Though some media figures denounced MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for invoking God during the COVID-19 press conference on Monday, Joe Scarborough of MSNBC is praising the CEO for shifting his company&#8217;s production to make up to 50,000 medical masks a day.
&#8220;Everybody was attacking this MyPillow guy,&#8221; Scarborough said on Tuesday, as reported by <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/490350-scarborough-defends-my-pillow-guy-appearance-at-coronavirus-briefing-i-salute">The Hill</a>. &#8220;Here’s my thought: If you’re going to make 50,000 masks and give them to doctors and nurses on the front lines in New York City, I’m fine with you going up.&#8221;
&#8220;Say whatever you want to say,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Just get the masks to the people on the front line, and we as Americans should salute anybody doing that. I’m not making 50,000 masks. If I had the capability of making 50,000 masks, I’d like to make 50,000 masks. I can’t. That guy can. I salute him.&#8221;
Co-host Willie Geist agreed with Scarborough as he, too, invoked God. &#8220;If Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, takes 75% of his manufacturing ability right now, God bless him. If he wants to help, I’m all for it,&#8221; said Geist.
During the Monday White House press conference, Mike Lindell went off-script when he called upon Americans to read their Holy Bibles and find God during this unprecedented time of crisis. Referring to the day Donald Trump won the presidency against Hillary Clinton, Lindell said,  “God gave us grace on Nov. 8, 2016 to change the course we were on. God had been taken out of our schools and lives, a nation had turned its back on God.”
After encouraging Americans to read their Bibles, Lindell then touted the low unemployment and healthy economy that Trump enjoyed prior to the pandemic, promising that the country will roar back to life again when the crisis subsides.
“I encourage you to use this time at home to get back in the word, read our Bibles, and spend time with our families,” he continued. “Our president gave us so much hope where, just a few short months ago, we had the best economy, the lowest unemployment, and wages going up. It was amazing. With our great president, vice president, and this administration, the other great people in this country, and praying daily, we will get through this and get back to a place that is stronger and safer than ever.”
As Lindell exited the Rose Garden stage, Trump said, “I did not know he was going to do that. He’s a friend of mine and I appreciate that.”
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-honors-my-pillow-exec-for-shifting-production-to-facemasks-media-whine-that-he-praises-trump-god">reported</a> by The Daily Wire&#8217;s Hank Berrien, some members of the media, especially on Twitter, scolded and ridiculed Lindell, accusing him of using the press conference as a stunt for his company.
“Once the Trump-aligned My Pillow guy came on to give a free infomercial from the Rose Garden, CNN cuts away– good on them for not giving oxygen to this partisan corporate bulls**t,” <a href="https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1244741551042908160?s=20">tweeted</a> Bryan Tyler Cohen of Occupy Democrats. 
“My Pillow is now making highly absorbent pillows so you can cry yourself to sleep after watching this press conference,” <a href="https://twitter.com/FullFrontalSamB/status/1244740716259168256?s=20">tweeted</a> the official “Full Frontal” Twitter account.

2018 Matrix Awards

Joe Scarborough Applauds MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell: ‘I Salute Him,’ ‘I’d Like To Make 50,000 Masks’ 

Coronavirus

Donald Trump

Joe Scarborough

In the midst of all the sadness brought upon the COVID-19 pandemic, actor John Krasinski wants to bring people some good news on his recently launched YouTube channel &#8220;Some Good News.&#8221;
Launched Sunday afternoon, the &#8220;A Quiet Place&#8221; star said that the channel will focus on bringing people cheerful content as a break from the onslaught of doom and gloom.
The co-star of “The Office” launched a YouTube series on Sunday afternoon called “Some Good News” that focuses on feel-good stories, rather than the more dire, doom-and-gloom reports surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic that have been breaking 24/7 for several weeks now.
According to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/john-krasinski-and-steve-carell-bring-some-good-news-in-a-new-youtube-series-2020-03-30">Market Watch,</a> the idea came about last week when the actor tweeted out to his followers asking them to share feel-good stories.
<div class="paywall">
&#8220;Alright everybody, how about <a class="PrettyLink hashtag customisable" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SomeGoodNews?src=hash" rel="tag" data-query-source="hashtag_click" data-scribe="element:hashtag">#SomeGoodNews</a> ! Send me the stories that have made you feel good this week or the things that just made you smile!&#8221; Krasinski tweeted.
</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Alright everybody, how about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SomeGoodNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SomeGoodNews</a> ! Send me the stories that have made you feel good this week or the things that just made you smile!
&mdash; John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnkrasinski/status/1242884698227068928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After the post received more than 3,000 comments and nearly 20,000 likes, Krasinski came to the understanding that people are desperately in need of some happiness and cheer. Keeping it light, Krasinski opened his noticeably low-budget show on Sunday with his hand spinning a globe and hand-drawn &#8220;SGN&#8221; sign made by his daughter.
“After reading those replies and the incredibly heartwarming stories that came with them, I thought, ‘All right, enough is enough, world,’” Krasinski said on his new show. “So ladies and gentlemen, this is your fault. And this is SGN. Without question, we are all going through an incredibly trying time, but through all the anxiety, all the confusion, all the isolation and all the ‘Tiger King,&#8217; somehow the human spirit found a way to break through and blow us all away.”
Krasinski cited several stories about the heroism in the medical community and the way in which people have stayed connected through the madness of social distancing. His interview with<a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/parade-last-chemotherapy-teen-girl-surprise"> Courtney &#8220;Coco&#8221; Johnson</a>, a 14-year-old who finished a round of chemotherapy, marked the arguable high point. Johnson went viral when she returned home to see her neighbors lining the street at a safe social distance welcoming her with balloons and celebratory signs. Krasinski said he “cried for a very long time” after watching it.
&#8220;No matter how tough life can get, there’s always good in the world,&#8221; Krasinski told his audience.
Another noteworthy moment, which maybe accounts for the show&#8217;s 3.5 million views, was his interview with Steve Carrell, his former co-star on &#8220;The Office.&#8221;
&#8220;The pair reminisced about their favorite memories on the set of the mockumentary series that aired for nine seasons on Comcast’s NBC,&#8221; Market Watch said of the moment. &#8220;And while Krasinski looked the part of a news anchor in his suit jacket and tie, Carrell told him, &#8216;I guarantee you that the bottom half of what you have on does not match the top.&#8217; (Indeed, when Krasinski stood up at the end of the segment, he was wearing pajama bottoms.)&#8221;
<iframe title="Some Good News with John Krasinski" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F5pgG1M_h_U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
For a solid stream of good news, the Good News Network offers a litany of stories across the world for people to digest in these trying times.

&#8220;A Quiet Place Part II&#8221; World Premiere

WATCH: John Krasinski Launches ‘Some Good News’ YouTube Channel To Spread Cheer During The Pandemic

John Krasinski

News

The media has presented the ideal COVID-19 shopper as one wearing a mask and gloves, but Fox News contributor Dr. Marc Siegel says the gloves may not necessarily be a good idea.
Speaking on “<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox &amp; Friends</a>,&#8221; Siegel said that gloves can still accumulate the virus, just like bare hands, leaving people exposed if they then touch their face, mouth, nose, or eyes.
“Gloves accumulate germs, gloves accumulate viruses,” Siegel said on the show. “You’re going to not even realize when you touch something then you have it on the gloves, then you transfer it to your face, then you can get infected.&#8221;
Siegel said that regular hand washing is a smarter choice and advised against the gloves since they would have to be changed regularly.  Should people still wear gloves, he advised them to take them off from the inside so as to avoid touching the outside with their bare hands.
“You can’t change them enough to make a difference so I vote &#8216;no&#8217; on that one. Yes, on the continued hand-washing,&#8221; he said.
In Washington, state health officials cautioned people that gloves are no sure protection against the virus.
&#8220;It is possible for the virus to spread when someone doesn’t have symptoms, but this is not the main way it spreads,&#8221; the Washington State Department of Health said in a <a href="https://medium.com/wadepthealth/no-need-to-stock-up-or-disinfect-your-groceries-4db7e027371d">blog post</a>. &#8220;It is also possible for the virus to spread though droplets on hard surfaces, though this is also not the main way it spreads. That’s why it’s important that we wash our hands and try not to touch our faces, in case we touched a surface that had transmissible virus on it. If you wear gloves, touch a hard surface, and then touch your face with your gloved hands, the gloves have not protected you at all. If you don’t touch your face, you didn’t need the gloves. Just wash your hands.&#8221;
The good news, however, is that no evidence exists indicating that COVID-19 spreads through food, so people do not have to disinfect their groceries.
&#8220;We have <a class="fq gn ho hp hq hr" href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/food-safety-and-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer">no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 is spreading through food</a> at all,&#8221; the blog post continued. &#8220;Not through take-out orders, groceries, or produce. When you return home from the grocery store, please thoroughly wash your hands, but there is no reason to try to disinfect your groceries. And please, don’t put disinfecting chemicals like household cleaners on the food you’re going to eat.&#8221;
What about the N95 masks? Should people still wear those while shopping? Given the current shortage, it is probably best to leave those for medical workers, suggests <a href="https://sph.umich.edu/faculty-profiles/petrie-joshua.html">Joshua Petrie</a>, an assistant research professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.
&#8220;They’re so much more important for health care workers who are actually treating patients and are at a much higher risk of being infected,” Petrie told <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/3/30/21199714/grocery-store-delivery-coronavirus-safe-empty">VOX</a>.
A CDC spokesperson recently <a href="https://time.com/5810782/grocery-store-safety-coronavirus/">told TIME</a> that people should not be wearing gloves or masks to shop unless they have been exposed to the virus or are showing symptoms.
“You [also] have a higher risk of exposing yourself to something if you take the gloves and mask off wrong,” said the spokesperson.
Those guidelines from the CDC may change in time.

Coronavirus situation in Tokyo, Japan

A Doctor Explains Why Shopping With Gloves Is A Bad Idea

During the Monday White House press conference centered on the COVID-19 pandemic, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell went off-script when he called upon Americans to read their Holy Bibles and find God during this unprecedented time of crisis.
Referring to the day Donald Trump won the presidency against Hillary Clinton, Lindell said,  “God gave us grace on Nov. 8, 2016 to change the course we were on. God had been taken out of our schools and lives, a nation had turned its back on God.&#8221;
After encouraging Americans to read their Bibles, Lindell then touted the low unemployment and healthy economy that President Trump enjoyed prior to the pandemic, promising that the country will roar back to life again when the crisis subsides.
&#8220;I encourage you to use this time at home to get back in the word, read our Bibles, and spend time with our families,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Our president gave us so much hope where, just a few short months ago, we had the best economy, the lowest unemployment, and wages going up. It was amazing. With our great president, vice president, and this administration, the other great people in this country, and praying daily, we will get through this and get back to a place that is stronger and safer than ever.&#8221;
As Lindell exited the Rose Garden stage, Trump said, “I did not know he was going to do that. He’s a friend of mine and I appreciate that.&#8221;
Lindell was invited to speak at the press conference to talk about the work his company has been doing to combat the crisis by shifting production to manufacture up to 50,000 N95 medical masks a day starting this Friday.
&#8220;Given our current business lines, we are experiencing the effects of this pandemic firsthand,&#8221; Lindell said earlier in the conference. &#8220;We&#8217;ve dedicated 75% of my manufacturing to produce cotton face masks.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After saying that My Pillow&#39;s factories will be producing 50,000 N95 masks by Friday, Mike Lindell encourages us to read our bibles and spend time with our families.
&quot;With this administration and all the great people in this country praying daily, we will get through this&quot; <a href="https://t.co/f1mdtqLYzE">pic.twitter.com/f1mdtqLYzE</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1244743719716356096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During Lindell&#8217;s speech, CNN cut away after the president introduced him. The network did not cut away, as some have alleged on Twitter, when he mentioned God.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN cuts away from the coronavirus task force press conference when My Pillow&#39;s Mike Lindell gets up to speak about how his company repurposed its factories to produce N95 masks <a href="https://t.co/atpVElzfYH">pic.twitter.com/atpVElzfYH</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1244741694123278344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On social media, reactions to Lindell&#8217;s comments ranged from enthusiastic to vitriolic, with some people calling it a plug for his company without recognizing the fact that his company will be producing much-needed masks.
&#8220;Once the Trump-aligned My Pillow guy came on to give a free infomercial from the Rose Garden, CNN cuts away&#8211; good on them for not giving oxygen to this partisan corporate bulls**t,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1244741551042908160?s=20">tweeted</a> Bryan Tyler Cohen of Occupy Democrats. 
&#8220;My Pillow is now making highly absorbent pillows so you can cry yourself to sleep after watching this press conference,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/FullFrontalSamB/status/1244740716259168256?s=20">tweeted</a> the official &#8220;Full Frontal&#8221; Twitter account. 
&#8220;Trump just had the My Pillow guy speak. The My Pillow Guy. These aren&#8217;t press conferences to calm the American people. They&#8217;re infomercials for Trump and his friends,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/Pappiness/status/1244740040720175104?s=20">tweeted</a> NBC late-night writer Nick JackPappas. 
Janice Dean of Fox News called out the hypocrisy by noting that they would be cheering Martha Stewart had she appeared alongside President Barack Obama during such a crisis.
&#8220;If it was Martha Stewart coming out into the rose garden to help President Obama you guys would be applauding! I’m critical of a lot of stuff that’s happening right now. This is not one of them. Go My Pillow Guy!&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/JaniceDean/status/1244749650697097218?s=20">tweeted</a>.

Lindell

WATCH: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell Goes Off Script, Encourages People Turn To God, Read Bibles During Trump Press Conference

After multiple employees tested positive for COVID-19, Amazon workers walked out of a Staten Island warehouse on Monday demanding that the company take better safety precautions amid the pandemic.
&#8220;If a building tests positive you should shut it down and sanitize it,&#8221; Christian Smalls, the organizer of the walkout, told <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/coronavirus-amazon-workers-walkout-staten-island">FOX Business</a>. &#8220;That&#8217;s all we&#8217;re asking for. &#8230; If we don&#8217;t get a response today, then we&#8217;re going to City Hall.&#8221;
Smalls also called on the company to grant retroactive paychecks to employees who took time off in fear of contracting the virus. “People are afraid to work. People are there working and they’re putting their lives at risk because there are a number of (coronavirus) cases that they are not aware of,&#8221; he told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/people-afraid-amazon-warehouse-workers-york-walk-off/story?id=69871849">ABC News</a>.
Smalls was reportedly placed in quarantine by Amazon this past Saturday after he came in contact with another employee who tested positive for the virus. He also claimed that Amazon lied when it said that only one worker at the Staten Island warehouse was infected. In fact, as many as seven people may have been infected at a facility employing over 4,000.
&#8220;That’s a bold face lie because I sent home the third case directly,&#8221; Smalls said.
Regarding the first case of the virus, Smalls added, “She already had time to spread it. Her friend caught it. Her friend was the third case. She tested positive and she’s a supervisor in the pack department and the pack department is right before the items go out door to the customers. It’s dangerous.&#8221;
According to Smalls, up to 50 to 100 people planned to walk off the job demanding better safety measures.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Live at <a href="https://twitter.com/amazon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amazon</a> JFK8 walkout to demand protections for workers and the public during COVID-19. Amazon is putting profits over safety<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/amazonstrike?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#amazonstrike</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProtectAmazonWorkers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProtectAmazonWorkers</a> <a href="https://t.co/YRWGu5gx2R">pic.twitter.com/YRWGu5gx2R</a>
&mdash; New York Communities for Change (@nychange) <a href="https://twitter.com/nychange/status/1244668041968922635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a statement, Amazon hailed its employees as &#8220;heroes&#8221; working to keep America stable, adding that the company has taken necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
&#8220;These accusations are simply unfounded. Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable. We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances. The truth is the vast majority of employees continue to show up and do the heroic work of delivering for customers every day.&#8221;
Amazon will be raising the wages at the warehouse from $17.50 to $23 while paying double overtime to those who show up to work. The company will also be offering extended leave to those staying home in fear of contracting the virus. Beyond Amazon, Instacart employees likewise walked off the job on Monday. From <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/instacart-workers-striking-coronavirus-conditions">FOX Business</a>:
<blockquote>Instacart shoppers are planning to strike on Monday, saying the <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/retail" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">grocery delivery</a> company isn&#8217;t doing enough for its gig workers during the <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">coronavirus</a> pandemic.
In a <a href="https://medium.com/@GigWorkersCollective/instacart-emergency-walk-off-ebdf11b6995a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Medium post</a> published Friday, Instacart workers asked for <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/lifestyle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">proper protection</a> — including hand sanitizer and wipes — <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/money">hazard pay of $5</a> for each order and an extension of benefits to workers affected by the virus.
Instacart said Sunday it would soon provide workers with a new hand sanitizer upon request and outlined changes to its tip system. The group said the measures were too little too late.</blockquote>
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) expressed his support for the Amazon workers on Monday.
&#8220;Amazon [and] Instacart must take care of their workers, especially now,&#8221; Booker <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBooker/status/1244673746885120001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted.</a> &#8220;I&#8217;ve written to Amazon asking exactly how they plan to. I stand with these workers in their strike.&#8221;

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-STRIKE

NEW YORK: Amazon Workers Walkout After COVID-19 Hits Warehouse

Amazon

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, have responded to President Trump&#8217;s Sunday tweet saying &#8220;they must pay&#8221; for their own security if they want to live in the United States.
Speaking with <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-prince-harry-respond-to-donald-trumps-tweet-about-not-paying-for-their-security-in-los-angeles">Fox News</a>, a spokesperson for the royal couple said that they already planned to pay for their own security upon relocating from Canada to Los Angeles.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources,” the statement said. “Privately funded security arrangements have been made.”
&#8220;I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen &amp; the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1244338645198352386" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trump tweeted on Sunday, </a>following reports that the soon-to-be-former royal couple had relocated from a private mansion in Canada to a home in Los Angeles, California.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen &amp; the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1244338645198352386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Speaking with <a href="https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-and-prince-harry-have-left-canada-and-are-now-settled-in-the-l-a-area/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">People Magazine, </a>a source close to the royal couple said that Harry is &#8220;not looking back.&#8221;
“Harry is looking straight ahead at his future with his family,” the source said. “They will be spending time in California…He’s not looking back.”
Controversy over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle&#8217;s security has been ongoing ever since they announced their split as senior members of royal family to carve out a more &#8220;progressive role&#8221; for themselves in North America. Upon their initial relocation to Canada, up to 80,000 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/petition-80000-canadians-demand-prince-harry-meghan-markle-pay-their-own-security">Canadians petitioned</a> that the couple pay for their own security.
&#8220;Everyone wishes Meghan and Harry all the best in becoming financially independent, but we need to be clear about one thing: Canadian taxpayers shouldn’t have to cover their bills,” said Canadian Taxpayer Federation (CTF)  Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is launching this petition to make sure Prime Minister Justin Trudeau knows that Canadians are happy to welcome the couple as long as they pay their own way.”
Though they have reportedly relocated to Los Angeles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been staying on a private compound amid the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping out of harm&#8217;s way. In a recent <a href="https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-and-prince-harry-speak-out-about-coronavirus-for-first-time-we-need-each-other/">statement, </a>the couple called upon people to support each other during this time of unprecedented crisis.
“These are uncertain times. And now, more than ever, we need each other. We need each other for truth, for support, and to feel less alone during a time that can honestly feel quite scary,” they wrote on Instagram. “There are so many around the world who need support right now, who are working tirelessly to respond to this crisis behind the scenes, on the frontline, or at home. Our willingness, as a people, to step up in the face of what we are all experiencing with COVID-19 is awe-inspiring. This moment is as true a testament there is to the human spirit.”
Prince Harry has been highly critical of President Trump for his response to climate change and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prince-harry-stated-trump-has-blood-on-his-hands-report-says">reportedly </a>told Russian scammers that the president had &#8220;blood on his hands.&#8221;
“I think the mere fact that Donald Trump is pushing the coal industry is so big in America, he has blood on his hands,” Harry told the hoaxers. “The effect that [Trump’s coal policy] has on the climate and the island nations far, far away, again out of sight, out of mind … But we’ve visited those places and I’m sure you have as well. People’s lives have been completely destroyed. People are dying every single month by some form of natural disaster created from this huge change in our climate.”

MarkleHarry

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Respond To Trump Saying ‘They Must Pay’ For U.S. Security

Prince Harry

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, gave an unfortunately bleak prognosis on Monday when she said that 200,000 Americans could die from COVID-19 even if we practice social distancing &#8220;almost perfectly.&#8221;
Speaking with NBC&#8217;s &#8220;TODAY,&#8221; Birx said that she is “very worried about every city in the United States” and agreed with her colleague Dr. Fauci that anywhere between 100,000 to 200,000 Americans could die of this virus.
“I think everyone understands now that you can go from five to 50 to 500 to 5000 cases very quickly,” Birx said, as reported by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/white-house-coronavirus-expert-predicts-up-to-200000-us-coronavirus-deaths.html">NBC News</a>. “I think in some of the metro areas we were late in getting people to follow the 15-day guidelines.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve looked at the Italy data with their self-isolation, and that’s where we come up with if we do things together well, almost perfectly, we could get in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 fatalities. We don’t even want to see that,” she added.
Birx emphasized the importance of social distancing, saying that the outcome all depends on how the rest of America takes the CDC guidelines seriously.
“The best-case scenario would be 100% of Americans doing precisely what is required,” Birx said. “But we’re not sure based on the data that you’re sharing from around the world and seeing these pictures that all of America is responding in a uniform way to protect one another. So, we also have to factor that in. Cities that don’t social distance, that don’t stay at home, that believe you can have social interactions, that believe you can have gatherings in homes of 20 and 10 people even, that is going to spread the virus, even if everyone looks well.”
<iframe title="Dr. Deborah Birx Predicts Up To 200,000 Deaths ‘If We Do Things Almost Perfectly’ | TODAY" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dzl1E4x-k2w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Dr. Birx&#8217;s comments echoed that of her colleague, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that the United States could see between 100,000 to 200,000 deaths when the COVID-19 pandemic finally subsides. He did, however, caution that these predictions are based on models and that all models are rapidly evolving, so no prediction is totally concrete.
“There are things called models,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-fauci-u-s-could-see-100000-to-200000-coronavirus-deaths-isolation-should-continue-as-long-as-case-numbers-are-rising">said Fauci</a>. &#8220;When someone creates a model, they put in various assumptions. And the model is only as good or as accurate as your assumptions. Whenever the models come in, they give a worst-case scenario and a best-case scenario. Generally, the reality is somewhere in the middle. I’ve never seen a model of the diseases that I’ve dealt with where the worst case came out. They always overshoot. So when you use numbers like a million, million and a half, 2 million, that almost certainly is off the chart. It’s not impossible, but very, very unlikely.&#8221;
“I mean looking at what we’re seeing now, you know, would say between 100 and 200,000 cases,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But I don’t want to be held to that because — excuse me, deaths. We’re going to have millions of cases. But I just don’t think we really need to make a projection when it’s such a moving target that you can so easily be wrong and mislead people.”
On Sunday, Dr. Birx also warned that no state or metro area will be spared by the COVID-19 pandemic.
&#8220;No state, no metro area will be spared – and the sooner we react, and the sooner the states and the metro areas react and ensure that they’ve put in full mitigation, at the same time understanding exactly what their hospitals need, then we’ll be able to move forward together and protect the most Americans,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-birx-says-full-mitigation-is-vital-because-no-metro-area-will-be-spared-of-covid-19">she said</a>.

Members Of The Coronavirus Task Force Hold Press Briefing

WATCH: Dr. Birx Predicts 100k to 200k Coronavirus Deaths Even If We ‘Do Things Almost Perfectly’

Dr. Deborah Birx

As Americans across the country face health risks and economic fallout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The New York Times editorial board is calling for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/opinion/abortion-law-coronavirus.html">even more access to abortions</a>.
The Times editorial board accuses states who have declared abortion clinics a &#8220;non-essential&#8221; business as &#8220;exploit[ing] a pandemic that’s already cost hundreds of American lives&#8221; in order to &#8220;restrict women’s bodily autonomy.&#8221;
Texas, Ohio, and Louisiana have all made that declaration, sparking the ire of abortion advocates. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists even issued a <a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2020/03/joint-statement-on-abortion-access-during-the-covid-19-outbreak">joint statement</a> at the start of the pandemic urging states to treat abortion clinics as essential businesses:
<blockquote>Abortion is an essential component of comprehensive health care. It is also a time-sensitive service for which a delay of several weeks, or in some cases days, may increase the risks or potentially make it completely inaccessible. The consequences of being unable to obtain an abortion profoundly impact a person’s life, health and well-being.</blockquote>
&#8220;The &#8216;nonessential&#8217; bit is obvious nonsense and the delay a transparent attempt to put abortion out of reach for those who need it,&#8221; the editorial reads. &#8220;&#8230;These state leaders know that once an abortion clinic closes for any significant period, it becomes difficult to reopen.&#8221;
According to the Times editorial board, if states restrict abortion access during the pandemic (and other potential crises), certain radical solutions should be adopted: abortion pills in the mail, taxpayer-funded birth control, and taxpayer-funded abortions.
&#8220;Given the coronavirus pandemic, it is incumbent on the F.D.A. to relax its regulation on mifepristone, at least temporarily,&#8221; the Times said of abortion pills by mail. &#8220;Doing so would allow many women to get a prescription for abortion-inducing drugs from a doctor via telemedicine, at which point the medications could be mailed to the patient. Unfortunately, 18 states effectively ban abortion care via telemedicine — measures that also ought to be lifted, at least for the time being.&#8221;
<div class="css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn">
<div class="css-53u6y8">
After advocating that Americans have &#8220;birth control for all,&#8221; the editorial concludes by calling for the abolishment of the Hyde Amendment, allowing the government to fund abortions with taxpayer dollars.
&#8220;It’s long past time to end America’s bans on government funding for abortions, like the federal Hyde Amendment and similar state measures,&#8221; the Times&#8217; editorial board concludes. &#8220;These bans mean that poor women already struggle to afford reproductive health care — an issue that’s sure to be exacerbated during the coronavirus crisis and the economic fallout from it.&#8221;
The historic $2 trillion stimulus bill recently passed by Congress will not be helping abortion providers conduct their business during this unprecedented time. Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, denounced President Trump and the GOP for not allowing abortion clinics to benefit from the package.
“It has become shamefully clear that not even a global pandemic will stop the Trump administration or Republican Congressional leaders from attacking access to reproductive care,” said McGill Johnson in a <a href="https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/pressroom/senate-covid-19-response-package-leaves-much-to-be-done-for-our-families-and-public-health-response">statement</a>. “Our leaders should be working to support the nation’s full network of safety-net health care providers during these uncertain times. Instead, the Senate bill targets Planned Parenthood and expands the harmful and discriminatory Hyde amendment, putting up even more barriers to care for women, people with low incomes, and communities of color.”
</div>
</div>

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-MEDIA

New York Times Editorial Board Calls For More Access To Abortions During Pandemic

Abortion

New York Times

In a bit of good news, Pope Francis has tested negative for COVID-19 after one resident of the Vatican tested positive for the virus.
&#8220;The Vatican said on Saturday that tests carried out in the building where Pope Francis lives after one resident tested positive for coronavirus showed that the pontiff and his closest aides do not have the disease,&#8221; reported <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pope/pope-and-closest-aides-do-not-have-coronavirus-vatican-idUSKBN21F0TY">Reuters</a>. &#8220;Tests were done on 170 people in the Vatican and six showed positive, including one of the several dozen permanent residents of the Santa Marta guesthouse on the Vatican grounds.&#8221;
&#8220;The person who tested positive works in the Secretariat of State and is in a Rome hospital,&#8221; the report continued. &#8220;Tests showed one other person who had been in contact with the priest also came up positive but that person did not live in the papal residence. The modern residence, which has 130 rooms and suites and a staff of about 30 people, is home to dozens of priests who work in key Vatican departments.&#8221;
In a statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that neither the Holy Father nor his closest aides tested positive for the virus.
“I can confirm that neither the Holy Father nor his closest aides are among these,” he said.
At age 83, Pope Francis would be at high risk of contracting the virus, which could be worsened by the fact that one of his lungs was removed as a young man following an illness. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, he has canceled all public appearances and conducts his general audience via television and the internet. He still grants audience to about five Vatican officials per day.
In a handwritten letter to Judge Roberto Andrés Gallardo, president of the Pan-American Committee of Men and Women Judges for Social Rights, this past week, Pope Francis said he feared a &#8220;viral genocide&#8221; that could erupt if governments prioritize the economy over people dying from the pandemic.
“We are all concerned at the increase, in geometric progression, of the pandemic,&#8221; the pope said in the letter, adding that he was “edified by the reaction of so many persons, doctors, nurses, volunteers, religious [women and men], priests, who risk their lives to heal and defend healthy people from the contagion.”
“The governments that face the crisis in this way show the priority of their decisions: the people first,&#8221; he later said, as reported by <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/29/pope-francis-warns-viral-genocide-if-governments-put-economy-people-amid">America Magazine</a>. &#8220;This is important because we know that to defend the people supposes an economic setback. It would be sad if they opted for the opposite, which would lead to the death of very many people, something like a viral genocide (genocidio virosico).”
On Sunday, President Trump said that while he would like to open up the economy soon, he admitted that declaring premature victory would make the situation worse and extended the social distancing guidelines to April 30.
“I want the American people to know that your selfless inspiring and valiant efforts are saving countless lives,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-announces-new-timeline-for-coronavirus-guidelines-projected-peak">Trump said</a>. “You are making the difference. The modeling estimates that the peak in death rate is likely to hit in two weeks, so I will say it again, the peak, highest point of death rates, remember this, is likely to hit in two weeks.”
“Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won,” Trump continued. “That would be the greatest loss of all. Therefore, the next two weeks and during this period, it’s very important that everyone strongly follow the guidelines, have to follow the guidelines that our great vice president holds up a lot. He’s holding that up a lot. He believes it in so strongly.”

ITALY-VATICAN-POPE-ASH-WEDNESDAY

Pope Francis Tests Negative For COVID-19, Fears Of A ‘Viral Genocide’

COVID-19

Pope Francis

On Sunday, President Trump announced that the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines will remain in effect until April 30. If people do not want that deadline to be further extended into May, then they should quit hosting &#8220;Corona Parties&#8221; attended by upwards of 40 people.
According to <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-parties-despite-ban_n_5e80dc73c5b6256a7a2c95a1">HuffPost</a>, police in various cities are beginning to crack down on what they call &#8220;Corona Parties&#8221; that border on being full-blown raves. One party in New Jersey featured 47 guests and a DJ inside a 550-square-foot apartment.
“Can’t believe I have to say this at all, let alone for the second time. But here we are,” an exasperated New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMurphy/status/1243988789057466368" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ylk="subsec:paragraph;cpos:2;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid-parsed="slk">tweeted Saturday</a>. “NO CORONA PARTIES. They’re illegal, dangerous, and stupid.”
Police said they arrested the man responsible “for obstructing administration of law or other governmental function and a violation of emergency and temporary acts.&#8221;
Another house party in Maryland was attended by up to 60 people before police arrested 41-year-old Shawn Myers. It was his second party that week.
&#8220;During the first incident, on March 22, police said they let Myers off with a warning after he agreed to &#8216;disperse the crowd,'&#8221; reports HuffPost. &#8220;On Friday, Myers allegedly refused multiple requests to comply with officers’ demands and was charged with violating the governor’s emergency order.&#8221;
&#8220;Similar public defiances have been <a href="https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/police-issue-ticket-for-violating-stay-home-order-after-breaking-up-party-at-detroits-rouge-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ylk="subsec:paragraph;cpos:7;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid-parsed="slk">reported in Detroit</a> and Hawaii, where police have reportedly <a href="https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/03/26/breaking-news/kauai-police-launch-checkpoints-to-enforce-lockdown-compliance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ylk="subsec:paragraph;cpos:7;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid-parsed="slk">issued 70 citations</a> and made two arrests for alleged stay-at-home order violations,&#8221; the report continued.
In Kentucky, a group of young adults recently hosted their own &#8220;Corona Party,&#8221; causing one of them to contract the virus.
From <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/health/kentucky-coronavirus-party-infection/index.html">CNN</a>:
<blockquote>At least one person in Kentucky is infected after taking part at a &#8220;coronavirus party&#8221; with a group of young adults, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday.
The partygoers intentionally got together &#8220;thinking they were invincible&#8221; and purposely defying state guidance to practice social distancing, Beshear said.
&#8220;This is one that makes me mad,&#8221; the governor said. &#8220;We have to be much better than that.&#8221;</blockquote>
Since lockdown fever spread across the nation in response to the pandemic, doctors have warned young people to take the virus seriously, lest they help it spread to more people.
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/olympic-gold-medalist-recovering-from-covid-19-worst-virus-i-ever-endured">said that young people</a> who get the virus can also spread it much faster than the elderly because they are far more social.
“Young people do get sick, but more importantly they are carriers and get infected just like everyone. And they carry it to more places. They often see way more people … than someone who is older in their homes or a nursing home,” Feigl-Ding said. “It’s not just age, but risk factors that you have. For example, cardiovascular risk factors, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and of course all your lung diseases like bronchitis, asthma… and of course if you’re a smoker, which many young people are.”
Speaking with <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/er-doctor-warns-americas-youth-on-coronavirus">Fox News</a>, Dr. Michael Donnino, emergency medicine and critical care physician at <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/travel/vacation-destinations/boston" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Boston’s</a> Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said that while young people will mostly experience mild symptoms of COVID-19, he warned that the minority who need hospitalization will be enough to overwhelm the medical system and take up needed ventilators. He also noted that patients 20-60 are experiencing severe effects of this disease at a higher rate than the seasonal flu.
“So, the virus can indeed cause severe, life-threatening disease for those ages 20-60 without any health problems,” said Donnino. “I believe this is important to understand not to cause excess alarm or panic, but so we can take the proper actions to mitigate.”

Las Vegas Casinos Close Their Doors In Response To Coronavirus Pandemic

Police Crack Down On People Throwing ‘Corona Parties’

Actors Mark Wahlberg and Mario Lopez are taking a beating on social media for doing a joint workout at the gym during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics argue they are setting a bad example and contradicting their previous calls to social distance.
On Thursday, Lopez posted a video of himself <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-N3rFaHRrI/">on Instagram </a>working out inside an F45 training facility alongside Mark Wahlberg.
&#8220;Everyone&#8217;s pretty much been cooped up in their home for the last couple of weeks. I think now more than ever since we don&#8217;t know when this is going to end, we need to stay active, not just for your physical health but for your mental health,&#8221; Lopez said in the video, as reported by <a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/03/28/mark-wahlberg-mario-lopez-slammed-for-joint-workout-after-urging-coronavirus-isolation/">Page Six</a>.
Lopez then pointed out Mark Wahlberg jokingly prancing behind him, whom he said was maintaining six feet of social distance. He also noted that the facility had been disinfected and sanitized prior to their arrival.
&#8220;That gazelle right there? My boy, Mark, we&#8217;re staying six feet away. This place we&#8217;re at right now we have completely to ourselves. It is sanitized, disinfected, we did a heck of a workout F45 style. Homie brought me the batting gloves. We&#8217;re good to go.&#8221;
The video was presented as a demonstration of the types of workouts people can perform at home under quarantine without much equipment.
&#8220;Check out our full-body workout that you can do right in your living room. NO EQUIPMENT needed! Only 45 minutes.. Keep the distance &amp; spread the love,&#8221; Lopez said in the caption.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-N3rFaHRrI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:500px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-N3rFaHRrI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> 
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
</a> 
 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-N3rFaHRrI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Check out our full body workout that you can do right in your living room. NO EQUIPMENT needed! Only 45 minutes.. Keep the distance &amp; spread the love Workout Link @f45_training bio!</a>
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mariolopez/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Mario Lopez</a> (@mariolopez) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-03-27T00:24:20+00:00">Mar 26, 2020 at 5:24pm PDT</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
The workout was also attended by at least one woman and a man filming them with a cellphone, according to several clips that were posted to Instagram. Though some fans were enthusiastic about the video, others felt they were setting a bad example.
&#8220;Teach people from your own homes,&#8221; one user said. &#8220;Stay at home for real.&#8221;
&#8220;Shouldn&#8217;t gyms be closed there like dang near everywhere else???&#8221; said another user.
“Stay at home! You are all over the city,&#8221; said another.
Other fans were upset that Wahlberg and Lopez were allowed to work out in an LA gym despite them being closed as non-essential businesses.
“How is it open? It’s not essential! How is it fair that ya’ll can go to a gym to work out but us normal folks can’t?” lamented another person.
“Difficult to be rich and famous….” said another user.
Another fan went as far as to call Lopez a &#8220;narcissist&#8221; for not just exercising in his &#8220;mansion.&#8221;
“Hey narcissist! Why don’t you stay in your mansion and exercise instead of possibly spreading Covid19! What’s wrong with you?? I guess the Gov wasn’t speaking to you?” said the user.
“So everyone can do it at home, but yet…you do it in the gym where everyone’s not allowed to go…but you?” said another follower.
One self-described Australian said that media outlets in the land down under have even negatively reported on the two actors. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never heard of you but you just made the news in Australia for not staying at home as recommended by public health authorities. You are setting a very bad example for others for what appears like purely self-promotion,&#8221; said the user. &#8220;Maybe turn on the news and see how the virus is ravaging your country and killing the old and vulnerable.&#8221;
As noted by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/mark-wahlberg-mario-lopez-slammed-workout-at-gym-after-urging-fans-quarantine-coronavirus">Fox News</a>, both Lopez and Wahlberg encouraged social distancing at the start of the pandemic. Wahlberg has even posted videos of his family performing skits and dances while at home.

WahlLop

Mark Wahlberg, Mario Lopez Criticized For Joint Workout At The Gym After Encouraging Social Distancing

Mario Lopez

Mark Wahlberg

Activists have criticized the historic $2 trillion stimulus bill recently passed by Congress for failing to give money to illegal immigrants.
&#8220;When <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/politics/stimulus-payments/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stimulus checks</a> start going out across the country, undocumented immigrants won&#8217;t be receiving them,&#8221; reports <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/politics/undocumented-immigrants-coronavirus-stimulus/index.html">CNN</a>.
In general, illegal immigrants are not allowed to partake in federal benefits. However, activists argue that excluding that demographic from the stimulus package will put people&#8217;s health at risk by forcing illegal immigrants to work in jobs exposing them to a possible COVID-19 infection.
Here&#8217;s how CNN framed the situation:
<blockquote>Unauthorized workers make up about 5% of the US labor force – around 7.6 million people, according to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/us-unauthorized-immigrant-population-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the latest estimates from the Pew Research Center.</a>
Advocates argue the coronavirus crisis that&#8217;s devastated global markets, overwhelmed hospitals and left millions without jobs is having an outsized impact on undocumented workers. Many had service-sector jobs that were decimated by the pandemic. Those who remain employed largely <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/us/teleworking-black-hispanic-workers/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">don&#8217;t have the option of working from home</a>, and are risking their safety to keep supply chains going.</blockquote>
S.G. Sarmiento, campaign director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said that Americans largely owe their food supply chains to illegal immigrants working the farms.
&#8220;It&#8217;s undocumented workers that are still in the fields, still in the factories, still the janitors in the buildings, still looking for work as day laborers,&#8221; Sarmiento said. &#8220;From a public health perspective, you cannot have an effective national response to a pandemic that excludes enormous segments of the population. That&#8217;s both illogical and immoral.&#8221;
Tyler Moran, executive director of the Immigration Hub, also criticized the stimulus package for not allowing illegal immigrants to access more testing and emergency medical care in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status programs.
&#8220;The package does not provide enough access to testing and treatment. &#8230; We just think this is totally irresponsible and dangerous and infuriating,&#8221; said Moran. &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s health literally depends on the health of your neighbor. And guess what? Everyone has an immigrant neighbor.&#8221;
On Friday, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/27/nation/coronavirus-spreads-undocumented-immigrants-are-losing-their-jobs-thats-bad-all-us/">Boston Globe </a>reported that illegal immigrants have been pushed out of work due to the pandemic and will have no financial safety net if the stimulus package fails to address them.
&#8220;They are the hourly employees who work as cooks and dishwashers, cleaners and clerks,&#8221; wrote the publication. &#8220;They are among the more than 250,000 unauthorized immigrants in Massachusetts who account for about 5 percent of the labor force. These immigrants typically pay taxes but don’t qualify for stimulus checks or unemployment benefits, which are reserved for US citizens and those legally authorized to work in the US.&#8221; 
Prior to the stimulus passing Congress, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rashida-tlaib-proposes-2000-for-every-person-new-trillion-dollar-coins"> proposed</a> sending a $2,000 to all people in America regardless of citizenship. The counterarguments against giving stimulus money to illegal immigrants mainly stress that American citizens, which includes people of all races, should come first.
&#8220;With one of the worst jobless reports in quite a few years, the primary focus right now should be on American workers and lawful immigrants,&#8221; Chris Chmielenski, deputy director of Numbers USA, told CNN. &#8220;We should make sure that those people are taken care of first.&#8221;
Chmielenski noted that the medical care providers who receive funding will be able to treat and test patients regardless of their citizenship.
&#8220;Our top priority has to be helping Americans and helping legal permanent residents who are most affected by the crisis both from a health perspective and economic perspective,&#8221; he added.

Demonstration Against Treatment Of Migrants By EU In Greece

Activists Criticize Stimulus Package For Excluding Illegal Immigrants: ‘Illogical And Immoral’

Illegal Immigration

This article has been updated since its original publication.
On Friday, after a week of partisan squabbles and petty &#8220;wish lists,&#8221; the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the historic $2 trillion economic stimulus package. President Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-signs-coronavirus-economic-relief-aid-bill-checks-for-americans-2020-3">signed it shortly after</a>.
T Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) passed the House by a voice vote Friday, quashing an 11th hour effort by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to require members to appear and vote in person, which would have been difficult given that certain members were under self-quarantine while others feared exposure to COVID-19.
&#8220;Leaders wanted to avoid a recorded vote because some members were self-quarantining or had concerns about risking exposure to the virus by traveling from their districts,&#8221; <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/03/27/822062909/house-aims-to-send-2-trillion-rescue-package-to-president-to-stem-coronavirus-cr">reported</a> NPR. &#8220;Instead, leaders encouraged those who were at risk to stay home and post statements or videos on their position on the bill.&#8221;
Prior to the vote, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) referred to the bill as a &#8220;rescue package&#8221; promising the American people that leaders are looking out for them during this unprecedented time of crisis.
“This bill is not only a rescue package, it is a commitment&#8230;that your government and the people whom you elected to serve will do everything we can to limit the harm and hardship you face, both now and in the foreseeable future,” said McCarthy.  &#8220;To the American public: If you do your part, I promise we will do ours.&#8221;
Prior to the historic vote, Rep. Massie <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rogue-republican-threatens-to-hold-up-emergency-relief-bill-trump-unloads-third-rate-grandstander">objected to the bill&#8217;s price tag</a> and threatened to derail it by calling for a quorum as opposed to the voice vote.
“The senate did some voodoo just like with Obamacare,” Massie tweeted Thursday. “Took a House Bill (HR 748) dealing with taxes, stripped every word, and put their bill in it. The House is just as responsible for killing the origination clause as the Senate. It’s the House’s job to reject the process.”
“$2 trillion (Congress) +$4 trillion (Fed &amp; Treasury) [=] $6 trillion stimulus,” he followed up. “$6 trillion divided by 350 million citizens = $17,000 per citizen times a family of 4 =$68,000 per family of new national debt and dollar devaluation in this stimulus. not a good deal.”
In response, President Trump accused Massie of being a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rogue-republican-threatens-to-hold-up-emergency-relief-bill-trump-unloads-third-rate-grandstander">third rate grandstander</a>&#8221; for forcing a &#8220;dangerous and costly” delay.
“Looks like a third rate Grandstander named [Rep. Thomas Massie], a Congressman from, unfortunately, a truly GREAT State, Kentucky, wants to vote against the new Save Our Workers Bill in Congress,&#8221; the president tweeted. &#8220;He just wants the publicity. He can’t stop it, only delay, which is both dangerous [and] costly. Workers [and] small businesses need money now in order to survive. Virus wasn’t their fault. It is ‘HELL’ dealing with the Dems, had to give up some stupid things in order to get the ‘big picture’ done. 90% GREAT! WIN BACK HOUSE, but throw Massie out of Republican Party!”
“By empowering the Radical Left Democrats, do nothing Kentucky politician [Rep. Thomas Massie] is making their War on the 2nd Amendment more and more difficult to win (But don’t worry, we will win anyway!),” Trump continued. “He is a disaster for America, and for the Great State of Kentucky!”
UPDATE: Shortly after this article was published, news broke that President Trump signed the bill into law. The headline was updated to reflect that.

House Convenes To Vote On $2 Trillion Stimulus

House Passes $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill, Trump Signs It

The National Restaurant Association delivered some deeply upsetting news this week when it predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic could force up to 11% of restaurants to close up shop for good.
In a post to the organization&#8217;s site on Wednesday, the National Restaurant Association said that as many as 3% of restaurant owners have already permanently closed in response to the pandemic while 44% have temporarily closed. In the next 30 days, a full 11% of restaurants will close permanently. According to a survey of 4,00 restaurant owners and operators, the data showed the following:
<ul>
<li>Nationwide, sales were down 47% during the period from March 1 to March 22</li>
<li>54% of restaurant operators have switched to off-premises service only</li>
<li>Seven in 10 operators have had to lay off employees and reduce the number of hours worked</li>
<li>Roughly half of them anticipate more layoffs and hourly reductions over the next 30 days</li>
<li>More than six in 10 said they’ve had to reduce their operating hours</li>
</ul>
Hudson Riehle, the Association’s senior vice president of research, said the data shows we are in &#8220;uncharted territory.&#8221;
“Association research found that 54% of operators made the switch to all off-premises services; 44% have had to temporarily close down. This is uncharted territory,” said Riehle. “The industry has never experienced anything like this before.”
Making matters worse, President Trump dropped his usual optimistic attitude his Thursday press conference by agreeing with the association&#8217;s assessment of the situation, given his understanding of the restaurant industry.
“It’s a very delicate business. It’s a business that is not easy,” Trump said, as reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/national-restaurant-association-restaurants-close-trump-possible">Fox News</a>. “I always say in the restaurant business, you can serve 30 great meals to a person, or a family, and they love it. One bad meal, No. 31, they never come back again. It’s a very tough business.”
On a more cheerful note, the president said that those restaurants lost will &#8220;all come back in one form of another.” He referred to the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/coronavirus-relief-package-is-biggest-in-us-history-how-other-bills-compare" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act</a> (CARES Act), which provides nearly $350 billion in relief to small businesses impacted by this pandemic.
“And we’re making it easy for people,” he added. “Look, what we’re doing in terms of loans, what we’re doing in terms of salaries, they’ll all come back. It may not be the same restaurant, it may not be the same ownership, but they’ll all be back.”
Sean Kennedy, the executive vice president of public affairs for the National Restaurant Association, praised the CARES Act and applauded President Trump for working to keep those businesses afloat.
“We applaud President Trump and bipartisan congressional leaders in crafting a relief bill that gives unique recovery options to the restaurant industry,&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;This measure is an important first step to help restaurants weather the storm, take care of our employees, and prepare for when we are given the signal to open our doors once again. There are challenges that remain before the restaurant industry, and we look forward to working with federal and state leaders to find solutions to support the cornerstone of every community.&#8221;
Even chain restaurants have been impacted by the pandemic. This week, Cheesecake Factory Chairman and CEO David Overton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cheesecake-factory-tells-landlords-it-cant-pay-april-rent-for-any-of-its-300-restaurants">told all landlords</a> that the business would not be able to meet rent for all 300 of its restaurant locations.

NEWS: MAR 24 Coronavirus in Ohio

National Restaurant Association: 11% Of Restaurants Could Be Lost In Pandemic

restaurants

Dr. Deborah Birx is about to learn what happens to people when they go against the media&#8217;s narrative.
On Thursday, Dr. Birx instilled hope in the American people when she shredded some of the alarmist models being cited in the media, particularly, the  Imperial College London Model that dramatically decreased its predicted number of COVID-19 cases from 500,000 to 20,000.
&#8220;I am sure many ever you saw the recent report out of the U.K. about them adjusting completely their needs,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-deborah-birx-shreds-media-for-salacious-claims-we-dont-have-evidence-of-that">she said</a>. &#8220;This is really quite important. If you remember that was the report that said there would be 500,000 deaths in the U.K. and 2.2 million deaths in the United States. They’ve adjusted that number in the U.K. to 20,000. So, half a million to 20,000. We are looking into this in great details to understand that adjustment.&#8221;
&#8220;Models are models,&#8221; she later said. &#8220;There is enough data now of the real experience with the Coronavirus on the ground to really make these predictions much more sound. So, when people start talking about 20% of a population getting infected. It’s very scary, but we don’t have data that matches that based on the experience.&#8221;
In a series of tweets on Thursday, CNN analyst Joe Lockhart accused Dr. Birx, whose name he mistakenly spelled as Birk, of drinking the Trump &#8220;Kool-Aid.&#8221;
&#8220;Dr. Birk has drunk the Kool-Aid,&#8221; tweeted Lockhart.
&#8220;How do you think the er docs and nurses in NYC feel about getting a lecture from Dr/ Birk about how irresponsible they are to be crying for help? They are putting their lives on the line, who the hell are you to lecture them,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;I suggest Dr. Birk visit a hospital in NYC and then come back and brief on what she saw. I think it will be a very different briefing than we saw today. If she tells the truth which people around Trump don&#8217;t do very often,&#8221; he later added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dr Birk has drunk the Kool Aid
&mdash; Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelockhart/status/1243302291844857858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How do you think the er docs and nurses in nyc feel about getting a lecture from dr birk about how irresponsible they are to be crying for help? They are putting their lives on the line, who the hell are you to lecture them,
&mdash; Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelockhart/status/1243303582532845570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I suggest Dr. Birk visit a hospital in NYC and then come back and brief on what she saw. I think it will be a very different briefing than we saw today. If she tells the truth which people around Trump don&#39;t do very often
&mdash; Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelockhart/status/1243320921894588416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Joe Lockhart was referring to Dr. Birx&#8217;s comment (whose name he routinely misspelled) regarding the number of ventilators and ICU beds in New York:
<blockquote>We were reassured after meeting with colleagues in New York there are still ICU beds remaining and there’s still significant, over a thousand or 2,000 ventilators that have not been used yet. Please for the reassurance of people around the world, to wake up this morning and look at people talking about creating DNR situations, do not resuscitate situations for patients, there is no situation in the United States right now that warrants that kind of discussion. You could be thinking about it in a hospital, certainly many hospitals talk about it this on a daily basis. But to say that to the American people, to make the implication, that when they need a hospital bed it’s not going be there or when they need that ventilator it won’t be there, we don’t have evidence of that right now.</blockquote>
On Friday, Lockart employed his own brand of sexism by referring to Dr. Birx, whose name he still misspelled, as an unthinking &#8220;Stepford Doc.&#8221;
&#8220;I, for one, am no longer interested in hearing from Dr. Brix. Her vouching for Trump&#8217;s vast scientific abilities from his business background was the breaking point. Stepford Doc,&#8221; he tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I, for one, am no longer interested in hearing from Dr. Brix. Her vouching for Trump&#39;s vast scientific abilities from his business background was the breaking point. Stepford Doc
&mdash; Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelockhart/status/1243563311532302336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It should be noted that this &#8220;Stepford Doc&#8221; who drinks Trump Kool-Aid over science previously <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150325130200/http://www.pepfar.gov/press/releases/2014/224403.htm">served as President Obama&#8217;s</a> U.S. Global Aids Coordinator.
&nbsp;

US-health-VIRUS-BRIEFING

CNN Analyst Joe Lockhart Rips Dr. Birx For Shredding Alarmist Theories: She’s A ‘Stepford Doc’

Writing in The New York Times, author and journalist Katherine Stewart wrote a rather <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/opinion/coronavirus-trump-evangelicals.html?action=click&amp;module=Opinion&amp;pgtype=Homepage">nasty and oblivious op-ed</a> that essentially lays the blame for the COVID-19 pandemic at the feet of Evangelical Christians, whom she denounces as a bunch of anti-science dogmatists.
&#8220;Donald Trump rose to power with the determined assistance of a movement that denies science, bashes government and prioritized loyalty over professional expertise,&#8221; writes Stewart, the author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism.&#8221; She continues, &#8220;In the current crisis, we are all reaping what that movement has sown.&#8221;
Even as leftists deny the basic science that an unborn child in the womb is a human being, promote the idea that men can be women, favor political correctness over sound border enforcement policy, and practice <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/wellnes-brands-gwyneth-paltrow-s-goop-wage-war-science-ncna801436">thoroughly unscientific</a> wellness routines, Stewart characterizes the religious Right as the engine of anti-science nationalism in this country. Her proof: various quotes from pastors who dismissed the COVID-19 pandemic as a media invention:
<blockquote>
On March 15, Guillermo Maldonado, who calls himself an “apostle” and hosted Mr. Trump earlier this year at a campaign event at his Miami megachurch, <a class="css-1g7m0tk" title="" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article241209151.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">urged</a> his congregants to show up for worship services in person. “Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus? Of course not,” he said.
Rodney Howard-Browne of The River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida mocked people concerned about the disease as “<a class="css-1g7m0tk" title="" href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/03/pastor-laid-hands-trump-says-avoiding-coronavirus-pansies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pansies</a>” and insisted he would only shutter the doors to his packed church “when the rapture is taking place.” In a sermon that was live-streamed on Facebook, Tony Spell, a pastor in Louisiana, said, “We’re also going to pass out anointed <a class="css-1g7m0tk" title="" href="https://www.newsweek.com/pastor-holds-service-over-1000-parishoners-defiance-large-gathering-ban-1493113" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">handkerchiefs</a> to people who may have a fear, who may have a sickness and we believe that when those anointed handkerchiefs go, that healing virtue is going to go on them as well.”
</blockquote>
Fair enough, but one can easily cite such examples on the left, even from the so-called government &#8220;experts&#8221; that Stewart seems to regard so highly, such as this little gem of a tweet from New York Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot back in February, a little over a week after President Trump instituted his travel ban:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today our city is celebrating the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LunarNewYear?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LunarNewYear</a> parade in Chinatown, a beautiful cultural tradition with a rich history in our city. I want to remind everyone to enjoy the parade and not change any plans due to misinformation spreading about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>. <a href="https://t.co/bwCnIb7j8H">https://t.co/bwCnIb7j8H</a>
&mdash; Commissioner Oxiris Barbot (@NYCHealthCommr) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCHealthCommr/status/1226508570646269954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Keeping her focus exclusively on Evangelical Christians, Stewart, of course, has nothing to say about how Mayor De Blasio <a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-02/16/c_138787253.htm">visited Chinese restaurants</a> in New York City to dispel fear about the coronavirus prior to the shutdown. Nor does she have anything to say about presidential candidate Joe Biden denouncing President Trump&#8217;s travel ban from China as &#8220;<a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/488668-trump-leads-the-battle-against-coronavirus-while-biden-makes-excuses-for">xenophobic</a>&#8220;.
Stewart goes on to assert that Trump routinely flouts the medical experts in charge of the COVID-19 task force as a deliberate play to his base, such as when he expressed hope that the American economy could be opened by Easter.
&#8220;He could, of course, have said, &#8216;by mid-April.&#8217; But Mr. Trump did not invoke Easter by accident, and many of his evangelical allies were pleased by his vision of &#8216;packed churches all over our country,'&#8221; argues Stewart.
After citing many more examples of Trump cabinet members supposedly favoring religion over science, Stewart&#8217;s article then blames Evangelical Christians for the lack of centralized response to the pandemic, seemingly unaware of the fact that this country has a federalist system.
&#8220;For decades, Christian nationalist leaders have lined up with the anti-government, anti-tax agenda not just as a matter of politics but also as a matter of theology,&#8221; she concludes. &#8220;When a strong centralized response is needed from the federal government, it doesn’t help to have an administration that has never believed in a federal government serving the public good. Ordinarily, the consequences of this kind of behavior don’t show up for some time. In the case of a pandemic, the consequences are too obvious to ignore.&#8221;
Stewart published this one day after the government&#8217;s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that private sector is dramatically helping the government produce needed test kits. “We have hundreds of thousands of tests that are out there now, mostly because we got the private sector involved, of the companies who know how to make it well, make large amounts,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-fauci-private-sector-saved-us-on-testing-govt-system-cant-handle-it">he said. </a>

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

NYT Op-Ed: ‘Road To Coronavirus Hell Was Paved By Evangelicals’

Christianity

evangelical

The Cheesecake Factory claimed this week that it will not be able to afford the rent for any of its 300 restaurants in April if the shutdown continues from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter obtained by <a href="https://la.eater.com/2020/3/25/21194144/cheesecake-factory-rent-strike-chain-restaurant">Eater Los Angeles</a>, Cheesecake Factory chairman and CEO David Overton told all landlords that a decline in restaurant traffic &#8220;inflicted a tremendous financial blow” to its business, so much so that rent payments cannot be made. This includes affiliated restaurants, such as Rock Sugar and North Italia. He asked the landlords for patience as they mitigate this crisis.
&#8220;As you know from news reports, we have had to close numerous restaurants in order to comply with emergency governmental restrictions,&#8221; the letter stated. &#8220;In some locations, we are only allowed to provide delivery and to-go orders; in other locations, we are required to totally close. This situation is unprecedented and rapidly evolving. The severe decrease in restaurant traffic has severely decreased our cash flow and inflicted a tremendous financial blow to our business.&#8221;
“Due to these extraordinary events, I am asking for your patience, and frankly, your help.” it continued. &#8220;We appreciate our landlords’ understanding given the exigency of the current situation.”
Representatives for the company said that Cheesecake Factory will be taking the government stimulus package into account while considering options going forward.
&#8220;In these unprecedented times, there are many factors that are changing on a daily basis given governmental regulations and landlord decisions to close properties,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have to take both into consideration in terms of understanding the nature of our rent obligations and with respect to managing our financial position. We have very strong, longstanding relationships with our landlords. We are certain that with their partnership, we will be able to work together to weather this storm in the appropriate manner.&#8221;
According to Eater, Cheesecake Factory operates 294 restaurants in 39 states, with locations in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Toronto. Shortly after the letter to the landlords, Overton announced that it would be slowing construction on unopened restaurants while tapping into a $90 million credit line.
&#8220;Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Cheesecake Factory <a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/content/cheesecake-factory-temporarily-closes-27-locations-across-portfolio">has closed 27 locations</a> across the country, and pivoted other locations to a takeout and delivery-only model — which <a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/cheesecake-factory-says-its-making-it-through-premise">it said</a> just days ago was enabling the company to &#8216;operate sustainably at present&#8217; — and its stock price has fallen by more than 50 percent in the past month,&#8221; reported Eater.  &#8220;With 38,000 employees, the Cheesecake Factory is one of the largest restaurant employers in the country. Given its recent stock woes and the ongoing reduction in business due to the coronavirus pandemic, it seems possible that it, <a href="https://www.eater.com/2020/3/19/21185918/how-can-goverment-assistance-help-restaurants-actually-need-in-the-form-of-relief">like many restaurants, could end up needing a bailout to survive</a>.&#8221;
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B93KLfADP-O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:500px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B93KLfADP-O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> 
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
</a> 
 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B93KLfADP-O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Your well-being and safety is our number one priority and we strive to keep serving the community during this uncertain time. We are following all local ordinances regarding our restaurant hours, occupancy limits and dining restrictions. As many neighborhoods transition to not allowing dine-in service, we remain open for takeout as well as delivery through DoorDash. Even when we&#39;re apart, we can get through this together.</a>
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cheesecakefactory/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> The Cheesecake Factory 🍰</a> (@cheesecakefactory) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-03-18T04:38:28+00:00">Mar 17, 2020 at 9:38pm PDT</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
Cheesecake Factory is not the only major establishment having to make drastic changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, the fast-food giant McDonald&#8217;s <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/03/25/mcdonalds-pulls-all-day-breakfast-menu-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/2913848001/">announced that</a> it would be pulling its all-day breakfast menu in order to &#8220;simplify operations&#8221; throughout this unprecedented time.
&#8220;We are working with our franchisees and local restaurants to focus on serving our most popular choices and will begin temporarily removing some items from the menu over the next few weeks,” Bill Garrett, the senior vice president of McDonald’s U.S. operations, said in a statement.

Coronavirus Pandemic Causes Climate Of Anxiety And Changing Routines In America

Cheesecake Factory Tells Landlords It Can’t Pay April Rent For Any Of Its 300 Restaurants

Though it looks bleak now, billionaire Mark Cuban believes that the American economy will bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and people get back to work.
In an interview on the &#8220;<a href="https://radio.foxnews.com/podcast/fox-news-rundown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox News Rundown</a>&#8221; podcast, Cuban said he believes the pandemic will birth new companies and lead to innovative products that change the world for the better.
&#8220;That&#8217;s what makes America different. That&#8217;s what makes us unique,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We truly are a country of entrepreneurs. We have that spirit to go out and start companies, to be creative, to take risks.&#8221;
&#8220;There will be new products developed that really change the world,&#8221; Cuban continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s who we are as a country. And that&#8217;s why, as bleak as it can seem right now, and is horrific and tragic &#8230; we&#8217;ll get to the other side, I&#8217;m 100 percent certain and we&#8217;ll be different when we get there.&#8221;
When asked if Americans will be able to handle the price hike if manufacturing jobs in the U.S. increase, Cuban said that the consumers will determine that, adding that millennials are &#8220;a lot less price-sensitive than their parents and grandparents were in the past.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s up to consumers,&#8221; he said.  &#8220;One of the things I&#8217;m seeing on &#8216;Shark Tank&#8217; is that companies, particularly from millennials and younger, are coming in with a social component. They want their consumers to know that if you buy a t-shirt from them, they&#8217;re going to send a t-shirt to somebody who&#8217;s disadvantaged.&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;re going to be OK with paying a little bit more for made in America because they know what it means to their future,&#8221; he added.
As to the economy bouncing back, Cuban said that even though we are already in a temporary recession, Americans should not be fearful of the future.
&#8220;You can&#8217;t not be fearful right now, but I think we&#8217;ll bounce back &#8230; hopefully all the different branches of government and the different organizations within government can get money in people&#8217;s hands and if we do it fast enough, we&#8217;ll get through this. I have complete confidence,&#8221; he said.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed a historic $2 trillion stimulus bill to help keep the economy afloat during the shutdown. Cuban encouraged small business owners to take advantage of the &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; $367 billion relief package that will help them pay their employees during this difficult time.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re a CEO or an entrepreneur that owns your own business right now, you need to be up to speed immediately,&#8221; Cuban said. &#8220;If you keep your employees, if you have fewer than 500 employees and you commit to retain all your employees, the government&#8217;s going to pay their salary.&#8221;
When the shutdown first hit, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic would create an economic slowdown, not a recession. “The real issue is not the economic situation today. The real issue is what economic tools are we going to use to make sure we get through this because this is a unique situation,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/treasury-secretary-mnuchin-coronavirus-will-create-economic-slowdown-not-a-recession">he said</a> last week. “Later in the year, obviously, the economic activity will pick up as we confront this virus.”

Dallas Mavericks v Philadelphia 76ers

Mark Cuban: Economy Will Bounce Back After Pandemic

Mark Cuban

Actor Zachery Ty Bryan, whom everyone remembers as Brad Taylor on the hit 1990s sitcom &#8220;Home Improvement,&#8221; wants people to recognize that Hollywood has a strong majority of working individuals who should not be lumped in with the &#8220;clueless&#8221; celebrities singing John Lennon&#8217;s &#8220;Imagine&#8221; during a time of crisis.
In an op-ed for <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/zachery-bryan-during-coronavirus-shutdown-separate-elites-rest-of-hardworking-hollywood">Fox News</a>, Bryan reflected on his many Hollywood friends who are working to keep their lives afloat and who may be severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He asked that people have compassion for them and that they not be judged by the actions of what he called the 1%.
&#8220;Americans have become all too familiar with celebrities making shallow gestures toward the people across this country that they usually hold in contempt,&#8221; wrote Bryan. &#8220;But during a recent conversation with a longtime friend who works in the entertainment industry, she expressed concern that if the coronavirus shutdown goes on too long, they won’t be able to make their monthly housing payment.&#8221;
&#8220;It was a reminder that Hollywood, just like the rest of the country, is filled with support and service work positions. Jobs that you can’t do from home,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Like millions of others, these are the folks that run the risk of suffering the most from the economic fallout of COVID-19. &#8221;
Bryan recalled how his experience as an actor allowed him the opportunity to see two different sides of Hollywood: the elitist, cutthroat side and the dedicated, hard-working side.  He was enlightened further when he launched his own production company, Lost Lane Entertainment, which showed him life for people working behind the camera.
&#8220;Although I saw firsthand the elitist and cutthroat nature of Hollywood that it’s known for, I’ve also had the opportunity to work with some amazing people,&#8221; said Bryan. &#8220;They are everyday Americans who come from all over the country to pursue their dreams in entertainment. These people are the engine that makes Hollywood run.&#8221;
As to those annoying political speeches Americans have to hear every year at awards shows, Bryan said that should not be considered reflective of the entire industry.
&#8220;While A-list celebrities can’t help using their award show speeches to mock anyone that doesn’t hold to their elitist views, the dirty little secret is that they represent the elite 1 percent of Hollywood,&#8221; said Bryan. &#8220;The rest of the people in the entertainment industry are everyday folks living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make a living wage.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s a great privilege for me, as someone who came from middle America, to create alongside those who work hard to care for their families and pursue their dreams,&#8221; he said. &#8220;These are the men and women who come in at dusk and are still there hours after dawn when the celebrities and their entourages have left. Like Americans in any other industry, they are the backbone of Hollywood, the ones who make sure things get done.&#8221;
Though Bryan understands that people are frustrated with the elitism they have seen come from the entertainment industry, he hopes that people can still see that there are people in Hollywood who just want to work and earn a living.
&#8220;Please be sure to separate the 1 percent of Hollywood from the 99 percent that represents the hardworking, everyday Americans who, like everyone else across this amazing country, are scared about losing their job, figuring out how to provide for their family and cheering on all the people who are at battle with this unseen enemy,&#8221; he concluded.

ZachBry

‘Home Improvement’ Star Zachery Ty Bryan: Don’t Judge All Of Hollywood By ‘Clueless Celebs’

Hollywood

Still figuring out the best ways to spend your quarantine? Take advice from a &#8220;formerly incarcerated woman.&#8221;
In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Amanda Knox shared some helpful and useful tips on ways to best get through a quarantine, which included doing lots of sit-ups and even having conversations with your younger self.
&#8220;1: How do you think I got deez abs? Sit-ups for days! Best yourself,&#8221; she said in the first tweet.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quarantips?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quarantips</a> from a formerly incarcerated woman:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quarantip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quarantip</a> 1: How do you think I got deez abs? Sit-ups for days! Best yourself. Am I right, <a href="https://twitter.com/lifeafterten?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lifeafterten</a>? <a href="https://t.co/iJ2SrItIvx">pic.twitter.com/iJ2SrItIvx</a>
&mdash; Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaknox/status/1242922453522767873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
For her next tip, Knox shared a recipe for her &#8220;favorite prison salad.&#8221;
&#8220;2: Sometimes you don’t have access to fresh ingredients. But if you happen to get lucky and happen upon some fennel, try my favorite prison salad,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quarantip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quarantip</a> 2: Sometimes you don’t have access to fresh ingredients. But if you happen to get lucky and happen upon some fennel, try my favorite prison salad: <a href="https://t.co/mvtuAFuIIn">pic.twitter.com/mvtuAFuIIn</a>
&mdash; Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaknox/status/1242922455104028673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Feeling disconnected from people? Maybe a hand-written letter will help bridge the great divide.
&#8220;3: When was the last time you hand-wrote a letter? No, email doesn’t count. Somehow, pen on paper makes the message more precious. What would you say if you only had 500 words &amp; it took a week for them to arrive? Who would you write to?&#8221; she said in her next tip.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quarantip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quarantip</a> 3: When was the last time you hand-wrote a letter? No, email doesn’t count. Somehow, pen on paper makes the message more precious. What would you say if you only had 500 words &amp; it took a week for them to arrive? Who would you write to? <a href="https://t.co/KKTDVoLtPX">pic.twitter.com/KKTDVoLtPX</a>
&mdash; Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaknox/status/1242922460015542272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But if that fails to ease the loneliness, Knox recommends people try talking to their younger selves, a tactic she employed while serving time in prison.
&#8220;4: Feeling lonely? Uncertain? Afraid? I hear you. Something that really helped me was to have a conversation with my younger self, explain to her what she was going to experience and how she was going to survive it,&#8221; she said in her next tip.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quarantip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quarantip</a> 4: Feeling lonely? Uncertain? Afraid? I hear you. Something that really helped me was to have a conversation with my younger self, explain to her what she was going to experience and how she was going to survive it. <a href="https://t.co/OrexwRBgaY">pic.twitter.com/OrexwRBgaY</a>
&mdash; Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaknox/status/1242922464667029504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Of course, books are always useful when combatting claustrophobia.
&#8220;5: Books are the cure for claustrophobia. Some of my favorites: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Cloud Atlas, all the Harry Potters, The Psychopath Test (esp. the audio version!), War of the Encyclopaedists,&#8221; she said in her next tip.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quarantip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quarantip</a> 5: Books are the cure for claustrophobia. Some of my favorites: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Cloud Atlas, all the Harry Potters, The Psychopath Test (esp. the audio version!), War of the Encyclopaedists.<a href="https://t.co/FIBCU825jS">https://t.co/FIBCU825jS</a>
&mdash; Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaknox/status/1242922466936160256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
For her last two tips, Knox recommended that people journal and read love poems.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quarantip?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quarantip</a> 7: Read love poems to yourself so you remember what it was like to touch people. <a href="https://t.co/HMWkvGCRCh">pic.twitter.com/HMWkvGCRCh</a>
&mdash; Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaknox/status/1242961322087575552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Knox became an instant household name in 2009 when Italian authorities accused (and later convicted) her and her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher. The conviction was overturned by appeal in 2011 when evidence surfaced indicating Ivory Coast-born Rudy Guede was the killer. Guede was ultimately convicted of Kercher&#8217;s muder.
In 2014, Knox was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/world/europe/italy-amanda-knox-retrial/">found guilty again</a> by Italian authorities in yet another retrial. Despite Rudy Guede’s conviction, Italian prosecutors maintained that Knox and Sollecito played some role in Kercher’s death, arguing that Knox, Sollecito, and Guede murdered Kercher after she refused to become involved in a sex game. Italy’s Supreme Court overturned the acquittals, arguing that the jury did not consider all the evidence and that some discrepancies in their testimonies needed to be answered. In 2015, that conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Cassation, definitively ruling that Knox and Sollecito were innocent of the charges.
In January 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) later ordered the Italian government to pay Knox 18,400 Euros in compensation for having violated her rights. “Ms. Knox had been particularly vulnerable, being a foreign young woman, 20 at the time, not having been in Italy for very long and not being fluent in Italian,” the court noted.
Knox’s defense attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova, argued her conviction was “probably the biggest legal mistake” Italy has seen in years.
“It is impossible to compensate Amanda for four years in prison for a mistake, said Carlo. “There will be no amount. We are not looking for compensation of damages. We are doing this on principle.”

Menu

Paul Bois

Articles by Paul Bois