Monday, April 13, 2026

How to Be Your Own Glam Squad for a Zoom Wedding

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How to Be Your Own Glam Squad for a Zoom Wedding

Hair salons, spas and beauty retailers are continuing to help couples prepare for their weddings, even though most have been forced to temporarily close because of the coronavirus. Some are offering services like online tutorials and Instagram Live chats that feature tips from experts.

Couples are finding all this support a godsend. “Getting beauty advice from professionals helps keep your sanity,” said Shaunie Warner, 29, who lives in Los Angeles and works as an e-commerce manager for Beautycounter. She and her fiancé, Joe Apeah, 31, an information technology risk and compliance manager at TikTok, were one of three engaged couples featured on Beautycounter’s first wedding-focused Instagram livestream on April 29.

The couple, who pushed back their wedding date to Sept. 24 from May 22, were able to ask questions and talk about their concerns with the company’s lead makeup artist. “The session reinspired me about my wedding,” Ms. Warner said. “It reminded me I’m still having a celebration.”

If you’re looking for some advice, and can’t get it in-person, here are a few new virtual offerings from beauty brands and experts.

Engaged couples can tune into “I Do with Beautycounter,” a 30-minute bimonthly Instagram Live series hosted by the skin care and makeup brand. Three couples are invited to join the virtual chat with Christy Coleman, a makeup artist and the company’s chief artistic officer, about skin care and makeup tips. Other couples are able to view the live chat and ask their questions in the comments.

“These were big wedding months,” Ms. Coleman said. “We wanted to find ways to help couples prepare at home. This is something fun and engaging they can experience together while getting hands-on help with preparing their skin.”

Couples eager to have their questions and concerns addressed by Ms. Coleman live can send a one- to two-minute video stating their skin care and makeup wedding goals. Three couples will be chosen per episode to be featured in the live chat. Email Ido@beautycounter.com for more information. The next episodes will be live on June 19 and 26 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Preparation: Whether you’re a featured couple on the show or watching it live, you’ll want to “have a clean face, a mirror and forward-facing lighting from a desk lamp,” Ms. Coleman said. “Don’t go for overhead or backlighting as these create shadows. You want to be able to see your skin up close in the best light possible.” Also, have some of your favorite products in front of you so you can follow along.

Advice: Ms. Coleman suggested taking a self-care moment together the night before with a hydrating or detoxing mask so your skin is clean and fresh the following day.

Katelyn McCullough, who describes herself as a wedding-beauty matchmaker, owns Elwynn + Cass, a beauty concierge service that focuses on connecting brides, grooms and wedding party members with the right hair and makeup artist, at no extra fee.

“Most clients email me what they’re looking for or we do a 15- to 20-minute consultation on the phone,” said Ms. McCullough, whose company is based in San Diego. Last year she matched 500 clients with beauty pros. “Once I understand what you want, I recommend three or four options, which includes prices, years of experience, the artist’s bio and examples of their work.”

Ms. McCullough said about half of her business clients, who she charges a referral fee, are livestreaming their sessions or doing their consultations virtually.

“The artist is with you every step of the way, explaining how to achieve the look you want and helping you through any issues you might run into in real time,” she said.

An added bonus: No travel expenses are needed if the makeup artist you love lives in Seattle but your wedding is in Maine. For virtual or in-person hair or makeup services, the prices, which varies depending on the stylist or makeup artist you choose, range from $85-$200 per hour. For more information email: info@elwynnandcass.com

Preparation: “Before your trial, send me a list of products you use and what your skin type and hair texture is,” Ms. McCullough said. “That way the artist can be prepared for you. If you don’t know, the artist should be available to give you 10 minutes to talk it through and make suggestions.”

Advice: When choosing your stylists or makeup artist, Ms. McCullough advises selecting someone who you think you would get along with. “It’s just as important as their skill,” she said. “You’re supposed to have fun and feel comfortable.”

[Sign up for Love Letter and always get the latest in Modern Love, weddings, and relationships in the news by email.]

In April, Huda Beauty, a global beauty band, started a complementary, one-on-one virtual consultation program. Three different types of pro-artist sessions are offered: a 15-minute product consult, for example lash application or lip color advice; 30-minute technique (think contouring or smoky eye training); and a 60-minute ”get ready with me” session, which allows you to be supervised through your wedding-day look.

“This opportunity gives us a chance to provide our in-house pro-artists with new responsibilities while serving our social community,” said Huda Kattan, the founder and chief executive of Huda Beauty. The goal of the program, she said, was to support both the consumer and the company’s employees. “Sessions are tailored around your needs so you get the most out of it.”

To reserve a spot go to hudabeauty.com, click the “book your virtual consultation” link, and choose the type of appointment you want to make and with which artist. Once you’ve picked an available time and date you’ll receive an email confirmation and a link to a web conference, which will connect you with your artist.

Preparation: To have time to practice your look, Ms. Kattan suggests scheduling one or two appointments for sessions at least a month before your actual wedding day.

Advice: “Show your artist photos of your dress, your bridal party dresses, and the environment,” Ms. Kattan said. “And discuss your lighting. Lighting is everything and the artists will make sure your makeup is on-point no matter where you’re captured.”

Brittany Lo, the founder and chief executive of Beautini, a bridal beauty company based in New York, has created six, 10-minute beauty video tutorials. Among the skills being taught: how to create skin that glows, perfectly blend your eye shadow, apply lashes, and achieve a natural look.

“Once I learned people were homebound, I wanted to teach techniques to engaged couples so they’d have the confidence to do their own makeup for events leading up to their wedding,” Ms. Lo said. “It’s important people feel empowered rather than overwhelmed. Looking and feeling beautiful can mean everything to someone.”

Go to brittanylo.com/subscribe-free-class to enroll for her weekly video and newsletter series.

Preparation: “Bring photos of yourself that you love and hate — this is all about visual communication,” Ms. Lo said. “What’s a natural or glam look to you may not be to someone else, so it’s important that everyone is visually on the same page.”

  • Updated May 28, 2020

    • My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?

      States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.

    • What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?

      Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.

    • What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

      Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.

    • How can I protect myself while flying?

      If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)

    • How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?

      More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.

    • Is ‘Covid toe’ a symptom of the disease?

      There is an uptick in people reporting symptoms of chilblains, which are painful red or purple lesions that typically appear in the winter on fingers or toes. The lesions are emerging as yet another symptom of infection with the new coronavirus. Chilblains are caused by inflammation in small blood vessels in reaction to cold or damp conditions, but they are usually common in the coldest winter months. Federal health officials do not include toe lesions in the list of coronavirus symptoms, but some dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing.

    • Should I wear a mask?

      The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.

    • What should I do if I feel sick?

      If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

    • How can I help?

      Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.

Advice: When you’re practicing the tips you’ve learned, wear a T-shirt in the same color and neckline of what you will be wearing at your event or wedding, Ms. Lo said. “This helps visualize how your hair and makeup will truly look on you,” she said.

Recently, Blushington, a makeup service and retailer with multiple locations in New York, Los Angeles and a store in Dallas, started virtual makeup classes and parties where brides, grooms, and their wedding parties can do group interactive lessons with a stylist.

“Couples still want a getting ready party experience,” said Jessica Hamilton, the director of operations and customer experience at Blushington. “They want to feel special and do the same events they would have had before the pandemic started. We wanted to recreate the tradition of getting ready together.”

Up to 10 people can take a makeup class simultaneously. A 75-minute class is $150 for brides; $75 for grooms. “A natural washout happens when we appear on a computer or phone,” Ms. Hamilton said. “Men’s grooming sessions focus on corrective makeup to counteract lighting issues, and brow and facial hair grooming help.”

Visit www.blushington.com/virtual-wedding-services, click on the virtual wedding link, fill out an inquiry form and a bridal service coordinator will contact you within 24 hours.

Preparation: “A list of 10 or so items — makeup brushes, foundation, eyelash curler, mascara, beauty blender sponge, setting spray — are sent to guests before their session,” Ms. Hamilton said, “so they will have everything they need in front of them.”

Advice: “Skin care is just as important for men,” she said. “They should exfoliate the evening before and use a nonirritating after-shave, and face balm, which keeps away redness, bumps and calms skin.”

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Biden Names Two New Advisers as Convention Decision Looms

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Biden Names Two New Advisers as Convention Decision Looms

Joseph R. Biden Jr. has chosen two Democratic strategists to lead his preparations for the party’s summer nominating convention, a traditionally crucial event for a presidential campaign that is now enveloped in uncertainty because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Biden’s campaign is designating Addisu Demissie, a veteran Democratic strategist who managed Senator Cory Booker’s presidential campaign, as a senior adviser responsible for coordinating the convention. It is also naming Lindsay Holst, who was Mr. Biden’s digital director when he was vice president, to lead special projects for the convention, including its digital side, according to people familiar with the appointments.

The selection of two seasoned political aides for the convention-planning jobs underscores the stakes for Mr. Biden in orchestrating a successful event in August despite extraordinary public-health challenges. The event, which is slated to take place in Milwaukee, has already been pushed back to August from July because of the pandemic, and it is not clear what kinds of restrictions on public gatherings may still be in place in late summer.

Mr. Biden and other senior Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin, have raised the possibility that they may have to hold an entirely virtual convention, or some form of hybrid event that is largely online but has some in-person components.

President Trump is also wrestling with the practical difficulties of holding a convention under the circumstances, and he and his political advisers have been engaged in a tense negotiation with Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, a Democrat, over whether the state will consider it safe to hold an August gathering in Charlotte. Mr. Trump has said he may move his party’s convention to another state if Mr. Cooper does not provide the assurances his campaign is seeking.

The widespread demonstrations against police brutality and the scenes of street violence in many American cities over the last week could present an additional challenge for convention organizers who are weighing how — and whether — to stage politically sensitive mass gatherings during a viral outbreak.

Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, Mr. Biden’s campaign manager, said in a statement that the two new advisers would “help lead this first of its kind convention, which is part of our broader engagement with the American people.”

“It will be an opportunity to have maximum impact with voters across the country and be the most inclusive convention in our history,” she said.

The addition of Mr. Demissie and Ms. Holst to the Biden campaign indicates that Democratic efforts to design a convention under those trying conditions are advancing to a new stage. Both worked on one or both of the Obama-Biden campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

Mr. Demissie led multiple winning statewide campaigns, steering Mr. Booker’s election to the Senate in 2013 and serving as campaign manager to Gavin Newsom during his successful run for California governor in 2018, before helming Mr. Booker’s presidential effort. A co-founder of the political consulting firm 50+1 Strategies, Mr. Demissie served in 2016 as the director of national voter outreach and mobilization for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

He is one of a few former senior aides to Mr. Biden’s onetime Democratic primary opponents who have joined up with Mr. Biden for the general election; chief among them is Ms. O’Malley Dillon, who managed Beto O’Rourke’s primary campaign before becoming Mr. Biden’s campaign manager in March.

Ms. Holst served in President Barack Obama’s White House and at the Democratic National Committee during the administration, starting out on the digital team at the D.N.C. during the 2010 election and then working on the president’s re-election campaign. She became Mr. Biden’s digital director during the second term.

Her appointment to a senior role in the campaign further confirms that Mr. Biden’s team is exploring alternatives to a traditional nominating convention, with the usual scenes of thousands of delegates, activists and political donors cheering on the party’s presidential ticket from the floor of an arena somewhere in a swing state.

Under normal circumstances, the political conventions are distinctive opportunities for both parties to showcase their presidential nominees, introduce new running mates and deliver emphatic and meticulously staged appeals to general-election voters on prime-time television.

Without the benefit of all the usual pageantry, and with the electorate in a decidedly downbeat mood, the conventions could become more muted affairs than in the past.

But the severity of the country’s challenges, and the general sense that the nation is confronting a decision of extraordinary weight in November, could also draw unusual attention to conventions that in most years are largely predictable affairs despite the parties’ best efforts to provide sizzle.

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Shopping for Outdoor Coffee Tables

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Shopping for Outdoor Coffee Tables

On terraces and decks, one piece of furniture is often key to anchoring a seating arrangement: the coffee table.

And if you haven’t got one, where are you going to put your drinks?

“It’s a must,” said Lee Cavanaugh, a partner at Cullman & Kravis Associates, a New York-based interior design firm. “I’ve seen people, to my horror, who don’t have a table near a seating arrangement — a decorator’s worst nightmare — and they have to put everything on the floor.”

When you’re selecting a coffee table, she advised, choose the materials carefully. Be aware that wood will weather over time if it’s left unsealed and that urban grit has a tendency to work its way into porous surfaces. Some metal finishes, on the other hand, may be problematic in the salty air near the ocean.

Another piece of advice: Don’t make the mistake of trying to match your table to your chairs. Patio sets, Ms. Cavanaugh observed, invariably look outdated. “It’s more interesting and aesthetically appealing if the materials are different,” she said.

And a smooth top is advisable if you want to avoid a tsunami of spilled rosé.

“You don’t want too many woven or wicker things,” Ms. Cavanagh said, “because it can be difficult to put a drink down.”

  • How large does a coffee table need to be? That depends on the size of your outdoor space. “You want about 18 inches of walking space,” Ms. Cavanaugh said, between the table and each piece of furniture.

  • How high should it be? “Our recommended height is usually 16 to 18 inches,” she said. “You don’t want a coffee table too high or so low that you’re tripping over it.”

  • Does it have to be a single piece? No, the designers at Cullman & Kravis often use clusters of small tables rather than one monolithic table. That way, Ms. Cavanaugh said, “people can move their own little tables around.”

Solid acacia wood table

$349 at Article: 888-746-3455 or article.com

Six-foot-long recycled-plastic table

$845 at Loll Designs: 877-740-3387 or lolldesigns.com

Powder-coated stainless steel tables with glazed stoneware tops by Gordon Guillaumier

$2,350 at 1stdibs: 877-721-3427 or 1stdibs.com

Mahogany-and-eucalyptus table with inset concrete top

$499 at West Elm: 888-922-4119 or westelm.com

Round terrazzo table

$549 at CB2: 800-606-6252 or cb2.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.



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Poor Countries Face a Debt Crisis ‘Unlike Anything We Have Seen’

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Poor Countries Face a Debt Crisis ‘Unlike Anything We Have Seen’

From Angola to Jamaica to Ecuador to Zambia, the world’s poor countries have had their finances shredded by the global pandemic.

The president of Tanzania has called on “our rich brothers” to cancel his country’s debt. Belarus veered toward a default when a promised $600 million loan from Russia fell through. Russia couldn’t spare the money because the ruble had taken a nose-dive, along with oil and gas prices. Lebanon, troubled even before the pandemic, has embarked on its first debt restructuring. And Argentina has defaulted again — for the ninth time in its history.

The low interest rates of the past decade led to an unlikely alliance between poor countries and international investors. Governments, state-owned companies and other businesses were able to raise money relatively cheaply to finance their growth, while investors searching for better returns than they were getting at home gobbled up that debt. As a result, developing countries owe record amounts of money to investors, governments and others outside their borders: $2.1 trillion for countries ranked as “low income” and “lower-middle income” by the World Bank, including Afghanistan, Chad, Bolivia and Zimbabwe.

Now, the pandemic is fraying that alliance. Economic activity has ground to a halt, closing ports, shutting factories, canceling flights and emptying resorts. Governments are on the hook for billions of dollars in interest and principal repayments — payments suddenly made more expensive by volatility in the currency markets at the same time that their public health costs are skyrocketing. And their investors are not in a forgiving mood.

“This is really unlike anything we have seen,” said Mitu Gulati, a law professor at Duke University who studies the debts of countries, or sovereign debt. “The last time we had this many countries likely to go under at the same time was in the 1980s.” In Latin America, that period was known as La Década Perdida — The Lost Decade.

Resolving those debts took years of negotiations, austerity measures and stalled economic development. But the debt crisis brewing today could be even harder to sort out.

Poor countries have long been able to borrow from institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, or from the governments of their trading partners, like China. But in recent years their debt, usually in the form of bonds, became popular with private investment firms. The investment funds in turn placed it with client pension funds, family offices and exchange-traded funds. And those entities have their own interests and their own rules, which will complicate any effort to negotiate easier terms for the borrowers, such as stretched out payment schedules, lower interest rates or reduced principal.

The stakes are high: Argentina’s multiyear dispute with a group of hedge funds including Elliott Management is a reminder of what can happen when a country lapses on its debt payments to investors. Elliott Management, a New York hedge fund run by Paul Singer, and others bought Argentine bonds shortly before the country defaulted in 2001, and held out for full repayment — at one point even seizing an Argentine naval vessel — rather than settle through a debt restructuring. When the sides finally settled in 2016, Elliott received nearly 400 percent of its original investment, according to Argentine officials.

A group of 77 poor countries are scheduled to make interest and principal payments of $62 billion on their debts this year, according to calculations by Ugo Panizza, an economics professor at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, who published them in a joint research paper with six other economists and bankruptcy lawyers. A portion of that is due in June.

Private investors have bought up more debt than official lenders in Latin American, East Asian and emerging European countries. These countries tend to issue bonds in dollars or other hard currencies. Now, their own currencies have plummeted in value as investors around the world sought refuge in the dollar — Brazil’s is down more than 30 percent against the dollar this year.

That means it takes more of their own currency to buy every dollar they need to pay their debts. At the same time, they’re spending heavily on everything from hand-washing stations in places without tap water to airlifts of protective equipment for medical workers.

“The abruptness of this shock is much larger than the 2008 global financial crisis,” said Ramin Toloui, a former assistant Treasury secretary for international finance during the Obama administration.

The International Monetary Fund has already expanded two emergency loan programs, and more than 100 countries have applied. Some, like Jamaica and Uzbekistan, have begun drawing their loans, while others are still being reviewed. The programs will help in the short term, Mr. Toloui said, but much more financial assistance will be required to keep poor countries solvent during a global shock. The I.M.F. itself has estimated the borrower countries’ total current need, from all sources, at $2.5 trillion.

During La Década Perdida, the debt that was crushing Latin America mainly involved loans from groups of banks, which spent years restructuring the loans, while the I.M.F. pushed to reduce government waste and inefficiency and make the local economies more productive. The process required cooperation, and if a bank tried to hold out, it might get a stern call from a regulator to bring it back on board.

The mix of creditors is different today. There are institutions like the World Bank, individual governments that have lent money — often to finance trade — and private-sector investors. So far, the private investors are the only ones that have been reluctant to give the countries a break.

In late March, the leaders of the World Bank and the I.M.F. issued a joint statement calling on international creditors to grant the struggling countries relief. They suspended the payments owed this year from a group of 76 countries known as the International Development Association, plus Angola, which owes large payments to China. A few weeks later, the Group of 20, a forum for large-economy governments and central banks including the United States, Germany and China, issued a communiqué supporting a payment suspension. Thirty-six countries have already applied, G20 officials said Thursday.

Those organizations have called on bond funds and other private investors to join the suspension on comparable terms.

The response has been slow.

It took the Institute of International Finance, a trade group from around the globe, nearly four weeks to offer a proposal. The group’s members — banks, insurers, hedge funds and other financial entities — say debt forgiveness is complicated by their fiduciary duties to their clients.

On Thursday, the group said it would be up to each investor to decide whether to go along with a moratorium, and any skipped interest payments would be tacked on to the borrowers’ principal. In other words, the countries would come out of the moratorium with more debt than they went in with.

Christian Kopf, head of fixed income at Union Investment Group, a large German asset manager with funds that own emerging market debt, said the approach that official institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are taking won’t work for many investors. That’s because suspending payments on a bond results in a default.

  • Updated May 28, 2020

    • My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?

      States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.

    • What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?

      Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.

    • What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

      Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.

    • How can I protect myself while flying?

      If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)

    • How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?

      More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.

    • Is ‘Covid toe’ a symptom of the disease?

      There is an uptick in people reporting symptoms of chilblains, which are painful red or purple lesions that typically appear in the winter on fingers or toes. The lesions are emerging as yet another symptom of infection with the new coronavirus. Chilblains are caused by inflammation in small blood vessels in reaction to cold or damp conditions, but they are usually common in the coldest winter months. Federal health officials do not include toe lesions in the list of coronavirus symptoms, but some dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing.

    • Should I wear a mask?

      The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.

    • What should I do if I feel sick?

      If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

    • How can I help?

      Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.

“Contractually, under the prospectuses and circulars of the bonds fund that we offer, we are not allowed to own defaulted bonds,” he said.

Investors would be forced to sell their bonds, and credit rating firms would be required to downgrade the countries. “It would destroy for years to come the market access of those countries,” Mr. Kopf said.

In remarks to a United Nations group on Thursday, the president of the World Bank, David Malpass, did not directly address the predictions that a breather could cause mass selling and turn borrower countries into pariahs. “Much more is needed, including longer term debt service relief and, in many cases, permanent and significant debt reduction,” he said.

Mr. Malpass also said commercial creditors had to find a way to take part “and not exploit the debt relief of others.”

Mr. Gulati, the Duke law professor, said he wondered if any solution could be reached in time for borrowers to skip their June bond payments without being deemed to be in default.

Decisions by the I.M.F., World Bank and G20 to let the countries skip payments will certainly free up cash, he said. But that doesn’t mean the countries will put it toward the costs of the public health crisis. If the private investors don’t get on board, the money could move into their pockets instead.

“That relief,” he said, “can be used to pay the private creditors on time and in full.”

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We have learned much, and need to learn much more | Science News

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We have learned much, and need to learn much more | Science News

One year ago, the cover of Science News focused on the threat posed by a global disease outbreak: measles. Vaccine use had faltered, leading to 1,282 confirmed cases in the United States last year, and more than 400,000 worldwide. Little did we know that we would soon be under attack by a ferocious new viral foe. When this magazine went to press in mid-May, the United States had over 1.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 92,000 deaths, out of 4.9 million confirmed cases and about 324,000 deaths worldwide.

The speed and scope of what has happened to us all is still hard to grasp. I never imagined a world in which going to the grocery store could pose mortal peril, but here we are. Some days it feels as if everything that was once certain in life has been erased by uncertainty and dread.

In this issue, we step back from the daily flood of news to consider where we are in the fight against the virus, less than six months in. It’s not where anyone would hope to be: no approved treatments, no vaccines and with many countries still lacking systems for testing or contact tracing.

But we have also learned so much, so fast. Since December 31, when China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause, researchers worldwide have been racing to learn the workings of the new virus, identify its vulnerabilities and develop treatments and vaccines. The pace is dizzying; two prominent online repositories of “preprint” studies, bioRxiv and medRxiv, have posted more than 3,000 coronavirus-related studies since January.

Some of this work, which is not yet peer-reviewed, will turn out to be wrong, such as a study claiming that the virus had recently mutated to be more contagious. But many other efforts will either prove useful in their own right, or help advance the work of others.

We’re watching science happen in real time right before our eyes: messy, flawed, riveting. For many of us, never has the effort been greater; never has so much been at stake.

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Special Report: Fighting the Virus | Science News

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Special Report: Fighting the Virus | Science News

Less
than six months ago, news broke that a mysterious pneumonia was sweeping
through a city in China. For many of us in the United States, the danger seemed
too distant for concern. People continued to fly, gather for family events and
conferences — and set off on cruise ships. Within a month, though, the new
coronavirus, eventually named SARS-CoV-2, had crossed borders to at least 19
countries, including the United States. By March 17, the virus was in all 50
states. Nine days later, the United States had more active infections than
hard-hit Italy and China.

In
many countries, schools closed and moved classes online, businesses were
shuttered and people were ordered to stay home. Overwhelmed hospitals, caught
short on supplies, went searching for ventilators and personal protective gear.
People died; others feared for their lives and their livelihoods. As the virus
spread, scientists raced to figure out how the pathogen attacks and how it
might be tamed. The work continues, but the public is understandably impatient.

This special report investigates what it will take to regain some sense of normalcy. It’s going to take safe and effective treatments and a vaccine, along with testing and contact-tracing systems. The stress of the pandemic and all the uncertainty can mess with our brains, but we might need to get used to it. As George F. Gao, director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, says: “We’ve got to dance with the virus.” — Cori Vanchieri

As we wait for a vaccine, here’s a snapshot of potential COVID-19 treatments

Though a vaccine remains the ultimate goal, researchers are on the hunt for new ways to treat COVID-19. Read more

To end social distancing, the U.S. must dramatically ramp up contact tracing

Life after social distancing may involve apps that ask you to self-isolate after you’ve been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Read more

What coronavirus antibody tests tell us — and what they don’t

Antibody tests can give a clearer picture of who has been infected but don’t guarantee immunity for those who test positive. Read more

How coronavirus stress may scramble our brains

The pandemic has made clear thinking a real struggle. But researchers say knowing how stress affects the brain can help people cope. Read more

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Readers ask about dust in space, playgrounds, and COVID-19 | Science News

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Readers ask about dust in space, playgrounds, and COVID-19 | Science News

Not your bookshelf’s dust

Dust may explain why the star Betelgeuse suddenly dimmed in 2019, Lisa Grossman reported in “Betelgeuse is not about to explode” (SN: 4/11/20, p. 6).

Reader Steve Ostrom was intrigued by how gas clouds around red giant stars like Betelgeuse condense into dust. “I have read many times about ‘dust’ in space, and have always wondered what that is,” Ostrom wrote. “I doubt it’s the same dust that accumulates on my bookshelves every month. Exactly what is this ‘dust,’ and how does it condense out of gas?”

The definition of dust in space depends on where you’re looking and who you’re talking to, Grossman says. “Planetary scientists have a different definition than astrophysicists. But in this case, the dust that red giant stars puff out is gas from the star that has cooled down enough to turn solid,” she says. Below a certain temperature, atoms start to collide and stick together, but the details are far from understood, says cosmochemist Larry Nittler of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. The composition of the dust depends on the composition of the star — carbon-rich stars make mostly carbon dust, while oxygen-rich stars make mostly silicates.

Playground perks

Playground designs that encourage active imaginative play can make a difference in how much kids move, Emily Anthes reported in “Building playgrounds that get kids moving” (SN: 4/11/20, p. 20).

Reader Stephen Restaino believes that such playgrounds may have other b­enefits, like decreasing b­ullying and boosting grades. A pediatrician, Restaino mentioned studies that suggest active recess decreases in-class behavior issues. “This isn’t just about … getting a child’s heart rate up,” he wrote. “It’s time for these researchers to go back and talk [with] parents, teachers and [administrators] for a more substantive, broader evaluation of these new playgrounds and the other perks that accrue from money well spent.”

COVID-19 Q&A

Science News reporters Tina Hesman Saey, Aimee Cunningham, Jonathan Lambert and Erin Garcia de Jesus are f­ollowing the latest research to keep you up to date on the coronavirus pandemic. The team is answering reader questions about COVID-19.

Reader Nick R. asked if exercising outdoors while practicing social distancing is safe.

Exercising outdoors while keeping at least six feet from others is g­enerally considered a low-risk activity when it comes to catching COVID-19. But virus-laden droplets can travel farther than six feet (SN: 5/9/20 & 5/23/20, p. 6). Whether six feet is safe enough outside likely depends on the weather, how long the virus remains infectious in those conditions and how little of the virus is needed to kick-start an infection. Scientists are still working to understand the interplay of those factors.

A brief encounter with an infected person outside probably isn’t enough contact to catch the virus, some evidence suggests. But if parks or trails are crowded enough to make it difficult to stay away from others, it might be a good idea to exercise during off-hours or wear a cloth mask.

Correction

In “Relic’s origins may refute tie to Jesus” (SN: 4/25/20, p. 13), Nazareth is incorrectly identified as the location of Jesus’ tomb. Experts believe the tomb is in Jerusalem.

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Racing NSW leads way back from shutdown as prizemoney returns to normal

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Racing NSW leads way back from shutdown as prizemoney returns to normal

“Collectively, the industry has done a great job at ensuring that racing has continued during these uncertain times,” Balding said.

“Industry participants across all sectors complied with the very strict and successful biosecurity measures adopted by Racing NSW, which were critical to enabling racing to continue during COVID-19.

“This in turn meant that wagering turnover, which is the main source of funding for prizemoney, was not as adversely impacted as initially feared, such that Racing NSW is in the financial position to be able to restore prizemoney levels much sooner than expected.”

Prizemoney was slashed at the beginning of the crisis in April. The autumn showcase of The Championships was run for half its normal stakes. The proactive approach has paid dividends, allowing spring prizemoney to remain at record levels.

Regular Sydney prizemoney on Saturdays will return to $125,000 a race from July ,with the Highway Handicap back to $75,000, while 10 per cent cuts to provincial and country stakes will finish at the end of the month.

The spring carnival will not change, which means there will be a consecutive nine Saturdays with at least one $1 million race. It starts with the Golden Rose at Rosehill on September 26 and concludes with The Hunter in Newcastle and The Gong at Kembla Grange on November 14 and 21 respectively.

“It is important that the thoroughbred racing industry is able to move forward with confidence,” Balding said. “Restoration of prizemoney levels to their pre-COVID-19 levels, to be distributed to the industry participants who continued to put on racing during COVID-19, enables those participants to plan their future with confidence.

“The confirmation of racing dates enables industry participants to move forward with certainty. Trainers and owners can now properly plan the racing preparations for their horses.”

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Meanwhile, the wholesale changes being proposed for the Victorian spring carnival are, ironically, only possible because of Racing NSW’s decision to dump the rules on racing’s pattern for feature races after The Everest was blocked from becoming a group 1 race.

Racing Victoria vetoed The Everest being give racing’s highest status and has always defended its position by counting on the rules that govern group and listed races made by the Australian pattern committee.

The rules were thrown out last year, with the backing of Racing NSW, and Victorian clubs are looking to take advantage with a proposed shift of the Caulfield carnival to the end of November.

The change has already allowed Queensland to delete a number of group races during its winter carnival on a one-off basis because of the COVID-19 situation.

Racing Australia has announced a review into the Australian pattern to update it for the 21st century and redraw rules about moving and changing major races.

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Shilpa Shetty joins Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Karan Johar, Sonam Kapoor for One Humanity Live fundraiser : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama

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Shilpa Shetty joins Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Karan Johar, Sonam Kapoor for One Humanity Live fundraiser : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama

Actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra recently inspired millions with her speech during the One Humanity Live called ‘Dream with Us’ organized by ‘Global Gift Foundation’. While the actress shared the platform with 150 other global stars, from India it was Shilpa, along with actresses Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Jacqueline Fernandes and filmmaker Karan Johar. For the uninformed, the initiative aims at raising funds for several international Covid-19 relief causes. In this 24-hour live session, talents from all over the world were seen talking about the pandemic and the new normal it has brought with it.

During the Live, Shilpa had some wonderful words to say. She said, “I know world over we are all feeling a dichotomy of emotions, me too, I have immense gratitude for all this precious time with my family. But there is still this unsettling anxiety to see the end. Is this the new normal? A lot of unanswered questions, but I do know one thing for sure, there will be light at the end of this dark tunnel. This too shall pass. They say that dreams manifest, so with hope and gratitude in my heart I look forward to a positive and a better world with lesser suffering.”

Further, Shilpa also went to quote a poem by Laura Kelly Fanucci which was truly inspiring. The OHM live brought together icons from the world of music, sports, cinema, art, fashion and more. Some of the top names included lDua Lipa, Jason Derulo, Jewel, CeeLo Green, Columbian superstar Maluma, Mahira Khan amongst many others.

ALSO READ: Shilpa Shetty recalls being body shamed for putting on weight during her pregnancy

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Catch us for latest Bollywood News, Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release & upcoming movies info only on Bollywood Hungama.

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‘Rice Or Asian Groceries’: MasterChef’s Jess Says Her School Lunches Were Seen As ‘Weird’

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‘Rice Or Asian Groceries’: MasterChef’s Jess Says Her School Lunches Were Seen As ‘Weird’

’MasterChef Australia’s Jess Liemantara has praised the cultural diversity on the show this year, saying representation is particularly important for younger people to see. 

Speaking to HuffPost Australia, the 22-year-old – whose parents are both from Indonesia’s Surabaya – recalled feeling out of place during her formative years when taking more traditional food to school. 

“I’ve been living in Melbourne for about 18 years and I think we forget we are Asians and the fact that yes, we did at school have rice for lunch and it was a bit weird,” she told HuffPost Australia. “We always had weird snacks or Asian groceries.”

After moving to Melbourne with her family at a young age, Jess was surrounded by cultural influences when her parents opened a restaurant specialising in a fusion of Thai, Malay and Indonesian cuisine. 

“To see diversity come onto the screens on MasterChef, it is just phenomenal,” said Jess.

She explained seeing a multitude of cultures on the show proved “it’s not weird, that it’s just the culture that it is”.

“It’s amazing and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”

Earlier in the season Jess impressed the judges during an instant noodle challenge, before going on to make one of her favourite ‘comfort foods’.

She cooked a Thai Duck Curry with Roti Canai, Prawn Chilli Powder and Coconut Rice.

“My parents have a Thai/Malaysian/ Indonesian cuisine restaurant and then red curry was one of our most popular dishes and I’d always watch from afar, my dad making the red curry,” said Jess.

“And the roti canai, I’d be on the back just flipping them. So that’s my comfortable food.”

Jess was eliminated from the show on Sunday night after her dish, using key ingredients carrot and raspberry, wasn’t quite enough to impress judges Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo.

‘MasterChef Australia: Back To Win’ continues at 7:30pm on Channel 10. 



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