Lists of names of those the president-elect is said to be considering are flying across Washington, prompting lawmakers and interest groups to raise questions about some top contenders.
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Author: Michelle Dryden
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St. Louis, MO (KMOV) — Lockdowns can be lonely; the pandemic has been keeping people away from loved ones and even from finding new love. That’s causing scammers to strike.
Experts say catfishing is on the rise during the COVID-19 crisis. A local Marine says he’s had his identity stolen hundreds of times and he doesn’t want you to be the next victim.
Marine Corps Staff Sergeant David Bickel has a big following on social media.
“I started an Instagram and people like pull-up videos, that’s basically where I am at,” David said.
And now the Farmington, Missouri native has made it part of his job as a recruiter.
“Most of the stuff I post on Instagram has to do with the Marine Corps, because the Marine Corps is the only reason I am here today,” Bickel said.
But while it’s often fun and games, he’s also inundated with the dark side.
“At one point, I had 250 DM’s that I hadn’t opened yet and I would say half of them were people who have been scammed,” Bickel said.
His pictures and videos used create to fake accounts, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, even Tinder and Bumble.
Not his own accounts, (he’s happily married, by the way) but criminals looking to take advantage of the vulnerable.
“My mom has probably sent me 30 different accounts on Facebook, that she has reported. And now my wife gets messages asking why she is married to this other person and it’s just a crazy mess,” he said.
News 4 Investigates has told you before about romance scams.
Often women, but men too, who think they’re talking to a new love interest, but it’s a scammer instead, sometimes sending their life savings hanging on hopes.
And if you think it couldn’t happen to you, Bickel says he gets contacted nearly every single day from people blaming him.
“You have no idea, it’s ridiculous,” he said.
Over and over, he receives jealous or confused messages from victims who haven’t even figured it out.
“There was one lady I felt so bad for, I read her DM last week and she was out looking at wedding dresses, because she believed that whenever I got back from this deployment I was on, she was going to get married to me.
Often, he’ll call them apologize and try to correct the record.
“Having to see these women cry and have all this emotion, it wrecks me, it sucks, but the most I can do is report it,” Bickel said, adding he has reported it dozens, if not hundreds, of times.
Assistant US Attorney Tracy Berry says prosecuting these crimes can be tricky.
“The suspect we have may have 50 victims, but there are also three other individuals who are using that same identity,” she said. Prosecutors just put away one local man back in October for five years in prison but another one just pops up in their place.
“We would like to make sure every suspect faces the full wrath of the law, and we are not always able to do that,” said Berry.
The website Social Catfish recently released a study indicating catfishing, as it’s called, is on the rise during the pandemic.
Bickel hopes people will look out for the clear warning signs.
“If there are 15 photos uploaded on the same day, that’s generally going be a scam.”
Some victims have lost tens of thousands of dollars, thinking they were doing something out of the goodness of their heart.
One of the best things you can do if you meet someone online is talk to them over video, not the phone.
With Zoom and FaceTime, there’s no excuse not to see someone’s face.
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ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Unilever announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire SmartyPants Vitamins, a U.S.-based Vitamin, Mineral & Supplement company.
Based in Los Angeles, SmartyPants Vitamins was founded in 2011 by entrepreneurs Courtney Nichols Gould and Gordon Gould, who set out to create a comprehensive supplement made from premium ingredients to support the wellbeing needs of children and adults.
SmartyPants Vitamins has a simple yet powerful promise: to be smart, simple and true. SmartyPants works with non-GMO certified ingredients and a range of sustainably sourced bio-available nutrients. Their product range is free from synthetic colors, artificial flavors, sweeteners and preservatives.
Peter Ter Kulve, President of Health & Wellbeing at Unilever, said: “SmartyPants Vitamins complements Unilever’s portfolio of brands (Horlicks, OLLY, Equilibra and Liquid I.V) in the functional nutrition and supplement segment. We are excited to work with co-founders Courtney and Gordon and their team to grow their innovative and data driven business model.”
Rooted in the belief that good health should be made accessible to everybody, SmartyPants Vitamins has a long-standing partnership with non-profit organization, Vitamin Angels, to provide life-changing vitamins for mothers, expectant mothers, and children in need worldwide.
Fabian Garcia, President of Unilever North America, said: “We are delighted to welcome SmartyPants Vitamins to the Unilever family and our portfolio of purpose-led brands. SmartyPants Vitamins aligns strongly with our mission to improve the health and wellbeing of consumers and empower people to take charge of their health with solutions they can understand and trust.”
Courtney Nichols Gould & Gordon Gould, Co-founders and Co-CEO’s of SmartyPants Vitamins, said: “From the start, SmartyPants Vitamins has been about family, authenticity and a core commitment to our collective well-being. We are excited to work with Unilever to grow the SmartyPants brand.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
For more information on Unilever North America and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
About SmartyPants Vitamins
Since 2011, SmartyPants has led the supplement industry in designing and manufacturing comprehensive, multifunctional supplements in a variety of easy-to-take formats for the whole family. Scientifically-formulated, made with premium, responsibly-sourced ingredients and delightful to take, their products are made in North America are free of any synthetic colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives, and are third-party lab tested. In partnership with Vitamin Angels, SmartyPants Vitamins has reached over 14 million mothers and children worldwide with nutrient grants, with a goal of reaching 100 million by 2025. SmartyPants Vitamins can be found in more than 30,000 stores across the country including the world’s leading specialty, club and online retailers including: Amazon, Costco, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Walgreens, and many more. For more information, please visit https://www.smartypantsvitamins.com/
About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington’s, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.
Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) underpins the company’s strategy and commits to:
• Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
• Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
• Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.
The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. The company’s sustainable living brands delivered 78% of total growth and 75% of turnover in 2019.
Since 2010 we have been taking action through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being, halve our environmental footprint and enhance the livelihoods of millions of people as we grow our business. We have made significant progress and continue to expand our ambition – in 2019 committing to ensure 100% of our plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognised in 2019 as sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and in 2020 – for the tenth-consecutive year – as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey.
Contacts
Media Contact USA:
Steve Alessandrini
MediaRelations.USA@unilever.com
Media Contact Global:
Clare Cavana
Investor Relations
Investor.Relations@unilever.com
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The Campaign Celebrates the Power of Reading and Finding Solace in Books Throughout 2020
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hudson Ltd. (NYSE: HUD) (“Hudson” or “Company”), a North American travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations, today announced its “Celebrate Books and Booksellers” campaign, honoring powerful reads that sparked joy, fostered learning and inspired readers across North America throughout the year.
The year 2020 will long be remembered as unprecedented – from the global health crisis to the significant economic turmoil and record unemployment levels to the social justice movements. While challenging in so many ways, the past year also inspired many to pursue new and welcome conversations, engage in different forms of entertainment and even learn something new. Books were an essential element of this interaction and a welcome bright spot of 2020, providing both a world to escape into and a way to connect with the world.
“While challenging in so many ways, 2020 is a year that has made me feel especially grateful for the comforts and joys of life – the big ones like health and friendship, and the smaller ones like a park to walk in, or reading a book,” said Sara Hinckley, Senior Vice President of Books at Hudson. “Books both entertain and educate, and bring people together, even if socially distanced, by helping us see different perspectives and share the experience of loving the same books.”
Throughout the year, Hudson and its bookselling community worked hard to curate imaginative and eclectic book assortments that put fun, timely and relevant titles in the hands of readers, whether physically or virtually, and were perfect for avid bookworms and new book enthusiasts alike. “This year, I asked some of our best friends in bookselling, from all across Hudson, to Publishers, to Independent Booksellers, and more, to share the books both new and old that gave them a reason to celebrate or just provided a little comfort this year,” said Hinckley. “We received a wonderfully diverse selection of responses, from some amazing people, all of whom are fighting the good fight to keep bringing books to Hudson’s larger community of travelers through independent and alternative channels.”
The list, spanning a variety of categories and boasting an assortment of accolades, can be found in Hudson bookstores and convenience stores across North America, as well as at: www.Hudsonbooksellers.com/Celebrate.
Some of the recommended books include:
Non-Fiction
Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
“Philosophers and economists often start with the premise that humans are bad or primarily driven by self-interest… If he [Bregman] is correct and how we think about our fellow humans has a direct effect on how we act, can you imagine the impact it would have if we all changed our assumptions and thought more kindly of each other?”
– Justin Hennequant, Director, Books, Hudson
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
“When you’re feeling trapped by COVID, this is a fantastic book to get you out of your slump and get you moving to a happier, healthier, more free and genuine life.”
– Pam Brown, Senior National Account Manager, Penguin Random House
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
“A central premise of the book, that you are either racist or antiracist, is put forward in a way that pushes the reader to revisit how we deal with race in our daily business, and to come back better prepared after a good deal of soul-searching.”
– Jordi Martin-Consuegra, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer; Deputy CEO, Hudson
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
“So much science is now affirming ancient wisdom from non-Western cultures on the health effects of breathing in certain ways. This book will help make your last breaths of 2020 more intentional, setting you up for a 2021 of hope and peace.”
– Pete Mulvihill, Co-Owner, Green Apple Books, San Francisco, CA
Wow, No Thank you – Hudson Exclusive by Samantha Irby
“Samantha Irby’s third book is another comedic triumph. Her quest to find friends after moving to Wisconsin is especially hilarious. It’s one of the books that has made me laugh despite all of the rough news of 2020.”
– Leonard Foote, Business Partner Manager, Barbara’s Bookstores at O’Hare, Hudson
Fiction
Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
“Homeland Elegies deftly combines elements of memoir with fiction to shine a bright light on the immigrant experience in America.”
– Adrian Newell, Book Buyer, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA
Luster by Raven Leilani
“With unflinching honesty, and a sharp, devastating understanding of human nature, Raven Leilani has written a dark, funny, poignant story about relationships, desire, family, and social issues. There are many moments of delights and surprises in the writing and in the storytelling as well as brilliant observations about life.”
– Spenser Lee, Senior Vice President, Director of Sales, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
“The book that affected me the most during this pandemic year. For most of this short book, we think we are following a woman as she copes with her grief over the death of a man she once loved. Her adoption of his enormous Great Dane is a metaphor for this grief… until we learn that perhaps this grief is hers alone. It’s a deeply wise novel, with a lot to teach us about loss and recovery from loss.”
– Bob Miller, President & Publisher, Flatiron Books
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
“The book is so precise, so deeply felt, I kept stopping to underline sentences until I realized I was underlining the entire book. Brilliant.”
– Ann Patchett, Co-Owner, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN, International Bestselling Author
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
“The magic of reading fiction is that it makes us look at and think about the world in new ways and takes us to places we’ve never been. This year, I’ve needed that feeling more than ever, and Migrations is the book that brought it to me.”
– Megan Lynch, Senior Vice President & Publisher, Flatiron Books
To see the entire list of recommended books in Celebrate Books and Booksellers, or to purchase a book, please visit: www.Hudsonbooksellers.com/Celebrate
About Hudson
Hudson, a Dufry Company, is a travel experience company turning the world of travel into a world of opportunity by being the Traveler’s Best Friend in more than 1,000 stores in airport, commuter hub, landmark, and tourist locations. Our team members care for travelers as friends at our travel convenience, specialty retail, duty free and food and beverage destinations. At the intersection of travel and retail, we partner with landlords and vendors, and take innovative, commercial approaches to deliver exceptional value. To learn more about how we can make your location a travel destination, please visit us at hudsongroup.com.
Contacts
Investor/Media Contact
Cindi Buckwalter
VP of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
investorrelations@hudsongroup.com
communications@hudsongroup.com
The city is already facing a nearly $4 billion budget gap next year, as recovery efforts from the coronavirus are hampered by evidence of a second wave.
Credit…John Taggart for The New York Times
New York City has lost more than 24,000 people to the coronavirus — a devastating toll that could rise substantially as a second wave hits. But the city has also borne an economic cost that continues to grow and threatens its future.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday painted a bleak picture of municipal finances, blaming the pandemic for a nearly $4 billion budget gap projected for the next fiscal year.
Earlier in the year, the problem was a drastic drop in tax revenue, as most economic activity came to a halt. Revenues are still down, but the city is facing the additional burden of billions of dollars in virus-related costs.
Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat in his second and final term, said the city needs another major federal stimulus package to prevent huge layoffs and cuts to city services.
“If there is no stimulus, we’re going to have to make extremely difficult choices,” Mr. de Blasio said.
The city has spent $5.2 billion responding to the pandemic, including paying for ventilators, emergency food assistance, reopening schools and virus testing.
The expenses include $742 million on personal protective equipment; $890 million on hotels for the homeless, medical personnel and people with the virus; $500 million for medical staffing; $149 million for ventilators and $100 million for testing centers, according to a recent report by the city comptroller.
About $2.8 billion of the pandemic costs were covered by the federal government, but the city is responsible for much of the balance.
The city increased its spending by about $767 million in the $92 billion budget the mayor released on Monday. The expenses include:
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$113 million for a program to provide food to struggling New Yorkers, which has distributed more than 140 million meals since March
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$160 million for reopening schools with additional teachers and staffers and providing cleaning supplies and air purifiers
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$7.5 million to respond to an increase in calls seeking mental health support
The city already made drastic cuts earlier this year to trash pickups and traffic enforcement, cuts that many New Yorkers believe are hurting quality of life
Mr. de Blasio said the city was facing a $3.8 billion budget gap next year that could mean more painful reductions in services.
The mayor said the deficit could grow worse if the state, which is facing its own budget crisis, makes funding cuts to local governments.
Mr. de Blasio did not say exactly which services might be cut, but it is likely every department, from sanitation to parks, would face cuts. He said he hoped to avoid this scenario.
“We do not want to reduce services exactly when we’re trying to come back and when people are in such dire need,” the mayor said.
Mr. de Blasio has announced labor agreements that allowed him to avoid laying off 22,000 workers, but budget experts say the move is only a temporary fix.
He has touted $722 million in labor savings that are actually a deferral of money owed to city workers for things such as retroactive pay and retiree benefits.
The agreements with some of the city’s largest unions, including the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association and the United Federation of Teachers, pushed contractual payments to the next fiscal year.
The strategy carries risks: Without permanent labor savings, the city will be vulnerable if the budget outlook worsens or a federal stimulus is less than expected.
“Those are not labor savings, those are payment deferrals or kicking can down the road,” said Maria Doulis, vice president of strategy, operations and communications at the Citizens Budget Commission. “In every other fiscal crisis, labor has been able to come to the table to find savings. It’s a critical missing piece of the puzzle.”
When the pandemic struck in March, New York City had record low unemployment and a record number of jobs. Then the city soon lost 900,000 jobs.
Things have slowly improved since then. The unemployment rate, at 20 percent in June, has fallen to slightly more than 13 percent last month.
Tax revenues fell, but not nearly at the rate that was expected: The city received $748 million more than forecast in personal income and business tax revenue and $610 million in bond refinance savings, according to the city comptroller and the Office of Management and Budget.
The city still needs to find additional savings, said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, suggesting that the mayor must look to eliminate inefficiencies, negotiate permanent labor savings and stick to a more rigorous hiring freeze.
James Parrott, an economist with the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School, said that revenue projections were not as dire as predicted because Wall Street and higher- paying jobs have remained relatively consistent throughout the pandemic. He said it made sense for the city to try to avoid layoffs: Employees such as building inspectors are going to be critical to any economic recovery.
“A lot of people are negative about Bill de Blasio these days, but on the budget-handling front he hasn’t done such a bad job,” Mr. Parrott said, then added: “But he’s also been lucky because the revenues keep coming in.”
Mayor de Blasio hopes a Biden administration will help
The mayor has said repeatedly that the city’s future is dependent on receiving a federal stimulus, and he expects that President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will improve the city’s outlook.
Without a federal stimulus, Mr. de Blasio said he might have to consider layoffs again. Other concerns have emerged: Business leaders wrote a letter to Mr. de Blasio earlier this year complaining about a rise in shootings and street homelessness. They fear that these problems could drive more residents out of the city and hurt its tax base.
While Congress has stalled on delivering a second stimulus package, Mr. Biden’s team has been pushing for a quick deal.
The city’s economic recovery is at risk, Mr. de Blasio said, just as it is experiencing an uptick in infections serious enough to close public schools.
“As we face the danger of a second wave of Covid, again, there couldn’t be a more important time for a new federal stimulus,” Mr. de Blasio said on Monday. “And it is going to be the difference maker.”
Emma G. Fitzsimmons is the City Hall bureau chief, covering politics in New York City. She previously covered the transit beat and breaking news. @emmagf
Jeffery C. Mays is a reporter on the Metro Desk who covers politics with a focus on New York City Hall. A native of Brooklyn, he is a graduate of Columbia University. @JeffCMays
A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 24, 2020, Section A, Page 19 of the New York edition with the headline: What the Pandemic Has Cost New York City. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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