Houston Style Magazine Vol 31 No 20

Houston Style Magazine May 14 – May 20, 2020

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989

CORONAVIRUS – US WEEKLY NUMBERS – March 19, 2020 Cases: 10,442 Deaths: 150 March 26, 2020 Cases: 75,233 Deaths: 1,070 April 02, 2020 Cases: 226,374 Deaths: 5,316 April 09, 2020 Cases: 455,876 Deaths: 16,314 April 16, 2020 Cases: 661,813 Deaths: 33,490 April 23, 2020 Cases: 854,722 Deaths: 48,412 April 30, 2020 Cases: 1,075,643 Deaths: 62,342 May 07, 2020 Cases: 1,278,341 Deaths: 76,052 May 14, 2020 Cases: 1,433,613 Deaths: 85,342

Volume 31 | Number 20

CORONAVIRUS Jesse Jackson A Continuing Terror – The Murder of Ahmad Arbery

Dr. Letitia Plummer Recently Tested Positive For The COVID-19 Coronavirus

STAY SMARTHWORK SAFE COVID-19 Reports on State of Texas, Harris, Fort Bend Counties & City of Houston

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H-E-B: 2020 EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARDS MLB: OWNERS APPROVE SEASON RE-START

Congressman Al Green CO-SPONSORS Coronavirus Immigration Protection Act

HISD Names New Police Chief

N E W S | C O M M E N TA R I E S | S P O R T S | H E A LT H | E N T E R TA I N M E N T Support Black Owned Businesses

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May 14 – May 20, 2020

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Publisher Francis Page, Jr. fpagejr@stylemagazine.com Associate Publisher Lisa Valadez lisa@stylemagazine.com

Managing Editor Jo-Carolyn Goode editorial@stylemagazine.com

COVID-19 POSITIVE: Council Member – Dr. Letitia Plummer

Social Media Editor/Videographer Reginald Dominique reggiedominique@me.com Sports Editor Brian Barefield

NATIONAL WRITERS

Jesse Jackson jjackson@rainbowpush.org

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Roland Martin www.rolandmartin.com Judge Greg Mathis www.askjudgemathis.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com

H-E-B: 2020 Excellence In Education Awards

Semetra Samuel semetra@artistikrebelcreative.com Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com Robert Franklin editorial@stylemagazine.com

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d.b.a. Houston Style Magazine & StyleMagazine.com Phone: (713) 748-6300 • Fax: (713) 748-6320 Mail: P.O. Box 14035, Houston, TX 77221-4035 ©2020 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2019 audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP). National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP, Inc.), Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)

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May 14 – May 20, 2020

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COMMENTARY

A Continuing Terror – The Murder of Ahmad Arbery

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

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oday there is a national outcry about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The public condemnation has forced a belated response. Those accused of his murder have finally been arrested. His murder has become a global embarrassment for whites. For blacks, however, it is another humiliation, a continuing terror. It is the normal silence, however, that condemns thousands of African Americans to unjust deaths and millions to shattered lives. When the camera turns away, the savage injustice that embarrasses us becomes simply business as usual.

The horror of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder is now well known. The 25-year-old black man went for a jog down the middle of the street in the middle of the day on February 23, 2020. Two white men decided he was suspicious, hunted him down and shot him point blank in the middle of the street at 1 p.m. Local law enforcement had video evidence of the crime. Yet no arrest was made until 74 days later, two months and two weeks after the murder. Local authorities chose not to act. Two U.S. senators said nothing. The white church -- that had blessed slavery, segregation, apartheid in South Africa -- was silent.

Why did the arrests finally take place? Because an intrepid reporter from the New York Times investigated the story and made it public; the murder video was leaked to the public on the 72nd day after Ahmaud’s murder. As the public outrage grew, the arrests were made. Never forget, as one commentator noted, they did not make the arrests because THEY saw the incriminating video. They made the arrests because WE saw the video. Embarrassed, faced with an aroused community and an international scandal, they finally acted.

So it goes. African Americans suffer in silence the savage injuries of institutionalized racism.

We live in northern ghettos -- driven there in the early part of the last century by terrorism -- most strikingly the Ku Klux Klan and their signature lynchings. The Equal Justice Initiative reports there were 4,084 lynchings of blacks in the South from 1877 to 1950. The Klan, embraced by and often made up of the white gentry of the South, often gathered at their churches to organize the public lynchings. They terrorized blacks to end the fusion multiracial coalitions

that grew up in the Reconstruction, and to take back control of their states. The lynchings and violence were greeted with silence, if not approval. White authorities, white churches, white society turned their heads, if they weren’t applauding in approval.

Fleeing north, blacks were red lined into ghettos, with jobs hard to get, and discrimination closing doors. To this day, African Americans are last hired and first fired. We suffer the worst poverty, the highest unemployment, the highest childhood hunger and malnutrition, the most inadequate health care. This reality is sustained by the silence of white elites, the silence of the white church, the silence of the evangelicals, the silence of the best minded citizens.

Then, the virus hits, and its most lethal effect is on those who are vulnerable: the elderly, the sick, the hungry, those with asthma and obesity. It hits hardest among the suddenly proclaimed “essential workers” who do the work that previously was largely “invisible: the bus drivers, the grocery clerks, the nurses and medical aides. Not surprisingly, African Americans make up a disproportionate number of those killed or infected by the virus.

The racial disparities are so stark that they gain national and international attention. Pundits express shock and outrage at the reports, as if they were surprised by the results. Editorials demand reform.

Politicians call for action. The informed public is embarrassed. But little happens: the rescue packages passed by Congress send most of the money to the biggest companies and the most affluent investors.

Banks are saved; the post office -- with a largely minority workforce -- is starved. Hunger spreads. Any expansion of food stamps is blocked.

Arrested for leading nonviolent protests against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King penned his letter from the Birmingham jail expressing his grave disappointment with the “white moderate” and the “white church.” He suggested that the “great stumbling block” for African Americans seeking their freedom is “not the White Citizen’s Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate “who is more devoted to order than to justice.” He decried a religious community “largely adjusted to the status quo, standing as a tail-light behind other community agencies rather than a headlight leading men to higher levels of justice.”

The virus didn’t discriminate. The society enforced the discrimination; the virus just preyed upon its victims. We have gone too long, struggled too hard to adjust to the reality that it is dangerous to be black while jogging or to be black in a pandemic. It isn’t enough to express dismay when the newspapers highlight the horrors. We need leaders and citizens of conscience who will act and not rest until justice is done.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email at jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson.

Share this story online at: www.StyleMagazine.com.

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May 14 – May 20, 2020

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Rep Jim Clayburn Will Lead House Over-Sight Committee On Coronavirus

By Stacy M Brown, Senior Correspondent, NNPA Newswire @StacyBrownMedia

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ouse Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-South Carolina) will chair a newly established oversight panel with broad authority to oversee the federal response to the coronavirus.

During an exclusive live broadcast, Clyburn told National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to impanel a committee after she recalled a similar body selected by President Harry S. Truman after World War II.

“Speaker Pelosi called me several weeks ago, and we got into this discussion about what we need to do and how we needed to make sure that this is done in such a way that it will meet with our vision of making sure that the greatness of this country is accessible and affordable for all,” Clyburn told Chavis.

“This pandemic has opened up some fault lines in this great country, and primary among them is healthcare.

Healthcare is not accessible and affordable to all, and this pandemic has shown

that to be the case.”

Clyburn continued, “America’s greatness has always been because it’s been able to repair its faults. Speaker Pelosi said she’d given a lot of thought to what happened as this country was moving toward World War II and Truman told the Senate about the 116 committees who after World War 1 looked at all of the profiteering, the price gauging, and the kind of fraud that these fly-bynight groups had done.”

Clyburn noted that healthcare and other fraud has run rampant during the current novel coronavirus pandemic and, more than ever, African Americans are being victimized.

“This pandemic is vising family after family after family. We know from all of the data that it is being visited more harshly and more prevalent among African American communities, and some Latino communities all over the country,” Clyburn stated.

The new panel is expected to enjoy far-reaching power to investigate how the trillions of dollars already approved by Congress for coronavirus

relief are being used, Clyburn added.

It will be able to issue subpoenas, review America’s preparedness for the crisis, and examine decisions about the crisis within the administration.

The panel will probe the “efficiency, effectiveness, equity and transparency” of taxpayer funds used to respond to the crisis and will investigate reports of waste, fraud, and abuse of funds being spent, according to the establishing resolution.

It will also be able to study the economic impact and disparate impacts of the crisis on different communities.

“This is about transparency and accountability,” stated Clyburn during the live stream titled, “Black America and COVID-19: Saving and Empowering Black Lives.”

Clyburn also talked with Chavis about the NNPA’s Coronavirus Task Force and Resource Center, the first media-related entity in the United States to declare a “State of Emergency for Black America” as the fatalities among Black Americans have continued to rise alarmingly across the nation.

Using social media to increase public awareness about COVID-19, the NNPA continues to encourage the use of the hashtags: #SaveBlackLives, and #NNPACoronavirusTaskForce.

Clyburn, a 14-term U.S. Congressman and the dean of the South Carolina congressional delegation has spent his career working to improve and empower the lives of African Americans. Former President Barack Obama once noted that Clyburn is “one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens.”

As Assistant Democratic Leader in the 112th Congress, the number three ranking Democrat in the House, Clyburn is the leadership liaison to the Appropriations Committee and one of the Democratic Caucus’ primary liaisons to the White House.

He plays a prominent role in messaging and outreach.

The Clyburn-Chavis interview can be viewed at www.facebook.com/ blackpressusa.

DR. LETITIA PLUMMER HAS COVID-19

Statement By Mayor of Houston – Sylvester Turner

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

F

irst-term, At-Large, Position 4 Houston City Council member - Dr Letitia Plummer has been diagnosed with the Coronvirus COVID-19.

Statement from Mayor Sylvester Turner:

“Today, the City of Houston reported 229 positive COVID-19 cases. The number of people that have tested positive is a reminder that we are still facing a public health crisis.

The virus does not discriminate, and people of all ages and ethnicities have been affected.

“I am praying for Council Member Letitia Plummer’s speedy recovery as she isolates at home. Based on my observations, she has been careful to protect her health and the safety of those around her by practicing social distancing and wearing facial coverings.

“In addition to her role with the City of Houston, Council Member Plummer has kept a busy schedule at

Council Member Dr. Letitia Plummer, Houston At-Large Position 4 her two dental practices and distributing masks and organizing food giveaways in the community.

“I will continue to ask everyone, including city employees, members of the public, and elected officials to follow the CDC guidelines for this pandemic.

Please wear your face coverings, practice social distancing, get tested, and stay home if you feel sick.”

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THANK YOU MESSAGE FROM DR. LETITIA PLUMMER “Thank you so much for showing me so much love and support. I am truly grateful and will continue reading all your lovely messages on all my social media throughout my recovery. YOU are my strength.”

May 14 – May 20, 2020

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n Tuesday, May 12, 2020, Congressman Al Green became a cosponsor of H.R. 6437, the Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act. He also joined a bicameral letter with CAPAC Chairwoman Judy Chu and Senator Mazie Hironolast month calling on House and Senate leadership to include these same protections in the next coronavirus relief package.

Congressman Al Green released the following statement: “It is my great honor to cosponsor H.R. 6437, the Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act, with several of my colleagues. When we speak of vulnerable communities disparately impacted

by COVID-19 in the United States, we cannot forget immigrant families who are unable to access many resources vital to surviving this crisis,” Congressman Al Green stated. “I have consistently held that this virus knows no geographical, racial, or ethnic barriers. An individual’s birthplace does not provide them immunity or increased

For more information, go to: www.StyleMagazine.com

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Congressman Green added, “I sign on to H.R. 6437 with many of my constituents in mind. I have constituents who have come to America from across the globe and have striven to attain the American dream for themselves and their families. They are essential workers on the front lines in grocery stores, retail stores, fast food restaurants, and hospitals. They are our neighbors, coworkers, fellow congregants at places of worship, and friends. What happens in one community can impact all communities. We in Congress must ensure that our immigrant communities receive the same protections as every other American during this pandemic.”

HISD Names New Police Chief

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May 14 – May 20, 2020

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he Houston Independent School District has named Pedro Lopez Jr., a Houston Police Department assistant chief with 32 years of experience, as the new chief of the HISD Police Department.

Lopez has spent 29 of his 32 years in law enforcement with HPD, moving up the ranks from patrol officer to his current position as the assistant chief for Patrol Region 1. He has also served with the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and Texas Department of Corrections.

“We are fortunate to have a law enforcement veteran with the experience, training and expertise of Chief Lopez join our district and lead our police department of more than 200 officers,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “We know he will do a great job protecting our students, staff and campuses as we work to educate, train and support our global scholars.”

Lopez completed law enforcement training at the FBI National Academy. In 2017, he led the police response to Hurricane Harvey and the city’s first-ever disaster relief mission to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

“Joining HISD is a great opportunity,” Lopez said. “I look forward to working

www.StyleMagazine.com 4/30/20 3:18 PM

HISD New Police Chief – Pedro Lopez, Jr. alongside the diligent, devoted professional men and women of the HISD Police Department. I plan to cultivate relationships with staff members districtwide and reach out to our students to build bridges of mutual trust and respect.”

Lopez thanked colleagues at HPD for decades of support and friendship.

“HISD couldn’t ask for a better person for the job,” HPD Chief Art Acevedo said. “Chief Lopez is dedicated, hardworking and extremely qualified.

He will do a stellar job in his new role at HISD.”

Lopez also thanked outgoing HISD PD Chief Paul Cordova for his leadership of the department. Cordova is leaving HISD to become the new chief of police for Aldine Independent School District.

Lopez assumes his new role with HISD on May 25th.

HISD’s Booker T. Washington HS Principal Wins 2020 H-E-B Excellence In Education Award Booker T. Principal – Dr. Carlos Phillips, II

By StyleMagazine.com, Newswire

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ooker T. Washington High School Principal Dr. Carlos Phillips, II has been named the H-E-B Excellence in Education Secondary Principal Award winner for 2020.

This year, Excellence in Education award winners were announced during a virtual “Toast to Texas Teachers” in celebration of National Teacher Appreciation Week. The virtual event included surprise appearances from actors Matthew McConaughey and Eva Longoria, former NBA player Matt Bonner, and fashion designer Kendra Scott.

Phillips, who was also the HISD Secondary Principal of the Year for 2019-2020, received a $10,000 cash prize and a $25,000 grant for Washington High School. Phillips was one of five finalists from across the state competing for the Secondary Principal Award.

“This is a very humbling feeling

to be recognized for this prestigious award,” Phillips said. “There are many educators in our state who could have been selected, however, I am honored to be able to represent our great school district and such a historic school with amazing staff and students in this capacity.”

In February, Phillips was named HISD’s 2020 Secondary Principal of the Year when Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan made a surprise appearance in front of a large crowd of Washington High School students and staff. Representatives from H-E-B also made a surprise appearance at the event to inform Phillips that he was a finalist in the Excellence in Education Awards competition.

“Dr. Phillips is an exceptional leader who exemplifies the hard work, dedication and resolve it takes to trans-

H-E-B winning principals received $10,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for each of their schools.Principal Secondary: Dr. Carlos Phillips II, Booker T. Washington High School & the High School for the Engineering Professions

form student outcomes,” Lathan said.

“I’m incredibly excited for Dr. Phillips and his family. He has made HISD proud, and I’m excited to see him take Booker T. Washington High School to the next level of academic greatness.”

The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program was established in 2002 in partnership with the Texas Association of School Administrations to promote and support public education in Texas. It is now the largest monetary program celebrating passionate and innovative educators and school leaders across the state.

Phillips was named principal at Washington High School in 2015. He

has been an educator for 20 years, serving as a special education teacher, disciplinary alternative education teacher and assistant principal. Phillips holds a doctoral degree in education leadership and cultural studies from the University of Houston.

Washington High School is in its 126th year of academic service. The Independence Heights neighborhood high school has received recognition for its drone and rocketry programs, which engage students in engineering, coding and construction of air and space crafts.

For more information, go to: www.MyHEB.com

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May 14 – May 20, 2020

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Kroger Announces FREE COVID-19 Drive Through Testing Across Houston

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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roger today announced five free COVID-19 testing sites across Greater Houston and Montgomery areas. Kroger will partner with the City of Houston, Harris County and Montgomery county to provide free testing for all priority groups, including healthcare workers, first responders and symptomatic groups. The sites join Kroger’s existing sites across several states, including Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

“There is a critical need for testing across our city, and it’s important that we step up to meet that need,” said Joe Kelley, President of Kroger Houston. “We have an amazing team of health care professionals who will provide testing at these sites across Houston as we work together to help flatten the

curve.”

Americans can access Kroger Health’s free screening tool to determine if testing is appropriate for them and sign up for testing in Montgomery County at krogerhealth.com/covidtesting. This screening tool was adapted from CDC recommendations and is intended to identify patients who need testing the most. Screened individuals can schedule and pre-register for a test at a convenient location.

Mayor Turner›s Proposed FY 2021 Budget Includes Tough Cuts, Preserves Public Safety andByMaintains City Services StatePoint/StyleMagazine.com Newswire

To sign up for testing in Harris county, visit https://covidcheck.hctx.net/.

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his week, Mayor Sylvester Turner presented his proposed FY 2021 budget closing a $169 million gap caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed budget for all funds total $5.1 billion, an increase of $62.2 million or 1.2%. The proposed General Fund budget of $2.53 billion reflects a decrease in spending by $22.17 million or 0.9 percent from the FY 2020 Current Budget of $2.55 billion.

Pre COVID-19, the City experienced a modest growth in sales tax revenue in FY 2020 and anticipated another conservative 2% growth in FY 2021. As a result of COVID-19, the City will experience a cumulative estimated loss in sales tax revenue of approximately $107 million during both FY 2020 and FY2021. This combined with decreases in other revenue sources, will have a significant adverse impact on city services.

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May 14 – May 20, 2020

FY2020 Sales Tax

“We are presenting a budget that does balance, even in a very uncertain time. We are obligated to balance our books. We are doing that,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “It’s the toughest budget we’ve had to put together since I’ve been mayor in January of 2016.”

To make up for a $169 million budget shortfall, the city will draw down $98 million from the general fund balance and exhaust the $20 million Budget Stabilization Fund, better known as the rainy day fund, which will leave the City in a precarious position in the upcoming

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hurricane season.

Other Measures To Close The Gap Include:

Furloughing 3,000 municipal employees for a maximum of 10 days saving the City $7 million. Fire, police and those who collect trash and recyclables will not be impacted.

Deferring 5 police cadet classes saving $13.9 million $14.5 million in new revenue sources $13.7 million reduction in contingency

Unlike other municipalities, the City of Houston must operate under the property tax revenue cap while contending with the loss of revenues from COVID-19 in FY 2021 and beyond.

Despite the tough financial challenges, this budget provides funding for overtime for police, three cadet classes for fire, funding for parks, libraries, trash pickup, and upgrades to drainage and streets.

The proposed budget also fully funds the costs of the police, fire and municipal pension systems.

“The proposed budget is extra, extra lean but it balances,” said Mayor Turner. “It comes with some costs, sacrifices, and reductions in services. It is a tough budget and the work is not done.”

City Council will hold a May 27 hearing on the proposed FY 2021 budget and consider the budget for adoption on June 3.

The new fiscal year begins on July 1, 2020.

MLB Owners Approve Plan To Start 2020 Season in July

By David Close, Amir Vera and Alaa Elassar, CNN / StyleMagazine.com, NewsWire

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ajor League Baseball (MLB) owners have finalized a plan that may allow the 2020 season to start on Fourth of July weekend, according to multiple outlets, including the New York Times and ESPN. The season, which was set to start on March 26, was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. MLB owners and league management have agreed upon an 82-game regular season, down from the traditional 162 games, according to the reports.

Spring training will begin in early to mid-June, and games would resume in early July in ballparks without fans, as long as state legislation and health officials allow, reports say.

In order to proceed with this unprecedented season, all the proposed ideas would need to be agreed upon by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). An MLB spokesman told CNN on Monday night that the league plans to present a proposal to the players association Tuesday. No details of the proposal were provided by MLB. League and team leadership reportedly gathered for their weekly

meeting on Monday to discuss plans to get back on the field and the safety and economic conditions that would need to be met to do so.

A March agreement outlined key financial terms regarding how much players would be paid in a shortened season.

Under the terms of the agreement, MLB players received a $170 million salary advance. In exchange for that advance, the MLBPA agreed not to challenge the loss of their 2020 salaries if the season were to be canceled and to accept prorated salaries if a partial season is played.

An excerpt of that agreement, provided to CNN, indicates that if MLB games cannot be staged in teams’ home stadiums in front of spectators, the MLB and MLBPA agree to hold good faith discussions about the economic feasibility of playing games in the absence of spectators or at neutral sites.

MLB’s position is that those discussions could include asking players to take further salary reductions.

“Players recently reached an agreement with Major League Baseball that outlines economic terms for resumption of play, which included significant salary adjustments and a

number of other compromises,” MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark said in a statement.

“That negotiation is over. We’re now focused on discussing ways to get back on the field under conditions that prioritize the health and wellbeing of players and their families, coaches, umpires, team staff and fans.”

In March, all 30 major league teams committed $1 million each to help assist thousands of ballpark employees affected by the delay in start of the baseball season.

CNN’s Kevin Dotson contributed to this report.

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President Donald J. Trump

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very leadership has had a defining moment. For Donald Trump, his response to the coronavirus global pandemic in the U.S. is his. He ignored early warnings. Dismissed the advice of his council as well as those in the medical community. Blamed everyone except the one who is truly at fault (him) for why the spread of COVID-19 is so rapid with deaths reaching 80,000. Sent folks in a panic stockpiling drugs they don’t need and making suggestions to ingest other chemicals that could cause irreversible harm. As the leader of this nation during this crisis, he has failed us. It is time out for all the “fake news” and lies and start fact-checking the truth.

Before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Dr. Fauci testified about the U.S.’s response to the COVID-19 global pandemic at hearings titled “COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and School.” The major points in his testimony via video conferencing were focused on the reopening of America, future spikes of the coronavirus, rising death tolls, and the mystery surrounding children with the virus. Leading up to this point Fauci has been the medical expert at the forefront of this virus. We examine Fauci’s testimony to separate that which is true from false and/or concerning information.

TRUMP thought it was best to reopen businesses across the nation to help

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the economy (and his reelection) by May 1st in phases.

Truth: Fauci was against the May 1st deadline calling the move “a bit overly optimistic.” States need to make sure that they have everything in place to be prepared if cases of the disease spike as a result of reopening too soon.

“There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, which in fact, paradoxically, will set you back, not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery,” Fauci said.

Trump has said the U.S. has the cornavirus under control as testing is available to anyone who wants to be tested.

Truth: Fauci said the possibility of the virus getting worst this fall is real. Reopening too soon could further push counts up for people with COVID if the states are not ready with testing and ppes.

Fauci commented, “even if we get better control over the next several months, it’s likely there will be the virus somewhere on this planet that will eventually get back to us.”

Trump pushed for a new method for the death toll associated with the cornavirus to be calculated. The Daily Beast said the new method would produce a lower death tally.

“The United States and Germany are the two best in deaths per 100,000 people,” Trump said. “Frankly, to me, that’s perhaps the most important number there is.”

Truth: Fauci said the death toll numbers are probably higher since some patients died from COVID before they were put in the hospital. And then there is the factor of those who died because of the pandemic like those who committee suicide under the pressure of the virus and so on.

“Most of us feel that the number of deaths are likely higher than that number,” Fauci said.

May 14 – May 20, 2020

Children are not dying from COVID in high numbers so school should open in the fall.

Truth: More and more children are experiencing COVID like symptoms with some even being diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Fauci said, “I think we better be careful that we’re not cavalier, in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects.”

TRUMP downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 in America using the alleged words of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who he said the virus would be no “big deal.”

Truth: Fauci actually said that Americans did not need to make drastic changes at that time to protect themselves from the virus. He further warned that factors could change and the virus could have a major outbreak in the U.S.

“Right now, the risk is still low but this could change,” said Fauci in an interview with Weekend TODAY. Fauci later said that America needed “to prepare for further challenges.”

TRUMP has said that early on as the coronavirus began to invade the U.S. that he ordered travel restrictions with specific emphasis on banning travel for China.

Truth: It is hard to ban travel from a country when there are numerous exemptions. U.S. Citizens and permanent residents could return home. They were subject to a mandatory quarantine for two weeks. Restrictions for traveling by a vehicle were even more lucid.

Trade was not affected.

Fauci initially was not 100% backing the enforcement of travel restrictions but later agreed that the restrictions were needed.

Trump made claims that the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, coupled with azithromycin was a “game changer” in the treatment of COVID19.

This sent Americans in a frenzy stockpiling the drug in their homes and

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caused a nation-wide shortage.

Truth: A panel of experts from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases caution that the drug combination could increase the risk of sudden cardiac death. Hydroxychloroquine was used to help those diagnosed with the virus by the Food and Drug Administration under emergency authority in some cases. However, no medical expert gave hydroxychloroquine a rave review as the “game changer” in the fight of the pandemic. The misguided information then caused a shortage for people with preexisting conditions who take the drug frequently to manage their illness.

TRUMP shows his frustration with Fauci stating it is because of Fauci’s slow response to the virus that so many have died and it was time to fire Fauci.

Truth: Fauci is not to blame as he did warn Trump about the community spread of the virus as early as February of this year. Like with any illness, the earlier it is detected the higher the chance of recovery. Had the Trump acted quickly more than likely more lives would have been saved.

“Obviously, if we had, right from the very beginning, shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different. But there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down,” said Fauci in a CNN interview.

Trump thought it was best to reopen businesses across the nation to help the economy (and his reelection).

Truth: Fauci was against the May 1st deadline calling the move “a bit overly optimistic.” States need to make sure that they have everything in place to be prepared if cases of the disease spike as a result of reopening too soon.

“I’ll guarantee you, once you start pulling back there will be infections. It’s how you deal with the infections that’s going to count,” said Fauci.

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Friends -VS- Foes: Know The Difference To Protect Your Family Against COVID-19

By Jo-Carolyn Goode Managing Editor, StyleMagazine.com NewsWire

“Friends, how many of us have them?

out droplets from entering your body.

Friends, ones we can depend on

N95 respirator masks give the highest form of protection using a tight seal around your mouth and nose to keep the smallest of droplets out of your system.

This is why it is vital for those working in the medical field who are in very close proximity with infected patients to have the highest grade protection. Surgical masks, like N95 respirators, are made of special material but they don’t have a tight seal around the mouth and nose.

However, they are effective and offer good protection from droplets in the air, just not the smallest ones like the N95 respirator. Cloth masks only block large droplets and have no seal around the mouth and nose. But with the addition of a pocket to add a filter the protection level up the cloth mask is raised.

Friends, how many of us have them?

Friends, before we go any further Lets be friends”

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hodini’s 1984 #4 single on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/HipHop Songs chart questioned what a friend is. The group goes on to say that some use the word in the wrong way and even the dictionary doesn’t know the true meaning of the word.

Perhaps, many of us don’t know the meaning of friends either.

Friend vs. foe is swirling in the news as America begins to open back up for business. Restaurants are now able to invite diners inside to enjoy their meal.

Shoppers are filling retail outlets again.

Nonessential travel has resumed. Slowly more and more people are breaking out of their homes to once again explore the world around them. As we roam around we must remember what’s our friend and what’s our foe to stay healthy and safe.

FRIEND: Social Distancing –

Staying six feet away from another person helps in the fight against the coronavirus by limiting person-to-person contact. Staying at home and avoiding large crowds are the best ways to social distance to stop the spread of the virus.

hands for at least 20 seconds to rid yourself of the disease on your skin. You may also use an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.

FRIEND: Self-Isolation

– Although self-isolation can be lonely it is highly recommended if you come in contact with someone who has or was exposed to COVID-19. Especially since some people have the coronavirus and don’t know it because they don’t exhibit any symptoms.

FRIEND: Quarantine – Although

quarantine and self-isolation are similar they are not the same. Both mean to avoid contact with others but quarantine is specific for those exposed to a person with COVID-19 but have not had a positive diagnosis. It is advised for these folks to stay away from others for at least 14 days to stop the spread of the coronavirus in its early stages.

With friends comes enemies or foes.

Foes, in this article, are the things that don’t prevent COVID-19 from attacking your body.

FRIEND: Washing your hands FOE: Believing that COVID-19 FRIEND: Personal Protection for 20 seconds - COVID-19 lives Won’t Infect You - So unless you Equipment – Before you step out on surfaces for a prolonged period af- have been living under a rock for the of the house make sure you have your PPEs - masks, and gloves. All throughout the air are droplets that come from our respiratory system. The droplets carry viruses, like COVID-19, in the air. Coming in various sizes, smaller droplets can travel far and stay in the air for quite a while. Mask help to block

ter an infected person has touched an object. As you navigate in public areas and touch various things you may, in fact, touch something that has the virus on it. If the next thing you then touch is your mouth then you have probably just infected yourself. Prevent that from happening by constantly washing your

past month or so you already know COVID-19 does not care about age, race, titles, income status, gender, or anything. Everyone is fair game for catching it and dying from it. Walking around in public, especially in highly populated areas, puts you at risk and that of your family. So if you go out

without your ppes and come in contact with someone with the coronavirus then go home, guess what? You just brought the virus inside your home and have endangered your entire family.

FOE: Not getting tested when symptoms arise – Whenever you

get sick, there is a feeling you get that says something is not right. You might try to wave it off as nothing but it could be the beginning stages of the coronavirus. Fever, dry cough, tightness of chest, lack of taste are some of the most common symptoms people with COVID-19 have. Don’t try to play doctor and Google your diagnosis. Follow your instinct upon the onset of symptoms and call your doctor to get tested or go to one of the many drive-thru sites that don’t require calling ahead. Sure it could be something other than the coronavirus but won’t you sleep better knowing if it is or not.

Friends are there to help you and not hinder you. Foes can be the fuel to ignite a downward spiral for you.

Don’t put your life or that of others in jeopardy. Know the things your friends are and those that are not. Friends and foes can’t mix and mingle. “Before you go anything further” remember your friends.

We are all in this together.

Keep it safe!

Friends -VS- Foes

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May 14 – May 20, 2020

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