Sada Jones anxiously paces inside her apartment every time she catches a glimpse of her buildings maintenance workers through a damaged glass patio door half boarded up with scrap wood that she says her landlord refuses to repair.

Jones, 23, a hotel cook, has been unable to make rent payments on her New Orleans-area apartment since being furloughed on March 19 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, she alleges, her landlord began using aggressive tactics to force her out, including cutting off her utilities and sending maintenance workers to demand she leave.

Im scared because I dont want to move with the situation thats going on with COVID, but I also dont want to live in these conditions, she said. Im constantly anxious and paranoid about what theyll do next. I dont feel safe.

Despite efforts by many jurisdictions to halt evictions either through formal moratoriums or court closures, some landlords have taken matters into their own hands with illegal self-help evictions and have been harassing and intimidating tenants like Jones who are unable to pay rent many because of pandemic-related job loss in an effort to get them out.

These tenants, many who are waiting on unemployment or stimulus checks, are put in the precarious situation of having to endure hostility or leave their homes in the midst of a public health crisis.

Amanda Golob, managing attorney of the housing law unit at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in New Orleans, said her office has seen several abusive tactics from landlords, including changing locks, cutting utilities, refusing to make essential repairs and constant harassment via phone calls and text messages: They are creating an environment that forces the tenant to leave on their own.

Similar incidences of self-help evictions, which are a violation of the law in most jurisdictions, have been reported by housing organizations across the country since the onset of the pandemic.

Nearly 30 percent of respondents to a survey by the National Fair Housing Alliance said they've experienced an increase in fair housing complaints, incidences or calls since mid-March, when most states went into COVID-19 lockdowns.

Complaints could become more prevalent as the backlog of evictions builds and landlords' frustrations mount, housing experts said.

We have seen both prior to pandemic and during pandemic some landlords will resort to intimidation or other tactics to push their tenants out. It is certainly possible that given the increasing economic pressure that both families and landlords are under that that could increase, said Alieza Durana, a writer and spokeswoman for the Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

Jones said her landlord's hostile tactics began a few weeks after she missed her April payment. Claiming she broke her lease and surrendered her key, her landlord sent maintenance workers into her apartment to demand she leave immediately, she said. Jones, who still had her key, refuted the claim and refused to go.

A few days later, he cut off various utilities, she said: disconnecting her air conditioning cables as temperatures began to soar and turning off power in parts of her apartment, including the kitchen. She no longer has a working stove.

Jones used her March rent money to stock up on two weeks of food and essentials at the start of the pandemic. Whatever was left from her savings was used for food in April and May, she said, leaving her nothing for housing costs.

I had to make a decision. Either I pay the rent or I buy food, so I chose what I immediately needed at the time, which was food, she said.

Meanwhile, a broken sliding glass door vandalized in February has been untouched despite her repeated requests to have it fixed.

Regardless of any lease violations, the landlord still has an obligation to make her unit livable, said Hannah Adams, a legal aid attorney with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services who is representing Jones.

When NBC News emailed Jones' landlord, Joshua Bruno, to ask about her allegations specifically that he refused to fix the broken door, cut off some utilities to the apartment and had staff intimidate Jones Bruno responded with more than a dozen points, calling the allegations "false," claiming Jones was "trespassing" and that there was an "open police investigation into her breaking back into her apartment."

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Jones and attorneys with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services say Bruno's accusations are baseless and false. Adams said she has repeatedly requested police reports, video or any other documentation regarding a police investigation into an alleged break in and has received nothing from Bruno.

While self-help evictions are outlawed in Louisiana, Bruno is also barred from evicting tenants under the federal Cares Act, Adams said. The law, which was enacted to aid individuals and businesses harmed by the pandemic, prohibits landlords who receive federal loans or assistance including Bruno, who has a Fannie Mae loan on the property from initiating eviction proceedings until July 25.

Jones is not alone in her allegations against Bruno. Other renters living in Brunos units also claim they've been subjected to self-help tactics after losing jobs amid the pandemic (Bruno has maintained that his actions were appropriate and that his company follows state and federal laws).

When Arkansas resident Milton Light wasnt able to pay his rent, his landlord unleashed several aggressive tactics to get him to leave so she could get another tenant in as soon as possible, he said.

Light, 34, lost his full-time job as a coiled tubing operator because of the pandemic on April 3.

His hours had already been cut by the end of March when he let his landlord, Genai Walker-Macklin, know that he wouldn't be able to make rent the following month. It was then that she told him he had to be out by April 5, he said.

She began showing the home to other potential renters.

When Light pushed back saying she cannot bully him out of his lease which ends in the summer, she began using every trick in the book against him, he said.

According to court documents filed by Light, she changed the locks on the property, called his utility companies to have his gas and electric shut off and even tried to have his vehicle towed from his home.

When that didnt work, she filed a complaint with the Arkansas Department of Human Services alleging that his home was unsafe for his four young children, he said. She also began harassing Lights ex-wife with whom he shares custody of his children, Light claims.

According to a police report seen by NBC News, the landlord also had movers show up to forcibly remove his things from the home until authorities stopped her.

Shes taking these actions to try and force him out of his home without a court giving her an order to do so, said Frank Jenner, an attorney with the Center for Arkansas Legal Services who is representing Light. You cant take action until the court authorizes a particular action.

Walker-Macklin filed a civil eviction lawsuit on April 30, and Light responded with a counterclaim alleging an illegal eviction and asking for a preliminary injunction that would prohibit any further efforts to remove him from the property without a court order. The case is still pending.

Light's landlord did not return several calls from NBC News requesting comment, and her attorney declined to comment because of pending litigation.

Arkansas is one of the statesthat has not had any kind of mandated moratorium on evictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and instead left it to individual courts to handle.

While data isn't yet available on renters facing self-help evictions during the pandemic, one can intuit who is more likely to be targeted, said Lisa Rice, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance. I think it is fair to guesstimate that it is those vulnerable populations who are disproportionately subject to these forms of abusive evictions when there isnt a pandemic," Rice said.

Evictions generally affect people with less income stability disproportionately people of color and single-women households, she said. They may be less empowered to push back.

The tactics can sadly be effective, she added, especially for those who feel intimidated and don't feel safe in their home.

Cobbling together first and last month's rent is a huge obstacle for many tenants, and if you're strapped for cash like so many are right now, the idea of engaging with your landlord or going to court can be overwhelming, said Durana of Eviction Lab.

In addition, when you do go to court there is an increased risk that it could go on your record," Durana said. "It could put you in a position in which you then have trouble finding future housing.

For many families, it's easier to avoid the court process entirely even though they may have a right to stay and the harassment is illegal and unfounded.

Everyone has a breaking point, Durana said.

To help counter self-help evictions, housing advocates are pushing to extend eviction moratoriums, expand relief to renters and raise the bar to filing evictions so there are more legitimate reasons to initiate the process.

Several jurisdictions, including Minnesota and Washington, D.C., have already started to aggressively prosecute cases of predatory landlord behavior.

Being pushed out of your home is problematic at any point, but especially during a pandemic, said Shamus Roller, executive director of the National Housing Law Project.

The last thing we want right now is people going around looking for an apartment to rent. That involves travel, interacting with strangers, enclosed spaces and all of the other activities associated with moving, he said. And those are the challenges for someone that can find and afford a new place. For other people that get evicted, it means doubling up with another family or homelessness, which come with huge health ramifications.

Jones plans on staying put for now.

While April rent will be covered by a rental assistance program for tenants affected by the pandemic, she said she is trying to work with her landlord to pay back March and May once she starts earning again.

I want to pay and Ill pay as soon as I can, but I cant give you something I don't have, she said.

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Some landlords are using harassment, threats to force out tenants during COVID-19 crisis - NBC News

Wellness June 15, 2020 10:52 AM ByKristen Fischer Parade @kristenfischer More by Kristen

Theres no doubt about it: 2020 has been one of the strangest, most anxiety-inducing years weve ever seen. If youre finding yourself in a tangle of anxious thoughts or experiencing some of the physical symptoms associated with anxiety, know that youre not alonemany of us are right there with you.

That being said, theres quite a bit you can do about anxiety, from speaking with a mental health professional (always a good idea!) to getting regular exercise and trying your best to get enough sleep.

Another idea? Start meditating. Studies show that meditation is correlated with lower levels of anxiety, so why not get started today? Here are15 of our favorite meditations specifically aimed at taming anxiety.

This meditation is all about acknowledging feelings and feeling peaceful at the same timea tool many of us need to learn how to feel difficult emotions yet stay calm. Its one part relaxation, one part cognitive behavioral therapy, all in one short video.

BuzzFeeds Goodful channel put together this 10-minute meditation that encourages you to anchor yourself through breathwork and release unwanted feelings. Its not so much about clearing your mind, but learning to think of a situation more objectively. He ends it with silence and soothing music.

This meditation is from the creators of the mobile app, Calm. It guides you through a basic meditation to help your mind unwind as you become more aware of your body. The video is a calming mountain lake that provides some visual relaxation as well.

Instead of trying to calm your mind by forcing you to breathe and clear your thoughts, you can simply listen to this meditation and in turn, alleviate anxiety. The meditation, brought to you by the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, an authority on self-care,features affirmations that can help your mind fixate on positive messages.

Ideal for beginners, this 15-minute meditation with YouTube yoga sensation Adriene Mishler will give you just what you need to unwind. Learn how to practice breathing and, in doing so, watch your anxiety diminish.

A calm mind is a health mindand this meditation will help provide you with theinner peace you need, if only for about 10 minutes. Theres not a lot of talk in this guided meditation. Instead, the soothing background music does the trick to melt your worries away.

Related: 10 Ways Meditation Can Fix Your Life

Kristin Lothman, a mind-body counselor with Mayo Clinics Department of Integrative Medicine and Health, provides a meditation example for coping with anxiety related to COVID-19. The video features her guiding you through the meditation, so dont expect any delta wave music or trippy graphics, but it certainly gives beginners the foundation to start a solid meditation practice, or just help you unwind from stressCOVID-related or not.

If youre in the mood for a quick way to manage anxietyor in the midst of a panic attack and need to calm downthis meditation is great. The voice is soothing, and the video includes mesmerizing visuals reminiscent of watching a lava lamp.

John Kabat-Zinn is a leader in mindfulness meditation. This one provides a simple guided exercise to help you scan your body. In mentally doing so, it provides almost-instant relaxation as well as the chance to become more present in your body.

Related: How Jon Kabat-Zinn Brought Mindfulness Meditation to the Masses

Slow down and let your mind know that it can stop working. This session aims to help you clear your mind, which allows you to release anxiety and then reap all the benefits of meditation.

Related:100 Benefits of Meditation

Sometimes you dont have to know how to clear your mind to experience all the positive benefits of meditation. This meditation uses binaural beats, which are different frequencies that play in your ears to create a relaxing effect.

Jay Shetty is a former monk with an infectious personality who can help you relax just by listening to him. This is the first episode of his 20-day live meditation series.

Gabrielle Bernstein, the famed self-help guru, put together this upbeat affirmation meditation that features a video with positive images including the narratives text.

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This 14-minute meditation is led by Deepak Chopra, an alternative medicine advocate, who guides you through a brief meditation focused on repeating some chants for relaxation. The relaxing visuals are definitely enough to help you unwind as you listen.

Celebrity interviews, recipes and health tips delivered to yourinbox.

Not only will this guided meditation help you relax and alleviate anxiety, it will also uplift you. The story helps build better body awareness, which is how to improve your ability to quickly slip into meditation and get the most from it.

Next, get familiar with how to start adaily meditation practice.

Read more:
Meditation for Anxiety: Guided Meditations for Anxiety And More - Parade

Our editors independently selected these items because we think you will enjoy them and might like them at these prices. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn a commission. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.

Ambush Makeover is back virtually! She may not be surprising guests in the plaza for a fashionable makeover, but TODAY lifestyle contributor Jill Martin is sharing self-care tips anyone can use at home for a DIY makeover.

Martin asked TODAY staffers about their stay-at-home struggles and provided some easy solutions that would upgrade their routine. Some battled a lack of sleep and needed a way to catch some zs while others wanted to achieve a perfect manicure at home. No matter the issue, Martin used her shopping insight to give them a quick fix from home.

Read on to learn how to get an Ambush Makeover from the comfort of home with the help of a few Martin-approved self-care products.

Graphics researcher C Thambundit misses getting her nails done with her sister. Instead of waiting for a professional manicure, Martin recommended an all-inclusive nail kit.

"It's (like) a gel manicure at home but it comes off with regular polish remover, and you don't have to put your hands under the lights," said Martin.

The Dazzle Dry Nail System is a four-part kit that includes a nail primer, a base coat, a topcoat and a shine-enhancing "Revive" treatment. Simply pair it with your favorite nail polish for gel-like results that last for up to 14 days.

Martin experimented with the kit in the past and recommends warming the base coat in a bowl of hot water before applying to avoid a cloudy finish.

Final verdict: We love them so much! Were already looking at other colors to buy, said Thambundit.

When executive producer Joanne LaMarca Mathisen started working from home she realized she was lacking sleep, causing a prominent appearance of lines and wrinkles on her face.

To combat the tired look, Martin provided her with silicone anti-wrinkle patches. "My sister-in-law Kara actually uses them and loves them, she noted.

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Sio makes medical-grade silicone patches that adhere to skin with a flexible adhesive. Designed to instantly flatten and smooth skin, the brand claims patches can minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in just a few hours. The "eyelift" patches target the eye area to diminish the look of crows feet while infusing skin with hydration.

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The beauty of Sio patches is that they can be used overnight or during the day. Each patch can also be used up to 15 times and gradually supports the skins ability to retain moisture. The patches come with a handy, reusable pouch for easy travel.

In addition to the patches, Martin also recommended the brand's Cryo System which includes a moisturizing serum and a skin-toning tool. The unique tool massages skin and provides a cooling effect that the brand says helps reduce redness and puffiness.

"It woke my face up in the morning, said Mathisen of her experience using the system. I felt like it really helped me feel refreshed."

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Get a daily roundup of items that will make your life easier, healthier and more stylish.

Producer Sarah Clagett wasn't able to visit the salon for her regular waxing appointment, she asked Martin for a product that would help her achieve smooth legs.

The bestselling kit contains everything you need to complete a salon-worthy wax from the comfort of your own home. "They give you the stick; there are no strips, it's really easy," said Martin of her recommendation.

For the best results, Martin recommends putting the wax-filled cup in the microwave and heating the formula in 30-second increments. After a temperature test, apply to the hair, wait for it to dry and remove the wax in one brisk pull. The steps may seem simple but Martin notes that reading the instructions carefully is a vital step in the process.

Newswriter Patricia Luchsinger asked Martin what she could use to spruce up her roots from home.

Martin didnt have to think twice when she handed this product to Luchsinger. Its one of her favorites because it comes in multiple forms including a powder, a pen and a spray.

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It isnt permanent, but this spray is designed to cover fading roots while extending the life of color between salon visits. Martin also used it at home saying this got me through a month and a half.

"I finished powdering my roots and I think it's an improvement. For something that's a temporary fix I think it's pretty good, said Luchsinger.

Researcher Sean Hickey has been staying at his parents' house for three months and his sleep schedule is off. He said he gets tired in the middle of the day and consistently wakes up in the middle of the night. Martin sent him a helpful bundle of sleep essentials including essential oil, a weighted eye mask and a weighted blanket.

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Lavender has relaxing properties that may promote sleep and Martin uses the DoTerra Lavender Essential Oil to get a good nights rest. She recommends putting a few drops into the palm of your hand and rubbing it together which allows it to soak in.

This weighted eye pillow is designed to provide a calming effect, and that's just what Hickey got.

I had a great nights rest, he raved. It smells like lavender too so it kind of keeps that scent of lavender throughout the night.

"It almost feels like a hug," said Martin when describing the Terapedic Reversible Weighted blanket. It comes in five sizes from eight pounds to 25 pounds and is finished with a soft, fuzzy fabric.

Weighted blankets can help stimulate serotonin leading to better sleep, which may be why Hickey experienced a restful night after sleeping with one. Its filled with tiny glass beads that are evenly distributed across the blanket for equal pressure throughout the night.

Producer Angela Tonini tried the Nails Inc hand and foot mask for an at-home spa treatment. Martin also recommended a nourishing cuticle and nail oil for soft, nourished skin.

Looking for a solution for dehydrated soles? Featuring a combination of green tea, ginkgo leaf, peppermint and sweet almond extract, the mask is formulated to leave skin feeling super smooth.

The Thirsty Hands Hand mask is formulated with a blend of shea butter, plant extracts and vitamin E, which helps hydrate dry and cracked hands. Simply apply it to clean hands and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes for a quick boost of hydration.

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With only a couple of drops, this repair oil will revive cracked cuticles and brittle nails with continued use. Just massage it into the nail bed twice a week for the best results.

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Original post:
12 self-care products to give your routine a makeover - TODAY

Sleep significantly influences the effectiveness of care that caregivers provide to dementia and Alzheimers patients, according to the results of a study led by a UB faculty member considered one of the countrys foremost researchers on mental health, dementia and addiction in older adults.

Caregiver fatigue is significantly influenced by sleep quality, states the study led by Yu-Ping Chang, Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Endowed Professor and associate dean for research and scholarship in the School of Nursing. Nurses should routinely assess caregivers level of fatigue and provide advice on monitoring fatigue and sleep quality on a regular basis.

Caregivers should manage fatigue by getting sufficient sleep and reducing stress, as well as seeking the appropriate health care when fatigue worsens, so that they can remain healthy for themselves and the dementia patients they look after, the study says.

The study notes that family members care for approximately 80 percent of individuals with dementia.

These caregivers are truly at risk of developing physical and emotional problems of their own while they are trying to provide care for their loved ones, says Chang, adding that fatigue can contribute to an increased susceptibility to illness and lead to decreased levels of energy and focus.

Often caregivers are so immersed in providing care that they are unable to see that their own well-being is declining, leading to the both a decline in health on the part of the caregiver and a decline in the quality of care they are able to provide, which also negatively impacts the recipient.

The study, Fatigue in Family Caregivers of Individuals With Dementia: Associations of Sleep, Depression and Care Recipients Functionality, was published this month in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing. It was co-authored by Rebecca Lorenz, Meg Phillips, His-Ling Peng and Kinga Szigeti.

The study surveyed 43 caregivers of dementia and Alzheimers patients. Participants were asked to provide information on the associations among fatigue, depression, sleep and care recipient functionality. They were monitored for high levels of fatigue and poor sleep quality.

The study found significant associations between fatigue and depression, sleep onset latency, sleep quality and care recipient functionality. The study also measured associations among energy and depression, sleep quality and care recipient functionality.

Caregivers who reported a higher level of depression were more likely to experience a higher level of fatigue and lower level of energy, according to the study results. Similarly, caregivers with poorer sleep quality experienced more fatigue and less energy. As care recipient functionality decreased, caregiver fatigue increased, and energy decreased.

Results indicated caregiver sleep quality was a significant predictor of fatigue and energy, according to the study.

The study adds to the limited information currently available about fatigue among caregivers of individuals with dementia, according to the researchers. Chang says more research is needed on how sleep quality affects depression and caregivers ability to provide quality care.

Further study in this area can help us better understand fatigue experienced by caregivers, providing insight into ways to improve the care-giving experience, the study says. Fatigue needs to be recognized as an important symptom among caregivers of individuals with dementia.

Chang notes that self-care is a necessity for family caregivers. Tending to your own physical and emotional well-being is just as important as making sure your family member gets their medication on time or is taken to their doctor appointment, she says. If the stress of caregiving isnt addressed, it can lead to burnout, and then both the caregiver and the person they are providing care for will be suffering.

Continue reading here:
Fatigue, sleep play major roles in quality of care for dementia, Alzheimer's patients - UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff - University...

A Monterey County Superior Court employee who works at the Monterey courthouse has tested positive for Covid-19, and certain courthouse personnel are being told to self-quarantine for two weeks and get tested for the virus.

In an email sent to court personnel today, Sunday, June 14, Court Administrative Officer Chris Ruhl says certain court personnel who were physically at the courthouse starting on Tuesday, June 9 are being told to stay home, get tested and self quarantine for two weeks. The employees include all clerks area employees on the first and second floors of the courthouse.

Other employees, including bailiffs, private security staff, attorneys, probation officers and judicial officers who may be impacted, are being contacted directly today, June 14.

Cases for the Monterey courthouse will continue to be heard this coming week, Ruhl writes, and the courthouse underwent sanitization on Saturday. The clerks office windows will be closed to the public on Monday, June 15, but may reopen again on Tuesday for the rest of the week, depending on available staffing.

Services that have been being provided remotely, such as the Self-Help Center, will continue to be provided remotely.

The Marina courthouse, where traffic and small-claims cases are heard, was closed part of Thursday, June 11, and all day June 12 after an employee there showed symptoms of Covid-19 and then received positive test results. That courthouse was deep cleaned on Friday and will reopen to the public on Monday, June 15.

"As the employee who tested positive had limited and minimal direct interaction with the public, [the California Department of Public Health] has advised that notice to the public is not needed under these circumstances, because there is little to no risk that members of the public were exposed," Ruhl writes.

In all, between the Monterey and Marina courthouses, 35 employees are being asked to self-quarantine and get tested. The system has about 190 employees altogether.

As to the staffers on self-quarantine, "if their jobs are ones that can be done remotely, we will ask them to work remotely, or they have the option of taking leave," Ruhl tells the Weekly.

The Superior Court is doing internal contact tracing, with advice from the county Health Department on what to ask.

"We ask a whole series of questions, where they've been during the previous 48 hours, who they may have had contact with and who they've been closer to than six feet," Ruhl adds.

"We've done everything we can to make the courthouse as safe for people as it possibly can be, and there is always an element of risk here that's heightened because we're now reopened to the public and our staff is back on site."

See the article here:
Monterey court staffer tests positive for Covid-19, certain employees are told to test and self-quarantine. - Monterey County Weekly

Photo-Illustration: Vulture

This article has been updated to include Apatows recent films, including this weeks The King of Staten Island.

The Judd Apatow Cinematic Universe is more than the work of just one man. And yet, whether Apatow writes, produces, or directs a film, his bighearted sensibility permeates the final product: that giddy, mockingly irreverent attitude toward romance and family that, nonetheless, has a deeply sentimental core.

Its been more than a decade since Apatow moved from TV (he was a writer-producer for the likes of The Larry Sanders Show, The Ben Stiller Show, and Freaks & Geeks) to become one of Hollywoods most bankable, distinctive comic filmmakers with The 40-Year-Old Virgin. But even before that, his affectionate, bro-friendly aesthetic which had been honed from years of stand-up and writing jokes for comics such as Roseanne could be felt in projects he wrote and produced, like The Cable Guy and Celtic Pride. But after Virgin, Apatow films were everywhere. Teaming with stars like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell, he established a reputation for making smart variations of the typical mainstream broad comedy that celebrated overgrown adolescents but secretly hoped theyd one day find a good girl and settle down. Over time, Apatows approach has matured and grown more sophisticated, but that core pleasure remains.

To celebrate Apatows growing oeuvre, were ranking the best of his movies. But first, some ground rules. Because wevealready chronicled the highs and lows of Ferrells career, were leaving off the movies they made together:Anchorman,Anchorman 2,Step Brothers,Talladega Nights,andKicking & Screaming. And were also skippingBegin Again, the Keira KnightleyMark Ruffalo musical drama that Apatow produced because, frankly, its so thematically and tonally removed from the Judd Apatow Cinematic Universe were not entirely convinced IMDb isnt actually screwing with us.

25. Year One (2009, producer) What must have sounded like a good idea in the pitch Jack Black and Michael Cera as sort of proto-cavemen is an absolute disaster onscreen. Black looks so bored and Cera looks so deeply uncomfortable and displeased to be there that its little wonder both actors essentially rebooted their entire careers after this tanked in theaters. This is the nadir of the Apatow universe, a film that comes dangerously close to being a vicious accidental satire of Apatows entire comedic vision: dumb stoners roaming around an ugly set saying non sequiturs for quick cash. Want to know the worst part? This was Harold Ramiss last film.

24. Heavyweights (1995, writer, executive producer) Apatow has said that Heavyweights was born from the idea of a prison-break movie set at fat camp, and the thing about that idea is, well, its really not all that funny. The movie gives the kids (including a young Kenan Thompson) a certain dignity, which is to be admired, we suppose, but this is still nothing but fat jokes and a frighteningly hammy performance from Ben Stiller as a self-help guru who is using the camp to try to make a line of workout videos. (One gets the sense that if Stiller could buy up all the DVDs of this one, he would.) None of the kid actors are particularly distinguished and, honestly, this movie seems beamed in from another planet entirely. Of note for Apatow completists: Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids, has a leading role as a skinny camp counselor. He doesnt look particularly comfortable.

23. Celtic Pride (1996, writer, executive producer) Again, a good idea: Two white Boston fans (Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern a odd pairing, to be sure), afraid theyre going to lose to Utah in the NBA Finals, kidnap the Jazzs star player (Damon Wayans) before Game 7. Lots could be done with this concept the inherent irrationality of sports fandom is begging to be satirized but the film doesnt capitalize on any of it. Instead, you get a lot of mugging and screaming from the two leads and no real evidence that Apatow was even near the set during filming. Celtic Pridecame out a month before The Cable Guy,delivering aone-two punch to Apatows movie dreams and sending him back to TV. For a while.

22. Drillbit Taylor (2008, producer) At the time of its release, Drillbit Taylor had a cloud hanging over it: This Apatow-produced teen comedy was one of Owen Wilsons first films after recovering from his 2007 suicide attempt. That timing didnt do this lackadaisical film any favors. Playing a liar and panhandler who becomes a bodyguard for some high-school geeks, Wilson is his usual charming and loopy self, but Drillbit Taylor (co-written by Seth Rogen) is an infinitely lamer version of Superbads combo of boisterous adolescent laughs and unexpected sweetness. Apatows wife, Leslie Mann (a constant bright spot in his films), has some flirty fun as Wilsons love interest, but everybody involved with this dud has been much, much better somewhere else.

21. Fun With Dick and Jane (2005, writer) Such a waste of an opportunity that its still frustrating a decade later. This remake of the 1977 comedy follows an upper-middle-class couple (Jim Carrey and Ta Leoni) as they resort to crime after the company they work for turns out to be an Enron-level disaster. This is fertile territory, particularly at this specific time in American history, but the movie has little to no interest in following up on any of it. Its far more comfortable just ceding the whole screen to Carrey, who is capable of playing real characters but does the exact opposite here, hamming and mugging away in one of his absolute worst performances.

20. Get Him to the Greek (2010, producer) Sure, Russell Brands obnoxious British rock-star Aldous Snow was a kick in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but did we really need a whole movie about him? Universal thought so, so we got this tiresome comedy about an uptight music executive (Jonah Hill) who has to ensure that the volcanic Snow makes it to a crucial comeback gig. Get Him to the Greek is far more interesting as a time-capsule memento: It documents that short, strange period when Hollywood thought Brand was going to be huge, Hills bread and butter was playing shlubby dorks in broad comedies, and dramatic actress Rose Byrne (whos hilarious as Snows pop-star girlfriend) hadnt yet figured out that she was one of her generations greatest comedic dynamos.

19. Juliet, Naked (2018, producer) Apatow has worked on a lot of films about immature men, but director Jesse Peretzs adaptation of a Nick Hornby novel shows what happens when the execution falls flat. Chris ODowd plays Duncan, a superfan of a faded fringe singer-songwriter (Ethan Hawke). Duncans longtime girlfriend, Annie (Rose Byrne), has never understood the appeal, but when she begins an unexpected email correspondence with the artist, she starts to see him and her relationship with going-nowhere Duncan in a new light. Juliet, Naked is a quirky romantic comedy helped immensely by its three appealing leads. But its also fatally adorable in how it depicts these mismatched characters and their ho-hum problems. As a result, this tame date movie isnt nearly as anarchic or wise as Apatows best man-child manifestos.

18. This Is 40 (2012, writer, producer, director) Yeesh. A movie so navel-gazing not only does Apatow cast his own wife and kids as his wife and kids, and Paul Rudd as a charming record-exec-dude version of Judd Apatow, he also spends half the film trying to get us to buy Graham Parker albums that watching it feels like being stuck at a neighbors house while he shows you pictures of his familys vacation to suburban Los Angeles. The Wealthy, White Ennui is oppressive throughout, but the worst part is that the movie isnt even funny. This is Apatow out of ideas and just grabbing at everything in arms reach; this is Apatow as that date who never asks you any questions about your life. And its nearly two-and-a-half hours long!

17. You Dont Mess With the Zohan (2008, writer) Those who complain that Adam Sandler just serves up lazy mainstream comedies tend to forget this commendably nervy satire about an Israeli commando (Sandler) who runs off to New York to follow his bliss and become a hairdresser. Co-written by Apatow, alongside Sandler and Robert Smigel, You Dont Mess With the Zohan is a grenade hurled clumsily at politically correct watchdogs, mocking both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when its not making obvious jokes about randy middle-aged women or giddily spoofing action-movie tropes. But commendable only gets you so far, and Zohans hit-to-miss joke ratio is, well, about as good as any of Sandlers lazy mainstream comedies. That said, wed support any Kickstarter effort to finance a spinoff film focusing on John Turturros nutso terrorist character.

16. Wanderlust (2012, producer) One of those cases where a lot of funny people get together and the sparks just dont fly, Wanderlust unites directorco-writer David Wain with Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston as upwardly mobile New Yorkers who move to a Georgia commune in order to change their lives. A top-notch supporting cast that includes Ken Marino, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Malin Akerman, Kathryn Hahn, and Alan Alda does little to help this genial but forgettable hippies sure are goofy comedy. Justin Theroux is really funny as a condescending tree-hugger, but in retrospect, it might have been better if the filmmakers had just scrapped the whole plot and let Rudds character try to talk dirty for 90 minutes.

15. May It Last (2017, director, producer) Apatows lone feature documentary co-directed with Michael Bonfiglio follows the Avett Brothers during the making of their True Sadness album. (It played in theaters for one night before airing on HBO.) If you love the Avett Brothers, youll love this movie; May It Last is made with a gentle fans touch, and you get a real sense of how the brothers affection for each other and their family history infuses their music. But if you dont know the band, youll be on the outside looking in. Apatow loves the Avett Brothers, and why not? Theyre a great band. But thats mostly all the movie has to say. Still, were glad Apatow seemed to enjoy himself so much making it.

14. The Five-Year Engagement(2012, producer) Inevitably, as Apatow and his Rogen-Segel-Franco crew aged, their movies leaned toward themes of growing older and having a life with stakes and consequences. The problem here is that this film is about the dissolution of a relationship but it never quite steps outside of that sad-sack Why wont she love me? Apatowianism. Segel (who co-wrote this film) loves his girlfriend (Emily Blunt, mostly wasted), but they can never quite get it together, and after the umpteenth scene of them fighting with each other, you find yourself cheering for them to break it off already. This is only pretending to be a mature comedy. The movie also doesnt even realize that its supporting characters should be the leads; no offense to Segel or Blunt, but when Chris Pratt and Alison Brie (with a British accent!) have this much chemistry together, you just give the movie over to them.

13. The Cable Guy (1996, producer) A critical and commercial disaster at the time, The Cable Guy has developed an admiring cult over the years especially among those who appreciate how Jim Carrey (the worlds biggest comedy star of the time) conspired with director Ben Stiller to make an unapologetically dark character piece far removed from Ace Ventura. More daring than it is successful, the film gets a lot of mileage out of the odd-couple tension between Carreys psychotic cable guy and Matthew Brodericks milquetoast dweeb. The Cable Guy isnt always funny but its always uncomfortably strange, as Carrey tries to seduce his hesitant new buddy into becoming closer and closer friends. (Apatow, who served as producer, worked on the script but didnt receive credit.) One suspects that in our Adult Swim modern era, The Cable Guy would have found its audience easier, but back in 1996, it was simply too prickly for its own good.

12. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008, producer) Here Segel works much better (in another film he wrote), as a hopelessly brokenhearted TV producer who goes all the way to Hawaii to escape his TV-star ex-girlfriend (Kristen Bell), only to see her show up there with her new rock-star boyfriend (Russell Brand, who has never been better in a film since). Here the woeful sad-sack character thats a staple of Apatow films works, partly because Segel plays him so winsomely, and mostly because hes written so sincerely. Not everything about the Mila Kunis character works shes a little too Perfect Woman for Sad Sacks but the Dracula puppet-show ending remains perfect.

11. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016, producer) All right, so it runs out of steam as it goes along, the songs (outside of Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song) and Equal Rights) arent top-shelf Lonely Island, and the celebrity cameos provide diminishing returns each time a new one shows up. Its still funny almost an updated, less movie-obsessed Walk Hard, with Andy Samberg and company satirizing musical genres one suspects Apatow doesnt listen to a lot of. One thing the Lonely Island guys and Apatow have in common (other than penis insecurity): Theyre all good-hearted, gentle satirists, so while the laughs come at you fast, theyre delivered with far more sweetness than bile. This is all good fun. And it is a LOT of good fun.

10. Funny People (2009, writer, director, producer) Yes, Funny People is Apatows longest film as a director the overstuffed two-and-a-half-hour epic he had the clout to make only after Knocked Ups box-office triumph. And sure, it meanders badly, not just telling the story of an aspiring comic (Seth Rogen), but also a lazy movie star (Adam Sandler), his ex (Leslie Mann), and her husband (Eric Bana). Nonetheless, this is a laudable swing for the fences, with Apatow trying to become the new James L. Brooks by merging comedy, romance, drama, and slice-of-life wistfulness into an often-perceptive look at the business of being funny. Outside of Punch-Drunk Love, Sandler has never been better or more revealing, dissecting his lowest-common-denominator appeal with a blunt honesty he rarely allows. Indulgent and undisciplined as Funny People may be, its also kinda thrilling, with Apatow taking risks and encouraging his star to do the same.

9. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007, writer, producer) An intriguing and essential entry in the Apatow canon because it, unlike so much of his other work, never once attempts to be serious or emotional. This is just a flat-out spoof, and its a terrific one. John C. Reilly plays the eponymous Dewey Cox, a country singer who breaks big and becomes a perfect clothesline for an impressive series of gags about music biopics, particularly Ray, Walk the Line,and even The Doors. This is as close to an old Zucker brothers joke-fest as youre going to find anymore, and though not all the gags score, most of them do. And every scene with Tim Meadows trying to stop Dewey Cox from doing drugs is perfect.This is a dark fucking period!

8. Trainwreck (2015, director, producer) Heres where Apatow confidently enters his veteran-comedic-filmmaker period, smoothly directing Amy Schumers script about a commitment-phobic mens-magazine writer (Schumer) who falls for a good guy (a superb Bill Hader). Trainwreck is the sort of New Yorkset comedy-drama that once made Woody Allen a legend, capturing the city as an endlessly romantic, bustling place where interesting, flawed people stumble over each other on the path to love. (Tellingly, Schumer takes a shot at Manhattan and Soon-Yi.) LeBron James is hilarious playing himself, Colin Quinn might actually make you teary-eyed, and a whos who of reliable comedic supporting players everyone from Vanessa Bayer to Randall Park to Jon Glaser are a constant delight. This is one of Apatows most polished and mature film, which doesnt mean there isnt room for good oral-sex jokes.

7.The King of Staten Island(2020, director, producer) For all the focus on yet another immature lead character who tries to learn how to grow up and join life with the rest of us,The King of Staten Islandreally does show a legitimate evolution for Apatow, and a desire to grow. Ironically, thats because his focus this time is on a kid named Scott (Pete Davidson, who co-wrote based on his own life story) who isnt just in a state of arrested development; hes truly, profoundly damaged. That tension, between Davidsons pain and stubborn resistance to change and Apatows traditional coming-of-age, givesThe King of Staten Islandsome real dramatic friction, making it a compelling watch even when Apatow, as usual, wanders off course occasionally. (He wouldnt be our first pick to direct an attempted robbery thats meant to be taken even slightly seriously.)

Davidson is the center of the film, but the real heart is found in the people who surround him and try to both help him and keep themselves sane in forever-shifting orbit: Marisa Tomei is wonderful as Scotts mother; Steve Buscemi hits home as the fire chief who knew his late father; Bel Powley elevates a rote role as the pseudo-love interest who cares about him but doesnt want to be dragged down by him; and best of all, Bill Burr is oddly searing and real as the potential stepfather who wants to help this kid but has plenty of his own problems. Yes, the movie is too long and has too many unnecessary subplots. But it steers toward truth and honesty in a way Apatows movies havent always. Moving forward, this is a very good sign for Apatow.

6. The Big Sick (2017, producer) The story goes that Kumail Nanjiani met with Apatow to pitch an idea about a ghost witch. Only when that went nowhere did Nanjiani decide to tell the producer about something more personal, the story of how he and his wife (screenwriter Emily V. Gordon) met. Thank God for second chances, both in pitch meetings and in relationships. The Big Sick is the result of that pitch, as Nanjiani and Gordon scripted their initial courtship, unfortunate breakup, and her subsequent stay in a hospital after she fell into a coma. One of 2017s best feel-good comedies, The Big Sick earned the screenwriting duo an Oscar nomination and helped launch Nanjiani to a whole new level of stardom. But the whole ensemble shines, particularly Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emilys beleaguered parents facing their own relationship issues.

5. Pineapple Express (2008, producer) This was the brief moment when it seemed that the Apatow stoner aesthetic, adapted by an indie filmmaker who had a way of wordlessly elevating every scene, could produce something approaching art. Pineapple Express is funny, to be sure, but it also raises the stakes, putting our two heroes (Seth Rogen and James Franco, in what we personally think might be the best nonSpring Breakers performance hell ever give) in a murder plot that actually requires them to engage, at last, with the world around them. The ending is a little too self-consciously Were doing 80s-movies tropes! and seeing where David Gordon Green would go after this slightly devalues what he was going for here, but this is as daring and original a movie about the friendship between dealer and stoner as humans could possibly conceive.

4. Superbad (2007, producer) 2007 was the Summer of Judd, thanks to the smash success of Knocked Up and this Apatow-produced high-school comedy about two dorks (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) looking to get laid before they graduate. Superbad was written by Seth Rogen and his partner Evan Goldberg, and alongside director Greg Mottola, they captured the horny, anxious flop-sweat of life as a teenage boy: Your hormones make you feel invincible, but your hopeless awkwardness remind you what a putz you really are. Like a lot of high-school movies, Superbad is really about the pain of saying good-bye to childhood, but its consistently raucous enough that the sneaky sentiment surprises you. And its a sure bet that, eight years later, a lot of people still think Christopher Mintz-Plasses real name is McLovin.

3. Knocked Up (2007, writer, director, producer) Knocked Up signaled the moment when critics started taking Apatow seriously as a comedy auteur, which has been a mixed blessing considering the sometimes self-indulgent tone his movies have taken since. Nonetheless, Apatows second feature has a killer hook: Prototypical slob (Seth Rogen) has drunken one-night stand with a classic uptight workaholic (Katherine Heigl), getting her pregnant in the process. The setup plays out predictably the immature man-child grows up but Apatows screenplay is full of texture and heartfelt observations: how nobody ever really feels like an adult, how life is what happens when youre busy making other plans, whether Steely Dan are incredible or gargle balls. Watch Knocked Up now, and theres an extra layer of poignancy: Heigl bad-mouthed the movie after its release and yet never got close to making anything as good again.

2. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005, writer, director, producer) The movie that finally broke Apatow and ushered in a whole decade of comedy is still the funniest, sweetest, and most original of all of Apatows personal productions. Sure, this has all the regular gags and ten years later, even when it could be considered problematic, the You know how I know youre gay? battle between Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen seems to sum up every white heterosexual teenager weve ever met and the Apatow signature of overgrown man-children putting off adulthood. But it also has a huge-hearted, star-making performance from Steve Carell at its center, a legitimately complicated romantic lead (played by Catherine Keener!), and as deep a comedy bench, right before they all exploded, as you will find. Seriously: Rudd, Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Romany Malco, Jane Lynch, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Kat Dennings, and Jonah Hill as a reasonably befuddled customer.

1. Bridesmaids (2011, producer)Apatows best film brought him full circle, reuniting him with Freaks & Geeks partner Paul Feig to produce a very funny comedy co-written by Saturday Night Lives Kristen Wiig about a luckless woman (Wiig) whos asked to serve as maid of honor at her best friends (Maya Rudolph) wedding. What was deemed at the time to be a commercial risk Will audiences see a female-driven broad comedy? was actually a thing industry insiders used to wonder proved to be ground zero for many of modern comedys biggest talents. Bridesmaids didnt just cement Wiig and Feigs film careers, it also paved the way for Damages Rose Byrnes second life as Hollywoods go-to hilarious sidekick and Melissa McCarthys ascension to the A-list. (And dont forget the star-making turns from Chris ODowd and Ellie Kemper.) Though only Bridesmaids producer, Apatow oversaw a movie that merged the outrageous laughs and just-hanging-out vibe of his own films with Wiigs clear eye for the complexity of female friendships and her fascination/revulsion with getting-to-the-altar romantic comedies. Bridesmaids is great because its funny and sweet and silly andsurprisingly touching: the Apatow aesthetic perfected.

Grierson & Leitch write about the movies regularly andhost a podcast on film. Follow them onTwitteror visittheir site.

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The Best Judd Apatow Movies, Ranked - Vulture

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) Its been two weeks since the death of George Floyd. Countless protests and the fallout from Floyds death that have filled computer screens and social media accounts for 14 days can be troubling for your mental health, according to therapist Destiny Robbins.

We are being re-traumatized but on the second side of that, we are also being desensitized. So there is a part where this is becoming the norm, said Robbins, owner of Healing Solutions Therapy.

Robbins specializes in addressing trauma and depression. Since Floyds death, Robbins said she has had numerous calls from new clients asking for help and resources to process.

We dont want to lose hope and we dont want to deal with this alone, she said

As many people are looking for ways to process their emotions, Franzetta Cheathon, a Rancho Cordova resident, said she has had a hard time dealing with her emotions.

READ:Police Chief Responds To Sacramento Activists Demand For Police Reform

Its heart-wrenching because we saw a murder on tv that was taped by someones cell phone, she explained It has almost brought me to a depression. A sadness so deep that I just want to shut everything out. Its awful, its awful. He was crying mama that tore at my heart and all the hearts of mothers of sons.

As images, protests and the graphic video of Floyds death circulate, people of all races and ages are demanding change. In Rancho Cordova, two high school seniors organized their own march Monday.

Voice these thoughts and emotions. Your voice is your most powerful weapon, said Cordova high school senior Khyra Clark to a group of her peers.

Clark and her best friend Rylie Dimas organized a protest from city hall to the front of the Rancho Cordova Police Department.

To know that you are not the only person feeling these emotions. Feeling the extreme happiness as a community and to know that people have your back, but to also feel the extreme sadness and fear and hurt that we even have to be our here protesting that someones life actually matters, that shouldnt be a question, said Dimas.

As people continue to process, Dimas and Clark are finding purpose in protesting.

Im glad that we took this death, even though it was so savagely done, into such an amazing thing and we can be his voice, Clark said.

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Dealing With Mental Health During Protest: Therapist Recommends Finding Connection And Practicing Self-Care - CBS Sacramento

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JPMorgan Chase and The Princes Trust today announce the transformation of a pre-employment healthcare programme to rapidly place young people into clinical and non-clinical roles in the health and social care sector. Traditionally delivered face-to-face, JPMorgan Chases financial support of 540,000 will help deliver the Get Started with Health and Social Care programme online.

In the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis, demand for talent from hospitals has surged across the country and the need to recruit the right people to meet that demand is urgent. This collaboration serves to address the health and social care sectors urgent hiring needs while supporting unemployed young people into training and work.

On top of digitisation of the core programme, the support from JPMorgan Chase will help The Princes Trust to increase its outreach efforts, job placements, and mentoring and coaching support for the young people. With this funding, in the next 11 months, more than 1,000 young people will receive support through the programme. Participants will be connected with work opportunities, with an aim for half to secure roles in health and social care after the completion of the programme.

Ruby Smith, NHS Director at The Princes Trust, said: "There is an incredible amount of talent, skill and insight that young people could be contributing to our healthcare system, particularly at this time of great need. We're delighted to be working with JPMorgan Chase to connect young people who are looking for work with the employers in health and social care who are looking for their future workforce. For young people and for our healthcare system, we're living in uncertain and scary times, but we are here to offer some hope. There's no doubt this collaboration will empower young people to make transformational changes to their futures and will add unquantifiable benefits to our healthcare system."

Vis Raghavan, CEO of J.P. Morgan EMEA, said: The COVID-19 crisis is having a profound impact on the economy and it is hitting our underserved communities the hardest, and also families and individuals on a low income. Through essential collaboration with local government, businesses and community organizations, and by using our business expertise, we are lifting up communities in need.

Hang Ho, Head of Global Philanthropy EMEA and LATAM, J.P. Morgan, said: As the COVID-19 crisis continues to impact the UK, young people are facing a rapidly changing labour market and job instability in the short and long term. With some schools and training centres remaining closed, helping young people towards clear pathways to good jobs is essential. This programme helps both young people into a career in healthcare, and fills an urgent demand for workers in the healthcare industry.

New JPMorgan Chase investments in the UK

Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, JPMorgan Chase has invested $11.2m (equivalent to approximately 8.75m) across EMEA, aimed at addressing the escalating impact of the crisis for people who are disproportionately affected such us vulnerable, hard-hit individuals, including 2.2m in the UK following todays announcement.

Today, the firm is deploying 1.4m, the latest UK portion focussed on providing immediate relief and inclusive recovery by supporting financial health for people in vulnerable communities who are struggling with loss of income, and helping workers navigate the shifting labour market and young people stay enrolled in school. Here are the new UK grants comprising the firms new 1.4m UK commitment:

The need

The COVID-19 health crisis has had and will have a deep and long-lasting impact on the global economy. The resulting economic effects and social shock are expected to have a disproportionately negative effect on those with less financial buffers, the traditionally underserved and under-represented around the world.

The need for support for advancing financial health and skills development is urgent:

Whats Next

About JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.1 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the worlds most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at http://www.jpmorganchase.com.

The new investments are part of JPMorgan Chases $250 million global business and philanthropic commitment to support immediate and long-term economic and public health challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. The firm is using data-driven solutions to support the most vulnerable individuals, small businesses and communities as they face financial hardship and uncertain work opportunities, the shifting business landscape and increased pressure to access or maintain affordable housing. JPMorgan Chase will continue to leverage its core businesses, areas of expertise and existing partners to develop an ongoing response to COVID-19. For more information, visit jpmorganchase.com/covid-19.

About The Princes Trust

Youth charity The Princes Trust helps young people to develop the confidence and skills they need to realise their ambitions, so that they can live, learn and earn. Founded by The Prince of Wales in 1976, the charity supports 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed, struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.

Many of the young people helped by The Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness, mental health problems, or have been in trouble with the law.

The programmes offered by the charity give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Princes Trust move into work, education or training.

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JPMorgan Chase and The Prince's Trust Collaborate to Digitise NHS Employment Programme for Unemployed Young People - Business Wire

NEW DELHI : At northward of 11GB per user per month, India has witnessed a 30% spike in Internet data usage amid the crornavirus pandemic which has pushed data consumption 2-3 years into the future, says a new surve by professional services firm Ernst & Young.

A survey titled Digital Consumer Survey: Shaping the new normal, analyzes views of 2,600 plus consumers to highlight the changing behaviour and perception toward digital services. 76% of the respondents were high-data users while 24% were basic users.

The survey reveals, nearly 33% respondents upgraded broadband plans for higher data packages with unlimited plans accounting for 40% of total upgrades. Many basic users, or those using data only for thin web-browsing, chatting and calling are migrating to the high user bucket. Nearly 11% of basic data users upgraded their existing packs to either unlimited or 50%-100% higher data for more content streaming, gaming and video calling.

With remote working, it has increasingly becoming commonplace to adopt video conferencing and productivity tools. The survey reveals that as many as 76% respondents are either first timers or have increased the time they spent on video calling.

90% respondents are spending more time on digital activities such as content streaming, e-learning, infotainment and social media. Nearly 61% consumers are streaming more content than they were before the lockdown with time spent on video streaming having surged 1.2 times to an average of 4.2 hours per user per week. Further, 60% respondents prefer subscription-based video-on-demand, while 20% prefer TV entertainment. Nearly 50% of respondents who prefer TV, are spending more time watching movies, shows and news telecast.

The integration of digital with education has led to the emergence of a new breed of digital learners who are adopting technology faster than ever. Nearly 59% respondents are learning online and almost 50% respondents prefer learning on EdTech platforms over accessing learning material scattered on web portals. The report says that scaling network connectivity and access to technologies in far flung rural hinterlands is an opportunity to drive radical socio-economic gains.

The pandemic has also accelerated the transition to a cashless ecosystem. Digital platforms are gaining strength as a preferred medium for most purposes, nearly 38% respondents started using digital payments for the first time. Digital wallets stand strong, with 53% respondents making payments through e-wallets. In fact, telecom operators strategies to monetize digital payments are structurally positive, with 12% respondents leveraging self-care applications for payments. The market is poised for a growth with the digital payment transaction value forecast to double from 2019 to touch $135.2 billion in 2023.

The digital consumer expects speed, agility and self-service, virtually. According to the survey, nearly 50% of the service requests were raised through chatbots, self-care applications and social media platforms. Nearly 70% respondents have indicated preference toward online chats through mobile apps or outreach through instant messaging platforms for service requests. 30% users indicated preference for digital Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) or self-help tutorials and videos for troubleshooting while 51% of them cited privacy concerns as a top barrier to adoption of digital services.

Digital consumption patterns are evolving in exciting ways. The new normal is all about creating hyper-personalized and connected experiences for a digital consumer. The digital services industry is poised for growth, and the right accelerators will go a long way in enabling the lives of 1.3 billion Indians with a click and tick", Prashant Singhal, emerging markets TMT (Technology, Media & Entertainment and Telecommunications) leader at EY, said in a statement.

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90% of consumers are connecting more to virtual world during coronavirus: EY - Livemint

The AIDS response has taught the world the importance of protecting human rights and promoting gender equality when fighting a disease. COVID-19 has amplified that lesson.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNAIDS has repeated the call that governments must protect human rights and prevent and address gender-based violencean issue that is even more vital now that lockdowns are putting women and girls at an even higher risk of intimate partner and sexual violence. Equally, UNAIDS has made it clear that sexual and reproductive health services should be recognized as the essential services they are.

To drive those messages to decision-making tables and to the front lines of the response, a new UNAIDS report shows how governments can confront the gendered and discriminatory impacts of COVID-19. Presenting six areas as imperatives to address the needs, and protect the rights, of women and girls during the pandemic, the report highlights the needs of women and girls in all their diversity, particularly the most marginalized, and the importance of access to essential health services. The neglected epidemic of gender-based violence, the misuse of criminal and punitive laws, the importance of education, health and well-being and the value of womens work and making unpaid care work everybodys work are also showcased.

Just as HIV has held up a mirror to inequalities and injustices, the COVID-19 pandemic has puta spotlight on the discrimination that women and girls battle against every day of their lives, said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. Many of the drivers of inequality in the HIV epidemic are the same as those driving inequality and injustice in the COVID-19 pandemicboth epidemics can only be successfully fought by putting gender equality at the centre of the response.

The report underscores that sexual and reproductive health and rights are often the first to be sacrificed during epidemics and that the gains of the past decade must be protected. The report also makes it clear that scarce resources must be focused on the most marginalized women and girls, including sex workers, gender diverse people, women in prison and migrants and others without proof of employment or residence.

A selection of practical steps that UNAIDS has been taking with partners in countries to maintain essential health-care services, mobilize emergency legal protection and support populations facing human rights violations during the COVID-19 outbreak are presented.

For example, in Nigeria and Cte dIvoire UNAIDS is partnering with the International Community of Women Living with HIV to facilitate women living with HIV to work as community pharmacists, who help with the collection and home delivery of antiretroviral therapy and other medicines for people who were unable to access their treatment owing to COVID-19 restrictions.

In Latin America, the United Nations Population Fund and UNAIDS are offering contraceptives and HIV testing,as well as hygiene kits and information on gender-based violence and HIV, to women who are in compulsory quarantine after fleeing the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela because of COVID-19.

In Morocco, UNAIDS, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and civil society, is mobilizing self-help groups, medical and psychosocial support and family mediation services for populations at higher risk of HIV. Collaborations between the government and civil society have helped to ensure continued access to antiretroviral therapy, opioid substitution therapy and food aid during the pandemic.

Above all, the report has the message that health, safety, dignity and rights, especially for women and girls, in all their diversity, must not be compromised and women should lead the call for change.

Get out there and fight, use your voice to demand and take action for your communities, added Ms Byanyima.

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UNAIDS highlights six critical actions to put gender equality at the centre of COVID-19 responses - UNAIDS