News For Trend: March 2020

Tuesday, 31 March 2020

AOC Drifts Away from Activist Left, Toward a More Conventional Staff and Political Strategy

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has taken steps recently to collaborate more with the Democratic establishment, taking a less contentious approach and allying with fellow Democratic members.After urging fellow progressives in 2018 to run for office with the support of the progressive group the Justice Democrats, which supported her, the New York Democrat has declined to endorse most of the candidates the group is backing to oust incumbent Democrats in 2020.Of the six candidates the group is backing this time around, Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed Jessica Cisneros in Texas and Marie Newman in Illinois, both of whom are running against conservative Democrats who oppose abortion and were subsequently supported by several other high-profile Democrats.The move comes as the Justice Democrats are recruiting progressive candidates to run against liberals and moderate Democrats."We don’t usually endorse so far out," Ocasio-Cortez's communications director, Lauren Hitt said of the congresswoman's lack of endorsements for the group of candidates, according to Politico.Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez, who shot to notoriety in 2018 when she ousted powerful Democratic congressman Joe Crowley, is also replacing some of her more radical, progressive top aides with more conventional political professionals, Politico reported.The freshman congresswoman has also struck a more conciliatory tone towards Democratic leadership in recent months, in February calling Pelosi the “mama bear of the Democratic Party.”She also criticized supporters of her progressive ally, 2020 presidential contender Bernie Sanders, for their antagonistic behavior online.“There’s so much emphasis on making outreach as conflict-based as possible,” she said. “And sometimes I even feel miscast and understood. Because it’s about what tools you use, and conflict is one tool but not the only tool.”Nevertheless, Ocasio-Cortez has largely maintained her status as a progressive standard-bearer. Earlier this year, she endorsed a group of progressive women running for Congress on Friday through her political action committee, Courage to Change.In January, she announced that she would not pay dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to the House.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dBd8qi

12 Buildings That Show the Beauty of Deconstructed Architecture

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UxjMXf

Venezuela rejects a U.S. offer to ease sanctions in exchange for transitional government

A former senior U.S. government official says it's the "best" deal they can get, while an analyst said this is more about "politics than policy."

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2w3wzat

Trump: a U.S. coronavirus death toll of 100,000 would mean his administration did 'a very good job'

President Trump on Sunday said if his administration can keep the coronavirus death toll to 100,000 in the United States, it will have done a "very good job."Earlier in the day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the coronavirus pandemic could cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in the United States. Trump said while 100,000 is "a horrible number," if the U.S. can keep its death toll to "100,000, so we have between 100,000 and 200,000, we altogether have done a very good job."Trump also announced he is extending social distancing guidelines to April 30, a departure from his earlier declaration of having the U.S. "opened up" by Easter on April 12. That proclamation was "aspirational," Trump said.As of Sunday night, there are more than 139,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in the United States, and at least 2,400 people have died from the virus.More stories from theweek.com Fox News reportedly fears its early downplaying of COVID-19 leaves it open to lawsuits CDC is weighing advising Americans to wear face masks outdoors Trump's message to blue states battling coronavirus: Drop dead

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QXu7JT

Idaho governor signs into law anti-transgender legislation

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ymR0Qr

Saudis Start to Unleash Oil Wave Despite U.S. Pressure

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia has made good on its pledge to ramp up oil exports in April, with a first wave of crude already on its way toward Europe and the U.S., a clear sign the price war remains in full swing.The kingdom has loaded several of the supertankers it hired earlier this month to boost its ability to increase exports, according to ship-tracking data. In addition, Riyadh has used the last few weeks to shuttle large amounts of crude into storage in Egypt, a stepping stone to the European market.The movements suggest that Riyadh is ramping up its oil production toward its target of supplying a record 12.3 million barrels a day in April, up from about 9.7 million in February, despite American pressure to end the price war.Saudi Arabia earlier this month slashed its official selling prices and announced the output hike after Russia refused to join other nations inside the OPEC+ alliance to cut output. The announcement, interpreted in the market as an oil price war, sent Brent and West Texas Intermediate crudes tumbling. Since then, the collapse in oil demand due to lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus has depressed prices even more.In a sign that Riyadh is opening the valves, oil shipments have already surged in late March. For the first three weeks of March, Saudi Arabia was exporting at a rate of around 7 million barrels a day, but that jumped to more than 9 million barrels a day in the fourth week of the month.With oil prices at the lowest in nearly two decades, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo last week directly asked the kingdom to “rise to the occasion and reassure” the energy market, diplomatic language for ending the oil price war.American President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed in a phone call Monday that “current oil prices aren’t in the interests of our countries,” according to a Kremlin spokesman, though he declined to say what might be done to change the situation.Trump earlier indicated that he was concerned about the impact of low oil prices on the American petroleum industry. In an interview on “Fox & Friends,” he said Russia and Saudi Arabia “both went crazy” and started an oil price war.Despite the diplomatic pressure, Saudi Arabia is preparing to export more in the next few days. At least 16 very large crude carriers, collectively able to carry about 32 million barrels, are stationed near the Saudi oil terminals of Ras Tanura and Yanbu, according to shipping data tracked by Bloomberg.“Regardless of the recent headlines about the U.S. pressuring Saudi Arabia, we do not see any change in Saudi or Russian policy for now,” said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd., a London-based consultant.Riyadh has already loaded three supertankers that are likely to head to the U.S., and it’s loading a fourth right now, according to oil market intelligence firm Vortexa Inc. The tankers, all hired by the Saudi national tanker company in the past few weeks to boost its shipping capacity, include the Dalian, the Agios Sostis I, the Maran Canopus, and the Hong Kong Spirit.Shipments to EgyptAlready through March, Saudi Arabia has exported about 1.3 million barrels a day into Egypt -- the highest level in at least three years -- to pre-position crude for re-export into Europe, according to shipping tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and people familiar with the operation.The surge in shipments to Egypt was so large that the African nation may become the largest destination for Saudi crude in March, displacing China and Japan, which traditionally top the ranking every month.The cargoes have gone to a terminal at the south end of the Suez Canal before getting pumped via pipeline across the country to a storage and export facility called Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean Sea. From there, the crude will then get re-exported as part of Saudi Arabia’s plan to supply as much as it can, at deep discounts, into a market that doesn’t need the supply. The world’s largest oil tankers, known as VLCCs, cannot sail the Suez Canal fully loaded due to draft limitations.The next sign of whether the oil price war continues will come around April 5, when state-owned Saudi Aramco is expected to release its monthly official selling prices for May. Oil refiners and traders believe that Riyadh will have to deepen its discounts to sell all the oil the kingdom wants. If Aramco does indeed deepen the discounts, it will trigger a fresh round of tit-for-tat actions with other oil producing nations, piling further pressure on prices.(Updates with statement from Kremlin in seventh paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UOsiQx

10 cruise ships that are still at sea as the coronavirus shuts down the cruise industry

Ships from cruise lines like Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard Line are still at sea.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xGzp5r

Outrage in India as migrants sprayed with disinfectant to fight coronavirus

Indian health workers caused outrage on Monday by spraying a group of migrants with disinfectant, amid fears that a large scale movement of people from cities to the countryside risked spreading the coronavirus. Footage showed a group of migrant workers sitting on a street in Bareilly, a district in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, as health officials in protective suits used hose pipes to douse them in disinfectant, prompting anger on social media. Nitish Kumar, the top government official in the district, said health workers had been ordered to disinfect buses being used by the local authorities but in their zeal had also turned their hoses on migrant workers.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QYoP0w

Top White House advisers predict as many as 240,000 US deaths from coronavirus - live updates

Members of the Trump administration laid out dire estimates Tuesday to underscore the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ynpUbW

US warship captain seeks crew isolation as virus spreads

The captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier facing a growing outbreak of the coronavirus is asking for permission to isolate the bulk of his roughly 5,000 crew members on shore, which would take the warship out of duty in an effort to save lives. In a memo to Navy leaders, the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt said that the spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating and that removing all but 10% of the crew is a “necessary risk” in order to stop the spread of the virus. Navy leaders on Tuesday were scrambling to determine how to best respond to the extraordinary request as dozens of crew members tested positive.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xCXA53

The Atlantic Daily: The Perfect Pandemic Playlist

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.

One of the many dreadful side effects of our collective distancing is quiet, a miserable, seismologically registrable quiet. The white noise of everyday life—the humming of your local bar, the turning of car tires—is lost. In its place is the unpleasant silence of a whole world stuck on pause.

Let’s fix that. Today, we offer a playlist, assembled by three of our music critics: Hannah Giorgis, Spencer Kornhaber, and James Parker. They each picked a few tracks, each tuned to one of the very specific moods you might be experiencing during this period of self-quarantine.

A kitschier newsletter might ask you to now turn up your bass and fill the aforementioned void with sound waves from your speaker. But we’ll just leave this Spotify link here and let you decide what to do next.

For perking up without wanting to go anywhere:

“Party” by Planet 1999

Pop music’s caffeine tastes sour lately—it’s too brash, too silly, and too in love with the physical world—so instead I’ve regulated my energy with gentle, abstracted substitutes. In the video for this happy-slurry dance track, folks in casual wear bop around a digital purgatory, which feels awfully relatable. — SK

For when all you can do is stare out the window like the lead of an indie movie:

“Cut Me” by Moses Sumney

As the days stretch on, so does the space for constant rumination. Thankfully, “Cut Me,” the fourth single from Moses Sumney’s græ: Part 1, washes over you with all the force and reassurance of a hot shower. Cry if you need to; nothing is more human. — HG

For a boost to the immune system:

“Misfit Love” by Queens of the Stone Age, live in the studio at The Henry Rollins Show, 2007

Look at this band, these dudes: the greasy, druggy, stylish, heavy, humid closeness and consanguinity of it all. Look at them building this sick, sick groove in successive loops of wonder, in layers of inevitability, in a kind of scowling ecstasy, as if they’re inventing not just music but the idea of music. Inhale this; get it deep inside your body. This is medicine. — JP

For post-videochat melancholy:

“Where Are You Judy?” by Andy Shauf

The fantastic new album by sleepy-voiced strummer Andy Shauf is about spending a night out at the bars yet remaining stuck inside one’s own head. Here he fantasizes about an ex calling him up to reconnect, and it’s a weirdly comforting reminder that pre-quarantine freedom had its quiet madness too. — SK

For when you can’t concentrate:

“Sex” by the Necks

In this general glut of horrible news, horrible numbers, and pestilential vibes, it can be—let’s put it mildly—hard to focus. The Necks are an Australian improvisational trio, and “Sex” is a nearly hour-long voyage into the galaxy that Miles Davis discovered with In a Silent Way. Slow, twinkling, irreversible build; beckoning theta-states. Whatever you’re doing when you put this on, you’ll start to do it better. — JP

For when only Morrissey will do:

“My Hurling Days Are Done” by Morrissey

Forgive him his trespasses, as he might—actually probably wouldn’t—forgive yours. A yodeler on the Alp of himself, calling in his lost sheep, his black sheep, his whipping boys, in that rich and curling tenor, this, ah, complex individual is still in magnificent voice, and still capable of writing superbly, as demonstrated by this cut from his new album, I Am Not a Dog On a Chain. — JP

For a dramatic lip-sync session in the mirror:

“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Céline Dion

Sure, this is one of the strangest songs ever written, but just think of it as an ode to the outside world, which you’ll see again … someday. — HG

For an important reminder not to text your ex:

“Si Veo a Tu Mamá” by Bad Bunny

Listen, I get it—social distancing has made dating really weird! But that’s no excuse to go full “Marvins Room.” Instead of Drake, let Bad Bunny be your muse: “Si Veo a Tu Mamá” is a rueful message to a lost lover who’s already moved on, but it’s also a bouncy introduction to the Puerto Rican phenom’s incredibly fun new album, YHLQMDLG. Rather than yearning ad nauseam, Bad Bunny looks forward. Do the same, and dance along. — HG

For your eerie but life-affirming walk around the neighborhood:

“Happy Cycling” by Boards of Canada

How did the ambient musicians of Boards of Canada anticipate this experience 22 years ago? The stores are closed, the gulls are jeering, and yet you pace ahead to thwart leg cramps. Five minutes in, the endorphins assemble, the creepiness lessens, and there’s an unidentifiable new feeling that might even be related to hope. — SK

For your personal happy hour:

“Stay Flo” by Solange

Solange’s collage-like 2019 album When I Get Home has never made more sense. It’s like she’s trying to remember the chaos of the outside world, rhythm first, and ends up conjuring some fresh, bizarre, and ultimately pleasing sense of order. — SK

For breaks from the news:

“What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye

Because obviously. Gaye voiced Vietnam-era outrage, but never has a sigh of “WTF” sounded so consoling or pure. — SK

For when you’d rather be on a different planet:

“Celebration Station” by Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert isn’t subject to the same rules as the rest of us. Where we might trudge through life, the 25-year-old Philadelphia rapper glides. That’s never been more obvious than on the long-awaited Eternal Atake, his recent chart-topping second studio album. Uzi immediately followed it up with a separate 11-track record, Eternal Atake (Deluxe) – LUV vs. The World 2. It’s nearly impossible to pick just one song from the extraterrestrial experience that is the double release, but “Celebration Station” is a roller coaster unto itself. The run from 1:49 to 2:11 will roll through you with so much energy, it’ll feel almost like wind blowing through your hair again. — HG

For thinking about when it’s all over:

“One Love Jam Down” by Papa Michigan & General Smiley

“The social barriers come down / Together in a one-love jam down.” We’re told that there likely won’t be a V-E Day on this thing, no single joyful scream-of-the-whistle moment where we all rush into one another’s arms and orgiastically reverse the months-long damage of social distancing. But we can dream—and the combined bass-synth squelch on this 1980 classic of positive reggae can keep our dreams juicy. — JP

Listen to this on Spotify. What song do you find yourself returning to in this tense moment? Send us your own pick (along with the corresponding quarantine mood), and we may highlight it in a future edition of the newsletter.

CHANNARONG PHERNGIANDA / SHUTTERSTOCK / THE ATLANTIC

What to read if … you just want practical advice:

One question, answered: Why doesn’t the U.S. have a national lockdown?

Other countries—including Western democracies such as Italy, Spain, and France—have responded to the coronavirus crisis by shutting down entire regions or the nation as a whole. America, which currently has the most known COVID-19 cases of any country, has not.

Two health-law experts explain how America’s federalist system limits its response options:

Constitutional authority for ordering major public-health interventions, such as mass quarantines and physical distancing, lies primarily with U.S. states and localities via their “police powers.”

Today’s Atlantic-approved self-quarantine activity:

Try last year’s six-part British drama Years and Years, an eerily timely—and oddly comforting—series about family life against a backdrop of constant crisis. In the show, “simply carrying on is portrayed as the key to survival,” our critic writes.

What to read if … you’d like to read about something—anything—other than the coronavirus:

The wellness movement is booming—and so are opportunities to profit from it.

We are continuing our coverage of the coronavirus. View all of our stories related to the outbreak here. Let us know if you have specific questions about the virus—or if you have a personal experience you’d like to share with us. In particular, we’d like to hear about how the pandemic has affected your family life—whether that’s child care, partner relationships, or any other family dynamic.

This email was written by Caroline Mimbs Nyce, with help from Isabel Fattal. Sign yourself up for The Daily here

from The Atlantic https://ift.tt/2WWs2l1

The Atlantic Politics Daily: When COVID-19 Comes to Trump Country

It’s Tuesday, March 31. Backlogs at private laboratories have ballooned, making it difficult to treat suffering patients and contain the pandemic. Read the latest from our science and technology reporters Alexis Madrigal and Robinson Meyer.

In the rest of today’s newsletter: When the coronavirus pandemic comes to Trump country, politicization can only last so long. Plus: What’s the deal with Oscar Health and COVID-19 testing?

« TODAY IN POLITICS »

(Patrick Semansk / AP)

Thus far, the coronavirus outbreak has ravaged blue states and Democratically-leaning cities more than red states and rural areas (though the illness is spreading quickly). President Trump has spoken about the pandemic through a highly partisan lens, and has expressed belief that state and local governments haven’t been happy enough with the administration’s help, my colleague Peter Nicholas, our White House correspondent, writes:

Trump, though, is sensitive to anything he sees as ingratitude. If his administration sends planeloads of ventilators—a national resource—he wants a thank you, not a complaint about why it didn’t come sooner.

But as the virus spills widely across more red states, more Republican governors must figure out how to navigate the White House’s shifting moods.

But as the virus spills into more red states, Republican governors must figure out how to navigate his shifting moods. (That hasn’t stopped the president from taking credit for any positive development and parroting false news of progress to his base.)

The federal government can only do so much to enforce national restrictions, even if an aggressive one would help slow the pandemic’s spread. If the president wanted to enact a nationwide lockdown, akin to those in China, India and the UK, the way the federal government is designed prevents him from being able to do so.

On the economic front, drastic times call for drastic measures. Rather than shipping out one-time $1,200 checks to save the economy, here’s one idea for the Federal Reserve to stave America off long-term economic disaster, Annie Lowrey writes: Throw money out of helicopters. Really.

—Kaila Philo

« THE CORONAVIRUS READER »

(Getty Images / The Atlantic)

+ The president has promised a website devoted to coronavirus testing. He said Google would help; instead, it was built by Oscar Health, an insurance company closely tied to son-in-law Jared Kushner.

+ There’s some amount of political genius in the support the president has managed to maintain amid national calamity, Frida Ghitis argues: He’s somehow “transmuting his calamitous failures into political gold.” Here’s how.

+ Prisons are vulnerable environments for a pandemic. The new coronavirus will be a nightmare for those who might’ve been wrongly convicted.

You can keep up with The Atlantic’s most crucial coronavirus coverage here.

Today’s newsletter was written by Kaila Philo, a Politics fellow. It was edited by Shan Wang, who oversees newsletters.

You can reply directly to this newsletter with questions or comments, or send a note to politicsdaily@theatlantic.com.

Your support makes our journalism possible. Subscribe here.

from The Atlantic https://ift.tt/2R34ck1

Coronavirus: Are loss of smell and taste key symptoms?

However, experts say a fever and a cough are still the main ones to look out for.

from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/340vDQA

Coronavirus: 3D-printer owners rally to create NHS face masks

More than 1,000 people volunteer to help make face shields for front-line workers.

from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3dFW4zH

‘Never Thought I Would Need It’: Americans Put Pride Aside to Seek Aid

By BY CARA BUCKLEY from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Uygm6p

Human Rights Group Says Two U.S. Strikes Killed Somali Civilians

By BY CHARLIE SAVAGE AND HELENE COOPER from NYT World https://ift.tt/3dFYDSa

Hellmut Stern, 91, Dies; Violinist Returned to Germany After Fleeing

By BY KATHARINE Q. SEELYE from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2R0fBku

Mexico president ramps up rich vs poor rhetoric in coronavirus fight

As the outlook for Mexico's economy gets gloomier during the coronavirus crisis, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has driven home the message that his government is ready to help the poor to weather the storm - but that the rich can forget it.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2wT7uiH

Australian authorities take cluster approach to contain coronavirus

Australian authorities will open a pop-up coronavirus testing clinic next to Sydney's Bondi Beach on Wednesday as health workers try to contain clusters of infections across the country.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2ymlXEh

The truth about Michael Jordan's MLB prospects: 'I swear, he was going to the majors'

Nowadays, fans look upon Michael Jordan's foray into another sport 26 years ago as a whim, and conclude that his baseball career was a bust. They could not be more wrong.

from www.espn.com - NBA https://ift.tt/39u0Mx6

Fauci and Birx’s Tactics Can Help Us Survive

How the doctors are akin to hostages in the Trump administration.

from Slate Magazine https://ift.tt/2xzoeeZ

‘An Activist, a Warrior, a Mother To So Many.’ Lorena Borjas, Pillar of New York Trans Community, Dies From Coronavirus

Aged 19 and incarcerated on Rikers Island, Bianey Garcia and a friend — victims of a homophobic attack that had led to their arrests, Garcia says — needed help. They called Lorena Borjas.

A pillar of New York City’s Latinx LGBTQ community, Borjas had long been known as a staunch defender of the rights of trans people, Latinx people, undocumented people and sex workers. Borjas helped Garcia and her friend obtain a lawyer, who won their case and later helped them get immigration papers to stay in the U.S. A decade later, Garcia is now a justice workwr with New York City-based advocacy organization Make the Road. “Lorena was like a mother for many in the transgender community,” Garcia tells TIME. “She used to help anyone.“

On Monday, March 30, Borjas died from complications related to coronavirus, officials announced, a loss that has rocked the trans community of Queens, N.Y., and beyond. She was 60, per NBC New York.

“Lorena Borjas was a real hero for trans people, especially in Queens. She was a leader, a builder and a healer,” Mara Keisling, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement. “The NCTE family is saddened by her passing and has her broad family and the Queens Latinx community in our hearts today.”

Borjas had been a prominent community organizer and health educator for decades, working to end human trafficking, which she herself survived, according to the Transgender Law Center. In 2017, she received a rare pardon from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for a conviction she received in the 1990s while being trafficked, with Gov. Cuomo praising her advocacy work in New York state. (The conviction had put Borjas, a Mexican national, at high risk of deportation.)

Her community health work included a HIV testing site Borjas set up in her own home, and a syringe exchange program for trans-women using hormone injections, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office. In 2012, she and activist Chase Strangio co-founded the Lorena Borjas Community Fund, which helped cover bail and pay legal fees for for LGBTQ immigrants.

Just a few weeks ago, Borjas set up a fund for trans-people who had lost their jobs to COVID-19, the disease caused by novel coronavirus.

Activists and community leaders across New York City took to social media after the news of her death broke.

It is with a heavy heart I have to inform that this morning at 5:22 AM. Lorena Borjas, mother of the Trans latinx community of Queens passed away. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/LvuPJfH3iF

— Cecilia Gentili (@CeciliaGentili) March 30, 2020

#LorenaBorjas lost the battle against COVID19 but, she won the hearts 💕of community members across the country. She was a Trans Latina Immigrant Human Rights, Leader and Pioneer in our movement.
This is a huge lost to our movement and the community of New York.
Rest in Power pic.twitter.com/JCrtTXQix1

— ItsCarlosSoto 🏳️‍🌈 (@ItsCarlosSoto) March 30, 2020

There was no one like Lorena. We really screwed this all up not protecting and saving our beloved heroes. Please know all of this about her. Please remember her. Please fight in her memory. pic.twitter.com/kyQsdtucXF

— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) March 30, 2020

“Lorena was honestly one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met,” Lynly Egyes, the legal director of the Transgender Law Center, tells TIME. “She was an activist, a warrior, a mother to so many.”

Egyes, 38, says she first met Borjas while working for the Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center. At the time, Egyes remembers she was representing two incarcerated transgender women; Borjas “just showed up” with a much-needed birth certificate for one of the women, pulling it out of the Mary Poppins roller bag she always carried with her. “You never knew what was in there,” Egyes laughed.

Egyes later represented Borjas while campaigning for her pardon, and says she she received scores of letters during that time from people who said “Lorena literally saved my life.” They told Egyes about times Borjas protected them from an abusive partner or took them into her home when they had nowhere else to go. “That wasn’t an uncommon story about Lorena,” Egyes says. “[She would] provide services and resources to anyone who just got to New York City and needed a hand or help,” she continues. “And she did this without pay. She just did it because it was the right thing to do.”

“What I lived through helped me fight for justice for my sisters,” Borjas said in a 2018 interview. “My goal in life is to help them in everything I can.”

Cristina Herrera, the CEO and founder of the non-profit Translatinx Network, describes Borjas as an outgoing and resourceful woman who was “determined to make her visions come true.” Over the 32 years the women knew each other, Herrera, 49, tells TIME she watched Borjas grow into a respected and powerful community leader. “She was a source of strength for many of us,” Herrera adds.

“She’s made the world better so selflessly, so humbly, without often any type of recognition,” Egyes says. “I think she taught everyone she knew about how to be a better person.”

from TIME https://ift.tt/2xGYygl

Monday, 30 March 2020

Virus Prompts Workplace Protests Over Health Concerns

By BY NOAM SCHEIBER AND KATE CONGER from NYT Business https://ift.tt/2QWRCCy

Trump to Governors: I’d Like You to Do Us a Favor, Though

By BY MICHELLE GOLDBERG from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2QWRhjg

Alison Roman’s Seder Table

By BY ALISON ROMAN from NYT Food https://ift.tt/3aGXqIB

Trump’s Virus Defense Is Often an Attack, and the Target Is Often a Woman

By BY ANNIE KARNI from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3dCNjWW

Listen to the Call: Bullock and Trump Discuss Testing

By BY THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2JDppgp

Keep It Simple, Albany. This Is No Time for Budget Games.

By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3bE75zo

Congress Just Spent $2 Trillion on Coronavirus Relief. It’s Eying More.

By BY EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3dMluM7

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

EXCLUSIVE: New Survey Reveals Church Giving is Down, but Faith is Growing

Churches continuing to hold in-person worship services came under fire from elected officials and other critics Sunday who fear the gatherings put parishioners at risk for catching the coronavirus. Now new research, obtained exclusively by CBN News, shows how churches across the nation are managing their ministries, including plans to celebrate Easter, during the pandemic.

from CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/3dHrzt2

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

In scrappy Cambodian casino town, Chinese plan future beyond coronavirus

When casino owner Kang Qiang looks out the window of his 20th floor office in this city on the remote Cambodian coast, he sees construction cranes sitting idle.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2xDSZ2d

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - NFL https://ift.tt/39B3cdq
via IFTTT

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

‘Strega Nona’ Author Tomie dePaola Is Dead at Age 85

CONCORD, New Hampshire — Tomie dePaola, the prolific children’s author and illustrator who delighted generations with tales of Strega Nona, the kindly and helpful old witch in Italy, died Monday at age 85.

DePaola died at the Dartmouth-Hancock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, according to his literary agent, Doug Whiteman. He was badly injured in a fall last week and died of complications following surgery.

He worked on close to 250 books in a half century of publishing. More than 15 million copies have been sold worldwide and his books have been translated into more than 20 languages.

Strega Nona, his most endearing character, originated as a doodle at a dull faculty meeting at Colby Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, where dePaola was a member of the theater department. The first tale was based on one of his favorite stories as a child, about a pot that keeps producing porridge. “Strega Nona: An Original Tale,” which came out in 1975, was a Caldecott finalist for best illustrated work. Other books in the series include “Strega Nona’s Magic Lessons” and “Strega Nona Meets Her Match.”

Reflecting on her popularity, dePaola told The Associated Press in 2013, “I think it’s because she’s like everybody’s grandmother. She’s cute, she’s not pretty, she’s kind of funny-looking, but she’s sweet, she’s understanding. And she’s a little saucy, she gets a little irritated every once in a while.”

DePaola said he put Strega Nona in Calabria, in southern Italy, because that’s where his grandparents came from.

He said over the years, the visualization of Strega Nona — who grew out of his drawing of Punch from the commedia dell’arte — became more refined. But his liberal use of color and folk art influences in her stories were a constant. After saving her village from being flooded with pasta from a magic pot by her assistant, Big Anthony, Strega Nona went on to star or play a supporting role in about a dozen more books.

“I remember laughing at the pictures of Big Anthony, the townspeople, and even cute little Strega Nona,” wrote one of his many fans in 2013, a woman who recalled her mother reading the book to her growing up. “She is ingrained in my childhood … I hope to read Strega Nona to my kids one day.”

In 2011, dePaola received a lifetime achievement award from the American Library Association.

“Tomie dePaola is masterful at creating seemingly simple stories that have surprising depth and reflect tremendous emotional honesty,” the committee chair Megan Schliesman said at the time. “They have resonated with children for over 40 years.”

At age 4, dePaola knew he was going to be an artist and author — and he told people so. He received a lot of encouragement from his family. “They gave me half of the attic for my ‘studio.’ Now, how neat is that?” he said.

His family, in turn, became central characters in a number of his autobiographical books, such as “26 Fairmont Avenue,” about growing up in Connecticut during the Great Depression, and “The Art Lesson,” about reaching a compromise with his art teacher on drawing in class. The former received a Newbery Honor Award in 2000.

DePaola wrote about doodling on his bedsheets and on his math work in second grade, telling his teacher he wasn’t going to be an “arithmetic-er.”

Many of his books bring to life folktales, legends, and spirituality — he often incorporated images of a white dove among the pages. Christmas, his favorite holiday, was a popular subject of many of his works exploring traditions of the season, and offered some storylines for Strega Nona.

In 2013-2014, dePaola had two exhibitions at Colby-Sawyer College, “Then,” and “Now.” The first showed his early artistic efforts, his formative years at the Pratt Institute and his work, influenced by Fra Angelico and George Roualt, among others; the second came out shortly after dePaola turned 80 and it focused on his more recent artwork.

“Even though I love doing my books and I try to be as creative as possible, there’s always a restriction,” he said in 2013. “I have to please other people, I have to please my art director, my editor, and then there’s all the public to please. Some of the books I’ve considered my best artistic personal accomplishments aren’t necessarily the books that appeal to children. And that’s OK.”

In 2011, dePaola received a lifetime achievement award from the American Library Association.

DePaola spent much of time working in his 200-year-old barn in New London, which houses his studio and library. It includes wall niches displaying folk art and a corner with a chair facing a small altar, where he meditated. More Native American, Mexican and early American folk art decorated his nearby home.

DePaola received many letters through the years from children with questions about his life and books, and he often took the time to chat with them at book signings and other events. It was always important to him to keep that voice active.

“I just keep the inner critic,” he said in an interview. “Don’t let the little 4-year-old get jaded. I listen to him. He stands beside me and says, ‘No, I don’t like that.’”

from TIME https://ift.tt/39rX9aH

In the College Basketball Documentary The Scheme, the FBI Comes Out Looking Dirty

The sordid business of a pointless, low-stakes prosecution.

from Slate Magazine https://ift.tt/39xRZdk

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Roger returns: Healing Federer shows off shots

Roger Federer put on a show for fans via Twitter on Monday, pulling off trick shots against a wall in the snow.

from www.espn.com - TOP https://ift.tt/39B3cdq

Sunday, 29 March 2020

Russia Claimed It Created a Coronavirus Cure, but It’s an American Malaria Drug

The headline of the Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti read, “Russia Created the Treatment for Coronavirus.” The article went on to boast about the remedy based on the drug mefloquine, an antimalarial drug created in fact at the U.S. Army’s Walter Reed Medical Center shortly after the Vietnam War and widely known as Lariam. Fiona Hill: Trump’s Coronavirus Talk Sounds a Lot Like Russia’sMefloquine was created to replace chloroquine, another anti-malarial, which was President Donald Trump’s recent drug of choice in his dubious battle against COVID-19. It is still prescribed in many countries to prevent and treat malaria, but it is known to have severe and sometimes shocking side effects. A study conducted from 2001-2003 “confirmed mefloquine's potential for causing psychological illness.”Facing a wave of ridicule in social media, Russian state media changed the headline, which now reads: “Russia Offered a Drug for Treating the Coronavirus.”It should be noted that there is no known cure or approved treatment for the coronavirus. Multiple clinical trials for potential medical treatments are still underway.The purpose of all this is less pharmacological than propagandistic. While Kremlin-controlled media outlets propagate conspiracy theories blaming the United States (and even Ukraine) for creating and spreading the coronavirus, Russia is presented as the potential savior of all of humanity. At a time when the Kremlin’s cynical effort to hide the extent of the pandemic in Russia is becoming ever more apparent, state media are criticizing American and European tactics for containing the pandemic. Virologist Mikhail Shchelkanov, head of the Laboratory of Ecology of Microorganisms, FEFU School of Biomedicine, described the Western approach as “18th-century tactics.” In contrast, he claimed that, “Russia, since the days of the Soviet Union, has had the world's best biological safety system.”After Putin’s Big Fail, Russia Braces for COVID-19 OnslaughtRussian coronavirus measures recommended by the government agency to the general public indeed seem more stringent than those offered in the United States. For example, everyday use of face masks in public is recommended for all individuals. Single-use masks are to be replaced every 2-3 hours. The risk to younger individuals is not being downplayed. To the contrary, parents are being advised to keep their children at home or in the yard of their own home. When in public, children are to be prevented from touching any surfaces or interacting with others. There is public guidance with respect to the disinfection of store-bought food and merchandise.During his state TV show, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, the host described Russia’s approach to the pandemic as superior to that of Europe and the United States. “They’re behaving in an uncivilized manner,” Soloviev said, “They are being amoral. Our people unite and want to help others. Americans are just buying up guns.” Speaking to RIA Novosti, Shchelkanov praised China’s response to the pandemic and condemned the United States and Western Europe for their lack of coordinated actions, predicting that coronavirus “can easily spread like fire—and is spreading to neighboring countries.” He claimed that “the Russian Federation continues to be a bulwark of European stability.”In reality, the true numbers of coronavirus infections in Russia are grossly understated due to the lack of testing and creative approach to recording the number of deaths. Some quarantined Russians report receiving negative test results, in spite of not being tested. The cause of death for coronavirus patients in Russia is being determined posthumously through an autopsy, and sometimes attributed to other causes, such as pulmonary thromboembolism—therefore being excluded from the official statistics.The aid supplied to Western countries by China and Russia has been criticized as largely defective and mainly useless. But Russian state media claim such support as the manifestation of “soft power.” Appearing on Soloviev's show, political scientist Dmitry Evstafiev noted, “Every country is using the coronavirus pandemic as cover, trying to achieve their own goals.”One of the Kremlin’s most pressing aims is the removal of U.S. and European sanctions against Russia and its informal allies: Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea. Experts on Russian state television repeatedly suggest that the Kremlin should bring up the removal of sanctions at every opportunity, especially while offering coronavirus aid to Western countries.During his state TV show, Soloviev expressed frustration that Trump “didn’t understand anything” and ignored President Vladimir Putin's proposal at the recent G-20 summit calling for the immediate removal of all sanctions.Soloviev opined that the first country that is able to create the coronavirus vaccine would acquire an instrument of enormous political pressure. Russia is actively seeking to develop such a lever of global influence, but the unproven panacea it is currently touting was made in the USA.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3auZ7bG

Tornado rips through Arkansas city, leaving at least 6 hurt

The mayor of Jonesboro said the more people may could have been harmed by the tornado had the mall not been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39pUFK3

The Best Movies and Shows on Hulu Right Now

By BY JASON BAILEY from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/3aENJKk

One Battle Boris Johnson Is Clearly Winning

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- As recently as a few weeks ago, it seemed as though U.K. politics could not possibly talk about anything besides Brexit, even after the country’s formal departure from the EU. Business as usual was expected to return at some unspecified point in the future.As elsewhere, the coronavirus has turned British politics on its head. Unlike Brexit, which continues to divide opinion fairly evenly, the coronavirus crisis has prompted an outbreak of recently unfamiliar unity. Number Cruncher polling (excusive to Bloomberg) finds personal ratings for Boris Johnson -- himself now diagnosed with coronavirus -- that have not been seen for a British Prime Minister since the early days of Tony Blair’s premiership in 1997.Fully 72% of eligible voters are satisfied with Johnson’s performance as Prime Minister, with 25% dissatisfied. Ninety-one per cent of those currently supporting the Conservatives count themselves as satisfied, along with about half of Labour voters and those voting for other parties and a large majority of undecided voters. Johnson’s government gets similar approval ratings, both overall (73% to 24%) and on its handling of the Coronavirus outbreak (72% to 25%).The 1,010 interviews were conducted Tuesday through Thursday, following Johnson’s televised address on Monday, but completed before Johnson himself revealed that he had tested positive for the virus. There is some evidence in our data to suggest that these figures were higher in the immediate aftermath of the pre-recorded broadcast, which was watched by around half of the adult population.The strongest numbers of all are for the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (77% satisfaction). Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose successor will be named on April 4, remains in negative territory (with 54% dissatisfied).While wartime metaphors are now commonplace, this pandemic is not, of course, a war in literal sense -- people are being killed by a disease, not each other. But it does share many of the same characteristics and a similar “rally around the flag” sense. The most obvious of these is the unity against a common enemy, with a lot of agreement across parties and across the public. There is also clear sense of “national effort,” and some extremely large government spending on its way.That’s not to say that there have been no controversies — there have been debates over strategy and the policy response — though these can easily be drowned out by the enormity of the wider situation.This is not unique to the U.K. Polling elsewhere has shown that the crisis has helped incumbents in other countries too. Emmanuel Macron in France, Italy’s Giuseppe Conte and Canada’s Justin Trudeau have also seen their ratings improve. Even in the strongly polarized U.S., Donald Trump’s approval ratings have seen gains.But what is specific to the U.K. is the perfect storm providing the tailwind to the Conservatives. The post-election bounce for Johnson and his party was still very much in evidence when the coronavirus became the dominant story, and was likely boosted by Brexit on Jan. 31st. Labour has been less visible than it might normally be, and when it is visible it’s via its unpopular leader, who remains in place more than three months after his election defeat.Coupled with the rally-round-the-flag effect, it is not hard to see why records are being broken. Of likely voters, 54% would choose Conservatives, up nine points from the December election (excluding Northern Ireland). No Conservative government has ever had such a strong poll rating, according to records compiled by author Mark Pack beginning in 1943.Labour has dropped five points to 28%, giving the Tories their biggest lead while in office since Margaret Thatcher’s peak during the Falklands war in 1982. The Liberal Democrats — who this week postponed their leadership election until 2021 — also fall five points to 7%.Of course, no U.K. election is imminent, with even the local elections scheduled for May having been postponed until next year. What’s more, being hugely popular in a war or war-like situation can still end in electoral defeat, as it did for Winston Churchill and George H.W. Bush. And that’s before we consider likely economic damage of the coronavirus, which is in the very early stages of being felt.But these numbers are significant for another reason. The immediate task for Johnson and other leaders is to convince their citizens to comply with personal restrictions that would be unthinkable in normal times. Irrespective of the wider politics, having the public united behind him can only help. For now, the U.K. feels strangely united.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.Matt Singh runs Number Cruncher Politics, a nonpartisan polling and elections site that predicted the 2015 U.K. election polling failure.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39vIAmR

Trump Extends Social Distancing Guidelines Through End of April

By BY MICHAEL D. SHEAR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2xAyFig

Why the Strategic National Stockpile isn't meant to solve a crisis like coronavirus

The country's largest repository of drugs and medical equipment is designed to be used as a stopgap — not a solution — during emergencies.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3bDG2EF

The Politics of a Pandemic

By BY CHARLES M. BLOW from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3auIPzx

Germany's Merkel shines in virus crisis even as power wanes

In her first address to the nation on the coronavirus pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel calmly appealed to citizens' reason and discipline to slow the spread of the virus, acknowledging as a woman who grew up in communist East Germany how difficult it is to give up freedoms, yet as a trained scientist emphasizing that the facts don't lie. For her, it was a regular shopping stop, but photos snapped by someone at the grocery store were shared worldwide as a reassuring sign of calm leadership amid a global crisis. Merkel has run Germany for more than 14 years and has over a decade's experience of managing crises.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3asAZGO