INSIDE
April 2020 Observers Call Out Trump as “Distractor-in-Chief” ... 17
Facebook Snooping... 19
What Employees Need to Know about WC ... 13
Issue #7
NYC Mayor and Health Officials Misled Public About Plans to Move COVID-19 Patients Into Nursing Home, Advocates Say
Mayor Bill de Blasio Editorial credit: Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com
BY A.C. THOMPSON, PROPUBLICA
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ew York City public health officials are moving patients suffering from COVID-19 into beds within a nursing home on
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Roosevelt Island that cares for hundreds of residents with a wide range of severe medical conditions, including dementia and other age-related ailments¬¬, paralysis, traumatic brain injury and profound developmental disabilities. The move comes after Mayor Bill de Blasio and city officials made a series of inaccurate and contradictory statements about their intention to use the facility to house COVID-19 patients and about their ability to protect the medically vulnerable residents of the Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center.
The decision has alarmed elected leaders and advocates for the disabled and elderly who fear the city is jeopardizing the lives of Coler residents, many of whom need assistance with even the most basic tasks. In recent days, at least two longtime nursing home residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and died as the coronavirus has torn through Coler, spreading from room to room, according to residents and advocates. Although the state has begun releasing the numbers of deaths at nursing homes, Coler is not included in that tally. City health officials have parked refrigerated trailers behind the aging brick complex to serve as a temporary morgue, but they also will not say continued on page 6
Hot Topics and News You Should Know About
Nurses Face Scores More Deaths Due to Protective Gear Shortage, Union Suit Charges
Nurses protest a lack of protective measures during the coronavirus outbreak outside the Jacobi Medical Center in The Bronx, April 17, 2020. Photo: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
BY GREG B. SMITH, THE CITY
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early three out of four New York nurses have been exposed to coronavirus, with hundreds testing positive, scores hospitalized and at least six killed by COVID-19, the nurses’ union charged Monday. The New York State Nurses Association, in court papers, estimated the death toll of members could reach 250 at the current rate of infection. The data emerged as the union filed separate lawcontinued on page 10
State Comptroller DiNapoli Speaks ...page 3
SCLC Urges Governors to Avoid “Tuskegee Experiment” ... 4
Tax Day is July 15; IRS Extends Filing Deadline ... 9
Labor-Related News - Nationally & Locally
VIP: Health Care Directives for Everyone ... 7
The Road to Unstoppable by Victoria Falk
New York Workers Sick With COVID19 Deserve Workers' Compensation!
N Transit Workers Get Essential Priority Access ... 15
CWE Partners Respond to COVID-19 ... 15
RWDSU Expresses Concern Over Macy’s 4th of July ...15
... page 22
ew York State is the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis, and public officials, government employees, unions, workers' centers, and community organizations are doing everything they can to protect New Yorkers--to protect our communities. continued on page 12
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April 2020
Labor is man's greatest function. He is nothing, he can do nothing, he can achieve nothing, he can fulfill nothing, without working.
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Contents
—Orville Dewey
AFGE Council 220 Petition: SSA is Harassing, Exploiting, and Putting Workers in Harm's Way
In Solidarity: State, Local Governments Can Slide Into Fiscal Black Hole...................................................................3 Education Tough Tests Ahead: Bringing Diversity to NYC High Schools.................................................................8 With over 90% of hospitality workers unemployed, Congress appropriated billions in emergency aid for hotels and casinos to protect the hospitality Industry workforce. Now, the hotels want to use that money to pay their banks instead of workers. They want federal aid with fewer strings attached.
Workers say the Social Security Agency (SSA) has been instilling fear, violating basic workplace rights and micromanaging their employees in the midst of this crisis. You can sign a petition to tell the Agency to do right by employees, to recognize the importance of their Union, to allow their Union (AFGE) at the table to bargain fair and equitable emergency policies, procedures and plan of action. By signing this petition you are telling SSA to exercise true leadership skills, where instead of creating unnecessary hurdles during this time of fear and panic they offer transparency, comprehension and support for employees which are all facing so many challenges and are under so much stress.
Labor History: April 23, 1993 United Farm Workers of America founder Cesar Chavez dies in San Luis, Ariz., at age 66
Workers’ World Seven Simple Steps to Transform Your Financial Life...............................................................12 Workers’ Safety Workers’ Compensation: Things Employees Need to Know .......................................................................13 Jobs & Recession New Initiative Aims to Help Unemployed New Yorkers Learn to Code........ ....................................16 Love, Health & Travel Facebook Snooping.............................................................19
From Worker to Business Owner... 14 How to Stay Stay Sane Working from Home
Love, Health & Travel Coronavirus and Travel in the U.S. ...............................20
COLUMNS Civil Rights ... 4 “Don’t do it!” said Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., president and CEO of the civil rights organization co-founded and first led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “It’s too soon. The medical experts and the scientists say it is too early, and we do not have the cure to end this pandemic. The governors cannot return to commerce and business as usual just to make a dollar. This is not debatable.” —Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., president and CEO , SCLC urging governors to avoid “Tuskegee Experiment” mistake on the poor.
Love, Health & Relationships ... 21
Correcting this Faulty Belief about COVID-19 Will Save Lives In reality, those of any age suffering from an underlying health condition are at significant risk of complications from COVID-19.
Family: The True Modern Relationship ... 11 Helping Children Cope in These Stressful Times If parents seem overwhelmed with the situation, children will naturally react the same way.
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April 2020
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In Solidarity
State, Local Governments Can Slide into Fiscal Black Hole
TEAM Publisher Workers’ World Today, Inc Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip
BY THOMAS P. DiNAPOLI Contributing Writers Marilyn Silverman Charles Tabasso Victoria Falk Erin Telesford Jennine Estes, MFT Travis Morales Mary Campbell Janet Howard
T Supports Workers’ World Today
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ecently, I was in Albany fighting and seeking support of A1261/S1947, legislation that will create a clear definition of public work and level the playing field for New York’s contractors. District Council 9 Painters and Allied Trades Union (DC9), the union for painters, prides itself on being a strong advocate for workers’ rights and safety. We are excited about this new publication, Workers’ World Today, which covers the issues of relevance and concern for all workers. We are encouraged that all workers: blue and white collar will have a voice and platform. Congratulations on your inaugural issue. We wish much success to the leaders and team of Workers’ World Today and pledge our support.p Davon Lomax Political Director, DC9
he U.S. government has decided to get tough on naps. Although sleeping at work has long been frowned upon for federal employees, it had never been explicitly banned until now. We are all painfully aware of the devastating health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is also becoming frighteningly clear is the unprecedented economic devastation. New York and other hard hit areas need money to balance their books and that cash needs to come from Washington. As the crisis erupted in New York and across America, we went from the longest expansion in history to an economic freefall in a matter of weeks. Job losses have been swift and massive, totaling more than 22 million nationwide, erasing nearly all employment gains made over the past decade. Main Street is shuttered from Long Island to Buffalo, and Wall Street has experienced extreme volatility. The New York Federal Reserve reported that business activity declined for 85 percent of firms. Businesses large and small are struggling to survive. The virtual shutdown of entire sectors of the economy will drive state and local government revenues sharply downward due to shrinking sales and income tax collections, and leave many unable to pay their mortgages and property taxes. New York State’s revenue shortfall is estimated to be between $10 billion to $15 billion. New York City and
the other cities, counties, towns, villages and school districts across our state face huge revenue shortfalls as well. Nevertheless, in the face of this extraordinary fiscal challenge, our state and local governments continue to provide essential services. As we all appreciate, our public health care workers, first responders and transit workers are among those on the front lines of responding to this health emergency. In response to this fiscal crisis, the federal government must do more to rescue the finances of the states and our local governments. Washington has enacted three stimulus and relief measures in response to the crisis. We are thankful to our congressional delegation for the support provided thus far, but much more is needed to stabilize the situation. The announcement of an agreement on additional help for small businesses and hospitals is welcome, but what about our states and local governments? Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the National Governors Association have called for $500 billion to stabilize state finances and avoid drastic budget cuts that could further disrupt health and hospital finances, education funding and emergency services. Since much of New York’s state budget flows to local governments, school
districts and non-profits, the potential ripple effects of the state budget gap are alarming. New York’s local governments are in serious need of additional assistance. The $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund enacted in the federal CARES Act provides some help, but is limited to states and to local governments with populations above 500,000. In our state, only New York City and a half dozen other municipalities directly qualify for this aid, a small fraction of our local governments. The New York Conference of Mayors is on target in calling for the elimination of population thresholds for additional local aid. We all rely on the essential services our local governments provide. This truth is more evident now than ever. The next federal stimulus bill must provide more assistance to state and local governments, particularly the municipalities that have thus far been left behind. To ignore the financial struggles of the governments leading the fight against the pandemic would both undermine our immediate response and hamstring our ability to recover from the crisis. Swift and decisive action will benefit us all. p
Newsday published this an op-ed from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
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Civil Rights
The SCLC Urges Governors to Avoid the “Tuskegee Experiment” Mistake on the Poor
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TLANTA: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) issued a strong warning to the governors of Georgia, Texas and other states who are contemplating reopening their states to commerce as early as this week. “Don’t do it!” said Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., president and CEO of the civil rights organization co-founded and first led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “It’s too soon. The medical experts and the scientists say it is too early, and we do not have the cure to end this pandemic. The governors cannot return to commerce and business as usual just to make a dollar. This is not debatable.” If the governors, which include Brian Kemp of Georgia, allow businesses to reopen on Friday, Dr. Steele said they will be subjecting poor people to a sort of Tuskegee Experiment. “We cannot use poor people as sacrificial lambs like they did to people during the
Tuskegee Experiment,” Dr. Steele said. In 1932, some 600 black men - nearly half that were living with syphilis - were recruited into a Public Health Service program at Tuskegee Institute with the promise of getting free medical care. During their medical visits, the men, many of whom had never visited the doctor before, were told they were being treated for “bad blood,” a term for many illnesses, including syphilis, but they never received the proper treatment needed to cure their illnesses, which led to most of them dying of their initial symptoms. “The businesses that are being reopened are the ones where poor people have to work and put their lives at risk,” Dr. Steele said. “We must educate the American people about what is going on. As for you governors, you should not put anyone’s life or health in jeopardy, because we know the result of the coronavirus for too many people is
to open, Dr. Steele said governors like Kemp should be pushing for more factories so supplies and equipment can be manufactured to protect those who are putting their lives at risk for Americans and to prevent the spread of the virus. “We closed our factories and now all of those jobs are abroad,” Dr. Steele said. “We cannot even mass produce masks. We are no longer producing the things that once made us the greatest in the world.”p death. No life should be offered to suffer this fate. This is like rolling the dice and you come up with snake eyes, which means you lost.” The people who will work in the fitness centers, spas, beauty parlors, bowling alleys, etc. are those who live paycheck to paycheck. They will return to work because they need the money. But Dr. Steele said the richest nation in the world can do better than put the lives of anyone at risk to see if all busi-
nesses can reopen. “The people have always invested in the government,” Dr. Steele said. “It is now time for the government to invest in the people, especially the poor people. We have the money to do this, and there is no reason the president and Congress should refuse to give whatever is needed to restore the people’s physical and economic health.” Instead of allowing leisure and entertainment companies
About the SCLC: Established in 1957, the SCLC, whose first president was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is an international organization made up of chapters and affiliates with programs that affect the lives of all Americans: north, south, east, and west. Its sphere of influence and interests has become international in scope because the human rights movement transcends national boundaries.
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pressure sore — a wound that occurs when a bedridden person is left in one position for too long — that became severely infected. His condition was worsened, they said, by COVID-19, for which he had tested positive. “When they took him out of here he was on oxygen,” said a fellow patient who asked to remain anonymous. “He never used oxygen before. He was on oxygen for a week.” Watson was a member of Open Doors NYC, an arts collective based at Coler whose members are predominantly African American and Latino men who’ve suffered paralyzing spinal cord injuries, often due to street violence. “He had a lot of wisdom to share,” said Jennilie Brewster, who heads Open Doors. “He really deeply wanted to use his story to express his pain and to help people learn from his experiences.” Another resident, a 61-year-old man, contracted COVID-19 and died on April 7, according to the man’s niece. Her uncle had been at Coler for approximately two years, she said, because he needed around-the-clock care after suffering a massive brain injury in a fall. “Why are they introducing that virus into the nursing home that could kill all the patients there?” asked the woman. “There’s a possibility that it spread through staff or just through the air.” Brewster is fearful that the virus will claim more Open Doors members, whose ranks include poets, writers and rappers. “I have a friend at Coler who is around 40 years old and has a condition where he can’t clear phlegm from his lungs. This would be devastating for him,” she said. Another friend, she added, has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which causes serious breathing problems. COVID-19, Brewster said, “could kill him.” Workers at Coler say they have been unable to get even the basic protective gear that should be worn when attending to patients with COVID-19. “We’ve been told by our leaders that they’re not going to provide the masks, the N95,” said one Coler staffer in a video posted to YouTube and Instagram on April 3. “We have to treat people that are contaminated with coronavirus.” One resident told ProPublica that most nursing assistants at Coler do not have N95 masks.
“They are treating the people with COVID-19 and are also bathing and caring for people who don’t have it. And they don’t have the N95 mask,” said the man, who uses a wheelchair. Coler executives insist that staff members are fully outfitted with personal protective equipment, or PPE. Last week, Coler CEO Robert Hughes told the New York Post that, “We are very fortunate in that we’ve had plentiful supplies of PPE throughout this time.” In a series of phone calls, the nursing home resident said the situation, already scary, has been made worse by a dire shortage of staff as nurses and nursing assistants become sick or simply refuse to come to work. Those that are working often fail to hew to even basic infection-control practices, he said. At the same time, an unknown number of COVID-19 patients are being moved into the building day after day. The man said his roommate was ill with COVID-19 and had a hacking cough, but Coler staff would not place the sick man in quarantine, even after a test confirmed that he had contracted the disease. Within days, he said, he had also tested positive. Residents shared similar stories on an online suggestion box for the Coler community, which has since been shut down. Several stated that they were stuck in rooms with patients showing COVID-19 symptoms. HHC disputes the allegations. “If someone is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, they are isolated for formal assessment and, if warranted, testing and treatment,” HHC said in response to questions from ProPublica. Other residents said they were suffering from neglect. One disabled resident wrote that they had been left in bed for four days because of the outbreak and the scarcity of staff. Another wrote in all capital letters: “FAMILIES ARE BEING TOLD LIES WHILE RESIDENTS ARE FORCE TO LAY IN BED AND BE AT RISK OF BOTH HEALTH COMPLICATIONS AND COVID 19.”p
Hot Topic Nursing Home continued from page 4 how many people have perished, either among the nursing home population or the imported patients, or how many have been infected with the virus. “Placing COVID patients in a nursing home is a bad idea,” said Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, an advocacy group focused on improving conditions in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. “They are potentially infecting the most vulnerable people.” Late last week, a group of elected officials sent a forceful letter to New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation chief Mitchell Katz, saying they were “deeply concerned about the situation” and felt misled by the city, which initially said that it would not bring COVID-19 patients into Coler. “There seems to have been a reversal in policy; after being assured that COVID patients would NOT be admitted, there are reports that COVID patients are now housed at the hospital,” said the letter, which was signed by state Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and state Sen. José Serrano, whose districts include Roosevelt Island, as well as Gale Brewer, the Manhattan borough president. Worried that the virus might be migrating from COVID-19 patients to the long-term residents in the nursing home, Seawright, Serrano and Brewer asked that “all residents of the nursing home portion of the building [be] tested once a week for COVID.”¬ In response to questions from ProPublica, an HHC spokesperson downplayed concerns about the spread of the virus in the building. “With the help of our heroic frontline providers, we are ensuring that all infection control measures are followed for the safety of all under our care,” Stephanie Guzman said in an email. De Blasio pushed back against criticism. “In the midst of an unprecedented health crisis, the city has expanded its hospital capacity to meet the urgent needs created by COVID-19,” said Avery Cohen, a spokesperson for the mayor. “Such efforts have been conducted in lockstep with the approval of our public health experts and would never interfere with the safety
“This place is a death trap,” said one Coler resident, who asked to speak anonymously for fear of reprisals from nursing home management. and health of patients and clinical staff. Any claims stating otherwise are simply inaccurate.” As the virus sweeps across the country, killing thousands of nursing home residents, advocates say they fear that in the case of Coler, New York may have helped to create its own worst-case scenario. “This place is a death trap,” said one Coler resident, who asked to speak anonymously for fear of reprisals from nursing home management. The decision to use Coler for COVID-19 patients became public in mid-March, as waves of desperately sick New Yorkers began flooding into the city’s hospitals. De Blasio announced the city was lucky to have the “empty” hospital on Roosevelt Island to house patients. The facility, he told the media, was “being immediately brought back online.” At that time, Coler housed about 500 residents, some of whom had lived in the 68-year-old building for decades. Then the city changed course and told the media that it was creating a new, 350-bed hospital on the Coler campus. On March 29, HHC — which runs Coler and the rest of the city’s public hospitals, nursing homes and health clinics — said, in a press release, that it had started accepting “nonCOVID patients” at this new facility. Within days, though, HHC again altered its messaging, saying that nurses and doctors would be treating people sick with COVID-19 at the new hospital, which it dubbed the Roosevelt Island Medical Facility. Leaders at HHC have refused to disclose the exact location of these new hospital beds. In response to questions from ProPublica, HHC asserted in an April 7 email that the new hospital was “in a separate area with no overlap or shared space” with the nursing home. But residents of Coler — who described the location of the new beds in phone calls with ProPublica — and staff said that the new hospital shared the same hallways, elevators and other infrastructure as the nursing home.
When ProPublica asked HHC a second time about whether the new hospital shares space with the nursing home, Guzman, the spokeswoman, didn’t respond directly. “Health + Hospitals takes all appropriate and necessary infectious control measures to avoid any transmission of communicable diseases,” she said via email. Guzman added that the nursing home and the new hospital have separate staff, but acknowledged that the new beds were on “unused floors” of Coler. Greg Antollino, an attorney who represents two traveling nurses who helped to set up the facility, said HHC assertions about the separation between the hospital and the nursing home are “misleading.” Antollino said his clients were sent onto the empty floors of the nursing home to prepare the rooms for a mix of patients arriving from city hospitals, some with COVID-19, some suffering from other serious afflictions. The nurses, who were employed by Kansas-based Krucial Staffing, described their experiences in a lawsuit filed in early April in federal court. They also allege that their supervisors directed them to treat COVID-19 patients without the proper protective gear, Antollino said. Krucial has denied any wrongdoing. At the New York State Department of Health, which licenses hospitals and other medical facilities throughout the state, communications chief Jonah Bruno said the department had granted HHC permission to create a “temporary hospital on Roosevelt Island.” But Bruno said he could not provide any specifics about the facility. While it may be impossible to pinpoint how the virus got inside the nursing home, residents and staff said it’s clear that it has now established itself. And they fear the city has helped bring it there. This month, 65-year-old Roy Watson, who was paralyzed and relied on a wheelchair to get around, died after a quick and dramatic downturn in his health. His friends and fellow patients say he developed a
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Update, April 21, 2020: This story was updated to include new comment from a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
April 2020
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Conversations
Health Care Directives In the past people thought that estate planning was just for the wealthy or elderly. Coronavirus has spread rapidly in the U.S. and led to a skyrocketing demand for wills, even for those who aren't senior citizens. Everyone is thinking about their mortality now. When you become too frail or sick to make your own decisions on endof-life health care, the emotional strain is passed on to your family or loved ones. Not only can this cause incredible stress, the avenue they take may not be the route you had in mind. Be open and honest about your final wishes.
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on’t procrastinate when creating an advance care plan. Age isn’t the only factor that should be considered. A medical crisis that leaves you too ill to make your own decisions could strike at any time. Emergency Treatment Without a solid health care directive in place, family members may be tasked with making difficult decisions for your treatment. Here are a few common instances you must have clear and legal instruc-
tions regarding, as suggested by the National Institute on Aging: •CPR: If your heart begins beating with an abnormal rhythm, it can be life threatening. Discuss with your family your opinions about resuscitation so they can determine if CPR should be administered. • Ventilator: When you are unable to breathe on your own, a ventilator can be used to keep you alive. It usually includes a tube which is connected to your trachea to ensure you’re receiving enough oxygen.
• Comfort Care: Deciding how to keep you comfortable while suffering is another factor you should have clear instructions for. Consider instances like limiting medical testing, spiritual and emotional counseling, and pain medication. Types of Facilities Visit different facilities to make the decision on where you will stay if you become disabled to the point you can’t take care of yourself. It’s important to have a plan for different stages of life. Here are a few to consider:
If you require minimal assistance to live your day-to-day life, an assisted living community is a great option. You have the freedom to reside in your own space yet receive help in areas like laundry services, prepared meals and personal care. A nursing home is a better option when you need constant assistance from medical professionals. Here, you can receive 24-hour supervision and help with daily necessities like bathing, grooming and
medical management. In-home care is a great option for someone who wants to stay at home while receiving the same benefits as an assistedliving facility. While it can be expensive to call on medical professionals to come to your home, it is a very comfortable option for those needing help. For a FREE case consultation on health directives and other wills and estate planning issues, please call 855-7688845.p
Wills, Trusts & Nursing Home Asset Protection Learn how to Protect your Assets and Provide for your Loved ones
Get Answers to Start Your Estate Plan
At this consultation, we will discuss issues that include: Nursing home costs- the myth of the 昀ve year look back The advantages of Wills, Living Trusts & Probate How to maintain your privacy and protect your estate if you become disabled (Hint: Not all Powers of Attorney are valid) Why putting property in children’s names may be a mistake Protect one’s spouse when the other needs nursing home care Preserve your estate for your kids if your surviving spouse gets married How Probate works and more importantly, how to avoid probate How you can qualify and use Medi-Cal to pay for nursing home expenses Provide for special needs (disabled) children and grandchildren How you may be able to minimize federal and state taxes
Get your FREE CONSULTATION 855-768-8845
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Education
Tough Test Ahead: Bringing Racial Diversity to New York’s Specialized High Schools BY BRUCE CORY & NICOLE MADER
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here’s a longstanding debate about why so few Black and Hispanic students are admitted to New York City’s specialized high schools, including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech. They accounted for fewer than 9% of students offered admissions at eight specialized schools for the current school year; that’s down from 9.6% the year before. Some say the specialized high school admissions test (SHSAT) is discriminatory and should be scrapped; others say the test merely reflects the poor preparation most Black and Hispanic students, who make up some 68% of public school enrollment, get in the elementary and middle schools. Now, new research by the Center for New York City Affairs shows that even Black and Hispanic students who do very well in middle school— that is, those who as 7thgraders earn the best possible scores on either math or English Language Arts (ELA) State standardized tests—are much less likely to attend specialized high schools than their similarly high-performing Asian or White classmates. This suggests that the City’s Department of Education (DOE) may be able to increase Black and Hispanic specialized high school admissions without scrapping the SHSAT (a politically daunting task) or completely overhauling the elementary and middle schools. It offers hope that plans announced last week to increase the diversity of students taking and passing the SHSAT could produce progress. We found, for example, that almost 55% of Asian 7thgraders who scored Level 4 on either math or ELA tests in the
2012-13 school year are now wrapping up sophomore years at specialized high schools that use the SHSAT for admissions. However, only about 16% of such Black or Hispanic 7th-graders are now in one of these specialized schools. That means that as 8thgraders, these approximately 1,710 bright Black and Hispanic students either: passed the SHSAT in October 2013 but then declined offers from specialized high schools; failed the test; or didn’t even take it. Our analysis shows that most have now gone on to non-specialized public high schools also attended by highperforming White and Asian students. But more than 300, or about 21%, have not. They instead are scattered among some 142 high schools that high-performing White and Asian students don’t attend – at all. Collectively, these 142 schools have significantly lower rates of graduation and college admission than do either the specialized schools or the non-specialized schools attended by most high-performing White students and many such Asian students. Students at these schools earn far fewer Advanced Regents diplomas
and also score lower on other measures of college-readiness. It takes nothing away from the skills and drive of highperforming Black and Hispanic students at such schools to say that with more outreach and preparation for the SHSAT at least some might now be doing more challenging high school work in a deeper pool of similarly sharp and ambitious students. And their prospects for success in college and careers would almost certainly be brighter. It’s also easy to identify middle schools where more Black and Hispanic students could benefit from intensive SHSAT help. In 2012-13, for example, the top five middle school “feeders” to the specialized high schools sent 62% of their high-performing White and Asian 7th-graders to those high schools, but only 24% of their similarly high-performing Black and Hispanic students. Looking at the numbers another way, in 2012-13 there were 54 middle schools with 10 or more high-performing Black and Hispanic 7thgraders – a total of exactly 900 kids. Only 129, or 14%, of them went on to specialized high schools. To increase diversity at the specialized high schools the DOE should fish such waters.
It seems ready to do so. Between now and the next SHSAT in October, it’s going to focus on giving high-performing Black and Hispanic middle-schoolers more attention through, for example, free tutoring and test-prep courses. Our data suggest this looks like a good strategy. Now, some caveats: The Center for New York City Affairs recognizes that even if this admissions diversity improves, at best such progress will likely be measured in dozens, not hundreds, of students. We also strongly believe this is far from the only pressing educational challenge New Yorkers face. Our InsideSchools and education research projects have long worked to improve the full spectrum of elementary, middle, and high schools. The InsideSchools staff regularly reminds high school-bound students and their parents that there are plenty of good options outside the specialized schools galaxy. Like others, we’ve also heard the criticisms that some of the specialized schools suffer from an unhealthy, hyper-competitive, and grades-obsessed student culture. But those aren’t reasons to maintain the status quo. We’ve all got a stake in reducing the troubling disparities at specialized high schools. They are, after all, very high-visibility reminders that in lowering class and racial barriers to quality education, we’ve still got a lot to do to bring up our grade. p
Bruce Cory is editorial advisor at the Center for New York City Affairs and manages the Urban Matters blog. Nicole Mader is a data analyst at the Center and a PhD candidate at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy.
COVID-19: Help Expand Paid Leave for People with Diabetes
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ight now, we are hearing from many people with diabetes about how COVID-19 is affecting either themselves or their loved ones while at work. We hear what you’re telling us about the struggle of balancing your health with your job: If you stay home from work, you don’t get paid—which, for many, means you can’t pay rent, buy groceries or take care of your families. If you go to work, your diabetes puts you at a higher risk for COVID-19 complications if you are exposed to the coronavirus. This is an unacceptable choice. No one should have to choose between their health and financial well-being. Please join us in urging Congress to expand access to family and medical leave. We have heard from people with diabetes who are serving on the front lines of the pandemic in so many roles—as grocery store workers, bus drivers, retail and food service workers, health care providers, lab technicians, nursing home employees, correctional officers, manufacturing workers and janitorial staff. Working remotely is simply not an option for many. The pandemic has spurred one of the greatest changes to workplace laws and benefits in decades. Under the relief packages passed by Congress, many workers with diabetes are entitled to two weeks of paid sick leave, but only people with childcare or adult caretaking responsibilities were given access to expanded family and medical leave. People with diabetes are vulnerable to COVID-19 for the duration of the pandemic, not just for two weeks, and need options so they can avoid getting sick. Please join us in asking Congress to expand paid leave benefits and protected job leave for all workers with diabetes today. Send an email to makingnoise@diabetes.org p
April 2020
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Workers’ Matters
Tax Day Now July 15: Treasury, IRS Extend Filing Deadline
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ASHINGTON: The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced on March 21 that the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. Taxpayers can also defer federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. This deferment applies to all taxpayers, including individuals, trusts and estates, corporations and other non-corporate tax filers as well as those who pay self-employment tax. Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify for this automatic federal tax filing and payment relief. Individual taxpayers who need additional time to file beyond the July 15 deadline, can request a filing
extension by filing Form 4868 through their tax professional, tax software or using the Free File link on IRS.gov. Businesses who need additional time must file Form 7004. The IRS urges taxpayers who are due a refund to file as soon as possible. Most tax refunds are still being issued within 21 days. "Even with the filing deadline extended, we urge taxpay-
ers who are owed refunds to file as soon as possible and file electronically," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Filing electronically with direct deposit is the quickest way to get refunds. Although we are curtailing some operations during this period, the IRS is continuing with mission-critical operations to support the nation, and that includes accepting tax returns and send-
ing refunds. As a federal agency vital to the overall operations of our country, we ask for your personal support, your understanding – and your patience. I'm incredibly proud of our employees as we navigate through numerous different challenges in this very rapidly changing environment." The IRS will continue to monitor issues related to the
COVID-19 virus, and updated information will be posted on a special coronavirus page on IRS.gov. This announcement comes following the President's emergency declaration last week pursuant to the Stafford Act. The Stafford Act is a federal law designed to bring an orderly and systematic means of federal natural disaster and emergency assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. It was enacted in 1988. Treasury and IRS will issue additional guidance as needed and continue working with Congress, on a bipartisan basis, on legislation to provide further relief to the American people. Source: irs.govp
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April 2020
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Unions In Action Nurses Union Suit continued from page 1 suits Monday against the state Health Department, the Westchester County hospital system and Montefiore Medical Center seeking court intervention “to protect the health, safety and lives of NYSNA RNs, their patients, their families and their communities.” The suits ask the court to make sure hospitals abide by scientifically approved methods of protection and medical care, including ensuring that nurses are provided with proper protective gear and that they’re only assigned to tasks for which they are already trained. In court papers, the 42,000member association revealed a union survey found that statewide, 954 registered nurses statewide have tested positive for coronavirus and 84 are currently hospitalized. The union emphasized these numbers are extremely conservative, noting relatively few nurses have been tested. Test Pleas ‘Routinely Rejected’ In an affidavit, Lisa Baum, a registered nurse and the union’s lead occupational health and safety representative, said the survey found 72% of members had been exposed to COVID-19 in the last few weeks. “Many RNs have reported that they are experiencing
symptoms consistent with COVID-19 such as fever, cough and shortness of breath,” Baum stated. “Yet when these RNs have asked their own health care employer to have them tested for COVID-19, their requests have been routinely rejected,” she added. “RNs have had to scramble to find testing on their own, often unsuccessfully, for a virus that they were exposed to and likely contracted at work.” Given the trajectory of the virus, the union estimates around 11% of members — more than 4,600 — will likely test positive and up to 1,000 will wind up hospitalized. The union also estimates 250 nurses could die from COVID19. In the city’s 11 public hospitals alone, more than 900 workers — including doctors, nurses and tech staff — have
tested positive for the virus, officials said last week, amid limited testing. Nurses Document Woes The suits were filed in Manhattan Federal Court, and in state courts in Manhattan and Westchester County. In the federal suit, Baum detailed a litany of alleged failures she said endangered the lives of nurses working front-line duty under dire conditions. As the crisis expanded, the union created a COVID Protest of Assignment form that documents what labor leaders called the persistent and infuriating struggle inside New York’s hospitals. As of Monday, nurses had submitted 1,281 forms. The forms record nurses’ frustrating efforts to obtain proper protective gear — such as N95 masks, face shields, gowns and gloves — crucial to
the effort to contain the virus’ spread. The forms also document how nurses have been required to work outside the scope of their training. Nurses at Bellevue Hospital recently detailed this issue to THE CITY, saying some were asked to sign so-called “competency forms” certifying that they’d been trained in intensive care unit duties for which they weren’t qualified. During daily virtual town meetings, Baum said she has heard from nurses who “have consistently expressed their objective fears for their and their families’ lives.” In many cases, the union charged, medical facilities have ordered nurses who were displaying symptoms to return to work before they had adequately recovered. “Many RNs have expressed to me that they are terrified
that if forced to return to work prematurely, prior to recovering from COVID-19, they will infect their co-workers and patients,” Baum stated. Jonah Bruno, a spokesperson for the state Health Department, declined to comment on the lawsuit. But, he wrote: “We are deeply grateful for the ongoing efforts of New York’s health care workers to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by testing people who may be infected and treating those who are most in need. The State of New York continues to take every step necessary to ensure that healthcare workers, particularly those who are sampling and providing direct care, have the support and supplies needed to address this unprecedented public health emergency.” In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Westchester Medical Center called the suit “irresponsible and a distraction.” “We know, and our care providers know, that the allegations in NYSNA’s lawsuit are wrong,” the statement said. “Our focus is, and has always been, protecting our workforce, which has been aligned from the outset in treating the most severely ill patients battling COVID-19.”p
This story was originally published on April 20, 2020 by THE CITY.”
April 2020
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Family: The True Modern Relationship
Helping Children Cope In These Stressful Times
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t is very important to remember that children look to adults for how to react during stressful times. With the COVID-19 virus gaining international media attention, information about the pandemic is everywhere. If parents seem overwhelmed with the situation, children will naturally react in the same way. As parents, teachers and other adults in the lives of children, it’s up to us to reassure and educate them in the most honest, compassionate way possible. Tips on interacting with children Here are some tips on talking about COVID-19 with your children or students, according to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP): • Remain calm and reassuring. • Make yourself available. • Avoid excessive blaming. • Be aware of their exposure to the news. • Maintain a normal routine, if
possible. • Be honest and accurate. Handling children’s anxiety What you say and do about COVID-19 can either increase or decrease your children’s anxiety levels related to the virus and the news they are hearing. Remind them that you and the adults at their school or daycare are there to keep them safe and healthy. Always let your children talk about their feelings in a safe way. This will help them get things into the open and allow for opportunities for you to educate them on what’s going on. Model basic hygience The NASP recommends you teaching children the following hygiene measures: • Wash hands multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star slowly). • Cover mouths with tissue when sneezing or coughing
and throw away the tissue immediately, or sneeze or cough into the bend of the elbow. • Do not share food or drinks. • Practice giving fist or elbow bumps instead of handshakes. Carry on with normal life Encourage your child to eat a
balanced diet, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. Not only will this give them comfort during disruptions, but it will help their immune system stay strong. Going along with this guidance, you should also take the time to talk with your children. Don’t
go out of your way to avoid conversations related to COVID-19. If they have questions, be ready to give them educated answers and advice on dealing with any inquiries they may have. p
April 2020
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Workers’ World
Seven Simple Secrets to Transform Your Financial Life BY GINITA WALL, CPA, CFP®
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ut down the lottery tickets! You don’t have to pray to the God of Powerball or wish on a shooting star to improve your financial life. You have the power to turn your finances around and sail into retirement on a metaphoric yacht of financial stability. Change your habits and change your financial life with these seven simple secrets:
goes into your 401k or IRA taxfree, which means all that extra tax-free money can grow and earn interest over the decades.
1. Save Every Month Sounds simple enough, but so many people don’t put money away each month. Start by saving for a rainy day fund that covers 3 – 6 months of expenses, and then start researching mutual funds so you can earn interest and that sweet financial manna know as compound interest.
3. Buy Good Health Insurance The Affordable Care Act has made health insurance mandatory, but that doesn’t mean everyone will comply. If you don’t receive health insurance from your employer or are selfemployed, buy health insurance even if you are healthy. If you get a cancer diagnosis or are in a bad car accident, your medical bills could easily wipe out your life savings.
2. Put as Much Into Your 401k or IRA as Possible If you work for an employer that provides any percent match for your 401k contributions, that’s FREE MONEY! Go after that! Even if you don’t get a match from work, try to max out your 401k ($17,500 in 2014) or IRA ($5,500) or put as much away as you can. This money
4. Ask for a Raise Ladies, when is the last time you’ve asked for a raise? No, we don’t mean the 3% raise you get at your annual evaluation. A quick online search can show you what others are making in your field. Are you on par? If not, then arm yourself with this data and a list of all the reasons why you are an
awesome and critical employee and ask for a raise. If you get a no, it might be a sign to start looking for greener pastures. 5. Pay Your Mortgage BiWeekly Instead of Monthly If you were to take out a 30year, $400,000 mortgage loan today at a 5% interest rate and make all your payments on time, you would end up shelling out $361,891 in interest over the life of the loan. Simply by paying this same mortgage bi-monthly (an option that most lenders allow), you would pay off your home four years sooner and save $68,713 in interest in the process. Think about what all of that money could do if it were in a mutual fund instead? You could save even more on interest if you paid just $100 extra on each bimonthly payment. 6. Cut Up Your Credit Cards It’s so easy to swipe your credit
card at the register and take home your purchases when the minimum monthly payments seem small and reasonable. However, when you use credit cards, it’s easy to lose sight of how much money you truly have. All that extra debt you carry around will incur interest, and that interest will incur interest. If you have high-interest cards like department store credit cards, you could quickly slide into a huge debt hole without even realizing it. If you ever hit your credit limit, Game Over. 7. Learn a New Skill If you are not making enough money at work or dream of one day owning your own business (a risk that could pay off handsomely), learning a new skill can increase your value to your employer or give you something you can build your business around. Engineers are a dime a dozen, but what about an engineer who can also write clear and compelling marketing copy? That’s a girl who could probably ask for a raise and get it!p Reprinted with permission. Ginita is the co-founder of The Women’s Institute for Financial Education (wife.org)
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Workers’ Compensation continued from page 1 Frontline workers are the selfless heroes of this pandemic, putting themselves and their families at risk as they fight to protect us all. New York's workers need vital protections to ensure that if they contract COVID-19 at work, they are protected. As much of New York has come to a grinding halt, these essential workers--nurses and doctors, transit workers and janitors, airport workers and grocery store clerks--are at the front lines. But as we know, many of these workers do not have access to personal protective equipment and are being exposed day in and day out to people who may or may not be symptomatic. For workers who contract COVID-19 on the job, we need to protect them against insurance companies who will stop at nothing to deny valid claims—and we need to acknowledge that the lack of personal protective equipment and the lack of available tests have made it even more difficult to know when someone has COVID-19 or when you are exposed. Preliminary guidance from the NYS Workers' Compensation Board would require workers to go through leaps and bounds to prove that they contracted COVID-19 at work. Instead, we need to show workers that if they get sick, they will be protected by New York State, and they will be taken care of. New York's workers are counting on you.p
Thank you, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH)
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April 2020
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Workers’ Safety
Workers’ Compensation: Things the Employees Need to Know BY LEON M. KELLY
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here are potential hazards associated with working in high-risk occupations (construction labor, heavy machinery operations, electrical powerline installation, etc.) that demand constant physical exertion and/or exposure to chemicals. In such occupations, workers often suffer injuries, have accidents, or become ill from diseases due to overexposure to harmful chemicals. Accidents, injuries, and diseases from job-related tasks will likely require the employer to compensate the employee for lost wages and medical expenses. To be eligible for workers’ compensation, the employee must seek immediate and appropriate medical attention, notify the employer of the injury, accident, or occupational disease, and file a timely claim with the Workers’ Compensation Board.
All employees who suffer work-related injuries must get the appropriate medical assistance immediately following their injuries or accidents. All areas affected by the injury must be documented and explained in detail. The Workers’ Compensation Board has medical providers whom it has authorized to provide care to the injured parties. The employer must provide its employees with such a list. Using any party not on the list may result in the employees having to pay their medical expenses incurred at the time of treatment. Employees are exempt from having to use a Board-approved medical provider only in emergencies. Notifying the employer of the injury is a must. According to the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board’s website, injured employees must notify their “supervisor about the injury and the way
in which it occurred, as soon as possible.” This is an important step, as failing to do so could again result in the workers having to pay their medical expenses and losing “the right to workers’ compensation benefits.” Employees filing workers’ compensation claims must file their claims promptly on Form Employee Claim (C-3) by mailing the form to the appropriate Board District Office.” “This must be done within two years
of the accident, or within two years after the employee knew or should have known, that the injury was related to employment.” Seeking immediate medical attention from authorized medical providers, notifying the employer of the injury, and filing a timely claim are required if employees want to be successful in their claims for workers’ compensation. The extent of all injuries should be documented by the person
providing medical attention. It is up to the employees to state all injuries upfront. The guidelines must be followed for employees to collect workers compensation benefits from the employer.p Leon M. Kelly is a student in the Chamber Coalition Paralegal Certificate Program. For details about this program, please visit www.freeparalegal.org Read more at www.311personalinjury.com
NY WORKERS’ COMPENSATION Are you working? Have you been injured on the job? Was it a serious injury as defined under NY Workers’ Compensation Law? If yes, then call Figeroux & Associates for a FREE Consultation at 718-222-3155.
Why Should I Hire A Lawyer? In addition to being eligible for workers' compensation, you may also have a claim against a party other than your employer. That is why it is so important to seek assistance from our experienced team.
Workers who know their rights and speak to a lawyer put themselves in a better position to obtain a recovery.
Find Out What Our Firm Can Do For You The Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates. Call us at 718-222-3155.
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April 2020
14
From Worker to Business Owner
How to Stay Sane While Working From Home main communication tool. It’s an app that lets us stay in touch via voice, video and text. On a typical day at our headquarters, I maintain an opendoor policy and let employees know they can drop in almost any time. Using Discord, I try to do the same by creating a separate channel where I’m always available for a virtual “drop-in.”
BY AYTEKIN TANK
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s humans, we are creatures of habit. As William James once wrote, “All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits — practical, emotional and intellectual.” Oftentimes, these habits are a helpful evolutionary feature of living in the modern world. They enable us to autopilot through easy decisions and save our mental energy for more important things. Writing for the New Yorker, Jerome Groopman explains: “When we get into a car and drive off, we don’t need to think about the separate actions of buckling a seat belt, turning on the ignition, putting the car in drive, checking the mirrors and the blind spot, and pressing the gas pedal. All these steps, chunked into a single unit in the memory, are triggered by the environmental cue of getting into your car.” Even when it comes to actions that require more forethought — say, deciding to hit the gym — routines can help us fend off decision fatigue. That’s why, prior to this crisis, I had a standing appointment with my trainer every morning. For the next few months, people around the world are facing drastic changes to their personal and professional habits, one of the most significant of which is the sudden switch to working remotely. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29 percent of Americans could work from home before all of this. Now that number has skyrocketed, particularly in the tech industry. Here are some expert-backed
strategies for keeping your and your team’s productivity high (and stress at bay) while working under new circumstances. 1. Stick to your usual schedule. When working remotely, focus on the ways in which you’re able to stick to your old routine — beginning with your schedule. To the extent possible, keep your usual office hours. “Try to get up at the same time, and do all the things you would typically do to get ready for work,” William Castellano, a professor in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, tells the New York Times. If your day usually begins with a status meeting, organize the same on Zoom or Google Hangouts. If you squeeze in a workout before heading to the office, don’t skip your sweat session (even if going to the gym might not be an option). Given all of the factors that have changed, maintaining some of your habits can make the transition less stressful. And don’t forget to take breaks throughout the day.
Research has shown that giving your brain a rest can increase creativity, productivity and your ability to learn. So talk a walk, grind and brew your favorite coffee or even just daydream — anything that allows your goal-oriented pre-frontal cortex to relax for a while. 2. Set ground rules with your partner (or anyone sharing your space). As Johanna Gohmann writes cheekily for the New Yorker, “If you live in an apartment with a child, one person should work in the bedroom, while the other quietly begins divorce proceedings.” Jokes aside, it’s important to set boundaries with anyone who will also be using your space, keeping in mind that we’re all functioning outside of our comfort zones. You don’t have an in-house HR department, but that doesn’t mean you can’t call a meeting with your spouse, partner or roommate and go over some basic points. Guy Winch, a psychologist in New York City and the author of Emotional First Aid, recommends asking the following questions:
What are our work hours? Where do we go in the house when one of us needs to take a call? Where will our individual workstations be? Who keeps an eye on the kids, and when? With ground rules established, it will be easier for all parties to organize their day and work effectively. 3. Provide your teams with the infrastructure to succeed. While resources may be limited, do your best to set up a neat, organized workspace where all of your hardware is readily accessible. At JotForm, to help our employees carry on during the COVID-19 crisis, we’re encouraging them to submit requests for office furniture and supplies to create comfortable workspaces at home. In the same form, they can give us their supply “wish list” and their delivery address. That way, we can streamline the processing of requests and get employees set up as quickly as possible. We’ve also set our teams up with communication software, so they feel connected, too. Discord, for example, is our
4. Accept that home will never replicate the office. Even if #WFH offers some great perks — no morning commute, homemade lunches and the option to wear pajamas all day if you’d like — it doesn’t come without drawbacks. Distractions abound, communication is more challenging and family obligations may compete for your attention. Start by forgiving yourself for not being able to maintain the same clip you did at the office. With practice, you might find new ways to be efficient and work just as effectively from home. But if it takes time to adjust to your routine and productivity isn’t quite where it used to be, that’s OK: We’re in this together. Research has shown that anxiety impacts our decision-making skills, so don’t forget to schedule some selfcare, too. Hope you are staying safe and healthy (and sane) during these wild times.p Aytekin Tank, is the founder and CEO of JotForm, the easiest online form builder. JotForm was ranked in the 2016 Entrepreneur 360™ List, an annual ranking of the most entrepreneurial private companies in the U.S. Tank is a VIP Contributor at Entrepreneur.com
April 2020
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In the News
CWE Partners Respond to COVID-19
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ommunity organizations from Consortium for Worker Education’s (CWE) Jobs to Build On and Worker Service Center programs are providing remote services to workers in need. They are training workers online, answering questions via phone and email, and developing new resources for the COVID-19 effects that workers are facing. Henry Street Settlement is providing virtual ESOL/Job Readiness classes, so workers can keep building skills online. Make the Road New York developed a safety training webinar for essential workers. Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow is helping New Yorkers navigate the economic downturn with online education covering unemployment insurance, stimulus legislation,
T Senior center grab and go meals provided by Henry Street Settlement. Photo: CWE
and online job searches. St. Nicks Alliance is connecting workers to jobs in essential industries and continuing outreach for its job training programs. Yemeni American Merchants Association is distributing sanitary supplies to protect bodega workers and their customers. These are just a few of the many examples of CWE partners rising to the challenge of COVID-19 to protect and support New York’s workers. p
Concerns over Plans to Hold Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Show
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he Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) representing Macy's workers expressed concerns this week over the announcement that the city plans to work with the company to allow the 4th of July Fireworks to go forward despite concerns about social distancing dangers and whether it is right for Macy's to spend millions on the fireworks display when tens of thousands of its employees nationwide have been furloughed.
Transit Workers Demanding Recognition and Respect from Retailers
"Macy’s should not be spending millions on fireworks displays while its own workforce is out of work. They are putting New Yorkers at risk in order to create a nationally televised commercial for themselves, and using our city as a backdrop. If they really cared about New Yorkers, they would be spending that money on healthcare coverage for the hard-working employees that made them successful
Stuart Appelbaum
for decades,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the RWDSU.p
COVID-19 Help Line for Retail Workers
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he Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union has partnered with the Center for Frontline Retail to set up a hot line for current and former retail workers who are looking for help amid the COVID-19 crisis: Are you a current or former retail worker who needs help accessing resources during the COVID-19 crisis? Call the COVID-19 Helpline at 646-918-6907 and learn about your rights! p
WU Local 100 leadership and members demanded respect and recognition — from retailers like Shoprite, Costco and BJs — that have priority shopping programs for police, firefighters and medical personnel. Now, TWU Local 100 members will get the same priority access as police, firefighters and medical personnel at Costco and Foodtown. Costco corporate headquarters called Local 100 President Tony Utano this to say transit workers who show their Transit passes will be allowed to go to the front of any line to enter a Costco warehouse. The protest that Local 100 had called for Tuesday outside the Costco in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, is called off, Utano said. "Transit workers deserve the same respect as the police, firefighters and medical workers," Utano said. "We won this battle, but we will keep pushing other retailers to also give transit workers equal respect and treatment."
Utano thanked MTA Chairman Pat Foye for his assistance in getting Costco executives to focus on the issue and make the policy change. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams also heard those complaints. Adams has informed Local 100 Secretary-Treasurer Earl Phillips that he contacted Foodtown's regional general manager on the issue. The manager agreed to give transit workers the same priority shopping status as "first responders." "I'm grateful to Borough President Eric Adams for standing up for transit workers," Phillips said. "Foodtown must now inform employees working the front doors about this new policy as quickly as possible."p
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April 2020
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Jobs & Recession
New Initiative Aims to Help Unemployed New Yorkers Learn to Code
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ew York City: In response to growing une m p l o y m e n t numbers, Codecademy today announced a new initiative that aims to grant 100,000 unemployed or furloughed workers access to its premium online coding education resources. Amidst the current environment of economic uncertainty, Codecademy believes that learning technology skills can not only provide a welcome distraction v it can also empower people to gain control over their circumstances. As such, the company has committed to granting five Codecademy Pro memberships to workers that have been furloughed or laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic for every person who joins Codecademy Pro. The announcement comes on the heels of a recent initiative in which the company granted over 100,000 K-12 and college
students around the world free access to Codecademy Pro. That initiative, which was launched in mid-March, far exceeded its initial goal of helping 10,000 students. Codecademy CEO and Founder Zach Sims commented, “As recent unemployment numbers suggest, we are facing what may be the biggest economic disruption of our
lifetime (to make no mention of the massive toll in human lives). All of us — especially those whose livelihoods have been disrupted v should consider how we can continue to adapt our skill sets to an uncertain economy. By partnering with our community, we are using education to grant new economic opportunities to any worker who is trying to reskill
or upskill during this trying time.” A quarantined factory worker from Mississippi named Alan M. received a complimentary Codecademy Pro membership as part of a trial program last month. He said: “Emotionally, it is a challenging time with the future of the factory uncertain at this time and the full economic implications of COVID-19 still
unknown. My wife, who works in the restaurant business as a chef, also lost her job the day after I was asked to quarantine. Having access to Codecademy Pro is helping to give purpose to my days during this time of uncertainty.” "I try to make a little progress every day working through a module or two. I have always had a desire to learn more about coding and to expand my skills; having the time and access to Codeacademy is giving me hope that I can strengthen my coding skills,” said Alan M. Those who subscribe to Codecademy Pro at http://www.codecademy.com/ worker-support/ will assist Codecademy in providing five memberships to affected workers. Affected workers will be able to apply for their Codecademy Pro scholarship beginning on April 23rd.p
Paralegal Certificate Program for Shop Stewards & Union Members We believe an educated worker is an empowered worker. We want to help all workers to understand and advocate for their rights effectively. Our Legal Training Certificate Program provides the knowledge, tools and resources to do just that! Mandatory Topics Introduction to Legal Research and Writing – Part 1 & ll Introduction to Immigration Law Introduction to Personal Injury Law Introduction to Social Security Disability Law Introduction to Labor Law: Your Rights in the Workplace Introduction to Article 78 Litigation Introduction to Civil Rights Introduction to Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Introduction to Workers’ Compensation Introduction to Employment Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Introduction to Labor Unions & Racism Introduction to Audio & Video Podcast Production
Registration Fee: $275 Includes Individual Chamber Membership
Register at www.freeparalegal.org
Choose 3 Optional Topics Introduction to Constitutional Law Introduction to Diversity, Inclusion & Equality Introduction to Consumer Advocacy How to Run for NYC City Council How to Run for NYS Assembly or Senate Introduction to Landlord & Tenant Law Introduction to Workplace Health & Safety Introduction to Negotiation & Effective Communication
PLUS: Mandatory Citizenship & Labor Issues Clinic Presented by:
April 2020
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Old & New Immigrants: Their Rights
“Distractor-in-Chief”: Observers Call Out Trump’s Politically Motivated Immigration Ban BY AMERICA’S VOICE
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eading voices from across the political spectrum are rightfully calling out President Trump’s immigration ban as a transparent and politically motivated attempt to distract attention away from his ongoing mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice: “Donald Trump has become the Distractor-inChief. He’s more interested in flattening the curve of America’s growing distrust of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic than in saving our lives. The latest immigration ‘ban’ is nothing more than another warmed-over anti-immigrant maneuver out of his xenophobic bag of tricks.” Wall Street Journal editorial, “Trump’s Immigration Distraction” notes, “Immigrants
in this pandemic are providing ‘essential’ work like farm labor, meat packing, food preparation and grocery delivery that are helping the country endure … The White House also concedes all this by leaking that Mr. Trump’s order will carve out exceptions for farm and health-care workers. He should unless he wants crops rotting in the fields and Covid-19 patients to go untreated … All of which suggests that Mr. Trump’s real calculation here is political … With his approval rating down, Mr. Trump may feel he needs to return to one of his favorite 2016 themes.” Greg Sargent of the Washington Post, “Trump’s latest campaign ploy is disgusting — and it will fail,” highlighting the new America’s Voice report on how Republican reliance on xenophobia keeps failing. Sargent writes, “President Trump rarely bothers to
Trump
conceal his basest motives, which may explain why he revealed that his new suspension of immigration is a rank reelection ploy even before the policy was complete … A new report from pro-immigrant America’s Voice provides an accounting of how often this tactic has failed Republicans during the Trump era. Because Trump won in 2016, pundits remain reluctant to acknowledge that this anti-immigrant demagoguery has been unsuccessfully wielded by an extraordinarily long series of failed GOP campaigns
in the three years since.” Maryland GOP Governor Larry Hogan: “A Distraction from What’s Really Going On,” stating on ABC’s “The View,” “I try not to pay any attention to the tweets from the president … I think it’s just a distraction from what’s really going on.” Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer: “Trump’s pronouncements about freezing immigration are ‘scary’ for immigrants, family members hoping to immigrate to the U.S., farmers
who rely on seasonal migrant workers and Canadian nurses who work in Michigan, the Democratic governor said in an interview with the Associated Press. ‘These broad statements that come out I think are are so problematic and counter to I think what we need right now more than anything — which is fact based scientifically proven, best practices and an optimistic vision of where we are headed and the thrust to make it a reality.’” Los Angeles Times editorial, “Trump’s new immigration is just more of his tired political posturing,” noting, “It’s no coincidence that his call for a ban on new immigrants dovetails with one of his signature campaign issues at a time when the vibrant economy he had planned to campaign on has cratered. This is about saving one job — the president’s.” continued on page 18
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Know Your Rights
Beware of Real Estate Scams
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f any part of a transaction seems too good to be true, you may be the victim of a real estate scam. There are many types of real estate scams. The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to beware of the many, increasingly sophisticated tactics criminals are using to swindle their victims. Loan modification scams If you’re in danger of losing your home, it can be a time of desperation, but keeping your wits about you will help you avoid a common loan modification scam. Typically, these scams involve someone posing as a financial advisor or debt relief consultant asking you to pay an up-front fee and sign a contract, with promises of lowering your payments or eliminating debt. They may even try to convince you to sign over the title of the property or redirect your mortgage payments to their own bank accounts. According to the Homeowner-
ship Preservation Foundation, these kinds of scams became so prevalent during the housing crisis that the Federal Trade Commission issued a rule a few years ago forbidding companies from accepting up-front fees to negotiate mortgage-reduction payments on behalf of a homeowner. The Department of Housing and Urban Development suggests that homeowners facing foreclosure instead contact a HUD-approved housing counselor to explore their options.
ceedings surrounding homeownership have been perpetrating a deed scam. This usually involves a mailed letter offering to provide a certified copy of your property deed, usually for a fee around $90-$100. The fee for obtaining a copy of your deed is usually much lower, and you can easily obtain the document yourself from the county clerk’s office. The cost can be as little as $1 per page for a regular copy and about $10 for a certified copy.
Deed scams Scammers around the country looking to capitalize on misinformation about the legal pro-
Rental scams If you find your dream property in an online listing and the price seems like a steal, you
may be dealing with a rental scammer. Rental scams are relatively easy for criminals to pull off. They swipe legitimate listing photos and details, present a peach of a deal, and ask for a cash deposit or credit or application fee. They may even invent a property entirely. They walk away with your cash, and you’re left with nothing but regret. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the surest sign of a fraud is if you’re asked to wire money. “Wiring money is the same as sending cash — once you send it, you have no way to get it back,” according to the FTC. Working with an “agent” who is located outside the U.S. or being asked to put down money before signing a lease are also red flags. Report scams It’s important to report scams to help prevent others from being victimized. p
Immigration Ban continued from page 17 Syndicated conservative columnist Max Boot, “Trump can’t defeat the coronavirus. But he can wage war on immigrants,” writing, “President Trump has led the United States to catastrophic defeat in the battle against a virus … So having lost the war against what he calls the “Invisible Enemy,” Trump has decided to shift our attention toward the battle against a visible enemy: immigrants … This is a familiar maneuver from Trump’s xenophobic playbook … It is obscene at any time, but all the more so now when the coronavirus crisis is proving just how much we depend on immigrants.” Aaron Blake in the Washington Post, “Facing coronavirus criticism, Trump reaches for his favorite remedy: An immigration ban,” noting, “…for a president who has been criticized for doing so little, it will provide him grist for the political mill and something to hail as concrete action — no matter, as with the wall, the actual efficacy of the move and whether the experts were even asking for it.” Syndicated conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin writes, “Trump’s latest immigration stunt is one of his most obvious and desperate since the coronavirus began. His tweets, news conferences, attacks on the media and Democrats and nonstop attempts to rewrite history have not worked to persuade members of the public to disregard what is in front of their eyes: the worst domestic crisis of their lifetimes, made more devastating by an incompetent narcissist.”p
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April 2020
19
Love, Health & Travel
Facebook Snooping: My Boyfriend Writes to Other Girls on Facebook BY JENNINE ESTES, MFT
I
admit it! I am Facebook snooping! I discovered that my boyfriend is writing to other girls on Facebook and it really bothers me. He usually just asks how they’re doing and they never respond (probably because they can see he’s in a relationship). I knew he was doing this in the past, and then I discovered his Facebook password and I logged into his account even though I know I shouldn’t snoop. I found more emails to other girls! What should I do now? Answer: Since he has a track record of writing to other girls on Facebook in the past, you obviously don’t trust your boyfriend completely. Facebook snooping, even though it is violating, it is something that
partners do to figure out whether or not they can trust each other in the relationship. If you trusted him, you would not have been so tempted to secretly check his Facebook account. When you find more emails being sent out, it only leaves you feeling more unsettled and insecure in the relationship, confirming why you mistrusted him in the first place. This might turn into a cycle if you don’t address the
problem. As for what to do next, don’t hide the fact that you read the emails. The bad feelings you have about the emails will only grow, fester, and come out in a bad way later on down the road. Deal with the issue straight on — you need to fess up and let your boyfriend know what’s going on. You did cross the line and violate his privacy by snooping, so be prepared to take responsibility
I’m done!
for playing a part in hurting the relationship. While you were crossing a line to log into your boyfriend’s Facebook account, the secretive emails to other women can also be seen as a betrayal. Your boyfriend needs to be held accountable for his part too. It sounds like trust is now declining on a fast pace in your relationship, so you need to establish some ground rules to live by. The secretive emails
must stop and you will need to see evidence that your boyfriend is being honest with you. Caution! You may be so hurt and angry that you just want to lecture your boyfriend and flood him with a lot of emotion at once. Don’t do that! Instead, turn to your partner in a nonattacking way and share with him how hurt you feel as calmly as you can. Also acknowledge how you did invade his privacy and own up to your part. Come up with a plan of attack together for how you can start fighting to rebuild the trust in your relationship and make it stronger.p About Jennine Estes, MFT is a Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego, CA. Estes is certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples and writes relationship and selfgrowth advice for her column, Relationships in the Raw.
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April 2020
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Love, Health & Travel
Coronavirus and Travel in the U.S.
T
he COVID-19 outbreak in United States is a rapidly evolving situation. The status of the outbreak varies by location and state and local authorities are updating their guidance frequently. The White House’s Opening Up America Again plan means some parts of the country may have different guidance than other areas. Check with the state or local authorities where you are, along your route, and at your planned destination to learn about local circumstances and any restrictions that may be in place. Travel Recommendations Cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been reported in all states, and some areas are experiencing community spread of the disease. Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you stay home as much as possible, especially if
someone who has the virus. Bus or train travel: Sitting or standing within 6 feet of others for a prolonged period of time can put you at risk of getting or spreading COVID-19. Car travel: The stops you need to make along the way could put you and others in the car with you in close contact with others who could be infected. your trip is not essential, and practice social distancing especially if you are at higher risk of severe illness. Considerations if You Must Travel During the President’s 30 Days to Slow the Spread CDC recommends you stay home as much as possible and avoid close contact, especially if you are at higher risk of severe illness. If you must travel, there are several things you should consider before you go. Some types of travel (bus, plane, train) may require sitting next to others for a period of time. Travel may also ex-
pose you to new parts of the country with differing levels of community transmission. And, if you’re infected, your travel may put others at risk– along the way, at your destination, and when you return home. If you must travel, consider the following risks you might face, depending on what type of travel you are planning:
RV travel: Traveling by RV means you may have to stop less often for food or bathrooms, but RV travelers typically have to stop at RV parks overnight and other public places to get gas and supplies. These stops may put you and those with you in the RV in close contact with others who could be infected.
Air travel: Because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes, most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights. However, there may be a risk of getting COVID-19 if you are seated within 6 feet of
State and Local Travel Restrictions or Orders CDC recommends you stay home as much as possible and avoid close contact, especially if you are at higher risk of severe illness. If you must travel, follow any state and local
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travel restrictions currently in place. It is possible that some state and local governments may put in place travel restrictions, stay-at-home or shelterin-place orders, mandated quarantines upon arrival, or even state border closures while you are traveling. For more information and travel guidance, check with the state or local health department where you are, along your route, and at your planned destination. Just because there are no restrictions at the time you plan to leave does not mean there won’t be restrictions in place when you arrive. Lodging CDC recommends you stay home as much as possible and avoid close contact, especially if you are at higher risk of severe illness. Staying in temporary accommodations (hotels, motels, and rental properties) may expose you to the virus through person-to-person contact and possibly through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects.p
April 2020
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21
Love, Health & Travel
Correcting This Faulty Belief about COVID-19 Will Save Lives BY KENNETH E. THORPE
I
n times of emergency, misperceptions can prove deadly. That's certainly the case today, amid widespread belief that COVID-19 mainly threatens older Americans. In reality, those of any age suffering from an underlying health condition are at significant risk of complications from COVID-19. And when these patients fail to take proper precautions, they put their own lives— and the health of millions of people — in jeopardy. By and large, younger Americans have been the slowest to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many in this group continue to frequent bars, attend parties, travel, and eat in restaurants, especially outside major cities where most establishments are now closed. This response is partly the result of a misunderstanding. The Centers for Disease Control specifically highlighted the
threat COVID-19 posed to older individuals and those with preexisting chronic conditions. Many Americans felt they didn't fall under this warning. For them, it conjured distant images of 90-year-olds on ventilators. But the health conditions that can complicate COVID-19 aren't unique to the elderly. Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, lung disease, and asthma all impact younger and middle-aged people, too.
For instance, nearly four in five Americans with heart disease are younger than 65. More than a one in three in their 40s or 50s have high blood pressure. And roughly one in six of those aged 45 to 64 have some form of diabetes. This means that many Americans who appear perfectly healthy actually fall within the high-risk group. The failure to internalize this fact has already led to avoidable tragedy. As of March 16, one in five people
hospitalized due to COVID-19 were aged 20 to 44, and well over half were under the age of 65. It's time Americans came to grips with the unsettling truth about this pandemic. If chronically ill patients of all ages don't take proper precautions, many will see their health deteriorate quickly. Imagine a 34-year-old woman with Type 1 diabetes. Given that she's lived with her illness for years, she might not consider herself particularly highrisk. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, she might exercise fewer precautions than recommended. But the fact is, any fluctuations in glucose levels can weaken her immune system. If she acquires COVID-19, the disease could progress at an accelerated pace. At first, she might experience a fever and shortness of breath. Within a few days, her breathing could become so labored that she re-
quires hospitalization. Soon, she may need a ventilator. And if her case is severe, these measures may not be enough to save her life. This risk isn't hypothetical. One recent analysis of 44,672 confirmed COVID-19 cases in China — published in the Journal of the American Medical Association — put the death rate for patients with diabetes at 7.3 percent. That's more than three-times the overall case fatality rate. This warning also applies to the 45-year-old with high blood pressure and the 50year-old with heart disease. The same JAMA study found that the death rate for patients with cardiovascular disease was 10.5 percent. According to a separate report, 40 percent of those hospitalized from COVID-19 had some form of heart or vascular condition. It's time all patients with underlying conditions adecontinued on page 22
NEW YORKERS:
STAY HOME TO STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS New Yorkers working together and staying home can slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in New York City. When you go out for essential needs, work or to get fresh air, keep distance between yourself and others and take the following precautions.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS • Keep at least 6 feet between yourself and others. • Wash your hands with soap and water often. • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. • Do not touch your face with unwashed hands. • Monitor your health more closely than usual for cold or flu symptoms.
IF YOU ARE SICK • Stay home. • If you have a cough, shortness of breath, fever, sore throat and do not feel better after 3-4 days, consult with your doctor. • If you need help getting medical care, call 311. • NYC will provide care regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.
PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE • Stay home if you have lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, cancer or a weakened immune system. • Stay home and call, video chat or text with family or friends who have one of these conditions.
Text COVID to 692-692 for real-time updates or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus. Call 311 to report harassment or discrimination. Call 888-NYC-WELL, text "WELL" to 65173 or chat online at nyc.gov/nycwell to connect with a counselor. *Messages and data rates may apply. Check your wireless provider plan for details.
REDUCE OVERCROWDING • Stay home. • Telecommute if possible. If you do go out: • Stagger work hours away from peak travel times. • Walk or bike. • Do not gather in crowds.
Bill de Blasio Mayor Oxiris Barbot, MD Commissioner
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April 2020
22
Book Review
The Road to Unstoppable: How to Achieve Your Goals Despite the Challenges Of Life
T
he journey of an entrepreneur can be very challenging. It's not as easy for us to achieve our goals, as many people want us to believe. When you have additional problems and concerns to deal with, those goals become dreams. Many entrepreneurs decide to quit. Victoria Falk, award-winning CEO of Passionate Travel Inc. and Global Business Trainer, does not want you to quit. During a period in her life when she was experiencing sadness and uncertainty, Victoria completed this book as her gift to the world. She wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to thrive during challenging times. Instead of becoming depressed and giving up hope, Victoria decided to share her message. Throughout this inspiring book, Victoria shares personal stories and the powerful lessons she has learned during her 12-year journey as an entrepreneur. She has met many
Faulty Belief/ continued from page 21 quately protected themselves — and others — from this deadly pandemic. Here's how: •Regularly wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds — especially after sneezing or coughing. If running water and soap isn't available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
entrepreneurs whose businesses were derailed following the personal challenges they faced. Therefore, Victoria wants to teach entrepreneurs how she was able to overcome severe depression, anxiety, a violent attack, heartbreaks, and setbacks, to go on to win numerous awards for business achievement. Victoria wants entrepreneurs to delve into the pages of this book to learn: *How to develop the mindset of a champion *How to increase resilience *How to become a magnet for opportunities *How to achieve goals p Buy the book at www.amazon.com
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. • Stay at home as much as possible. And work from home if you can. • If someone in your home is sick or has been in contact with a sick person, avoid them. •Disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your home every day. •If you must leave your home, remain at least 6 feet away from anyone you encounter. No handshakes. No large gatherings. •If you develop a fever or cough, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Make no mistake: These are extreme measures, and they will require sacrifice. But those with underlying conditions who fail to heed this guidance — no matter their age — are putting their lives at risk and helping to spread this dangerous illness.p
Looking to make extra cash? A side hustle? We are looking for persons to sell advertisements in our newspapers. Experience in advertising sales is needed and preferably experience or a sincere interest in marketing.
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Kenneth E. Thorpe is a professor of health policy at Emory University and chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.
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