huffpost--2020-05-06--SHOCKER: Trump Didn’t Wear A Face Mask At A Mask Factory

President Donald Trump and his aides on Tuesday failed to wear face masks during a tour of a Honeywell factory in Arizona that makes masks , drawing scorn on Twitter .
Honeywell employees , meanwhile , were pictured wearing masks and socially distancing by sitting apart while waiting for Trump to speak : CNN ’ s Jim Acosta noted a sign in the facility stated that face masks were required to be worn in the area that Trump visited : Trump not wearing mask but goggles at Honeywell facility .
Other aides not wearing masks at all .
Sign in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this area.
” pic.twitter.com/Uq7Fr2ioeS — Jim Acosta ( @ Acosta ) May 5 , 2020 Trump earlier told reporters that he would wear a mask during the tour if it was required .
Inevitably , Trump and his aides were mocked and scorned on social media .
The music that was played over the plant ’ s sound system during the president ’ s visit also raised eyebrows .
On its website , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends “ wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the spread of the coronavirus .
First lady Melania Trump has also repeatedly urged people to wear masks in public .
The president himself , however , has previously said he can ’ t see himself wearing a mask .
I can think of no better metaphor for this presidency than Donald Trump not wearing a face mask to a face mask factory while the song “ Live and Let Die ” blares in the background .
pic.twitter.com/mJzU1HW7HA — Jimmy Kimmel ( @ jimmykimmel ) May 5 , 2020 A suitable title @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : No Masks in the Mask Factory .
https : //t.co/pjUXJQXSvt — Norm Eisen ( @ NormEisen ) May 5 , 2020 Let 's just say that Donald Trump touring a mask factory today without wearing a mask is all we need to know about what a stable genius and role model this guy is for our country ... — Andy Kleinman ( @ andykleinman ) May 6 , 2020 Trump & co touring a mask factory without masks to do nothing but place their bare hands and spittle on a freshly manufactured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire era .
pic.twitter.com/PpLk4SooBH — Bree Newsome Bass ( @ BreeNewsome ) May 6 , 2020 President Trump flew to Phoenix to tour a mask facility .
He exited Air Force One wearing no mask and shaking hands — Not modeling the behavior health experts are all telling us to follow .
https : //t.co/d5z88YWggM — Derick Waller ( @ wallerABC7 ) May 5 , 2020 Donald Trump visited a mask factory in Arizona and DID N'T WEAR A MASK , which is the equivalent of ... wait , no , fuck this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more comedy when the man himself is the biggest joke in history .
— Harrison Greenbaum ( @ harrisoncomedy ) May 6 , 2020 Trump did n't wear a mask at the mask factory because he was afraid it would make him look stupid .
Whew .
Sure dodged a bullet there , Mr. President .
pic.twitter.com/hB1IzVXV3F — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly ( @ AynRandPaulRyan ) May 6 , 2020 Seriously asking - is visiting a mask factory and purposely not wearing a mask some type of shrewd political move ?
A symbolic act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base ?
I ’ m just not seeing the play .
Seems like the dumbest PR move ever .
Am I missing something incredibly clever ?
— Jed Katz ( @ JedKatz ) May 6 , 2020 Masking the truth , but never his mouth .
@ guardian photo of Trump at a mask factory today : pic.twitter.com/w2rL9quo5n — Lloyd Doggett ( @ RepLloydDoggett ) May 6 , 2020 live & let die blaring as trump puts his dirty paws all over masks & while he himself is not wearing said mask amazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) May 6 , 2020 Vice President Mike Pence last week bucked Mayo Clinic rules when he decided not to wear a mask during a visit to its campus in Minnesota .

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President Donald Trump and his aides on Tuesday failed to wear face masks during a tour of a Honeywell factory in Arizona that makes masks, drawing scorn on Twitter.
Trump instead opted to wear protective eyeglasses:
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
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BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
Honeywell employees, meanwhile, were pictured wearing masks and socially distancing by sitting apart while waiting for Trump to speak:
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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CNN’s Jim Acosta noted a sign in the facility stated that face masks were required to be worn in the area that Trump visited:
Trump not wearing mask but goggles at Honeywell facility. Other aides not wearing masks at all. Sign in facility says “face mask required in this area.” pic.twitter.com/Uq7Fr2ioeS — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 5, 2020
Trump earlier told reporters that he would wear a mask during the tour if it was required.
Inevitably, Trump and his aides were mocked and scorned on social media.
The music that was played over the plant’s sound system during the president’s visit also raised eyebrows.
On its website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends “wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain” to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
First lady Melania Trump has also repeatedly urged people to wear masks in public.
The president himself, however, has previously said he can’t see himself wearing a mask.
I can think of no better metaphor for this presidency than Donald Trump not wearing a face mask to a face mask factory while the song “Live and Let Die” blares in the background. pic.twitter.com/mJzU1HW7HA — Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 5, 2020
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A suitable title for a history of the Trump administration: No Masks in the Mask Factory. https://t.co/pjUXJQXSvt — Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) May 5, 2020
Let's just say that Donald Trump touring a mask factory today without wearing a mask is all we need to know about what a stable genius and role model this guy is for our country... — Andy Kleinman (@andykleinman) May 6, 2020
We’re never going to see Trump wearing a face mask — Chris Espinosa (@cdespinosa) May 6, 2020
Trump & co touring a mask factory without masks to do nothing but place their bare hands and spittle on a freshly manufactured batch sums up the idiocy of this entire era. pic.twitter.com/PpLk4SooBH — Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) May 6, 2020
Donald Trump didn’t wear a mask to the mask factory.
And...scene! — Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) May 6, 2020
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President Trump flew to Phoenix to tour a mask facility. He exited Air Force One wearing no mask and shaking hands — Not modeling the behavior health experts are all telling us to follow. https://t.co/d5z88YWggM — Derick Waller (@wallerABC7) May 5, 2020
Donald Trump visited a mask factory in Arizona and DIDN'T WEAR A MASK, which is the equivalent of... wait, no, fuck this. I don't need to add more comedy when the man himself is the biggest joke in history. — Harrison Greenbaum (@harrisoncomedy) May 6, 2020
Trump didn't wear a mask at the mask factory because he was afraid it would make him look stupid.
Whew. Sure dodged a bullet there, Mr. President. pic.twitter.com/hB1IzVXV3F — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) May 6, 2020
Seriously asking - is visiting a mask factory and purposely not wearing a mask some type of shrewd political move? A symbolic act of toughness? A nod to his base? I’m just not seeing the play. Seems like the dumbest PR move ever. Am I missing something incredibly clever? — Jed Katz (@JedKatz) May 6, 2020
Masking the truth, but never his mouth.@guardian photo of Trump at a mask factory today: pic.twitter.com/w2rL9quo5n — Lloyd Doggett (@RepLloydDoggett) May 6, 2020
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live & let die blaring as trump puts his dirty paws all over masks & while he himself is not wearing said mask
amazing stuff — Danny Cage (@TheDannyCage) May 6, 2020
Dude, WTF was with the goggles and no mask?? pic.twitter.com/2Jhg7xAp5F — Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 6, 2020
Vice President Mike Pence last week bucked Mayo Clinic rules when he decided not to wear a mask during a visit to its campus in Minnesota.
He admitted his mistake on Sunday. “I didn’t think it was necessary, but I should have worn a mask,” Pence said during a Fox News virtual town hall.


huffpost--2020-05-01--LGBTQ Coronavirus Victims Should Be Counted In Health Data, Lawmakers Say

NEW YORK , April 30 ( Thomson Reuters Foundation ) - State lawmakers urged U.S. officials on Thursday to determine how many coronavirus patients are LGBT+ , saying the data could be critical to the health of the gay and transgender community amid the pandemic .
Other minority groups such as African Americans and Latinos have been shown to be suffering higher death and infection rates than the general public , said legislators from New York , California , Colorado and Pennsylvania .
They staged a virtual town hall calling for data collection at state and federal levels.
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurts , you don ’ t know how much it hurts , you ’ ll never fix what hurts , ” said Malcolm Kenyatta , a Democratic Pennsylvania state representative .
“ We are ignored , and the scope of the problem is not readily available in data that we can all share , ” he said .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has broken down coronavirus cases publicly by location , race , gender and age but not sexual orientation or gender identity .
Health departments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey andMichigan , states hardest hit by the coronavirus so far , also said they were not collecting LGBT+ data .
The United States has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide , with more than 1,075,000 infections and about 60,000 deaths .
Members of the LGBT+ community with HIV or AIDS may have compromised immune systems or a higher chance of being homeless than the wider population , making social distancing and safe hygiene difficult , it said .
Data from U.S. states has shown minority groups with longstanding disparities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care , African Americans in particular , are more likely to die from COVID-19 .
In Illinois and in Michigan , black people make up about 40 % of coronavirus-related deaths , yet they are less than 15 % of the states ’ population , data has shown .
Jack Turban , a physician in psychiatry at MassachusettsGeneral Hospital who has recovered from COVID-19 , said officials need data to identify and address health disparities .

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NEW YORK, April 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - State lawmakers urged U.S. officials on Thursday to determine how many coronavirus patients are LGBT+, saying the data could be critical to the health of the gay and transgender community amid the pandemic.
Other minority groups such as African Americans and Latinos have been shown to be suffering higher death and infection rates than the general public, said legislators from New York, California, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
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They staged a virtual town hall calling for data collection at state and federal levels.“If you don’t know where it hurts, you don’t know how much it hurts, you’ll never fix what hurts,” said Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democratic Pennsylvania state representative.
Kenyatta recently introduced a bill calling for state government forms that collect demographic information to include an LGBT+ identification option.
“We are ignored, and the scope of the problem is not readily available in data that we can all share,” he said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has broken down coronavirus cases publicly by location, race, gender and age but not sexual orientation or gender identity.
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Health departments in New York, Louisiana, New Jersey andMichigan, states hardest hit by the coronavirus so far, also said they were not collecting LGBT+ data.
“You can’t address a problem you can’t see,” said RandallSell, a professor at Drexel University’s School of Public Health who specializes in LGBT+ demographics.
“It could be wiping out whole communities and we don’t know.”
The United States has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide, with more than 1,075,000 infections and about 60,000 deaths.
In mid-April, the United Nations urged countries to protectLGBT+ people during the pandemic.
Members of the LGBT+ community with HIV or AIDS may have compromised immune systems or a higher chance of being homeless than the wider population, making social distancing and safe hygiene difficult, it said.
Data from U.S. states has shown minority groups with longstanding disparities in health and inequalities in access to medical care, African Americans in particular, are more likely to die from COVID-19.
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In Illinois and in Michigan, black people make up about 40% of coronavirus-related deaths, yet they are less than 15% of the states’ population, data has shown.
Jack Turban, a physician in psychiatry at MassachusettsGeneral Hospital who has recovered from COVID-19, said officials need data to identify and address health disparities.
“Medicine has a long history of ignoring minority groups, including LGBTQ people, resulting in worse health outcomes,” Turban said in an email. “We can’t continue to make that mistake.”


huffpost--2020-05-06--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and the measures being taken to flatten the curve of transmission .
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below .
( To see the latest updates , you may need to refresh the page .
All times are Eastern .
For earlier updates on the pandemic , go here . )
U.S. Unemployment Rate Shoots Up To 14.7 % in April — 5/8/20 , 8:40 a.m .
ET Unemployment in the United States has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression , a horrifying milestone that may take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some 20.5 million jobs disappeared in the worst monthly loss on record , meaning that nearly all of the job growth since the 2008 recession has been lost in one month .
The new coronavirus has wrought economic devastation with stunning speed , considering the unemployment rate was just 3.5 % in February .
During the Great Depression , that figure reached nearly 25 % .
In New York , the epicenter of the public health crisis , a statewide pause on eviction proceedings was enacted so families struggling the most do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Across the country , Americans have turned to food banks as they go weeks without paychecks .
New York Extends Ban On Evictions Through August — 5/7/2020 , 1:19 p.m .
ET New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) announced some extra protections for renters in his state on Thursday .
They include a moratorium on evictions due to nonpayment of rent until Aug. 20 , which extends the ban 60 days past its original end date in June .
It applies to both residential and commercial tenants .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay rent .
You don ’ t work for two months and that rent bill keeps coming in , ” he said at a press conference Thursday .
Cuomo added that he is banning any fees on late rent payments .
Additionally , landlords must continue to let tenants dip into their security deposits to pay rent .
“ I hope it gives families a deep breath .
Nothing can happen until Aug. 20 , ” he said , noting they will continue to assess the situation between now and then .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unemployment Last Week — 5/7/20 , 9:02 a.m .
ET Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers in the U.S. applied for unemployment aid last week , bringing the total number of Americans who have filed unemployment claims since the coronavirus pandemic forced widespread business shutdowns to 33.5 million , The Associated Press reports .
One in five Americans who had been in the workforce as of February have now been laid off .
The pandemic has caused the country ’ s worst economic downturn in decades .
The Department of Labor ’ s April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , is expected to be the worst one in 60 years .
Economists predict the U.S. unemployment rate will reach at least 16 % , the highest since the Great Depression .
In February , the unemployment rate had dropped to 3.5 % , a 50-year low .
UN Asks For More Money To Help Poor Countries Fight Virus — 5/7/2020 , 6:20 a.m .
ET The U.N. has increased the amount of money it ’ s asking for to fight the pandemic in poorer countries , from $ 2 billion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lowcock said that while the peak of the pandemic isn ’ t expected to hit the world ’ s poorest countries for another three to six months , there is already evidence of job losses and disruption to food supply .
“ Unless we take action now , we should be prepared for a significant rise in conflict , hunger and poverty , ” he warned .
“ The specter of multiple famines looms.
” Since March 25 , the U.N. has raised $ 1 billion to support efforts across 37 fragile countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration has shelved a 17-page report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that gives guidance to local leaders on how to safely reopen public places like daycare centers and restaurants , The Associated Press reports .
The document was supposed to be published last Friday , but CDC officials were reportedly told it “ would never see the light of day.
” The CDC is typically in charge of giving local governments advice during public health crises .
But the Trump administration has sought to control the release of information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the onus on local governments to control the disease .
Black People In UK More Than 4 Times More Likely To Die From COVID-19 — 5/7/20 , 5:30 a.m .
ET Black women and girls are 4.3 times more likely to die from a coronavirus-related cause than their white counterparts , and Black men and boys are 4.2 times more likely than white men and boys , official data from the U.K. has revealed .
The figures , which have been adjusted for age , suggest that men and women from all ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnicity ― are at greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with those of white ethnicity , HuffPost UK reports .
The U.K. ’ s Office for National Statistics used data on death registrations up to April 17 , combined with 2011 Census records , to model the impact coronavirus is having on different ethnic groups .
Concerns have been growing in Britain about the disproportionately high death rate among Black , Asian and minority ethnic ( BAME ) people , with the U.K. government being accused of having a “ blindspot ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Reopening Plan Allows For Hugging Loved Ones — 5/7/20 , 3:10 a.m .
ET

HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and the measures being taken to flatten the curve of transmission.
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.)
U.S. Unemployment Rate Shoots Up To 14.7% in April — 5/8/20, 8:40 a.m. ET
Unemployment in the United States has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression, a horrifying milestone that may take the country years to recover from.
Some 20.5 million jobs disappeared in the worst monthly loss on record, meaning that nearly all of the job growth since the 2008 recession has been lost in one month.
The new coronavirus has wrought economic devastation with stunning speed, considering the unemployment rate was just 3.5% in February. During the Great Depression, that figure reached nearly 25%.
In New York, the epicenter of the public health crisis, a statewide pause on eviction proceedings was enacted so families struggling the most do not have to pay rent during the crisis. Across the country, Americans have turned to food banks as they go weeks without paychecks.
— Sara Boboltz
New York Extends Ban On Evictions Through August — 5/7/2020, 1:19 p.m. ET
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced some extra protections for renters in his state on Thursday. They include a moratorium on evictions due to nonpayment of rent until Aug. 20, which extends the ban 60 days past its original end date in June. It applies to both residential and commercial tenants.
“People literally are worried about being able to pay rent. You don’t work for two months and that rent bill keeps coming in,” he said at a press conference Thursday.
Cuomo added that he is banning any fees on late rent payments. Additionally, landlords must continue to let tenants dip into their security deposits to pay rent.
“I hope it gives families a deep breath. Nothing can happen until Aug. 20,” he said, noting they will continue to assess the situation between now and then.
― Lydia O’Connor
Nearly 3.2 Million More Americans Filed For Unemployment Last Week — 5/7/20, 9:02 a.m. ET
Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers in the U.S. applied for unemployment aid last week, bringing the total number of Americans who have filed unemployment claims since the coronavirus pandemic forced widespread business shutdowns to 33.5 million, The Associated Press reports.
One in five Americans who had been in the workforce as of February have now been laid off.
The pandemic has caused the country’s worst economic downturn in decades. The Department of Labor’s April jobs report, which will be issued Friday, is expected to be the worst one in 60 years. Economists predict the U.S. unemployment rate will reach at least 16%, the highest since the Great Depression.
In February, the unemployment rate had dropped to 3.5%, a 50-year low.
Read more here.
— Marina Fang
UN Asks For More Money To Help Poor Countries Fight Virus — 5/7/2020, 6:20 a.m. ET
The U.N. has increased the amount of money it’s asking for to fight the pandemic in poorer countries, from $2 billion to $6.7 billion. Humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said that while the peak of the pandemic isn’t expected to hit the world’s poorest countries for another three to six months, there is already evidence of job losses and disruption to food supply.
“Unless we take action now, we should be prepared for a significant rise in conflict, hunger and poverty,” he warned. “The specter of multiple famines looms.”
Since March 25, the U.N. has raised $1 billion to support efforts across 37 fragile countries, The Associated Press reports.
— Liza Hearon
Trump Admin Shelves CDC Document Giving Guidance On Reopening Country — 5/7/2020, 5:35 a.m.
The Trump administration has shelved a 17-page report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that gives guidance to local leaders on how to safely reopen public places like daycare centers and restaurants, The Associated Press reports.
The document was supposed to be published last Friday, but CDC officials were reportedly told it “would never see the light of day.”
The CDC is typically in charge of giving local governments advice during public health crises. But the Trump administration has sought to control the release of information during the coronavirus pandemic, and put the onus on local governments to control the disease.
— Liza Hearon
Black People In UK More Than 4 Times More Likely To Die From COVID-19 — 5/7/20, 5:30 a.m. ET
Black women and girls are 4.3 times more likely to die from a coronavirus-related cause than their white counterparts, and Black men and boys are 4.2 times more likely than white men and boys, official data from the U.K. has revealed.
The figures, which have been adjusted for age, suggest that men and women from all ethnic minority groups — except females with Chinese ethnicity ― are at greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with those of white ethnicity, HuffPost UK reports.
The U.K.’s Office for National Statistics used data on death registrations up to April 17, combined with 2011 Census records, to model the impact coronavirus is having on different ethnic groups.
Concerns have been growing in Britain about the disproportionately high death rate among Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, with the U.K. government being accused of having a “blindspot” in its coronavirus response.
— Sara C. Nelson
Canadian Province’s Reopening Plan Allows For Hugging Loved Ones — 5/7/20, 3:10 a.m. ET


huffpost--2020-04-22--Please Stop Writing 'Why I Left New York' Pandemic Essays

ASSOCIATED PRESS A once-busy stretch of 42nd Street in Manhattan has very little traffic during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday in New York .
Some of these things were already widely reviled and yet have reached new depths thanks to COVID-19 .
Let us consider , for example , the “ why I left New York ” essay , a genre made iconic by Joan Didion and then rapidly made trite by thousands of lesser writers who woke up one day and realized , stirringly , that a larger apartment could be had for less money literally anywhere else .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mealer weaves in the history of his own great-grandmother and her daughter , who died in the 1918 flu epidemic ― all of these essays tread the same tedious ground : an acknowledgment that New Yorkers were meant to stay home , an enumeration of reasons why it was personally preferable for the author and their family to nonetheless relocate ( a larger residence , the great outdoors , support from family , avoiding crowded NYC hospitals and grocery store lines ) , a catalog of hygiene practices followed during the illicit journey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While “ privilege ” is eagerly and often copped to , blame for actively selfish behavior is under-explored .
Gessen and Daum dismissively note that they will fall afoul of a “ narrative ” that fleeing the city is harmful and that they will be shamed — in terms that imply the narrative and the shaming are the true evils .
Like all the worst personal essays , these are not unflinching examinations of the writers ’ own behavior , but lazy exercises in self-justification and projection .
The existence of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has always implied the need to justify such a decision .
New Yorkers infamously believe their city to be unparalleled , somehow simultaneously the best place to live and a grueling endurance test which confers glory on all those who pass .
But the pandemic has heightened the narrative stakes ; now leaving is not merely a personal choice viewed with vague disdain , but a heavily stigmatized decision to shift risk onto unconsenting others .
Told that leaving the city for their in-laws ’ place in Ohio or a cabin in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities — many with small hospitals and limited ICU beds — writers who flee have a heavy burden to lift : explaining why their own flight was morally unimpeachable .
Gessen takes a particularly self-righteous tack , arguing boldly that by leaving , their family will “ break the chain of contagion in [ their ] apartment building ” — less is said of the chain of contagion they will extend to Falmouth , Massachusetts , the small town on Cape Cod to which they retreat — and will open up hospital beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city .
After the family relocates , they write , “ We conducted one giant shopping trip , and we commenced our quarantine.
” Great !
An excellent time to start quarantine is right after visiting a high-traffic , essential business in the community where you ’ ve just arrived from the epicenter of an outbreak .
“ Three weeks ago , ” Daum opens her essay , “ I fled New York City for the countryside .
I know there are arguments against this , some expressed more thoughtfully than others.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which she not only implies that the validity of the sheltering-in-place policy lies in how thoughtfully people express their support for it rather than in the literal body count that it would reduce , but quickly foists the full burden of thoughtfulness and argumentation onto her opposition .
At any rate , her essay barely bothers to engage with those arguments , a disappointing move from a writer whose previous “ why I left New York ” essay , “ My Misspent Youth , ” takes a ruthless scalpel to her own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not interested in puncturing her self-mythology or confronting her fecklessness .
The decision to leave New York seems to happen to her .
“ I had , somewhat unexpectedly , acquired a 10-week-old Newfoundland , ” she explains , in a sentence so purposefully opaque it ought to be in passive voice .
How did she acquire the puppy ?
Unexpectedly in what sense ?
This is brushed over ; the dog is here , and through no avowed fault of her own , she finds herself burdened with the guilt of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small city apartment .
This guilt is her ticket out .
The decision to take him away , she writes , “ didn ’ t feel great , but it didn ’ t feel wrong.
” She chooses Appalachia , “ in the middle of nowhere yet within an hour of a hospital that wasn ’ t yet pegged to be overrun.
” Not pegged to be overrun , presumably , until New Yorkers looking for a rural retreat sprinkle their viral load throughout the community .
Daum ’ s piece , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lovingly explores the benefits she personally experienced from fleeing the city , while glossing quickly over how it might affect others .
She hopefully offers that she may have freed up a bed in New York ’ s ICUs by leaving , without closely engaging with the possibility that her arrival could plunge an Appalachian community into a health care crisis .
She admits that raising a Newfoundland puppy in a city apartment was never a good idea , but doesn ’ t bother to cross-examine herself on this point beyond hand-waving : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was thinking.
” Daum , like Business Insider ’ s Lichtenberg , mostly seems to experience quarantine as a sort of rural Rumspringa , a pretext for rediscovering the bucolic delights of , respectively , Appalachia and eastern Pennsylvania .
“ This corner of the state is full of preserved farms and old houses made of stone , ” Lichtenberg rhapsodizes .
“ It has rolling hills dotted with pretty trees covered in white or pink or yellow leaves .
There ’ s a lot of nature , from the ducks swimming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hawks circling overhead.
” Nature sure is great , especially when there ’ s lots of it around , but these personal revelations — banal at the best of times — become infuriating when used as a rationale for potentially spreading deadly illness around the countryside .
“ Don ’ t they know ?
” thinks Jacob at a gas station in Oklahoma City , where she is shocked to see what appears , from her illustration , to be ... other people at a gas station .
( Surely it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay home until her family had completed their odyssey through America ’ s public spaces . )
Leaving New York in defiance of all the warnings and shelter-in-place orders , while infuriating , is not the crime of the century .
Many who fled , brandishing bottles of disinfectant and bags of groceries , were likely fortunate enough not to infect anyone along the way .
But one might ask that they have the grace to enjoy getting away with something in silence , rather than unburdening themselves with mediocre confessions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @

A once-busy stretch of 42nd Street in Manhattan has very little traffic during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday in New York. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Broadway: shuttered. Neighborhood bars and restaurants: delivery and pickup only. The subway: emptied of commuters. As New York City buckles under the assault of the coronavirus pandemic, rapidly becoming one of the hardest-hit cities in the world, everything quintessentially New York has been blighted in some way.
Some of these things were already widely reviled and yet have reached new depths thanks to COVID-19. Let us consider, for example, the “why I left New York” essay, a genre made iconic by Joan Didion and then rapidly made trite by thousands of lesser writers who woke up one day and realized, stirringly, that a larger apartment could be had for less money literally anywhere else.
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For years, the “why I left New York” essay has been a honeytrap for writers, an opportunity to muse with unearned solemnity about the most predictable traits of the city they chose to leave: It’s expensive, it’s exhausting, it’s dense, it’s hard to find nature or a dishwasher or a parking space.
In the face of an acute coronavirus outbreak, one more obvious motivation to flee for wide-open spaces has joined this list: “I didn’t want to be here, with all the sick people and crowded hospitals, sheltering in place in a smaller-than-ideal apartment.”
Aside from a few unique flourishes ― Mealer weaves in the history of his own great-grandmother and her daughter, who died in the 1918 flu epidemic ― all of these essays tread the same tedious ground: an acknowledgment that New Yorkers were meant to stay home, an enumeration of reasons why it was personally preferable for the author and their family to nonetheless relocate (a larger residence, the great outdoors, support from family, avoiding crowded NYC hospitals and grocery store lines), a catalog of hygiene practices followed during the illicit journey (Clorox wipes, mainly).
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Most of Jacob’s essay, for example, is spent anxiously proclaiming that her family’s departure was done right, even with an overabundance of caution: When they stop in hotels and at drive-throughs, they wear gloves! They wipe everything down! Even things they didn’t touch!
While “privilege” is eagerly and often copped to, blame for actively selfish behavior is under-explored. Gessen and Daum dismissively note that they will fall afoul of a “narrative” that fleeing the city is harmful and that they will be shamed — in terms that imply the narrative and the shaming are the true evils. Like all the worst personal essays, these are not unflinching examinations of the writers’ own behavior, but lazy exercises in self-justification and projection.
The existence of the “why I left New York” genre has always implied the need to justify such a decision. New Yorkers infamously believe their city to be unparalleled, somehow simultaneously the best place to live and a grueling endurance test which confers glory on all those who pass. But the pandemic has heightened the narrative stakes; now leaving is not merely a personal choice viewed with vague disdain, but a heavily stigmatized decision to shift risk onto unconsenting others. Told that leaving the city for their in-laws’ place in Ohio or a cabin in New Hampshire threatens to spread infection to other communities — many with small hospitals and limited ICU beds — writers who flee have a heavy burden to lift: explaining why their own flight was morally unimpeachable.
Gessen takes a particularly self-righteous tack, arguing boldly that by leaving, their family will “break the chain of contagion in [their] apartment building” — less is said of the chain of contagion they will extend to Falmouth, Massachusetts, the small town on Cape Cod to which they retreat — and will open up hospital beds for those who must stay in the city. After the family relocates, they write, “We conducted one giant shopping trip, and we commenced our quarantine.” Great! An excellent time to start quarantine is right after visiting a high-traffic, essential business in the community where you’ve just arrived from the epicenter of an outbreak.
“Three weeks ago,” Daum opens her essay, “I fled New York City for the countryside. I know there are arguments against this, some expressed more thoughtfully than others.” This is a criminally negligent lede, in which she not only implies that the validity of the sheltering-in-place policy lies in how thoughtfully people express their support for it rather than in the literal body count that it would reduce, but quickly foists the full burden of thoughtfulness and argumentation onto her opposition. At any rate, her essay barely bothers to engage with those arguments, a disappointing move from a writer whose previous “why I left New York” essay, “My Misspent Youth,” takes a ruthless scalpel to her own self-defeating delusions.
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This time, Daum is not interested in puncturing her self-mythology or confronting her fecklessness. The decision to leave New York seems to happen to her. “I had, somewhat unexpectedly, acquired a 10-week-old Newfoundland,” she explains, in a sentence so purposefully opaque it ought to be in passive voice. How did she acquire the puppy? Unexpectedly in what sense? This is brushed over; the dog is here, and through no avowed fault of her own, she finds herself burdened with the guilt of confining a large, energetic puppy in a small city apartment. This guilt is her ticket out. The decision to take him away, she writes, “didn’t feel great, but it didn’t feel wrong.” She chooses Appalachia, “in the middle of nowhere yet within an hour of a hospital that wasn’t yet pegged to be overrun.” Not pegged to be overrun, presumably, until New Yorkers looking for a rural retreat sprinkle their viral load throughout the community.
Daum’s piece, like all pieces in the genre, lovingly explores the benefits she personally experienced from fleeing the city, while glossing quickly over how it might affect others. She hopefully offers that she may have freed up a bed in New York’s ICUs by leaving, without closely engaging with the possibility that her arrival could plunge an Appalachian community into a health care crisis. She admits that raising a Newfoundland puppy in a city apartment was never a good idea, but doesn’t bother to cross-examine herself on this point beyond hand-waving: “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Daum, like Business Insider’s Lichtenberg, mostly seems to experience quarantine as a sort of rural Rumspringa, a pretext for rediscovering the bucolic delights of, respectively, Appalachia and eastern Pennsylvania. “This corner of the state is full of preserved farms and old houses made of stone,” Lichtenberg rhapsodizes. “It has rolling hills dotted with pretty trees covered in white or pink or yellow leaves. There’s a lot of nature, from the ducks swimming in a pond by the river to the hawks circling overhead.” Nature sure is great, especially when there’s lots of it around, but these personal revelations — banal at the best of times — become infuriating when used as a rationale for potentially spreading deadly illness around the countryside.
Elsewhere, from their superior moral perch as disease vectors, both Jacob and Mealer linger over the appalling indifference to public health exhibited by the Midwesterners they encounter on their cross-country journeys who openly question whether the pandemic is a hoax and flout social distancing.
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“Don’t they know?” thinks Jacob at a gas station in Oklahoma City, where she is shocked to see what appears, from her illustration, to be ... other people at a gas station. (Surely it would have been more considerate for everyone else to stay home until her family had completed their odyssey through America’s public spaces.)
“The Cracker Barrel restaurant in Crossville, Tennessee, is packed on a Friday night,” Mealer writes. “I sit there waiting for our to-go order and try not to breathe or touch anything, listening as one party after another pays their check with the chatty cashier and never once mentions the virus.”
Perhaps those Cracker Barrel patrons were insufficiently aware of the threat; Mealer, despite his occasional feints at self-accusation, seems insufficiently aware that the threat is him.
As essays go, these are limp specimens, outbursts of defensiveness gussied up with sentimental riffs about meadows and streams, the ghosts of pandemics past, and a washer-dryer in the home. The revelations they hold are both deeply boring and deeply annoying.
Leaving New York in defiance of all the warnings and shelter-in-place orders, while infuriating, is not the crime of the century. Many who fled, brandishing bottles of disinfectant and bags of groceries, were likely fortunate enough not to infect anyone along the way. But one might ask that they have the grace to enjoy getting away with something in silence, rather than unburdening themselves with mediocre confessions. Everyone else is suffering enough already.


huffpost--2020-04-22--Many Small Businesses Say Loans Won't Get Them To Rehire

To get the loans forgiven , companies need to spend 75 % on payroll within eight weeks of receiving the money .
The other 25 % can be spent on rent , utilities , and mortgage payments .
Otherwise , the loan has generous terms : Only a 1 % interest rate and six months before any principal is due .
Many of the small companies that were able to obtain a loan are having second thoughts about rehiring all their workers and a few plan to return the money .
Others will use what they can on rent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rehire a portion of their laid-off staff .
But most are unsure they will be able to reopen eight weeks from now .
They see little point in rehiring all their workers , paying them to do little or nothing , and then potentially laying them off again if business remains weak two months from now .
More money is clearly needed : Roughly 1.6 million small companies were able to obtain loans , the Small Business Administration said , out of at least 6 million that were likely eligible , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimate that another $ 650 billion would be necessary to meet demand .
Right now , Walsh ’ s business is closed due to lack of demand for cleaning services .
He hopes to reopen soon and bring back some workers , retrain them on new sanitizing processes , and earn a bit of revenue .
Still , he doubts his business will be anywhere close to what it was anytime soon , which means his workforce won ’ t be either .
The group wants the SBA to eliminate the requirement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or at least reduce it to 50 % .
It also wants the rehiring window extended beyond eight weeks and is pushing for a “ good faith ” provision that would credit companies for trying to rehire workers who prefer unemployment aid instead .
The NFIB also asked that half the next round of funding be reserved for businesses with fewer than 20 employees , to counter complaints that many large , publicly-traded companies obtained loans in the first round .
The agreement reached late Tuesday did not make that change but directed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a survey of its members , the NFIB said that just half of those who have applied for loans expect that they will rehire all their workers and get the entire amount forgiven .
A quarter expect that at least three-quarters of the loan will be forgiven , while 15 % didn ’ t know .
Adam Rammel received a $ 160,000 loan for his restaurant and bar in Bellefontaine , Ohio , near Columbus , though he ’ s uncertain about how many of his 17 laid-off staffers he will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Ohio ends its restaurant shutdown , Rammel expects to face restrictions on how many people his place , Brewfontaine , can have on the premises .
“ We have a small restaurant — we usually pack 90 to 100 in and they ’ re on top of each other .
If everyone has to be six feet apart , with 40 or 45 ( customers ) we can ’ t pay the bills , ” Rammel said .
He expects to bring his employees back slowly .
Laury Hammel owns six gyms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lake City and employs about 480 workers .
He doubts he will be able to reopen his Massachusetts locations within eight weeks , so rehiring workers now would simply force him to lay them all off again .
And he ’ d be left with no money to pay them when he eventually does re-open .
Hammel is using some of the loan he received to pay for his former workers ’ health care coverage , which can be forgiven .
If he doesn ’ t use 75 % on rehiring his employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loan .
His bank doesn ’ t want to carry the loan , however , so he may try and return the money .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Some small businesses that obtained a highly-coveted government loan say they won’t be able to use it to bring all their laid-off workers back, even though that is what the program was designed to do.
The Paycheck Protection Program promises a business owner loan forgiveness if they retain or rehire all the workers they had in late February. But owners say the equation isn’t so simple, in part because of current economic conditions and partly due to the terms of the loans.
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As a result, the lending may not reduce unemployment as much as the Trump administration and Congress hope.
The government’s $2 trillion relief package included $349 billion for the small business loan program, which was besieged with applications and ran out of money Thursday. Congress and the White House reached a deal Tuesday that would provide another $310 billion.
To get the loans forgiven, companies need to spend 75% on payroll within eight weeks of receiving the money. The other 25% can be spent on rent, utilities, and mortgage payments. Otherwise, the loan has generous terms: Only a 1% interest rate and six months before any principal is due.
Many of the small companies that were able to obtain a loan are having second thoughts about rehiring all their workers and a few plan to return the money. Others will use what they can on rent and utilities, and will use some to rehire a portion of their laid-off staff. But most are unsure they will be able to reopen eight weeks from now. They see little point in rehiring all their workers, paying them to do little or nothing, and then potentially laying them off again if business remains weak two months from now.
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“You’re turning the business into a pass through for the federal government,” said Joe Walsh, who owns Clean Green Maine, a cleaning service in Portland, Maine with 35 employees. “You’re doing very little to actually help the business.”
It’s unclear how much the small business lending program can hold back the surge in joblessness — a record 22 million people sought unemployment aid in the past month. Most economists forecast the unemployment rate will reach between 15% and 20% when the monthly jobs report is released in early May.
More money is clearly needed: Roughly 1.6 million small companies were able to obtain loans, the Small Business Administration said, out of at least 6 million that were likely eligible, according to Census data. Bank of America economists estimate that another $650 billion would be necessary to meet demand.
Also, the generous unemployment aid that was also included in the government’s relief package has made it more difficult to rehire. Many workers are making more with unemployment checks, which now include a $600 weekly benefit from the federal government.
Walsh, who received a $280,000 loan from the SBA, said that he is reluctant to push his employees to return to work because, under unemployment benefit rules, they could lose their weekly checks if they turn down potential jobs.
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“That’s just putting me as the employer in a really difficult position,” Walsh said. He pays at least $17 an hour, with benefits, but his former employees are getting the equivalent of roughly $25 an hour from unemployment.
Right now, Walsh’s business is closed due to lack of demand for cleaning services. He hopes to reopen soon and bring back some workers, retrain them on new sanitizing processes, and earn a bit of revenue. Still, he doubts his business will be anywhere close to what it was anytime soon, which means his workforce won’t be either.
“There’s no way that I’m getting to 100% employment by the end of 8 weeks,” he said.
The National Federation for Independent Business, a small business advocacy group, is pushing the government to make it easier for loans to be forgiven.
The group wants the SBA to eliminate the requirement that 75% be spent on payroll, or at least reduce it to 50%. It also wants the rehiring window extended beyond eight weeks and is pushing for a “good faith” provision that would credit companies for trying to rehire workers who prefer unemployment aid instead.
The NFIB also asked that half the next round of funding be reserved for businesses with fewer than 20 employees, to counter complaints that many large, publicly-traded companies obtained loans in the first round. The agreement reached late Tuesday did not make that change but directed some funds to smaller banks.
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According to a survey of its members, the NFIB said that just half of those who have applied for loans expect that they will rehire all their workers and get the entire amount forgiven. A quarter expect that at least three-quarters of the loan will be forgiven, while 15% didn’t know.
Adam Rammel received a $160,000 loan for his restaurant and bar in Bellefontaine, Ohio, near Columbus, though he’s uncertain about how many of his 17 laid-off staffers he will be able to rehire and when. Even when Ohio ends its restaurant shutdown, Rammel expects to face restrictions on how many people his place, Brewfontaine, can have on the premises.
“We have a small restaurant — we usually pack 90 to 100 in and they’re on top of each other. If everyone has to be six feet apart, with 40 or 45 (customers) we can’t pay the bills,” Rammel said. He expects to bring his employees back slowly.
Accounting firm Isdaner & Co., based near Philadelphia, said in a client note that “some employers will decide not to sign their loan agreement because their business is essentially closed and choose not to pay their employees for not working.”
Laury Hammel owns six gyms in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Salt Lake City and employs about 480 workers. He doubts he will be able to reopen his Massachusetts locations within eight weeks, so rehiring workers now would simply force him to lay them all off again. And he’d be left with no money to pay them when he eventually does re-open.
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Hammel is using some of the loan he received to pay for his former workers’ health care coverage, which can be forgiven. If he doesn’t use 75% on rehiring his employees, he may accept the rest as a loan. His bank doesn’t want to carry the loan, however, so he may try and return the money.
“The process leaves (small businesses) cash-poor at the time when they have to re-open,” Hammel said. “Me having the money and paying people to not come to work doesn’t help my business one iota.”
___


huffpost--2020-04-22--California Says It's First State To Prioritize Testing For Some Asymptomatic People

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) — California public health officials say local authorities should test people for the coronavirus in “ high risk settings ” even if they don ’ t have symptoms , a change aimed at health care workers , prisoners and the homeless .
State officials believe the new guidelines are the first in the country to prioritize testing for people who don ’ t have symptoms .
Until Monday , California followed guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that only those with symptoms should be prioritized for testing .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Public Health memo and was first reported by the Los Angeles Times .
“ The higher risk settings for COVID-19 right now , since we aren ’ t having cruise ships anymore , are homeless shelters , jails and nursing homes , ” said Dr. Bob Kocher , an adjunct professor of medicine at Stanford University and a member of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s task force aimed at increasing coronavirus testing .
“ For us to contain future outbreaks , we need to be exceptionally good at testing people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after recent outbreaks in two California homeless shelters .
Tuesday , officials in Los Angeles reported an outbreak at the Union Rescue Mission with at least 56 people infected .
In San Francisco , an outbreak Multi-Service Center South resulted in 96 homeless people and 10 staff infected .
Most did not have symptoms .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , including pneumonia and death .
California is now testing an average of 14,500 people per day , up from an average of 2,000 per day at the beginning of the month .
Newsom has said his goal is to test 25,000 people per day by the end of April .
California has more than 35,600 confirmed cases and 1,300 deaths , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
Tuesday , Newsom reported a 3.8 % increase in intensive care hospitalizations .
Still , the virus ’ impact have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had feared , mostly because of the state ’ s mandatory stay-at-home order that has closed schools and nonessential businesses .
While effective at slowing the spread of the virus , the order has led to more than 3 million people filing for unemployment benefits .
California ’ s new guidance is meant to help local public health officials , providers and laboratories prioritize who should be tested .
The memo says the guidelines “ will be reassessed on a weekly basis.
” “ As testing capacity increases , testing should expand accordingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officer , ” the memo says .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California public health officials say local authorities should test people for the coronavirus in “high risk settings” even if they don’t have symptoms, a change aimed at health care workers, prisoners and the homeless.
State officials believe the new guidelines are the first in the country to prioritize testing for people who don’t have symptoms. Until Monday, California followed guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that only those with symptoms should be prioritized for testing.
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The new recommendation was outlined in a California Department of Public Health memo and was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
“The higher risk settings for COVID-19 right now, since we aren’t having cruise ships anymore, are homeless shelters, jails and nursing homes,” said Dr. Bob Kocher, an adjunct professor of medicine at Stanford University and a member of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s task force aimed at increasing coronavirus testing. “For us to contain future outbreaks, we need to be exceptionally good at testing people in those settings.”
The new guidance comes after recent outbreaks in two California homeless shelters. Tuesday, officials in Los Angeles reported an outbreak at the Union Rescue Mission with at least 56 people infected. In San Francisco, an outbreak Multi-Service Center South resulted in 96 homeless people and 10 staff infected. Most did not have symptoms.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
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California is now testing an average of 14,500 people per day, up from an average of 2,000 per day at the beginning of the month. Newsom has said his goal is to test 25,000 people per day by the end of April.
California has more than 35,600 confirmed cases and 1,300 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Tuesday, Newsom reported a 3.8% increase in intensive care hospitalizations.
Still, the virus’ impact have not been as devastating as public health experts had feared, mostly because of the state’s mandatory stay-at-home order that has closed schools and nonessential businesses. While effective at slowing the spread of the virus, the order has led to more than 3 million people filing for unemployment benefits.
California’s new guidance is meant to help local public health officials, providers and laboratories prioritize who should be tested. The memo says the guidelines “will be reassessed on a weekly basis.”
“As testing capacity increases, testing should expand accordingly at the discretion of the Local Health Officer,” the memo says.


huffpost--2020-04-22--Tia Mowry Shares Hilarious Way Her Daughter Keeps Busy At Home

Well , I was gon na say “ no ” , # cairo , but then again , we got @ @ @ @ @ !
# quarantine # week # 6 # keepswimming

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Well, I was gonna say “no”, #cairo, but then again, we gotta keep them busy right! #quarantine #week #6 #keepswimming


huffpost--2020-04-22--Far-Right Network OAN Gets A Big Boost From Trump's Coronavirus Briefings

At one such briefing in mid-March , a reporter posed Trump a unique question .
“ Major left-wing news media , even in this room , have teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives , and they ’ re claiming you are racist for making these claims about Chinese virus , ” she noted as the president chuckled .
“ Is it alarming that major media players , just to oppose you , are consistently siding with foreign state propaganda , Islamic radicals , and Latin gangs and cartels ?
And they work right here at the White House with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” The White House coronavirus briefings have been a major boon for Rion and the fledgling , hard-right news network , which last year claimed to be available in around 35 million households .
OAN , founded by a wealthy Republican donor , has an unmatched fervor for Trump , who has called on the network numerous times since his daily televised briefings began .
Elevating OAN in this manner has provided a president under intense scrutiny for a botched pandemic response an opportunity to find an extremely friendly interlocutor .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media network filled with a number of ultraconservative political actors who are not really journalists in any meaningful sense .
OAN was founded in 2013 by Robert Herring Sr. , a San Diego-based millionaire who made a fortune in circuit boards before venturing into media in the early 2000s .
His son , Charles Herring , serves as president of the channel and promoted the outlet ’ s launch as “ opening up another front , another platform ” for conservative and libertarian voices that didn ’ t make it onto Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s 2016 presidential campaign when the channel began airing his rallies in full and aligned itself with his candidacy .
Herring Sr. reportedly mandated that the channel not publish any polls during the campaign that didn ’ t show Trump in the lead , according to The Washington Post .
But much of OAN ’ s content has a conspiratorial bent that makes Fox News look like PBS .
The channel employs an on-air reporter who was simultaneously working for Kremlin-funded propaganda outlet Sputnik and who falsely claimed that former Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 800,000 for weapons .
Far-right media activist Jack Posobiec , who pushed the “ Pizzagate ” conspiracy , is another correspondent .
The outlet has suggested chemical weapons attacks and war crimes in Syria are a hoax by rescue workers ― a narrative pushed by Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and the Russian government .
Last December , OAN aired an unhinged three-hour special featuring Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that tried to frame the impeachment scandal as a hoax targeting the president .
OAN has also brought its hard-right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asking questions that either bash professional journalists , bolster Trump ’ s talking points or set him up for an easy answer , such as this one about ratings from host Jenn Pellegrino : “ Mr .
President , your approval ratings have been the highest they ’ ve ever been , as well as the ratings on your handling of the virus , yet there are some networks that are saying they ’ re debating whether or not to carry these briefings live .
Do you think there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , OAN ’ s White House correspondent , asked Trump if he thought the term “ Chinese food ” was racist and juxtaposed coronavirus deaths with abortions .
Rion ’ s social media accounts are filled with photos of her interviewing and posing with members of the Trump family and the president ’ s close associates such as Giuliani .
Before joining OAN last May , Rion was an aspiring political illustrator who drew images of far-right bogeymen including the threat of Sharia law in the U.S. and hospital “ death panels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy alleging that Hillary Clinton arranged a contract killing .
Rion was a fixture on her husband Courtland Sykes ’ failed Senate campaign during the 2018 midterm elections , where he ran in Missouri on a Trump-esque MAGA platform .
Sykes became a subject of widespread derision during the campaign when he issued a statement condemning feminists as “ she devils ” with “ nasty , snake-filled heads , ” and by saying he wants “ a home-cooked dinner at six every night , one that [ Rion ] fixes and one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughters learn to fix after they become traditional homemakers and family wives.
” OAN host Liz Wheeler ― a Trump favorite he has promoted on Twitter and whose book he has encouraged his followers to buy ― ran a segment on March 17 condemning mandated social distancing lockdowns and saying “ government should not be allowed to forcibly close private businesses , hurting millions of people , even in a pandemic.
” OAN ’ s coziness with the White House has also allowed it to continue attending Trump ’ s coronavirus briefings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association decided earlier this month to remove the outlet for repeatedly violating strict social distancing guidelines by showing up on days it was not scheduled to attend .
OAN has repeatedly attended the briefings since the decision , claiming it has special approval from the White House .

With the coronavirus outbreak spreading across the country over the past several weeks, President Donald Trump has bragged that his daily press briefings at the White House are achieving “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers.”
At one such briefing in mid-March, a reporter posed Trump a unique question. “Major left-wing news media, even in this room, have teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives, and they’re claiming you are racist for making these claims about Chinese virus,” she noted as the president chuckled.
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“Is it alarming that major media players, just to oppose you, are consistently siding with foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals, and Latin gangs and cartels? And they work right here at the White House with direct access to you and your team?”
The reporter, Chanel Rion, is not a household name, but Trump knew who she was. “OAN,” he said slowly as she began to talk, “they treat me very nicely. Go ahead.”
The White House coronavirus briefings have been a major boon for Rion and the fledgling, hard-right news network, which last year claimed to be available in around 35 million households. OAN, founded by a wealthy Republican donor, has an unmatched fervor for Trump, who has called on the network numerous times since his daily televised briefings began.
Elevating OAN in this manner has provided a president under intense scrutiny for a botched pandemic response an opportunity to find an extremely friendly interlocutor. It’s also slowly mainstreaming a conspiracy-laden media network filled with a number of ultraconservative political actors who are not really journalists in any meaningful sense.
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Chanel Rion, a correspondent for the cable news channel OAN, asks President Donald Trump a question in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 6, 2020. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
OAN was founded in 2013 by Robert Herring Sr., a San Diego-based millionaire who made a fortune in circuit boards before venturing into media in the early 2000s. His son, Charles Herring, serves as president of the channel and promoted the outlet’s launch as “opening up another front, another platform” for conservative and libertarian voices that didn’t make it onto Fox News.
Multiple providers, including DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse TV and Verizon FiOS TV, carry the channel, which reached around 15 million households in 2016 and now claims availability to 35 million as of 2019. (Verizon owns Verizon Media, which is HuffPost’s parent company.)
OAN’s breakout came during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign when the channel began airing his rallies in full and aligned itself with his candidacy. Herring Sr. reportedly mandated that the channel not publish any polls during the campaign that didn’t show Trump in the lead, according to The Washington Post.
The Herrings describe OAN as a “hard news” outlet with “traditional values,” and in public comments downplay much of the far-right ideology and pro-Trump rhetoric that it broadcasts.
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But much of OAN’s content has a conspiratorial bent that makes Fox News look like PBS. The channel employs an on-air reporter who was simultaneously working for Kremlin-funded propaganda outlet Sputnik and who falsely claimed that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gave antifa protesters $800,000 for weapons. Far-right media activist Jack Posobiec, who pushed the “Pizzagate” conspiracy, is another correspondent.
The outlet has suggested chemical weapons attacks and war crimes in Syria are a hoax by rescue workers ― a narrative pushed by Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and the Russian government. Last December, OAN aired an unhinged three-hour special featuring Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that tried to frame the impeachment scandal as a hoax targeting the president.
Robert Herring, left, and Charles Herring, right, founders of One America, at the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 14, 2013. Nick Wass/Invision/AP
OAN has also brought its hard-right, pro-Trump viewpoint into the White House briefings, asking questions that either bash professional journalists, bolster Trump’s talking points or set him up for an easy answer, such as this one about ratings from host Jenn Pellegrino:
“Mr. President, your approval ratings have been the highest they’ve ever been, as well as the ratings on your handling of the virus, yet there are some networks that are saying they’re debating whether or not to carry these briefings live. Do you think there’s a link between the two?”
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Rion, OAN’s White House correspondent, asked Trump if he thought the term “Chinese food” was racist and juxtaposed coronavirus deaths with abortions. Rion’s social media accounts are filled with photos of her interviewing and posing with members of the Trump family and the president’s close associates such as Giuliani.
One photo shows her with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in early March. Rion’s personal website describes her as “President Trump’s most stalwart graphic warrior against leftism.”
Before joining OAN last May, Rion was an aspiring political illustrator who drew images of far-right bogeymen including the threat of Sharia law in the U.S. and hospital “death panels,” as well as the Seth Rich conspiracy alleging that Hillary Clinton arranged a contract killing.
Rion was a fixture on her husband Courtland Sykes’ failed Senate campaign during the 2018 midterm elections, where he ran in Missouri on a Trump-esque MAGA platform. Sykes became a subject of widespread derision during the campaign when he issued a statement condemning feminists as “she devils” with “nasty, snake-filled heads,” and by saying he wants “a home-cooked dinner at six every night, one that [Rion] fixes and one that I expect one day to have my daughters learn to fix after they become traditional homemakers and family wives.”
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On air, Rion has implied that the coronavirus was created in a North Carolina laboratory and cited a conspiracy theorist who suggests the virus is a bioweapon used by the “deep state.”
OAN host Liz Wheeler ― a Trump favorite he has promoted on Twitter and whose book he has encouraged his followers to buy ― ran a segment on March 17 condemning mandated social distancing lockdowns and saying “government should not be allowed to forcibly close private businesses, hurting millions of people, even in a pandemic.”
Other OAN segments on the coronavirus in recent weeks have spread dangerous misinformation and included the chyrons “Does social distancing do more harm than good?” and “Can quarantine lockdowns kill the elderly?”
Alongside these opinion shows, OAN has also featured interviews with lawmakers and Trump world political figures. Donald Trump Jr. and Lara Trump, as well as Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Hungary’s far-right foreign minister have all appeared on the network in recent weeks.
OAN’s coziness with the White House has also allowed it to continue attending Trump’s coronavirus briefings, even after the White House Correspondents’ Association decided earlier this month to remove the outlet for repeatedly violating strict social distancing guidelines by showing up on days it was not scheduled to attend. OAN has repeatedly attended the briefings since the decision, claiming it has special approval from the White House.
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Over the weekend, Trump once again pointed across the room during his press conference to call on the outlet.


huffpost--2020-03-27--NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Thanks Rihanna For Donation Of Personal Protective Equipment

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) on Thursday publicly thanked Rihanna for her donation of personal protective equipment to the state .
New York is currently the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. “ I want to thank @ rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State , ” he tweeted on Thursday .
“ We ’ re so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up.
” As of Friday , New York reported more than 44,600 cases of COVID-19 with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cuomo warned this week that New York hospitals will likely become overwhelmed , amid his plea for 30,000 ventilators for the state to treat the expected influx of patients infected with the novel coronavirus .
Photographs of nurses at New York City ’ s Mount Sinai West wearing garbage bags over their gear made the rounds on social media this week , as some nurses at the hospital complained about a lack of personal protective equipment .
Kious Kelly , a 48-year-old assistant nurse supervisor at the hospital who tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to thank @ rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State .
We 're so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up .
5/5 — Andrew Cuomo ( @ NYGovCuomo ) March 26 , 2020 In a Twitter thread on Thursday , Cuomo also extended gratitude to companies , organizations and government departments for donating various supplies .
“ The generosity of these companies , organizations and individuals — and many others coming forward every day to offer support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our mission to bolster our hospital surge capacity , support frontline workers and get people the help they need , ” Cuomo said in a statement .
New York is fighting a war against this virus and we need all the help we can get .
On behalf of the family of New York , I 'm deeply grateful to : - @ BollandBranch for hospital mattresses - @ Restore_Global for coveralls - @ Facebook and @ Loreal for hand sanitizer 1/5 — Andrew Cuomo ( @ NYGovCuomo ) March 26 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for propane services - @ GoldmanSachs for masks - @ Wayfair for mattresses , linens , sheets & pillows for field hospitals - @ Walmart for use of parking lots & store facilities infrastructure - @ Keurig/ @ drpepper for coffee/beverages for volunteers 2/5 — Andrew Cuomo ( @ NYGovCuomo ) March 26 , 2020 Thank you to : - @ Niagara_Water for bottles of water - @ AmnealPharma for Hydroxychloroquine -Long Island Ambulatory Surgery Center for a ventilator - @ Uniqlo for masks - @ Corning Life Sciences for centrifuge tubes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and PPE 3/5 — Andrew Cuomo ( @ NYGovCuomo ) March 26 , 2020 Thank you to : -The Office of @ NewYorkStateAG for protective masks and gloves -The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in NY ( @ CICU ) for ventilators and PPE -JUDY for N-95 masks - @ Huawei for N-95 masks , isolation gowns , medical goggles and gloves 4/5 — Andrew Cuomo ( @ NYGovCuomo ) March 26 , 2020 Rihanna ’ s Clara Lionel Foundation announced on Saturday that it had donated $ 5 million to various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Feeding America , Direct Relief , Partners in Health , The World Health Organization ’ s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the International Rescue Committee .

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday publicly thanked Rihanna for her donation of personal protective equipment to the state. New York is currently the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.
“I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State,” he tweeted on Thursday. “We’re so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up.”
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As of Friday, New York reported more than 44,600 cases of COVID-19 with the state’s death toll reaching 519. Cuomo warned this week that New York hospitals will likely become overwhelmed, amid his plea for 30,000 ventilators for the state to treat the expected influx of patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Photographs of nurses at New York City’s Mount Sinai West wearing garbage bags over their gear made the rounds on social media this week, as some nurses at the hospital complained about a lack of personal protective equipment. Kious Kelly, a 48-year-old assistant nurse supervisor at the hospital who tested positive for COVID-19, died this week.
I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State.
We're so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up.
5/5 — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
In a Twitter thread on Thursday, Cuomo also extended gratitude to companies, organizations and government departments for donating various supplies.
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“The generosity of these companies, organizations and individuals — and many others coming forward every day to offer support — will play a critical role in our mission to bolster our hospital surge capacity, support frontline workers and get people the help they need,” Cuomo said in a statement.
New York is fighting a war against this virus and we need all the help we can get.
On behalf of the family of New York, I'm deeply grateful to:
-@BollandBranch for hospital mattresses
-@Restore_Global for coveralls
-@Facebook and @Loreal for hand sanitizer
1/5 — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
Thank you to:
-@SuburbanPropane for propane services
-@GoldmanSachs for masks
-@Wayfair for mattresses, linens, sheets & pillows for field hospitals
-@Walmart for use of parking lots & store facilities infrastructure
-@Keurig/@drpepper for coffee/beverages for volunteers
2/5 — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
Thank you to:
-@Niagara_Water for bottles of water
-@AmnealPharma for Hydroxychloroquine
-Long Island Ambulatory Surgery Center for a ventilator
-@Uniqlo for masks
-@Corning Life Sciences for centrifuge tubes and cryovials
-@NBCUniversal for medical supplies and PPE
3/5 — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
Thank you to:
-The Office of @NewYorkStateAG for protective masks and gloves
-The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in NY (@CICU) for ventilators and PPE
-JUDY for N-95 masks
-@Huawei for N-95 masks, isolation gowns, medical goggles and gloves
4/5 — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
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Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation announced on Saturday that it had donated $5 million to various organizations assisting with coronavirus relief efforts, including Feeding America, Direct Relief, Partners in Health, The World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the International Rescue Committee.


huffpost--2020-03-27--JoAnn Fabrics Employees Are Not Paid Enough To Work Through This Pandemic

jetcityimage via Getty Images JoAnn Fabrics has closed some stores to foot traffic but many remain open during the coronavirus pandemic .
On Wednesday , one JoAnn employee overheard a shopper discussing her test results over the phone with a doctor .
The customer had been browsing the store for more than an hour , touching fabrics and other materials .
The overheard exchange set off a panic among the JoAnn staff , who worried they may have been exposed to the virus and that the store may have been contaminated .
JoAnn Fabrics argues that it is “ essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sew masks and gowns amid a shortage .
At least three dozen JoAnn workers around the country have contacted HuffPost this week to say some stores are dangerously busy , many have run out of mask materials , and they are afraid to be working right now .
They believe the company is endangering employees and customers by remaining open to make more sales .
Manager : Effective immediately , our store is closed .
We had a customer come in tonight potentially with the virus .
We ’ ll be bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the store .
I don ’ t know when that will be or how long the doors will remain closed .
Everyone will be paid for their time , so don ’ t worry about that .
I also don ’ t know what operations will look like on the other side of this .
I will get you the information as quickly as it comes in .
Worker 4 : So the only ones of us who would ’ ve come in contact with [ the customer ] were myself , [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I know she was the closest to him and I ) [ a third worker ] [ a fourth worker ] [ a fifth worker ] and [ a sixth worker ] Manager : Like I said , I will get more info to u as it comes in .
I know we have tons of questions , worries and fears .
I ’ m going to let the experts tell us what protocol is before I speculate .
Try to relax until we have more info and direction .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , ” the worker said .
“ We have elderly employees who are continuing to work because they can ’ t take the time off because they can ’ t afford to.
” The worker added that the store manager “ has been amazing ” during the pandemic , supporting employees at a time when corporate decisions have put the workforce under intense stress .
In an email , a JoAnn spokesperson said this particular store followed the correct steps when learning a shopper may have been infected : “ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a store to close and bring in a deep clean maintenance parter to fully sanitize the store in any case where anyone in our store may have been diagnosed , is suspected or is awaiting results from COVID-19 testing .
”

JoAnn Fabrics has closed some stores to foot traffic but many remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. jetcityimage via Getty Images
The chain JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts has kept many of its stores open during the coronavirus pandemic. And it turns out, keeping its doors open has apparently led to at least one customer visiting the store while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, putting workers and other shoppers at risk.
On Wednesday, one JoAnn employee overheard a shopper discussing her test results over the phone with a doctor. The customer had been browsing the store for more than an hour, touching fabrics and other materials. The overheard exchange set off a panic among the JoAnn staff, who worried they may have been exposed to the virus and that the store may have been contaminated.
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The next day, after a deep cleaning, the store opened its doors again.
JoAnn Fabrics argues that it is “essential” because its products are being used to sew masks and gowns amid a shortage. At least three dozen JoAnn workers around the country have contacted HuffPost this week to say some stores are dangerously busy, many have run out of mask materials, and they are afraid to be working right now. They believe the company is endangering employees and customers by remaining open to make more sales.
An employee from the store told HuffPost, “We need help. We’re terrified.”
Below are portions of a group exchange that ensued that night between the store manager and employees, before a crew was brought in to sanitize the store. HuffPost has redacted workers’ names and the store location to protect workers’ jobs.
The back-and-forth reflects the fear and stress many workers across the country are experiencing during the pandemic, providing a service they do not believe is essential, and working only because they feel they cannot afford not to.
Extraneous texts have been edited out.
8:50 p.m.
Manager: Effective immediately, our store is closed. We had a customer come in tonight potentially with the virus. We’ll be bringing in a hazardous cleaning crew to sanitize the store. I don’t know when that will be or how long the doors will remain closed. Everyone will be paid for their time, so don’t worry about that. I also don’t know what operations will look like on the other side of this. I will get you the information as quickly as it comes in.
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Worker 1: R u not doing the truck tomorrow [editor’s note: the store was scheduled to receive a truck full of product]
Worker 2: Holy smokes!
Manager: No, no one is allowed in the building until it’s cleaned. So, please just stay home. Any questions, please funnel through here. I’ll do my best to keep everyone up to date.
Worker 2: Also, do we know approximately when they came in & how many of us that worked today, may be more exposed? Just curiosity.
Worker 3: How did you find out?
Manager: It sounds like this person was in the store this evening around 6 pm while on her cell phone with her doctor. It’s unbelievably appalling behavior
Worker 4: So the only ones of us who would’ve come in contact with [the customer] were myself, [a second worker] (as far as I know she was the closest to him and I) [a third worker] [a fourth worker] [a fifth worker] and [a sixth worker]
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Worker 2: Unbelievable!
Manager: We may have to come up with a creative solution for our warehouse truck… may look like we unload it in the parking lot somehow, perhaps at another store? I don’t know yet guys. I’ll keep you posted!
Worker 2: Will the people affected, be seen by a dr?
Worker 5: But if you unload it in the parking lot where are you gonna put it unless they get a container?
Manager: probably a container
Worker 3: The customer wouldn’t have been in the store room, can you get in the back door?
Worker 5: Was anyone called cuz if you think you have the virus they tell you to self quarantine if not you can be in trouble. She put many people at risk.
Manager: [on the question of whether employees should see a doctor] i don’t know yet; awaiting HR at the moment.
Worker 5: Just sucks.
Worker 2: Please let us know, they may need to be seen.
“We had a customer come in tonight potentially with the virus.”
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Worker 5: If they sanitize how is it done with all the fabric and yarn and all? Do we need to dispose of the merchandise or does the sanitizing take care of that
Worker 2: Super good question…. Was she asked to leave or how did that all go down?
Manager: I’m assuming we’re going to be shuttered for a couple days guys
Worker 5: Well we have never been through any of this. I would assume with the virus get rid of it [the merchandise]
Worker 6: No one really knew until [the customer] checked out I think
Worker 5: So she was all through the store
Worker 6: I heard it can only stay alive on objects for a few hours... Yeah she was in the store for hours I guess
Worker 2: I think that depends on the surfaces. Hard, is about 72 hours, I think I saw.
Worker 6: I don’t really know about any of that lol time to do some googling.
Worker 3: Yeah I read that it doesn’t last on porous objects
Manager: Like I said, I will get more info to u as it comes in. I know we have tons of questions, worries and fears. I’m going to let the experts tell us what protocol is before I speculate. Try to relax until we have more info and direction.
Worker 2: Sorry, [manager]. I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this.
Manager: Pretty sure this is heavy duty stuff they’re using. [Redacted] hinted that the store may smell pretty bad for a couple days after the sanitation…. Don’t be sorry, guys, just try to find some normalcy; it’ll help with the worry. I’m here for whatever you guys need.
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Worker 3: Why would you go wander around a store while you’re waiting to hear from your Dr?
Worker 5: I guess we will completely stop worrying when we hear from you but I doubt it.
10:38 p.m.
Manager: Hazmat is on site right now. It’s a 5 hour process to complete. Sounds like it’s aerosol based, probably won’t smell nice. But we go for a normal opening at 9 am. I’ll have more info on exposure soon.
Worker 2: Is this for real? This wasn’t enough for corporate to realize we aren’t safe. What about the people who were in contact with this person?
Manager: All team members who were there tonight are to stay home, instructions to follow.
A call to the store Friday morning confirmed that it was open for business.
A worker employed at the store, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said any benefits of the makeshift masks being sewn for health care workers by JoAnn customers would be outweighed by the dangers posed by keeping the stores open to foot traffic. The customer base tends to skew old, and many customers are simply shopping for craft projects, the worker noted.
“The bottom line is we need to shut down,” the worker said. “We have elderly employees who are continuing to work because they can’t take the time off because they can’t afford to.” The worker added that the store manager “has been amazing” during the pandemic, supporting employees at a time when corporate decisions have put the workforce under intense stress.
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“I don’t know what to do,” the worker said.
In an email, a JoAnn spokesperson said this particular store followed the correct steps when learning a shopper may have been infected: “We have a protocol in place that does require a store to close and bring in a deep clean maintenance parter to fully sanitize the store in any case where anyone in our store may have been diagnosed, is suspected or is awaiting results from COVID-19 testing.”
The spokesperson said some JoAnn stores were remaining open “to supply critical materials to serve America’s health care systems, small businesses and volunteers who are giving to charity.” The company has moved exclusively to curbside pickup in some stores but not all of them.


huffpost--2020-03-27--This Is What It's Like Getting An Abortion During A Pandemic

On Monday , Texas halted abortions there , ostensibly to preserve limited medical supplies for COVID-19 patients .
The governor ’ s order has left women across the state scrambling .
HuffPost spoke to Catherine , a 24-year-old college student in Arlington , Texas , who had embarked on a long , expensive and anxiety-inducing road trip to obtain an abortion out of state .
Her interview has been edited for clarity and length .
She is using a pseudonym to protect her identity .
I found out I was pregnant about three weeks ago .
Even before I took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I was going to do if it was positive .
I ’ m graduating college in May and have so much stuff coming at me .
If I had this baby right now , I ’ d be looking for a new job with a big pregnant belly and then taking time off to look after a newborn .
My partner and I were on the same page : This wasn ’ t the right time .
And the biggest thing was simply that I didn ’ t want to .
Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wasn ’ t panicked about getting an appointment until I started calling abortion clinics .
That ’ s when I realized it was going to be tough to be seen in a timely fashion .
( Editor ’ s note : Abortion access has been eroding in Texas for years .
Over half of its clinics have shuttered since 2012 . )
Eventually , I secured an appointment in Fort Worth for the following week .
On Friday , March 20 , I went to the clinic alone .
I wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the social distancing rules in place .
In order to limit the number of patients inside the clinic , they actually had us sign in and wait in our cars .
I sat in my car for two hours before I was able to enter the building .
Meanwhile , anti-abortion protesters stood nearby screaming at me .
The clinic ’ s advice was to turn my music up loud enough that I couldn ’ t hear them .
Later , I heard some nurses talking about how one woman got intimidated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five hours .
They gave me a sonogram and took blood .
I was under 10 weeks pregnant so I qualified for a medication abortion .
( Editor ’ s note : Medication abortion is actually two pills , which a patient takes 24 hours apart .
Under Food and Drug Administration rules , the patient must receive the pills at a clinic , even though most women then take the pills home and abort there .
Activists are now urging the FDA to allow women to obtain the drugs through the mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) But Texas has a 24-hour waiting period , and so they couldn ’ t give me the pills on the spot .
I had to come back for a follow-up appointment .
The soonest they could see me was in four days , which was this Tuesday .
I was experiencing severe pregnancy symptoms , throwing up all day , unable to study or eat , but I had no choice except to wait .
On Monday night , I got a phone call from the clinic .
My second appointment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Greg Abbott halted all abortions in the state , claiming that medical supplies needed to be saved for patients with real problems .
I started to cry and she cried too .
She told me my only option was to go out of state or be forced to have a baby .
I was dumbfounded .
I had a plan and everything came crashing down .
My partner and I began researching abortion restrictions in the states nearest Texas .
Oklahoma has a 72-hour waiting period so I didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I called in New Mexico had no availability until April 15 .
So then we looked at Colorado .
After dozens of calls , I secured an appointment in Denver .
It ’ s about a 12-hour drive from my house .
My best friend came up from Austin to drive with me so I wasn ’ t alone .
My partner couldn ’ t afford to miss work to accompany me .
Luckily , he still has a job .
I lost my job waiting tables two weeks ago after the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my best friend and I cooked a big breakfast of bacon and waffles and threw a ton of snacks in a cooler to keep us going for the entire drive .
We didn ’ t want to stop along the way and risk being exposed to the virus .
Along with our cooler snacks , we brought a box of sanitizing supplies ― latex gloves , hand sanitizer , Clorox wipes .
We drove the whole 12 hours straight through .
In downtown Denver , we booked the cheapest Airbnb we could find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies , and crashed .
I had my appointment a few hours ago .
I had to go through the sonogram , bloodwork and counseling all over again .
But as Colorado does not have a 24-hour waiting period , they were able to give me the medication for my abortion on the spot .
I took the first pill there and they sent me home with the second pill , which I ’ ll take when I get back .
As we talk , I ’ m in the car driving home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half hours to go .
I feel like I ’ m in a race against time .
I have to take the second drug in 24 hours for my abortion to actually work .
So that means that we need to hurry up .
We don ’ t have time to take breaks or rest .
Otherwise , I ’ ll be having my abortion in the car .
I was born and raised in Texas .
Right now , I feel let down by my government .
Frankly , I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I needed them the most .
With the cost of the Airbnb , gas , food and parking , I ’ ve had to pay a lot more money out of pocket to get this abortion than I should have had to .
Then there ’ s the additional stress .
Obviously , had this pregnancy not been a factor , I wouldn ’ t be going on vacation during a pandemic .
I already felt like it was risky for me to travel to a nearby clinic in Fort Worth to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to drive across the country , to stop at nasty gas stations , to stay in an unfamiliar home , just to get health care .
I feel like Texas put me , and my best friend , in danger .
I ’ m exhausted and still have hours left to go .
And this doesn ’ t end when I get home .

ILLUSTRATION: YENWEI LIU/ISABELLA CARAPELLA/HUFFPOST
The coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. ― now the worst in the world ― has triggered a cataclysmic public health crisis and sent the economy into a tailspin. And another disaster looms on the horizon: the erosion of reproductive rights.
States hostile to abortion are now taking advantage of the pandemic to eliminate access, arguing that abortions are not essential procedures and should be postponed. Republican governors in Ohio, Texas and Mississippi have told health care facilities to stop all elective surgeries and procedures, abortion included. Kentucky is also taking steps to follow suit.
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On Monday, Texas halted abortions there, ostensibly to preserve limited medical supplies for COVID-19 patients. The governor’s order has left women across the state scrambling. HuffPost spoke to Catherine, a 24-year-old college student in Arlington, Texas, who had embarked on a long, expensive and anxiety-inducing road trip to obtain an abortion out of state. Her interview has been edited for clarity and length. She is using a pseudonym to protect her identity.
I found out I was pregnant about three weeks ago. Even before I took the at-home pregnancy test, I knew what I was going to do if it was positive. I’m graduating college in May and have so much stuff coming at me. If I had this baby right now, I’d be looking for a new job with a big pregnant belly and then taking time off to look after a newborn. My partner and I were on the same page: This wasn’t the right time. And the biggest thing was simply that I didn’t want to.
Coronavirus was all over the news, but I wasn’t panicked about getting an appointment until I started calling abortion clinics. That’s when I realized it was going to be tough to be seen in a timely fashion. (Editor’s note: Abortion access has been eroding in Texas for years. Over half of its clinics have shuttered since 2012.) Eventually, I secured an appointment in Fort Worth for the following week.
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On Friday, March 20, I went to the clinic alone. I wasn’t allowed to bring my partner because of the social distancing rules in place. In order to limit the number of patients inside the clinic, they actually had us sign in and wait in our cars. I sat in my car for two hours before I was able to enter the building. Meanwhile, anti-abortion protesters stood nearby screaming at me. The clinic’s advice was to turn my music up loud enough that I couldn’t hear them. Later, I heard some nurses talking about how one woman got intimidated and drove off.
The appointment took five hours. They gave me a sonogram and took blood. I was under 10 weeks pregnant so I qualified for a medication abortion. (Editor’s note: Medication abortion is actually two pills, which a patient takes 24 hours apart. Under Food and Drug Administration rules, the patient must receive the pills at a clinic, even though most women then take the pills home and abort there. Activists are now urging the FDA to allow women to obtain the drugs through the mail to reduce travel during a pandemic.) But Texas has a 24-hour waiting period, and so they couldn’t give me the pills on the spot. I had to come back for a follow-up appointment. The soonest they could see me was in four days, which was this Tuesday. I was experiencing severe pregnancy symptoms, throwing up all day, unable to study or eat, but I had no choice except to wait.
On Monday night, I got a phone call from the clinic. My second appointment was canceled. The staffer told me that Gov. Greg Abbott halted all abortions in the state, claiming that medical supplies needed to be saved for patients with real problems. I started to cry and she cried too. She told me my only option was to go out of state or be forced to have a baby. I was dumbfounded. I had a plan and everything came crashing down.
My partner and I began researching abortion restrictions in the states nearest Texas. Oklahoma has a 72-hour waiting period so I didn’t want to go there. The clinics I called in New Mexico had no availability until April 15. So then we looked at Colorado. After dozens of calls, I secured an appointment in Denver. It’s about a 12-hour drive from my house. My best friend came up from Austin to drive with me so I wasn’t alone. My partner couldn’t afford to miss work to accompany me. Luckily, he still has a job. I lost my job waiting tables two weeks ago after the coronavirus shut my restaurant down.
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Yesterday, my best friend and I cooked a big breakfast of bacon and waffles and threw a ton of snacks in a cooler to keep us going for the entire drive. We didn’t want to stop along the way and risk being exposed to the virus. Along with our cooler snacks, we brought a box of sanitizing supplies ― latex gloves, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes. We drove the whole 12 hours straight through. In downtown Denver, we booked the cheapest Airbnb we could find, wiped it down with our cleaning supplies, and crashed.
I had my appointment a few hours ago. I had to go through the sonogram, bloodwork and counseling all over again. But as Colorado does not have a 24-hour waiting period, they were able to give me the medication for my abortion on the spot. I took the first pill there and they sent me home with the second pill, which I’ll take when I get back.
As we talk, I’m in the car driving home to Texas. We have 10 and a half hours to go. I feel like I’m in a race against time. I have to take the second drug in 24 hours for my abortion to actually work. So that means that we need to hurry up. We don’t have time to take breaks or rest. Otherwise, I’ll be having my abortion in the car.
I was born and raised in Texas. Right now, I feel let down by my government. Frankly, I feel like my constitutional rights were violated when I needed them the most. With the cost of the Airbnb, gas, food and parking, I’ve had to pay a lot more money out of pocket to get this abortion than I should have had to.
Then there’s the additional stress. Obviously, had this pregnancy not been a factor, I wouldn’t be going on vacation during a pandemic. I already felt like it was risky for me to travel to a nearby clinic in Fort Worth to have my appointment. Instead, I was forced to drive across the country, to stop at nasty gas stations, to stay in an unfamiliar home, just to get health care. I feel like Texas put me, and my best friend, in danger. I’m exhausted and still have hours left to go. And this doesn’t end when I get home.
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