huffpost--2020-04-03--How To Deal If Your Kid Hates Coronavirus 'Home School'

Across the United States , millions of parents and caregivers are now doing something they never thought they would : homeschooling — or perhaps more accurately , overseeing remote learning while in many cases simultaneously attempting to work full-time .
It ’ s been called the biggest distance learning experiment in history .
That feels pretty damn diplomatic to me .
My own kid has been out of school for three weeks now ( while his younger brother has been out of daycare ) , and I feel so fortunate that they ’ re young .
The remote learning “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involves a lot of art projects , games , and reading him books .
Even so , getting him to sit down and actually do it has been hard at times .
Typically , he ’ s the kid who runs into the classroom every morning without looking back at us once .
He loves his teachers and his classmates .
But Zoom morning meetings with a bunch of fidgety 5-year-olds on mute are painful .
His father and I don ’ t have the skills or the patience to make even his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he ’ ll resist , begging for Legos again .
Or TV .
Anything but learning with mom and dad .
All of this certainly goes for parents of older kids who are at a point in their education where the stakes are potentially a whole lot higher .
We know summer learning loss is an issue .
What will happen now ?
How can parents who are under an enormous amount of stress — and in many cases facing huge health and financial challenges — keep their kids interested in remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ?
You should also feel empowered to reach out to your child ’ s teacher and explain your particular home situation right now , so they can adjust their expectations accordingly .
Are you working full-time and totally booked up during the day ?
Are you busy sorting through unemployment benefits ?
Do you have other kids at home whose work and schedules you also need to somehow accommodate ?
She got in touch with her child ’ s teachers and told them , point blank , that the workload was impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her child ’ s teachers were really receptive to finding ways to better work with her family ’ s situation and schedule .
2 .
Focus on your relationship above all else .
“ One of the very first questions I ask parents is : Think back to your favorite teacher .
What were the qualities of that person ?
” said Allen .
Almost without fail , adults will recall a teacher who was kind and who they could tell really cared about them , she said .
So your first priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to focus on your relationship with your kid and keeping that strong , she said .
If they ’ re pushing back against home school on a particular day — or you find yourself kind of going head-to-head with them to get them to finish a particular assignment — step back and remember that what matters most right now is that you guys keep your relationship strong .
Snyder said this one works particularly well for younger kids , and the idea is simple : If there ’ s an assignment your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a certain moment in time , give them the option of sticking it on the “ let it go board.
” “ Ask them , ‘ Do you want this to be a ‘ let it go ’ task ?
’ ” Snyder said .
If they do , write it down , tack it up on a board or sheet of paper , and then move onto something else .
You ’ re not letting them off the hook forever ; you ’ re just letting them come back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better place for it .
“ They know that at some point , you ’ ll go back and tackle that ‘ let it go ’ task , ” said Snyder , who has been having a lot of success with this with her own second grader .
And they ’ re always proud when they finally do .
Sure , that ’ s a pretty broad directive .
And it can certainly challenging when you ’ re running on empty .
But if your kiddo just isn ’ t responding to school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them at this moment in time , use the fact that they ’ re not in a traditional school setting to your advantage .
If they resisting an assignment , could you ask them to play teacher and lead a class walking a younger sibling through it ?
They ’ ll still digest the material , and suddenly it feels more like a game .
If they ’ re resisting a math assignment , could you give them a dry-erase marker and let them work out some equations on your bathroom tiles ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one of her own kids .
“ You can be playful at home and blend in learning , ” she said , adding that it may take a lot of trial and error to figure out what works , and that ’ s OK. She also suggested reaching out to your child ’ s teachers to see if they have specific tips about blending learning and play .
Both of the experts who spoke to HuffPost noted that parents often have this idea that learning is something kids do at school , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out ( and homework ) .
Give yourself more credit than that .
Kids learn with you all the time .
And it is OK if the bulk of the learning happening at home right now isn ’ t coming during traditional school hours , or even focused on traditional academic topics .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Across the United States, millions of parents and caregivers are now doing something they never thought they would: homeschooling — or perhaps more accurately, overseeing remote learning while in many cases simultaneously attempting to work full-time. It’s been called the biggest distance learning experiment in history. That feels pretty damn diplomatic to me.
My own kid has been out of school for three weeks now (while his younger brother has been out of daycare), and I feel so fortunate that they’re young. The remote learning “curriculum” my 5-year-old is following basically involves a lot of art projects, games, and reading him books.
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Even so, getting him to sit down and actually do it has been hard at times. Typically, he’s the kid who runs into the classroom every morning without looking back at us once. He loves his teachers and his classmates. But Zoom morning meetings with a bunch of fidgety 5-year-olds on mute are painful. His father and I don’t have the skills or the patience to make even his super simple math exercises fun. Often, he’ll resist, begging for Legos again. Or TV. Anything but learning with mom and dad.
All of this certainly goes for parents of older kids who are at a point in their education where the stakes are potentially a whole lot higher. We know summer learning loss is an issue. What will happen now? How can parents who are under an enormous amount of stress — and in many cases facing huge health and financial challenges — keep their kids interested in remote learning as the weeks and months wear on?
So as always, we turned to the experts to get their advice on forging ahead when kids inevitably hit their coronavirus homeschooling wall.
1. Lower. Your. Expectations.
“Most of us aren’t trained as teachers. Many of us are also working. Most of us are doing the best we can,” Kim Allen, a human development specialist with NC State University, told HuffPost.
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Rather than stressing about homeschooling challenges, or worrying too much about your child falling behind, lower your expectations. Our kids probably won’t learn as much with us as they would in school. That’s OK.
You should also feel empowered to reach out to your child’s teacher and explain your particular home situation right now, so they can adjust their expectations accordingly. Are you working full-time and totally booked up during the day? Are you busy sorting through unemployment benefits? Do you have other kids at home whose work and schedules you also need to somehow accommodate?
If it feels impossible to get through a mountain of school work right now, tell your child’s teachers. “My sixth grader has been getting a flood of assignments; I work full-time and I’m a single mom with other kids at home,” Annie Snyder, a doctor of educational psychology and senior learning scientist with McGraw-Hill, told HuffPost.
She got in touch with her child’s teachers and told them, point blank, that the workload was impossible for her to handle right now. Her child’s teachers were really receptive to finding ways to better work with her family’s situation and schedule.
2. Focus on your relationship above all else.
“One of the very first questions I ask parents is: Think back to your favorite teacher. What were the qualities of that person?” said Allen. Almost without fail, adults will recall a teacher who was kind and who they could tell really cared about them, she said.
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So your first priority in your weird new hybrid parent/teacher role is to focus on your relationship with your kid and keeping that strong, she said. If they’re pushing back against home school on a particular day — or you find yourself kind of going head-to-head with them to get them to finish a particular assignment — step back and remember that what matters most right now is that you guys keep your relationship strong.
Also, it just simply doesn’t work all that well to badger your kid into learning.
“If your child is feeling stressed, they’re going to have a hard time learning anyway,” Allen said.
3. Try a “let it go” board.
Snyder said this one works particularly well for younger kids, and the idea is simple: If there’s an assignment your kid doesn’t want to do at a certain moment in time, give them the option of sticking it on the “let it go board.”
“Ask them, ‘Do you want this to be a ‘let it go’ task?’” Snyder said. If they do, write it down, tack it up on a board or sheet of paper, and then move onto something else. You’re not letting them off the hook forever; you’re just letting them come back to the activity when they’re in a better place for it.
“They know that at some point, you’ll go back and tackle that ‘let it go’ task,” said Snyder, who has been having a lot of success with this with her own second grader. And they’re always proud when they finally do.
4. Get playful.
Sure, that’s a pretty broad directive. And it can certainly challenging when you’re running on empty. But if your kiddo just isn’t responding to school as it’s being offered to them at this moment in time, use the fact that they’re not in a traditional school setting to your advantage.
Advertisement
If they resisting an assignment, could you ask them to play teacher and lead a class walking a younger sibling through it? They’ll still digest the material, and suddenly it feels more like a game. If they’re resisting a math assignment, could you give them a dry-erase marker and let them work out some equations on your bathroom tiles? Snyder recently tried a version of that with one of her own kids.
“You can be playful at home and blend in learning,” she said, adding that it may take a lot of trial and error to figure out what works, and that’s OK. She also suggested reaching out to your child’s teachers to see if they have specific tips about blending learning and play.
“Teachers have a lot of good ideas for that,” Snyder said.
5. Reminder: Learning doesn’t just happen during school hours.
Both of the experts who spoke to HuffPost noted that parents often have this idea that learning is something kids do at school, then home time is more for hanging out (and homework). Give yourself more credit than that. Kids learn with you all the time. And it is OK if the bulk of the learning happening at home right now isn’t coming during traditional school hours, or even focused on traditional academic topics.
If they’re doing laundry with you, that’s learning, Snyder said. If they’re eager for screen time — and you can get them in front of a kid-appropriate documentary — that’s learning, too, Allen added.
Or return to one of the most basic learning exercises of all. Just read together.
“It’s one of the best ways to work on learning,” Allen said, “and to work on that connection.”


huffpost--2020-03-30--Changes Are Coming To Comments

Changes Are Coming To Comments

Over the last year , we ’ ve been collecting feedback from HuffPost members and loyal readers through polls , surveys , forums , customer support , focus groups , interviews and more .
One of the recurring themes we have heard consistently is that you want a better commenting experience – one with more transparency , less toxicity and more ways to participate .
Commenters have also repeatedly asked for a login that doesn ’ t require a Facebook or Twitter account .
Starting April 2 , we are changing how readers access comments .
Instead of logging in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you will be prompted to create a HuffPost member account to comment on stories .
( If you ’ re already a member , you won ’ t need to do anything other than log in to comment . )
Please bear with us if you encounter any weirdness this week as we make these changes .
This is only the beginning !
We plan to roll out more community features based on your feedback in the coming weeks and months .
Basic HuffPost membership doesn ’ t cost a thing , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HuffPost Insider newsletter , members-only events with HuffPost journalists and discounts on tickets to other HuffPost events .
In January , members interviewed Lydia Polgreen , our then-editor-in-chief , in a virtual Q & A , and they participated in an online elections briefing with Amanda Terkel , our Washington bureau chief , and Kevin Robillard , one of our senior political reporters , after Super Tuesday .
HuffPost readers also joined our health and politics senior reporter Jonathan Cohn in a live group interview about COVID-19 with HuffPost public health contributor Kathryn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global epidemiology , in March .
We have much more planned .
If you would like to support HuffPost ’ s journalism financially and help keep our articles free for everyone , we encourage you to join as a HuffPost Plus member , which includes an ad-free experience on the HuffPost mobile apps .
To get to the comments , click on the gray quote bubble in the sharing icons either to the left of an article ’ s headline ( on desktop ) , at the top of the article ( on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tab at the bottom of the app screen .
You can find more information about comments on our FAQ page .
Regardless of who you are , where you live or what you believe , HuffPost has always been a place for you to express your thoughts and opinions and participate in discussions about the most pivotal stories of our time .

HuffPost Illustration
Over the last year, we’ve been collecting feedback from HuffPost members and loyal readers through polls, surveys, forums, customer support, focus groups, interviews and more.
One of the recurring themes we have heard consistently is that you want a better commenting experience – one with more transparency, less toxicity and more ways to participate. Commenters have also repeatedly asked for a login that doesn’t require a Facebook or Twitter account.
Advertisement
Since April 2, only HuffPost members are able to comment on articles.
Instead of logging in using a social media account ID, you will be prompted to create a HuffPost member account to comment on stories. (If you’re already a member, you won’t need to do anything other than log in to comment.)
As part of completing this transition, any comments on stories published before April 2 will no longer be accessible.
Please bear with us if you encounter any weirdness this week as we make these changes.
We’ve also worked hard to improve our comments with:
simplified guidelines visible at the top of the comments section on each article for more transparency
more moderation on controversial topics
a roundup of editors’ picks featuring smart, thoughtful comments
This is only the beginning! We plan to roll out more community features based on your feedback in the coming weeks and months.
Basic HuffPost membership doesn’t cost a thing, and it comes with access to the behind-the-scenes HuffPost Insider newsletter, members-only events with HuffPost journalists and discounts on tickets to other HuffPost events.
In January, members interviewed Lydia Polgreen, our then-editor-in-chief, in a virtual Q&A, and they participated in an online elections briefing with Amanda Terkel, our Washington bureau chief, and Kevin Robillard, one of our senior political reporters, after Super Tuesday.
HuffPost readers also joined our health and politics senior reporter Jonathan Cohn in a live group interview about COVID-19 with HuffPost public health contributor Kathryn Jacobsen, a professor who specializes in global epidemiology, in March. We have much more planned.
If you would like to support HuffPost’s journalism financially and help keep our articles free for everyone, we encourage you to join as a HuffPost Plus member, which includes an ad-free experience on the HuffPost mobile apps.
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To get to the comments, click on the gray quote bubble in the sharing icons either to the left of an article’s headline (on desktop), at the top of the article (on mobile web browser) or in the tab at the bottom of the app screen. You can find more information about comments on our FAQ page.
This is how you can get to the comments. HuffPost
Regardless of who you are, where you live or what you believe, HuffPost has always been a place for you to express your thoughts and opinions and participate in discussions about the most pivotal stories of our time.


huffpost--2020-03-13--Can You Guess Who Is Under This Very Fashionable Hazmat Suit?

If the two choices on how to react to the coronavirus pandemic are to “ go big or go home , ” most have opted to go home .
The singer attended the Austin Film Society ’ s Texas Film Awards on Thursday , wearing what she called “ social distancing couture ” : a “ bootleg ” hazmat suit adorned with Louis Vuitton logos , a giant Louis Vuitton pouch , gloves , a mask , a visor , big feathery booties and , best of all , a face full of flawless makeup .
Badu attended the ceremony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news that her March 13 concert in Atlanta , part of a tour with Common , would be postponed .
She shared photos of the suit in action on her Instagram account , prompting reactions from followers like “ Chiccccc , ” “ It actually becomes you ” and our personal favorite , from none other than Chaka Khan , “ Hey Sister Gal !
!
!
!
” Badu practiced her own social distancing while accepting the award from host Parker Posey ... ... but got way closer than the recommended 6-10 @ @ @ @ @ @

If the two choices on how to react to the coronavirus pandemic are to “go big or go home,” most have opted to go home.
Erykah Badu is not most.
The singer attended the Austin Film Society’s Texas Film Awards on Thursday, wearing what she called “social distancing couture”: a “bootleg” hazmat suit adorned with Louis Vuitton logos, a giant Louis Vuitton pouch, gloves, a mask, a visor, big feathery booties and, best of all, a face full of flawless makeup.
Gary Miller via Getty Images Who else would be under there except Erykah Badu?
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Badu attended the ceremony to accept a soundtrack award amidst the news that her March 13 concert in Atlanta, part of a tour with Common, would be postponed.
Rick Kern via Getty Images Tired: Hazmat suit. Wired: Bootleg Louis Vuitton-bedecked hazmat suit.
She shared photos of the suit in action on her Instagram account, prompting reactions from followers like “Chiccccc,” “It actually becomes you” and our personal favorite, from none other than Chaka Khan, “Hey Sister Gal!!!!”
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Badu practiced her own social distancing while accepting the award from host Parker Posey ...
Rick Kern via Getty Images "Social distancing couture" in action.
... but got way closer than the recommended 6-10 feet apart for a photo-op.
Gary Miller via Getty Images This is, uh, not exactly how it works.


huffpost--2020-04-03--15 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

15 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

We ’ re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week of March 28 to April 3 .
@ @ @ @ @ Above : A volunteer arranges lit candles in a formation to read “ Fight COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ environmental campaign near a catholic church in Borongan City , in the Eastern Samar province @ @ @ @ @ March 28 .

We’re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week of March 28 to April 3. Check them out below.
Above: A volunteer arranges lit candles in a formation to read “Fight COVID-19” during the Earth Hour environmental campaign near a catholic church in Borongan City, in the Eastern Samar province of the Philippines, on March 28.


huffpost--2020-04-03--Seth Meyers And Amy Poehler 'Really' Rip Mitch McConnell

When “ SNL ” alumni bring back a classic sketch just to dunk on you , you know you “ really ” messed up .
That means you , Mitch McConnell .
This week , the Senate majority leader gave an interview claiming the Trump administration was too distracted with the impeachment hearings earlier this year to properly respond to the coronavirus threat .
On Thursday ’ s episode of “ Late Night , ” host Seth Meyers reunited with “ Saturday Night Live ” cast mate Amy Poehler , and both had a slight issue with that .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” bit “ Really !
?
!
with Seth and Amy ” to express to Sen. Mitch “ Haunted Corn Cob Doll ” McConnell ( R-Ky. ) just how wrong he was .
“ Really ?
Yeah .
Mitch , you think your boy Trump was too distracted to think about the coronavirus ?
He was on trial for selling the country down the river , and he was still out there holding rallies and playing more golf than a San Diego dentist , ” Poehler said .
Meyers added : “ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toad .
We all know why you support Donald Trump , and it ’ s not because you respect him .
It ’ s because having Trump in charge is like having a hungover substitute teacher .
I mean , really , you get to buck the system , break every rule , and steal everything you can , and there ’ s no one to answer to because he fell asleep the second he hit play on the VCR .
“ You ’ re like those people who move into their dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Security checks , only not as classy , ” he said .
You can see the rest of the pair ’ s really informative points above .

When “SNL” alumni bring back a classic sketch just to dunk on you, you know you “really” messed up. That means you, Mitch McConnell.
This week, the Senate majority leader gave an interview claiming the Trump administration was too distracted with the impeachment hearings earlier this year to properly respond to the coronavirus threat. On Thursday’s episode of “Late Night,” host Seth Meyers reunited with “Saturday Night Live” cast mate Amy Poehler, and both had a slight issue with that.
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The pair brought back their “Weekend Update” bit “Really!?! with Seth and Amy” to express to Sen. Mitch “Haunted Corn Cob Doll” McConnell (R-Ky.) just how wrong he was.
“Really? Yeah. Mitch, you think your boy Trump was too distracted to think about the coronavirus? He was on trial for selling the country down the river, and he was still out there holding rallies and playing more golf than a San Diego dentist,” Poehler said.
Meyers added: “And really, Mitch, you albino river toad. We all know why you support Donald Trump, and it’s not because you respect him. It’s because having Trump in charge is like having a hungover substitute teacher. I mean, really, you get to buck the system, break every rule, and steal everything you can, and there’s no one to answer to because he fell asleep the second he hit play on the VCR.
“You’re like those people who move into their dead grandparents’ house and keep cashing their Social Security checks, only not as classy,” he said.
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Wow. Who knew McConnell was living at his grandparents’ place, right?


huffpost--2020-04-03--5 Fun Things To Obsess Over, Including Andrew Cuomo's Rumored Nipple Ring

By now you might have a deliberate plan in place to break from the news cycle in order to preserve your mental health and quell some of your quar-anxiety surrounding the onslaught of tragic and infuriating daily developments surrounding COVID-19 .
For those people , we offer you yet another way to take a breather .
For those who have not but would like to , consider Anything But Coronavirus ( or ABC ) your gateway .
Each week we find five other things besides the thing to obsess over .
It ’ s important to stay informed , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-soothe .
Or in this week ’ s case , investigate whether a certain government official has a nipple piercing .
1 .
People trying to figure out whether Gov .
Andrew Cuomo has his nipple pierced “ Is it just me or is Cuomo ’ s nipple totally pierced ?
” the Twitter account Give Me Internet tweeted Saturday .
Thus launched a thorough investigation into what lies beneath those signature polos of New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo .
The question is still unanswered by America ’ s boyfriend , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over , Carrie Bradshaw , there ’ s a new queen of cosmos and she is ― to quote another “ Sex and the City ” character ― fabulous .
The Barefoot Contessa soothed our souls with a hilarious “ recipe ” video on Wednesday consisting of ingredients like “ good ” vodka and the most massive martini glass we ’ ve ever seen .
You need to see it to believe it .
3 .
And the inevitable parody that came after Comedian Heather McMahan wasted no time giving us a peek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours after her video was posted ― pantsless , still chugging a pitcher of cosmos and screaming at her neighbors about a chicken salad sandwich recipe .
It ’ s a must-watch .
4 .
Every song on the new Dua Lipa album When Dua Lipa announced she would be dropping her new album last Friday , earlier than planned , she said she hoped it would make us dance ― and boy , did it deliver .
Let ’ s just say this has been on repeat for our solo dance parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ Levitating.
” Our collective obsession with Netflix ’ s “ Cheer ” now feels like a distant ( and wonderful ) memory , but La ’ Darius Marshall is still shining just as bright .
He is The Cut ’ s April cover star and was born to wear clothes like the dreamy Balenciaga trench from the cover ( seen above ) .
The imagery alone is breathtakingly beautiful , but it ’ s the deeper connection with Marshall ― one that fans began to make while watching the Netflix series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week .

By now you might have a deliberate plan in place to break from the news cycle in order to preserve your mental health and quell some of your quar-anxiety surrounding the onslaught of tragic and infuriating daily developments surrounding COVID-19.
For those people, we offer you yet another way to take a breather. For those who have not but would like to, consider Anything But Coronavirus (or ABC) your gateway.
Each week we find five other things besides the thing to obsess over. It’s important to stay informed, but it’s equally as important to self-soothe. Or in this week’s case, investigate whether a certain government official has a nipple piercing.
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Below, five other things we’re obsessed with this week.
1. People trying to figure out whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo has his nipple pierced
Is it just me or is Cuomo's nipple totally pierced? pic.twitter.com/D9i3xEotYu — Give Me Internet (@GiveMeInternet) March 28, 2020
“Is it just me or is Cuomo’s nipple totally pierced?” the Twitter account Give Me Internet tweeted Saturday. Thus launched a thorough investigation into what lies beneath those signature polos of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The question is still unanswered by America’s boyfriend, but has prompted many funny follow-ups.
2. Ina Garten’s cosmopolitan
Move over, Carrie Bradshaw, there’s a new queen of cosmos and she is ― to quote another “Sex and the City” character ― fabulous. The Barefoot Contessa soothed our souls with a hilarious “recipe” video on Wednesday consisting of ingredients like “good” vodka and the most massive martini glass we’ve ever seen. You need to see it to believe it.
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3. And the inevitable parody that came after
Comedian Heather McMahan wasted no time giving us a peek at what Garten might look like six hours after her video was posted ― pantsless, still chugging a pitcher of cosmos and screaming at her neighbors about a chicken salad sandwich recipe. It’s a must-watch.
4. Every song on the new Dua Lipa album
When Dua Lipa announced she would be dropping her new album last Friday, earlier than planned, she said she hoped it would make us dance ― and boy, did it deliver. Let’s just say this has been on repeat for our solo dance parties since it dropped. We recommend starting with “Levitating.”
5. La’Darius Marshall’s The Cut cover (and interview)
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huffpost--2020-04-03--South Dakota Lawmaker Accused Of Being Drunk During COVID-19 Meeting

SIOUX FALLS , S.D .
( AP ) — South Dakota legislators decided Thursday to investigate allegations that Senate Majority Leader Kris Langer was drunk during a meeting earlier this week that involved legislation elated to the coronavirus outbreak .
Both Langer , a Dell Rapids Republican , and Senate Pro Tempore Brock Greenfield , a Clark Republican , will be under investigation for their conduct during a marathon session that stretched from Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday morning .
Langer and Greenfield oversaw the Senate proceedings from a conference room in the Capitol as lawmakers convened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emergency bills for the coronavirus outbreak .
As the Senate prepared to adjourn Tuesday morning , Sen. Phil Jensen , a Rapid City Republican , said he had heard Langer was intoxicated and had interrupted meetings in the House and Senate .
He then attempted to move to create a disciplinary committee .
Jensen declined to tell The Associated Press who had told him about Langer ’ s behavior , but said he noticed on a video broadcast of the meeting room that both Langer and Greenfield ’ s speech was slurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding Greenfield on Tuesday morning .
Greenfield told his colleagues on the phone that he had not seen Langer drinking .
The Senate decided that Jensen could not move to immediately establish the committee due to a technicality , but Senators suggested he could bring it up to the Executive Board , a committee of senior legislators from the House and Senate that decides on legislative proceedings .
Langer and Greenfield did not immediately respond to attempts to reach them for comment .
The Executive Board , which convened by teleconference on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private meeting , saying they could do so because the issue was a personnel matter .
Greenfield , who is the chair of the committee , recused himself from proceedings .
Lawmakers then decided to create a committee of nine Senators to investigate the conduct of Langer and Greenfield .
It is against the Legislature ’ s rules to drink or store alcohol in the Capitol .
Sen. Jim Bolin , a Canton Republican , initiated the measure , saying he wanted to “ deal with this as quickly as we can ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what happened during the meeting earlier this week .
The committee will have five Republicans and four Democrats .
They have until June 30 to report their findings .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota legislators decided Thursday to investigate allegations that Senate Majority Leader Kris Langer was drunk during a meeting earlier this week that involved legislation elated to the coronavirus outbreak.
Both Langer, a Dell Rapids Republican, and Senate Pro Tempore Brock Greenfield, a Clark Republican, will be under investigation for their conduct during a marathon session that stretched from Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday morning.
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Langer and Greenfield oversaw the Senate proceedings from a conference room in the Capitol as lawmakers convened through teleconference to decide on a series of emergency bills for the coronavirus outbreak. As the Senate prepared to adjourn Tuesday morning, Sen. Phil Jensen, a Rapid City Republican, said he had heard Langer was intoxicated and had interrupted meetings in the House and Senate. He then attempted to move to create a disciplinary committee.
Jensen declined to tell The Associated Press who had told him about Langer’s behavior, but said he noticed on a video broadcast of the meeting room that both Langer and Greenfield’s speech was slurred. He did not make an accusation regarding Greenfield on Tuesday morning.
Greenfield told his colleagues on the phone that he had not seen Langer drinking. The Senate decided that Jensen could not move to immediately establish the committee due to a technicality, but Senators suggested he could bring it up to the Executive Board, a committee of senior legislators from the House and Senate that decides on legislative proceedings.
Langer and Greenfield did not immediately respond to attempts to reach them for comment.
The Executive Board, which convened by teleconference on Thursday, met for about half-an-hour in a private meeting, saying they could do so because the issue was a personnel matter. Greenfield, who is the chair of the committee, recused himself from proceedings. Lawmakers then decided to create a committee of nine Senators to investigate the conduct of Langer and Greenfield.
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It is against the Legislature’s rules to drink or store alcohol in the Capitol.
Sen. Jim Bolin, a Canton Republican, initiated the measure, saying he wanted to “deal with this as quickly as we can” so they could come to a conclusion on what happened during the meeting earlier this week.
The committee will have five Republicans and four Democrats. They have until June 30 to report their findings.


huffpost--2020-04-03--America's Record Hiring Streak Has Come To An End

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — A record-long streak of U.S. job growth ended suddenly in March after nearly a decade as employers cut 701,000 jobs because of the viral outbreak that ’ s all but shut down the U.S. economy .
The unemployment rate jumped to 4.4 % from a 50-year low of 3.5 % .
Last month ’ s actual job loss was likely even larger because the government surveyed employers before the heaviest layoffs hit in the past two weeks .
Nearly 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last two weeks of March , far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on record .
One sign of how painfully deep the job losses will likely prove to be : During its nearly decade-long hiring streak , the U.S. economy added 22.8 million jobs .
Economists expect the April jobs report being released in early May to show that all those jobs will have been lost .
As recently as February , employers had added 273,000 jobs .
Some economists have now forecast that the unemployment rate could go as high as 15 % within the next month .
That rate would be the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recession , unemployment peaked at 10 % .
More than 90 % of the U.S. population is now living under some version of a shutdown order , which has forced the closure of bars , restaurants , movie theaters , factories , gyms and most other businesses .
Some hotels are closed ; others are largely empty .
Fast-food chains are either closed or providing only drive-through service , costing thousands of jobs .
With business activity tightly restricted , analysts expect a stomach-churning recession .
Economists at Goldman Sachs have forecast that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of 34 % in the April-June quarter — the worse fall on records dating to World War II .
Goldman expects the economy to rebound with 19 % growth in the third quarter .
But even by the end of next year , the economy will not have fully recovered from the damage , Goldman projects .
Robert Kaplan , president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas , said Thursday on CNBC that he expects the unemployment rate to rise to the mid-teens soon , before falling to about 8 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key determinant of the economy ’ s future will be whether businesses can survive the shutdown and rehire many of the workers they laid off .
If so , that would help the economy snap back and avoid the type of weak recovery that followed the past three downturns .
So far , some large and small businesses are still paying for health care benefits and keeping in touch with their newly laid-off workers .
But if the virus outbreak forces businesses to stay closed into the late summer , many may go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to rehire their old employees .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON (AP) — A record-long streak of U.S. job growth ended suddenly in March after nearly a decade as employers cut 701,000 jobs because of the viral outbreak that’s all but shut down the U.S. economy. The unemployment rate jumped to 4.4% from a 50-year low of 3.5%.
Last month’s actual job loss was likely even larger because the government surveyed employers before the heaviest layoffs hit in the past two weeks. Nearly 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last two weeks of March, far exceeding the figure for any corresponding period on record.
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Virus-induced shutdowns have forced widespread layoffs throughout the economy, from hotels, restaurants and movie theaters to auto factories, department stores and administrative offices.
One sign of how painfully deep the job losses will likely prove to be: During its nearly decade-long hiring streak, the U.S. economy added 22.8 million jobs. Economists expect the April jobs report being released in early May to show that all those jobs will have been lost.
As recently as February, employers had added 273,000 jobs. Some economists have now forecast that the unemployment rate could go as high as 15% within the next month. That rate would be the worst since the 1930s. During the Great Recession, unemployment peaked at 10%.
More than 90% of the U.S. population is now living under some version of a shutdown order, which has forced the closure of bars, restaurants, movie theaters, factories, gyms and most other businesses. Some hotels are closed; others are largely empty. Fast-food chains are either closed or providing only drive-through service, costing thousands of jobs.
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With business activity tightly restricted, analysts expect a stomach-churning recession. Economists at Goldman Sachs have forecast that the economy will shrink at an annual rate of 34% in the April-June quarter — the worse fall on records dating to World War II. Goldman expects the economy to rebound with 19% growth in the third quarter. But even by the end of next year, the economy will not have fully recovered from the damage, Goldman projects.
Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said Thursday on CNBC that he expects the unemployment rate to rise to the mid-teens soon, before falling to about 8% by year’s end.
A key determinant of the economy’s future will be whether businesses can survive the shutdown and rehire many of the workers they laid off. If so, that would help the economy snap back and avoid the type of weak recovery that followed the past three downturns.
So far, some large and small businesses are still paying for health care benefits and keeping in touch with their newly laid-off workers. But if the virus outbreak forces businesses to stay closed into the late summer, many may go bankrupt or won’t have the money to rehire their old employees.
That would keep unemployment elevated, depriving potentially millions of people of a paycheck and slowing the recovery.


huffpost--2020-03-24--Lawmakers Pushing Big Financial Break For Oil Got $35 Million In Industry Donations

More than 70 members of Congress pushing for the Trump administration to throw oil a lifeline during the coronavirus pandemic have received a collective $ 35.7 million from the fossil fuel industry over their careers .
They ’ re urging the reduction or elimination of royalties for drilling operations ― payments that oil and gas companies make to the federal government to extract oil and gas from public lands and waters .
Drillers pay a percentage of the resource ’ s value , with the money going to fund schools , roads , conservation projects and more .
“ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oil rather than the people suffering most from the COVID-19 outbreak is despicable , ” Collin Rees , a senior campaigner at the environmental group Oil Change USA , said in an email to HuffPost .
He noted that the U.S. gives more than $ 20 billion in subsidies to oil , gas and coal companies each year and that fossil fuel interests spend millions to get ally politicians elected .
“ This is yet another damning example of the dirty energy money cycle at play , and the solution has to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elected leaders , ” Rees said .
Offshore drillers pay a 12.5 % royalty rate for leases in water depths of less than 200 meters .
The rate for all other offshore oil and gas leases is 18.75 % , and onshore drillers pay 12.5 % to extract from federal lands .
Both an overseas price battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia and a steep decline in global demand due to the coronavirus outbreak have pummeled U.S. producers , sending prices to an 18-year low last month .
Sixty-one House lawmakers — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed on to at least one of three letters to date calling for the Trump administration to cut royalties on fossil fuel extraction .
“ If this market does not stabilize soon , we risk rolling back the success of the U.S. energy industry over the past decade , which will have a disastrous effect on America ’ s economy and jeopardize our energy security , ” reads one letter , sent to Trump on Thursday and signed by 42 members of the House .
Below are the signatories of the House letters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fossil fuel industry over their careers : A dozen Republican senators sent their own letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Monday calling for the secretary to “ reduce , delay or suspend ” royalty payments for oil , gas and coal companies operating on public lands .
“ Without these measures , ” the group wrote , “ it is likely that many of these companies will cease production , which could cost thousands of jobs and threaten American energy security.
” Together , those senators have raked in more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry over their careers , according to the Center for Responsive Politics data .
Here is a breakdown : For the last three years , U.S. oil and gas producers have enjoyed an “ energy dominance ” -obsessed Trump administration that has propped up the industry at every turn by slashing environmental regulations , downplaying the threat of climate change and working to expand drilling on federal lands and in offshore waters .
Now facing collapsing energy prices that risk bankrupting small producers , the industry has turned to the administration for financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has barreled forward with oil and gas lease sales on federal lands during the pandemic .
And during a coronavirus briefing Tuesday at the White House , Trump said he had “ great ” conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the oil price situation .
“ We ’ re going to see what we can do because you don ’ t want to lose an industry , ” Trump said , adding that “ the two countries are discussing it , and I am joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
More than 70 members of Congress pushing for the Trump administration to throw oil a lifeline during the coronavirus pandemic have received a collective $35.7 million from the fossil fuel industry over their careers.
They’re urging the reduction or elimination of royalties for drilling operations ― payments that oil and gas companies make to the federal government to extract oil and gas from public lands and waters. Drillers pay a percentage of the resource’s value, with the money going to fund schools, roads, conservation projects and more.
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“These members’ choice to stand with Big Oil rather than the people suffering most from the COVID-19 outbreak is despicable,” Collin Rees, a senior campaigner at the environmental group Oil Change USA, said in an email to HuffPost. He noted that the U.S. gives more than $20 billion in subsidies to oil, gas and coal companies each year and that fossil fuel interests spend millions to get ally politicians elected.
“This is yet another damning example of the dirty energy money cycle at play, and the solution has to be a clear rejection of dirty money by our elected leaders,” Rees said.
Offshore drillers pay a 12.5% royalty rate for leases in water depths of less than 200 meters. The rate for all other offshore oil and gas leases is 18.75%, and onshore drillers pay 12.5% to extract from federal lands.
Both an overseas price battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia and a steep decline in global demand due to the coronavirus outbreak have pummeled U.S. producers, sending prices to an 18-year low last month.
Advertisement
Sixty-one House lawmakers — 60 Republicans and 1 Democrat — have signed on to at least one of three letters to date calling for the Trump administration to cut royalties on fossil fuel extraction.
“If this market does not stabilize soon, we risk rolling back the success of the U.S. energy industry over the past decade, which will have a disastrous effect on America’s economy and jeopardize our energy security,” reads one letter, sent to Trump on Thursday and signed by 42 members of the House.
Below are the signatories of the House letters and the amount each has fundraised from the fossil fuel industry over their careers:
Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) — $1,169,573
Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) — $615,835
Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Texas) ― $455,152
Rep. Randy K. Weber (R-Texas) ― $326,650
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) ― $278,350
Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) ― $218,592
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) ― $210,755
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) ― $194,900
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) ― $171,700
Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) ― $126,832
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) ― $109,784
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) ― $95,850
Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.) ― $67,253
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) ― $64,125
Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) ― $36,750
Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) — $54,900
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — $1,955,325
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) — $501,254
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) — $398,125
Rep. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) — $1,507,142
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) — $296,100
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ariz.) — $115,572
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) — $321,439
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) — $467,703
Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) — $1,217,801
Rep. Fred Keller (R-Penn.) — $18,550
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) — $245,159
Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.) — $60,300
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) — $127,789
Rep. Rick W. Allen (R-Ga.) — $68,050
Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (R-Texas) — $246,578
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) — $1,571,434
Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) — $723,450
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) — $963,050
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Penn.) — $131,950
Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) — $211,009
Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) — $144,816
Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) — $73,007
Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.)— $58,000
Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-Fla.) — $5,000
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) — $63,000
Rep. David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.) — $399,325
Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) — $143,805
Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) — $27,859
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) — $1,492,347
Rep. Robert E. Latta (R-Ohio) — $417,333
Rep. Alex X. Mooney (R-W.Va.) — $117,226
Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) — $194,575
Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) — $105,900
Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) ― $949,302
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Penn.) ― $43,000
Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) — $77,800
Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) — $47,900
Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) — $63,750
Rep. Greg Pence (R-Ind.) — $34,516
Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) — $0
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) — $74,209
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) — $618,723
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) — $745,425
Rep. Carol D. Miller (R-W. Va.) — $14,500
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) — $371,909
Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas), right, was one of 14 House lawmakers who signed a letter March 20 calling on the Trump administration to temporarily slash federal oil and gas royalties for offshore drilling operators. Tom Williams via Getty Images
A dozen Republican senators sent their own letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Monday calling for the secretary to “reduce, delay or suspend” royalty payments for oil, gas and coal companies operating on public lands. “Without these measures,” the group wrote, “it is likely that many of these companies will cease production, which could cost thousands of jobs and threaten American energy security.”
Together, those senators have raked in more than $14 million from the fossil fuel industry over their careers, according to the Center for Responsive Politics data. Here is a breakdown:
Sen. John Cornyn of (R-Texas) — $4,067,906
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) — $2,139,220
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) — $1,554,805
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) — $1,174,330
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) — $1,145,191
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) — $893,247
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) — $857,079
Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) — $683,078
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) — $658,524
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) — $530,583
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) — $357,295
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) — $111,818
The oil and gas sector is among the top five contributing industries to 52 of the 73 lawmakers listed above.
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For the last three years, U.S. oil and gas producers have enjoyed an “energy dominance”-obsessed Trump administration that has propped up the industry at every turn by slashing environmental regulations, downplaying the threat of climate change and working to expand drilling on federal lands and in offshore waters. Now facing collapsing energy prices that risk bankrupting small producers, the industry has turned to the administration for financial relief to stay afloat.
The administration has barreled forward with oil and gas lease sales on federal lands during the pandemic. And during a coronavirus briefing Tuesday at the White House, Trump said he had “great” conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the oil price situation.
“We’re going to see what we can do because you don’t want to lose an industry,” Trump said, adding that “the two countries are discussing it, and I am joining at the appropriate time if need be.”
It is unclear if the Interior Department is considering lawmakers’ request to cut royalties. The agency did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
Trump is slated to host executives of major oil and gas giants, including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corporation, at the White House on Friday to discuss ways to protect their industry.
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huffpost--2020-04-03--I'm 3 Years Sober But I'm Terrified The Coronavirus Will Destroy That -- And My Life

Being relegated by social distancing measures to telehealth therapy on the computer in my bedroom , I was too worried that my wife might hear me admit my weakness anyway .
Besides , having struggled with drugs and alcohol for most of my adult life , I know how these things go .
Three weeks ago , my sobriety felt like a foregone conclusion as it had , for the most part , for the three years since that last bag of designer speed I bought online during the Easter weekend of 2017 .
Each Monday over the last 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d attend individual therapy sessions at the neighborhood Community Behavioral Health center here in Philadelphia and discuss the various traumas that fueled my drug use .
Once a month , I ’ d trade a clean urine sample for a script of Suboxone , an opioid replacement therapy made up of buprenorphine and naloxone that , with a reported effectiveness of over 50 % , makes it a frontline tool in the current overdose crisis .
Unfortunately , it ’ s not used nearly enough , as medication-assisted therapy ― the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is considered by many , wrongly , to be trading one drug for another .
For myself , however , it ’ s a lifesaving drug that gives me the freedom to work on those traumas .
But in the six feet we ’ ve kept from others since the start of this crisis , those demons have found room to breathe .
The coronavirus , and the social distancing measures necessary to keep it at bay , have threatened my sobriety , along with many others like me .
Separated from my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone , isolated , and anxious .
People who can afford fancy rehabs with equine therapy and $ 100-per-hour therapists who are always on call have the privilege of adjusting their medications on an as-needed basis .
Those of us on Medicaid , however , have to funnel through the system .
Although I would be unable to see my doctor for another three weeks , contact with my therapist at an in-person appointment saved my life .
In some ways , the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the fault lines in the treatment-industrial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stigmas and biases inherent in the system .
Over the past few weeks , the government bureaucracy that strangles addiction treatment , including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration , has lowered the barriers to entry .
They ’ ve made telehealth more accessible , allowing the system to connect with more people who need help , and suspended the laws around buprenorphine —the lifesaving opioid addiction medication — allowing patients to receive a prescription without having to see a physician in person .
Conversely , COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to face their addictions head-on without the built-in support systems they would otherwise have in a pandemic-free world .
Many states , including the commonwealth of Pennsylvania , where I live , have closed down all liquor stores in response to the virus , an act which runs the risk of sending thousands of people with alcohol use disorder into immediate withdrawal .
Delirium tremens , or DTs , can occur , resulting in shaking , irregular heartbeat , high body temperature , and death .
Many doctors still require buprenorphine patients , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come into the office for their monthly scripts , despite new coronavirus guidelines from the government bureaucracy .
In some instances , people struggling with drugs and alcohol have to choose between breaking quarantine and maintaining their sobriety .
Worse still , there have been reports of patients on methadone , another opioid replacement therapy that requires once-a-day office visits , crowded into long lines to wait for their daily dose .
And telehealth , too , builds as many barriers as it breaks down .
As one friend who ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s seen fewer patients since the start of this crisis .
People with unstable living situations don ’ t have the freedom to speak freely in their homes , she said .
Sometimes a counseling appointment is their only refuge .
Three weeks ago , I was three years into my sobriety , and everything felt like it was going alright .
My wife and I were debating whether to send our kids to school , as the school district had yet to close down at that time .
In the heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel socially distant .
It ’ s silly and stupid , and precisely the type of thing that might trigger a relapse .
As the week went on , the pressure of our new homebound life grew .
My wife and I had to figure out how to home school our kids and convince her aging parents not to leave the house .
As a freelance writer , I dealt with increasing rejection in a marketplace that now only wanted stories about the growing global pandemic .
There was no one to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suboxone doctor added to my anxiety , as contrary to new federal regulations , I learned that I would have to break my quarantine and visit his office to receive my next script .
To treat my addiction , I have to provide a urine sample in a public restroom at a doctor ’ s office during a global pandemic to prove that I deserve my medication .
At the height of my drug use , I was a horrible father and a terrible husband .
I lied and cheated and stole and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sure , I have trauma or , depending on your school of thought , suffer from a disease , but I ’ m not about to risk letting my wife think that will all happen again by inadvertently announcing it on a telehealth appointment .
COVID-19 and the social distancing measures that it has forced have fast changed the world .
Like sobriety itself , it can all fall apart for those unprepared .
For 20 years I filled the space between the people I pushed away with a bottle , used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and quarantined myself within lines of cocaine and speed .
I didn ’ t ask for help because I was afraid of what I would find within myself .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Telling my counselor about the leftover bottle of Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey that’s been sitting in my kitchen since the Christmas before I stopped using ― and my ever-increasing desire to drink it ― felt petty in the face of a global pandemic.
Being relegated by social distancing measures to telehealth therapy on the computer in my bedroom, I was too worried that my wife might hear me admit my weakness anyway. Besides, having struggled with drugs and alcohol for most of my adult life, I know how these things go.
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My therapist would ask me if I have a plan. I did — I planned to drink.
Three weeks ago, my sobriety felt like a foregone conclusion as it had, for the most part, for the three years since that last bag of designer speed I bought online during the Easter weekend of 2017. Each Monday over the last 36 months at 10 o’clock, I’d attend individual therapy sessions at the neighborhood Community Behavioral Health center here in Philadelphia and discuss the various traumas that fueled my drug use.
Once a month, I’d trade a clean urine sample for a script of Suboxone, an opioid replacement therapy made up of buprenorphine and naloxone that, with a reported effectiveness of over 50%, makes it a frontline tool in the current overdose crisis. Unfortunately, it’s not used nearly enough, as medication-assisted therapy ― the umbrella term under which Suboxone falls ― is considered by many, wrongly, to be trading one drug for another. For myself, however, it’s a lifesaving drug that gives me the freedom to work on those traumas.
My routine was built on conversation, social contact, and even a few handshakes and high-fives. I hadn’t beaten my demons, but they weren’t keeping me awake all night, either.
But in the six feet we’ve kept from others since the start of this crisis, those demons have found room to breathe. The coronavirus, and the social distancing measures necessary to keep it at bay, have threatened my sobriety, along with many others like me. Separated from my traditional social support structures, I feel alone, isolated, and anxious.
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And I can’t stop thinking about that leftover bottle of Jack Daniels.
“Sobriety is fragile, and much like the soft fabric of society, it can come undone under the weight of disease or trauma.”
Sobriety is fragile, and much like the soft fabric of society, it can come undone under the weight of disease or trauma. Sometimes, it takes much less for things to fall apart.
A year-and-a-half ago, I was a-year-and-a-half into my sobriety when I almost lost it for no reason at all. I started to hide money from my wife, was agitated with my kids, and became more socially distant. My plan was simple — I was going to buy drugs and numb the pain.
But first, I went to my weekly appointment with my counselor. We talked about literature and basketball and the stupid things Donald Trump did that week. And I told her about my plan.
People who can afford fancy rehabs with equine therapy and $100-per-hour therapists who are always on call have the privilege of adjusting their medications on an as-needed basis. Those of us on Medicaid, however, have to funnel through the system. Although I would be unable to see my doctor for another three weeks, contact with my therapist at an in-person appointment saved my life.
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I promised to put my plan on hold and shook her hand in agreement. COVID-19 has changed that dynamic, for me, and so many others who struggle with addiction.
In some ways, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the fault lines in the treatment-industrial complex, bringing to the forefront the stigmas and biases inherent in the system. Over the past few weeks, the government bureaucracy that strangles addiction treatment, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration, has lowered the barriers to entry. They’ve made telehealth more accessible, allowing the system to connect with more people who need help, and suspended the laws around buprenorphine —the lifesaving opioid addiction medication — allowing patients to receive a prescription without having to see a physician in person.
Many people have rightly questioned why this hadn’t been done earlier, especially in the face of another pandemic that’s taken hundreds of thousands of lives over the past few years ― the overdose crisis.
Conversely, COVID-19 is forcing a multitude of vulnerable people to face their addictions head-on without the built-in support systems they would otherwise have in a pandemic-free world. Many states, including the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where I live, have closed down all liquor stores in response to the virus, an act which runs the risk of sending thousands of people with alcohol use disorder into immediate withdrawal. Delirium tremens, or DTs, can occur, resulting in shaking, irregular heartbeat, high body temperature, and death.
Many doctors still require buprenorphine patients, along with other opioid-dependent people, to come into the office for their monthly scripts, despite new coronavirus guidelines from the government bureaucracy. In some instances, people struggling with drugs and alcohol have to choose between breaking quarantine and maintaining their sobriety. Worse still, there have been reports of patients on methadone, another opioid replacement therapy that requires once-a-day office visits, crowded into long lines to wait for their daily dose.
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And telehealth, too, builds as many barriers as it breaks down. As one friend who’s also a psychologist told me recently, she’s seen fewer patients since the start of this crisis. People with unstable living situations don’t have the freedom to speak freely in their homes, she said. Sometimes a counseling appointment is their only refuge.
“My home life is far from unstable, and in many ways, I’m luckier than most, but in the face of a global pandemic, my demons started touching my face.”
My home life is far from unstable, and in many ways, I’m luckier than most. But in the face of a global pandemic, my demons started touching my face.
Three weeks ago, I was three years into my sobriety, and everything felt like it was going alright. My wife and I were debating whether to send our kids to school, as the school district had yet to close down at that time. In the heat of our disagreement, I began to feel socially distant. It’s silly and stupid, and precisely the type of thing that might trigger a relapse.
By the following week, my counselor had canceled our appointment. The schools had officially closed, and she had to stay home to care for her kid. We couldn’t talk about anything ― not literature or basketball, or whether I had developed a plan.
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I started to feel ashamed of myself.
As the week went on, the pressure of our new homebound life grew. My wife and I had to figure out how to home school our kids and convince her aging parents not to leave the house. As a freelance writer, I dealt with increasing rejection in a marketplace that now only wanted stories about the growing global pandemic. There was no one to call to adjust my meds.
Even my Suboxone doctor added to my anxiety, as contrary to new federal regulations, I learned that I would have to break my quarantine and visit his office to receive my next script. To treat my addiction, I have to provide a urine sample in a public restroom at a doctor’s office during a global pandemic to prove that I deserve my medication.
At the height of my drug use, I was a horrible father and a terrible husband. I lied and cheated and stole and almost broke my family’s world. Sure, I have trauma or, depending on your school of thought, suffer from a disease, but I’m not about to risk letting my wife think that will all happen again by inadvertently announcing it on a telehealth appointment.
COVID-19 and the social distancing measures that it has forced have fast changed the world. Like sobriety itself, it can all fall apart for those unprepared. For 20 years I filled the space between the people I pushed away with a bottle, used the pills I took as a mask, and quarantined myself within lines of cocaine and speed. I didn’t ask for help because I was afraid of what I would find within myself.
Now that I’m being asked to retreat back inward, I’m worried that I won’t be able to break out once this is over. Right now, all I have is today. And today I am not going to drink or use drugs, even in the face of a global pandemic.
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But man, I’m thinking about that bottle of Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey that’s been sitting in my kitchen.
Brandon A. Dorfman is a freelance journalist from Philadelphia who writes about drugs, race, adoption, and other social issues. He can be found on Twitter at @BADorfman or online at www.BrandonDorfman.com.


huffpost--2020-04-03--Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Face Will Soon Be On Bobblehead Dolls

The creation from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee features Dr. Anthony Fauci wearing a suit as he makes a motion showing how the nation needs to “ flatten the curve ” in the coronavirus pandemic .
The museum in Milwaukee picked Fauci because many people see the plain-speaking expert on the coronavirus as a hero right now , said co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar .
“ He isn ’ t trying to spin things , ” he said .
“ He isn ’ t trying to make people happy and tell him what they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling them , you know , how he sees it as an expert .
And I think that ’ s really what we need him this time.
” Fauci said on “ Fox & Friends ” Friday : “ That ’ s nice if people want to do it , but I have other things to worry about.
” Fauci ’ s face also appears on socks .
And a Rochester , New York , shop is selling doughnuts with his face , surrounded by white frosting and topped off with red , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bobblehead museum plans to donate $ 5 from every $ 25 Fauci bobblehead that ’ s sold to the American Hospital Association , in support of that group ’ s effort to get masks and other personal protective equipment for health care workers .
“ Hopefully it does help a lot of people through the donation and also brings a smile to people ’ s faces as we all could also use something to smile about right now , ” he said .
Told Friday that the bobblehead would help support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci said that was “ great.
” Fauci , who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , has served as an adviser to every president since Ronald Reagan .
President Donald Trump has called him a star on his administration ’ s coronavirus task force .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The United States’ top infectious disease specialist is getting his own bobblehead.
The creation from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee features Dr. Anthony Fauci wearing a suit as he makes a motion showing how the nation needs to “flatten the curve” in the coronavirus pandemic.
The museum in Milwaukee picked Fauci because many people see the plain-speaking expert on the coronavirus as a hero right now, said co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar.
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“He isn’t trying to spin things,” he said. “He isn’t trying to make people happy and tell him what they want to hear. He’s actually telling them, you know, how he sees it as an expert. And I think that’s really what we need him this time.”
Fauci said on “Fox & Friends” Friday: “That’s nice if people want to do it, but I have other things to worry about.”
Fauci’s face also appears on socks. And a Rochester, New York, shop is selling doughnuts with his face, surrounded by white frosting and topped off with red, white and blue sprinkles.
Sklar said the bobblehead museum plans to donate $5 from every $25 Fauci bobblehead that’s sold to the American Hospital Association, in support of that group’s effort to get masks and other personal protective equipment for health care workers.
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“Hopefully it does help a lot of people through the donation and also brings a smile to people’s faces as we all could also use something to smile about right now,” he said.
Told Friday that the bobblehead would help support the American Hospital Association’s effort, Fauci said that was “great.”


huffpost--2020-04-03--After Ignoring Warnings, Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Hit By Virus

BNEI BRAK , Israel ( AP ) — Early this week , the streets of the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak were bustling with shoppers as ultra-Orthodox residents , obeying their religious leaders , ignored pleas to stay home in the face of the coronavirus threat .
By Friday , Bnei Brak had become the country ’ s worst hot spot and now resembles a ghost town .
One expert estimated that nearly 40 % of the city ’ s population might already have been infected .
The city has become a lightning rod for anger and frustration by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities — with disproportionately high numbers of confirmed cases — are undermining national efforts to contain the virus .
The pandemic also has threatened to upend deep-seated customs in the religious world , including blind obedience to religious leaders and the belief that religious studies and traditions take precedence over the rules of a modern state .
The crisis is rooted in a combination of factors .
Israel ’ s ultra-Orthodox tend to live in poor , crowded neighborhoods where sickness can quickly spread .
Synagogues , the centerpiece of social life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in small spaces .
“ I am very , very concerned that we ’ ll see a broader contagion in the ultra-Orthodox community and to the broader Israeli population , ” said Hagai Levine , a Hebrew University professor who chairs the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians .
Since Israel ’ s founding , secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis have viewed each other with suspicion , and tensions have erupted repeatedly over hot button issues such as the military draft .
Ultra-Orthodox leaders have used their considerable political leverage to help maintain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grants , feeding secular complaints that the haredim are a burden to the collective .
This forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , the ministry ’ s director general and reportedly the head of the Mossad spy agency , into quarantine because of exposure to Litzman .
Netanyahu , who tested negative , went through an identical experience after a previous exposure to an infected ultra-Orthodox aide .
Channel 12 TV said ministry officials were furious with Litzman , who had resisted calls in recent weeks to impose restrictions on gatherings at religious institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been breaking the rules and attending prayer sessions at synagogues .
“ An outbreak in Bnei Brak is the same as an outbreak in Tel Aviv .
Litzman did not just betray his own voters .
He betrayed all Israelis , ” Zehava Galon , a former leader of the secular Meretz party , wrote in the Haaretz daily .
When Israel began shutting down schools , workplaces and its international airport last month to slow the outbreak , Litzman was not the only religious leader to resist .
For most people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as fever and cough .
But for others , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia that can be fatal .
Ran Saar , who runs the Maccabi Healthcare Services , a leading provider , told parliament he estimates some 75,000 people in Bnei Brak , or 38 % of the population , could be infected .
He said the city has many elderly residents and called for urgent action .
Saar said his estimates were based on test data .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of people are refusing to be tested because they don ’ t want to disrupt next week ’ s Passover holiday .
The government declared Bnei Brak a “ restricted zone ” Thursday , limiting movement in and out of the city .
Earlier in the day , police patrols were already out in large numbers to make sure residents remained indoors .

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BNEI BRAK, Israel (AP) — Early this week, the streets of the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak were bustling with shoppers as ultra-Orthodox residents, obeying their religious leaders, ignored pleas to stay home in the face of the coronavirus threat.
By Friday, Bnei Brak had become the country’s worst hot spot and now resembles a ghost town. One expert estimated that nearly 40% of the city’s population might already have been infected.
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The city has become a lightning rod for anger and frustration by some secular Israelis who allege insular Haredi communities — with disproportionately high numbers of confirmed cases — are undermining national efforts to contain the virus.
The pandemic also has threatened to upend deep-seated customs in the religious world, including blind obedience to religious leaders and the belief that religious studies and traditions take precedence over the rules of a modern state.
The crisis is rooted in a combination of factors. Israel’s ultra-Orthodox tend to live in poor, crowded neighborhoods where sickness can quickly spread. Synagogues, the centerpiece of social life, bring men together to pray and socialize in small spaces.
“I am very, very concerned that we’ll see a broader contagion in the ultra-Orthodox community and to the broader Israeli population,” said Hagai Levine, a Hebrew University professor who chairs the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians.
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Since Israel’s founding, secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis have viewed each other with suspicion, and tensions have erupted repeatedly over hot button issues such as the military draft. Ultra-Orthodox leaders have used their considerable political leverage to help maintain the community’s insular lifestyle with government grants, feeding secular complaints that the haredim are a burden to the collective.
A new debate erupted Thursday when Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, a powerful ultra-Orthodox politician meant to lead the battle against the virus, was confirmed to be infected.
This forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the ministry’s director general and reportedly the head of the Mossad spy agency, into quarantine because of exposure to Litzman. Netanyahu, who tested negative, went through an identical experience after a previous exposure to an infected ultra-Orthodox aide.
Channel 12 TV said ministry officials were furious with Litzman, who had resisted calls in recent weeks to impose restrictions on gatherings at religious institutions. The channel said Litzman had quietly been breaking the rules and attending prayer sessions at synagogues.
“An outbreak in Bnei Brak is the same as an outbreak in Tel Aviv. Litzman did not just betray his own voters. He betrayed all Israelis,” Zehava Galon, a former leader of the secular Meretz party, wrote in the Haaretz daily.
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When Israel began shutting down schools, workplaces and its international airport last month to slow the outbreak, Litzman was not the only religious leader to resist.
Influential Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky of Bnei Brak said closing religious seminaries is more harmful than the virus. “The Torah protects and saves,” he said.
In recent weeks, attempts by police to enforce quarantine orders in Bnei Brak and religious neighborhoods of Jerusalem resulted in standoffs with angry crowds. Some shouted “Nazis” as police arrested or fined violators.
Police say officers have been assaulted multiple times and several paramedics have been injured by ultra-Orthodox crowds.
In recent days, defiance has subsided as the scale of the outbreak became clear. Kanievsky, 92, now urges followers to stay at home.
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For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia that can be fatal.
Israel has over 6,800 reported cases, with 36 deaths. Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, home to large ultra-Orthodox communities, have the largest concentrations.
Ran Saar, who runs the Maccabi Healthcare Services, a leading provider, told parliament he estimates some 75,000 people in Bnei Brak, or 38% of the population, could be infected. He said the city has many elderly residents and called for urgent action.
Saar said his estimates were based on test data. He told Channel 12 that he believes thousands of people are refusing to be tested because they don’t want to disrupt next week’s Passover holiday.
The government declared Bnei Brak a “restricted zone” Thursday, limiting movement in and out of the city. Earlier in the day, police patrols were already out in large numbers to make sure residents remained indoors.
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Streets normally crowded with Passover shoppers were deserted. Police in white hazmat suits raided a synagogue, sending some 15 worshippers home with fines of over $100 each. One police car broadcast stay-home appeals in Yiddish, a European language still common in ultra-Orthodox circles.
Anshel Pfeffer, a commentator at Haaretz, said the crisis presents a major challenge to the rabbis’ traditional authority and the ultra-Orthodox way of life.


huffpost--2020-02-28--Financial Pain Deepens As Nearly 60 Countries Exposed To Virus

TOKYO ( AP ) — A deepening health crisis became an economic one too Friday , with the virus outbreak sapping financial markets , emptying shops and businesses , and putting major sites and events off limits .
As the list of countries hit by the illness edged toward 60 with Mexico , Belarus , Lithuania , New Zealand , Nigeria , Azerbaijan and the Netherlands reporting their first cases , the threats to livelihoods were increasingly eyed as warily as the threats to lives .
“ It ’ s not cholera or the black plague , ” said Simone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development in Venice , Italy , where tourism already hurt by historic flooding last year has sunk with news of virus cases .
“ The damage that worries us even more is the damage to the economy.
” Investors watched warily as stocks fell across Asia and girded to see if Wall Street ’ s brutal run would continue , while businesses both small and large saw weakness and people felt it in their wallets .
“ There ’ s almost no one coming here , ” said Kim Yun-ok , who sells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Gwangjang Market , where crowds were thin Friday as South Korea counted 571 new cases — more than China .
“ I am just hoping that the outbreak will come under control soon.
” In Italy , where the count of 650 cases is growing , hotel bookings were dropping and Premier Giuseppe Conte raised the specter of recession .
Shopkeepers like Flavio Gastaldi , who has sold souvenirs in Venice for three decades , wondered if they could survive the blow .
The economic hurt came with anger in Bangkok , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staged a flash mob , shouting “ Reduce the rent !
” and holding signs that said “ Tourists don ’ t come , shops suffer .
“ Kanya Yontararak , a 51-year-old owner of a women ’ s clothing store , said her sales have sunk as low as 1,000 baht ( $ 32 ) some days , making it a struggle to pay back a loan for her lease .
She ’ s stopped driving to work , using public transit instead , packs a lunch instead of buying , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation is more severe than the floods and political crises her store has braved in the past .
Some saw dollar signs in the crisis , with 20 people in Italy arrested for selling masks they fraudulently claimed provided complete protection from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Police said they were selling them for as much as 5,000 euros ( $ 5,520 ) each .
Japan ’ s schools prepared to shutter and the country ’ s Hokkaido island declared a state of emergency , with its governor urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Swiss government banned events with more than 1,000 people , while at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany , basins of holy water were emptied for fear of spreading germs .
Globally , more than 83,000 people have fallen ill with the coronavirus .
China , though hardest hit , has seen lower numbers of new infections , with 327 additional cases reported Friday , bringing the country ’ s total to 78,824 .
Another 44 people died there for a total of 2,788 .
South Korea has recorded 2,337 cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clusters in Italy and in Iran , which has had 34 deaths and 388 cases , have in turn led to infections of people in other countries .
France and Germany were also seeing increases , with dozens of infections .

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TOKYO (AP) — A deepening health crisis became an economic one too Friday, with the virus outbreak sapping financial markets, emptying shops and businesses, and putting major sites and events off limits.
As the list of countries hit by the illness edged toward 60 with Mexico, Belarus, Lithuania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Azerbaijan and the Netherlands reporting their first cases, the threats to livelihoods were increasingly eyed as warily as the threats to lives.
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“It’s not cholera or the black plague,” said Simone Venturini, the city councilor for economic development in Venice, Italy, where tourism already hurt by historic flooding last year has sunk with news of virus cases. “The damage that worries us even more is the damage to the economy.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, said the outbreak “has pandemic potential,” but whatever terminology officials used, the rippling effects were clear.
Attractions including Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan announced closures and events that expected tens of thousands, including a tour by the K-pop group BTS, were called off.
Investors watched warily as stocks fell across Asia and girded to see if Wall Street’s brutal run would continue, while businesses both small and large saw weakness and people felt it in their wallets.
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“There’s almost no one coming here,” said Kim Yun-ok, who sells doughnuts and seaweed rolls at Seoul’s Gwangjang Market, where crowds were thin Friday as South Korea counted 571 new cases — more than China. “I am just hoping that the outbreak will come under control soon.”
In Italy, where the count of 650 cases is growing, hotel bookings were dropping and Premier Giuseppe Conte raised the specter of recession. Shopkeepers like Flavio Gastaldi, who has sold souvenirs in Venice for three decades, wondered if they could survive the blow.
“We will return the keys to the landlords soon,” he said.
The economic hurt came with anger in Bangkok, where tenants at the Platinum Fashion Mall staged a flash mob, shouting “Reduce the rent!” and holding signs that said “Tourists don’t come, shops suffer. “
Kanya Yontararak, a 51-year-old owner of a women’s clothing store, said her sales have sunk as low as 1,000 baht ($32) some days, making it a struggle to pay back a loan for her lease. She’s stopped driving to work, using public transit instead, packs a lunch instead of buying, and is cutting her grocery bills. The situation is more severe than the floods and political crises her store has braved in the past.
“Coronavirus is the worst situation they have ever seen,” she said of the merchants.
Some saw dollar signs in the crisis, with 20 people in Italy arrested for selling masks they fraudulently claimed provided complete protection from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Police said they were selling them for as much as 5,000 euros ($5,520) each.
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Japan’s schools prepared to shutter and the country’s Hokkaido island declared a state of emergency, with its governor urging residents to stay home over the weekend. The Swiss government banned events with more than 1,000 people, while at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, basins of holy water were emptied for fear of spreading germs.
Globally, more than 83,000 people have fallen ill with the coronavirus. China, though hardest hit, has seen lower numbers of new infections, with 327 additional cases reported Friday, bringing the country’s total to 78,824. Another 44 people died there for a total of 2,788.
South Korea has recorded 2,337 cases, the most outside of China. Emerging clusters in Italy and in Iran, which has had 34 deaths and 388 cases, have in turn led to infections of people in other countries. France and Germany were also seeing increases, with dozens of infections.
___


huffpost--2020-02-28--What Would Happen If U.S. Schools Close Because Of Coronavirus?

The world is on high alert as cases of the new coronavirus , named COVID-19 , continue to bubble up across the globe .
On Thursday , Japan took the extraordinary step of asking all schools in the country to close for about a month in an effort to curb contagion .
The broader economic impact of widespread school closures could be significant , said Dean Baker , an economist with the progressive Center for Economic and Policy Research and a visiting professor at the University of Utah .
Some companies would be unable to fill orders due to absent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait times for services .
Workers , for their part , could lose income and have to cut back on spending .
Right now , parents don ’ t have solutions for emergency child care problems .
They don ’ t even have solutions for everyday child care problems .
Julie Kashen , director for women ’ s economic justice at The Century Foundation Workers without paid sick leave , who make about 30 % of the private sector workforce , will be hit the hardest , Kashen said , while office professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flexibility they need to take care of their kids .
Access to paid sick leave is particularly low among Latinx workers , said Vicki Shabo , a senior fellow at New America and an expert on workplace equity .
Undocumented immigrants or any individual with a vulnerable immigration status may worry about trying to assert any workplace rights they have to stay at home with their children during a potential outbreak .
The CDC ’ s Messonnier said she told her children this week that while they ’ re not at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for disruptions to their lives .
She said she called their school and asked about their plans , and encouraged others to do the same .
“ It ’ s the same situation that happens in the summer when kids go hungry , ” Shabo said .
“ Certainly some school districts have dealt with that at a predictable time , but if you ’ re talking about a public health emergency , obviously that ’ s not the same planning and ... risk of contagion could limit this.
” The World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health emergency of international concern ” on Jan. 30 .
The death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 2,800 worldwide as of Thursday afternoon , with the vast majority of cases in mainland China , where the virus originated .
China has reported more than 77,000 confirmed cases .
At least 59 Americans have been diagnosed with coronavirus , according to the CDC ’ s website .
“ It seems really extreme and really sudden , ” Chelsea Szendi Schieder , an associate professor of economics at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures in Japan .
“ And the implications for people and their daily lives is going to be so big that I ’ m not sure it ’ s worth it in terms of public health.
” “ There are approximately 30 million families with children , ” Zandi said .
“ If schools and day care centers are closed nationwide , and say , a parent in 10 % of these families can ’ t go to work because they need to take care of their children , then employment would decline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Millions of others may have to cut back their hours to get home to take over from caregivers .
”

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The world is on high alert as cases of the new coronavirus, named COVID-19, continue to bubble up across the globe. On Thursday, Japan took the extraordinary step of asking all schools in the country to close for about a month in an effort to curb contagion.
Should the coronavirus begin to spread throughout the U.S., as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Wednesday, American schools could also be subject to mass closures, creating a potential mess for working parents and the economy.
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Bothell High School in Washington state was closed Thursday after a staff member’s relative fell ill following international travel. The family member is being tested for coronavirus while the school disinfects the campus.
The CDC has encouraged parents to start asking their local schools about contingency plans.
Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said school closures would be one of the most effective measures local governments can take to mitigate the spread of the virus. She acknowledged that some parents would miss work.
“I understand this whole situation may seem overwhelming and that disruption to everyday life may be severe,” Messonnier said. “But these are things that people need to start thinking about now.”
In a guidance document for employers, the CDC said firms should prepare for “possible increased numbers of employee absences due to illness in employees and their family members, dismissals of early childhood programs and K-12 schools due to high levels of absenteeism or illness.”
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The broader economic impact of widespread school closures could be significant, said Dean Baker, an economist with the progressive Center for Economic and Policy Research and a visiting professor at the University of Utah. Some companies would be unable to fill orders due to absent workers, and customers could face longer wait times for services. Workers, for their part, could lose income and have to cut back on spending.
“All in all, it is likely to be a really big deal if it comes to schools shutting across the country,” Baker said.
A team of researchers evaluated the impact of an unplanned eight-day school closure due to flooding in rural Illinois in 2013. In a survey of families, 17% said they struggled with uncertainty about the duration of the closure, making alternate child care arrangements, and losing pay.
The report, which was published in the Journal of School Health in 2017, said unplanned school closures can be particularly difficult for low-income households.
“Right now, parents don’t have solutions for emergency child care problems,” said Julie Kashen, the director for women’s economic justice at The Century Foundation. “They don’t even have solutions for everyday child care problems. This is just going to exacerbate the problems that already exist but also make stark economic inequalities.”
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“Right now, parents don’t have solutions for emergency child care problems. They don’t even have solutions for everyday child care problems.” - Julie Kashen, director for women’s economic justice at The Century Foundation
Workers without paid sick leave, who make about 30% of the private sector workforce, will be hit the hardest, Kashen said, while office professionals and other white-collar workers will likely have the flexibility they need to take care of their kids.
“It’s just a reminder of how much we need child care for all,” Kashen said, referring to the movement to make tuition-free child care available to all Americans through public funding appropriated by the federal government.
Access to paid sick leave is particularly low among Latinx workers, said Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow at New America and an expert on workplace equity. Undocumented immigrants or any individual with a vulnerable immigration status may worry about trying to assert any workplace rights they have to stay at home with their children during a potential outbreak.
“Employers hold a lot of power in this scenario,” Shabo said. “It leaves the workers who really don’t have much voice in their workplace or guaranteed time off very vulnerable to economic loss and job loss.”
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Parents who cannot afford to risk losing their jobs by staying home during school closures may be forced to leave their child alone or with an older sibling, or make unpredictable care arrangements that could present potential safety concerns, Shabo said.
The CDC’s Messonnier said she told her children this week that while they’re not at risk right now, they need to prepare for disruptions to their lives. She said she called their school and asked about their plans, and encouraged others to do the same.
“You should ask your children’s school about their plans for school dismissals or school closures,” Messonnier said. “Ask if there are plans for teleschool.”
Beyond interruptions to education, school closures could create additional financial stress for families who depend on school-based services such as meals subsidized by the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Roughly 22 million children rely on free or reduced-price lunch at school and are eligible for free breakfast.
“It’s the same situation that happens in the summer when kids go hungry,” Shabo said. “Certainly some school districts have dealt with that at a predictable time, but if you’re talking about a public health emergency, obviously that’s not the same planning and ... risk of contagion could limit this.”
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“You should ask your children’s school about their plans for school dismissals or school closures. Ask if there are plans for teleschool,” says Nancy Messonnier of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Mint Images via Getty Images
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” on Jan. 30. The death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 2,800 worldwide as of Thursday afternoon, with the vast majority of cases in mainland China, where the virus originated. China has reported more than 77,000 confirmed cases. At least 59 Americans have been diagnosed with coronavirus, according to the CDC’s website.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said blanket closure of all schools in the country was meant to put “a priority on children’s health and safety,” though some medical professionals thought the action was premature, noting that children do not seem to be easily susceptible to the virus.
There is some evidence that children affected with the virus have relatively mild symptoms, including runny nose and cough, though there’s still a lot that researchers don’t know about it.
“It seems really extreme and really sudden,” Chelsea Szendi Schieder, an associate professor of economics at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, told The New York Times of the school closures in Japan. “And the implications for people and their daily lives is going to be so big that I’m not sure it’s worth it in terms of public health.”
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It’s unlikely the entire U.S. national school system would shut down, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, but such a scenario would be “highly disruptive to the economy” if it did occur.
“There are approximately 30 million families with children,” Zandi said. “If schools and day care centers are closed nationwide, and say, a parent in 10% of these families can’t go to work because they need to take care of their children, then employment would decline by as much as 3 million jobs. Millions of others may have to cut back their hours to get home to take over from caregivers.”
Parents who work in the service industry, such as restaurant workers or housekeepers, could be impacted significantly. About 48% of these workers don’t have access to paid sick days.
Kashen, of the Century Foundation, said she hasn’t heard many parents talking about their plans for child care should schools close.
“Probably, in part, because there’s not a great option,” she said. “No great answers besides relying on neighbors, friends and families.”