Hobby Lobby to Close Stores After Defying State Orders, Furlough Workers Without Pay

After defying coronavirus orders in several states, insisting that it was an essential business, Hobby Lobby will finally close stores nationwide on Friday night.

USA Today reports: All of the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-headquartered arts and crafts chain’s locations will close effective 8 p.m. Friday and remain closed until further notice, according to a notice posted on its website. “As the country continues efforts to manage and mitigate the devastating health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 virus, Hobby Lobby will, after careful consideration, close the remainder of its stores, and furlough nearly all store employees and a large portion of corporate and distribution employees,” the notice said. Earlier in the week, some Hobby Lobby stores in Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Colorado were shut down by law enforcement after reopening, defying the state shelter-in-place orders.

Last month, Hobby Lobby founder David Green, a conservative Christian, reportedly cited the power for God as part of his justification for keeping stores open.

More from Business Insider: According to three employees, each speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, managers at their stores called teams into a meeting to deliver the news on Friday afternoon. During the meetings, they were told the furlough will impact all workers below management level, and is expected to run through at least May 1. An employee in Indiana told Business Insider his manager said she will continue to work, though “has no idea why she will still be there” if stores are closed. “The line our manager gave us was, ‘The employees got what the employees wanted, the stores were closed,’” the Indiana employee said in an interview shortly after he learned of the furlough. “My question was, did God tell them they needed to close the stores and not pay us?”

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Hobby Lobby to Close Stores After Defying State Orders, Furlough Workers Without Pay

Older People Are Not the Only Ones Who Can Die From This Virus

A disproportionate focus has weakened the government’s response and put disadvantaged groups like LGBTQ people in harm’s way.

www.advocate.com/commentary/2020/4/03/older-people-are-not-only-ones-who-can-die-virus

U.S. Records More Than 1,000 Coronavirus Deaths in a Single Day for the 1st Time

The U.S. recorded more than 1,000 deaths in a single day for the first time on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The LA Times reports: The figure increased the national death count to 6,921 as of early afternoon Pacific time. Nationally, there are more than 261,438 confirmed cases. That figure is higher than any what any other country has confirmed, although U.S. officials believe China and some governments may be under-reporting case numbers. On Thursday, the worldwide caseload eclipsed one million. More than 56,767 have died and more than 223,000 have recovered. In the United States, New York remains the hardest-hit area. Gov. Andew Cuomo said Friday the state had its deadliest day thus far with more than 562 dead, raising the total count there to 2,935. In California, there are more than 11,300 confirmed cases, according to a tally maintained by the Los Angeles Times. At least 250 have died.

In related news, President Donald Trump is facing new pressure to implement a national stay-at-home order from his top infectious-disease expert.

ABC News reports: In his strongest comments yet, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has become a prominent face in the fight against the pandemic, is now saying that he “doesn’t understand” why every state isn’t under a stay-at-home order — a move Trump continues to resist, arguing those decisions should be left to the states. “I don’t understand why that’s not happening,” Fauci told CNN at a town hall Thursday night, when asked about some states having not issued stay-at-home orders. “The tension between federally-mandated versus states rights to do what they want is something I don’t want to get into, but if you look at what’s going on in this country I just don’t understand why we’re not doing that — we really should be.” Trump has stuck to his view despite White House models revealing that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 — and that’s assuming that the entire country implements strict social distancing measures.

As of Friday afternoon, 10 states still had not issued stay-at-home orders, according to CBS News.

The post U.S. Records More Than 1,000 Coronavirus Deaths in a Single Day for the 1st Time appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

U.S. Records More Than 1,000 Coronavirus Deaths in a Single Day for the 1st Time

Trump & Pence Ignoring Disproportionate Impacts Of COVID-19

The federal government is failing to address or even acknowledge the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the LGBTQ community. Instead, they have limited access to health care by refusing to reopen the ACA exchanges and spouted untruth after untruth about the crisis. Trump, Pence and our entire federal government are failing us. 

In Michigan, African Americans account for 35% of confirmed cases and 40% of deaths despite only representing 14% of the state population

Detroit Free Press: African Americans lead in coronavirus cases, deaths in Michigan

Bridge Michigan: Black communities hit harder by coronavirus in Michigan, not just Detroit

The disproportionate impacts on people of color are being seen nationwide

ProPublica: Early Data Shows African Americans Have Contracted and Died of Coronavirus at an Alarming Rate

Rolling Stone: New Map Shows COVID-19 Is Hitting People of Color Hardest

BET: Philadelphia Sees Disproportionate Number Of Coronavirus Postives Among Black Population

LGBTQ people are also particularly at risk of contracting and having bad outcomes

NY Daily News: Coronavirus crisis puts many in LGBTQ community at ‘increased risk’ according to new report

The Grio: LGBTQ community uniquely impacted by COVID-19, research shows

The Hill: How the coronavirus presents a unique threat to the LGBTQ+ community

While Trump, Pence and their administration are failing to address the topic, Leaders in Congress are bringing it much needed attention

Black Enterprise: Democratic lawmakers want to collect racial data on virus testing in the wake of COVID-19

Sen. Kamala Harris: Harris, Lawmakers Urge HHS to Address Racial Disparities in Access to Testing and Treatment during the Coronavirus Pandemic

www.hrc.org/blog/trump-pence-ignoring-disproportionate-impacts-of-coronavirus?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Family’s Stay-at-Home Version of Les Mis’s ‘One Day More’ Goes Viral

The Marsh family’s clever lyrics provide much-needed joy to the world.

www.advocate.com/music/2020/4/03/familys-stay-home-version-les-miss-one-day-more-goes-viral