huffpost--2020-04-26--Global Death Toll From Coronavirus Surpasses 200,000

The states of Georgia , Oklahoma and Alaska started loosening restrictions on businesses despite warnings from experts that such steps might be coming too soon .
Some owners said they weren ’ t yet ready to reopen or were doing so only on a limited basis , worried about a second surge of COVID-19 infections .
“ We ’ ve sacrificed so much already , ” said Shawn Gingrich , CEO and founder of Lion ’ s Den Fitness , who decided after the Georgia governor ’ s announcement that he would not be reopening his Atlanta gym right away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this too soon , we ’ ll see a spike in cases and we ’ re back to square one.
” In India , easing restrictions meant reopening neighborhood stores that many of the country ’ s 1.3 billion people rely on for everything from cold drinks to mobile phone data cards .
But the loosening didn ’ t apply to hundreds of quarantined towns and other places hit hardest by the outbreak that has killed at least 775 people in the country and terrified its multitudes of poor who live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sri Lanka had partially lifted a monthlong daytime curfew in more than two thirds of the country .
But it reimposed a 24-hour lockdown countrywide after a surge Friday of 46 new infections , the highest increase in a day on the Indian Ocean island .
The new curfew remains in effect until Monday .
In Europe , kids in Spain will get their first fresh air in weeks on Sunday when a ban on letting them outside is relaxed .
After 44 days indoors , they ’ ll be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not play together for the adult-supervised one-hour excursions no farther than 1 kilometer ( 0.6 miles ) from home .
Some nervous parents shopped online for child-size masks for their children , as recommended by authorities .
“ I really want to get outside , and Ema does as well , ” said Madrid resident Eva Novilo , whose daughter Ema is 7 .
But Novilo predicted “ difficult situations ” if they see Ema ’ s friends and have to stay apart .
“ I don ’ t know if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belgium sketched out plans for a progressive lockdown relaxation starting May 4 with the resumption of nonessential treatment in hospitals and the reopening of textile and sewing shops so people can make face masks .
Bars and restaurants would be allowed to start reopening June 8 , although Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes also cautioned that a surge in infections could alter the timeline and that “ nothing is set in stone.
” In Italy , authorities warned against abandoning social distancing practices after lockdown restrictions are eased on May 4 and millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective masks will be distributed to nursing homes , police , public officials and transportation workers .
Rome ’ s public transit agency painted blue circles on subway platforms to remind people to keep their distance when commuters return in large numbers .
Britain is still holding off on changes to its lockdown as the coronavirus-related death toll in hospitals topped 20,000 .
The figure does not include deaths in nursing homes , which are likely to be in the thousands .
Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and four other major cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the verge of collapse or already overwhelmed .
In Manaus , the biggest city in the Amazon , officials said they have been forced to dig mass graves in a cemetery .
Workers have been burying 100 corpses a day — triple the pre-virus average .
In the U.S. , Republican governors in states including Georgia and Oklahoma allowed salons , spas and barbershops to reopen , while Alaska cleared the way for restaurants to resume dine-in service and retail shops and other businesses to open their doors , all with limitations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules .
In Texas , where restrictions have been eased to allow retailers to sell items for curbside pickup , Allison Scott said her women ’ s clothing store in a Dallas shopping mall has done a few “ to go ” orders but most customers seem to still feel more comfortable ordering online .
Scott says that as much as she ’ d like to see things return to the way they were and people allowed to shop in person , she thinks it ’ s too risky health-wise right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come either .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
ATLANTA (AP) — As the global death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 200,000 on Saturday, countries took cautious steps toward easing some lockdowns, while fears of infection made even some pandemic-wounded businesses reluctant to reopen.
The states of Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska started loosening restrictions on businesses despite warnings from experts that such steps might be coming too soon. Some owners said they weren’t yet ready to reopen or were doing so only on a limited basis, worried about a second surge of COVID-19 infections.
Advertisement
“We’ve sacrificed so much already,” said Shawn Gingrich, CEO and founder of Lion’s Den Fitness, who decided after the Georgia governor’s announcement that he would not be reopening his Atlanta gym right away. “I feel like if we do this too soon, we’ll see a spike in cases and we’re back to square one.”
The worldwide death toll topped 200,000, according to a tally compiled by John Hopkins University from government figures. The actual death toll is believed to be far higher.
In India, easing restrictions meant reopening neighborhood stores that many of the country’s 1.3 billion people rely on for everything from cold drinks to mobile phone data cards. But the loosening didn’t apply to hundreds of quarantined towns and other places hit hardest by the outbreak that has killed at least 775 people in the country and terrified its multitudes of poor who live in slum conditions too crowded for social distancing.
Shopping malls also stayed closed nationwide. Still, for families that run small stores, being able to earn again brought relief.
Advertisement
“This is a good decision,” said Amit Sharma, an architect. “We have to open a few things and let the economy start moving. The poor people should have some source of income. This virus is going to be a long-term problem.”
Last week, India also allowed manufacturing and farming to resume in rural areas to ease the economic plight of millions left jobless by the lockdown imposed March 24. India’s restrictions have allowed people out of their homes only to buy food, medicine or other essentials.
Elsewhere in Asia, authorities reported no new deaths Saturday for the 10th straight day in China, where the virus originated.
And South Korea reported just 10 fresh cases, the eighth day in a row its daily jump came below 20. There were no new deaths for the second straight day.
In an announcement that underscored the scientific unknowns about the virus, the World Health Organization said “there is currently no evidence” that people who have recovered from COVID-19 cannot fall sick again.
Advertisement
Some countries extended or tightened restrictions, confirming a pattern of caution.
Sri Lanka had partially lifted a monthlong daytime curfew in more than two thirds of the country. But it reimposed a 24-hour lockdown countrywide after a surge Friday of 46 new infections, the highest increase in a day on the Indian Ocean island. The new curfew remains in effect until Monday.
Norway extended until at least Sept. 1 its ban on events with more than 500 participants.
Pope Francis appealed for prayers for funeral home workers, saying: “What they do is so heavy and sad. They really feel the pain of this pandemic.”
In Europe, kids in Spain will get their first fresh air in weeks on Sunday when a ban on letting them outside is relaxed. After 44 days indoors, they’ll be allowed to take one toy or scooter with them but not play together for the adult-supervised one-hour excursions no farther than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from home. Some nervous parents shopped online for child-size masks for their children, as recommended by authorities.
“I really want to get outside, and Ema does as well,” said Madrid resident Eva Novilo, whose daughter Ema is 7. But Novilo predicted “difficult situations” if they see Ema’s friends and have to stay apart. “I don’t know if we will be able to maintain control.”
Belgium sketched out plans for a progressive lockdown relaxation starting May 4 with the resumption of nonessential treatment in hospitals and the reopening of textile and sewing shops so people can make face masks. Bars and restaurants would be allowed to start reopening June 8, although Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes also cautioned that a surge in infections could alter the timeline and that “nothing is set in stone.”
Advertisement
In Italy, authorities warned against abandoning social distancing practices after lockdown restrictions are eased on May 4 and millions return to work. Authorities said free protective masks will be distributed to nursing homes, police, public officials and transportation workers. Rome’s public transit agency painted blue circles on subway platforms to remind people to keep their distance when commuters return in large numbers.
The country continues to have Europe’s highest death toll, with 26,384 deaths. The 415 deaths registered in the 24-hour period that ended Saturday evening was the lowest toll since Italy registered 345 on March 17, but only five fewer than Friday.
With gatherings banned, Italians celebrated the 75th anniversary of their liberation from occupation forces in World War II, emerging on balconies or rooftops at the same time Saturday to sing a folk song linked to resistance fighters.
Britain is still holding off on changes to its lockdown as the coronavirus-related death toll in hospitals topped 20,000. The figure does not include deaths in nursing homes, which are likely to be in the thousands.
In France, the government is preparing to gingerly ease one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns from May 11. The health minister detailed plans to scale up testing to help contain any new flare-ups.
Advertisement
Testing shortages are a critical problem elsewhere, too, including in Brazil, Latin America’s largest nation, which is veering closer to becoming a pandemic hot spot.
Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and four other major cities warned that their hospital systems are on the verge of collapse or already overwhelmed. In Manaus, the biggest city in the Amazon, officials said they have been forced to dig mass graves in a cemetery. Workers have been burying 100 corpses a day — triple the pre-virus average.
In the U.S., Republican governors in states including Georgia and Oklahoma allowed salons, spas and barbershops to reopen, while Alaska cleared the way for restaurants to resume dine-in service and retail shops and other businesses to open their doors, all with limitations. Some Alaska municipalities chose to maintain stricter rules.
Though limited in scope, and subject to social-distancing restrictions, the reopenings marked a symbolic milestone in the debate raging in the United States and beyond as to how quickly political leaders should lift economically devastating lockdown orders.
On Friday, President Donald Trump spoke optimistically of the economy but also asked people to continue social distancing and using face coverings. The same day, he signed a $484 billion bill to aid employers and hospitals. In the past five weeks, roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid, or about 1 in 6 U.S. workers.
Advertisement
Trump also said his widely criticized comments suggesting people can ingest or inject disinfectant to fight COVID-19 were an attempt at sarcasm.
In Texas, where restrictions have been eased to allow retailers to sell items for curbside pickup, Allison Scott said her women’s clothing store in a Dallas shopping mall has done a few “to go” orders but most customers seem to still feel more comfortable ordering online. Scott says that as much as she’d like to see things return to the way they were and people allowed to shop in person, she thinks it’s too risky health-wise right now, and can’t see people wanting to come either.
“I want to be open more than anything but I don’t think that society is ready to come out either,” she said.
—-
Burnett reported from Chicago. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed.


huffpost--2020-04-26--Florida, 2020's Largest Swing State, Is Pushing Voting By Mail For November

President Donald Trump says that voting by mail is “ horrible ” and “ corrupt ” because the “ tremendous potential for voter fraud ” helps Democrats win elections .
But county-level election supervisors in his home state of Florida — where he recently cast a vote for himself , by mail — disagree , and are doing everything they can to ensure this crucial swing state can hold a safe election during the coronavirus pandemic .
While Florida isn ’ t prepared to hold an all vote-by-mail election , Broward , Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties , the three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to send absentee vote-by-mail registration forms to every registered voter ahead of the state ’ s August primary and November ’ s general election .
Many more counties have increased their outreach efforts to residents with mailers , postcards and public information campaigns in order to radically increase vote-by-mail sign-ups .
A handful are planning to provide prepaid postage for voters to return their ballots .
“ Certainly every election cycle we reach out to voters giving them the options they have in the method of voting , ” Susan Gill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the west-central part of the state , said in an email .
“ This cycle it is more urgent.
” Allowing citizens to vote by mail was already important , in order to allow people who can ’ t make it to the polls on Election Day to still exercise their rights .
But this year , with the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures designed to counter its spread , mail-in ballots are all the more vital .
Multiple states postponed primaries because of the pandemic .
Illinois and Wisconsin held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of coronavirus and at least one death linked to in-person voting .
The November election can ’ t be postponed , so state and local election officials will need to ensure that voters are both aware of , and able to use , safe options to cast their ballots .
Florida is one of 34 states that either allows residents to vote absentee by mail for any reason or conducts all-mail elections .
It is very easy to obtain an absentee ballot in Florida , election officers say .
Voters can apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone .
They then receive absentee ballots for the next four elections before having to renew their absentee ballot request .
Both the Republican and Democratic parties have pushed their voters to sign up to vote by mail in Florida since no-excuse absentee voting was implemented in the state in 2002 as part of a set of reforms following the 2000 presidential election debacle .
The Republican Party long held an advantage in vote-by-mail sign-ups , particularly among elderly voters , but Democrats have caught up in recent years .
“ [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers call in sick or no-show .
Polling locations cancelled at the last minute , ” Lori Edwards , supervisor of elections for Polk County , said in an email .
“ And , that was early in the pandemic .
I ’ m very concerned that we will have a hard time keeping polling locations and recruiting workers , so we are trying to take the pressure off precinct voting.
” Currently , election supervisors ’ main focus is sending out educational materials about voting by mail .
These mailings inform recipients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to vote by mail ― online or over the phone .
In some counties , the mailers will contain tear off applications that can be sent back .
Depending on the county , mailings will be sent to all registered voters and , in others , they are targeted only at registered voters who have not signed up to vote by mail .
Lux ’ s reasons are two-fold .
“ [ R ] egardless of the status of the virus , until there is an actual cure there will still be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more comfortable voting from their homes , ” he wrote .
He also needs to know how many voters plan to vote by mail as early as possible in order to properly prepare his budget .
These concerns were echoed by many other county election supervisors for why they needed to do outreach in their communities now .
Many of them have to weigh the cost of postage with the amount of outreach they can do .
They expect to see some money from the $ 400 million Congress approved in the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election offices prepare for an increase in voting by mail .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump says that voting by mail is “horrible” and “corrupt” because the “tremendous potential for voter fraud” helps Democrats win elections. But county-level election supervisors in his home state of Florida — where he recently cast a vote for himself, by mail — disagree, and are doing everything they can to ensure this crucial swing state can hold a safe election during the coronavirus pandemic.
While Florida isn’t prepared to hold an all vote-by-mail election, Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, the three most populous counties in the state, plan to send absentee vote-by-mail registration forms to every registered voter ahead of the state’s August primary and November’s general election. Many more counties have increased their outreach efforts to residents with mailers, postcards and public information campaigns in order to radically increase vote-by-mail sign-ups. A handful are planning to provide prepaid postage for voters to return their ballots.
Advertisement
Two counties, Santa Rosa and Citrus, even used emergency alert systems to text residents to encourage them to sign up to vote by mail. Citrus’s text went out to 107,000 residents, netting 2,200 new vote-by-mail sign-ups.
“Certainly every election cycle we reach out to voters giving them the options they have in the method of voting,” Susan Gill, supervisor of elections for Citrus County, in the west-central part of the state, said in an email. “This cycle it is more urgent.”
This polling station in Delray Beach, Florida, was made available after some precincts in Palm Beach County were unable to open on March 17 after poll workers did not report to work. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Allowing citizens to vote by mail was already important, in order to allow people who can’t make it to the polls on Election Day to still exercise their rights. But this year, with the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures designed to counter its spread, mail-in ballots are all the more vital. Multiple states postponed primaries because of the pandemic. Illinois and Wisconsin held theirs ― which resulted in multiple positive cases of coronavirus and at least one death linked to in-person voting. The November election can’t be postponed, so state and local election officials will need to ensure that voters are both aware of, and able to use, safe options to cast their ballots.
Advertisement
Florida is one of 34 states that either allows residents to vote absentee by mail for any reason or conducts all-mail elections. It is very easy to obtain an absentee ballot in Florida, election officers say. Voters can apply online, through the mail or over the phone. They then receive absentee ballots for the next four elections before having to renew their absentee ballot request.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties have pushed their voters to sign up to vote by mail in Florida since no-excuse absentee voting was implemented in the state in 2002 as part of a set of reforms following the 2000 presidential election debacle. The Republican Party long held an advantage in vote-by-mail sign-ups, particularly among elderly voters, but Democrats have caught up in recent years.
Mail-in ballots accounted for approximately 30% of votes cast by Floridians in the 2016 and 2018 elections; in some counties, two-thirds of votes came by mail.
The state’s county-level election supervisors, who hail from both political parties, also have a long record of educating county residents about vote-by-mail options. The coronavirus pandemic has led them to dramatically increase their outreach.
“[W]e are doubling down on our efforts and using every avenue we can to creatively reach our voters,” Vicki Davis, supervisor of elections for Martin County, said in an email.
Advertisement
One big reason why election supervisors are ramping up vote-by-mail educational efforts is that the state’s March 17 presidential primary revealed the problems that awaited them in future elections.
“[W]e had hundreds of poll workers call in sick or no-show. Polling locations cancelled at the last minute,” Lori Edwards, supervisor of elections for Polk County, said in an email. “And, that was early in the pandemic. I’m very concerned that we will have a hard time keeping polling locations and recruiting workers, so we are trying to take the pressure off precinct voting.”
A flyer sent to registered voters in Martin County, Florida, informing them about how to request a mail ballot for the 2020 elections. Martin County Supervisor of Elections
Currently, election supervisors’ main focus is sending out educational materials about voting by mail. These mailings inform recipients of the easy ways they can sign up to vote by mail ― online or over the phone. In some counties, the mailers will contain tear off applications that can be sent back. Depending on the county, mailings will be sent to all registered voters and, in others, they are targeted only at registered voters who have not signed up to vote by mail.
County elections offices are also ramping up social media messaging, placing op-eds in local newspapers, advertising on local television and radio stations, and putting up flyers and billboards throughout their communities.
Advertisement
Nonprofits distributing food during the pandemic are helping out by handing out educational flyers about vote-by-mail in Martin County.
“I do this not as a political measure,” Paul Lux, Okaloosa County supervisor of elections, said in an email about his efforts to ramp up vote-by-mail educational mailers.
Lux’s reasons are two-fold. “[R]egardless of the status of the virus, until there is an actual cure there will still be plenty of at-risk voters who will feel more comfortable voting from their homes,” he wrote. He also needs to know how many voters plan to vote by mail as early as possible in order to properly prepare his budget.
These concerns were echoed by many other county election supervisors for why they needed to do outreach in their communities now. Many of them have to weigh the cost of postage with the amount of outreach they can do. They expect to see some money from the $400 million Congress approved in the coronavirus relief act to help state and local election offices prepare for an increase in voting by mail.
As they educate their county residents about vote-by-mail, Florida’s election supervisors are also asking Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to help them run safe elections by increasing the time period they can mail ballots to voters and allowing them to expand early voting while consolidating election day polling locations. DeSantis has not yet responded.


huffpost--2020-04-26--The Best Recipes, Activities And Other Hacks We Tried This Week

Enter this weekly guide .
Every Sunday , we ’ ll bring you a short list of products , routines @ @ @ @ @ apps and other things we tried the previous week that are making life easier during @ @ @ @ @ Take a look at this week ’ s suggestions below : Support local restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ time .
This week , I did a bunch of research on local restaurants doing @ @ @ @ @ picked up a bounty of eggs , sourdough ( since I ’ m one of @ @ @ @ @ make it myself , sorry internet ) , chicken , an aioli I want to @ @ @ @ @ .
They had contactless pickup so it forced me out of the house for a @ @ @ @ @ awesome supporting a local business .
I will definitely be doing way more of this @ @ @ @ @ ― Jamie Feldman , personal & lifestyle reporter

Enter this weekly guide. Every Sunday, we’ll bring you a short list of products, routines, workouts, recipes, apps and other things we tried the previous week that are making life easier during this universally stressful time. Take a look at this week’s suggestions below:
Activity Recommendations
Support local restaurants and get groceries at the same time.
This week, I did a bunch of research on local restaurants doing food and grocery delivery and picked up a bounty of eggs, sourdough (since I’m one of the few people refusing to make it myself, sorry internet), chicken, an aioli I want to put on everything and more. They had contactless pickup so it forced me out of the house for a walk, and it felt awesome supporting a local business. I will definitely be doing way more of this in the coming weeks. ― Jamie Feldman, personal & lifestyle reporter
Recipe Recommendations


huffpost--2020-04-17--Muslims Prepare For Ramadan During Coronavirus Pandemic

Now , with the spread of the new coronavirus , flying is off the table .
So is having friends and relatives over for a potluck iftar , the breaking of the fast .
Mohamed is older than 65 and says she can not risk it .
Ramadan , which starts later this month , unites Muslims the world over in fasting and worship .
This year , it follows a string of religious holidays that have also unified the faithful from different religions in grappling with how to observe familiar rituals and celebrations in a time of unfamiliarity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks forward to the special Ramadan prayers , known as “ taraweeh , ” at the mosque .
She will now pray at home with her daughter .
But what about the dua , or supplication ?
The imam moves her to tears .
As he prays for dead loved ones or those suffering in faraway lands in his “ miraculous ” voice , sobs rise from the faithful and intermingle with chants of “ Amen ” recited in unison .
“ That would help us a lot , ” she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be the same .
At her mosque , female worshippers hug and chat after the prayers as children scurry around and dates and chocolate are passed from hand to hand .
During Ramadan , the faithful abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset as they strive for self-purification and empathy .
It ’ s a time for prayers , introspection and charity .
Normally , it ’ s also a time for family , friends and festive feasting .
Many Muslims have been praying for the coronavirus cloud , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over , to lift before Ramadan .
Mosque closures and modified calls for prayers urging the devout to pray at home have left many feeling emotional .
They are relying on worship at home and online religious classes .
This year , some are planning virtual interfaith iftars .
“ How do we build ourselves to where we are more connected to Him ?
” asked Suleiman , who has been streaming virtual sermons and nightly reflections to more than 1.4 million Facebook followers .
Malaysia , Brunei and Singapore have banned popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinks in congested open-air markets or roadside stalls .
In predominantly Muslim Malaysia , vendors are now planning to bring their businesses online through mobile apps or digital platforms provided by local authorities during the fasting month .
Mohamad Fadhil , a trader in Malaysia ’ s southern Johor state , said he was resigned to not being able to do business at the Ramadan bazaar or perform the taraweeh prayers at the mosque .
“ We just have to be patient and follow orders , ” he said .
In Iran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s worst outbreaks , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested that mass gatherings may be barred through the holy month .
“ Remember to heed your prayers and devotions in your lonesomeness , ” he said .
Zuher Dubie , a 71-year-old mosque preacher in the West Bank city of Nablus , has been observing Ramadan and praying in mosques since he was 10 .
For the first time since , Dubie said , he wouldn ’ t be able to practice some of the month ’ s rituals .
Before , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many binge watch television shows produced for Ramadan entertainment .
At around 3:00 a.m. , she would wake up to have “ suhoor ” and cook up a storm .
Using groceries that she and co-workers had pitched in to buy , she would prepare dozens of meals before she left for work .
Before iftar , Selim and other volunteers would go outside to distribute boxes neatly packed with salad , rice , chicken or meatballs .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WINTER PARK, Fla. (AP) — Seattle resident Maggie Mohamed was looking forward to spending the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in her native Egypt.
Now, with the spread of the new coronavirus, flying is off the table. So is having friends and relatives over for a potluck iftar, the breaking of the fast. Mohamed is older than 65 and says she cannot risk it.
Advertisement
“It’s very sad. We were very excited,” she said. But, “I don’t take it as a punishment. I take it as a wake-up (call).”
Ramadan, which starts later this month, unites Muslims the world over in fasting and worship. This year, it follows a string of religious holidays that have also unified the faithful from different religions in grappling with how to observe familiar rituals and celebrations in a time of unfamiliarity.
Mohamed is contemplating workarounds. She always looks forward to the special Ramadan prayers, known as “taraweeh,” at the mosque. She will now pray at home with her daughter. But what about the dua, or supplication? The imam moves her to tears. As he prays for dead loved ones or those suffering in faraway lands in his “miraculous” voice, sobs rise from the faithful and intermingle with chants of “Amen” recited in unison.
Mohamed wonders: Can he make dua over Zoom video conferencing?
“That would help us a lot,” she said, even as she noted it wouldn’t be the same. At her mosque, female worshippers hug and chat after the prayers as children scurry around and dates and chocolate are passed from hand to hand.
Advertisement
The Azazie Mosque in Varna, Bulgaria livestreams on Facebook to connect with their mosque members at home, on April 07, 2020. Hristo Rusev/NurPhoto via Getty Images
During Ramadan, the faithful abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset as they strive for self-purification and empathy. It’s a time for prayers, introspection and charity. Normally, it’s also a time for family, friends and festive feasting.
This year, there are indications the outbreak will cast a pall over many beloved rituals.
Many Muslims have been praying for the coronavirus cloud, which has already disrupted Islamic worship the world over, to lift before Ramadan. Mosque closures and modified calls for prayers urging the devout to pray at home have left many feeling emotional. They are relying on worship at home and online religious classes. This year, some are planning virtual interfaith iftars.
Texas-based imam Omar Suleiman said empty mosques are reason for reflection.
“How do we build ourselves to where we are more connected to Him?” asked Suleiman, who has been streaming virtual sermons and nightly reflections to more than 1.4 million Facebook followers.
“Now we have a chance to develop empathy with those that have not had access to their religious spaces due to oppressive circumstances.”
Advertisement
A woman walks through an Al Azhar district street market where people usually buy spices and herbs to prepare for Ramadan, in Cairo, Egypt, 12 April 2020. Ziad Ahmed/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore have banned popular Ramadan bazaars where hawkers sell food and drinks in congested open-air markets or roadside stalls. In predominantly Muslim Malaysia, vendors are now planning to bring their businesses online through mobile apps or digital platforms provided by local authorities during the fasting month.
Mohamad Fadhil, a trader in Malaysia’s southern Johor state, said he was resigned to not being able to do business at the Ramadan bazaar or perform the taraweeh prayers at the mosque. “We just have to be patient and follow orders,” he said.
In Iran, which is suffering one of the world’s worst outbreaks, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested that mass gatherings may be barred through the holy month. “Remember to heed your prayers and devotions in your lonesomeness,” he said.
A Palestinian vendor wears a face mask while preparing for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Gaza City, on April 15, 2020. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Advertisement
The Islamic Waqf, which administers the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Islam’s third-holiest site, announced today that the mosque will continue to be closed to worshippers for Ramadan.
It’s difficult, Sheikh Azzam Khateeb, the director general of the Waqf, said before the latest announcement, but “the health of the worshippers comes before anything else.”
Zuher Dubie, a 71-year-old mosque preacher in the West Bank city of Nablus, has been observing Ramadan and praying in mosques since he was 10. For the first time since, Dubie said, he wouldn’t be able to practice some of the month’s rituals.
“There will be no social gatherings, no Ramadan aroma in the markets, no collective prayers … in mosques,” he lamented.
In Egypt, the Ministry of Religious Endowments decided to suspend communal Ramadan activities, including mass charity iftars around mosques. Mosques have already closed for prayers there and the country is under a night-time curfew.
Advertisement
Ramadan is normally lively in the country of more than 100 million ― and steeped in tradition.
Ordinarily, worshippers fill mosques and shoppers swarm markets. Loved ones gather over scrumptious iftars. Strangers break bread together in street banquets that feed the needy. Cafes teem with patrons chatting over a cacophony of gurgling water pipes and blaring music. And Ramadan lanterns cast a colorful glow over bustling streets.
In some areas, a “mesaharati,” bangs on a drum as he wakes up residents for “suhoor,” the pre-dawn meal that will sustain them through another day of fasting.
Women wear face masks while walking in Cairo, Egypt, on April 16, 2020, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
Souad Selim, an Egyptian, has been wondering what all the changes this year would mean for a cherished Ramadan ritual.
Before, she would slip early to bed as many binge watch television shows produced for Ramadan entertainment. At around 3:00 a.m., she would wake up to have “suhoor” and cook up a storm. Using groceries that she and co-workers had pitched in to buy, she would prepare dozens of meals before she left for work. Before iftar, Selim and other volunteers would go outside to distribute boxes neatly packed with salad, rice, chicken or meatballs.
Advertisement
Now, she likely won’t be able to hand out meals on the street but she’s determined to send iftars to the homes of those she knows need them.
“It’s hard to describe how much goodness and blessings Ramadan brings,” she said.
___


huffpost--2020-04-10--The Economic Devastation Of COVID-19 Is Hitting Women Particularly Hard

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images People wait in their cars as they line up outside John F. Kennedy Library to collect unemployment forms in Hialeah , Florida , on April 8 , 2020 .
The city is distributing printed forms as people are having trouble accessing the state of Florida ’ s unemployment website .
The demographics of the losses are hard to track using federal data , which still hasn ’ t parsed the details of the millions of lost jobs of the past few weeks .
But a new investigation from the Fuller Project sheds some light on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news organization , women make up a clear majority of the workers who applied for unemployment insurance during the last two weeks of March in at least five states .
Costco Is Not An Option For Everybody “ I need to pay someone to take care of my kids so I can go find another job , ” Rodriguez said .
But that ’ s not worth it if the job wouldn ’ t cover the cost of child care ― assuming she could even find a job .
Now she and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banks and waiting for her husband ’ s jobless benefits .
The Numbers Are Still Coming In Zaborah Roane of Raleigh , North Carolina , had only 10 cents in her bank account until Friday when she got her last paycheck ― for about a week ’ s work .
The 48-year-old told HuffPost that she was furloughed from her job as a day care worker at the end of March .
Her pay , just $ 15 an hour despite her two decades of experience , had been reduced in the weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s closure .
She used the money to buy some soap and cleaning supplies .
Her 30-year-old daughter is helping out with groceries .

People wait in their cars as they line up outside John F. Kennedy Library to collect unemployment forms in Hialeah, Florida, on April 8, 2020. The city is distributing printed forms as people are having trouble accessing the state of Florida’s unemployment website. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
The Great Recession was, somewhat famously, a “mancession.” Men faced higher unemployment rates because they were more likely to work in industries, like construction and manufacturing, that were harder hit during the crisis over a decade ago.
Not this time. Call it the She-cession or Femcession, if you must, or just take note: In the COVID-19 downturn, women, particularly women of color, are losing jobs at a higher rate.
Advertisement
The demographics of the losses are hard to track using federal data, which still hasn’t parsed the details of the millions of lost jobs of the past few weeks. But a new investigation from the Fuller Project sheds some light on the damage. According to the nonprofit news organization, women make up a clear majority of the workers who applied for unemployment insurance during the last two weeks of March in at least five states.
“This is like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said Sarah Ryley, who conducted the investigation along with Fuller Project CEO Xanthe Scharff. “It’s not like a normal crisis.”
Typically during this time of year, women make up 25% to 40% of people receiving unemployment, Ryley said. Now they make up more than one-half to two-thirds, the nonprofit’s reporting found. For the past four decades, men have always borne the brunt of job losses in a recession. Not this time.
Why Women?
The slowdown in 2008 was a “production recession,” explained C. Nicole Mason, president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. People stopped making and building things as loans got harder to obtain. Crudely speaking, a lot of workers who made stuff ― typically men ― lost their jobs.
Advertisement
This time, the slowdown began in the service sector. With everyone stuck at home, Americans are not paying for other people to do things for them. Hairdressers, restaurant workers, hotel housekeepers and retail clerks have all been thrown out of work. And women hold the majority of these jobs.
Another difference between the mancession and now: The manufacturing and construction jobs lost back then were fairly well-paying. Some were even unionized. That meant those men may have had some financial cushion ― either savings or benefits ― to fall back on.
The women losing their jobs now were underpaid. Remember the gender pay gap? Women comprise two-thirds of the lowest-paid workers in the U.S. These service jobs have terrible benefits: less paid sick leave, no health insurance, etc.
“That just really creates a very precarious situation,” Mason said.
One particularly vulnerable group right now is domestic workers ― the nannies, housekeepers and other care providers who work in other people’s homes. About 90% of these workers are women, and they already labor for low wages, mostly without benefits.
Their situation is dire during the pandemic: 72% were out of work this week, according to a new survey from the National Domestic Workers Alliance. And 70% said they weren’t sure if clients would hire them again after the pandemic.
Advertisement
Across the country, women are less likely to be able to telecommute. Only 22% of women, compared to 28% of men, are able to work from home, according to a working paper issued this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Not only are women getting hit harder by the service sector shutdown; they’re also facing enormous pressure at home. School and day care closures mean that some women with jobs can no longer go to work, particularly those who are single mothers, because they have children at home.
Costco Is Not An Option For Everybody
A woman collects unemployment forms at a drive-through collection point outside John F. Kennedy Library in Hialeah on April 8. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
Theoretically, some of these women could find work at the few places that are currently hiring ― grocery store chains, Amazon, etc. But that’s exponentially harder with kids at home.
Jobless women are just scraping to get by. Lauren Slaughter, a 32-year-old divorced mother of two in Akron, Ohio, paid only half her $1,500 rent on April 1, after getting laid off from her job as a business development manager at the end of March.
Advertisement
“I just wanted to make sure I can buy groceries and keep the lights on in the house,” she told HuffPost.
Slaughter’s layoff came the same day that her 3-year-old’s day care center shut down. Her 7-year-old had been temporarily going there, too, after the public school shut its doors.
The logistics of job hunting during an economic freeze, while also caring for two young kids at home, are daunting. And Slaughter’s unemployment check still hasn’t arrived. “It’s been a struggle trying to do everything all the time myself. It’s very isolating being home with just your kids,” she said.
Martha Rodriguez lost her part-time job at a preschool in Washington state, where she lives with her newly underemployed husband and their two kids.
She considered taking on some seasonal work at Costco. But her husband, who lost one job, is still getting some hours on another job, and they couldn’t figure out a way to manage the schedule now that she’s home-schooling their 8- and 11-year-olds.
Advertisement
“I need to pay someone to take care of my kids so I can go find another job,” Rodriguez said. But that’s not worth it if the job wouldn’t cover the cost of child care ― assuming she could even find a job. Now she and her family are just getting by using food banks and waiting for her husband’s jobless benefits.
The Numbers Are Still Coming In
The economic crisis happened incredibly quickly. Just last week, 6.6 million people filed for unemployment. And data on who exactly is losing work takes time to come out.
The latest official unemployment rate of 4.4%, for example, doesn’t yet include the more than 16 million workers who’ve applied for jobless benefits in just the past three weeks. Some estimates put the actual unemployment rate at 13%.
The last national look we have at the share of women who are unemployed comes from the second week of March, as the coronavirus job losses started up.
Even then, women made up the majority of the newly unemployed, according to an analysis of the data from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Of the 701,000 jobs that vanished that week, 412,188 were held by women.
Advertisement
“Women’s job losses outnumbered men’s in almost all sectors of the economy,” the report said.
Of course, those numbers now look tiny compared with the millions more out of work.
The Fuller Project’s investigation went directly to state unemployment agencies to get more recent data.
Ryley asked nearly 40 state unemployment agencies to provide numbers on the gender makeup of those workers who filed for unemployment benefits in the last two weeks of March, when COVID-19 layoffs and shutdowns swept the country and 8.7 million people were thrown out of work.
Five states replied and the numbers were striking. In three states ― Minnesota, New Jersey and Virginia ― women represented nearly two-thirds of those filing for jobless benefits.
In New York, women made up more than half of the 450,000 people who filed for benefits. In the previous quarter-century, the share of women filing for claims in that state had never topped 40%. In Oregon, women typically comprise a third of filers. During the last two weeks of March, they were the majority.
Black Women Are Hardest Hit
Eddie Rodriguez (right) and other Hialeah city employees hand out unemployment applications to people in their vehicles in front of the John F. Kennedy Library on April 8. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Advertisement
The Fuller Project numbers don’t note racial differences because the states were not able to parse the data that way, Ryley said. But a survey released Thursday from the women’s advocacy group Lean In shows that Black women, in particular, are feeling these job losses.
Fifty-four percent of Black women said they were laid off or furloughed or had their hours and/or pay reduced because of the pandemic ― compared with 31% of white women and 44% of Black men. Only 27% of white men said this.
Black women also were the most likely to worry about paying for basic necessities. Sixty percent were worried about making rent or paying the mortgage, compared with 24% of white men. And 43% of Black women were worried about paying for food.
Zaborah Roane of Raleigh, North Carolina, had only 10 cents in her bank account until Friday when she got her last paycheck ― for about a week’s work. The 48-year-old told HuffPost that she was furloughed from her job as a day care worker at the end of March. Her pay, just $15 an hour despite her two decades of experience, had been reduced in the weeks leading up to the day care center’s closure. She used the money to buy some soap and cleaning supplies. Her 30-year-old daughter is helping out with groceries.
“It’s a stressful situation,” she said. “I have my 5-year-old grandson here because his school is closed. He keeps me grounded. If I stood back and really thought about it, it gets me down. I’m trying not to be down. I pray a lot.”
Advertisement
Roane, who is a member of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, doesn’t know how she’ll pay rent next month. Her roommate covered her in April. She’s applied for food stamps and unemployment insurance. She’s waiting.
“The financial fallout of this is really breathtaking,” Rachel Thomas, the president of Lean In, told HuffPost. “It is heartbreaking to start to internalize the economic impact on everybody, but particularly women.”
To be sure, men are facing their own horrifying gender gap during the pandemic. The coronavirus appears to be more likely to be fatal in men than women.
Policy Is Falling Short
Ryley and her co-author Scharff argue that all states should have to provide statistics on who’s filing for unemployment benefits. Without knowing who is losing their jobs in this crisis, it’s hard to craft a good policy response.
So far, Congress has failed to come up with a rescue package that deals with the unique reality of COVID-19 unemployment. The paid leave policy passed as part of a stimulus bill last month leaves out 75% of workers ― many of them women.
Advertisement


huffpost--2020-04-21--Solar Power Has A Diversity Problem

Solar Power Has A Diversity Problem

More Than A ‘ Pat On The Head ’ Because we are the new kids on the block , we @ @ @ @ @ have to ... be better and have higher standards .
Andrea Luecke , president and @ @ @ @ @ Foundation

Gilbert Campbell co-founded the Washington, D.C.-based solar company Volt Energy in 2009 with a bold mission. The solar company aimed not only to help shift the U.S. toward a greener economy but also to bring jobs and opportunities to underserved communities.
“The fact that we’re African American-owned ... we definitely have an affinity to making sure that folks who look like us are getting a fair shake, not only to get jobs but also to start their own companies,” Campbell told HuffPost.
Advertisement
More than a decade later, Volt Energy now works with a roster of large commercial clients, ranging from the Cheesecake Factory to the U.S. military.
The company has maintained its focus on community engagement by financing and developing smaller solar projects across the country at historically black colleges and universities, black-run churches, and black-owned businesses. These initiatives may not be the most profitable, Campbell said, but they serve as a valuable learning and recruitment tool for the solar industry.
The solar sector has a weak record on workforce diversity and there has been a spate of lawsuits alleging racism at big solar companies. Representation of black Americans and women in the solar workforce falls well below the national workforce average, putting this emerging renewable energy industry on similar footing with the fossil fuel sector, which is dominated by white men.
That is why organizations like Volt Energy see their broader mission as so vital. Industry leaders like Campbell ― who sits on the board of the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) ― hope to use their voices to build up progressive values, including the need for a diverse workforce, across the industry.
Advertisement
“We still have a long way to go to build an industry that looks like the rest of America, [but] we are going to continue to work toward that goal, regardless of the circumstances.” - Dan Whitten, SEIA vice president of public affairs
Under normal circumstances this would be no small task, but it has been made even harder by the threat the industry now faces from the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. solar industry experienced record growth last year as costs plummeted for the tenth year in a row (average prices have fallen by more than 70% over the last decade). At the end of 2019, the industry employed nearly 250,000 workers across the 50 states. But now, many of those jobs are at risk as the industry braces for a sharp economic downturn.
Layoffs have already begun and more than 106,000 workers across the clean energy sector filed for unemployment in March ― including over 16,000 in the renewable energy industry, including solar. The solar industry could lose up to half of its workers in the fallout from COVID-19, according to SEIA projections.
But during this “excruciating time,” solar companies are committed to improving diversity, Dan Whitten, vice president of public affairs for SEIA, told HuffPost.
Advertisement
“We still have a long way to go to build an industry that looks like the rest of America,” Whitten said, “[but] we are going to continue to work toward that goal, regardless of the circumstances.”
Boosting Diversity
There’s an expectation that clean energy companies do the right thing, said Andrea Luecke, president and executive director of the nonprofit Solar Foundation.
“The solar industry, because we are the new kids on the block [in the energy sector], we are the underdog. We have to fight harder, fight smarter, outwork, outperform, be better and have higher standards,” said Luecke. “Our cost savings have to be exponential for us to even be noticed. Everything about us has to be better because we’re trying to push over the long-standing incumbents.”
And that includes advancing diversity. The coronavirus pandemic, she said, “doesn’t change our imperative to build a diverse and equitable solar workforce. In fact, it makes this need even more urgent. As we rebuild our economy and get back on our feet, we’ll need highly skilled workers from all walks of life to ensure these businesses can succeed.”
But the solar industry has a long way to go to make good on these ambitions.
Solar companies added more than 5,550 jobs between 2018 and 2019, according to the industry-benchmarking “National Solar Jobs Census” report published by the Solar Foundation. Since 2014, solar employment has increased 44% ― that’s five times faster than job growth in the overall U.S. economy.
Advertisement
The solar industry's workforce in 2019 was predominantly white. (Percentages do not add up to 100 because respondents were asked separate questions about race and ethnicity. Hispanics could identify as any race.) Isabella Carapella / National Solar Jobs Census 2019
In an attempt to move quickly, the industry often fails to recruit for diversity, especially in leadership roles, Luecke said.
Black or African American employees make up only 7.7% of the solar workforce, compared to 12.3% of the U.S. workforce overall.
Female representation in solar is way behind the national average ― and getting worse, not better. Women make up 47% of the U.S. workforce, but just 26% of the solar workforce, which is down slightly from previous years (but still above the 15.8% women in mining and oil and gas extraction).
The solar industry is still a heavily male-dominated space. Isabella Carapella / National Solar Jobs Census 2019
Advertisement
Furthermore, there is a vast underrepresentation of women and people of color at senior executive levels. While the issue is not unique to the solar industry, the gap is more pronounced for some groups. A 2018 McKinsey & Company study found that across all industries, black Americans held 4% of senior executive positions, which compares to 2% at solar companies. Women held 22% of senior executive positions in all industries, which compares to 20% in solar.
Diversity and inclusion figures for solar are not all bad, however. Last year, the proportion of solar workers who are Latinx or Hispanic increased slightly from 16.9% to 17.2%, which is comparable to their share of the U.S. workforce. Asian workers made up 8.5% of the solar workforce, holding steady year over year, but coming in higher than the 6% rate within the U.S. workforce.
Allegations Of Discrimination
Diversity is not just about the hiring process, though; it’s also about creating inclusive workplaces. Over the past few years, solar firms in California, New York and New Jersey have faced allegations of racism and discrimination from employees.
Garreth Murrell told HuffPost that he knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a toxic work environment.
In a lawsuit filed against New Jersey-based Momentum Solar in May 2019, Murrell contends that he was repeatedly subjected to racist comments, skipped over for promotions, and ultimately fired from the company’s New York warehouse for raising the issue with management. He has since been hired at another solar company.
Advertisement
Murrell said he was disturbed by his Momentum Solar colleagues’ racist comments and shocked when he got demoted and finally let go. “I grew up in Brooklyn. I’m from the middle of a melting pot,” he told HuffPost. “I’ve never experienced [discrimination] like that at work.”
He filed the lawsuit with five other plaintiffs and is now asking the court to certify it as a class action. That request was made last fall; Murrell’s lawyers expect the case will take years to resolve.
There are at least two other ongoing discrimination cases against Momentum Solar, including a complaint alleging that a female employee was terminated when the company found out about her high-risk pregnancy.
In Murrell’s case, Momentum Solar’s lawyer, Michael Marotte, acknowledged that the company had “a bad, rogue employee” who made racist comments. He said that the employee was fired as a result. “With 2,000 employees we can’t control what each of them does,” he told HuffPost. “Certainly, what that employee did was not acceptable under any circumstances.”
Marotte contended that Murrell and the other plaintiffs, meanwhile, were terminated for nondiscriminatory causes, including poor performance. He rejected allegations that Momentum Solar has broader issues with discrimination.
Advertisement
The lawyer said the company is “very progressive by nature,” adding that African Americans make up nearly 23% of Momentum’s workforce, which is almost double the national workforce representation.
More Than A ‘Pat On The Head’
Increasing diversity isn’t just the right thing to do ― there’s a business case for it. Research shows that diversity and inclusion give companies a competitive advantage. Hiring and promoting employees with a wide range of backgrounds can also help firms reach a broader set of customers.
Campbell at Volt Energy recommends putting women, people of color, veterans and other diverse representatives on company boards to help guide business strategy. Recently, Volt’s racially diverse, yet all-male, advisory board added a woman, who was also hired to lead the company’s STEM education program. Volt is also hiring a woman to run its business development team. Campbell acknowledged there’s more room for improvement and said he aims to add two more women to the board as soon as possible.
To help promote diversity beyond Volt, Campbell prioritizes hiring subcontractors with diverse backgrounds or minority-owned firms to install the company’s photovoltaic panels on roofs. He is also in early talks with utilities to facilitate the hiring of ex-offenders into the clean energy sector.
“Because we are the new kids on the block, we are the underdog. We have to ... be better and have higher standards.” - Andrea Luecke, president and executive director of the Solar Foundation
Advertisement
The Solar Foundation and SEIA partnered last year to create a best practices guide for promoting a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Recommendations include offering leadership training in diversity, inclusion and cultural competency.
Increasingly, solar companies are listening. The percentage of firms with a strategy in place to increase the representation of women, for instance, tripled between 2017 and 2019, according to a Solar Foundation diversity report last year.
Formal and informal mentorship is critical to career advancement, according to 90% of solar employees surveyed by the Solar Foundation last year. Only 37% of companies specifically offer mentorship opportunities. But NEXTracker, a solar equipment company with 375 employees headquartered in San Francisco, is now one of them. In March, it launched a women’s network to connect female employees with mentors.
Meanwhile, solar tracker manufacturer Sunfolding, also based in San Francisco, is offering an incentive to employees who refer a new hire who identifies as a woman, LGBTQ or an underrepresented minority in a STEM field. As the company doubled in size last year, this program helped it surpass the industry average for female representation ― reaching 28% compared to the industry’s 26%.
Diversity and inclusion efforts have to be more than side tasks to work, said Kristen Graf, executive director of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy. The organization, founded in 2005, runs a mentorship program, hosts networking events and works with clean energy companies to help them hire and promote more women.
Advertisement
“When I started in this work [a decade ago], it was more of a patronizing pat on the head [from business leaders],” Graf said. “It was like: ‘You do that thing over there, we’ll do the real business over here.’”
Times are changing. Solar industry leaders like Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, are making diversity and inclusion a priority, Graf said. But diversity should not be seen as a singular problem to be fixed, she added. It needs to be integral to the business.
The percentage of solar energy firms with a strategy to increase the representation of women tripled between 2017 and 2019, according to a 2019 report. Thomas Koehler/Photothek via Getty Images
“There is no point in time where you’ve met your goal on safety and you don’t have to worry about it anymore,” she said. “That is how we need to think about diversity overall. How are we building companies with a cultural perspective where it permeates everything that we do?”
The energy sector as a whole may be slow to move, said Graf, but clean energy companies, which are typically younger, can accelerate this shift. Corporate culture is established from a company’s very first hires. So rather than put on blinders to diversity until a startup matures, Graf said, inclusivity should be woven in from the beginning.
Advertisement
“Change is not going to come easy and it’s not going to occur overnight,” echoed Luecke at the Solar Foundation. “But it’s worth doing.”
“If we want to have ubiquitous solar, if we want to take on the fossil fuel industry, if we want to have 100% renewable energy and solve for climate change, then we’re going to have to have every single person’s participation,” she said.
A Way Forward
In Washington, Destiny Hodges, a sophomore at Howard University and founder of the school’s Student Sustainability Committee, is coordinating with Volt Energy to install solar panels at the historically black college. She said youth of color need more opportunities to enter the green economy and more role models like Campbell.
“To see a black man leading a solar company is important,” said Hodges.
She also wants to see the industry thinking more about how solar power can be part of the solution to social and environmental justice issues. Especially as the effects of climate change set in, she fears societal inequities will only become more severe.
Volt Energy recently installed solar panels for Howard University in Washington, D.C. Volt Energy
Advertisement
In addition to creating new employment opportunities for disenfranchised populations, expanding the use of renewable energy will reduce fossil fuel pollution, which disproportionately impacts communities of color.
This is of heightened concern during the coronavirus crisis, as evidence shows that exposure to air pollution can make people more vulnerable to the virus and that Black people are dying at higher rates from COVID-19. Meanwhile, countless reports already show how the pandemic is exacerbating income inequalities as millions file for unemployment benefits.
With the right policies in place, the solar industry can be part of the country’s economic recovery, Campbell argues. As Congress works to pass the next coronavirus stimulus bill in response to skyrocketing unemployment, he said, “We need to look back, before the pandemic, at the industries that were driving jobs, and the clean energy industries are that.”
“We’re at a crossroads,” Campbell said. “As we’re talking about rebuilding our infrastructure, are we going back to the ways of the past and building infrastructure that’s making people unhealthy? Or are we going to move forward and build infrastructure that’s going to provide cleaner air, cleaner water and more jobs?”
This story is a part of Covering Climate Now’s week of coverage focused on climate solutions, to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Covering Climate Now is a global journalism collaboration committed to strengthening coverage of the climate story.


huffpost--2020-02-12--China’s Coronavirus Cases Fall Again, Deaths Now Exceed 1,100

BEIJING ( AP ) — China on Wednesday reported another drop in the number of new cases of a viral infection and 97 more deaths , pushing the total dead past 1,100 even as the country remains largely closed down to prevent the spread of the disease .
The National Health Commission on Wednesday said 2,015 new cases had been reported over the last 24 hours , declining for a second day .
The total number of cases in mainland China is 44,653 , although many experts say a large number of others infected have gone uncounted .
The 97 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainland toll to 1,113 .
Despite the official end o the extended Lunar New Year holiday , China remained mostly closed for business as many remained at home , with some 60 million people under virtual quarantine .
The World Health Organization has named the disease caused by the virus as COVID-19 , avoiding any animal or geographic designation to avoid stigmatization and to show the disease comes from a new coronavirus discovered in 2019 .
The illness was first reported in December and connected to a food market in the central Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has largely been concentrated .
China ’ s official media reported Tuesday that the top health officials in Hubei province , of which Wuhan is the capital , have been relieved of their duties .
No reasons were given , although the province ’ s initial response was deemed slow and ineffective .
Speculation that higher-level officials could be sacked has simmered , but doing so could spark political infighting and be a tacit admission of responsibility .
The virus outbreak has become the latest political challenge for the party and its leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more political power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong , has struggled to handle crises on multiple fronts .
These include a sharply slowing domestic economy , the trade war with the U.S. and push-back on China ’ s increasingly aggressive foreign policies .
Zhong Nanshan , a leading Chinese epidemiologist , said that while the virus outbreak in China may peak this month , the situation at the center of the crisis remains more challenging .
“ We still need more time of hard working in Wuhan , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there a priorityon .
“ We have to stop more people from being infected , ” he said .
“ The problem of human to human transmission has not yet been resolved.
” Without enough facilities to handle the number of cases , Wuhan has been building prefabricated hospitals and converting a gym and other large spaces to house patients and try to isolate them from others .
The restart of business poses a risk of further spreading the virus , but China has little recourse , said Cong Liang , secretary general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the country ’ s main economic planning body .
“ Without the reopening of businesses , in the short term , it will affect the supply of medical material and ... in the long run , it will affect the supply of all kinds of production and life materials and will make the control and prevention efforts on the front line unsustainable .
The target of defeating the epidemic will not be reached , ” Cong said at a news conference .
In Hong Kong , authorities evacuated part of an apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspicion the virus may be spreading through the building ’ s plumbing .
Three residents in one apartment were confirmed to have the virus days after a resident who lives 10 floors above them .
During the 2002-03 outbreak of SARS , an illness caused by a related virus , a number of infections in Hong Kong were linked to one building ’ s sewage pipes .
Hong Kong has confirmed 49 cases in the current outbreak .
Postal operators in the United States , China , Singapore and elsewhere said the suspension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was having a major impact on the global flow of letters and parcels .
The United States Postal Service informed its counterparts around the world on Tuesday that it was “ experiencing significant difficulties ” in dispatching letters , parcels and express mail to China , including Hong Kong and Macau , because airlines have suspended flights to those destinations .
It said the USPS said can no longer accept items destined for China “ until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.
” The Universal Postal Union , a U.N. agency for postal cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flight suspensions would impact mail delivery “ for the foreseeable future.
” The Chinese mail service , China Post , said it was disinfecting postal offices , processing centers and vehicles to ensure the virus doesn ’ t spread via the mail and to protect postal staff .
The virus does “ not survive for long on objects .
It is therefore safe to receive postal items from China , ” China Post said .

BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday reported another drop in the number of new cases of a viral infection and 97 more deaths, pushing the total dead past 1,100 even as the country remains largely closed down to prevent the spread of the disease.
The National Health Commission on Wednesday said 2,015 new cases had been reported over the last 24 hours, declining for a second day. The total number of cases in mainland China is 44,653, although many experts say a large number of others infected have gone uncounted.
The 97 additional deaths from the virus raised the mainland toll to 1,113.
Despite the official end o the extended Lunar New Year holiday, China remained mostly closed for business as many remained at home, with some 60 million people under virtual quarantine.
The World Health Organization has named the disease caused by the virus as COVID-19, avoiding any animal or geographic designation to avoid stigmatization and to show the disease comes from a new coronavirus discovered in 2019.
The illness was first reported in December and connected to a food market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak has largely been concentrated.
China’s official media reported Tuesday that the top health officials in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, have been relieved of their duties. No reasons were given, although the province’s initial response was deemed slow and ineffective. Speculation that higher-level officials could be sacked has simmered, but doing so could spark political infighting and be a tacit admission of responsibility.
The virus outbreak has become the latest political challenge for the party and its leader, Xi Jinping, who despite accruing more political power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, has struggled to handle crises on multiple fronts. These include a sharply slowing domestic economy, the trade war with the U.S. and push-back on China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policies.
Zhong Nanshan, a leading Chinese epidemiologist, said that while the virus outbreak in China may peak this month, the situation at the center of the crisis remains more challenging.
“We still need more time of hard working in Wuhan,” he said, describing the isolation of infected patients there a priorityon.
“We have to stop more people from being infected,” he said. “The problem of human to human transmission has not yet been resolved.”
Without enough facilities to handle the number of cases, Wuhan has been building prefabricated hospitals and converting a gym and other large spaces to house patients and try to isolate them from others.
The restart of business poses a risk of further spreading the virus, but China has little recourse, said Cong Liang, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s main economic planning body.
“Without the reopening of businesses, in the short term, it will affect the supply of medical material and ... in the long run, it will affect the supply of all kinds of production and life materials and will make the control and prevention efforts on the front line unsustainable. The target of defeating the epidemic will not be reached,” Cong said at a news conference.
In Hong Kong, authorities evacuated part of an apartment block after cases among its residents raised suspicion the virus may be spreading through the building’s plumbing. Three residents in one apartment were confirmed to have the virus days after a resident who lives 10 floors above them.
During the 2002-03 outbreak of SARS, an illness caused by a related virus, a number of infections in Hong Kong were linked to one building’s sewage pipes.
Hong Kong has confirmed 49 cases in the current outbreak.
Postal operators in the United States, China, Singapore and elsewhere said the suspension of flights to slow the virus spread was having a major impact on the global flow of letters and parcels.
The United States Postal Service informed its counterparts around the world on Tuesday that it was “experiencing significant difficulties” in dispatching letters, parcels and express mail to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, because airlines have suspended flights to those destinations.
It said the USPS said can no longer accept items destined for China “until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.”
The Universal Postal Union, a U.N. agency for postal cooperation between its 192 member countries, said the flight suspensions would impact mail delivery “for the foreseeable future.”
The Chinese mail service, China Post, said it was disinfecting postal offices, processing centers and vehicles to ensure the virus doesn’t spread via the mail and to protect postal staff.
The virus does “not survive for long on objects. It is therefore safe to receive postal items from China,” China Post said.


huffpost--2020-04-27--Colorado And Nevada Join Western States Pact On Reopening Economy

Colorado and Nevada have joined California , Oregon and Washington in the Western States Pact , an alliance of state leaders working together to reopen their economies while mitigating the spread of the coronavirus .
The pact , which first formed two weeks ago , involves sharing information and agreeing to meet a set of benchmarks before relaxing social distancing orders .
The five states agree that any lifting of shelter-in-place rules will come with the development of a system for testing , tracking and isolating those with coronavirus symptoms .
The pact also calls for increased hospital capacity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan for protecting vulnerable populations , especially those in nursing homes .
“ There ’ s no silver bullet that will solve this pandemic until there is a cure , ” Polis said in a statement Monday , “ so we must have a multifaceted and bold approach in order to slow the spread of the virus , to keep our people safe and help our economy rebound.
” “ Millions of visitors from our fellow Western states travel to Nevada every year as a premier tourism destination , and this partnership will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term economic comeback , ” Sisolak said .
With their participation , the pact now encompasses about one-fifth of the U.S. population .
The West Coast states first formed the pact as President Donald Trump began pushing to reopen the economy despite public health experts warning that returning to business as usual wouldn ’ t be possible without widespread COVID-19 testing , increased hospital capacity , a drop in outbreaks or other factors .
The same day the pact formed , Trump suggested he could force states to restart their economies , falsely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority is total.
” “ It ’ s total , ” he said .
“ And the governors know that.
” Outside the pact , a handful of states have proceeded to reopen their economies .
The state to most aggressively do so is Georgia , whose governor recently allowed hair and nail salons , gyms , bowling alleys , tattoo studios , massage therapists , theaters and restaurants to reopen .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) thanked Colorado and Nevada for getting on board with the pact , noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same guidelines .
“ I want to thank Colorado and Nevada for joining the Western States Pact , ” he said .
“ COVID-19 doesn ’ t follow state or national boundaries , and it will take every level of government , working together to get the upper hand on this virus .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Colorado and Nevada have joined California, Oregon and Washington in the Western States Pact, an alliance of state leaders working together to reopen their economies while mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.
Govs. Jared Polis of Colorado (D) and Steve Sisolak of Nevada (D) announced their states’ participation on Monday.
Advertisement
The pact, which first formed two weeks ago, involves sharing information and agreeing to meet a set of benchmarks before relaxing social distancing orders. The five states agree that any lifting of shelter-in-place rules will come with the development of a system for testing, tracking and isolating those with coronavirus symptoms. The pact also calls for increased hospital capacity and protective gear, as well as a plan for protecting vulnerable populations, especially those in nursing homes.
“There’s no silver bullet that will solve this pandemic until there is a cure,” Polis said in a statement Monday, “so we must have a multifaceted and bold approach in order to slow the spread of the virus, to keep our people safe and help our economy rebound.”
“Millions of visitors from our fellow Western states travel to Nevada every year as a premier tourism destination, and this partnership will be vital to our immediate recovery and long-term economic comeback,” Sisolak said.
With their participation, the pact now encompasses about one-fifth of the U.S. population.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) called the commitments in the pact a "multifaceted and bold approach." AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images via Getty Images
Advertisement
The West Coast states first formed the pact as President Donald Trump began pushing to reopen the economy despite public health experts warning that returning to business as usual wouldn’t be possible without widespread COVID-19 testing, increased hospital capacity, a drop in outbreaks or other factors.
The same day the pact formed, Trump suggested he could force states to restart their economies, falsely asserting that the president’s “authority is total.”
“It’s total,” he said. “And the governors know that.” Outside the pact, a handful of states have proceeded to reopen their economies. The state to most aggressively do so is Georgia, whose governor recently allowed hair and nail salons, gyms, bowling alleys, tattoo studios, massage therapists, theaters and restaurants to reopen.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) thanked Colorado and Nevada for getting on board with the pact, noting the importance of nearby states agreeing to the same guidelines.
“I want to thank Colorado and Nevada for joining the Western States Pact,” he said. “COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries, and it will take every level of government, working together to get the upper hand on this virus.”
Advertisement


huffpost--2020-04-27--I’m A Parent Making Porn To Make Ends Meet During Covid Quarantine

The pandemic took the world by surprise , many workplaces shuttered indefinitely and I , like many other out-of-work parents , found myself explaining to my child that some things would be different for a while .
She won ’ t be playing with her friends , Mommy won ’ t be buying as many books and toys , and our schedules will be unusual .
In this COVID time , I am relying entirely on digital work : such as live webcam solo and partnered sex shows , selling fetish videos , and sexting for tips .
Co-parenting gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s at her dad ’ s house , but the juggle is real when I ’ m answering emails and sexting for tips long into the night after tucking my kid into bed .
Sometimes I ’ m able to send pics and chat with customers from the tub while she reads from her room .
“ Does your family know what you do ?
” What my daughter knows about Mommy ’ s work is context-appropriate for her age ; she ’ s 8 .
She knows that “ Mommy works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dances for people and tells them jokes , gives them hugs , and gets tipped money for doing so , because bodies are interesting and beautiful and people will pay money to appreciate them , and because companionship is important.
” When she ’ s older I will explain to her that I ’ ve worked with people ’ s bodies and genitals , and that I ’ ve been paid for sex , and that I ’ ve earned money from having conversations and filming myself masturbating or even stepping on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that some of this work was legal and some of it was not .
Millions of Americans are out of work , many are scrambling to figure out how to earn their next rent or mortgage payment and are stuck inside with screens .
Some of these folks are trying their chances at porn-making , as they try to determine their best options for making money during quarantine .
But it ’ s not an easy path .
People must weigh whether their own families will disown them after learning that they masturbated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sold nudes .
Parents have to grapple with whether they will be allowed to return to their “ regular jobs ” if they later get outed for doing porn in order to survive now .
Even though adult workers are often encouraged to leave the industry and “ find a real job , ” folks are routinely fired or outed if their past adult work is discovered .
Technology is another obstacle for people like me who are turning to online sex work to make ends meet .
It ’ s becoming more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government or platform intervention .
Skype spies on users ’ calls , and so does Zoom , monitoring them for “ nudity ” and “ obscenity , ” and this has been a common policy since April 2018 , after the laws known as FOSTA and SESTA passed .
Another tough hurdle for any sex worker : how to amass a social media and fan following to earn income and not simply for “ likes ?
Sites like Instagram , Facebook and Tumblr are increasingly censored since FOSTA/SESTA passed .
Small creators are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making it nearly impossible to direct clients to their work .
Now threatening everyone ’ s privacy is a bill that would give law enforcement and police unfettered access to all our communications .
Proponents of the Earn It Act claim it will reduce child trafficking , as lawmakers claimed with FOSTA/SESTA .
If this passes , it will ALSO criminalize sex workers , journalists , acitivists and artists who are caught in the crosshairs of law enforcement and deplatforming due to “ obscenity ” censorship .
These laws and societal attitudes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a living , to receive and request money ; to host our own ads and to keep bigger percentages from platforms .
They make it difficult for those like me , for whom porn-making and digital work are our only real option under quarantine , to provide for our families .
“ Who bought you those shoes , Mommy ?
” A customer did , for when I can go back to the club .
“ A client of mine , they wanted to say thank you , ” is what I told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s across the kitchen table from me with her workbook , learning how to multiply and puts her headphones back on as I type this .
My quick math is good and she likes checking her answers with me ― “ What ’ s six times eight ?
” ― because I ’ m a stripper who uses arithmetic every shift to track my earnings , my payouts and my rates .
What I learned in the club is helping me homeschool , and I ’ m not even surprised .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people up , and what ’ s offered can be for amusement or education , when framed and presented to a porn-literate audience .
I love hearing , “ Your videos helped me teach my husband how to slow his pace during sex , ” or “ Thank you for normalizing use of a safe word , ” or “ I don ’ t usually like girl/girl porn but yours was so real.
” Many of my clients are women , and many of my clients are parents , too .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and queers and people who labor despite chronic pain and mental health issues , if you want to support Black creators and trans people , too , please help to normalize pornography because many of “ us ” make it to make a living .
Anti-porn advocates , also known as “ porn abolitionists , ” really hate it when I point out that porn is one of the only industries where femmes typically out-earn their male counterparts , both online and off .
This quarantine has taught me what I already learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent : to not rely on the government for protection or resources .
To have multiple backup plans for income and hustle .
To have tenacity .
To expect people to push my boundaries and to practice setting them .
To model good behavior .
To use deliberate and kind touch .
To teach and learn consent and better communication skills .

Elle Stanger
I have been a stripper for the last 11 years, one who merely dabbled in webcam and porn-making ― until, that is, coronavirus quarantines and shutdowns closed Oregon clubs as of March 16, eliminating the bulk of my income.
The pandemic took the world by surprise, many workplaces shuttered indefinitely and I, like many other out-of-work parents, found myself explaining to my child that some things would be different for a while. She won’t be playing with her friends, Mommy won’t be buying as many books and toys, and our schedules will be unusual.
Advertisement
In this COVID time, I am relying entirely on digital work: such as live webcam solo and partnered sex shows, selling fetish videos, and sexting for tips. Co-parenting gives me time to shoot porn when she’s at her dad’s house, but the juggle is real when I’m answering emails and sexting for tips long into the night after tucking my kid into bed. Sometimes I’m able to send pics and chat with customers from the tub while she reads from her room.
“Does your family know what you do?” What my daughter knows about Mommy’s work is context-appropriate for her age; she’s 8. She knows that “Mommy works in a business called a strip club and dances for people and tells them jokes, gives them hugs, and gets tipped money for doing so, because bodies are interesting and beautiful and people will pay money to appreciate them, and because companionship is important.”
When she’s older I will explain to her that I’ve worked with people’s bodies and genitals, and that I’ve been paid for sex, and that I’ve earned money from having conversations and filming myself masturbating or even stepping on cigarettes. I will explain to her that some of this work was legal and some of it was not.
Looking at porn can have positive effects for creativity, for body image, for validating sexual identity and for normalizing activities that people enjoy. Meanwhile, professional sex educators and the major porn platforms are recommending that people have digital and screen sex, to help “flatten the curve.”
Advertisement
Millions of Americans are out of work, many are scrambling to figure out how to earn their next rent or mortgage payment and are stuck inside with screens. Some of these folks are trying their chances at porn-making, as they try to determine their best options for making money during quarantine.
But it’s not an easy path. People must weigh whether their own families will disown them after learning that they masturbated on a webcam for money, or sold nudes. Parents have to grapple with whether they will be allowed to return to their “regular jobs” if they later get outed for doing porn in order to survive now. Even though adult workers are often encouraged to leave the industry and “find a real job,” folks are routinely fired or outed if their past adult work is discovered.
Technology is another obstacle for people like me who are turning to online sex work to make ends meet. It’s becoming more difficult to share sexual content privately without government or platform intervention. Skype spies on users’ calls, and so does Zoom, monitoring them for “nudity” and “obscenity,” and this has been a common policy since April 2018, after the laws known as FOSTA and SESTA passed.
Additionally, payment processors like Paypal, CashApp and Venmo don’t allow payment processing for adult-oriented businesses, and they monitor transaction notes specifically for mentions of porn or nudes. It’s really difficult to get paid for sex work digitally and legally.
Another tough hurdle for any sex worker: how to amass a social media and fan following to earn income and not simply for “likes? Sites like Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr are increasingly censored since FOSTA/SESTA passed. Small creators are very likely to be deactivated or shadowbanned, making it nearly impossible to direct clients to their work.
Advertisement
Now threatening everyone’s privacy is a bill that would give law enforcement and police unfettered access to all our communications. Proponents of the Earn It Act claim it will reduce child trafficking, as lawmakers claimed with FOSTA/SESTA. If this passes, it will ALSO criminalize sex workers, journalists, acitivists and artists who are caught in the crosshairs of law enforcement and deplatforming due to “obscenity” censorship.
These laws and societal attitudes make it difficult for us to earn a living, to receive and request money; to host our own ads and to keep bigger percentages from platforms. They make it difficult for those like me, for whom porn-making and digital work are our only real option under quarantine, to provide for our families.
At the very least, think of our children. When you hurt a parent’s ability to provide for their child, it hurts the child.
“Who bought you those shoes, Mommy?” A customer did, for when I can go back to the club. “A client of mine, they wanted to say thank you,” is what I told her, and this is true. She’s across the kitchen table from me with her workbook, learning how to multiply and puts her headphones back on as I type this. My quick math is good and she likes checking her answers with me ― “What’s six times eight?” ― because I’m a stripper who uses arithmetic every shift to track my earnings, my payouts and my rates. What I learned in the club is helping me homeschool, and I’m not even surprised.
Porn is important, seeing breasts cheers people up, and what’s offered can be for amusement or education, when framed and presented to a porn-literate audience. I love hearing, “Your videos helped me teach my husband how to slow his pace during sex,” or “Thank you for normalizing use of a safe word,” or “I don’t usually like girl/girl porn but yours was so real.” Many of my clients are women, and many of my clients are parents, too.
Advertisement
If you want to support working women and families and queers and people who labor despite chronic pain and mental health issues, if you want to support Black creators and trans people, too, please help to normalize pornography because many of “us” make it to make a living. Anti-porn advocates, also known as “porn abolitionists,” really hate it when I point out that porn is one of the only industries where femmes typically out-earn their male counterparts, both online and off.
Free porn is pretty available but most is stolen from creators like myself, and now is the best time to buy directly from the creator or request a commission. It’s literally keeping our families fed and our spirits lifted.
Pay for your content, or tip for it when possible. Comic Tina Horn recently and truthfully noted, “Buying porn directly from sex workers is the farmer’s market of adult entertainment.”
This quarantine has taught me what I already learned as a sex worker and as a parent: to not rely on the government for protection or resources. To have multiple backup plans for income and hustle. To have tenacity. To expect people to push my boundaries and to practice setting them. To model good behavior. To use deliberate and kind touch. To teach and learn consent and better communication skills.
Porn is literally saving many people’s lives during quarantine times ― and always. Sexual rights are civil rights and we can all do our part to protect and respect both, for ourselves and for our children.
Advertisement
Elle Stanger is a sex worker, parent, certified sex educator and producer of the Strange Bedfellows podcast. Follow her @stripperwriter.
Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch!