huffpost--2020-04-15--Almost No Grocery Store Workers Have Adequate Paid Sick Leave, New Survey Finds

Grocery workers are putting their health on the line to do the essential work of serving others during the coronavirus pandemic .
Some have already died of COVID-19 .
But if these essential workers get sick or are exposed to the virus , most wouldn ’ t have enough paid time off to quarantine , according to a new study .
Fifty-five percent of workers at the nation ’ s largest grocery stores and retail outlets do not get any paid sick time , according to a research brief released Wednesday morning from the Shift Project , a joint research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco , and the University of California , Berkeley .
Worse : Only 8 % could take the recommended two weeks off to self-quarantine after coronavirus exposure .
Of the workers who actually do get paid sick time , half of them get one week or less .
The numbers are “ pretty pathetic , ” said Kristin Harknett , a sociology professor at UC San Francisco and co-author of the research .
The lack of paid sick leave not only puts the health of these workers and their families at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can no longer think about this as a problem that just affects low-wage workers .
To the extent these workers aren ’ t protected , no one is protected , ” she said .
“ What ’ s bad for these workers is bad for public health.
” Though Congress did include a paid sick leave provision in the second stimulus bill signed into law in March , large employers were entirely left out .
None of the workers surveyed would have access to these new benefits .
Indeed , almost no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Labor ’ s guidelines around the new law have essentially gutted it , and only 25 % of workers in the U.S. got paid leave under the emergency bill .
Though some big companies have put COVID-19 paid sick leave policies in place , they ’ ve largely proved to be too restrictive .
Employees must have a positive COVID-19 test result to qualify .
The tests are still difficult to obtain .
Or they must have been ordered by a doctor to self-quarantine .
By directly surveying workers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adequate picture of what paid leave looks like inside companies .
Often an employer will say it offers paid time off , but , in practice , workers are actively discouraged or even penalized for trying to access it .
Or they ’ re part time or new to the company and aren ’ t able to earn the hours .
The workers surveyed by Shift make very little money ― median hourly wages were just $ 11.50 .
Many are working part time because employers are hesitant to provide them with full-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits .
Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said they were “ involuntarily part-time.
” Fifty-nine percent make less than $ 35,000 a year .
“ I have no medical .
No nothing .
I ’ m gon na get an occurrence because I didn ’ t go to work .
It counts against me , ” said Jennifer Suggs , a Walmart associate in Hartsville , South Carolina , on a call with reporters organized by United for Respect , an activist group that works with Walmart employees .
Suggs said she wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day of the call , and it sounded like she was crying as she explained the choice she makes every day as the pandemic sweeps through her community .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Grocery workers are putting their health on the line to do the essential work of serving others during the coronavirus pandemic. Some have already died of COVID-19. But if these essential workers get sick or are exposed to the virus, most wouldn’t have enough paid time off to quarantine, according to a new study.
Fifty-five percent of workers at the nation’s largest grocery stores and retail outlets do not get any paid sick time, according to a research brief released Wednesday morning from the Shift Project, a joint research endeavor from the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, Berkeley.
Advertisement
Worse: Only 8% could take the recommended two weeks off to self-quarantine after coronavirus exposure. Of the workers who actually do get paid sick time, half of them get one week or less.
The numbers are “pretty pathetic,” said Kristin Harknett, a sociology professor at UC San Francisco and co-author of the research. The lack of paid sick leave not only puts the health of these workers and their families at risk but the public as well.
“We can no longer think about this as a problem that just affects low-wage workers. To the extent these workers aren’t protected, no one is protected,” she said. “What’s bad for these workers is bad for public health.”
The Shift research is based on a survey of more than 30,000 workers at the country’s largest retail outlets ― grocery stores, fast-food restaurants, big-box stores ― conducted in 2018 and 2019.
Advertisement
That’s before COVID-19 hit. But there’s little reason to believe the numbers have changed recently, despite the biggest public health crisis to hit the U.S. in more than a century.
Though Congress did include a paid sick leave provision in the second stimulus bill signed into law in March, large employers were entirely left out. None of the workers surveyed would have access to these new benefits. Indeed, almost no workers in the country do. The Department of Labor’s guidelines around the new law have essentially gutted it, and only 25% of workers in the U.S. got paid leave under the emergency bill.
Los Angeles actually passed an ordinance closing the large employer loophole recently, giving workers at these companies 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave to deal with the pandemic. San Jose and San Francisco passed similar city laws, Harknett pointed out.
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday said she is suing the Trump administration, seeking to close the loopholes in the paid sick leave law.
Though some big companies have put COVID-19 paid sick leave policies in place, they’ve largely proved to be too restrictive. Employees must have a positive COVID-19 test result to qualify. The tests are still difficult to obtain. Or they must have been ordered by a doctor to self-quarantine.
Advertisement
By directly surveying workers, the Shift project says it gets a more adequate picture of what paid leave looks like inside companies. Often an employer will say it offers paid time off, but, in practice, workers are actively discouraged or even penalized for trying to access it. Or they’re part time or new to the company and aren’t able to earn the hours.
The Shift survey also found there is a gender gap when it comes to access to paid sick leave. Fewer women than men have access to paid time off when they’re ill.
Fifty-eight percent of female workers in the survey said they lacked access to leave, compared with 52% of men.
The workers surveyed by Shift make very little money ― median hourly wages were just $11.50. Many are working part time because employers are hesitant to provide them with full-time hours, which would qualify them for benefits. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said they were “involuntarily part-time.” Fifty-nine percent make less than $35,000 a year.
They can’t afford to take a day off without pay. And at some big companies, workers who call in sick are penalized.
Advertisement
At Walmart, workers are given “occurrences,” penalty points for calling in sick. Though the company has put a COVID-19 sick leave policy in place, HuffPost has heard from many workers who say it’s inadequate.
“I have no medical. No nothing. I’m gonna get an occurrence because I didn’t go to work. It counts against me,” said Jennifer Suggs, a Walmart associate in Hartsville, South Carolina, on a call with reporters organized by United for Respect, an activist group that works with Walmart employees.
Suggs said she wasn’t feeling well on Friday, the day of the call, and it sounded like she was crying as she explained the choice she makes every day as the pandemic sweeps through her community.
“I don’t want to not be here for my family,” she said. “To Walmart, I’m a number, but to them, I’m their mom.”
Walmart recently said it was “heartbroken” after two associates in the Chicago area died of COVID-19.
Advertisement
The sister of one of those associates was also on the call Friday. She said that no one from the company had called anyone in her family to directly offer condolences.


huffpost--2020-03-28--How The Absence Of Remote Voting Saps Individual Members Of Power

Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images A report assembled by the staff of House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern ( D-Mass . )
signals that Democratic leadership is receptive to proxy voting but not remote voting .
The decision came as a response to appeals from a group of nearly 70 House Democrats , many of them on the West Coast , seeking a temporary way to enable normal legislating while the COVID-19 pandemic prevents people from traveling back and forth from Washington , D.C. , to their home districts .
To critics though , some of the report ’ s professed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of the questionable quality of some individual members ’ access to high-speed internet ― or eminently resolvable ― in the cases of the cybersecurity of the system the members would be using and members ’ varied comfort with video conferencing technology .
In addition , these critics point out that the opposition to remote voting , even on an emergency basis , deprives members of influence in the lawmaking process during a pandemic .
In such a scenario , urgent legislation either requires “ unanimous consent ” ― approval by default ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , objecting to such a bill and requiring all colleagues to travel to the nation ’ s capital to vote on it in person .
The effort to pass the COVID-19 stimulus and bailout bill in the House based on unanimous consent , which can be done without members being present , is a case in point , according to these skeptics .
Rep. Thomas Massie ( R-Ky. ) , a conservative libertarian lawmaker , registered an objection to unanimous consent .
His announcement required legislators , including many over the age of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on the bill .
( Massie was ultimately overruled on technical grounds ; the House rapidly approved the legislation by voice vote , preventing members from having their formal “ yes ” and “ no ” votes recorded . )
By the time Massie had registered his objection , though , Pelosi and her deputies had effectively narrowed the terms of the debate by failing to pass a relief bill of their own before sending members home to their districts earlier this month .
Progressive House Democrats opposed to the bill ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to choose between rubber-stamping in absentia an imperfect bill with some relief for households and small businesses — or else objecting to it , thus requiring their colleagues to make the dangerous trek back to Washington and jeopardizing passage of any relief bill at all .
“ Pelosi had a significant amount of power in negotiating this package because members weren ’ t here , ” said a second senior aide to a progressive House member .
“ If you have remote voting and you actually have to whip your members rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consent , it would definitely give more leverage to members.
” The Constitution requires members of Congress to be “ present ” for a vote , raising the prospect that the courts could strike down virtual voting , according to the leadership aide .
Members ’ technological aptitude varies widely , the leadership aide noted , citing a conference call this week with the House Democratic Caucus in which one member was not aware they had failed to mute their phone line when they were not speaking .
Besides , the aide pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more receptive to the possibility of voting by proxy ― through an in-person substitute ― rather than online .
( But even passing such a change would require Congress to reconvene in person to adopt new rules , since Democratic leadership declined to pair a rule change with the relief bill vote on Friday . )
Schuman takes McGovern ’ s team to task for envisioning worst-case scenarios for technological failure , such as the glitchy app used in the Iowa caucuses in February , without acknowledging the ease with which virtual teleconferencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Schuman also maintains that voting by virtual teleconference is the method that most closely approximates in-person voting and thus is most likely to meet constitutional standards in court .
And since the vote would be public , he questioned how a video conference vote could be hacked or sabotaged through cybercrime .
Congressional leadership frequently uses control over members ’ scheduled votes to exercise influence over those members , according to the senior aides .
For example , important appropriations bills are often scheduled for votes right before major holidays , creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warring parties to resolve their differences .
For that reason , Schuman is specifically wary of Democratic leaders ’ greater receptiveness to proxy voting .
Barring proxy voters with extraordinary skill and attentiveness , such a system would likely deny individual members the flexibility to barter their votes and change them on the spur of the moment ― and thus contribute to the deterioration of individual members ’ power , he argued .

A report assembled by the staff of House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) signals that Democratic leadership is receptive to proxy voting but not remote voting. Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images
House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) objected to the idea of instituting remote voting for members of Congress in a letter on Wednesday, citing a report assembled by his staff challenging the idea’s constitutionality, practicality and vulnerability to security breaches.
The decision came as a response to appeals from a group of nearly 70 House Democrats, many of them on the West Coast, seeking a temporary way to enable normal legislating while the COVID-19 pandemic prevents people from traveling back and forth from Washington, D.C., to their home districts.
Advertisement
To critics though, some of the report’s professed concerns seem either contrived ― in the case of the questionable quality of some individual members’ access to high-speed internet ― or eminently resolvable ― in the cases of the cybersecurity of the system the members would be using and members’ varied comfort with video conferencing technology.
In addition, these critics point out that the opposition to remote voting, even on an emergency basis, deprives members of influence in the lawmaking process during a pandemic. In such a scenario, urgent legislation either requires “unanimous consent” ― approval by default ― or someone to stand against the grain, objecting to such a bill and requiring all colleagues to travel to the nation’s capital to vote on it in person.
The effort to pass the COVID-19 stimulus and bailout bill in the House based on unanimous consent, which can be done without members being present, is a case in point, according to these skeptics.
“It’s a total power play” for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), said a senior aide to a progressive House member.
Advertisement
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a conservative libertarian lawmaker, registered an objection to unanimous consent. His announcement required legislators, including many over the age of 70, to return to Washington to vote on the bill. (Massie was ultimately overruled on technical grounds; the House rapidly approved the legislation by voice vote, preventing members from having their formal “yes” and “no” votes recorded.)
By the time Massie had registered his objection, though, Pelosi and her deputies had effectively narrowed the terms of the debate by failing to pass a relief bill of their own before sending members home to their districts earlier this month.
That meant that rather than reconcile a more progressive House bill with a more conservative Senate bill, everything had to be negotiated in the Senate bill where a Republican White House and a Republican Senate left Democrats outnumbered.
“Pelosi had a significant amount of power in negotiating this package because members weren’t here.” - Senior aide to a progressive House member
Progressive House Democrats opposed to the bill’s corporate bailouts would end up having to choose between rubber-stamping in absentia an imperfect bill with some relief for households and small businesses — or else objecting to it, thus requiring their colleagues to make the dangerous trek back to Washington and jeopardizing passage of any relief bill at all.
Advertisement
It’s a dilemma that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), in particular, lamented during a floor speech, though she ended up declining to object to a voice vote.
“Pelosi had a significant amount of power in negotiating this package because members weren’t here,” said a second senior aide to a progressive House member. “If you have remote voting and you actually have to whip your members rather than just being able to count on unanimous consent, it would definitely give more leverage to members.”
An aide to House Democratic leadership maintained to HuffPost that the objections to remote voting had nothing to do with consolidating power in the hands of party leaders.
The Constitution requires members of Congress to be “present” for a vote, raising the prospect that the courts could strike down virtual voting, according to the leadership aide. Members’ technological aptitude varies widely, the leadership aide noted, citing a conference call this week with the House Democratic Caucus in which one member was not aware they had failed to mute their phone line when they were not speaking.
Besides, the aide pointed out, McGovern’s report is more receptive to the possibility of voting by proxy ― through an in-person substitute ― rather than online. (But even passing such a change would require Congress to reconvene in person to adopt new rules, since Democratic leadership declined to pair a rule change with the relief bill vote on Friday.)
Advertisement
Daniel Schuman, a policy director for the progressive group Demand Progress, which favors allowing remote voting on an emergency, 30-day basis, authored a point-by-point critique of McGovern’s report.
Schuman takes McGovern’s team to task for envisioning worst-case scenarios for technological failure, such as the glitchy app used in the Iowa caucuses in February, without acknowledging the ease with which virtual teleconferencing has been adapted in multiple professional settings.
Schuman also maintains that voting by virtual teleconference is the method that most closely approximates in-person voting and thus is most likely to meet constitutional standards in court. And since the vote would be public, he questioned how a video conference vote could be hacked or sabotaged through cybercrime.
What’s more, regardless of party leaders’ intentions, Schuman and other proponents of remote voting see leadership’s stance as the latest step in a decadeslong trend of centralizing power in the hands of party leadership.
Congressional leadership frequently uses control over members’ scheduled votes to exercise influence over those members, according to the senior aides. For example, important appropriations bills are often scheduled for votes right before major holidays, creating an incentive for lawmakers from the two warring parties to resolve their differences.
Advertisement
For that reason, Schuman is specifically wary of Democratic leaders’ greater receptiveness to proxy voting. Barring proxy voters with extraordinary skill and attentiveness, such a system would likely deny individual members the flexibility to barter their votes and change them on the spur of the moment ― and thus contribute to the deterioration of individual members’ power, he argued.


huffpost--2020-03-28--These Are The Sacrifices Medical Workers Make To Fight Coronavirus

In response to the growing medical equipment shortages , nurses and doctors have jerry-rigged their own personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
Sports goggles have been repurposed as face shields , garbage bags have been worn as gowns — and medical workers continue to put their health at risk and do what they can to help their patients recover .
They ’ re moving away from family and into rentals .
Jane ― an emergency responder nurse in Philadelphia who wanted to stay anonymous due to concerns about her job ― told HuffPost she recently moved out of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus to them .
Airbnb recently dropped their prices for long-term stays , Jane said , but she still has to pay an extra $ 1,400 a month that she wasn ’ t planning to spend .
Jane also said she avoids wearing clean scrubs to work because “ people think you ’ re like a walking infection.
” Of course , most people look at others as if they ’ re infected at this point , scrubs or no scrubs , but she said it ’ s been easier to change into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital to not worry people .
Then she throws her clothes in the hamper , runs to the shower , washes her scrubs , disinfects her phone , keys , doorknobs and any other surfaces she touched .
“ Getting in and out of my house , to and from work , takes twice as long as it normally would , ” she said .
Some are securing a will and power of attorney .
Ideally , testing would be much more widespread than it is now , and there ’ d be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those working with COVID-19 patients .
But health care workers on the frontline are being screened and tested only if they develop symptoms , such as a fever .
“ We should all have our temperatures taken at the beginning and end of shifts and be sent home if [ over ] 100.5 .
We should also be tested at least weekly to make sure we aren ’ t vectors , spreading this infection , ” Dexter said .
Though much of the country is sheltering in place , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britt said outside of work she hasn ’ t been able to see anyone — not her family , boyfriend and especially not her friends , most of whom are also nurses and can not risk contracting the virus and passing it onto their own at-risk patients .
She also doesn ’ t have the luxury of going to the grocery store and needs to rely on delivery services , since she could be a carrier of the virus without even knowing it .
Even when she goes on runs , she feels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance herself as much as possible from others .
“ I ’ m hyper-aware of how close I am to people.
” Caring for COVID-19 patients can be heartbreaking and heartwarming .
There ’ s no escape from the coronavirus as a health care worker .
Many who are on the frontlines have experienced an influx of texts , calls and messages from people they haven ’ t heard from in a while , asking what the infection is really like and if it ’ s as bad as the news says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the coronavirus — it ’ s hard to escape .
Working overtime with no end in sight .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As coronavirus cases continue to surge across the United States, health care workers have needed to stay agile and quickly adjust to our alarming new reality.
In response to the growing medical equipment shortages, nurses and doctors have jerry-rigged their own personal protective equipment (PPE). Sports goggles have been repurposed as face shields, garbage bags have been worn as gowns — and medical workers continue to put their health at risk and do what they can to help their patients recover.
Advertisement
But the sacrifices don’t end once the shift ends. The pandemic has completely uprooted medical workers’ personal lives and redefined what’s normal. Here are just some of the radical and heroic acts they’re doing to fight the pandemic:
They’re moving away from family and into rentals.
Many medical workers have moved out of their homes due to concerns they could bring the virus home and infect loved ones.
Jane ― an emergency responder nurse in Philadelphia who wanted to stay anonymous due to concerns about her job ― told HuffPost she recently moved out of her parents’ house to avoid passing the virus to them. Airbnb recently dropped their prices for long-term stays, Jane said, but she still has to pay an extra $1,400 a month that she wasn’t planning to spend.
Patricia Bain, a respiratory therapist and director of cardiopulmonary services at a hospital in Las Vegas, said her daughter (who has asthma and Crohn’s disease and therefore is immunosuppressed) had to move out and into her dad’s house.
Advertisement
“I’m very concerned because I don’t want to bring anything home to family,” Bain said. “Thankfully, she’s safe, but I miss her terribly.”
Leaving and coming home is a chore.
Jane also said she avoids wearing clean scrubs to work because “people think you’re like a walking infection.” Of course, most people look at others as if they’re infected at this point, scrubs or no scrubs, but she said it’s been easier to change into her scrubs once she gets to the hospital to not worry people.
Bain feels similarly. “I don’t go to the store in scrubs. People give dirty looks or make comments,” she said.
Returning home is no easy task either. Britt ― a nurse treating COVID-19 patients in San Diego who also wished to stay anonymous ― said she has to strip down to her underwear outside her front door after each shift to avoid bringing home anything that could be contaminated.
Then she throws her clothes in the hamper, runs to the shower, washes her scrubs, disinfects her phone, keys, doorknobs and any other surfaces she touched. “Getting in and out of my house, to and from work, takes twice as long as it normally would,” she said.
Advertisement
Antenna via Getty Images
Some are securing a will and power of attorney.
Maxine Dexter, a pulmonary and critical care physician in Portland, Oregon, has been treating COVID-19 patients. After reading that a handful of young, healthy doctors contracted COVID-19 and died, she — along with several of her colleagues — decided to secure their will and power of attorney in case they met a similar fate.
“We talked with our kids about who they will live with if we don’t survive this. I refuse to not be ready,” Dexter told HuffPost.
There’s little testing for medical workers.
Ideally, testing would be much more widespread than it is now, and there’d be enough test kits to monitor the health of those working with COVID-19 patients. But health care workers on the frontline are being screened and tested only if they develop symptoms, such as a fever.
“We should all have our temperatures taken at the beginning and end of shifts and be sent home if [over] 100.5. We should also be tested at least weekly to make sure we aren’t vectors, spreading this infection,” Dexter said.
Advertisement
Many are extremely isolated.
Though much of the country is sheltering in place, it’s even stricter for health care workers. Britt said outside of work she hasn’t been able to see anyone — not her family, boyfriend and especially not her friends, most of whom are also nurses and cannot risk contracting the virus and passing it onto their own at-risk patients.
She, along with many others who work at hospitals, has been missing that human touch. “No one really wants to be around me right now. I’m like an incubator,” Britt said.
She also doesn’t have the luxury of going to the grocery store and needs to rely on delivery services, since she could be a carrier of the virus without even knowing it. Even when she goes on runs, she feels the need to cross the street and distance herself as much as possible from others. “I’m hyper-aware of how close I am to people.”
ER Productions Limited via Getty Images
Caring for COVID-19 patients can be heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Britt gets her social fix from her colleagues — “I get to go to work, and I get to hug people, we cry, we eat together,” she said — but also from caring for her patients.
Advertisement
Since the patients with COVID-19 are isolated and can’t see their loved ones, she knows she’s their main point of contact. She puts in the effort to have actual conversations and make jokes with them, even do a quick crossword puzzle.
“I’m the only interaction they have other than the doctor saying, like, ‘Hey you’re stuck here for two weeks,’” she said. It can be a lot.
There’s no escape from the coronavirus as a health care worker.
When your days intimately involve caring for patients with COVID-19, it quickly can feel like you can’t escape the pandemic.
At the hospital, Britt’s constantly being faced with the coronavirus, but when she leaves work, it’s constant as well. “You can’t even be on Instagram without seeing it — memes, jokes, how many freaking virtual happy hours can you do,” she said.
Many who are on the frontlines have experienced an influx of texts, calls and messages from people they haven’t heard from in a while, asking what the infection is really like and if it’s as bad as the news says. Most conversations outside of work also revolve around the coronavirus — it’s hard to escape.
Advertisement
Working overtime with no end in sight.
Mary Beth, a registered nurse in Connecticut who also asked to stay anonymous to talk about her job, said her hospital has been on “Code Orange” for about a week. This means that medical staff can be mandated to “stay over at the hospital as long as they deem necessary,” she said.
Nurses are encouraged to pack for up to a two-week stay in the event they have to hunker down at the hospital. Overtime hours get paid at time and a half, but that doesn’t count the hours spent sleeping at the hospital — those hours go unpaid.
A Code Orange presents all sorts of challenges for people who don’t have the luxury to immediately secure child care or caregiving and pet services in the event they can’t run home. Mostly, people take it day by day.
As of now, there’s no end in sight. Health officials tell us things will get worse before they get better. Our health care workers, who are already sacrificing so much, will likely need to make more sacrifices in the coming weeks ― all to keep providing round-the-clock care for those who are suffering from COVID-19.
“I’m not trying to do this all summer, I’ll tell you that much,” Britt said, “but people need help, and that’s why I became a nurse.”
Advertisement


huffpost--2020-03-28--Recalled Peace Corps Volunteers Are Thrown Into A Terrifying New Reality

Efrem Lukatsky/ASSOCIATED PRESS U.S. Peace Corps volunteers celebrate in Kyiv , Ukraine , in 2017 .
The growing coronavirus pandemic has caused the first suspension of the agency 's operation in its history .
Volunteers say they have received a deluge of emails and documents on how to access benefits but are struggling to piece together what happened and what they ’ re supposed to do now .
Their circumstances leave them among the most vulnerable Americans right now ― their regular stipends cut off , their housing gone , the guidance about their health benefits unclear and few prospects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment is soaring at home .
Typically , when volunteers complete their service , they attend a conference preparing them for reentry into American society and the workforce .
They ’ re also given $ 375 for each month they served ― adding up to a little more than $ 10,000 for volunteers who complete their service .
Evacuees who served up to a year are being given about half that allowance , while those who served more than a year will receive the full amount .
The conditions of evacuation varied depending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to volunteers interviewed for this article , staff at headquarters seemed overwhelmed by the unprecedented situation and struggled to disseminate accurate information to the evacuated volunteers .
Volunteers in countries that were evacuated earlier , such as China , Mongolia , Morocco and Ecuador , found it more difficult to access resources and quarantine instructions than volunteers who got the recall notice later in the process .
Danielle Shulkin , a 26-year-old volunteer in Panama , said that a friend called headquarters for instructions on where to quarantine safely because her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member told her they couldn ’ t offer money for a hotel but graciously offered to host the volunteer at their own home .
The volunteer is now quarantining herself in a separate part of her mother ’ s home .
Peter Elias , a 26-year-old Morocco evacuee , initially stayed with his parents , who were at higher risk for severe illness because of their age .
He said he only learned how to receive reimbursement for alternative lodging three days after coming home and that was via a Facebook group run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now spending the rest of his quarantine in an Airbnb and expects to get a reimbursement .
Evacuation there began the week of March 16 .
Volunteers who had begun service in September 2018 were told they would be ending their service early .
The volunteers who started last fall were told they would be placed on “ administrative hold ” for a month while the Peace Corps determined whether they could return .
The in-country staff gathered volunteers at a hotel in the capital , held a makeshift ceremony for the departing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 18 , volunteers said .
In Namibia , where Nichole Kulikowski had served as an education volunteer for nearly two years , the government shut schools and all other public activities down on March 15 after learning of two travel-related cases .
That approach appears to be successful so far ; the country has had a total of eight cases , according to Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering .
“ When they made the call , I think a lot of us were a little bit frustrated and maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since there were so few cases in-country .
As they saw borders shut down in South Africa , however , the volunteers began to appreciate the gravity of the situation and understand the decision to evacuate , Kulikowski added .
“ I have to imagine my people are made to feel like liars in that situation .
And that ’ s something that hurts , and there ’ s no way to avoid that , ” he said .
“ The way the [ local ] counterparts feel at a time like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t spoken to anyone , but I imagine that they ’ re scared , that they feel abandoned.
” The coronavirus relief package signed into law Friday includes $ 88 million for the Peace Corps , to “ support the evacuation of more than 6,000 Volunteers and more than 170 U.S. direct hires from overseas posts.
” But it ’ s not clear if there will be help beyond that for volunteers .
The Peace Corps did not respond to an email asking for clarification .
The organization did extend volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month of coverage to two .
But for volunteers returning to a country ravaged by a new and terrifying virus , the question of where they can get the post-service exams that are typically required when coming back into the U.S. looms , not to mention what happens after two months .
Casey Bouldin , an evacuated Morocco volunteer , is in Seattle , one of the earliest U.S. cities to see a spike in COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus strain .
The city ’ s health care system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know where she ’ ll be able to receive primary health care or what would happen if she got sick .
“ It feels like we have to justify how much of a shock this is because everyone ’ s daily life has been uprooted .
Everyone ’ s out of work .
Everyone is working from home .
Life is not normal right now.
” Bouldin said .
“ But beyond what ’ s happening , we ’ ve also been ripped away from everything that we had built and everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @

U.S. Peace Corps volunteers celebrate in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2017. The growing coronavirus pandemic has caused the first suspension of the agency's operation in its history. Efrem Lukatsky/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Among the many people around the world struggling to adjust during the coronavirus pandemic are 7,300 Americans who were, up until the last few weeks, working as U.S. Peace Corps volunteers abroad.
For the first time in the more than 60 years of the federal agency’s history, the Peace Corps sent all of its volunteers back to the United States and temporarily suspended operations worldwide, instructing the recalled volunteers to quarantine for 14 days and abruptly ending their service.
Advertisement
Volunteers say they have received a deluge of emails and documents on how to access benefits but are struggling to piece together what happened and what they’re supposed to do now. Their circumstances leave them among the most vulnerable Americans right now ― their regular stipends cut off, their housing gone, the guidance about their health benefits unclear and few prospects for other jobs at a time when unemployment is soaring at home.
Typically, when volunteers complete their service, they attend a conference preparing them for reentry into American society and the workforce. They’re also given $375 for each month they served ― adding up to a little more than $10,000 for volunteers who complete their service. Evacuees who served up to a year are being given about half that allowance, while those who served more than a year will receive the full amount.
In response to questions for this article, Peace Corps’ press office referred HuffPost to its Coronavirus FAQ. The office could not be reached for follow-up questions.
The conditions of evacuation varied depending on where the volunteers were posted. According to volunteers interviewed for this article, staff at headquarters seemed overwhelmed by the unprecedented situation and struggled to disseminate accurate information to the evacuated volunteers. Volunteers in countries that were evacuated earlier, such as China, Mongolia, Morocco and Ecuador, found it more difficult to access resources and quarantine instructions than volunteers who got the recall notice later in the process.
Advertisement
Confusion And Word-Of-Mouth
Danielle Shulkin, a 26-year-old volunteer in Panama, said that a friend called headquarters for instructions on where to quarantine safely because her mother has existing health issues. The staff member told her they couldn’t offer money for a hotel but graciously offered to host the volunteer at their own home. The volunteer is now quarantining herself in a separate part of her mother’s home.
Peter Elias, a 26-year-old Morocco evacuee, initially stayed with his parents, who were at higher risk for severe illness because of their age. He said he only learned how to receive reimbursement for alternative lodging three days after coming home and that was via a Facebook group run by former volunteers. He’s now spending the rest of his quarantine in an Airbnb and expects to get a reimbursement.
In Morocco, which had 345 cases of the novel coronavirus and 23 deaths as of Friday, volunteers were already starting to face skepticism and harassment due to their status as foreigners, so the local Peace Corps staff made the decision to evacuate before the rest of the corps worldwide.
Evacuation there began the week of March 16. Volunteers who had begun service in September 2018 were told they would be ending their service early. The volunteers who started last fall were told they would be placed on “administrative hold” for a month while the Peace Corps determined whether they could return. The in-country staff gathered volunteers at a hotel in the capital, held a makeshift ceremony for the departing volunteers and chartered a plane out on March 18, volunteers said.
When they arrived back in the U.S. on March 19, the newer ones believed there was a chance they would return to Morocco eventually. On March 22, however, volunteers say they received an email informing them they would be COSed — a Peace Corps acronym meaning “close of service.”
Advertisement
“In one single email, the entirety of what my future was going to look like and the hopes that I had for returning, you know, was just, in a sense, decimated,” said Alex Sproule-Fendel, a Morocco youth development volunteer who began his service in September 2019.
The Peace Corps was founded during the Kennedy administration as an opportunity for Americans to engage in development work and cultural exchange abroad. Volunteers, who can be any age but are often fresh out of college, serve two-year terms in sectors like agriculture and education.
In Namibia, where Nichole Kulikowski had served as an education volunteer for nearly two years, the government shut schools and all other public activities down on March 15 after learning of two travel-related cases. That approach appears to be successful so far; the country has had a total of eight cases, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Kulikowski did not expect that, mere hours later, her Peace Corps job would come to an abrupt end.
“When they made the call, I think a lot of us were a little bit frustrated and maybe even angry,” she said, since there were so few cases in-country. As they saw borders shut down in South Africa, however, the volunteers began to appreciate the gravity of the situation and understand the decision to evacuate, Kulikowski added.
Many volunteers felt like they had betrayed their host community, especially if they had told locals they would return ― only to find out later that they most likely will not.
Advertisement
Joshua Michael Inton Campell is a returned Morocco volunteer now researching relationships between global development volunteers and their host country counterparts as part of his doctoral program at the University of Otago in New Zealand.
“I have to imagine my people are made to feel like liars in that situation. And that’s something that hurts, and there’s no way to avoid that,” he said. “The way the [local] counterparts feel at a time like this, I can only guess. I haven’t spoken to anyone, but I imagine that they’re scared, that they feel abandoned.”
Facing An Uncertain Future
Now back stateside, volunteers are struggling to plan their futures. Volunteers are not eligible for unemployment, according to the Peace Corps website, because they are not technically “employees.”
The coronavirus relief package signed into law Friday includes $88 million for the Peace Corps, to “support the evacuation of more than 6,000 Volunteers and more than 170 U.S. direct hires from overseas posts.” But it’s not clear if there will be help beyond that for volunteers. The Peace Corps did not respond to an email asking for clarification.
The organization did extend volunteers’ post-service health insurance, from one month of coverage to two. But for volunteers returning to a country ravaged by a new and terrifying virus, the question of where they can get the post-service exams that are typically required when coming back into the U.S. looms, not to mention what happens after two months.
Advertisement
Casey Bouldin, an evacuated Morocco volunteer, is in Seattle, one of the earliest U.S. cities to see a spike in COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus strain. The city’s health care system is already overwhelmed; she doesn’t know where she’ll be able to receive primary health care or what would happen if she got sick.
Evacuated volunteers are also finding it difficult to prioritize their own mental health.
“It feels like we have to justify how much of a shock this is because everyone’s daily life has been uprooted. Everyone’s out of work. Everyone is working from home. Life is not normal right now.” Bouldin said. “But beyond what’s happening, we’ve also been ripped away from everything that we had built and everything we’ve worked on.”
“Obviously, plenty of people in the world have it worse than I do,” she added. “But to feel like people don’t necessarily care because everyone’s going through something right now makes it that much harder, if that makes sense.”
Still, many volunteers expressed gratitude to the Peace Corps staff in their host countries as well as the network of past volunteers who welcomed them back to the United States.
In Namibia, the staff took advantage of the opportunity to hold a “close-of-service” conference for volunteers, Kulikowski said, which prepares volunteers for their return to the United States, and advises them of benefits, employment and educational opportunities available to them stateside.
Advertisement
Volunteers in countries more affected by the pandemic, such as China, Mongolia and Morocco, weren’t able to have these sessions.
The community of former volunteers has set up a Facebook group to support the newly evacuated group. Elias, one of the Morocco evacuees, has said that he’s relied on that network and WhatsApp messages with fellow evacuees to get practical information during the quarantine. But he’s still overwhelmed and grieving the sudden end of his service.
“I was thinking the other day about the local market, the guy who sells, like, parsley and cilantro, and, like, I would go to him every week, and he would give me the best prices,” Elias said. “In that moment, I felt all the sadness, and I cried for, like, 20 seconds, but then I stopped because I started thinking, like, ‘What am I going to do for health care?’ You know?”
Reporter Alex Leeds Matthews served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from January 2014 to October 2015.


huffpost--2020-03-28--My Family Is Trapped In Paradise During The Coronavirus, But It's No Vacation

We have been staying at a homestay , Bali ’ s version of a bed and breakfast .
Staying here long-term through the pandemic would mean renting a villa ― a home where we can properly isolate ourselves if the Indonesian government orders us into lockdown .
And suddenly , a whole new realm of logistics opens before me of navigating morning markets and setting up a house with nothing more than the two motorcycle saddlebags worth of luggage we brought with us from Canada .
Our prime minister is urging all Canadians to return home while they still can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has access to his passport and can simply book a flight .
Our passports sit in hiatus somewhere in the mysterious recesses of the Indonesian immigration office , awaiting what had been a routine tourist visa renewal three weeks ago .
Now that same routine visa renewal means we have no passports in hand and can not leave at a moment ’ s notice .
Or even a few days ’ notice .
We can not leave .
We could cancel the renewal , perhaps .
But how does one go about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak broken , halting Indonesian .
I can say : “ No , finish , slowly , closed , ” but I ’ ve no earthly idea how to even begin to say : “ So here ’ s my logistical nightmare that ’ s full of ‘ If this , then that , but if that , then this.
’ Can you help me with it ?
” We chat and laugh , saying the Indonesian government had better not put ration limits on chocolate .
We stand apart , eyes searching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what would normally be a socially awkward distance between two people .
One week ago , we were folded together in our laughter , bent over in our shared giggles .
She would drape an arm around my shoulders .
I ’ d rest my hand on her arm .
We ’ d laugh , easy and normal .
Not now .
Not anymore .
We laugh , still dancing together in the human delight of connection .
But laugh at a distance .
Our skills as sailors serve us well in these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aboard our vessel , we are at the mercy of wind and weather , currents and tides .
We can check the forecast before casting off , but still , we must accept changing weather systems , equipment and system failures , and good-old-fashioned ups and downs in the mood and mindset of the crew .
No sailing voyage is ever predictable .
But it is filled with challenges and success , doubt and decision , beauty and wonderment .
It is a living metaphor for life .
I ’ ve met many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five months , and perhaps the greatest reprieve I have from the emotional and mental turmoil of navigating a global pandemic in a foreign country is when I set aside all the logistics and the worry , pick up the phone or send a message and ask a friend , “ How are you today ?
Is there anything I can do to help ?
” Our online world offers us instant access to loved ones ― not quite but almost as good as being there in person .
Let ’ s use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chat and take care of and encourage and help and support one another .

Michael, Kate, Abigail and Henry at Pura Gunung Kawi in Bali, Indonesia, in January. Courtesy of Kate Gilgan
I am hand-washing our laundry for the second time in three days. The first time, I packed our wet clothes in a fury as we raced from the northern Balinese fishing village of Lovina to Denpasar, in the south, hoping to catch a flight home.
An hour into our drive, a mechanical issue with our scooter had us back at our homestay, our hastily packed, still-damp laundry now smelling of warm, wet dog.
Advertisement
COVID-19 is forcing my family to end our six-month Bali adventure earlier than planned.
My family and I live aboard our sailboat off the west coast of Canada. Both work-from-home writers, my husband and I homeschool our two youngest children. While living at sea offers us a peaceful and wildly beautiful life, it can make for some rugged and challenging conditions. So it was that we decided to spend the winter in the warm, tropical embrace of Bali.
Bali has long been a popular tourist destination known for its vibrant culture and spirited citizens. Spending six months in this magical land was to be a homeschooler’s dream ― language, culture, nature and global citizenry all wrapped up in one endless educational experience.
We arrived last October and set about exploring the island’s abundant temples, near-daily ceremonies and simply gorging ourselves on fruit. Then January happened.
Reports began trickling through to mainstream media about a small outbreak of a pneumonia-like illness out of Wuhan, China. On Feb. 1, I received the first email from the Canadian Embassy about the novel coronavirus with generalized information for travelers on following basic health precautions. We carried on exploring rice fields, taking jungle hikes and meeting locals who helped us along as we practiced speaking Indonesian.
Advertisement
I now receive a daily email with increasingly urgent language and instructions from the Canadian Embassy on the sole topic of COVID-19.
So, what’s it really like to be trapped in paradise during a global pandemic?
It’s scary. It’s beautiful. It’s filled with anxiety and fear and calm and peace. I vacillate between wanting to just get home and wanting to just stay put.
Do we risk exposure in the travel home or do we risk staying here? I live in doubt followed by firm decisions, only to encounter more doubt, rethinking and changing plans, and, through it all, daily life continues around my family and me.
“Do we risk exposure in the travel home or do we risk staying here? I live in doubt followed by firm decisions, only to encounter more doubt, rethinking and changing plans, and, through it all, daily life continues around my family and me.”
We have been staying at a homestay, Bali’s version of a bed and breakfast. Staying here long-term through the pandemic would mean renting a villa ― a home where we can properly isolate ourselves if the Indonesian government orders us into lockdown. And suddenly, a whole new realm of logistics opens before me of navigating morning markets and setting up a house with nothing more than the two motorcycle saddlebags worth of luggage we brought with us from Canada.
Advertisement
Our prime minister is urging all Canadians to return home while they still can. Easy for him to say; he has access to his passport and can simply book a flight. Our passports sit in hiatus somewhere in the mysterious recesses of the Indonesian immigration office, awaiting what had been a routine tourist visa renewal three weeks ago. Now that same routine visa renewal means we have no passports in hand and cannot leave at a moment’s notice. Or even a few days’ notice. We cannot leave.
We could cancel the renewal, perhaps. But how does one go about stopping such an official process? I speak broken, halting Indonesian. I can say: “No, finish, slowly, closed,” but I’ve no earthly idea how to even begin to say: “So here’s my logistical nightmare that’s full of ‘If this, then that, but if that, then this.’ Can you help me with it?”
I don’t even know the Indonesian word for help.
I am embarrassed at the realization that I once tossed the word “embassy” around with family and friends as though it gave me some sort of international cachet. I felt important, special, cool.
I now whisper words like embassy, WHO and confirmed cases to my husband, hushed and nonchalant, so my children won’t hear me talking about it. It’s not cool. It’s kind of scary.
I haul our wet clothes outside to hang on the drying rack. Coconut palms set across the blue sky and the rhythmic thrum of surf surround me. It is startlingly beautiful here. How can the world be falling apart when this place is so pretty?
Advertisement
“Mommy, is lunch ready?”
“Daddy, where’s my other flip-flop?”
“Mommy, can you fill up my water bottle?”
“Daddy, I want to paint.“
Where does lunch and art play even fit into a day’s plans that include emergency laundry, possible shady deals with a visa agent to expedite our visa renewals and emails from the Canadian Embassy?
The Gilgan family in Bali, Indonesia. Courtesy of Kate Gilgan
I see Ketut. She and her husband, Komang, own the homestay we are living in. She and I speak only a smattering of one another’s languages, but enough to fumble through half-English, half-Indonesian conversations with each other.
We chat and laugh, saying the Indonesian government had better not put ration limits on chocolate. We stand apart, eyes searching to connect, as we stand at what would normally be a socially awkward distance between two people. One week ago, we were folded together in our laughter, bent over in our shared giggles. She would drape an arm around my shoulders. I’d rest my hand on her arm. We’d laugh, easy and normal. Not now. Not anymore. We laugh, still dancing together in the human delight of connection. But laugh at a distance.
On March 19, my husband got an update from our visa agent: Our passports were to be delivered later that day. We could finally book a flight.
Advertisement
But that was over a week ago.
We commence making a new plan. Yet another new plan. I’m so sick of new plans. My husband gets online and starts searching for a flight.
“Five thousand dollars?” I shout. “That’s too expensive. What are you thinking?” I blurt as he relays our flight options.
He flashes me a look. We’re both tense. I want to get angry, mad. I want to blame somebody. Not even blame, necessarily, but at least just yell at someone. Anyone.
“Mommy, can we go to the beach now?”
Breathe. This moment is fine. We’re all fine. It’s only the future that’s making me worry, feel tense. But the worry is wearing on me.
“Thank you for looking into flights. I’ll let you do that and I’ll take these two to the beach for now.”
Advertisement
And just like that, I’m back on the damned beach. Blue sky, palm trees, surf. A million miles away from headlines and wait times and busy signals and health certificates and rules of quarantine upon arrival.
We secure a flight out of Denpasar, Bali, that connects through Taipei International Airport in Taiwan before flying us — finally, finally, finally — home to Vancouver, Canada. We fly out in one week.
No less than two hours after booking the flight, smug smiles still plastered on our faces, the latest embassy email comes through. It reads: “At this time, we understand that transit may not be possible via Taipei in the coming days.”
What does “may not be possible” mean?
Turns out it means the Taiwanese government is closing its international airport as a hub for connecting flights, the Canadian Embassy confirms the following day. It means our airline has now contacted us with notice of our canceled flight. It means we are still here, in Bali.
It means we need a new plan. Again.
“One week ago, we were folded together in our laughter, bent over in our shared giggles. She would drape an arm around my shoulders. I’d rest my hand on her arm. We’d laugh, easy and normal. Not now. Not anymore. We laugh, still dancing together in the human delight of connection. But laugh at a distance.”
Advertisement
We wanted to introduce our children to travel and new culture and the resourcefulness that world travel incites. We’ve been granted the ultimate opportunity to teach our children to be global citizens. Beyond the language lessons, geography and discovery, there’s a chance to teach them patience and practicality.
Our skills as sailors serve us well in these uncertain times. Much like a passage aboard our vessel, we are at the mercy of wind and weather, currents and tides. We can check the forecast before casting off, but still, we must accept changing weather systems, equipment and system failures, and good-old-fashioned ups and downs in the mood and mindset of the crew. No sailing voyage is ever predictable. But it is filled with challenges and success, doubt and decision, beauty and wonderment. It is a living metaphor for life.
Thursday’s email from the Canadian Embassy raises doubt about the accuracy of Indonesia’s reporting of actual cases, suggesting only 2% have been accounted for. It warns that if we decide to stay in Indonesia, it is strongly recommended that we prepare for the worst and make preparations to be self-sufficient. Of his assessment of Indonesia’s situation, our ambassador writes: “The ultimate number of fatalities will be very high.”
I met a woman on the beach yesterday, a fellow stranded traveler. Like Ketut and I, we stood awkwardly apart as we chatted. I saw her anxiety, her fear, as she talked about her husband and children back home in Switzerland. She came here two weeks ago to visit an uncle. And now, she is alone and separated from her family.
Though I am facing wild upheavals of plans and choices, decisions and doubt, I am blessed to have my husband and children with me. I am privileged to be in a place that offers such natural beauty, a stark contrast to the realities of so many currently in isolation around the world. I suspect, too, our turn with mandated isolation is coming.
Advertisement
I’ve met many travelers and locals alike during the last five months, and perhaps the greatest reprieve I have from the emotional and mental turmoil of navigating a global pandemic in a foreign country is when I set aside all the logistics and the worry, pick up the phone or send a message and ask a friend, “How are you today? Is there anything I can do to help?” Our online world offers us instant access to loved ones ― not quite but almost as good as being there in person. Let’s use it. Let’s connect and chat and take care of and encourage and help and support one another.
Of the many new friends my family has made over the past five months, an aged gentleman by the name of Putu has brought me grand comfort. He is a holy man, a pemangku. He taught me a new Indonesian word: sinkankan. Literally translated, it means “allow it.” But Putu uses it to mean “Don’t worry. Be happy.”
Even as I write this, I don’t yet know if we are staying in Bali or going home. But I do know that a wise man taught me that while I navigate each day along my life’s journey, I have the choice to try and smile and say: “Sinkankan.”
Kate Gilgan is a writer, mother and hesitant adventurist. From a life at sea to a rustic wilderness cabin to life in Bali with their two youngest children, Kate and her husband Michael delight in family-style discovery and exploration.
Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch!


huffpost--2020-05-19--South Korean Soccer Team Used Sex Dolls To Fill Empty Stadium

The leaders of a South Korean soccer club might be feeling like boobs after they were exposed for using sex dolls to make an empty stadium look full of fans .
FC Seoul placed 30 mannequins around its stadium for a game against Gwangju FC , adding signs of life to stands void of spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Seoul club said in a statement it believed the figures were ordinary mannequins .
The action on the field must not have been that great .
People watching quickly noticed that some of the fake fans wore clothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them were especially busty .
As the BBC noted , pornography is banned in South Korea .
“ We had tried to add some fun in the no-spectator match , ” FC Seoul said in a statement , according to The New York Times .
“ But we have not checked all the details , and that is clearly our fault.
” The Associated Press said the team expressed “ sincere remorse.
” The team said it was assured by the doll supplier that the figures weren ’ t sex products .
FC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose Dalkom , a company known for sex dolls , for the job .
Cheering mannequins are installed at the empty spectators ' seats before the start of soccer match between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul , South Korea .
Dalcom director Cho Young-june told the BBC that the sex logos should have been removed from the dolls prior to the game , “ but there were several hairbands and logos left to be caught by public eye.
” FC Seoul could face consequences beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against inappropriate or sexual advertisements , so the team could be fined .
“ It is not easy to say whether this breaks the rules , as it is not a clear violation , ” an unidentified K League official told ESPN .
“ We are trying to get a clear interpretation.
” Cheering mannequins are installed at the empty spectators ' seats before the start of soccer match between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul , South Korea .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The leaders of a South Korean soccer club might be feeling like boobs after they were exposed for using sex dolls to make an empty stadium look full of fans.
FC Seoul placed 30 mannequins around its stadium for a game against Gwangju FC, adding signs of life to stands void of spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Seoul club said in a statement it believed the figures were ordinary mannequins.
Advertisement
The action on the field must not have been that great. People watching quickly noticed that some of the fake fans wore clothing advertising sex toys and that many of them were especially busty. As the BBC noted, pornography is banned in South Korea.
“We had tried to add some fun in the no-spectator match,” FC Seoul said in a statement, according to The New York Times. “But we have not checked all the details, and that is clearly our fault.” The Associated Press said the team expressed “sincere remorse.”
The team said it was assured by the doll supplier that the figures weren’t sex products. FC Seoul didn’t explain why it chose Dalkom, a company known for sex dolls, for the job.
Cheering mannequins are installed at the empty spectators' seats before the start of soccer match between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. AP
Advertisement
Dalcom director Cho Young-june told the BBC that the sex logos should have been removed from the dolls prior to the game, “but there were several hairbands and logos left to be caught by public eye.”
FC Seoul could face consequences beyond embarrassment. The league has a rule against inappropriate or sexual advertisements, so the team could be fined.
“It is not easy to say whether this breaks the rules, as it is not a clear violation,” an unidentified K League official told ESPN. “We are trying to get a clear interpretation.”


huffpost--2020-05-19--As Coronavirus Crushes Small Restaurants, Big Chains See Room To Move In

As the coronavirus permanently shutters some small businesses , big fast-food brands like Domino ’ s Pizza , Chipotle and Wendy ’ s that were doing well before the crisis want to grow - or continue pre-existing expansion plans - after the pandemic subsides .
David Deno , chief executive officer of Outback Steakhouse parent company Bloomin ’ Brands , told Reuters in an interview that “ I don ’ t mean to wish ill on anybody , but there ’ s going to be real estate opportunities , ” for new stores or relocations to areas with “ better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Brands that are doing well in this environment should have an opportunity to expand their footprint , ” said David Gibbs , Yum chief executive officer , in an earnings call in late April .
“ There ’ s no reason to think that this brand… is not going to be a growth business long term .
And unit development is a big part of that.
” In the month of April , retail properties collected less rent than other real estate sectors , according to a Citi note on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trusts ’ earnings reports .
“ It ’ s really a time of opportunity for these firms to entrench themselves into where they want to be , ” said Susan Wachter , professor of real estate finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania .
“ The retail landscape is going to be open for redeployment and for expansion of the firms whose market share is growing.
” “ You are going to have a location reshuffle based on the tenants that offer what people will want post-COVID , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm CenterSquare Investment Management , including the ability to spend less time inside and lower prices .
“ We ’ re in a period of a few years where independents lose and chains gain ” as much as 10 % to 15 % of market share , McCarthy said of the restaurant industry .
The winners of that share grab will be those models centered around convenience and accessibility .
There is precedent for fast-food expansion in the face of crisis .
In 2010 , Burger King was able to grow its brand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the financial crisis .
“ These were some of the best years we had… in Western Europe with many of our developing partners because there is tremendous opportunity , ” said Jose Cil , chief executive officer of Restaurant Brands International Inc , parent company of Burger King and Popeyes , in a May 1 earnings call .
“ Our business works in almost any environment , ” Cil told Reuters , adding that it is positioned to capture market share in Europe , Asia , the United States and Canada .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullish long term.
” To be sure , the path to expansion could be choppy .
Sales plunged in late March and April , leading many corporations to drop their financial forecasts and stop construction projects to save capital costs .
Occupancy restrictions will make reopening dining rooms tricky , and some restaurants may eventually change their floorplans to adapt to a new way of dining out .
“ If there ’ s opportunities that make sense for us on the real estate side , we will pursue those , ” said David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief executive officer in an April 30 earnings call .
“ But you also want to balance being a good corporate citizen and sticking to your values , and not being a shark either .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prime storefronts left empty by failed businesses. Cheaper or even flexible rents. Landlords willing to add drive-thru lanes.
As the coronavirus permanently shutters some small businesses, big fast-food brands like Domino’s Pizza, Chipotle and Wendy’s that were doing well before the crisis want to grow - or continue pre-existing expansion plans - after the pandemic subsides.
Advertisement
David Deno, chief executive officer of Outback Steakhouse parent company Bloomin’ Brands, told Reuters in an interview that “I don’t mean to wish ill on anybody, but there’s going to be real estate opportunities,” for new stores or relocations to areas with “better visibility, better access and better parking.”
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, Taco Bell owner Yum! Brands Inc, and Domino’s Pizza Inc are among several household names planning post-pandemic growth, according to their CEOs.
“Brands that are doing well in this environment should have an opportunity to expand their footprint,” said David Gibbs, Yum chief executive officer, in an earnings call in late April. “There’s no reason to think that this brand… is not going to be a growth business long term. And unit development is a big part of that.”
In the month of April, retail properties collected less rent than other real estate sectors, according to a Citi note on Friday after a week of real estate investment trusts’ earnings reports.
Advertisement
Malls collected only 28% of rents and shopping centers 60%, among other commercial property declines, Citi found.
“It’s really a time of opportunity for these firms to entrench themselves into where they want to be,” said Susan Wachter, professor of real estate finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “The retail landscape is going to be open for redeployment and for expansion of the firms whose market share is growing.”
“You are going to have a location reshuffle based on the tenants that offer what people will want post-COVID,” said Scott Crowe of the real estate investment firm CenterSquare Investment Management, including the ability to spend less time inside and lower prices.
Starbucks Corp and McDonald’s Corp could also be among those that grow, said Neuberger Berman analyst Kevin McCarthy.
“We’re in a period of a few years where independents lose and chains gain” as much as 10% to 15% of market share, McCarthy said of the restaurant industry. The winners of that share grab will be those models centered around convenience and accessibility.
Advertisement
“It was a trend going 30 miles an hour, now accelerated to 100 miles an hour,” McCarthy said. “It’s corporate Darwinism on steroids.”
There is precedent for fast-food expansion in the face of crisis. In 2010, Burger King was able to grow its brand in Western Europe at the tail end of the financial crisis.
“These were some of the best years we had… in Western Europe with many of our developing partners because there is tremendous opportunity,” said Jose Cil, chief executive officer of Restaurant Brands International Inc, parent company of Burger King and Popeyes, in a May 1 earnings call.
“Our business works in almost any environment,” Cil told Reuters, adding that it is positioned to capture market share in Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. “We’re very excited and bullish long term.”
To be sure, the path to expansion could be choppy. Sales plunged in late March and April, leading many corporations to drop their financial forecasts and stop construction projects to save capital costs.
Advertisement
Even if they wanted to keep building, permitting has been temporarily halted in many places.
Occupancy restrictions will make reopening dining rooms tricky, and some restaurants may eventually change their floorplans to adapt to a new way of dining out.
Nonetheless, Shake Shack Inc CEO Randy Garutti said during a May 4 earnings call that “as additional real estate and development opportunities become available, we’ll be ready to capture the white space ahead.”
Wendy’s Co, Papa John’s International Inc and Yum China Holdings Inc also discussed post-coronavirus expansion during recent Wall Street calls.
“If there’s opportunities that make sense for us on the real estate side, we will pursue those,” said David Hoffmann, Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc chief executive officer in an April 30 earnings call. “But you also want to balance being a good corporate citizen and sticking to your values, and not being a shark either.”


huffpost--2020-05-19--Pink Says Blood Tests Related To COVID-19 Revealed Son's 'Pretty Bad Allergies'

The “ Walk Me Home ” singer and her son contracted COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , in March .
She ’ s been vocal about the experience , telling “ The Ellen DeGeneres Show ” via video chat in April that it was “ the scariest thing I ’ ve ever , ever been through in my whole life.
” Also in April , Pink explained in a livestream with author Jennifer Pastiloff that she has asthma and that the disease forced her to use a nebulizer ( a machine that changes medication from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be inhaled ) for the first time in decades .
Pink also told Pastiloff that her son experienced the “ worst of it ” and that “ there were many nights when I ’ ve cried and I ’ ve never prayed more in my life.
” “ It ’ s funny , at one point , I heard myself saying ‘ I thought they promised us our kids would be OK. ’ It ’ s not guaranteed .
There is no one that is safe from this , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support medical professionals in Philadelphia and Los Angeles who are on the front lines of the disease .

The “Walk Me Home” singer and her son contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in March. She’s been vocal about the experience, telling “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” via video chat in April that it was “the scariest thing I’ve ever, ever been through in my whole life.”
Also in April, Pink explained in a livestream with author Jennifer Pastiloff that she has asthma and that the disease forced her to use a nebulizer (a machine that changes medication from a liquid to a mist so it can be inhaled) for the first time in decades.
Pink also told Pastiloff that her son experienced the “worst of it” and that “there were many nights when I’ve cried and I’ve never prayed more in my life.”


huffpost--2020-05-18--Chuck E. Cheese Tricks Grubhub Customers With Sneaky New Name

Restaurants have pivoted to delivery and takeout options while stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus otherwise keep their doors closed .
Chuck E. Cheese , it seems , is no exception .
But apparently the kid-friendly eatery isn ’ t exactly anyone ’ s first choice to satisfy their ’ za craving , because the brand seemingly worked up a tricky plan to get customers to order from its restaurants .
“ Just curious ... was this food from Chuck E. Cheese ?
” she asked , a question that , among all the questions we have during this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neff told HuffPost she thought it was a small business that had joined Grubhub to do more business doing the quarantine , and wasn ’ t that concerned when she didn ’ t see any reviews .
“ There were a ton of restaurants recently added to our delivery zone , ” Neff said .
“ After I placed the order I decided to Google the restaurant to see reviews there , but nothing with that name came up in my search .
I was intrigued and had my husband search the address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no Pasqually ’ s there , but there was a Chuck E. Cheese.
” Furthermore , according to the driver in the exchange , the food was picked up from a Chuck E. Cheese location that had the Pasqually ’ s logo on the windows .
It ’ s a far less egregious pizza-related crime than the one the chain was accused of by YouTuber Shane Dawson in 2019 .
He alleged that it recycled leftover pizza in its pies .
Chuck E. Cheese denied the allegations .
This time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pepperoni .
There are various “ Pasqually ’ s ” listed on the Grubhub website , each sharing an address with a Chuck E. Cheese .
Food & Wine confirms that the name Pasqually belongs to the “ fictional chef in the Chuck E. Cheese universe.
” In a statement to HuffPost , the big cheese in charge , or , rather , a Chuck E. Cheese representative , explained that Pasqually ’ s is in fact a brand new venture , not just a ploy to shill its usual grub .
CEC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Pizza & Wings nationwide .
The inspiration was rooted in the desire to create a premium pizza while staying true to the CEC brand .
Pasqually ’ s Pizza & Wings , named after another favorite member of Munch ’ s Make Believe Band , shares kitchen space with the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant , ensuring high-quality , fresh ingredients .
Pasqually ’ s Pizza & Wings ’ recipes use fresh , homemade pizza dough , just like Chuck E. Cheese , but it is a different pizza that features a thicker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cheeses and seasonings , giving consumers a more flavorful , more premium pizza experience .
This new brand is the latest example of CEC entertainment creatively adjusting to meet the needs of consumers in a unique way , allowing for more variety and convenient options for delivery .
Neff said she and her husband weren ’ t mad about getting duped , but rather thought it was funny that the chain had gone to such great lengths to offer delivery when Chuck E. Cheese itself already has a page on the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointed that her local efforts did not help a small business , and that it was in fact the same Chuck E. Cheese pizza she remembers eating before , but that she and her family “ ate the pizza happily ” even though it was a “ little less delicious eating it in my living room rather than in all the excitement of the games and music at Chuck E. Cheese.
” Neff doesn ’ t have plans to order from Pasqually ’ s again , and if she does , she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself .
“ At least that pizza comes with tickets and prizes !
” she said .
Food delivery is predicted to account for 40 % of total restaurant sales by 2020 , and has become what one restaurant analyst refers to as a “ driving force in the restaurant industry.
” One way restaurants are responding to this rapidly growing demand for food delivery is with a relatively new type of food service : virtual restaurants .
...
They are delivery-only operations that accept orders solely online — through apps and websites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brick and mortar location , the “ restaurant ” only exists online .
But in the blog post , Grubhub describes the spirit of virtual restaurants as one that encourages restaurants to “ experiment with a new menu concept , brand a subset of existing menu items , or capture unmet customer demands for particular food in the market ” — not sell very similar pizza , which is likely why Pasqually ’ s statement pushes so hard to insist Pasqually ’ s pizza is “ different ” from Chuck E. Cheese @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
This is pretty incredible, any way you slice it.
Restaurants have pivoted to delivery and takeout options while stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus otherwise keep their doors closed. Chuck E. Cheese, it seems, is no exception.
But apparently the kid-friendly eatery isn’t exactly anyone’s first choice to satisfy their ’za craving, because the brand seemingly worked up a tricky plan to get customers to order from its restaurants.
Advertisement
Enter Pasqually’s, a restaurant listed on Grubhub that sells pizza and wings and features a logo devoid of one Charles Entertainment Cheese, the chain’s mousy mascot ― yet shares an address with the children’s entertainment center.
Philadelphia resident Kendall Neff, who goes by kendallneff on Reddit, shared a text message exchange with a driver from the food delivery site last month after becoming suspicious of an order.
“Just curious ... was this food from Chuck E. Cheese?” she asked, a question that, among all the questions we have during this time, we never expected to see. Neff told HuffPost she thought it was a small business that had joined Grubhub to do more business doing the quarantine, and wasn’t that concerned when she didn’t see any reviews.
Advertisement
“There were a ton of restaurants recently added to our delivery zone,” Neff said. “After I placed the order I decided to Google the restaurant to see reviews there, but nothing with that name came up in my search. I was intrigued and had my husband search the address in Google Maps ― to our surprise there was no Pasqually’s there, but there was a Chuck E. Cheese.”
Then, as anyone would be inclined to do, Neff’s husband googled “Chuck E. Cheese Pasqually.”
“He said, ‘Guess what? Pasqually is the name of the animatronic chef that’s in the Chuck E. Cheese stage band!’” she said.
Furthermore, according to the driver in the exchange, the food was picked up from a Chuck E. Cheese location that had the Pasqually’s logo on the windows.
It’s a far less egregious pizza-related crime than the one the chain was accused of by YouTuber Shane Dawson in 2019. He alleged that it recycled leftover pizza in its pies. Chuck E. Cheese denied the allegations.
This time, the proof seems to be in the pepperoni. There are various “Pasqually’s” listed on the Grubhub website, each sharing an address with a Chuck E. Cheese. Food & Wine confirms that the name Pasqually belongs to the “fictional chef in the Chuck E. Cheese universe.”
Advertisement
In a statement to HuffPost, the big cheese in charge, or, rather, a Chuck E. Cheese representative, explained that Pasqually’s is in fact a brand new venture, not just a ploy to shill its usual grub.
CEC Entertainment, Inc. recently launched Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings nationwide. The inspiration was rooted in the desire to create a premium pizza while staying true to the CEC brand. Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings, named after another favorite member of Munch’s Make Believe Band, shares kitchen space with the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, ensuring high-quality, fresh ingredients. Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings’ recipes use fresh, homemade pizza dough, just like Chuck E. Cheese, but it is a different pizza that features a thicker crust, extra sauce and new blends of cheeses and seasonings, giving consumers a more flavorful, more premium pizza experience. This new brand is the latest example of CEC entertainment creatively adjusting to meet the needs of consumers in a unique way, allowing for more variety and convenient options for delivery.
Needless to say, not everyone on the internet is convinced.
nobody wanted take out from Chuck E. Cheese, so they changed their name to Pasqually's on GrubHub, put a fake sign on their windows, and now they're trying to pass it off as (bad) marketing for a new restaurant launch.
THIS. IS. HILARIOUS.https://t.co/avRTJueY0E — Red Bard (Kennedy) (@RedBardIsCool) May 18, 2020
Neff said she and her husband weren’t mad about getting duped, but rather thought it was funny that the chain had gone to such great lengths to offer delivery when Chuck E. Cheese itself already has a page on the site.
Advertisement
She said she was a bit disappointed that her local efforts did not help a small business, and that it was in fact the same Chuck E. Cheese pizza she remembers eating before, but that she and her family “ate the pizza happily” even though it was a “little less delicious eating it in my living room rather than in all the excitement of the games and music at Chuck E. Cheese.”
Neff doesn’t have plans to order from Pasqually’s again, and if she does, she’ll get it from Chuck E. Cheese itself. “At least that pizza comes with tickets and prizes!” she said.
Grubhub did not return a request for comment at the time of publication, however the online ordering platform actually encourages restaurants to create “virtual restaurants” on its own blog:
Food delivery is predicted to account for 40% of total restaurant sales by 2020, and has become what one restaurant analyst refers to as a “driving force in the restaurant industry.” One way restaurants are responding to this rapidly growing demand for food delivery is with a relatively new type of food service: virtual restaurants. ... They are delivery-only operations that accept orders solely online — through apps and websites like Grubhub. With no need for a brick and mortar location, the “restaurant” only exists online.
But in the blog post, Grubhub describes the spirit of virtual restaurants as one that encourages restaurants to “experiment with a new menu concept, brand a subset of existing menu items, or capture unmet customer demands for particular food in the market” — not sell very similar pizza, which is likely why Pasqually’s statement pushes so hard to insist Pasqually’s pizza is “different” from Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Advertisement


huffpost--2020-05-19--Demonizing China Dominates GOP Political Ads During Coronavirus Pandemic

ASSOCIATED PRESS President Donald Trump has been demonizing China — and shifting attention away from his response to the coronavirus .
During the height of the presidential primary , China was not at the front of the campaign .
But during the coronavirus , President Donald Trump and his allies have attempted to shift attention from the White House by blaming China for the global pandemic .
Another ad with a similar message , from America First Action , goes after the presumptive Democratic nominee for praising China over the years , warning , “ Now , more than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop China , you have to stop Joe Biden.
” “ The bottom line is no matter who wins in November , China is going to be a major geopolitical issue the President is going to have to deal with , ” she said .
“ The coronavirus started in China and China covered it up , allowing it to spread internationally .
Biden has a 47 year history of coddling China - from granting them permanent trade relations , supporting their entry into the WTO , and most recently calling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ racist and xenophobic.
’ ” Sadler said America First has spent $ 9.2 million in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin with its ads and expects to spend $ 10 million by the end of the month .
( Not all of the spending is reflected in the Kantar/CMAG data because it does not track ads that run on cable . )
Other spots tout Trump ’ s travel bans on Chinese and European travelers , going after Biden for allegedly calling them xenophobic .
( The Biden campaign has said that Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically about the travel ban , but “ Trump ’ s long record of scapegoating others ” more generally . )
“ Donald Trump had countless opportunities to mobilize against the outbreak , as Joe Biden called on him to do , ” Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said .
“ But instead he spent months disregarding repeated alarms sounded by his own advisers while downplaying the threat .
As coronavirus spread like wildfire , he continuously echoed Chinese government propaganda about the threat being contained ― despite Joe Biden publicly warning him not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get our experts on the ground there.
” But the rhetoric has shifted significantly in the last couple of months , and the president ’ s campaign isn ’ t the only one focusing on China .
Sen. Martha McSally , a Republican facing a tough reelection fight in Arizona , put out an ad recently going after China for its handling of the virus .
The Biden campaign has run two digital ads hitting Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus , highlighting how he downplayed the severity of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , “ rolled over for the Chinese.
” Shah said the Trump focus on China “ looks desperate , but just because something reeks of desperation doesn ’ t mean you can let it go unchecked , and we thought it was important to counter their ads with a counterpunch.
” “ Both parties agree that the Chinese government was a bad actor early in this crisis and there will be a policy debate about what to do in response , but Trump is using China to try to distract voters from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The fact is , China lied to everyone , not just us , ” said Josh Schwerin , spokesman for the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA Action .

President Donald Trump has been demonizing China — and shifting attention away from his response to the coronavirus. ASSOCIATED PRESS
China is now at the top of the list of issues in political ads these days, right up there with the intertwined issues of the coronavirus and health care.
Republicans are driving the push, spending far more than Democrats on presidential campaign ads that mention China. From April 1-May 15, Republicans spent $8.3 million on TV ads (excluding cable) referencing China, compared to the $1.7 million spent by Democrats, according to data compiled by Kantar/CMAG for HuffPost.
Advertisement
Democrats, meanwhile, spent $5.8 million on non-China-related ads, and Republicans spent just $64,000.
Republicans focused their messaging on China during the coronavirus pandemic, according to data compiled by Kantar/CMAG for HuffPost. The data excludes TV ads on cable. HuffPost
During the height of the presidential primary, China was not at the front of the campaign. But during the coronavirus, President Donald Trump and his allies have attempted to shift attention from the White House by blaming China for the global pandemic.
“I think it’s a giant attempt to deflect, and they recognize there is a giant vulnerability on their end. It reeks of desperation,” said Shripal Shah, vice president of American Bridge PAC, which has run a response ad hitting Trump on his China policies.
Advertisement
The Trump campaign and a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, have led the China ad spending.
“The coronavirus infected millions. Crushed the world economy. One nation deserves the blame: China. They lied about it. Covered it up. Joe Biden coddles China,” goes one ad from the Trump campaign.
Another ad with a similar message, from America First Action, goes after the presumptive Democratic nominee for praising China over the years, warning, “Now, more than ever, America must stop China. And to stop China, you have to stop Joe Biden.”
Kelly Sadler, a spokesperson for America First, said the super PAC bought BeijingBiden.com in May 2019, expecting China policy “to be a contrast in the general election.”
“The bottom line is no matter who wins in November, China is going to be a major geopolitical issue the President is going to have to deal with,” she said. “The coronavirus started in China and China covered it up, allowing it to spread internationally. Biden has a 47 year history of coddling China - from granting them permanent trade relations, supporting their entry into the WTO, and most recently calling the President’s travel ban from China ‘racist and xenophobic.’”
Sadler said America First has spent $9.2 million in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin with its ads and expects to spend $10 million by the end of the month. (Not all of the spending is reflected in the Kantar/CMAG data because it does not track ads that run on cable.)
Advertisement
Polls show that the American public views China unfavorably and worries about its global influence.
Other spots tout Trump’s travel bans on Chinese and European travelers, going after Biden for allegedly calling them xenophobic. (The Biden campaign has said that Biden’s charge of xenophobia was not specifically about the travel ban, but “Trump’s long record of scapegoating others” more generally.)
In April, the Trump campaign also released an ad that falsely implied that Gary Locke, a former Democratic governor and U.S. ambassador to China, is a Chinese government official.
“Donald Trump had countless opportunities to mobilize against the outbreak, as Joe Biden called on him to do,” Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said. “But instead he spent months disregarding repeated alarms sounded by his own advisers while downplaying the threat. As coronavirus spread like wildfire, he continuously echoed Chinese government propaganda about the threat being contained ― despite Joe Biden publicly warning him not to believe it and that he had to get our experts on the ground there.”
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
In late January, Trump did put restrictions on travelers from China. And he has repeatedly referred to the coronavirus as the “China virus.” But for weeks, beginning in late January, Trump praised Chinese officials for their response to the virus.
Advertisement
“China is working very hard,” Trump said on Feb. 7. “They’re working really hard, and I think they are doing a very professional job.”
“President Xi loves the people of China, he loves his country, and he’s doing a very good job with a very, very tough situation,” he added on Feb. 18.
But the rhetoric has shifted significantly in the last couple of months, and the president’s campaign isn’t the only one focusing on China. Sen. Martha McSally, a Republican facing a tough reelection fight in Arizona, put out an ad recently going after China for its handling of the virus.
America is learning that the Communist Chinese government lied & continues to coverup about the Coronavirus. We will come back from this stronger than ever, but the Chinese government must be held accountable, and we must never again rely on them for critical supply chain needs. pic.twitter.com/LX13VbSXEb — Martha McSally for U.S. Senate (@MarthaMcSally) May 15, 2020
On the Democratic side, the mentions of China tend to focus on Trump praising the country’s leadership during the early days of the pandemic as a counterpoint to the anti-China rhetoric he is now using.
Advertisement
The Biden campaign has run two digital ads hitting Trump’s response to the coronavirus, highlighting how he downplayed the severity of the virus and, as one of the spots states, “rolled over for the Chinese.”
American Bridge PAC launched a TV ad specifically meant to counter America First’s shot at Biden on China. It spent approximately $2 million on a spot that ran from April 21-May 4 in the same three states as the GOP ads ― Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
“Trump trusted China. Sent China our supplies. And just look at the mess we’re in now,” the ad states.
Advertisement
Shah said the Trump focus on China “looks desperate, but just because something reeks of desperation doesn’t mean you can let it go unchecked, and we thought it was important to counter their ads with a counterpunch.”
“Both parties agree that the Chinese government was a bad actor early in this crisis and there will be a policy debate about what to do in response, but Trump is using China to try to distract voters from his disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic. The fact is, China lied to everyone, not just us,” said Josh Schwerin, spokesman for the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA Action.
“That doesn’t explain why we now have more deaths and cases than any country in the world and our economy is in shambles,” he added. “Trump was faced with a real challenge and his failures have had deadly consequences.”
The rhetoric about China ― and the use of terms like “China virus” and “Wuhan virus” ― worries Manju Kulkarni, executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), a coalition of organizations and individuals in Los Angeles County.
“There’s no question that I think these messages are harmful,” she said.
A3PCON, Chinese for Affirmative Action and the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University launched STOP AAPI HATE, creating a form for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to report incidents of racism related to the coronavirus. Kulkarni said that so far, they have received more than 1,800 incident reports, including instances of people being called racial slurs or being physically assaulted.
Advertisement