep stressing this — stop putting labels on things. These are ideas that are very very very very practical. Just stop. Stop with the labels of "oh this is socialist" or "oh it’s this or that." It’s the only one that's practical.” - Marie Newman
Advertisement
What are the examples of their successes?
I don’t think we are seeing full-on legislation come through, but when you look at Medicare for All’s acceptance in my district, it’s very high. In many districts, it’s very high. Despite conservatives of all stripes bludgeoning it, it is very resilient if you look at the polls. It’s extremely resilient. What that tells me is that the progressive caucus and its members have done a good job of telling their constituents and America that this is a tried and true program that we can make better and more robust and roll out in a measured fashion. It will allow full choice of doctors instead of restricted networks. It is the only, and I repeat, only health care system that by all studies shows will bring down costs. That in itself should be commended, and the progressive caucus should feel good about that.
Where do you see the room for improvement?
I think we do need to put more focus on wages and empowering unions and the economy that works for anyone. But if we don’t get health care moving alongside the coronavirus package, it won’t have sustainability.
What do you want to hear from the Democratic presidential nominee?
Our job is to make that whoever the nominee is, we make sure they move these ideas forward. I believe there is power in numbers. The progressive caucus is the largest caucus in Congress today. There’s 90 and soon to be 91. There’s power in numbers and power in solutions and there is power in spirit, and using all that will be powerful in getting the nominee to move toward these things. This is neither left nor right nor center. I keep stressing this — stop putting labels on things. These are ideas that are very, very, very, very practical. Just stop. Stop with the labels of “Oh, this is socialist” or “Oh, it’s this or that.” It’s the only one that’s practical. Let’s go with practical.


huffpost--2020-03-25--Cardi B Slams Celebs Getting Pricey Coronavirus Tests, Calls Out Government

Cardi B is challenging the Trump administration ’ s rhetoric about the coronavirus pandemic and calling out celebrities who have the “ luxury ” of paying to get themselves tested when other people can ’ t even afford health care .
“ The general public ― people that work regular jobs , people that get regular paychecks , the middle class , the poor ― they not getting treated like ... celebrities .
They ’ re not getting their fucking coronavirus results the next day , ” the rapper said in an impassioned four-minute video posted on Instagram .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had cold symptoms but couldn ’ t be tested unless they were sick for eight days .
She also noted that people in their “ 40s , 50s , 60s ” who have symptoms and do get tested are still being sent home to wait for their results .
“ What do they think they ’ re sending people home to ?
Not everybody have the luxury to go in they fucking bedroom and to go in a big-ass house and just stay away from people .
People live in small-ass apartments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small-ass apartments with multiple people , ” she said .
“ So it ’ s like , if you ’ re sending me home and I have the corona fucking virus , I ’ m most likely gon na give it to my spouse , my kids , anybody that ’ s around me.
” The “ Please Me ” singer then described how “ celebrities have the luxury to pay $ 34,000 or whatever the fuck it costs to get tested and get treated , ” while poorer people don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these people , they don ’ t fucking have that money .
Some people don ’ t even have enough money to fucking afford health care , ” she said .
She also had some choice words for the U.S. government : “ I feel like for coronavirus treatments , for testing , for all that shit , I feel like the government should take that shit , should charge that shit to the game , and not charge people for it .
This shit could ’ ve been prevented.
” Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for COVID-19 , the illness caused by the coronavirus , but tests are still hard to come by for the average person .
As The Guardian put it , “ the rest of us wait : not just for tests , but for the after-effects that a lack of testing will bring upon our communities , and upon the communities of those we love.
” Cardi B hasn ’ t shied away from being very vocal about the coronavirus on social media , expressing her fears of the pandemic in both serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a track called “ Coronavirus ” that ’ s a loop of her screaming , “ Coronavirus !
Shit is real !
Shit is getting real !
” set to a trap beat .
According to NPR , the song first broke “ into the pop charts internationally in Bulgaria and Brazil and then rose into the iTunes store ’ s top 10 in the United States shortly thereafter .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Cardi B is challenging the Trump administration’s rhetoric about the coronavirus pandemic and calling out celebrities who have the “luxury” of paying to get themselves tested when other people can’t even afford health care.
“The general public ― people that work regular jobs, people that get regular paychecks, the middle class, the poor ― they not getting treated like ... celebrities. They’re not getting their fucking coronavirus results the next day,” the rapper said in an impassioned four-minute video posted on Instagram.
Advertisement
The 27-year-old said she knew someone under 30 who had cold symptoms but couldn’t be tested unless they were sick for eight days. She also noted that people in their “40s, 50s, 60s” who have symptoms and do get tested are still being sent home to wait for their results.
“What do they think they’re sending people home to? Not everybody have the luxury to go in they fucking bedroom and to go in a big-ass house and just stay away from people. People live in small-ass apartments. A lot of people live in small-ass apartments with multiple people,” she said. “So it’s like, if you’re sending me home and I have the corona fucking virus, I’m most likely gonna give it to my spouse, my kids, anybody that’s around me.”
The “Please Me” singer then described how “celebrities have the luxury to pay $34,000 or whatever the fuck it costs to get tested and get treated,” while poorer people don’t have that option.
Advertisement
“A lot of these people, they don’t fucking have that money. Some people don’t even have enough money to fucking afford health care,” she said.
She also had some choice words for the U.S. government: “I feel like for coronavirus treatments, for testing, for all that shit, I feel like the government should take that shit, should charge that shit to the game, and not charge people for it. This shit could’ve been prevented.”
Many celebrities have revealed they’ve tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, but tests are still hard to come by for the average person. As The Guardian put it, “the rest of us wait: not just for tests, but for the after-effects that a lack of testing will bring upon our communities, and upon the communities of those we love.”
Cardi B hasn’t shied away from being very vocal about the coronavirus on social media, expressing her fears of the pandemic in both serious and humorous ways. DJ iMarkkeyz released a track called “Coronavirus” that’s a loop of her screaming, “Coronavirus! Shit is real! Shit is getting real!” set to a trap beat.
According to NPR, the song first broke “into the pop charts internationally in Bulgaria and Brazil and then rose into the iTunes store’s top 10 in the United States shortly thereafter.”
Advertisement


huffpost--2020-06-04--California Gov. Newsom Likes To ‘Go Big’ But Doesn’t Always Deliver

ASSOCIATED PRESS Gov .
Gavin Newsom announces new criteria related to coronavirus hospitalizations and testing that could allow counties to open faster than the state , during a news conference at Mustards Grill in Napa , Calif. , Monday May 18 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli , Pool ) “ I recognize that I ’ m setting myself up .
I ’ m not naive to that , ” he told his hometown newspaper in 2003 as he embarked on a campaign to sell his controversial plan .
It hinged on slashing welfare payments for homeless people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotels , converting them into long-term housing with health and social services .
Over-promise he did , and the venture ultimately failed .
But that pledge by Newsom — who at the time was a young , politically connected wine shop owner relatively new to public office — previewed a brand of political leadership on full display today as the first-term governor confronts an unprecedented public health emergency that has decimated the state ’ s economy and killed more than 4,280 Californians .
“ This governor wants to get a lot done even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite there yet .
It ’ s uniquely his approach , ” said Democratic strategist Dana Williamson , longtime adviser to former Gov .
Jerry Brown .
“ He isn ’ t afraid to go big .
The upside is establishing yourself as a real leader and , in the case of COVID , saving lives .
But the downside is it doesn ’ t always work out quite perfectly.
” Newsom has a long history of pushing big ideas before they become popular , including legalizing gay marriage and recreational marijuana use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free health care for undocumented immigrants .
Since his entry into public life , he has cultivated the image of a political risk-taker willing to buck the Democratic Party establishment .
And although he has demurred , there is widespread speculation that Newsom has presidential ambitions .
Since the start of the pandemic , Newsom has been praised by public health experts and Democratic strategists for making politically courageous decisions such as enacting the nation ’ s first statewide stay-at-home order , preventing widespread sickness and death .
He has dramatically expanded hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they erupt , from dire shortages of protective gear for hospital workers to inadequate testing in rural towns and poor , inner-city neighborhoods .
In other cases , the governor has artfully avoided making specific promises .
For instance , he has called the safety of nursing home patients and staff members a “ top priority ” without detailing plans , allowing him to dodge criticism even as more than half the deaths in California have occurred in long-term care facilities , according to state data .
Yet so far Newsom is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 % of likely voters say he ’ s doing a good job of handling the pandemic , according to a new poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California .
His overall approval rating has climbed by double digits since February , rising from 52 % to 64 % .
“ People can be forgiving and give the governor the benefit of the doubt , but that can turn from positive to negative very quickly , ” Baldassare said .
“ The risk is public opinion can shift very quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not going well or according to expectations.
” “ When you have a crisis like this that is unprecedented , there is no real playbook , ” Zingale said .
“ I think Gavin Newsom was made for this moment .
This is a situation where you want a governor who is high-energy , deeply earnest and prone to action rather than inaction.
” Newsom ’ s political career dates back to the late 1990s , when he was appointed to San Francisco ’ s parking and traffic commission by its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Brown tapped Newsom to fill an open seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors .
Running as the incumbent in 1998 , Newsom was elected that year to his first full term on the board .
During his early years in public life , he honed his approach to politics — aggressively seeking national media attention for first-in-the-country social and economic policies .
In 2004 , the year he took office as mayor , Newsom granted same-sex couples marriage licenses before it was legal , and in 2006 he signed into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care program , which covered all city residents regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay .
“ Gavin has always believed that if you show people you ’ re thinking big and trying hard , they will take that over timidity , even if you might fail , ” said Ragone , who remains a close , informal adviser to Newsom and also advises New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio .
“ He wasn ’ t able to completely eradicate homelessness , but the voters were OK with that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Success doesn ’ t have to be an absolute policy triumph.
” “ We had no idea that there were such big problems in skilled nursing facilities based on what the governor was saying , ” Chin said .
“ By the time we found out , it was too late .
”

Gov. Gavin Newsom announces new criteria related to coronavirus hospitalizations and testing that could allow counties to open faster than the state, during a news conference at Mustards Grill in Napa, Calif., Monday May 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool) ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Angela Hart
Gavin Newsom knew it was a political gamble when, as the newly elected mayor of San Francisco, he promised to eradicate chronic homelessness.
“I recognize that I’m setting myself up. I’m not naive to that,” he told his hometown newspaper in 2003 as he embarked on a campaign to sell his controversial plan. It hinged on slashing welfare payments for homeless people and redirecting those funds to acquire single-room occupancy hotels, converting them into long-term housing with health and social services.
Advertisement
“I don’t want to over-promise, but I also don’t want to under-deliver,” he said.
Over-promise he did, and the venture ultimately failed. But that pledge by Newsom — who at the time was a young, politically connected wine shop owner relatively new to public office — previewed a brand of political leadership on full display today as the first-term governor confronts an unprecedented public health emergency that has decimated the state’s economy and killed more than 4,280 Californians.
The COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted the 52-year-old Democrat into greater national prominence, winning him praise and voter support for taking decisive action to control the spread of infection in the absence of strong federal leadership.
But it has also exposed his penchant for making ambitious, showy announcements — often broadcast to a national audience — that aren’t necessarily ready for prime time. His plans regularly lack detail and, in some cases, follow-through.
“This governor wants to get a lot done even if all the details aren’t quite there yet. It’s uniquely his approach,” said Democratic strategist Dana Williamson, longtime adviser to former Gov. Jerry Brown. “He isn’t afraid to go big. The upside is establishing yourself as a real leader and, in the case of COVID, saving lives. But the downside is it doesn’t always work out quite perfectly.”
Advertisement
Newsom has a long history of pushing big ideas before they become popular, including legalizing gay marriage and recreational marijuana use, halting death penalty executions and expanding free health care for undocumented immigrants. Since his entry into public life, he has cultivated the image of a political risk-taker willing to buck the Democratic Party establishment. And although he has demurred, there is widespread speculation that Newsom has presidential ambitions.
Since the start of the pandemic, Newsom has been praised by public health experts and Democratic strategists for making politically courageous decisions such as enacting the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order, preventing widespread sickness and death. He has dramatically expanded hospital capacity while seeking to attack major problems as they erupt, from dire shortages of protective gear for hospital workers to inadequate testing in rural towns and poor, inner-city neighborhoods.
But as the crisis wears on, the list of Newsom’s unfulfilled promises is growing:
On April 7, he told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow that he had inked a deal securing “upwards” of 200 million protective masks per month, enough to “supply the needs of the state of California — potentially the needs of other Western states.” But nearly two months later, just 61 million surgical masks have arrived in California, while no higher-caliber N95 masks have been delivered, according to Brian Ferguson, spokesperson for the state Office of Emergency Services — despite Newsom’s promise that the deal included at least 150 million N95s. The $1 billion effort has been riddled with flaws, and the state so far has taken back nearly $250 million from the Chinese contractor, BYD Ltd. Co.
Later that month, Newsom announced a deal with Motel 6 that would provide thousands of rooms for homeless people in need of shelter. At least 5,025 Motel 6 rooms at 47 sites would open their doors to homeless people, “effective immediately,” should counties opt in, he said. But to date, just 628 Motel 6 rooms are open to homeless people at six sites.
Newsom also said in April that California must dramatically expand COVID-19 testing before it reopens to at least 60,000 — ideally 80,000 — tests per day. But the state still has not consistently reached 60,000 tests per day, even as it has allowed most counties to ease their stay-at-home restrictions
In other cases, the governor has artfully avoided making specific promises. For instance, he has called the safety of nursing home patients and staff members a “top priority” without detailing plans, allowing him to dodge criticism even as more than half the deaths in California have occurred in long-term care facilities, according to state data.
Advertisement
Yet so far Newsom is showing strong support from Californians. Nearly 70% of likely voters say he’s doing a good job of handling the pandemic, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. His overall approval rating has climbed by double digits since February, rising from 52% to 64%.
But his support could erode if the public begins to notice that his promises — and lofty rhetoric — do not match reality, said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the institute.
“People can be forgiving and give the governor the benefit of the doubt, but that can turn from positive to negative very quickly,” Baldassare said. “The risk is public opinion can shift very quickly if people get a sense that it’s not going well or according to expectations.”
Although Newsom himself has acknowledged criticism that the state is falling short on some fronts, his chief spokesperson Nathan Click defended the governor’s approach.
“When it’s your life or livelihood on the line, wouldn’t you want leaders who are moving aggressively to help people on every possible front?” Click said in a statement. “He’s not afraid to swing for the fences — especially in a time of massive need.”
Advertisement
Daniel Zingale, Newsom’s former chief adviser, who retired earlier this year, argued that the governor’s handling of the pandemic has saved countless lives while bolstering the social safety net for those at greatest risk of contracting the coronavirus.
“When you have a crisis like this that is unprecedented, there is no real playbook,” Zingale said. “I think Gavin Newsom was made for this moment. This is a situation where you want a governor who is high-energy, deeply earnest and prone to action rather than inaction.”
***
Newsom’s political career dates back to the late 1990s, when he was appointed to San Francisco’s parking and traffic commission by its then-mayor, Willie Brown. Soon thereafter, Brown tapped Newsom to fill an open seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Running as the incumbent in 1998, Newsom was elected that year to his first full term on the board.
During his early years in public life, he honed his approach to politics — aggressively seeking national media attention for first-in-the-country social and economic policies. In 2004, the year he took office as mayor, Newsom granted same-sex couples marriage licenses before it was legal, and in 2006 he signed into law the nation’s first universal health care program, which covered all city residents regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay.
Newsom, in his 2013 book “Citizenville,” described his leadership approach as “Ready, fire, aim.”
“I’m as proud of some of my failures in business and politics as I am of my successes,” he wrote. “Failure isn’t something to be embarrassed about; it’s just proof that you’re pushing your limits, trying new things, daring to innovate.”
Advertisement
Newsom believes strongly in setting “audacious goals,” even if he risks over-promising or alienating supporters, said Peter Ragone, who was press secretary for part of Newsom’s mayoral tenure.
“Gavin has always believed that if you show people you’re thinking big and trying hard, they will take that over timidity, even if you might fail,” said Ragone, who remains a close, informal adviser to Newsom and also advises New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “He wasn’t able to completely eradicate homelessness, but the voters were OK with that because they saw he was trying. Success doesn’t have to be an absolute policy triumph.”
***
Now Newsom is facing the biggest challenge of his political career, with several high-profile crises slamming California at once: A global public health emergency. Widespread civil unrest sparked by the killing of an African American man in Minnesota, George Floyd, at the hands of a white police officer, Derek Chauvin. Rising unemployment that could reach 30%. And another potentially devastating wildfire season.
The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, could have long-lasting consequences for Newsom’s future, said Dr. Leonard Marcus, co-director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, a joint program of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
“The politics of crisis leadership are high-consequence,” Marcus said. “For every political leader, a crisis like this is going to make or break their career.”
Advertisement
Davis resident Simon Chin has grown disillusioned with Newsom since the start of the crisis.
Chin’s father, 80-year-old George Chin, lived in Stollwood Convalescent Hospital in nearby Woodland. Chin regularly tuned into Newsom’s public briefings on the crisis to hear the governor say he was committed to preventing infections in nursing homes and protecting staff members and residents.
But infections in senior care homes continued to rise. And although Newsom has called for universal testing of residents and staffers, the state hasn’t provided the resources to make that happen, said Jason Belden, emergency preparedness director for the California Association of Health Facilities, which represents California’s roughly 1,200 state-regulated nursing homes.
State Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly said it’s the responsibility of nursing homes, not the state, to test.
“It’s not what we’re doing, and it’s, in our view, not feasible,” Ghaly said in an interview, noting that across the state, there are about 119,000 nursing home beds and about 90,000 staff members.
Newsom’s rhetoric at times has given the public a false sense of hope, said Dr. Michael Wasserman, president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine.
Advertisement
“When it comes to vulnerable older adults in California, all this governor has been doing is saying he’s going to act, he’s going to help them, but he hasn’t actually taken action,” Wasserman said. “People are dying because of it.”
Newsom’s reassuring statements during his public briefings made Chin feel like the state was doing more to prevent widespread infections, he said.
But Chin’s father died of COVID-19 on April 22. State records show 15 residents — roughly half of the nursing home’s capacity — died of the disease.
“We had no idea that there were such big problems in skilled nursing facilities based on what the governor was saying,” Chin said. “By the time we found out, it was too late.”
This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.