Updated 7:51pm EDT, Monday, June 29, 2020

Photo: Michael Probst, AP

Domino's expands delivery options, home buying moves online

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Monday related to the national and global response, the work place and the spread of the virus.

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FOOD SERVICE:

Domino's Pizza is now offering carside delivery service, allowing customers to stay in their cars while one of the pizza company's workers delivers their order to them.

The chain said Monday that customers can choose the new contactless carryout option when placing a prepaid order online. It is available in U.S. stores.

When a customer places a carside delivery order online, they'll be prompted to add their vehicle color, make and model, which will be used to identify them when they arrive at the store. Customers can also choose where theyd like their order placed the passenger side, back seat, trunk or the option to decide when they arrive.

The parent company of Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons says sales are improving even though most North American restaurants are only offering takeout and delivery. Restaurant Brands International said Popeyes same-store sales or sales at locations open at least a year were in the high 20% range in mid-June thanks to its popular chicken sandwich. Burger Kings U.S. sales, which were down more than 30% in March, are now flat compared to last year. Tim Hortons sales are still down more than 15%; about 10% of the brands restaurants in Canada remain closed.

U.S. restaurants saw fewer customers in mid-June as coronavirus cases surged in multiple states. Customer transactions at chain restaurants fell 13% from the previous year in the week ending June 21, according to The NPD Group, a data and consulting firm. That was softer than the 12% decline the week before.

It was the first time in two months that transactions didnt improve week-over-week. Restaurant transactions fell in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and Nevada, all of which reported spikes in coronavirus cases. The U.S. restaurant industrys road to recovery is going to have some bumps along the way, said NPD food industry analyst David Portalatin.

SUPPORTING MOMS AND POPS: American Express said it will set aside up to $200 million to help spur spending at small businesses.

The program will consist mostly of a cash-back program for cardmembers. For every $10 an AmEx cardholder spends at a small business, they will get $5 back, up to $50. Like other credit card companies, AmEx codes each of its merchants in its system by size and industry, so the cashback will only work at small businesses.

AmEx is also setting aside $10 million that will go directly to Black-owned small businesses in the form of grants to help address the challenges they face due to racial and social inequalities.

BONUS ROUNDUP:

Amazon is paying out $500 million in bonuses to its front-line workers. The company stopped paying a $2 an hour bonus at the end of May.

Amazon said full-time warehouse and Whole Foods workers who were employed by the company in June will get $500, while part-time workers will get $250. Managers will get $1,000. Those who started a package delivery business with Amazon will get $3,000 and their drivers will get the same bonuses as the warehouse workers. Those who delivered packages for at least 10 hours using Amazons Flex service will get $150.

Home improvement chain Lowes is handing out another round of bonuses to its workers. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based company said Monday that full-time hourly workers will receive $300, and part-time and seasonal workers will receive $150 in July matching the funds provided to all hourly workers in both March and May. The new bonuses amount to $100 million in investment to its workers.

TRAVEL:

Several U.S. airlines say they are already asking or will be asking passengers about their health during check-in before flights. American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United said they will ask passengers if they have symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, coughing or difficulty breathing. The airlines will also ask if passengers have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus in the previous 14 days.

Travelers at Frankfurt airport, Germanys biggest and a major intercontinental hub, will be able to get an on-site coronavirus test before jetting off.

Airport operators, German carrier Lufthansa and medical research company Centogene are opening a walk-in testing center near the main terminal Monday.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENTS & BANKS:

Germanys parliament has signed off on a government plan to lower sales tax and provide more money for families that it is hoped will stimulate spending and help the economy as coronavirus restrictions are eased.

The lower house of parliament on Monday approved the plan to lower the countrys value added tax from 19% to 16% for a half a year, starting July 1. A reduced tax for food and other necessities will be lowered from 7% to 5% under the plan.

MARKETS: Stocks rose on Wall Street Monday, clawing back some of the ground they lost last week.

HOUSE HUNT: Home buyers dealing with serious health concerns or other issues can now use a new secure platform to bypass the traditional home selling process during the pandemic.

HomeQuickie.com announced Monday a system that automates the entire home selling process, providing access to the selling, marketing and closing tools that industry professionals use. The program offers full self-service options for a flat $1,495 fee or expert support for a 2% commission on the final sales price.

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Domino's expands delivery options, home buying moves online - The Pioneer

Written by Asad Rehman | Lucknow | Updated: June 27, 2020 10:28:59 am The PM received feedback from Tilakram, a resident of Rakhauna village in UP, regarding the benefits of government schemes the latter and his family is receiving.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to several people across six districts of Uttar Pradesh via video-conferencing on Friday, as part of the Atmanirbhar Uttar Pradesh initiative. Snippets from some of the conversations:

Bahraich

A beneficiary of the PM Awas Yojana, Tilakram, a resident of Rakhauna village (around 49 km from the district headquarters), blessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the country for the rest of his life. The PM received feedback from Tilakram regarding the benefits of government schemes the latter and his family is receiving. Work on laying roof at his house was under way when the PM spoke to him. He expressed gratitude for the Rs 1.20 lakh given by the government. He told the PM that he used to stay in a hut and it used to be a struggle during rain. The PM told him to ensure that his children get an education.

Gorakhpur

Nagendra Prasad, a resident of Tikariya Khor village who used to work at a steel factory in Ahmedabad, had returned to his village on April 29 after the lockdown was announced. After completing his quarantine period, he took a loan of Rs 1 lakh from a Purvanchal Gramin Bank under the Mudra Yojana. He bought two buffaloes with that money and started business of supplying milk. He told the PM that he was making Rs 375 daily.

Gonda

The PM spoke to women working at a self-help group in Gonda districts Kamlapur village. The PM praised the efforts of the head of the group, Vinita Pal. He also praised the work being done by the women and said it was inspirational for others, too. The group had established a nursery in the village during the lockdown. The move has helped them earn a substantial amount of money. The women were encouraged to work harder after speaking to the PM. The groups women are becoming self-sufficient by also being involved in pisciculture, cultivation of flowers and vegetables.

Siddharthnagar

PM Modi spoke to a migrant worker, Qurban Ali, who used to work as a mason in Mumbai, in Kodra Grant village. The PM asked him what kind of work has Ali received as part of the state governments initiative to provide employment to migrants who returned to the state. He told the PM that he is working as a mason in the construction of a public toilet in the village. Ali also thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the work he is doing to ensure employment for migrant workers.

Jalaun

The PM spoke to a migrant worker, Deepu, who used to work at an aluminum unit Hyderabad before he came back to the state owing to the lockdown. He told the PM that he has been provided employment in the construction of the Bundelkhand Expressway. He expressed satisfaction over the money he is earning through the construction work.

Sant Kabir Nagar

The PM spoke to two self-employed persons in the district and urged them to pay their loan installments on time. He expressed happiness that the two entrepreneurs have helped in providing migrant workers employment. He spoke to Amrendra Kumar Rai, who owns a food production unit in the district and had taken a loan of Rs 25 lakh and has employed 12 migrant workers. He also spoke to hosiery unit owner Ramchandra Verma, who took a loan of Rs 11 lakh.

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In PMs list of 6: migrants, self-help group members and entrepreneurs - The Indian Express

June 29, 2020 08:30 ET | Source: World High Life Plc

NEW YORK, NY, June 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World High Lifes (OTCQB: WRHLF) wholly owned subsidiary, Love Hemp, is embracing the idea, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. In early 2020, COVID-19 turned into a global pandemic, and in an instant, created a tough environment for both businesses and consumers alike. Tony Calamita, the CEO of Love Hemp, a London-based CBD company playing a leadership role in the development of the United Kingdoms (UK) leading range of trusted CBD products, accepted the challenge and has capitalized on these tough times with a dramatic surge in online sales.

While the world began to lock down and shelter-in-place, Calamitas team got creative by dedicating all of Love Hemps resources and team to building upon their advanced e-commerce platformsrealizing that the major retail path would be beyond their control during the pandemic. As a result, consumers began to engage with the company in an unprecedented fashion, and Love Hemp, with its multiple e-commerce platforms, has accelerated its online brand strategy months ahead of planned targets.

And Love Hemps strategy and execution has worked to perfection.

World High Life announced that Love Hemps online sales in May 2020 eclipsed online sales figures from January 2020 by an astounding 107%. These numbers come on the heels of month-over-month growth every single month since January. The year 2020, while dismal for many businesses across the globe, has been a breakout campaign for Love Hempa company that expects the jump in sales during the pandemic to lead to longer-term gainsall while putting World High Life and its efforts to grow an investment portfolio in the legal medicinal cannabis, hemp and CBD industries, on the map as a serious competitor in these industries.

Brands, like Love Hemp, that have enjoyed a surge in online sales have most likely also enjoyed a rush of first-time customers giving them a monumental opportunity to differentiate themselves from other brands with what is a captive audience experiencing new innovative products as theyre rolled out among the already-popular choices.

Love Hemp already has over 80 products, including oils, sprays, edibles, cosmetics, and vapes, and has around 1,200 retail listings. Combined, these products have positioned the company as one of the UKs leading CBD and hemp product suppliers, but the company isnt stopping there because as Love Hemps CEO points out, the company is always expanding its product line to meet the demands of its growing customer base.

Love Hemp has always been passionate about creating a leading range of trusted CBD products. Over the past few years, we have seen the demand for CBD products soar in the UK as more and more people become aware of its benefits to well-being. Tony Calamita continued, New product development is at the heart of our businesswe were the first functional spring water in Europe to be infused with CBD. Oils, sprays, vapes, chocolate, jelly domes, and beauty products, including the first CBD-infused face masks and body salves, have all followed.

One such product that illustrates Love Hemps desire to meet consumer demand is Love Hemp Immune. The company successfully pushed this product to market well ahead of schedule to meet the needs of consumers. It is an innovative product that truly confronts the current times were all living in, so Calamita and his team made it a priority to launch it sooner rather than later. Love Hemp Immune is made with the highest quality ingredients, including a combination of CBD, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Bilberry extract. It contains all of the essential supplements that support a healthy immune system, and the company says its available in both a 100 ml atomizer spray, as well as, in capsule form.

Calamita said of the early release, We were due to launch Love Hemp Immune in the Winter of 2020, but we have worked around the clock to get it to consumers soonerand moved forward the launch by six monthslaunching it in April 2020 instead. Boosting our immune systems has rarely felt more urgent than now, and Love Hemp Immune contains the perfect combination of beneficial ingredients that will help boost the bodys natural defenses.

Last month World High Life announced that Love Hemp is achieving its plans of growth and brand expansion with a host of notable highlights, including:

Brightfield Group, the leading consumer insights and market intelligence firm for the CBD and cannabis industries said of weathering the pandemic, Smaller brands often rely on small or local retailers to distribute the bulk of their products. In the current environment, mass shuttering of retailers is likely to deal a death blow to many of the smaller brands in the market. This could actually work in favor of many of the larger brands, who are better positioned to weather the storm and be able to support a robust e-comm strategy. If they can keep the lights on over the next few months, they may be competing in a much less crowded field once we emerge from the crisis.

Love Hemp, however, is unlike many smaller brands and has proven that it is an exception to the rule as it is not only weathering these tough times but thriving in them. The companys success is likely due to the infrastructure it already had in place to prosper in times like these.

Love Hemp has its own wholesale production business with LH Botanicals, which is the UKs biggest seed-to-shelf premium CBD supplier. It provides a complete range of CBD products for wholesale, bulk, and white label and it works with brands to formulate and develop their own finished products. Additionally, Love Hemp has its own secondary online retailer, and it has already secured shelf space in pharmacies and with leading retailers, and the company has a team that is constantly thinking outside-the-box to develop new products and negotiate shelf space with some of the UKs largest retailers.

Brightfield Group released new consumer research in mid-March 2020 that indicated, anxiety rated as the highest ailment among CBD users with depression and insomnia following close behind. But, interestingly, Brightfield Group found that self-care products have become a popular topic on social media. With much of the world in quarantine or slowly emerging from it right now, Brightfield Group says, many are turning to self-care indulgences to keep themselves sane and even just pass the time, which is likely to help boost some CBD self-care products during quarantine time.

Love Hemp is in a position to offer products that can help with what is ailing each of these groups. First, all of the companys products have certified CBD concentration and are certified to be 100% THC free. Globally there is growing awareness about the possible health benefits of CBD oil, including for anxiety relief, as an anti-seizure solution, for pain relief, as a neuroprotective, etc., and Love Hemp even offers self-care products.

Brightfield Group has estimated significant growth over the next four years in the European market. The firms research expects 400% growth in Europes legal cannabis market by the end of 2023, and with Love Hemp situated in the UK and succeeding, it is in an ideal position to capture a large share of that growing European market. Read about World High Life/Love Hemps planned brand expansion in other global CBD markets: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/06/15/2048074/0/en/World-High-Life-Subsidiary-Continues-Massive-Sales-Growth-in-the-UK-CBD-Market-with-Eye-to-Future-Brand-Expansion.html

To learn more about World High Life visit: https://www.worldhighlife.uk

To learn more about Love Hemp visit: https://love-hemp.com

Or to ask questions directly, call their toll-free number in North America: 1 (888) 616-WRHLF (9745)

About World High Life

World High Life PLC is an investment company with a strategic focus to invest in and/or acquire companies operating in the CBD wellness and medicinal cannabis industry. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Love Hemp Ltd., is one of the UK's leading CBD and Hemp product suppliers and has more than 40 product lines, comprising oils, sprays and vapes, and a variety of edible and water-based CBD products. Love Hemp has established relationships with over 1,200 stores in the UK, including leading brands such as Ocado, Holland & Barrett, and WH Smith.

About Stock Market Media Group

Stock Market Media Group is a news & media content development IR firm offering a platform for corporate stories to unfold in the media with press releases, research reports, corporate videos, radio-style CEO interviews, and feature news articles.

This article was written based on publicly available information. Stock Market Media Group may, from time to time, include our own opinions about the companies, their business, markets, and opportunities in our articles. Any opinions we may offer about any of the companies we write about are solely our own and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. Any investment decisions you may make concerning any of the securities we write about are solely your responsibility based on your own due diligence. Our publications are provided only as an informational aid, and as a starting point for doing additional independent research. We encourage you to invest carefully and read the investor information available at the web site of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov, where you can also find all of World High Lifes filings and disclosures. We also recommend, as a general rule, that before investing in any securities, you consult with a professional financial planner or advisor, and you should conduct a complete and independent investigation before investing in any security after prudent consideration of all pertinent risks. We are not a registered broker, dealer, analyst, or advisor. We hold no investment licenses and may not sell, offer to sell, or offer to buy any security. Our publications about World High Life are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security.

Should Stock Market Media Group and its management own shares in the profiled company, they may benefit from any increase in the share price of the profiled companies and hold the right to sell the shares bought at any given time including shortly after the release of the companys profile. Section 17(b) of the 1933 Securities and Exchange Act requires publishers who distribute information about publicly traded securities for compensation, to disclose who paid them, the amount, and the type of payment. Under the Securities Act of 1933, Section 17(b), Stock Market Media Group discloses that it was remunerated one-thousand, two hundred dollars paid for by a third party (three-thousand, six hundred dollars total to date) via bank wire, to produce content related to World High Life.

Stock Market Media Group and its management do not own any shares in World High Life and never accepts compensation in free-trading shares for its marketing services of the company being profiled, however third parties that have compensated Stock Market Media Group may hold free-trading shares of the company being profiled and could very well be selling, holding or buying shares of the companys stock at the same time the content is being disseminated to potential investors; this should be viewed as a definite conflict of interest and as such, the reader should take this into consideration.

If Stock Market Media Group ever accepts compensation in the form of free trading shares of the company being profiled and decides to sell these shares into the public market at any time before, during, or after the release of the companys profile, our disclaimer will be updated accordingly to reflect the current position of any free trading shares received as compensation for our services.

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Love Hemp Thriving in 2020 Leading the Way for World High Life in the CBD and Hemp Markets - GlobeNewswire

In the beauty industry, they call it the Caroline effect. Skin-care influencer Caroline Hirons is so powerful that she can bring a product back from near death. Legend has it that in 2013, Clinique was about to discontinue its Take the Day Off Balm. But after Hirons gave a wholehearted recommendation of it on her site, the boost acted like defibrillator paddles and saved the product from entering the product graveyard. (Clinique even provided an official statement about the incident.) Hirons has done the same for other beloved products, among them Biologique P-50 and Pixi Glow Tonic.

On the beauty boards and on YouTube, Hirons comes across as a wisecracking straight-talker who isnt afraid to cut through the jargon and deliver the truth, scattered with a few F-bombs. Her first book out this week is called SkinCARE: The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide. It answers basic questions like how much product you should use, with helpful cheat sheets devoted to eye cream and other skin-care categories. Theres also a section called Get Into the Sea filled with products Hirons considers a complete waste of space and time. Among them: face wipes (Hironss public enemy No. 1), sheet masks (wipes with holes cut out for eyes), and foaming cleansers (No part of your body should squeak).

The Cut caught up with Hirons to talk about beauty routines during COVID-19, how she thinks Black Lives Matter will affect the beauty industry, and whether skin care is, ultimately, kind of a scam.

How has the pandemic affected the way youve thought about skin care and beauty? It hasnt changed anything for me. For other people, I think its made them sit up and take care of their skin a bit more. Ive heard that many peoples skin is changing. Most people have gone one of two ways. Theyre either dry, dehydrated, flaky, or theyre breaking out.

I am just doing what I always do. If people are avoiding wipes and doing something properly, then thats good. People who are active in the skin care community have been loving it. Its a great time to soup up the actives, retinoids, without having to worry about downtime.

A few years ago, an article went viral suggesting that skin care was a scam. What did you think of the piece and the premise? I saw that. I was not happy. I read that and thought, Shes either blessed with great genes, is the most cynical person on earth, or both. If anything, it got me a few more followers because I became a safe place for people who not only need skin care but enjoy using it.

Ive always said that people should feel like the healthiest version of themselves. I hate the term anti-aging. Surely thats a bonus to life, getting older. You need to talk to someone you trust about skin care. Everyone comes at it with a different angle at a different time of their life. Theres not one product that will make you a skin-care believer its much more nuanced than that. If youre jaded about skin care, what was your previous bad experience? And just like any industry, theres good and bad. Whats up with your skin genetically? Are you going through menopause or puberty? Everyone has a different story.

When I meet someone I say, Tell me what youre using and what you want from this. Its not about my agenda. My agenda is to help them get the skin they want. If they say, I want everything firmed up and dont want to look a day over 30, then I say, Well, you may need a needle. Considering we all have the same skin, its all different.

What motivates you to have a skin-care routine, personally? Is it because its your job? I dont do it because its my job. Its been ingrained in me since I was a teen. Ive been doing it almost 40 years. This job happened because I took care of my skin and went down that road. I dont need motivation to do it. Its an integral part of my everyday self-care.

Why do you see skin care as self-care? I think of vanity and self-care as different things. Its not vain if you take care of yourself. Its fundamental. Youre not vain when you eat dinner. Washing your hair and face and rear end is not vanity. Its self-care. Vanity comes into it if you are obsessive about things about yourself that you want to change. It ties into self-acceptance when people grow up hatingcertain parts of their body or themselves.

Why not take care of your skin? If you need encouragement to proceed with self-care, theres a bigger issue besides that you dont feel like cleansing. Your skin and hygiene are some of the first things you neglect when youre not well. For example, I have quite a few readers in the North Corridor who have Lyme disease. They tell me that they dont have the energy, and they cant do anything. They ask me, Whats the bare minimum I can do?

Do you see skin care as health? Theres a certain element of health. But its no different from my two cats licking themselves. Its self-care; its related to their health. Theyre all kind of intertwined. Is brushing your teeth vain? Its just grooming, and humans have been doing it for centuries. Before there were toothbrushes and toothpaste, there were sticks. Men get away with calling it grooming, but when its women, theres negativity.

Ive been doing Instagram Lives all during lockdown. Ive done it with gray roots in a bun. My lashes fell off in week two. My nails fell off who knows when. Beauty is prone to a lot of judgment because people like to judge women. Some reports seem to suggest that its the sole responsibility of the beauty industry to reduce plastic, as if plastic bottles and straws dont exist. Again, because its women.

Face wipes, however, are a whole other argument. Theyre created for laziness. Theyre destroying the planet. What you wont get from me is making women feel guilty for taking care of themselves.

What effect do you think Black Lives Matter will have on the beauty industry? Im 50, so Ive seen uprisings. Things then quickly went back to normal. The fact that LOral apologized publicly to Munroe Bergdorf is great and long overdue. Over here in the U.K., Boots was called out by a Black woman who noticed that all the Caucasian hair care was on a shelf, and all the Black hair care was security-tagged. Little things like that chip away it suggests that youre a thief or you cant be trusted because of your skin color. Im hoping were turning a corner we dont have to visit again. I hope it doesnt once again just become the way we operate because the beauty industry is run by middle-aged white men.

My daughters generation will see hopefully more change. They wont have to go through what I went through coming up the ranks. Like when you tell people youre pregnant and they ask you, Are you keeping it? emphasis on it. Well, no Brian, if I wasnt keeping it, would I be telling you? Now I look back and think, Oh God, we put up with so much crap.

In the long term, the vision has to be that we support more independent businesses, and Black-owned businesses. These businesses also need financial aid so that we can lift them out of the trials that white people have put them in. We need to think about how we can fix this. Once COVID-19 has ended and we have some sense of normality, it will be key to see who is still left standing and has honored what theyve said theyre going to do.

When you recommend a product, is it based on the merits of the product only? Or do you take other things into account, like the companys values and their political stances? It had always been product first. So if the product is great, then I think about the brand. There are a couple of brands I dont talk about because I have personal history with them and I wont give them the oxygen. The main thing my readers ask about is animal testing and then whether a product is vegan.

In my autumn and winter skin-care kits, we will be doing a shout-out to smaller Black-owned businesses. We may have to help them financially, as a lot of these brands may not be used to making the quantity needed for these kits. Were looking at ways we can support business while still doing ours, and extending it into, yes, they have to be ethical. If LOral hadnt apologized to Munroe, it would have been a different situation.

It depends on the politics, and its nuanced. One of the Lauders has donated millions to Trump. If you were to say, Right, we are boycotting Lauder, youre also boycotting the biggest employer of Black people in our industry. No one employs more nonwhite people than M.A.C. If you boycott Lauder, the knockdown effect is not supporting Black makeup artists.

Lauder does a lot of things very well. Lets face it, they are a massively privileged family. The way they counter it is with charity donations and breast-cancer awareness, and the people I know in management and head-office roles there are very happy. They do employ a lot of people who arent white. It all depends on whats important to you. Every person will have to vote with their own dollar.

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Talking to the Most Powerful Woman in Skin Care - The Cut

Charles Richard Webb was born on June 9, 1939, in San Francisco, and grew up in Pasadena, Calif. His father, Dr. Richard Webb, was a heart specialist, part of a wealthy social circle like the one Charles would skewer in The Graduate. (Charles described his relationship with his father as reasonably bad.) His mother, Janet Farrington Webb, was, he said, a socialite and an avid reader from whom he was always looking for crumbs of approval. He said The Graduate was an attempt to win her favor; it went decidedly wrong.

A younger brother, Sidney Farrington Webb, became a doctor in Las Cruces, N.M.

Charles went to boarding school and then to Williams College in Massachusetts, where he earned a degree in American history and literature in 1961. He said his schools had been chosen for him on the basis of how it looked. A mediocre student, he nonetheless managed to win a two-year writing fellowship, which he used to write The Graduate.

While at Williams, he met Ms. Rudd, a Bennington College student. She was a former debutante from a family of teachers with a bohemian streak her brother was the avant-garde jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd and they both rejected the bourgeois worlds of their families. Their first date, they told interviewers, was in a cemetery.

Their romance, and her mothers disapproval of him, became the basis for The Graduate. The inspiration for the character Mrs. Robinson, who seduces young Benjamin, may have come from one of his parents friends, whom he accidentally saw naked.

Reviewing the book in The Times, Orville Prescott called it a fictional failure but favorably compared its protagonist to Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye.

With its mumbling ennui and conversations that do not connect, the novel captured the moment just before the repressed Eisenhower era blossomed into the Technicolor 1960s. The characters are not idealistic; theyre groping for ideals, their flight from their parents values and lifestyles more solitary than collective. In the last pages, Benjamin and Elaine are alone on a bus, shaken, heading into a future that is opaque to them. Hello darkness, my old friend.

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Charles Webb, Elusive Author of The Graduate, Dies at 81 - The New York Times

Nii Lante Wallace-Davies and Sharon Harris, both head of business developmentof Ieso Digital Health, provide some insight into the current state of peoples mental health in the UK and what tools can be used to help manage it.

Over the past few months, the world as we once knew it has altered dramatically. It has been a time of change for everyone and, after many weeks of confinement at home, the extraordinary times we now live in will be taking their toll on many peoples mental health. However, as lockdown measures ease and people come to terms with this newmality, the transition period we are now in maybe the time when people will need mental healthcare the most.

Continuity and quality of mental health services has never been more crucial and, as a key priority for the NHS, IAPT has been working hard to keep mental healthcare services up, running and available during these uncertain times. During the COVID-19 crisis, many healthcare providers have put contingency plans and measures in place to support the remain open directive, including:

While many mental health services are still available and running as usual (albeit online) across much of the UK, in April and May mental health referrals to services appeared to experience a 30-60% drop off which is surprising during a collective crisis such as COVID-19. In recent weeks, referrals have begun to pick up again, but they are still not at pre-COVID-19 levels compared to the months prior the pandemic. This decrease in referrals could be for a number of reasons:

The signs of delayed onset mental health issues

A recent report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which surveyed 1300 mental health doctors across the UK, also found that 45% of experts experienced a fall in routine appointments during the COVID-19 lockdown, with psychiatrists worried about a looming mental health crisis from problems stored up during lockdown.A report on the early warning signs of a mental health tsunami published by JMIR publications, also documented similar observations after speaking to multiple digital platform providers including the Ieso team.Its initial data indicated the onset of a mental health crisis and fears of a surge in demand as lockdown restrictions ease. The JMIR study also highlighted the complexity of, and change in mental health concerns witnessed by digital providers, notably the increased presentation of anxiety and loneliness, and a recurring observation that demand for digital support has risen.

At Ieso, we have interpreted our own mental health data in much the same way and expect a surge in the number of patients in need of treatment due to the delayed onset of symptoms. Initially we saw a significant increase in online CBT referrals in the weeks leading up to and just after lockdown started - an 84% usage increase in fact compared to the same period last year. This suggested that NHS mental health services had turned to digital delivery to help cope with demand and were sending more people our way. However, this surge soon saw a drop in health-seeking behaviour, suggesting the delayed onset response that has been observed in other critical incidents over time.

COVID-19 role in mental health difficulties today

The patterns of change in referral numbers, and particularly referral pathways (i.e. service vs self-referrals) are often complex and dynamic, and can be difficult to interpret or accurately predict what will happen next. However, Ieso has been observing the language used within therapy sessions and, while this is preliminary analysis on data collected, we have found a significant increase in worries about viruses including Coronavirus and COVID-19. With 20% to 30% of patients now mentioning COVID-19 in therapy, this does not necessarily indicate that patients are having mental health difficulties caused by the current crisis, but it does suggest that the current crisis is playing a substantial role in mental health difficulties for patients in therapy, and raises concerns about the long-term impact of the crisis on the mental health of the population.

This compares to approximately 40% of worries about family, and 5% of worries about finance, which seems to have remained stable during this period (April 2020).

A unique mental health situation

The COVID19 situation is pretty unique when compared to other modern times crisis. The virus has not been over a discrete point in time but instead prolonged over several weeks and months. It has caused trauma exposure at a global scale and at various levels with compounding sets of triggers for mental health conditions. On top of this, there is a lack of ability for people suffering from anxiety and depression to return to anything that remotely resembles normal life, which is usually the primary path to recovery.

We also expect that people may not be able to address the difficulties they are currently experiencing with their mental health due to other factors going on in their lives. However, as more people start to acknowledge symptoms due to factors such as isolation, family or financial distress or pressures, we believe they will start to seek help. Milder symptoms are usually detected in people in the immediate aftermath of a trauma, which become more severe with time. By intervening early we find that exposed individuals have better clinical outcomes. For those that dont seek help we suspect this will lead to a rebound effect, where mental health difficulties increase as lockdown measures are lifted but life does not necessarily go back to normal.

Measures to move patients through treatment and prepare for a rise in mental healthcare cases

When this surge will hit no one really knows, but with generally lower numbers of referrals overall, we are seeing some healthcare service providers using the technology, time and budget they have to start to clear their waiting lists in preparation for any future disruption to healthcare services. Also, some NHS Trusts are taking steps to enhance their digital efforts further, by adopting services like Iesos online CBT, which can introduce more capacity and supplement NHS teams when workforces maybe depleted.

Ieso has already been helping with waiting list reduction programmes to clear pathways ready for the impending and expected surge in mental health cases. Keeping digital services up and running, and continuing to move people through treatment during a mental healthcare crisis is critical, particularly if healthcare professionals or therapists are re-prioritised to deliver frontline critical care or taken ill.

Digital services such as Iesos also offer patients the added benefit of flexibility and choice in terms of the time and location they receive therapy so outside normal working hours and at home if they prefer. By utilising these more modern forms of digital communications, service providers can deliver much needed end-to-end care more immediately in times of emergency or crisis, meaning more people can get the treatment they need. People can seek treatment, continue to engage, and can also remain in touch if they need additional support, particularly as circumstances continue to change.

Digital therapy is the new business as usual

As the NHS Trust re-models for the expected newmality and an increase in demand for mental health services, healthcare providers recognise that digital as a delivery method for therapy is here to stay. Digital delivery methods provide more flexibility for both therapists and patients, who are becoming more comfortable with these treatment platforms. GPs are also seeing the benefits in referring to online services to get people into treatment faster. With terms being used across the industry, such as going back to better, NHS Trusts are starting to invest more in tools like Iesos online CBT to enable remote and more flexible access to therapy for all. Digital delivery will be more embedded into working practice generally, and so for the most part, many NHS Trusts are being pragmatic and flexible in their approach and seeing digital as business as usual until we all have more clarity on what will happen next.

As digital delivery methods become newmailty in mental healthcare, we will continue to closely monitor the state of the UKs mental health, and report back findings.

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Monitoring mental health in the UK through a digital lens - Med-Tech Innovation

Luis Pena looks at his upcoming fight with Khama Worthy in a similar light as the rest of the MMA community.

The lightweight bout takes place this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 12, which emanates from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

Violent Bob Ross has won three of his last four, most recently picking up a dominant unanimous decision win over Steve Garcia at UFC Norfolk in February.

Worthy garnered a lot of hype after a first-round knockout win over highly touted prospect Devonte Smith at UFC 241 this past August in, arguably, the biggest upset of 2019. Admittedly, when Worthys name was presented, Pena wasnt all that surprisedit just wasnt the type of matchup he expected at this point in his career.

Khamas definitely someone thats been on my radar since he knocked out Devonte Smith, Pena told MMA Fighting while appearing on What the Heck. Devonte was on my radar, so when he took out Devonte, I looked at it as, All right, theres another guy in the mix that could be there.

So it wasnt something I was super surprised with. But I told my managers I was looking for someoneIm not gonna say biggerbut more tenured in the UFC. This is my seventh walk to the octagon, this will only be his second. Not taking anything away from him like that, but I was hoping for someone around my same experience level in the UFC.

Pena has always had a calming presence about him, but since being able to meet his biological father and brother over the last couple of years, he feels at ease in his fighting career.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old wasnt overly thrilled with his most recent performance over Garcia, despite being so dominant from beginning to end. With this matchup on Saturday with a wily veteran, Pena feels this can be the type of matchup that fans can completely buy into.

I really like the matchup and I really like how our skill sets align, Pena said. I think this is a good matchup, not just for me, but the fans. We can go out there and put on the show everyone expects from us.

When, also, appearing on What the Heck, Worthy was asked to give his thoughts on the matchmaking by the promotion and compared it to the UFC on ESPN 10 fight between Andre Fili and Charles Jourdain.

After watching that exciting, back-and-forth showdown at 145 pounds, two guys that are about to fight each otherover 1,000 miles apartbegan to share the same thoughts.

Its funny he brought that fight up because watching it, I got the same feeling, Pena said. I have a feeling were gonna go in there and let it all hang out. Its gonna be very technical, very violent, and theres probably not gonna be a lot of ground work. Were gonna meet in the middle and see who drops first, I think.

Heading into his second fight as a member of American Top Team, Pena is elated to show how much he has learned sharing the mats with the likes of Mike Brown, Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier, the latter of which will headline Saturdays card against Dan Hooker in a pivotal 155-pound matchup.

With the wisdom and knowledge he has picked up over the last six-plus months, Pena is ready to paint his next portrait.

I wanna say third-round TKO, but I can see us going to a decision, Pena stated when asked how he sees the fight playing out. Khamas very tough and its gonna be hard to get him out of there. Hes fighting for a lot just as much as I am.

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Luis Pena expects to meet Khama Worthy in the middle and see who drops first at UFC on ESPN 12 - MMA Fighting

Lifes never not crazy. We are constantly working at a breakneck speed & jumping from one social obligation to another. With electronic devices around us, we are also constantly multi-tasking. We can simply announce that theres no rest for the wicked & shrug it off, or we can try to take a pause every now and then.

Pausing & reflecting on our lives should be a non-negotiable part of our routines. This sounds very ambitious, but consciously practicing mindfulness can enable us to make mindfulness a way of life. Meditations the simplest & most effective way of practicing mindfulness.

Meditation carries a plethora of other benefits for our physical as well as mental health, including lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system, better self-control, building resilience for stress management, etc.

The great thing about meditation, as a practice, is that you dont have to be spiritual or religious for it to work. You just have to find what mode of meditation works best for you & then make it a part of your routine.

Theres no dearth of mindfulness & meditation apps these days. Some promise to help you combat anxiety, some aim to enhance the quality of your sleep. Heres a list of apps that can help you maintain your regular meditation goals.

Presentlys a very distinct app that chooses gratitude as the tool for mindfulness exercise. It works on the principle of minimalism as is clear from its user interface and creates a record of things you feel grateful for. In this manner, Presently helps you focus on the things that really matter, thereby cutting down on the digital noise around you.

One of the most popular apps with guided meditation exercises, Headspace contains modules on Restfulness, Managing Anxiety, and the like. Its exercises revolve around breathing & grounding techniques. Headspace also extends the idea of calmness to a good nights sleep.

Did you like the idea of bedtime stories as a kid? If so, the Calm app might be for you. It consists of guided meditations, soothing music, body scans, and bedtime stories to help you bring calmness to every aspect of your daily routine.

The Calm app has been in the news for its celebrity quotient. The app library of sounds also happens to feature soothing contributions in the form of Matthew McConaugheys southern drawl, Stephen Frys English accent, etc.

Calms constantly adding to its list of offerings like last years addition of Pelotons mindfulness sessions & Journeys live group classes. Its on its way to becoming the ultimate digital wellness hub.

If you like the celebrity quotient, then Insight Timer brings you audio narrations by the likes of Lalah Delia, Russell Brand, psychotherapist Anthony DeMello, among others. Insight Timer is a meditation app that customizes the experience to suit your moods. You can choose from a variety of templates. Some of these templates like the Rainforest Creek make use of all your senses.

Some others like Tropical Vacation pack an escape & a meditation session all in one. Insight Timers best used by someone who is ready to experiment a bit before finding their own tune.

Another app that aims at a customized experience, Simple Habit works like a quick-fix solution for your tranquility needs. If youre an extremely busy person then you might consider audio meditations as short as 5 minutes. Simple Habit can be a great tool to start with when you live on unpredictable schedules due to professional or personal commitments.

Julio Rivera created Liberate specifically for the Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities. The apps approach to meditation is very receptive to & conscious of the issues & traumas that marginalized communities face. For example, it has a separate module on microaggressions.

If you think the wellness space was crowded with & guided by white experiences, Liberate might have filled that gap.

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Find your zen: Use these meditation guide apps to chill out - Film Daily

For so many, meditation apps have become invaluable as people look for ways to find some calm in the storm that is 2020. The app Headspace has been offering free services to some of the hardest hit by the pandemic, including a little something special for New Yorkers.

The meditation app was founded in 2010 by former advertising executive Rich Pierson and Andy Puddicombe, who studied as a Buddhist monk for more than 10 years.

Headspace originally started out as an events company hosting meditation retreats before going mobile.

"Because it's in your pocket and available at any time, it just makes the act of meditation easier to learn and to practice and become part of your lifestyle," said Sarah Romotsky, the director of healthcare partnerships at Headspace.

Meditation gained mainstream popularity in recent years. The National Institute of Health said some research suggests practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms of anxiety, depression or insomnia.

Headspace is working to help a wide range of people hit hardest by the pandemic.

"We're offering Headspace for free for all healthcare professionals until the end of the year, explained Romotsky. We also launched that we were giving away free one-year subscriptions to all unemployed people in the United States." Headspace recently expanded the free year subscription offer to unemployed people in the U.K. Headspace also has a special section with free content for New Yorkers, in partnership with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called A NY state of mind.

"Dealing with stress and confusion and anxiety and depression, there's just so many different emotions and it's a hard time right now for everyone, especially New Yorkers, so we were excited to partner with Gov. Cuomo on that initiative, said Romotsky.

Headspace also teamed up with Sesame Street for a series of videos focused on combating stress and anxiety in children during the pandemic.

"We have a six-video series that teaches kids mindfulness techniques and helps them deal with the common feelings that they might be having, explained Romotsky. The best thing about Headspace is that there's every type of content, so whatever and whenever you need it you can find support through Headspace."

The deadline for unemployed Americans to sign up for a free year of Headspace is June 30 sign up by clicking here.

The "NY state of mind" content is free on the website and can be found by clicking here

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Changemakers: Meditation app offers tools and programs to people affected by the pandemic - WPIX 11 New York

Let's face it, these are stressful times. The economy isn't doing very well, the novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc on our health care system, and work is still workif you still have a job, anyway.

If you're feeling the pressure from today's anxiety driven news, or you simply want to relax, you can ease your anxiety in 10 minutes or less with a form of meditation known as Tibetan Sky Gazing. In fact, now may be the best time in your life to experience the wonder of this form of meditation, due to the clear skies from reduced air pollution.

To perform this type of meditation, simply go outside, tilt your head up, and look at the sky. Soften your gaze so that you can take in the wideness and vastness of the sky. Look at the stars if it is night, the vastness of the blue sky if it is day, or the details of a moody sky if it happens to be rainy.

As you are looking at the sky, silently say to yourself the, Aaaah sound. According to meditation expert Dean Sluyter, it is the most open sound you can make and will help you get the most out of the experience.

After a few moments, you can let your attention wander if you like. Sit for a few minutes in quiet contemplation, and simply be. By the time you have finished your meditation, you will feel less anxious, and ready to get back to the world we have come to know.

This is a great meditation because it gets you outside, and is simple to do. It is a simple, concrete form of meditation that can help you relax, and it can be done in your office parking lot or your backyard. The next time you feel stressed, give it a try.

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Ease anxiety with the Tibetan sky gazing meditation - Jill Lopez