North Texas families havespent more than a month and a half under safer at home orders. A good bit ofthat time might have been spent playing board games.

A family in Fate, near Rockwall, took that to the next level. Jaime Way and her children are now known for their elaborate art-scapes made of sidewalk chalk in their driveway.

It started as just painting rocks and then hiding them for the neighborhood kids to find. Something that would help pass the time.

Then we started doingthe movie characters, Way said. Then, my daughter says Mom! I really want tomake a giant Monopoly [board]. I thought about it and was like the foursections of the driveway kind of look like the Monopoly board folded up so Isaid, lets do it and it kind of sparked from there.

The family has now created so many works of art the neighborhood can enjoy, including a replica of the video game Pacman.

Way, who is an elementaryschool counselor in Garland, said while its fun for her and her family, itsalso a way to help people forget whats going on, even if its just for alittle while.

I like to see people smile and I kind of miss that about school. Working with the kids and seeing them smile. [I like] the togetherness that this has kind of brought families here. Seeing a little kid coming up and looking at it, or trying to play on it, its just nice to see that, Way said.

Every time it rains, theycome up with a new idea, wait until the old one washes away and get to work.

Every morning, NBC 5 Today is dedicated to delivering you positive local stories of people doing good, giving back and making a real change in our community.

Way also said their chalk art wont stop here. She and her daughter are already thinking of some cool things they can do on the pavement at her school, once the kids are allowed back in class.

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Local Family Gets in the Chalk Art Game - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Westford Food Pantry continues to help community

WESTFORD The Westford Food Pantry at 20 Pleasant St. is open Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. The food pantry is currently limiting its number of volunteers to minimize risk exposure to COVID-19.

Clients can receive a prepackaged bag of goods and protein such as chicken, fish, eggs or cheese. Contact the pantry at 978-692-5523 or info@westfordfoodpantry.com for more information.

Boutique travel company goes virtual

LANCASTER Lancaster-based Womens Adventure Travels has found ways to adapt amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The boutique travel company recently developed a quarantine routine, which includes virtual work sessions for interns and a Zoom speaker series. The series features professionals such as John Sessa, executive director of The Vanderpump Dog and co-founder of Vanderpump Pets.

Even when safety measures meant that all of their work would have to be completed remotely, team WAT found ways to work together and stay motivated and inspired, a news release states.

For more information, visit womensadventuretravels.com.

Cultural Council hosts sidewalk chalk art contest

AYER With school still closed and only so much paper to color on, local kids have been taking their art skills to the pavement lately.

The Ayer Cultural Council will be hosting a monthly Sidewalk Chalk Art Competition from May through July. Local kids up to 18 years old looking to participate can draw their own creation on the sidewalk in front of their home, the street end of their driveway or anywhere theyre allowed to draw. Participants then take a picture of their work and post it on the councils Facebook page by the 25th of each month. Four finalists per month will be chosen by the council and then submitted to the public for a vote. Winners can receive a $25 gift card from the Ayer business of their choosing.

Those looking for more information can email jgovang@ayer.ma.us.

Shawsheen Tech School Committee to vote on superintendent contract

BILLERICA On Tuesday, the Shawsheen Tech School Committee will meet to vote on the contract for incoming superintendent Brad Jackson. Earlier this month the committee voted to appoint Jackson to the position, pending contract negotiations.

Jackson currently works as Hollistons superintendent. His contract with Shawsheen is expected to last for two or three years.

The public will be able to watch the meeting live through Wilmington Community Television (WCTV), which will stream the virtual meeting online. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Those interested in watching can do so at http://www.wctv.org/meetings.

Emma Murphy

Link:
The Five Minute Read - Lowell Sun

Tiny homesare still all the rage within the minimalist and wanderlust communities of the world, and what better place to consider tiny living than in the warmth of the big island, Hawaii? If equatorial location is on your must-have list, this tiny home might be just the serving of simplicity and decadence youre looking for.

Continue reading below

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Designed by the brother and sister team, Ellie and Dan Madsen, the Oasis Tiny House lives up to each aspect of its name. Measuring in at just 260 square feet, thistiny homeprovides an oasis with an abundance of luxury features inside and out. An A-frame ceiling and curved roof leave an airy feeling of space far beyond what is actually there. Complete with a ceiling fan, stained beams and an octagonal window at the peak, the eye is drawn to all the features above. Copious windows provide an abundance of light that embraces the tropical vibe of the home.

Related: 7 tips for decorating a tiny home

This theme continues inside the bathroom with a skylight roof above the shower for an outdoor feel, where you just might think youre actually under a rain shower. The shower design projects out onto the tongue of the trailer for a spacious overall bathroom design. A space-efficient corner shelf holds a vessel sink, and the corner islit naturallyand with added track lighting.

The kitchen features stainless steel counters with husky tool drawers and black cabinetry, but theexotic curly mango woodwindowsill ledge and large pass-through window are the focal points of the space. A subway tile backsplash and mounted shelving round out the accents. This space-conscious design still manages to incorporate a washing machine into the kitchen, a feature many tiny homes lack.

The mango wood laced stairs leading to the bedroom loft offer copious storage underneath, and a row of submarine-style bubble windows offer a 180-degree view. The living room allows space for furniture as well as a multi-functional bar-height table for work, dining or entertaining. Since the tiny house is located in Hawaii, outdoor living is an essential component. The design welcomes this with an outdoor bar located directly below the pass-through kitchen window.

Paradise Tiny Homes combined the talents of the two Madsen siblings, who, after having lived in different states for a decade, came back together after the passing of their mother. Feeling reunited by the importance and love of family, they saw that their two different but compatible skill sets could come together beautifully to produce some of the most unique and remarkable homes in Hawaii.

+ Paradise Tiny Homes, LLC

Images via Paradise Tiny Homes, LLC

See the article here:
Brother sister duo create tropical tiny home in Hawaii - Inhabitat

Keeping children engaged while they and their grownups take shelter from the novel coronavirus pandemic can be a challenge, especially if the adults are working from home. Danielle Waite, Director UC Merceds Early Childhood Education Center, compiled this list of age-appropriate activities for kids.

One of the goals of these activities is to give children an alternative to computers or phones. Screen time can be used to assist parents and caregivers during part of the day, but children need a break from these devices.

Safety reminder: If your child puts objects and materials in the mouth, please choose larger materials that are not a choking hazard.

Remember, children like repetition. These activities can be cycled every few days. Change an item or two or put them in a different location to keep them interesting and fresh.

Light Table: Line the sides of a transparent tub or container with aluminum foil, leaving the bottom uncovered. Place battery-operated or plug-in string lights under the inverted tub. Youve created a light table! This can be a base for translucent plastics, arranging loose parts (toothpicks, flowers, leaves, corks, bottle caps, feathers, etc.) for ephemeral art designs, and tracing (for older children). Its a great attraction in the dark corner of a room.

Table Tent: Convert any tall table (dining room or kitchen table) into a cozy tent and hiding spot. Place a large sheet or blanket over the table and add pillows, toys or books to make it an entertaining getaway. If you made a light table (above), add it to the tent. You can check in on their play by leaving the blanket six inches or so above the floor. The children still will feel they are in a secret hiding area.

Paper Airplanes: Make an abundance of paper airplanes. Talk your child through the construction or quickly fold a number of them. You can use recycled paper. Let them decorate the planes, then throw! You can limit which rooms (if indoors) or directions (if outdoors) your child can throw them. Children like to throw and retrieve them over and over. You can encourage building an airport or similar docking area from old cereal boxes. For infants, you can throw the paper airplane for the child to retrieve, encouraging movement.

Card Slot/Ball Drop: Using an oatmeal container, coffee container, Pringles can, wipes container, etc., create a simple activity that engages fine motor and auditory skills. Make a small hole or slit in the lid and let your child drop corks, playing cards, paper clips, balls, or other small toys through the lid. Let them experiment with different sizes of objects and discover the different sounds they make.

Animal Tape Rescue: Use masking tape to trap plastic animals/dinosaurs/vehicles on walls, the floor or doors. You can even tape them together. Use less tape for younger children, more for older ones. Have your child figure out how to free the toy! Provide tweezers and scissors for older children to help with their fine motor skill development.

Muffin Pan Sorting: Provide your child with assorted muffin pans for a variety of sorting projects. Small blocks, Duplos, magnetic letters, small rocks and even small toys can be put into the muffin slots. Watch how your child begins to use the sections of the pans. Sometimes this type of open-ended activity is the most inspiring for a young child.

Shredded Paper: Grab a big pot, basket or box, fill it with paper from a paper shredder (or use grass cuttings), and hide objects and toys in the container for your child to find. This may get messy, but it is easy to clean up.

Tape Parades: Place masking tapeon your carpet or floors. Make patterns or designs to inspire your child. Have your child place toys, rocks, cars, trains, Duplos, bottle caps, and natural items (flowers, leaves, small pinecones, etc.) on the tape to make their own parade. Your child may be inspired to make other play scenarios from the patterns on the floor.

Sink/Float: Fill a tall pot, dishpan, or clear large-mouth jar (mayonnaise or spaghetti jars are ideal) with water to experiment with sink/float aspects. Provide objects like small balls, pieces of sponge, toys, leaves, rocks, utensils, etc., and let the child experiment. Older children can chart their predictions and/or findings on whether an object sinks or floats. Add dish soap to see if it changes the properties. Make sure you have a towel nearby for any spills.

Pouring: This is a good activity for outside or inside a dishpan. Give your child a number of small containers (small glasses, coffee cups, vases, bowls, etc.). If you have watercolors, you can color the water. I do not recommend food coloring for this because it stains. You also can add a little oil or soap. Children love to pour from container to container. They see shape and volume. You can provide a small sponge for your child to mop up spills in the dishpans. Squeezing a sponge is great for strengthening hands and fingers for writing and other fine motor activities. You can add eye droppers, turkey basters, spoons, small scoops and syringes (use clean medication syringes). You also can do this as a dry activity instead of water, use dirt, sand or gravel with small scoops, spoons and other utensils.

Sticky Webs: Take some tape and criss-cross it in an open doorway or between two chairs, making a web that is child height. Then provide items for your child to stick on the tape (and peel them off again). Light items such as paper scraps, feathers, Q-tips, small toys, etc. work best.

Wrapping Paper Play: If you have rolls of wrapping paper youre willing to sacrifice, children of all ages love to play with it and can be entertained for hours. Older children can design a fort, explore how they can drape it, color the backside, or design something new. Younger children love the papers rustling sound and enjoy hiding under it, crawling or waking on it, and ripping it. Save the tubes for another activity and imagination play.

Mirror and Window Painting: For older children, provide dry erase markers or shaving cream for painting on a window or mirror. For children who still put things in their mouth, you can use something edible such as pudding or whipped cream. Shaving cream should not be used by children who may put it in their mouth. Make it extra challenging by using tape to make designs and create a stained-glass window look!

Flashlights: Set this up in a darker part of the house and watch the fun! For infants, you can hang the flashlights from above so your baby can explore the light on the floor. Walking infants and older will want to hold it and turn it on and off while exploring the beam of light.

Water Painting: With a small container and an old paintbrush, give your child some water to paint outside on cement and wooden fencing. The water will create a darker shade, then evaporate. If you have extra pans and rollers from a painting project, have your child use these as well, experimenting with different sizes and shapes. Spray bottles also are a big hit for water painting or watering the foliage in your yard.

Shadow Drawing: This is best for older children and can be done outdoors and indoors. For outdoors, place an object or toy on the driveway or sidewalk and have your child trace the shadow with chalk. Indoors, you can use the sunlight through a window and trace the shadows on paper with pencil, crayon or markers. Children can outline their dinosaurs, farm animals, flowers, your shadow or a pet onto the pavement or paper. Endless possibilities!

Coloring in a Box: Get a large box, put your child in it and let her color. Depending on the type of writing tools you provide, you may end up with a marked-up child as well. Colored pencils and crayons are safe against skin coloring, just watch for those who still may try to eat them. If you have small crayons or broken pieces and want to make larger ones that are difficult to put in the mouth, set an oven to 200 degrees or use a microwave to melt crayons into a larger mass. A silicone mold works best, but an old can will do. There are many videos and instructions online that show how to do this.

Loose Parts: As weve seen in our classrooms, sometimes simple, everyday material can become something interesting. Collections of things to put into containers, boxes from the recycling taped up to make a city, scarves to stuff and pull or dress up with or tie together, washers and nuts from a drawer to put together, cookie cutters as stencils, clothes pins or chip bag clips to clip onto edges, sticks and hand-sized stones. Small toys that may be getting old (Duplos or other manipulatives) can be added to the mix. Setting up these things in bowls, baskets or boxes and leaving them in a place to be discovered (and viewed safely from where youre working) can be part of the fun. Mirrors can be added as well.

Water play: With a large pot or dish pan, you can set up a water activity on the kitchen floor that you can supervise. Make sure you have a towel or two handy and its advisable, especially with younger children, to make sure the container isnt big enough to sit in. You dont need to provide too much water for these, just enough to keep your childs interest. For younger children, providing a few toys, small cups, old infant formula scoops or small measuring cups, and even rocks, will engage your child for quite a while. For older children, you can have them develop a theme with some small toys, provide some of the materials listed for younger children, as well as safe syringes or eye droppers (from old medicine dosing, cleaned), sponges trimmed for a childs hand, small glasses or vases, and fresh flowers or leaves from outside.

Ice Play: Take an empty half-gallon milk carton, wash it well, and then add water and freeze. This block of ice can keep your child entertained for a while. You choose to add toys before freezing so child can work to get the toys out. You can provide salt, water, eye droppers, a small rock to smash, or other tools for your child to try to free the captive toys. If you prefer to just offer a block of ice, theres still plenty to explore. You can provide toys and other loose parts. The child provides the imagination. Just remember to put the ice into a pot or dishpan to catch water as the block melts and have a towel available nearby.

Homemade Playdough : This requires a little adult preparation, but it will last for weeks. The playdough is edible and if it gets into the carpet, just let it dry, scrape it off, then wash the area with soap and water. If you dont have corn oil, other vegetable oils will work, but they dry faster. When not in use, store in an airtight container or plastic zip-lock bag. Making it without colors is fine, too.

Recipe

1 cups flour1 cup salt

2 cups water

4 tsp cream of tartar

2 TBSP corn oil

Food coloring or watercolor

Mix dry ingredients, then mix in wet ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when the dough is not sticky to the touch.

The last two activities use food items for play. Not every family believes food is something for children to play with, but these are easy activities that are safe to provide at home with materials you may already have.

Colander Threading: For the younger child, an inverted colander (or other food strainers/sieve) is great to stick dried spaghetti/vermicelli through. Give your child a small handful of unbroken spaghetti in a cup and let him experiment with pushing the dried pasta through the holes. For an older child, you can use this as a threading activity. Give the child a long piece of yarn or string with a taped end needle and let the fun begin!

Goop: Combine cornstarch and water in a brownie-type pan or dishpan. Add enough water to give the cornstarch a wet, goopy consistency. The mixture is both a liquid and a solid. It is recommended that you do this outside or in the kitchen. It can be quite messy, but its fun!

Read more:
23 Fun Ways to Keep Kids Busy While Everyone is Home | Newsroom - UC Merced University News

A MUM has shared her painstaking house renovation, and it looks so good people have asked whether she knocked it down and bought a new one.

Joanne Lewis from Kent said she once owned the ugliest house on the street, but after three years and a few extensions, shes turned it into her dream home.

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The mum-of-two and her partner bought their forever home by the sea back in 2017, but admitted it was upside down, with the bedrooms and bathroom on the ground floor, while the kitchen and living room was on the second floor.

The pair set about creating a sensible layout, and added an extension on the ground floor for their kitchen.

Sharing the progress on Instagram and Twitter, Joanne revealed their-step-by-step process, saying: We changed the windows in the living room, from rectangle to square.

The house itself was square so we worked with what we had keeping the theme of the house square but modern.

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After all this is a stepping stone to our forever home. So working with what we had was key.

Upstairs was the kitchen and lounge. We created a hallway which would lead into one master bedroom, a second bedroom and a shower room.

The couple stripped wallpaper, knocked down walls, tackled the garden and even added a new staircase.

Documenting their extreme renovation, Joanne said: A year later we added another floor to the house.

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Making the house four bedrooms, two bathrooms and two balconies with sea views.

The house was rendered. Wood added to balcony areas. Intended to paint the wood black but still unsure.

Aluminium fascia was added to the roof and under balconies. Paving on the driveway completed.

Electricity box is still to be covered with wood that matches the house.

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As the house grew so did their family, with the couple welcoming two children along the way.

They adapted the house to accommodate their brood, continuing: Another nursery and our new bedroom.

The original master bedroom below, with the built in wardrobes is now a dressing room. This has been finished very recently, still working on furnishing the main room.

Sky light above the bed means perfect star gazing at night.

In the last few days the couple have finally finished their garden, and shared incredible before-and-after photos to social media.

Joanne said: A modern home by the sea is the end result to what was once a garage, then a 2 bedroom house now a four bed.

Its still a work in progress. But very nearly complete.

Also sharing the transformation on Twitter, Joanne said: The ugliest house on the street" as quoted by a neighbour...

Well, not anymore.

Her post has racked up more than 40,000 likes, as people could scarecely believe it was the same property.

Commenting online, one person said: What a transformation. It's amazing.

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Another wrote: This is incredible. Well done! Looks like a massive job.

A third said: What an amazing transformation. I bet it's easily the nicest house on the street now.

Someone else asked: Did you knock it down and build a new one? Looks fantastic.

While this person raved: Love this, such an amazing transformation!

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And this mum completely transformed ashabby Wendy house she got second hand with some old paint and charity shop bargains.

Meanwhile thisdad-of-three made an incredible playhouse for his kidswhich includes a garage and private lawn and it cost just 150.

Plus this bloke transformed his tired bedroom into trendy boutique hotel style room with bargains from Amazon and eBay.

Read more:
Mum with ugliest house on the street reveals amazing transformation & people think she built a new one - The Irish Sun

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) CBSDFW.COM obtained the arrest affidavit Tuesday for the two people accused of abusing a 6-year-old boy who was found with his hands tied behind his back inside a shed in Dallas.

Police found the child behind the home on Coston Drive around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night.

The childs grandmother Esmerelda Lira, 53, and her boyfriend, Jose Balderas, 66, were arrested.

Esmerelda Lira and Jose Balderas (credit: Dallas County Jail)

The child told child abuse detectives during a forensic interview, whenever his grandmother left the home, she put him in the shed, tied him up and told him he was bad.

The child also told police Lira bathed him outside by spraying him with water.

He had been tied up and locked in the shed around 10:30 p.m. the night of the arrests.

The child told police he was always left in the backyard and not allowed to come inside the house. He would be locked up during the night and let out in the morning and given a plastic bag for if he needed to go to the bathroom.

(credit: Chopper 11)

He said rats and insects were in the shed with him.

He said his grandmother would kick him and grab him by the ears.

Balderas told police he was aware of what Lira was doing to the child and did not want to be apart of the situation.

He said the child was locked in the shed at least two weeks.

The boy told officers the alleged abuse started since he got out of school for this corona thing.

Bond for Lira is set at $100,000 and Balderas bond is also $100,000.

They both facing felony charges of endangering a child for placing him in imminent danger.

Two other children were removed from the home and placed in CPS custody.

RELATED STORY

Experts Urging North Texans To Be On Lookout For Signs Of Abuse

Read more here:
6-Year-Old Dallas Boy Found Tied In Shed Describes Abuse: Sprayed With Hose, Kicked, Not Allowed In House - CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

Sanctional Cancelation Tally Hits Nine, CanWest CrossFit Championship Sheds Light on Financial Landscape for Hosts | Morning Chalk Up

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The CanWest CrossFit Championship alerted registered athletes on Friday via email, that its Sanctioned event was officially canceled for the 2019-2020 season. It was originally scheduled to take place in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 5-7, but had already been postponed without announcing a new date. Nine Sanctionals have now been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One big thing:As with earlier cancelations, this puts the CanWest CrossFit Championship in a dire financial position. The email that CanWest organizers sent to competitors used some of the most direct language related to their financial position that weve seen from an event yet. It read If 3 out of 10 people request an immediate refund, CanWest will go bankrupt and there will not be a 2021, or any future events.

The financial picture:The email to competitors stated that while refunds will be offered, there are also several different options that can help them to stave off bankruptcy, including delaying the refund, bumping registration to 2021 and avoid re-qualifying, or finding a replacement athlete. CanWest has created a webpage with all of those details(they are also outlined below).

What are the options for registered athletes?

For a daily Digest of all things CrossFit. Community, Athletes, Tips, Recipes, Deals and more.

More than ever before, we need your help to keep all this going. If youve enjoyed our work, become a supporting member and help ensure that we can continue to be an independent voice for this community and sport we love.

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Read more here:
Sanctional Cancelation Tally Hits Nine, CanWest CrossFit Championship Sheds Light on Financial Landscape for Hosts - Morning Chalk Up

New research suggests that Instagram is saturated with images depicting very lean and very muscular men. The study, which appears in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, found that posts depicting this type of body tend to receive more responses.

I have always been very interested in body image and how people think about their own body, because I personally believe that the relationship between us and our bodies is often underestimated especially for and by men, said study author Thomas Gultzow (@ThomasGultzow), a PhD candidate at the Care and Public Health Research Institute in the Netherlands.

Realizing that social media is regularly used by a large proportion of the world population and that the information that is presented there could strongly affect our relationship with our own body, I believed that it was important to see how people used social media to communicate about body types. And once I started looking in the literature, it quickly became clear that men are underrepresented in this type of research, and then the idea of working specifically on this population really quickly arose.

The researchers used a social media mining tool and searched a sample of influential male fitness accounts to collect a random sample of 1,000 fitness-related Instagram posts depicting men. They found that the majority of images showed muscular and lean white men.

Most of the posts showed men with low body fat, while only a small fraction depicted men with high body fat. Sixty-two percent of posts showed men with low body fat and 41% showed high muscularity, whereas only 6% showed men with high body fat and 17% showed low muscularity. Men with both low body fat and high muscularity (35%) represented the largest group with a specific body type.

Social media seems very skewed in terms of presenting peoples bodies. You are much more likely to see the classic adonis on Instagram than on the street. In fact, social media messages showing such men with more muscles and less fat were also engaged with more, resulting in more likes and comments, Gultzow told PsyPost.

Users may think that you have to look like this. If you feel your own body does not compare to that ideal, this may lead to negative feelings or unhealthy behaviors, such as extreme dieting or using unhealthy supplements. So, what I would like to say to anyone who is using Instagram: be aware of this skewed reality, this is not real life!

But the positive and negative consequences of the predominance of muscular and lean bodies on Instagram is still unclear. Future research is needed to examine whether this type of content motivates men to become physical active themselves or whether it increases mens body dissatisfaction.

Based on Albert Banduras Social Cognitive Theory, body image pictures on Instagram may, through positive modeling, help to counteract the obesity epidemic, with the portrayals leading men to lead more healthy lifestyles. On the negative side, the skewed images may lead to male body dissatisfaction, depression and eating disorders. We can use this knowledge to educate our patients about the false sense of reality often portrayed on social media, said Brenda K. Wiederhold, the editor-in-chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

Men are still somewhat underrepresented in body image research, so we often draw conclusions based on studies that include either only women or just a handful of men. I think it would be really relevant to conduct in-depth studies in which men are shown images of different body types and also asked about their experiences and emotions. That way, we can study the effect these images have on men; that information could possibly be used to help men, Gultzow said.

I conducted this research as part of my scientific internship as finale part of my M.Sc. in Health Education and Promotion and, fortunately, I was working with a great international team (Dr. Jeanine P.D. Guidry from the Robertson School of Media and Culture in Virginia, and Dr. Francine Schneider and Dr. Ciska Hoving from Maastricht University in the Netherlands), that combined expertise in health communication, digital health and the intersection between health and social media and they saw the need in this too and so we quickly started working on this topic, he added.

Nowadays, I am conducting research regarding another health communication topic: mainly how we can use digital solutions to help people that want to quit smoking to make an informed decision regarding smoking cessation. However, I am still really interested in social media and how it influences us and our health, so I am always trying to fit this interest into my current work somehow. For example, Dr. Guidry and I are currently running a project about how Instagram users communicate about HIV.

The study, Male Body Image Portrayals on Instagram, was authored by Thomas Gultzow, Jeanine P.D. Guidry, Francine Schneider, and Ciska Hoving.

Read the rest here:
Study sheds light on the false sense of reality of male bodies portrayed on Instagram - PsyPost

The U.S. Labor Department said the pandemic cost 20.5 million jobs in April, pushing the unemployment rate to a postWorld War II high and deepening the economic crisis, while in New York, a child died of a rare condition linked to the virus.

Restaurants, retailers and hotels were worst hit by job cuts, but every industry suffered some pain. Even the health-care sector lost 1.4 million jobs as the crisis has kept patients away from doctors offices for fear of becoming infected and caused the postponement of many elective procedures.

In New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States, less than 20% of small businesses have been approved to receive PPP loans [even as] more than 55% of small businesses in Nebraska are expecting PPP funding.

The unemployment rate leapt to 14.7% from a 50-year low of 3.5% two months ago, but the share of idled workers is much higher. If millions of Americans who have been furloughed and expect to return to their jobs are counted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the jobless rate would have almost 5 percentage points higher at nearly 20%, as MarketWatchs Jeffry Bartash reported.

Kyle Herrig, president of nonpartisan nonprofit Accountable.US, said the numbers are horrific and criticized the federal governments relief programs, which have mostly helped big public companies instead of smaller businesses that are now close to bankruptcy.

See:MarketWatch weekend reads: The unemployment undercount

Rather than taking decisive action to help workers, the Trump administration continues dithering as yet another month brings horrific jobs numbers with millions more Americans unemployed, he said in a statement. From the earliest days of this public health crisis, the administration bungled the response. Helping publicly traded companies pay the bills rather than assisting mom and pop small businesses meet payroll.

The New York Federal Reserve said a disportionate amount of funds distributed by the governments Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, did not go to the regions that have been hit hardest by the crisis.

In New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States, less than 20% of small businesses have been approved to receive PPP loans, the regional central banks economists wrote in a report published Wednesday. In contrast, more than 55% of small businesses in Nebraska are expecting PPP funding.

The report noted the discrepancies have generated heated political discussions. One possible explanation for them is that banks, which pass along applications to the program, favor existing customers as they already have relevant information on them and can screen them more quickly.

It has been widely documented that banks prioritize businesses with existing lending relationships for cost savings reasons and to avoid fraudulent applications, said the report. Arguably, lenders preference for their own depository base could be an important factor in explaining the observed PPP loan approval data.

Outside of relief programs, however, there are concerns that the federal government is favoring red states over blue states in the distribution of vital supplies.

On Thursday, the HIV Medicine Association and the Infectious Diseases Society of America sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence questioning the selection process for the distribution of remdesivir, the drug made by Gilead Sciences Inc. GILD, -3.52% that won emergency-use authorization last week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for COVID-19. That came after clinical trials found the drug may speed up recovery times for some patients. There are currently no approved treatments for the virus.

See now: Face masks becoming latest culture-war front as Trump says his wearing one would send the wrong message

A physician associated with Boston Medical Center tweeted that the hospital hasnt received any doses of remdesivir. We have the second highest absolute case count and highest per bed in Boston, Dr. Benjamin Linas, an epidemiologist at the safety-net hospital, tweeted on Wednesday. We also had no access to early trials. Today, the family of a dying patient asked me why we do not have RDV. What am I supposed to say?

For more, read:Infectious-disease doctors ask government to explain how it decides who gets Gileads remdesivir

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has described his states struggles to source vital health-care supplies and equipment at the height of the crisis, as the federal government forced states to compete with each other, and even with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sending prices higher.

Trump said at one point that he had instructed Pence not to call governors who criticized the federal response to the pandemic.

On Friday, Trump called the 20.5 million jobs lost in April no surprise and said those jobs will all be back.

In an interview on Fox News, Trump said hes having a very hard time with China and has not decided how to handle their trade relationship, following a call between negotiators for both sides.

See also:States start to reopen, ending coronavirus lockdowns: Rules ease in parts of California and Pennsylvania on Friday; Michigan factories can reopen Monday

There are now 3.97 million cases of COVID-19 globally, and 275,527 people have died, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University.

More than 1.3 million people have recovered.

The U.S. has the highest case toll at 1.29 million and the highest death toll at 77,280.

Spain has the highest number of cases in Europe at 222,857 and 26,299 deaths. Italy has 217,185 cases and 30,201 deaths.

The U.K. has 212,629 cases and 31,316 deaths, the highest death toll in Europe.

Russia saw another spike overnight of more than 10,000 cases, bringing its total case tally to 198,676 and 1,827 fatalities.

France has 176,202 cases and 26,233 deaths. Germany has 170,643 cases and 7,510 deaths.

Brazil has 147,003 cases and 10,037 deaths. Turkey has 135,569 cases and 3,689 deaths. Iran has 106,220 cases and 6,589 deaths. China, where the disease was first reported late last year, has 83,976 cases and 4,637 deaths.

New York remains the U.S. epicenter with 335,804 cases and 26,358 deaths, according to a New York Times tracker.

Cuomo reported another day of declining hospitalization and intubation rates at his daily news briefing. But another 216 New Yorkers died of COVID-19 on Thursday, down from 231 a day earlier.

Adding to the gloom, a five-year old died in Manhattan on Thursday from what doctors believe is a rare condition stemming from the virus that causes life-threatening inflammation in children.

Cuomo told reporters that 73 cases of the condition, which has been labeled pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, have been counted in the state.

See also:Coronavirus link being explored over several cases of severely ill children in U.K.

This would be really painful news and would open up an entirely different chapter. Mr. Cuomo said. Because I cant tell you how many people I spoke to who took peace and solace in the fact that children were not getting infected.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization to a saliva COVID-19 diagnostic test that allows patients to take the test at home. It was developed by Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Rutgers test first received emergency authorization in April to be administered by a nasal swab, which is how other molecular tests authorized to test for the novel coronavirus are performed, and through saliva collection in a health care setting.

However, now Rutgers is authorized to test for an infection through a saliva sample that can be collected at home, according to a Rutgers spokesperson. To test for COVID-19 using a nasal swab has been described as sometimes uncomfortable and painful for patients; there are also concerns that the swabs can miss an infection, or a patient who sneezes after receiving a swab can put health care workers at high risk of contracting the virus.

See:The future of successful coronavirus response: Mass testing at work and in church and self-administered tests

The Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to 45 companies on Thursday over unsubstantiated claims related to COVID-19 treatments. The companies included A Center for Natural Healing, a Santa Clara, Calif.based Chinese medicine therapy practice, which the FTC ordered to remove claims such as, Western treatments have no actual benefit in reducing viral replication within the body; a role that Chinese herbal medicine has proven to provide to a great extent.

They also included a company that claimed listening to certain musical frequencies would weaken the coronavirus. The FTC has sent four sets of warning letters so far urging companies to top making deceptive and scientifically unsupported claims and threatening a federal court injunction to repeat offenders.

In early March, the FTC and the Food and Drug Administration began by reaching out to seven companies to stop selling allegedly fraudulent products in warning letters, including one to the televangelist Jim Bakker.

There already is a high level of anxiety over the potential spread of coronavirus, said FTC Chairman Joe Simons on March 9. What we dont need in this situation are companies preying on consumers by promoting products with fraudulent prevention and treatment claims. These warning letters are just the first step. Were prepared to take enforcement actions against companies that continue to market this type of scam.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has halted trading in shares of at least 30 companies because of claims made by them or by third parties relating to tests, treatments and equipment for COVID-19.

For more, read:SEC continues crackdown on claims made during the coronavirus pandemic

The latest test for so-called sharing economy companies came late Thursday, when Uber Inc. UBER, +2.40% reported results that showed an almost $3 billion loss that was partly caused by a $2 billion write-down on investments in Asian partners. But the ride-sharing company also took a hit from the pandemic, which has many people under strict lockdown measures and not using its service.

The coronavirus pandemic all but extinguished ride bookings in April, leading to an 80% drop, though Uber has seen recent increases in bookings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere, he added in a conference call with analysts late Thursday. Additionally, Uber Eats gross bookings surged 52% to $4.7 billion in the first quarter.

As happened earlier this week with rival Lyft Inc., Uber shares rose after the report and were up another 5% in Friday trade, as investors seemed to look past the pandemic as a temporary phenomenon. But as MarketWatchs Therese Poletti wrote in commentary, they may be taking an overly rosy view, noting that the company itself was admitting its core business may be worth less by taking impairment charges.

See:The same number of people could die from deaths of despair as have already died in the U.S. from coronavirus, new study finds

Elsewhere, Roku Inc. shares ROKU, -3.79% slid 7% after the streaming-media company said it saw a spike in ad cancellations due to the pandemic but still expects substantial growth for the full year.

For more, read:Roku stock falls after coronavirus drives increase in advertising cancellations

Companies continued to offer updates on the reopening of stores and outlets, to issue bonds to bolster liquidity and withdraw guidance given the uncertainty and lack of visibility.

Here are the latest things companies are saying about COVID-19:

Bloomin Brands Inc. BLMN, -10.07% reported revenue that beat expectations and was upbeat about recently reopened dining rooms. Same-store sales fell 10.4% in the latest quarter, with Outback Steakhouse down 9.5%, Carrabbas Italian Grill down 8.7% and Bonefish Grill down 13.9%. Bloomin said earlier in the week that hundreds of dining rooms across its chains would reopen. We have 355 restaurant dining rooms opened with limited seating capacity across multiple states as of Thursday evening. Early results have been promising, said Chief Executive David Deno in a statement. Bloomin issued $200 million in convertible notes on Wednesday to bolster its liquidity.

Booking Holdings Inc.s BKNG, -1.77% quarterly earnings fell short of Wall Street estimates as the travel industry was hit hard by the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted our company and the entire travel industry. We have taken immediate steps to stabilize the company by reducing costs and bolstering our liquidity position, said Glenn Fogel, Bookings chief executive. Looking forward, due to the value of our platform, our highly variable cost structure and strong liquidity, I am confident that we will emerge from this crisis in a position of strength that will allow us to extend our leadership role in the industry.

Cronos Group Inc. CRON, -1.70% CRON, -1.35% reported a surprise first-quarter profit but revenue that lagged estimates. The Canadian cannabis company said it wrote down $8 million in inventory of dried cannabis and extracts and expects to take further write-downs due to price pressure and the impact of the repurposing of its Peace Naturals Campus. Cronos was not immune to the effects of the pandemic which it said has disrupted distribution channels. The company has reduced the number of workers on site to essential ones and implemented additional health and safety practices. In the U.S., where its Lord Jones products are distributed, bricks-and-mortar retailers have moved online. In Canada, stores have moved to curbside click-and- collect models, reduced store opening hours, or have closed retail entirely. COVID-19 restrictions differ across jurisdictions, which has resulted in increased uncertainty in forecasting customer demand and sales velocity, said the statement. The company believes it has sufficient inventory to meet current demand.

Facebook Inc. FB, -1.44% will allow its staff to work from home through the end of the year, according to reports. Facebook will open most of its office July 6, according to CNBC, and the company is still in the process of determining which employees will be asked to return to the office. Like many Silicon Valley technology companies, Facebook was among the first businesses to adopt work-from-home initiatives as the coronavirus spread across the globe. Facebook has given staff $1,000 bonuses for work-from-home expenses, among other things.

GoPro Inc. GPRO, +1.49% reported revenue that was in line with what was pre-announced in April, when it yanked its 2020 guidance due to the pandemic, said it was laying off 20% of its staff, over 200 employees, and reducing operating expenses by $100 million. The company said at the time that its global distribution network was hurt by the pandemic, but its product roadmap for 2020 wont be impacted. Weve taken decisive action to transition into a more efficient and profitable direct-to-consumer business, GoPro Chief Executive Nicholas Woodman said in a statement. This benefits GoPro with a substantially reduced operating expense model, improved gross margin and a significantly lower threshold to profitability.

Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. HLF, -0.70% beat Wall Street expectations for its first quarter. Quarterly results reflected the essential role our products play in the lives of many, especially during these times, the company said, without referring specifically to the pandemic. The company is not offering guidance, since, it said, it could not estimate the extent and duration of business disruption and related financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Herbalife will periodically reassess its ability to provide guidance for full year 2020 as and when we believe the impact of the pandemic can be reasonably estimated.

Intuit Inc. INTU, -2.14% told investors to brace for lower fiscal third-quarter revenue and profit than prior guidance, due to the impact of the pandemic on its small-business customers and the extension of the tax-filing deadline to July 15. The maker of tax-preparation software TurboTax is withdrawing fiscal 2020 guidance reflecting uncertainty in current small business trends. Small businesses are facing a loss of income and a lack of savings to help them weather the storm, Intuit said. The deadline extension also meant that the company is experiencing a significant revenue shift to the fourth fiscal quarter, it said. More customers with complex returns are expected to file later in the extended season. The company expects sales of $2.99 billion to $3 billion, down from a prior range of $3.6 billion to $3.625 billion.

Lear Corp.s LEA, -4.43% first-quarter profit and sales beat expectations but declined from a year ago as the pandemic caused production disruptions and plant shutdowns. The maker of vehicle seats and electronic systems revenue fell 13.6% to $4.46 billion, as COVID-19 shaved an estimated $900 million from revenue, but still beat the FactSet consensus of $4.22 billion. The is not providing a full-year outlook given the significant uncertainty associated with the pandemic. Our first quarter financial results were significantly impacted by production disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Chief Executive Ray Scott. We experienced plant shutdowns in China beginning in late January that were followed by shutdowns of almost all our global operations outside of China beginning in mid to late March.

Lyft Inc. LYFT, -5.83% announced a health-and-safety program for its drivers and riders in the next few weeks as some local governments begin to ease stay-at-home orders. Riders and drivers will be required to wear face masks or coverings throughout the ride, and will not ride if they have COVID-19, think they have it, or have related symptoms. Both will be required to keep vehicles clean and sanitize their hands frequently, and leave windows open when possible to avoid recirculated air. Passengers will not be allowed to ride in the front seat.

Motorola Solutions Inc. MSI, +0.83% beat Wall Street expectations for its first quarter but told investors to brace for a sales drop in the second quarter due to the pandemic. The company drew down $800 million from a credit facility in the quarter, and ended the period with $1.7 billion in cash and had $1.4 billion of additional committed, undrawn capacity on a revolving credit facility. Motorola ended the quarter with $5.9 billion in debt, including $800 million from the facility. Motorola expects a revenue decline between 17% and 14% for the second quarter, and non-GAAP per-share earnings of $1.18 to $1.27. Motorola withdrew its 2020 guidance due to uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL, -4.54% provided a business and liquidity update for investors in light of the pandemic, saying it has nearly $2.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents at its disposal. The company said as of May 5, expected debt maturities are $400 million in 2020 and $900 million in 2021, and it estimates its monthly cash burn to be $250 million to $275 million while its operations are suspended. Actions it has taken to cut costs include cutting more than 5,000 shoreside jobs in the U.S, cutting payroll and other onboard expenses, and eliminating or significantly reducing marketing and selling expenses. After a strong start to the year, booking volumes for the rest of 2020 are meaningfully lower than last year at prices that are down in the low-single digits percentage range, as a result of COVID-19. Although still early in the booking cycle, the booked position for 2021 is within historical ranges when compared to same time last year with 2021 prices up mid-single digits compared to 2020, the company stated. For canceled cruises, the company said 45% of guests have requested cash refunds, while Royal is offering cruise credits valued at 125% of initial fares paid in lieu of cash refunds.

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. SEAS, -7.96% reported a wider-than-expected loss and revenue that fell more than forecast as theme-park closures due to the pandemic led to a decline of 1 million in attendance. Total revenue per capita increased 0.3% to $66.25, above expectations of $66.10, as a 1.2% growth in admission per capita offset a 0.9% decline in in-park per capita spending. The company had just over $400 million of cash and cash equivalents at its disposal, and estimates its net cash burn is between $20 million to $25 million a month while its parks remain closed. The companys debt leverage ratio as of March 31 was 3.89-to-1.00, compared with 3.24-to-1.00 as of Dec. 31.

Shopify Inc. SHOP, -1.07% will sell fresh shares, after the Canadian e-commerce software company roared to record highs this week. In an announcement of filings with securities regulators in Canada and the U.S., Shopify announced plans to sell 1.85 million new shares, slightly more than 1.5% of its current share count, in an offering led by Citigroup and Credit Suisse. Underwriters will have access to roughly 277,000 more shares for overallotment. Shopify earnings showed a surprise adjusted profit and strong merchandise sales on its platform.

Stamps.com Inc. STMP, -9.69% reported earnings and revenue that topped consensus estimates, boosted by a jump in e-commerce transactions during the pandemic. We are in a position to provide valuable services to mailers and shippers coping with this worldwide health crisis and remain committed to making significant strides towards our goal of being the leading worldwide multi-carrier e-commerce software company, Chief Executive Ken McBride said in a statement.

Yelp Inc. YELP, +1.08% topped revenue estimates but reported wider-than-expected losses in its latest quarter. Our first quarter results demonstrate the strength of our strategy, as we grew revenue 6% compared to the first quarter of 2019, despite the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Chief Executive Jeremy Stoppelman said in a statement. While there is no way of knowing how long this pandemic will last, we are encouraged by the early signs of stabilization in the business that we witnessed in the second half of April. In April, Yelp pulled its 2020 guidance because of the pandemic and disclosed that it expects between $8 million and $10 million in costs related to the furloughing and termination of employees; the company said it was laying off 1,100 people and furloughing 1,100.

Link:
Coronavirus update: U.S. economy sheds record-setting 20.5 million jobs and New York child dies of condition linked to virus - MarketWatch

2 Athletes In Same North Texas Family Better Than 1Tamia Jones who plays basketball at The Colony High School is seen her plans altered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having an older brother who is an athlete is helping her prepare.

2020 Graduates: 10PM Segment May 122020 Graduates: 10PM Segment May 12

Warm, Humid WednesdayDon't put away those umbrellas yet. More rain is expected Wednesday night.

'I'm Going To Fight For It, I Deserve It' - Dallas ISD Students Want In-Person GraduationDallas ISD is sticking with a virtual graduation online for safety during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dallas Mayor Announces New COVID-19 Healthcare Access CzarMayor Eric Johnson said he wants to see a lot more testing, too.

2020 Graduates: 6PM Segment May 122020 Graduates: 6PM Segment May 12

6-Year-Old Dallas Boy Found Tied In Shed Describes Abuse: Sprayed With Hose, Kicked, Not Allowed In HouseThe child told child abuse detectives during a forensic interview, whenever his grandmother left the home, she put him in the shed, tied him up and told him he was bad.

North Texas Nail Salons Struggling To Get Workers To Come Back During Coronavirus Pandemic"For their safety, we respect their decisions, salon manager Jake Nguyen. "Some of them are not fully back yet."

New Concern For Parents Regarding COVID-19Some children around the country have fallen ill with an inflammatory syndrome resembling Kawasaki disease. Now doctors are searching for the connection between the syndrome and Covid-19.

The Reopening Of TexasCBS 11 details the next steps, the extreme measures businesses are taking, and your rights as a customer on a special edition of CBS 11 News Wednesday at 6PM on CBS 11 News.

2020 Graduates: 5PM Segment May 122020 Graduates: 5PM Segment May 12

Despite Pushback, Dallas ISD Sticking With Virtual GraduationsAlthough Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa said he had reconsidered the plans for graduation, he said the district will stick to virtual ceremonies per advice from health officials.

Experts Believe Less People Are Reporting Child Abuse CasesChild advocates are sounding an alarm as concerns grow about an unprecedented drop in child abuse reports.

Tuesday Evening News BriefHere's what made news Tuesday, May 12.

Gov. Abbott Talks Shelley Luther Case, Further Plans For Reopening TexasGov. Greg Abbott joined CBS 11 News at 5 p.m. to talk about the recent case surrounding Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther and further plans for reopening more businesses in Texas.

Now Hiring: Dallas County Community College District Offering Free Job Skills ProgramsUnemployment numbers are staggering and economic experts say the trend will continue before the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Stimulus Check Deadline: You Have Until Wednesday To Give The IRS Your Bank InformationAfter Wednesday, the IRS will send millions of files to the Bureau of Fiscal Services to have paper checks printed.

Residents Honor Health Care Workers In Flower MoundResidents honored health care workers at Texas Health Presbyterian in Flower Mound as they continue the fight against COVID-19.

2020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 2 May 122020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 2 May 12

Dallas ISD Students Start Petition To Apply Pressure For In-Person Graduations"Ive worked for for years and every other district seems to be able to come up with something, but theyre putting us online," said senior Aubrey Tierney.

A Lot Of Rain Remains In Forecast With A Few BreaksDon't put away those umbrellas yet. More rain is expected throughout North Texas.

Tarrant County COVID-19 Testing Sites Set Up But Not Filling UpThe county has loosened up qualifications, trying to get more people tested.

2020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 1 May 122020 Graduates: 4PM Segment 1 May 12

Ones For Wellness: Managing Stress During The PandemicIn today's Ones For Wellness, here's a way to manage any stress you may have due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Dallas Police Find 6-Year-Old Boy Tied Up In Shed, Grandmother And Boyfriend Arrested - CBS Dallas / Fort Worth