huffpost--2020-02-29--No, 38% Of Americans Probably Didn't Stop Drinking Corona Beer Because Of Coronavirus

Many Twitter users seemed delighted for an excuse to poke fun at the rest of the country for jumping to such a dubious presumption ( the beer , of course , is in no way related to the virus ) .
But the poll and the reaction to it present their own lessons in drawing tenuous conclusions .
“ Clearly , a lot of Americans already think that their fellow citizens are stupid , ” Yascha Mounk wrote at The Atlantic .
“ The real reason a fake finding could have spread so far so quickly is that it confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held all along.
” It ’ s certainly true that Corona beer has drawn a wave of negative associations based on the unfortunate coincidence of its name in a way that could plausibly shift consumer behavior .
But what we know about the survey driving the story falls far short of backing up the more far-reaching claims .
The press release touting the poll offers little detail on what , exactly , people were asked , and 5W Public Relations has not been immediately forthcoming in answering additional questions .
The firm provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mounk and to the conservative site The Dispatch but refused to provide exact results for each question .
5WPR did not respond to HuffPost ’ s requests to provide a list of the survey ’ s questions , answer choices and results .
There are any number of ways a careful market researcher might attempt to tease out how , if at all , coronavirus has affected perceptions of the beer .
This isn ’ t one of them .
Instead , these questions manage to fail simultaneously in two different directions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phrasing ( “ In light of the coronavirus ... ” ) implies a queasy connection between the virus and the beer that people might not have considered until they were polled .
On the other hand , the final three questions ― including the one responsible for that startling 38 % statistic ― don ’ t explicitly mention coronavirus as a motivation at all .
In other words , drinkers who said they wouldn ’ t buy Corona might simply have meant that they prefer to order a different brand of beer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more plausible statistic is that , even “ in light of the coronavirus , ” just 4 % of Americans who “ usually drink Corona ” say they “ plan to stop ” drinking it .
Even here , the framing of the question is sloppy : If respondents “ plan to stop , ” doesn ’ t that imply they haven ’ t given it up yet ?
Beyond the lack of clarity on the questionnaire , the press release is also somewhat vague about how the poll was conducted .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via phone ” and surveyed “ 737 American beer drinkers over the age of 21 on February 25 & 26 , 2020.
” Nothing about that description raises immediate red flags , and it ’ s a generally acceptable sample size for a national survey .
But it falls short of answering a number of basic methodological questions , including whether the poll used live interviewers or robocalls , how it identified respondents and how it was weighted .
Because of that lack of detail , we also don ’ t know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinks Corona and whether that subgroup is large enough to examine on its own .
There is some additional data on Corona beer beyond the 5WPR release .
The polling firm YouGov , which tracks consumer sentiment on a variety of brands , shows Corona experiencing a pretty clear uptick in negative “ buzz , ” meaning that people who ’ ve heard of the brand are more likely to say they ’ ve heard something bad about it recently .
That ’ s not surprising , especially considering a previous ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small uptick in the number of people searching for the term “ corona beer virus ” on Google .
Stories based on the latest survey are likely to lend themselves to another wave of negative buzz .
YouGov ’ s polling also finds that “ purchase intent , ” which they define as the share of people who say Corona is the brand of beer they ’ re most likely to buy , has fallen to its lowest point in two years .
But , as YouGov notes , Corona ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holidays [ and ] does see substantial seasonal fluctuation.
” Looking at the chart suggests that the brand ’ s recent drop on this metric is only slightly more dramatic than the previous ups and downs it ’ s seen in years past .
( A spokesperson for brewer Constellation Brands told CNN that Corona sales “ remain very strong.
” ) In interpreting all this data , it ’ s also worth asking a few more questions about what it would actually mean if someone said they ’ d stopped drinking Corona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a person mistakenly believes that the beer would made them sick .
But it could also encompass other rationales ― for instance , “ the name reminds me of something unpleasant I ’ d rather not think about , ” or “ ordering one at the bar feels like asking to be the setup for a joke.
” If the 38 % statistic doesn ’ t tell us much about Americans ’ reaction to a pandemic , it does present a pretty good case study in the way misinformation can spread .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat it : News outlets shouldn ’ t write about polls unless they know exactly what questions were asked , and readers should treat any stories that don ’ t provide that information with an appropriate grain of salt .

Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
A buzzy statistic about Americans ditching Corona beer for fear of coronavirus doesn’t quite hold up under sober analysis.
On Friday morning, CNN tweeted that “38% of Americans wouldn’t buy Corona beer ‘under any circumstances’ because of the coronavirus” ― a claim that promptly went, well, viral. The poll, conducted by 5W Public Relations, saw coverage in multiple media outlets.
Advertisement
Many Twitter users seemed delighted for an excuse to poke fun at the rest of the country for jumping to such a dubious presumption (the beer, of course, is in no way related to the virus). But the poll and the reaction to it present their own lessons in drawing tenuous conclusions.
“Clearly, a lot of Americans already think that their fellow citizens are stupid,” Yascha Mounk wrote at The Atlantic. “The real reason a fake finding could have spread so far so quickly is that it confirmed prejudices about the world that many have held all along.”
It’s certainly true that Corona beer has drawn a wave of negative associations based on the unfortunate coincidence of its name in a way that could plausibly shift consumer behavior. But what we know about the survey driving the story falls far short of backing up the more far-reaching claims.
The press release touting the poll offers little detail on what, exactly, people were asked, and 5W Public Relations has not been immediately forthcoming in answering additional questions. The firm provided a list of the questions it asked to Mounk and to the conservative site The Dispatch but refused to provide exact results for each question. 5WPR did not respond to HuffPost’s requests to provide a list of the survey’s questions, answer choices and results.
Advertisement
Here are the questions that were asked, according to The Dispatch’s Declan Garvey, combined with the results 5WPR chose to include in its press release:
Are you a beer drinker?
Are you a Corona drinker?
Is Corona related to the coronavirus? (16% of beer-drinkers were “confused” about this.)
In light of the coronavirus, do you plan to stop drinking Corona? (4% who “usually drink Corona” said they planned to stop.)
Would you buy Corona in a store?
Would you order a Corona in a restaurant/bar/public venue? (14% who “usually drink Corona” said they would not.)
Would you buy Corona under any circumstances now? (38% of “beer-drinking Americans” said they would not.)
There are any number of ways a careful market researcher might attempt to tease out how, if at all, coronavirus has affected perceptions of the beer. This isn’t one of them. Instead, these questions manage to fail simultaneously in two different directions. On one hand, some of the phrasing (“In light of the coronavirus...”) implies a queasy connection between the virus and the beer that people might not have considered until they were polled.
On the other hand, the final three questions ― including the one responsible for that startling 38% statistic ― don’t explicitly mention coronavirus as a motivation at all. In other words, drinkers who said they wouldn’t buy Corona might simply have meant that they prefer to order a different brand of beer.
The much less eye-catching but entirely more plausible statistic is that, even “in light of the coronavirus,” just 4% of Americans who “usually drink Corona” say they “plan to stop” drinking it. Even here, the framing of the question is sloppy: If respondents “plan to stop,” doesn’t that imply they haven’t given it up yet?
Advertisement
Beyond the lack of clarity on the questionnaire, the press release is also somewhat vague about how the poll was conducted. According to 5WPR, it was run “via phone” and surveyed “737 American beer drinkers over the age of 21 on February 25 & 26, 2020.” Nothing about that description raises immediate red flags, and it’s a generally acceptable sample size for a national survey. But it falls short of answering a number of basic methodological questions, including whether the poll used live interviewers or robocalls, how it identified respondents and how it was weighted. Because of that lack of detail, we also don’t know what share of its sample “usually” drinks Corona and whether that subgroup is large enough to examine on its own.
There is some additional data on Corona beer beyond the 5WPR release. The polling firm YouGov, which tracks consumer sentiment on a variety of brands, shows Corona experiencing a pretty clear uptick in negative “buzz,” meaning that people who’ve heard of the brand are more likely to say they’ve heard something bad about it recently. That’s not surprising, especially considering a previous (and similarly overhyped) wave of stories about a small uptick in the number of people searching for the term “corona beer virus” on Google. Stories based on the latest survey are likely to lend themselves to another wave of negative buzz.
YouGov BrandIndex Poll On Corona Beer YouGov
YouGov’s polling also finds that “purchase intent,” which they define as the share of people who say Corona is the brand of beer they’re most likely to buy, has fallen to its lowest point in two years. But, as YouGov notes, Corona’s product “is closely associated with beach holidays [and] does see substantial seasonal fluctuation.” Looking at the chart suggests that the brand’s recent drop on this metric is only slightly more dramatic than the previous ups and downs it’s seen in years past. (A spokesperson for brewer Constellation Brands told CNN that Corona sales “remain very strong.”)
YouGov BrandIndex Poll On Corona Beer YouGov
Advertisement
In interpreting all this data, it’s also worth asking a few more questions about what it would actually mean if someone said they’d stopped drinking Corona because of coronavirus. It might mean that a person mistakenly believes that the beer would made them sick. But it could also encompass other rationales ― for instance, “the name reminds me of something unpleasant I’d rather not think about,” or “ordering one at the bar feels like asking to be the setup for a joke.”


huffpost--2020-02-29--China Reveals Deep Hit From Coronavirus Crisis, Further Destabilizing World Economy

Iran is preparing for the possibility of “ tens of thousands ” of people getting tested for the virus as the number of confirmed cases spiked again Saturday , an official said , underscoring the fear both at home and abroad over the outbreak in the Islamic Republic .
The virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes have killed 43 people out of 593 confirmed cases in Iran , Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said .
The new toll represents a jump of 205 cases — a 150 % increase from the 388 reported the day before .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put the virus ’ death rate in Iran at over 7 % , much higher than other countries .
That ’ s worried experts at the World Health Organization and elsewhere that Iran may be underreporting the number of cases now affecting it .
On Thursday , Saudi Arabia closed off the holy sites to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus , disrupting travel for thousands of Muslims already headed to the kingdom and potentially affecting plans later this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan and the annual hajj @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak in the U.S. , Trump has defended measures taken and lashed out Friday at Democrats who have questioned his handling of the threat , calling their criticism a new “ hoax ” intended to undermine his leadership .
China has seen a slowdown in new infections and on Saturday morning reported 427 new cases over the past 24 hours along with 47 additional deaths .
The city at the epicenter of the outbreak , Wuhan , accounted for the bulk of both .
The ruling party is striving to restore public and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downturn and politically risky job losses after weeks of disruptions due to the viral outbreak .
South Korea , the second hardest hit country , reported 813 new cases on Saturday — the highest daily jump since confirming its first patient in late January and raising its total to 3,150 .
Emerging clusters in Italy and in Iran have led to infections of people in other countries .
France and Germany were also seeing increases , with dozens of infections .
Streets were deserted in the city of Sapporo on Japan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state of emergency was issued until mid-March .
Seventy cases — the largest from a single prefecture in Japan — have been detected in the island prefecture .
Bishop Michel Aupetit instructed that priests no longer put the sacramental bread in the mouths of worshippers celebrating communion and instead place it in their hands .
He also asked that worshippers not drink wine directly from a shared chalice , and that sacramental bread instead be dipped in wine .
The head of the World Health Organization on Friday announced that the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very high , ” while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the “ window of opportunity ” for containing the virus was narrowing .
Stock markets around the world plunged again Friday .
On Wall Street , the Dow Jones index took yet another hit , closing down nearly 360 points .
The index has dropped more than 14 % from a recent high , making this the market ’ s worst week since 2008 , during the global financial crisis .
Tourist arrivals in Thailand are down 50 % compared with a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has reported 888 cases , the most of any country outside of Asia — hotel bookings are falling and Premier Giuseppe Conte raised the specter of recession .
Assuming there are many more cases with no or very mild symptoms , the rate “ may be considerably less than 1 % , ” U.S. health officials wrote in an editorial in the journal .
That would make the virus more like a severe seasonal flu than a disease similar to its genetic cousins SARS , severe acute respiratory syndrome , or MERS , @ @ @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
TOKYO (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak’s impact on the world economy grew more alarming on Saturday, even after President Donald Trump denounced criticism of his response to the threat as a “hoax” cooked up by his political enemies.
China’s manufacturing plunged in February by an even wider margin than expected after efforts to contain the virus outbreak shut down much of the world’s second-largest economy, an official survey showed Saturday.
Advertisement
The survey, coming as global stock markets fall on fears the virus will spread abroad, adds to mounting evidence of the vast cost of the disease that emerged in central China in December and its economic impact worldwide.
The monthly purchasing managers’ index issued by the Chinese statistics agency and an industry group fell to 35.7 from January’s 50 on a 100-point scale on which numbers below 50 indicate activity contracting.
Iran is preparing for the possibility of “tens of thousands” of people getting tested for the virus as the number of confirmed cases spiked again Saturday, an official said, underscoring the fear both at home and abroad over the outbreak in the Islamic Republic.
The virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes have killed 43 people out of 593 confirmed cases in Iran, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said. The new toll represents a jump of 205 cases — a 150% increase from the 388 reported the day before.
Advertisement
But the number of known cases versus deaths would put the virus’ death rate in Iran at over 7%, much higher than other countries. That’s worried experts at the World Health Organization and elsewhere that Iran may be underreporting the number of cases now affecting it.
Earlier Saturday, Bahrain threatened legal prosecution against travelers who came from Iran and hadn’t been tested for the virus, and also barred public gatherings for two weeks.
Saudi Arabia said it would bar citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council from Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina over concerns about the virus’ spread. The GCC is a six-nation group including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia closed off the holy sites to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus, disrupting travel for thousands of Muslims already headed to the kingdom and potentially affecting plans later this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan and the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Elsewhere around the world, already slumping financial markets dropped even lower on Friday, while virus fears led to emptied shops and amusement parks, canceled events, and drastically reduced trade and travel.
Advertisement
Despite anxieties about a wider outbreak in the U.S., Trump has defended measures taken and lashed out Friday at Democrats who have questioned his handling of the threat, calling their criticism a new “hoax” intended to undermine his leadership.
Shortly before Trump began to speak, health officials confirmed a second case of coronavirus in the U.S. in a person who didn’t travel internationally or have close contact with anyone who had the virus.
The list of countries touched by the virus has climbed to nearly 60. More than 85,000 people worldwide have contracted the virus, with deaths topping 2,900.
Even in isolated, sanctions-hit North Korea, leader Kim Jong Un called for stronger anti-virus efforts to guard against COVID-19, saying there will be “serious consequences” if the illness spreads to the country.
China has seen a slowdown in new infections and on Saturday morning reported 427 new cases over the past 24 hours along with 47 additional deaths. The city at the epicenter of the outbreak, Wuhan, accounted for the bulk of both. The ruling party is striving to restore public and business confidence and avert a deeper economic downturn and politically risky job losses after weeks of disruptions due to the viral outbreak.
Advertisement
South Korea, the second hardest hit country, reported 813 new cases on Saturday — the highest daily jump since confirming its first patient in late January and raising its total to 3,150. Emerging clusters in Italy and in Iran have led to infections of people in other countries. France and Germany were also seeing increases, with dozens of infections.
Streets were deserted in the city of Sapporo on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, where a state of emergency was issued until mid-March. Seventy cases — the largest from a single prefecture in Japan — have been detected in the island prefecture.
The archbishop of Paris asked all of the French capital’s parish priests to change the way they administer communion to counter the spread of the coronavirus.
Bishop Michel Aupetit instructed that priests no longer put the sacramental bread in the mouths of worshippers celebrating communion and instead place it in their hands. He also asked that worshippers not drink wine directly from a shared chalice, and that sacramental bread instead be dipped in wine.
The bishop’s instructions were listed in a statement Saturday from the Paris diocese. It said a Paris priest tested positive for the virus on Friday after returning from Italy.
Advertisement
The head of the World Health Organization on Friday announced that the risk of the virus spreading worldwide was “very high,” while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the “window of opportunity” for containing the virus was narrowing.
Stock markets around the world plunged again Friday. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index took yet another hit, closing down nearly 360 points. The index has dropped more than 14% from a recent high, making this the market’s worst week since 2008, during the global financial crisis.
In Asia, Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan announced they would close, and events that were expected to attract tens of thousands of people were called off, including a concert series by the K-pop group BTS.
Tourist arrivals in Thailand are down 50% compared with a year ago, and in Italy — which has reported 888 cases, the most of any country outside of Asia — hotel bookings are falling and Premier Giuseppe Conte raised the specter of recession.
Assuming there are many more cases with no or very mild symptoms, the rate “may be considerably less than 1%,” U.S. health officials wrote in an editorial in the journal. That would make the virus more like a severe seasonal flu than a disease similar to its genetic cousins SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or MERS, Middle East respiratory syndrome.
Advertisement
Given the ease of spread, however, the virus could gain footholds around the world and many could die.
Europe’s economy is already teetering on the edge of recession. A measure of business sentiment in Germany fell sharply last week, suggesting that some companies could postpone investment and expansion plans. China is a huge export market for German manufacturers.
Economists have forecast global growth will slip to 2.4% this year, the slowest since the Great Recession in 2009, and down from earlier expectations closer to 3%. For the United States, estimates are falling to as low as 1.7% growth this year, down from 2.3% in 2019.
But if COVID-19 becomes a global pandemic, economists expect the impact could be much worse, with the U.S. and other global economies falling into recession.
___


huffpost--2020-05-21--The Anti-Abortion Movement Is Capitalizing On Coronavirus

On an average day , even during the pandemic , a handful of anti-abortion protesters line up on the sidewalk outside the Heritage Clinic for Women in Grand Rapids , Michigan , and preach at the women who enter .
Their faces are familiar to clinic staff , as are their regular schedules .
But last Wednesday , when the clinic opened in the morning , the staff were startled to find 25 to 30 protesters assembling , many of them holding single red roses .
Ignoring the no-trespassing signs , they began swarming the clinic ’ s parking lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their cars .
Some wore masks to avoid the spread of the coronavirus , but many did not .
Kelly , the clinic administrator who asked to be identified only by her first name , called the police .
She immediately recognized the protest as a “ red rose rescue , ” an aggressive tactic where anti-abortion activists physically enter clinic waiting rooms and refuse to leave .
In normal times , clinic invasions can be disruptive and traumatizing for patients and staff .
But during an infectious disease outbreak , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health .
“ Our patients were shaken up , scared , ” Kelly said .
“ We haven ’ t had anything that invasive since the 1980s.
” The protesters did not make it inside the facility , she said , but at least one person attempted to enter through the locked security door at the top of a stairwell .
Since the coronavirus pandemic began , emboldened pro-life groups have used the public health crisis to try to disrupt access to abortion .
As governors across the country issued emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , anti-abortion activists pressured officials to close abortion clinics under the guise of preserving personal protective equipment , a strategy that was temporarily successful in some states .
Many are also defying stay-at-home orders to demonstrate outside clinics , leading to arrests in multiple states .
“ Would be a shame if I was sick , ” one protester in North Carolina reportedly said while coughing in the face of an elderly clinic volunteer .
Monica Miller , a Michigan-based veteran anti-abortion activist who created the “ red rose rescue ” movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue protests during the outbreak in an interview with HuffPost .
“ We ’ re rather frustrated , generally speaking in the pro-life movement , that abortion is being treated as an essential medical procedure , ” she said .
“ When the abortion clinics are remaining open , why should we be calling off our defense ?
” In the past month , her group has embarked on four protests at clinics in Washington , D.C. , Baton Rouge , Louisiana and Michigan .
“ I just don ’ t think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Miller said .
“ The boundaries are drawn by the people that are killing the unborn .
I don ’ t think we have any moral ― and I might even be able to argue , legal ― obligation to respect those boundaries.
” While abortion clinics have experienced an increase in harassment since 2015 , the pandemic has ushered in increasingly hostile , aggressive and dangerous behavior , according to the Very Reverend Katherine Ragsdale , president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation .
“ Surrounding and screaming at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get into the clinic takes on new weight when we ’ re trying to social distance , ” she said .
“ It threatens patients and staff lives.
” The ultimate goal of such protests is to scare patients out of obtaining the procedure that day , she added .
Potentially exposing them to a contagious virus is a very effective way to get women to vacate the premises .
Clinics are currently taking extreme measures to reduce virus transmission , she said , including screening patients for symptoms before they enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people inside at any time and having patients fill out paperwork in their cars so they are not waiting indoors .
Protesters have been surrounding cars and yelling at patients while they are stuck inside their vehicles , she said .
“ While they ’ re using the same tactics as before , they carry heightened effects right now as we ’ re already living in such anxiety , ” she said .
Anti-abortion groups have been energized by the Trump presidency and are increasingly confident that they will be able to overturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court case that effectively legalized abortion nationwide .
Currently , the high court is considering a Louisiana case that could have broad implications for abortion ’ s accessibility across the country .
At the protest in Grand Rapids , Michigan , anti-abortion activists bombarded patients as they got out of their cars , and tried to talk them out of getting the procedure , according to Kelly , the clinic administrator .
“ They were very aggressive , in the patients ’ faces , ” she said .
Two protesters were arrested and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited for trespassing .
Miller denied that her group tried to enter the facility , and said they wore masks and practiced social distancing .
“ The majority of them were unmasked and they were all grouped very close together , ” she said .
“ Their entire goal was to make it so that we were so distracted and disrupted that we stopped services .
Luckily , that did not happen .
”

On an average day, even during the pandemic, a handful of anti-abortion protesters line up on the sidewalk outside the Heritage Clinic for Women in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and preach at the women who enter. Their faces are familiar to clinic staff, as are their regular schedules.
But last Wednesday, when the clinic opened in the morning, the staff were startled to find 25 to 30 protesters assembling, many of them holding single red roses. Ignoring the no-trespassing signs, they began swarming the clinic’s parking lot, rushing patients as they got out of their cars.
Some wore masks to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, but many did not.
Kelly, the clinic administrator who asked to be identified only by her first name, called the police. She immediately recognized the protest as a “red rose rescue,” an aggressive tactic where anti-abortion activists physically enter clinic waiting rooms and refuse to leave.
In normal times, clinic invasions can be disruptive and traumatizing for patients and staff. But during an infectious disease outbreak, this type of scary stunt potentially endangers everyone’s health.
“Our patients were shaken up, scared,” Kelly said. “We haven’t had anything that invasive since the 1980s.” The protesters did not make it inside the facility, she said, but at least one person attempted to enter through the locked security door at the top of a stairwell.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, emboldened pro-life groups have used the public health crisis to try to disrupt access to abortion.
As governors across the country issued emergency orders to halt the spread of the virus, anti-abortion activists pressured officials to close abortion clinics under the guise of preserving personal protective equipment, a strategy that was temporarily successful in some states. Many are also defying stay-at-home orders to demonstrate outside clinics, leading to arrests in multiple states. “Would be a shame if I was sick,” one protester in North Carolina reportedly said while coughing in the face of an elderly clinic volunteer.
Monica Miller, a Michigan-based veteran anti-abortion activist who created the “red rose rescue” movement in 2017, defended the choice to continue protests during the outbreak in an interview with HuffPost.
“We’re rather frustrated, generally speaking in the pro-life movement, that abortion is being treated as an essential medical procedure,” she said. “When the abortion clinics are remaining open, why should we be calling off our defense?”
In the past month, her group has embarked on four protests at clinics in Washington, D.C., Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Michigan.
“I just don’t think that love and charity and compassion have boundaries,” Miller said. “The boundaries are drawn by the people that are killing the unborn. I don’t think we have any moral ― and I might even be able to argue, legal ― obligation to respect those boundaries.”
While abortion clinics have experienced an increase in harassment since 2015, the pandemic has ushered in increasingly hostile, aggressive and dangerous behavior, according to the Very Reverend Katherine Ragsdale, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation.
“Surrounding and screaming at patients and making it difficult for them to get into the clinic takes on new weight when we’re trying to social distance,” she said. “It threatens patients and staff lives.”
The ultimate goal of such protests is to scare patients out of obtaining the procedure that day, she added. Potentially exposing them to a contagious virus is a very effective way to get women to vacate the premises.
Clinics are currently taking extreme measures to reduce virus transmission, she said, including screening patients for symptoms before they enter the facility, limiting the number of people inside at any time and having patients fill out paperwork in their cars so they are not waiting indoors. Protesters have been surrounding cars and yelling at patients while they are stuck inside their vehicles, she said.
“While they’re using the same tactics as before, they carry heightened effects right now as we’re already living in such anxiety,” she said.
Anti-abortion groups have been energized by the Trump presidency and are increasingly confident that they will be able to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that effectively legalized abortion nationwide. Currently, the high court is considering a Louisiana case that could have broad implications for abortion’s accessibility across the country.
At the protest in Grand Rapids, Michigan, anti-abortion activists bombarded patients as they got out of their cars, and tried to talk them out of getting the procedure, according to Kelly, the clinic administrator.
“They were very aggressive, in the patients’ faces,” she said.
Two protesters were arrested and three others, including Miller, were cited for trespassing. Miller denied that her group tried to enter the facility, and said they wore masks and practiced social distancing.
Kelly disputed her account.
“The majority of them were unmasked and they were all grouped very close together,” she said. “Their entire goal was to make it so that we were so distracted and disrupted that we stopped services. Luckily, that did not happen.”


huffpost--2020-05-21--2.4 Million More People Applied For Unemployment Last Week

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession .
Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces , the Labor Department said Thursday .
An additional 2.2 million people sought aid under a new federal program for self-employed , contractor and gig workers , who are now eligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These figures aren ’ t adjusted for seasonal variations , so the government doesn ’ t include them in the overall number of applications .
The continuing stream of heavy job cuts reflects an economy that is sinking into the worst recession since the Great Depression .
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated this week that the economy is shrinking at a 38 % annual rate in the April-June quarter .
That would be by far the worst quarterly contraction on record .
Nearly half of Americans say that either their incomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adult who has lost pay through a job loss or reduced hours , the Census Bureau said in survey data released Wednesday More than one-fifth of Americans said they had little or no confidence in their ability to pay the next month ’ s rent or mortgage on time , the survey found .
During April , U.S. employers shed 20 million jobs , eliminating a decade ’ s worth of job growth in a single month .
The unemployment rate reached 14.7 % , the highest since the Depression .
Millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t counted as unemployed because they didn ’ t look for a new job .
Since then , 10 million more laid-off workers have applied for jobless benefits .
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in an interview Sunday that the unemployment rate could peak in May or June at 20 % to 25 % .
Across industries , major employers continue to announce job cuts .
Uber said this week that it will lay off 3,000 employees , on top of 3,700 it has already cut , because demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a TV and digital news organization tailored for younger people , announced 155 layoffs globally last week .
Digital publishers Quartz and BuzzFeed , magazine giant Conde Nast and the company that owns the business-focused The Economist magazine also announced job cuts last week .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession.
Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday.
Advertisement
An additional 2.2 million people sought aid under a new federal program for self-employed, contractor and gig workers, who are now eligible for jobless aid for the first time. These figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal variations, so the government doesn’t include them in the overall number of applications.
The continuing stream of heavy job cuts reflects an economy that is sinking into the worst recession since the Great Depression. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated this week that the economy is shrinking at a 38% annual rate in the April-June quarter. That would be by far the worst quarterly contraction on record.
Nearly half of Americans say that either their incomes have declined or they live with another adult who has lost pay through a job loss or reduced hours, the Census Bureau said in survey data released Wednesday More than one-fifth of Americans said they had little or no confidence in their ability to pay the next month’s rent or mortgage on time, the survey found.
During April, U.S. employers shed 20 million jobs, eliminating a decade’s worth of job growth in a single month. The unemployment rate reached 14.7%, the highest since the Depression. Millions of other people who were out of work weren’t counted as unemployed because they didn’t look for a new job.
Advertisement
Since then, 10 million more laid-off workers have applied for jobless benefits. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in an interview Sunday that the unemployment rate could peak in May or June at 20% to 25%.
Across industries, major employers continue to announce job cuts. Uber said this week that it will lay off 3,000 employees, on top of 3,700 it has already cut, because demand for its ride-hailing services has plummeted. Vice, a TV and digital news organization tailored for younger people, announced 155 layoffs globally last week.
Digital publishers Quartz and BuzzFeed, magazine giant Conde Nast and the company that owns the business-focused The Economist magazine also announced job cuts last week.


huffpost--2020-05-21--40 Funny Tweets That Sum Up The Various Stages Of Quarantine

It often feels like time has lost all meaning in this new at-home reality amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
So @ @ @ @ @ weeks , many are tracking their quarantine journeys in terms of stages .

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.


huffpost--2020-05-21--Meatpacking Coronavirus Guidelines Are Largely Unenforceable

“ It ’ s like , ‘ Here ’ s what we ’ d like you to do .
But if you don ’ t want to do it , you don ’ t have to , ’ ” said Mark Lauritsen , international vice president and director of the food processing and meatpacking division for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union .
The pandemic is “ the most massive workers ’ safety crisis in many decades , and OSHA is in the closet .
OSHA is hiding , ” said David Michaels , an epidemiologist who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor under President Barack Obama .
Michaels called on OSHA to make the guidelines mandatory and enforceable , which would include the threat of fines .
But the guidance also says employers must follow a law known as the general duty clause , which requires companies to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards .
Critics say that rule is unlikely to be enforced , especially after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April aimed at keeping meat plants open .
— Shortly before Trump ’ s order , state regulators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foods pork plant despite a complaint alleging workers had been exposed to the virus in crowded conditions .
Documents obtained by The Associated Press show it took the Iowa division of OSHA nine days to seek a response from Tyson and eight more to get a reply .
The state agency ultimately found Tyson ’ s voluntary efforts to improve social distancing at the Perry plant were “ satisfactory ” and closed the case without an inspection .
A week later , 730 workers — almost 60 % of the workforce — had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state softened its quarantine guidelines after industry executives pushed to allow potentially exposed employees to continue going to work , according to emails and text messages obtained by The Kansas City Star and The Wichita Eagle .
The state had previously advised such employees to quarantine for two weeks , before conforming to the more lenient CDC guideline , which allows employees to continue working if they have no symptoms and use precautions .
The move came after Tyson raised a concern with the state of rising worker absenteeism .
After Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ input from the industry — the Labor Department and OSHA said OSHA would use discretion and consider “ good faith attempts ” to follow safety recommendations .
Employers would be given a chance to explain if some are not met .
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue made clear in letters earlier this month that the Department of Agriculture expected state and local officials to work with meat plants to keep them running .
And he said any closed plants without a timetable to reopen had to submit protocols to the USDA .
Major meatpackers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker safety is their highest priority .
They provided the AP with summaries of their efforts to improve safety , but the plans themselves have not been made public .
Tyson said because the temporary suspension of its operations was voluntary and the company was already meeting or exceeding federal guidance , it was not required to submit a reopening plan to the USDA .
One plan obtained by the AP , for the reopening of a JBS pork plant in Worthington , Minnesota , details multiple safety improvements , including installing physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring protective equipment .
The plan includes photos .
It says employees will be screened for health issues , but it makes no mention of requiring testing .
Michaels , the former OSHA official , said the clause has no preventive effect and is generally enforced only after a worker is injured .
He said it ’ s effective only in cases in which OSHA conducts an inspection and issues citations and the employer agrees to fix the problem — so any impact is felt months or years later .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal recommendations meant to keep meatpacking workers safe as they return to plants that were shuttered by the coronavirus have little enforcement muscle behind them, fueling anxiety that working conditions could put employees’ lives at risk.
Extensive guidance issued last month by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that meatpacking companies erect physical barriers, enforce social distancing and install more hand-sanitizing stations, among other steps. But the guidance is not mandatory.
Advertisement
“It’s like, ‘Here’s what we’d like you to do. But if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to,’” said Mark Lauritsen, international vice president and director of the food processing and meatpacking division for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.
The pandemic is “the most massive workers’ safety crisis in many decades, and OSHA is in the closet. OSHA is hiding,” said David Michaels, an epidemiologist who was the agency’s assistant secretary of labor under President Barack Obama. Michaels called on OSHA to make the guidelines mandatory and enforceable, which would include the threat of fines.
OSHA’s general guidance plainly says the recommendations are advisory and “not a standard or regulation,” and they create “no new legal obligations.”
But the guidance also says employers must follow a law known as the general duty clause, which requires companies to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. Critics say that rule is unlikely to be enforced, especially after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April aimed at keeping meat plants open.
Advertisement
Already, examples have emerged of questionable enforcement efforts and pressure to keeping plants running:
— Shortly before Trump’s order, state regulators in Iowa declined to inspect a Tyson Foods pork plant despite a complaint alleging workers had been exposed to the virus in crowded conditions. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show it took the Iowa division of OSHA nine days to seek a response from Tyson and eight more to get a reply. The state agency ultimately found Tyson’s voluntary efforts to improve social distancing at the Perry plant were “satisfactory” and closed the case without an inspection. A week later, 730 workers — almost 60% of the workforce — had tested positive.
— In Kansas, the state softened its quarantine guidelines after industry executives pushed to allow potentially exposed employees to continue going to work, according to emails and text messages obtained by The Kansas City Star and The Wichita Eagle. The state had previously advised such employees to quarantine for two weeks, before conforming to the more lenient CDC guideline, which allows employees to continue working if they have no symptoms and use precautions. The move came after Tyson raised a concern with the state of rising worker absenteeism.
After Trump’s executive order — developed with input from the industry — the Labor Department and OSHA said OSHA would use discretion and consider “good faith attempts” to follow safety recommendations. Employers would be given a chance to explain if some are not met. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue made clear in letters earlier this month that the Department of Agriculture expected state and local officials to work with meat plants to keep them running. And he said any closed plants without a timetable to reopen had to submit protocols to the USDA.
The USDA did not respond to repeated requests to provide those company plans to the AP. When asked how guidelines would be enforced, a USDA spokesperson said enforcement was up to OSHA.
Advertisement
Major meatpackers JBS, Smithfield and Tyson have said worker safety is their highest priority. They provided the AP with summaries of their efforts to improve safety, but the plans themselves have not been made public. Tyson said because the temporary suspension of its operations was voluntary and the company was already meeting or exceeding federal guidance, it was not required to submit a reopening plan to the USDA.
One plan obtained by the AP, for the reopening of a JBS pork plant in Worthington, Minnesota, details multiple safety improvements, including installing physical barriers, increasing spacing between workers and requiring protective equipment. The plan includes photos. It says employees will be screened for health issues, but it makes no mention of requiring testing.
JBS spokesman Cameron Bruett said the plan “demonstrates the extraordinary measures” the plant has taken “to keep our team members safe as they provide food for the country.”
In an emailed response to questions about how guidance would be enforced and what role OSHA would play in protecting workers, the Department of Labor said OSHA received 55 complaints in the animal-processing industry and opened 22 inspections since Feb. 1.
Echoing language from the general duty clause, the agency also noted longstanding rules that require employers to provide a safe workplace.
Advertisement
“OSHA’s standards remain in place and enforceable, and they will continue to be as workers return to their workplaces,” a labor spokesperson said.
Michaels, the former OSHA official, said the clause has no preventive effect and is generally enforced only after a worker is injured. He said it’s effective only in cases in which OSHA conducts an inspection and issues citations and the employer agrees to fix the problem — so any impact is felt months or years later.
Michaels said OSHA will not issue citations if employers are doing their best to eliminate a hazard but find it’s not feasible.
Jeffrey Lancaster, founder and CEO of Lancaster Safety Consulting in Wexford, Pennsylvania, said violations of the general duty clause can get expensive, especially if companies are found to be repeat violators, have a willful violation, or fail to fix an issue.
“The laws have been in place,” he said. “It’s just a new ballgame – a new hazard.”
Minnesota is one of 22 states or territories with worker-protection agencies that cover private and government workers, and the state OSHA has the power to enforce the CDC and state Department of Health’s COVID-19 safety guidelines under the general duty clause, spokesman James Honerman said.
Advertisement
The agency has two open investigations into the meatpacking businesses — one at a JBS plant in Worthington and one at a Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Cold Spring, said Honerman, who could not discuss the investigations because they are pending.
Lauritsen, with the food workers’ union, said OSHA has not done enough to hold employers accountable. The union is advocating for access to daily testing for all meat-production workers, personal protective equipment if necessary and paid sick leave.


huffpost--2020-05-21--Actor Nick Cordero's Condition Goes 'Downhill' In COVID-19 Fight

“ I know that this virus is not going to get him down , ” she added .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ story ends , so just keep us in your thoughts and prayers today.
” Kloots @ @ @ @ @ downturn .
She said previously that Cordero remained on a ventilator for a lung infection @ @ @ @ @ Last week , Cordero awakened after weeks in a medically induced coma at Cedars-Sinai Medical @ @ @ @ @ prompting a celebration from Kloots , a former Radio City Rockette who shares a nearly @ @ @ @ @ star of “ Bullets Over Broadway.
” Cordero , 41 , had his right leg @ @ @ @ @ blood clots , and he has endured septic shock , two “ mini strokes , @ @ @ @ @ the insertion of a temporary pacemaker , his wife said .
In his stage career @ @ @ @ @ Waitress ” and “ A Bronx Tale : The Musical ” on Broadway .

“I know that this virus is not going to get him down,” she added. “It’s not how his story ends, so just keep us in your thoughts and prayers today.”
Kloots didn’t detail the downturn. She said previously that Cordero remained on a ventilator for a lung infection that resulted from COVID-19.
Last week, Cordero awakened after weeks in a medically induced coma at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, prompting a celebration from Kloots, a former Radio City Rockette who shares a nearly year-old son with the Tony-nominated star of “Bullets Over Broadway.”
Cordero, 41, had his right leg amputated last month because of blood clots, and he has endured septic shock, two “mini strokes,” kidney dialysis, and the insertion of a temporary pacemaker, his wife said.
In his stage career Cordero also appeared in “Waitress” and “A Bronx Tale: The Musical” on Broadway.


huffpost--2020-05-21--China Proposes Law Cracking Down On Hong Kong Opposition Activity

BEIJING ( AP ) — China ’ s ceremonial parliament will consider a bill that could limit opposition activity in Hong Kong , a spokesperson said Thursday , appearing to confirm speculation that China will sidestep the territory ’ s own lawmaking body in enacting legislation to crack down on activity Beijing considers subversive .
Such a move has long been under consideration but was hastened by months of anti-government protests last year in the former British colony that was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997 .
Such legislation was last proposed in 2003 under Article 23 of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mini-constitution , bringing hundreds of thousands of the territory ’ s citizens out in protest .
The proposal was withdrawn by the government but Beijing has increasingly pushed for measures such as punishment for disrespecting the Chinese national flag and anthem and increased pro-China patriotic-themed education in schools .
Opposition in Hong Kong ’ s Legislative Council , however , made it unlikely such a bill could pass at the local level .
Hong Kong ’ s South China Morning Post newspaper said a draft resolution would be brought before the National People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted on at the end of its session on May 28 .
The congress ’ standing committee that handles most actual legislation will then consider the details of the measure , the newspaper said .
A vote at the NPC will add to concerns in Hong Kong ’ s pro-democracy camp that Beijing is chipping away at the semi-autonomous territory ’ s rights to assembly and free speech that greatly exceed those permitted by the ruling Communist Party in mainland China .
Delegates wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opening session of the Chinese People 's Political Consultative Conference ( CPPCC ) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing , Thursday , May 21 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/Andy Wong , Pool ) Thursday saw the opening session of the Chinese People ’ s Political Consultative Conference , an advisory body .
That will be followed Friday by the start of the 3,000-member NPC at which Premier Li Keqiang will deliver a keynote speech outlining economic and social goals for the year .
The holding of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings are known , is a further sign of what the party says is its success in bringing the outbreak under control , although clusters of cases are still popping up in some parts of the country .
Members of the Consultative Conference will “ tell the world about how China , as a responsible major country , has taken firm action and contributed to international cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic , ” Wang Yang , the chairman of the body , said in a report to the opening session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will issue the usual economic growth target for the world ’ s second-largest economy .
Given the economic devastation caused so far this year by the pandemic , any target would likely be considerably lower than last year ’ s 6.0 % to 6.5 % .
Tens of millions of Chinese have been thrown out of work and it ’ s unclear how many jobs will return .
Not only have domestic production and demand been hammered , but key export markets such as the United States and Europe have collapsed as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s meeting of the two bodies is being shortened to one week from the usual two as part of virus-control measures .
Media access has been largely reduced and only a limited number of reporters , diplomats and observers were permitted into the meeting hall .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BEIJING (AP) — China’s ceremonial parliament will consider a bill that could limit opposition activity in Hong Kong, a spokesperson said Thursday, appearing to confirm speculation that China will sidestep the territory’s own lawmaking body in enacting legislation to crack down on activity Beijing considers subversive.
Zhang Yesui said the National People’s Congress will deliberate a bill on “establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security.”
Advertisement
Such a move has long been under consideration but was hastened by months of anti-government protests last year in the former British colony that was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997. Such legislation was last proposed in 2003 under Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, bringing hundreds of thousands of the territory’s citizens out in protest.
A riot police officer points pepper spray at a journalist as pro-democracy activists gather outside a shopping mall during the Labor Day in Hong Kong, Friday, May 1, 2020 amid an outbreak of the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The proposal was withdrawn by the government but Beijing has increasingly pushed for measures such as punishment for disrespecting the Chinese national flag and anthem and increased pro-China patriotic-themed education in schools. Opposition in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, however, made it unlikely such a bill could pass at the local level.
The new measures are required by the “new situation and demands” and action at the national level is “entirely necessary,” Zhang said.
Advertisement
Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post newspaper said a draft resolution would be brought before the National People’s Congress on Friday afternoon and voted on at the end of its session on May 28. The congress’ standing committee that handles most actual legislation will then consider the details of the measure, the newspaper said.
A vote at the NPC will add to concerns in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp that Beijing is chipping away at the semi-autonomous territory’s rights to assembly and free speech that greatly exceed those permitted by the ruling Communist Party in mainland China.
Delegates wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus wait for the start of the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, May 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Zhang’s comments at a news conference came on the eve of the opening of the congress’s annual session after a two-month delay because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday saw the opening session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body. That will be followed Friday by the start of the 3,000-member NPC at which Premier Li Keqiang will deliver a keynote speech outlining economic and social goals for the year.
Advertisement
The holding of the “two sessions,” as the annual meetings are known, is a further sign of what the party says is its success in bringing the outbreak under control, although clusters of cases are still popping up in some parts of the country.
Members of the Consultative Conference will “tell the world about how China, as a responsible major country, has taken firm action and contributed to international cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic,” Wang Yang, the chairman of the body, said in a report to the opening session.
Wang’s comments were in the prepared text distributed to journalists, although he skipped over them in his delivery, apparently to save time.
Rank-and-file members wore masks in the vast auditorium inside the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing. Other top officials, including Wang, Li and President Xi Jinping, did not.
It remains unclear whether the premier will issue the usual economic growth target for the world’s second-largest economy. Given the economic devastation caused so far this year by the pandemic, any target would likely be considerably lower than last year’s 6.0% to 6.5%.
Advertisement
Tens of millions of Chinese have been thrown out of work and it’s unclear how many jobs will return. Not only have domestic production and demand been hammered, but key export markets such as the United States and Europe have collapsed as the outbreak spreads worldwide.
This year’s meeting of the two bodies is being shortened to one week from the usual two as part of virus-control measures. Media access has been largely reduced and only a limited number of reporters, diplomats and observers were permitted into the meeting hall.
Backed by massive state propaganda support, Xi has received plaudits at home for having contained the virus, even while the U.S. and others question China’s handling of the initial outbreak.
The Chinese public is also largely seen as backing Xi’s tough approach to foreign policy challenges, including criticism from the U.S., Australia and others.
Abroad, however, that policy has further bolstered concerns about China’s intentions. The Trump administration issued a 20-page report Wednesday attacking what it called Beijing’s predatory economic policies, military buildup, disinformation campaigns and human rights violations.
Advertisement


huffpost--2020-05-21--This Is How Buffets And Salad Bars Plan To Survive After COVID-19

A representative for Golden Corral told HuffPost that in most locations , soft-serve ice cream machines have been suspended .
“ In parts of the country where self-service is permitted , we provide protective paper napkins next to the machine so that our guests do not have to touch the metal lever to dispense their soft-serve ice cream , ” said the representative .
“ We are also sanitizing guest touch points at a minimum of every 30 minutes.
” Sizzler , which is known for its steaks and its long-running Craft Salad Bar , has begun reopening dine-in service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar , however , will now be brought tableside .
“ With this new format , guests can choose their Sizzler favorites and one of our employees , who has been trained to follow additional safety techniques and precautions , will assemble guests ’ selections and serve directly at their table , ” Forbes Collins , Sizzler USA ’ s chief operations officer , told HuffPost .
“ As time goes by , we will continue to reevaluate different solutions based on the needs of our guests .
It ’ s a fluid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fluid.
” Since the 1970s , Sizzler has offered its salad bar to customers .
But with the pandemic expected to last more than a year , what does the future of Sizzler ’ s salad bar look like ?
“ While we understandably have our concerns , the thought of Sizzler guests not being able to make their favorite salad bar creation their way is something we aren ’ t ready to come to terms with , ” Collins said .
“ But public health comes first .
Even during these unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can still provide our guests with a memorable Craft Salad Bar experience , safely .
In fact , there ’ s even potential that some guests might enjoy this version better.
” In Indiana , Ohio and Kentucky , Frisch ’ s Big Boy operates a total of 110 locations .
Starting on May 20 , the hamburger chain with a soup , salad and breakfast bar will reopen with “ frictionless ” dine-in service at two locations in Indiana .
On May 27 , nine Ohio locations will reopen , and every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations will return for dine-in .
Frisch ’ s has offered its Soup , Salad ’ n Fruit Bar since 1982 , but its entire self-serve format changed in mid-March .
Akin to Sizzler and Golden Corral , Frisch ’ s salad bar has a new iteration .
“ We ’ re not going to open up the salad bars right away , ” Jason Vaughn , Frisch ’ s CEO , told HuffPost .
“ We ’ re going to have build-your-own salad .
You can create your own — whatever guests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our salad bar .
We ’ re going to prepare it in the back of the house and have a food runner bring it out to them.
” Vaughn jettisoned cafeteria-style service , because he didn ’ t think customers would feel comfortable with employees wearing PPE and dishing food onto their plates .
“ If you were to walk up to our salad bar and someone was in a mask and gloves , would you be OK with that ?
” he said .
“ Right now the sentiment seems to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just prepare it safely in the back of the house , in the kitchen.
” In the past , a person could build their own salad with whatever weird combinations they wanted ( and how much they wanted ) , without worrying about an employee judging them .
“ I thought the judge-free zone was one of the best things about salad bars , ” Vaughn said .
“ I ’ ve always enjoyed watching friends and families talking to each other about what they were going to put on their salad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to mix it .
That ritualistic part of going up and getting as much as you want and how you want it now gets lost in translation.
” “ If and when it does come back — and I happen to believe a version of it will come back — I think there will be an attendant making fresh salad for someone and the customer is picking and choosing the ingredients they want in it and someone is making it for them , is how I foresee it coming back , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buffet , which highlighted dishes not offered on the regular menu , won ’ t be returning then , or anytime soon .
“ We are not going to open the buffet until the situation is 100 % safe , ” Aniyan told HuffPost .
“ Not until the coronavirus is gone or a vaccination comes , because now the priority is 100 % safety for our employees and our guests.
” When Mayura does resume dine-in , customers can expect something special : thali .
The South Indian preparation entails 12-15 small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for individual servings .
“ I don ’ t think anyone is comfortable to go to the buffet , ” Aniyan said .
“ Once the restaurant reopens , I know a lot of people will show up .
We ’ ll try to block them from doing something that will create some friction in the crowd .
It ’ s not good for anyone .
That ’ s why we decided not to start the buffet soon .
At the same time , we want to make guests happy with all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buffet.
” The buffet used to be a traditional part of dining at some Indian restaurants , and Aniyan said it was a communal experience for her guests .
“ It ’ s hard , ” she said .
“ We used to do so many celebrations here , like special Indian festivals .
We had long , long lines here , and long waits .
But we are going to miss all those things , at least for some time.
” How grocery stores like Whole Foods will bring back their salad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar remains to be seen .
Whole Foods declined to comment , but Robbie Goldstein , an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital , told WGBH he thinks groceries should get rid of the self-serve model and suggested customers stick to prepackaged food .
Another option might be reopening the bars but having an employee constantly wipe down surfaces and supervise the area .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
For decades, self-serve salad bars and buffets have been ingrained in the American dining experience. But now, with the coronavirus threatening to contaminate buffet surfaces, the pandemic has upended salad bar chains, all-you-can-eat Indian and Chinese buffets, cruise ship and casino buffets, hotel breakfast bars and self-serve prepared food bars at grocery stores.
On May 7, the buffet industry had its first casualty when Souplantation ― or Sweet Tomatoes as the chain is known outside of Southern California ― permanently closed its 97 locations. Was this a harbinger of things to come?
Advertisement
Not exactly. As restaurants across the U.S. reopen for dine-in service, these food bars continue to exist but have morphed into different concepts.
Ethan Miller via Getty Images A closed Sweet Tomatoes restaurant in Las Vegas pictured on May 10 amid the spread of the coronavirus.
For instance, Golden Corral has adapted to cafeteria-style and family-style dining at most (but not all) of its locations. Instead of customers serving themselves at the buffet line, an attendant dishes out the food for them. Some items, like desserts, are pre-portioned for customers to grab themselves.
A representative for Golden Corral told HuffPost that in most locations, soft-serve ice cream machines have been suspended. “In parts of the country where self-service is permitted, we provide protective paper napkins next to the machine so that our guests do not have to touch the metal lever to dispense their soft-serve ice cream,” said the representative. “We are also sanitizing guest touch points at a minimum of every 30 minutes.”
Advertisement
“The judge-free zone was one of the best things about salad bars. ... That ritualistic part of going up and getting as much as you want and how you want it now gets lost in translation.” - Jason Vaughn, CEO of Frisch's Restaurants
The representative said that so far, customers like the new approach. “The feedback on our cafeteria-style service model has been extremely positive. Our guests appreciate the personalized service and the added sanitation measures we’ve put in place.”
When asked how long Golden Corral plans to continue this new type of service, President and CEO Lance Trenary told HuffPost that it’s “still not clear what the ‘new normal’ for all of us will be,” promising the brand will “adapt to meet [customers’] needs and exceed their expectations.”
jetcityimage via Getty Images At most locations of Golden Corral, self-serve has shifted to cafeteria-style, where employees serve dishes of food for customers, who aren't allowed to handle serving utensils.
Sizzler, which is known for its steaks and its long-running Craft Salad Bar, has begun reopening dine-in service, beginning with Arizona. The salad bar, however, will now be brought tableside. “With this new format, guests can choose their Sizzler favorites and one of our employees, who has been trained to follow additional safety techniques and precautions, will assemble guests’ selections and serve directly at their table,” Forbes Collins, Sizzler USA’s chief operations officer, told HuffPost. “As time goes by, we will continue to reevaluate different solutions based on the needs of our guests. It’s a fluid situation, and we plan to stay fluid.”
Advertisement
Since the 1970s, Sizzler has offered its salad bar to customers. But with the pandemic expected to last more than a year, what does the future of Sizzler’s salad bar look like? “While we understandably have our concerns, the thought of Sizzler guests not being able to make their favorite salad bar creation their way is something we aren’t ready to come to terms with,” Collins said. “But public health comes first. Even during these unprecedented times, we are confident that we can still provide our guests with a memorable Craft Salad Bar experience, safely. In fact, there’s even potential that some guests might enjoy this version better.”
In Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, Frisch’s Big Boy operates a total of 110 locations. Starting on May 20, the hamburger chain with a soup, salad and breakfast bar will reopen with “frictionless” dine-in service at two locations in Indiana. On May 27, nine Ohio locations will reopen, and every seven to nine days about 10 other locations will return for dine-in. Frisch’s has offered its Soup, Salad ’n Fruit Bar since 1982, but its entire self-serve format changed in mid-March. Akin to Sizzler and Golden Corral, Frisch’s salad bar has a new iteration.
“We’re not going to open up the salad bars right away,” Jason Vaughn, Frisch’s CEO, told HuffPost. “We’re going to have build-your-own salad. You can create your own — whatever guests want on it that normally comes from our salad bar. We’re going to prepare it in the back of the house and have a food runner bring it out to them.”
Richard Hartog via Getty Images Before the coronavirus, patrons at a Sizzler in Atwater Village, California, helped themselves at the salad bar. Sizzler has since converted to tableside salad service.
Vaughn jettisoned cafeteria-style service, because he didn’t think customers would feel comfortable with employees wearing PPE and dishing food onto their plates. “If you were to walk up to our salad bar and someone was in a mask and gloves, would you be OK with that?” he said. “Right now the sentiment seems to be, probably not. So let’s just prepare it safely in the back of the house, in the kitchen.”
Advertisement
In the past, a person could build their own salad with whatever weird combinations they wanted (and how much they wanted), without worrying about an employee judging them. “I thought the judge-free zone was one of the best things about salad bars,” Vaughn said. “I’ve always enjoyed watching friends and families talking to each other about what they were going to put on their salad and what they like and how they like to mix it. That ritualistic part of going up and getting as much as you want and how you want it now gets lost in translation.”
If Frisch’s self-serve food bar does return, what would it look like?
“If and when it does come back — and I happen to believe a version of it will come back — I think there will be an attendant making fresh salad for someone and the customer is picking and choosing the ingredients they want in it and someone is making it for them, is how I foresee it coming back,” Vaughn said.
But what about going back to the days when you could do your own thing with your own two hands? “If that ever comes back, it’s a long time from now,” Vaughn said.
At Culver City, California’s Mayura Indian Restaurant, which specializes in cuisine from the southern Indian state of Kerala, co-owner Padmini Aniyan had to shut down dine-in a few days before “Top Chef” aired an episode that featured the restaurant. Thankfully, Aniyan was able to pivot to carryout and delivery, and based on health guidelines, she hopes to reopen dine-in in mid-June.
However, the lunchtime buffet, which highlighted dishes not offered on the regular menu, won’t be returning then, or anytime soon. “We are not going to open the buffet until the situation is 100% safe,” Aniyan told HuffPost. “Not until the coronavirus is gone or a vaccination comes, because now the priority is 100% safety for our employees and our guests.”
Advertisement
When Mayura does resume dine-in, customers can expect something special: thali. The South Indian preparation entails 12-15 small portions of food set on a platter for individual servings. “I don’t think anyone is comfortable to go to the buffet,” Aniyan said. “Once the restaurant reopens, I know a lot of people will show up. We’ll try to block them from doing something that will create some friction in the crowd. It’s not good for anyone. That’s why we decided not to start the buffet soon. At the same time, we want to make guests happy with all the items they used to try from the buffet.”
The buffet used to be a traditional part of dining at some Indian restaurants, and Aniyan said it was a communal experience for her guests. “It’s hard,” she said. “We used to do so many celebrations here, like special Indian festivals. We had long, long lines here, and long waits. But we are going to miss all those things, at least for some time.”
Lucas Oleniuk via Getty Images It's unclear what small delis and grocery stores will do with their prepared foods buffets.
How grocery stores like Whole Foods will bring back their salad bar, olive bar and hot food bar remains to be seen. Whole Foods declined to comment, but Robbie Goldstein, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, told WGBH he thinks groceries should get rid of the self-serve model and suggested customers stick to prepackaged food. Another option might be reopening the bars but having an employee constantly wipe down surfaces and supervise the area.
Salad bars and buffets, as we knew them a few months ago, have disappeared ... for now. But Vaughn offered a glimmer of hope, saying he believes food bars could return similar to pre-COVID-19 form, contingent on establishments like Frisch’s gaining the public’s trust.
Advertisement
“I think the customer has to trust the brand that they’re going to do it right and safe, and if and when it opens back up, they see that every precaution is being taken,” Vaughn said. “Then there’s certainly a chance. I’m not about to say it can never come back. Never say never.”


huffpost--2020-05-21--The Most Popular Food Delivery Orders In Every State Amid Coronavirus

As people shelter in place during the COVID-19 pandemic , many have found comfort in ordering delivery meals from their favorite restaurants .
And it seems there are some regional variations in the dishes they ’ re craving .
New data from Yelp shows which delivery food items are uniquely popular in each state during this age of social distancing .
It turns out Minnesotans are craving donuts , while catfish is a favorite in Mississippi .
To calculate the most popular delivery order unique to each state , a Yelp data scientist analyzed the names of food items ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to roll out shelter-in-place orders .
He then quantified how frequently each dish was ordered in each state , relative to its popularity in other states .
“ We found that people are having everything from bubble tea and poke bowls to catfish and gumbo delivered , ” Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis said in a statement .
“ As it turns out , biscuits are a favorite in D.C. , where the Goat Cheese & Herb Biscuit Sammie at A Baked Joint is referenced in 317 reviews , and Texans haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoying the peak crawfish season ( Yelpers recently raved about their to-go orders from Boil House in Houston , among others ) .
” Check out the list below of Americans ’ favorite delivery orders unique to their state .
Visit Yelp for more information about the methodology behind the report .

As people shelter in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have found comfort in ordering delivery meals from their favorite restaurants. And it seems there are some regional variations in the dishes they’re craving.
New data from Yelp shows which delivery food items are uniquely popular in each state during this age of social distancing. It turns out Minnesotans are craving donuts, while catfish is a favorite in Mississippi.
Yelp
Advertisement
To calculate the most popular delivery order unique to each state, a Yelp data scientist analyzed the names of food items ordered since March 16, when many states began to roll out shelter-in-place orders. He then quantified how frequently each dish was ordered in each state, relative to its popularity in other states.
“We found that people are having everything from bubble tea and poke bowls to catfish and gumbo delivered,” Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis said in a statement. “As it turns out, biscuits are a favorite in D.C., where the Goat Cheese & Herb Biscuit Sammie at A Baked Joint is referenced in 317 reviews, and Texans haven’t let COVID-19 stop them from enjoying the peak crawfish season (Yelpers recently raved about their to-go orders from Boil House in Houston, among others).”
Check out the list below of Americans’ favorite delivery orders unique to their state. Visit Yelp for more information about the methodology behind the report.
Alabama ― Nachos
Alaska ― Gumbo
Arizona ― Tacos
Arkansas ― Spring Rolls
California ― Bubble Tea
Colorado ― Crab Rangoon
Connecticut ― Cheese Pizza
Washington, D.C. ― Biscuits
Delaware ― Pho
Florida ― Garlic Rolls
Georgia ― Wings
Hawaii ― Bubble Tea
Idaho ― Cheese Pizza
Illinois ― Thin Crust Pizza
Indiana ― Poke Bowls
Iowa ― Burgers
Kansas ― Gyros
Kentucky ― Gyros
Louisiana ― Sushi
Maine ― Pad Thai
Maryland ― Gyros
Massachusetts ― General Tso’s Chicken
Michigan ― Bubble Tea
Minnesota ― Donuts
Mississippi ― Catfish
Missouri ― Belgian Fries
Montana ― Egg Rolls
Nebraska ― Sushi
Nevada ― Spam Musubi
New Hampshire ― Crab Rangoon
New Jersey ― Cheese Pizza
New Mexico ― Green Chile Cheeseburgers
New York ― Cheese Pizza
North Carolina ― Tacos
North Dakota ― Gyros
Ohio ― Deep Dish Pizza
Oklahoma ― Croissants
Oregon ― Loaded Burgers
Pennsylvania ― Italian Hoagies
Rhode Island ― General Tso’s Chicken
South Carolina ― Sushi
South Dakota ― Dumplings
Tennessee ― Chicken Tenders
Texas ― Crawfish
Utah ― Hot Wings
Vermont ― Burritos
Virginia ― Tacos
Washington ― Pad Thai
West Virginia ― Bao Buns
Wisconsin ― Pad Thai


huffpost--2020-05-21--Lockdown Wedding Ban Leaves Couples In Legal Limbo

Since the government announced the lockdown on March 23 , all social gatherings such as weddings and baptisms have been @ @ @ @ @ while lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease in England , there has been no news @ @ @ @ @ allowed again .
The couple , who are both key workers , followed the news @ @ @ @ @ not surprised when they received an email informing them their ceremony had been cancelled .
@ @ @ @ @ make it less frustrating.
“ Adam , who is his 50s , describes himself as @ @ @ @ @ spot for the coronavirus ” and said he was “ desperate to make sure Kath @ @ @ @ @ case something were to happen .
The couple are keen to get married as soon @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll do whatever it takes .
We ’ ll be the very first in @ @ @ @ @ allowed again .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
“I feel stuck. It has been very depressing for the both of us because we cannot live together until we are married.”
Advertisement
Sarah, a marketing communications student in London, met her fiancé through a mutual friend in 2017. They were due to get married earlier this month but – like hundreds of other couples – have had their wedding cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Since the government announced the lockdown on March 23, all social gatherings such as weddings and baptisms have been put on hold. And while lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease in England, there has been no news on when weddings will be allowed again.
On May 11, justice secretary Robert Buckland told the BBC he was giving “anxious consideration to the effect of the potential changes” to rules on marriage ceremonies, telling people to “watch this space – we’re working on it”.
For some couples, this state of limbo has been particularly excruciating.
Sarah and her fiancé are both originally from Thailand – he has indefinite leave to remain in the UK, while she is on a tier 4 student visa, which expired on Sunday.
Advertisement
In order to legally stay in the country, Sarah needs to submit a marriage certificate to meet the requirements of a spouse visa – an impossible task under current lockdown regulations.
To make matters worse, she is also unable to return to her home country. Thailand has issued a ban on all incoming international flights until June 30.
“It’s very worrying,” she told HuffPost UK. “I know many people who are in the same position as me and we are all desperately worried about what to do next.”
Geraldine Calog and Darrel Wilson met via Facebook last year; their wedding was booked for April 17. It was going to be a simple ceremony in Dumfries and Galloway, with a bigger celebration planned in Geraldine’s home town in the Philippines for later this year.
Darrel Wilson and Geraldine Calog were due to get married on April 17. HuffPost UK
Advertisement
The couple now worry they won’t be able to reschedule their wedding before Geraldine’s fiancée visa runs out at the end of August, and hope the government will allow small weddings so she can have her spouse visa processed.
“We feel so down,” the couple told HuffPost UK. “We’ve been through a lot just to have Geraldine come over and get married.
“We’re scared we will be torn away from each other. All we want is a normal family life together.”
Dr Lusine Navasardyan, a solicitor specialising in immigration law, said her firm had received a lot of calls from individuals like Geraldine and Sarah, who find themselves in danger of breaching UK immigration laws – and the penalties that follow.
“There’s a risk they’ll find that they’ve become so-called ‘overstayers’,” she told HuffPost UK.
“As overstayers, they face a whole bunch of issues: they won’t have the right to work in the UK, their current employers may be penalised, they could lose access to their bank accounts.”
Navasardyan said the coronavirus lockdown had “completely stopped” all immigration, as the closure of appointment centres meant there have been no new applications from abroad.
Advertisement
“Lots of people have called asking how they can bring their families to the UK – their partners, their wives or husbands, their children,” she said.
“There’s nothing they can do. They just have to wait.”
One study predicted the global wedding industry will lose £87.5bn and 36% of all wedding businesses will permanently close due to the financial impact of the virus.
Approximately 64% of 2020 weddings had been impacted by coronavirus, either because of postponements, cancellations or travel logistics, according to the London-based wedding planning app, Bridebook.
For Dave and Amy, both originally from South Africa and now living in Bristol, the cancellation of their wedding has stopped them moving in and starting their lives together.
“We’re both strong Christians,” Dave, 33, told HuffPost UK. “We don’t want to live together until we’re married – that’s what we’ve been taught.”
Advertisement
He said he was “fed up of living apart” from his fiancée and that they were considering asking their local minister to marry them even if the marriage is not recognised by law.
“For us, the most important thing to marry in the sight of God.”
Christian couple Dave and Amy: "We can't put it off for another eight months or more." HuffPost UK
Since the lockdown, local churches have been inundated with requests from couples like Dave and Amy, according to John Stevens, National Director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).
“The problem is that the government has a very different view of what marriage is from religion,” he told HuffPost UK.
“For society, marriage is a celebration of a relationship that has already existed. Many couples are already living together so the wedding is an opportunity for a big party and celebration.
Advertisement
“But for evangelical Christians, it’s a matter of conscience. It’s not an option to move in together before marriage. The lockdown has prevented them from moving forwards.”
Stevens said that while the FIEC has advised couples to wait until legal marriages are allowed to take place, “a small number of churches have chosen to conduct marriages knowing full well that it doesn’t meet the legal requirements.”
Nicole, 23, had every intention of waiting until the lockdown was over to get married – her wedding date was set for November 2021.
But then her fiancé’s grandmother fell seriously sick, and asked if they could get married because “she needs to see one grandchild marry” before she dies.
Nicole and her partner will hold a non-legal wedding in their local priest’s back garden in Edinburgh on May 29.
Advertisement
“It’s literally me, my partner, his nana, my friend and the priest,” she told HuffPost UK.
“Our full wedding will be next November and we’ll be getting remarried then too, as my family won’t see this one.”
The government’s 51-page official coronavirus lockdown document, presented on May 11, has suggested that small weddings may be allowed to take place in a matter of weeks.
From June 1, officials are “examining how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings”.
The document also said places of worship might be reopened as early as July 4, provided they meet social distancing guidelines.
Amy Grant and Ben Piggott, from London, have waited to have their civil partnership for years – they first spoke to HuffPost UK two years ago. As their March 24 date drew closer, they felt “more and more nervous” and decided to cancel even before the lockdown was announced.
Advertisement
Amy and Ben: "It's been at the back of our minds that we don't have any legal protections." HuffPost UK
“We’ve been together for eight years,” said Amy. “We are desperately keen to have it.
“We’re both nervous to go outside. If the worst came to the worst and something happened to one of us, we would have no legal protections.”
Although weddings have officially been suspended since March 23, there have been the rare exceptions where local registrars have used emergency powers to allow marriages to take place.
In April, Middlesbrough Council allowed a 59-year-old man who learned that he may only have weeks to live after being diagnosed with cancer to marry his long-term partner, as registrar staff looked on in plastic gowns and visors.
And on Friday, a woman receiving treatment for a terminal cancer diagnosis will be allowed to get married after her family lobbied Northern Ireland’s ministers.
Advertisement
Kath and Adam*, from Buckinghamshire, met on Guardian soulmates and were due to have a civil partnership only 100 yards away from where they first met, two years to the day, on April 6.
The couple, who are both key workers, followed the news of the outbreak and were not surprised when they received an email informing them their ceremony had been cancelled. “It doesn’t make it less frustrating.“
Adam, who is his 50s, describes himself as being “in the sweet spot for the coronavirus” and said he was “desperate to make sure Kath would have something” in case something were to happen.
“We bought a house together,” he told HuffPost UK. “I have pensions and death benefits locked away.
“If I were to die without anyone to receive them, then they would just disappear.“
The couple are keen to get married as soon as possible. “We’ll do whatever it takes. We’ll be the very first in the queue once weddings are allowed again.”


huffpost--2020-05-13--Trump Rails Against Ballot Fraud – But Under GOP Definitions, Committed It In March

There at the White House , Trump and his wife marked ballots that an intermediary had received from elections officers in Florida .
Those ballots were then hand-delivered back to West Palm Beach for tabulation — a process that is legal under Florida law , but which Trump himself has equated to fraud .
Using political operatives to handle absentee ballots is among the practices most prone to fraud and abuse by Democrats , many Republicans argue ― even though it was a North Carolina GOP operative in a congressional race who has provided the most dramatic example of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces numerous charges of illegal ballot handling and conspiracy and is accused of systematically collecting , filling and submitting ballots on behalf of the candidate he was working for in 2016 and 2018 .
Trump has acknowledged voting absentee in Florida ’ s March 17 presidential primary , but the White House would not say how his and first lady Melania Trump ’ s ballots made their way from Garcia , who picked them up in Florida on March 9 , to the White House , and then back to the elections office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were dropped off on March 16 .
“ I ’ m allowed to , ” Trump said at an April 7 news conference in which he railed against voting by mail .
“ That ’ s called ‘ out of state.
’ You know why I voted ?
Because I happen to be in the White House and I won ’ t be able to go to Florida to vote.
” In a tweet the following morning , Trump wrote : “ Absentee Ballots are a great way to vote for the many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who can ’ t get to the polls on Election Day .
These ballots are very different from 100 % Mail-In Voting , which is ‘ RIPE for FRAUD , ’ and shouldn ’ t be allowed.
” Republicans have claimed that they are only interested in stopping ineligible people from casting ballots , while Democrats counter that they are simply trying to make it more difficult for poor people , students , Black people and Latinos from voting at all .
Democrats have long campaigned on the idea that if all eligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win far more often .
In some Republican-controlled states , such as Alabama or Texas , what Trump did — have someone other than a spouse or relative handle his ballot — is illegal , and could have been prosecuted .
That Trump himself used that method while simultaneously calling it fraudulent is no longer surprising , said Myrna Perez , the director of voting rights and election projects at the Brennan Center for Justice .
Ironically , Trump made Democrats ’ argument about the actual purpose of voting restrictions for them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , explaining why he opposed Democratic efforts to include an expansion of mail voting in the coronavirus relief legislation .
“ They had levels of voting , that if you ever agreed to it , you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again , ” Trump said .
“ I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting , ” the president said at an April 3 news conference .
“ It shouldn ’ t be mail-in voting .
It should be : You go to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You don ’ t send it in the mail where people pick up — all sorts of bad things can happen by the time they signed that , if they sign that — if they signed that by the time it gets in and is tabulated.
” At the briefing four days later where he defended his own ability to vote by mail , Trump claimed , without any evidence : “ There ’ s a big difference between somebody that ’ s out of state and does a ballot and everything is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You see what you have to do with the certifications .
And you get thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody ’ s living room , signing ballots all over the place .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON – Under definitions used by President Donald Trump and many of his Republican allies, election fraud has been taking place at the nation’s most prominent address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
There at the White House, Trump and his wife marked ballots that an intermediary had received from elections officers in Florida. Those ballots were then hand-delivered back to West Palm Beach for tabulation — a process that is legal under Florida law, but which Trump himself has equated to fraud.
Advertisement
According to documents HuffPost obtained under Florida’s open records law, the person who picked up the ballots was named Alejandro Garcia — the same name as one of the Republican National Committee’s top Florida operatives.
Garcia declined to discuss the matter with HuffPost and referred questions to RNC headquarters. A spokesman there did not respond to queries.
“That’s ballot harvesting, isn’t it?” joked Mac Stipanovich, a longtime Florida Republican consultant and onetime chief of staff to former GOP Gov. Bob Martinez.
Using political operatives to handle absentee ballots is among the practices most prone to fraud and abuse by Democrats, many Republicans argue ― even though it was a North Carolina GOP operative in a congressional race who has provided the most dramatic example of this. Leslie McCrae Dowless, 64, faces numerous charges of illegal ballot handling and conspiracy and is accused of systematically collecting, filling and submitting ballots on behalf of the candidate he was working for in 2016 and 2018.
Advertisement
“It’s OK for the RNC Florida guy to harvest Trump’s ballot. But it’s not OK for a friend to harvest a ballot for a neighbor,” Stipanovich said. “This is just voter suppression, is all it is.”
Despite his own use of a mail ballot, though, Trump has recently been on a crusade against their use.
“Mail in ballots substantially increases the risk of crime and VOTER FRAUD!” Trump wrote in an April 11 tweet.
“GET RID OF BALLOT HARVESTING, IT IS RAMPANT WITH FRAUD,” he wrote three days later in a rare, all-capital-letters screed. “THE USA MUST HAVE VOTER I.D., THE ONLY WAY TO GET AN HONEST COUNT!”
Trump has acknowledged voting absentee in Florida’s March 17 presidential primary, but the White House would not say how his and first lady Melania Trump’s ballots made their way from Garcia, who picked them up in Florida on March 9, to the White House, and then back to the elections office in West Palm Beach, where they were dropped off on March 16.
Advertisement
“It’s OK for the RNC Florida guy to harvest Trump’s ballot. But it’s not OK for a friend to harvest a ballot for a neighbor. This is just voter suppression, is all it is.” - Mac Stipanovich, longtime Florida Republican consultant
While some states make using third parties to handle ballots a crime, neither Trump nor the first lady appears to have violated any Florida laws by having their ballots delivered to them and then returned to Florida.
“I’m allowed to,” Trump said at an April 7 news conference in which he railed against voting by mail. “That’s called ‘out of state.’ You know why I voted? Because I happen to be in the White House and I won’t be able to go to Florida to vote.”
In a tweet the following morning, Trump wrote: “Absentee Ballots are a great way to vote for the many senior citizens, military, and others who can’t get to the polls on Election Day. These ballots are very different from 100% Mail-In Voting, which is ‘RIPE for FRAUD,’ and shouldn’t be allowed.”
Trump’s statement, however, is false. Absentee mail ballots work precisely the same way as standard mail-in ballots. And in Florida, any voter — not just those who happen to be out of state — is permitted to vote that way.
Advertisement
Indeed, the state Republican Party there mastered the strategy of banking votes early in the weeks leading up to an election in the 1980s and 1990s, long before Democrats began countering it with their own absentee ballot program.
“We have no-fault absentee. We have been voting that way forever,” said Stipanovich, who, after working for Martinez in the late 1980s, then ran Jeb Bush’s first, unsuccessful campaign for governor in 1994. “Republicans have been historically ahead of Democrats in mining absentee ballots.”
Most experts agree that election fraud is an extremely rare occurrence in a country where over 100 million votes are cast each election cycle. Still, Republicans have recently made it a top priority to pass laws requiring state-issued photo identification documents at polling places and imposing restrictions on early and absentee voting.
Republicans have claimed that they are only interested in stopping ineligible people from casting ballots, while Democrats counter that they are simply trying to make it more difficult for poor people, students, Black people and Latinos from voting at all. Democrats have long campaigned on the idea that if all eligible voters actually voted, Democratic candidates would win far more often.
In some Republican-controlled states, such as Alabama or Texas, what Trump did — have someone other than a spouse or relative handle his ballot — is illegal, and could have been prosecuted. That Trump himself used that method while simultaneously calling it fraudulent is no longer surprising, said Myrna Perez, the director of voting rights and election projects at the Brennan Center for Justice.
Advertisement
“This is not the first time we heard this president say something like that,” she said. “That is a common lie.”
President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus during a press briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 11, 2020, in Washington. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ironically, Trump made Democrats’ argument about the actual purpose of voting restrictions for them in an interview with Fox News on March 30, explaining why he opposed Democratic efforts to include an expansion of mail voting in the coronavirus relief legislation. “They had levels of voting, that if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Trump said.
That statement was just one in a number of largely false attacks Trump has made against mail balloting in recent weeks as elections officials around the country in both parties push for more of it in this November’s election.
“I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting,” the president said at an April 3 news conference. “It shouldn’t be mail-in voting. It should be: You go to a booth and you proudly display yourself. You don’t send it in the mail where people pick up — all sorts of bad things can happen by the time they signed that, if they sign that — if they signed that by the time it gets in and is tabulated.”
Advertisement
At the briefing four days later where he defended his own ability to vote by mail, Trump claimed, without any evidence: “There’s a big difference between somebody that’s out of state and does a ballot and everything is sealed, certified, and everything else. You see what you have to do with the certifications. And you get thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody’s living room, signing ballots all over the place.”
Former Florida Democratic congresswoman Gwen Graham said Trump’s statements prove his willingness to say anything to win. “Trump tells his base to grab their pitchforks and protest vote-by-mail, while grabbing a pitchfork and ‘harvesting’ his own ballot. Different day, same story. Lies and hypocrisy from Donald Trump,” she said.