The LuLac Edition #4,244, March 19th, 2020

BIDEN STREAK CONTINUES

Former Vice President Joe Biden has extended his leader over Senator Bernie Sanders with wins in Illinois, Arizona and Florida on Tuesday night. The wins were overwhelming and puts him in a very good lead for the nomination. It is so good that Bernie Sanders is reassessing candidacy.
In the debate on Sunday night, Sanders came across as an angry old man who was trying to litigate the past. The Vermont Senator of course called out the fact that we need universal coverage for all. The Health Care system needs to be addressed but not annihilated in this country. The fact that he was trying to bring up a 30 year voting record of Biden’s pretty much told you he had nothing.
Biden’s victory speech made all the right moves and hit all the right notes. With more primaries coming up, Biden seems poised to win big. It is time for the two men to meet and end the reign of Donald Trump. It will very hard to beat him given the Trump cult following but Sanders’ supporters should know by NOT supporting Biden, their chance of even getting one scintilla of what they want in terms of change in this country might be lost forever.

BERNIE SANDERS SNAPS AT REPORTER

Bernie Sanders barked at a CNN reporter after he asked about a time frame in which the senator might decide to suspend his presidential bid.
"I'm dealing with a f---ing global crisis,” the Vermont senator told CNN’s Manu Raju on Wednesday. "Right now I'm trying to do my best to make sure that we don't have an economic meltdown and that people don't die. Is that enough for you to keep me busy for today?"
Good for Bernie. I’m sure he is trying to figure out a way to end his campaign gracefully and this was the last thing he needed.

MESSAGE FROM SENATOR JOHN BLAKE ON COVID-19

Senator John Blake (Photo: LuLac archives) 

The COVID-19 pandemic is evolving and changing by the minute. It is imperative that we all follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) to slow the spread of this disease and ensure that our local health systems do not get overwhelmed.
My office is currently working remotely based on recommendations by the CDC and PA DOH. We are still available and can be contacted at 570-207-2881 or by email at senatorblake@pasenate.com.
Please read below about the latest information on COVID-19 and the recommended closures of a number of public places and non-essential businesses. Additionally, thank you to the Scranton Times for allowing free access to their site to ensure that everyone can stay up-to-date on the latest news regarding COVID-19 over the days and weeks to come.

KING’S COLLEGE STATEMENT ON COVID 19

We find ourselves in an extraordinary time. COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, has changed our world, and it has done so quickly. Each of our lives – and the lives of each of our neighbors both near and far – has been disrupted in profound ways. I pray that this message finds you and your family safe and healthy. I write to connect with you, let you know that we are praying for you and your family, and share with you steps that King’s has taken to respond to this challenge.
The safety and well-being of the King’s family is my top priority. In the interest of our campus community’s safety – based on the guidance of experts, government leaders, and other key advisors – we have taken quick action to modify much of our school’s work, most notably teaching and learning. A few key actions taken:
Suspended all in-person classes at least through April 13 (effective end of day on Wednesday, March 11).
Resuming in-person classes through an on-line format beginning tomorrow (March 19).
Directed all residence hall students to return home to be with their families (no later than Saturday, March 14). Of course, we have made provisions for the limited number of students who do not have somewhere to go.
Transitioning all employees whose work does not require them to be at a campus facility to working remotely (effective today, March 18).
Cancelling or postponing all College events and College travel at least through April 13. This includes the cancellation of all athletic and alumni events. The President’s Dinner (scheduled for April 18) has also been cancelled.
Following direction by the Diocese of Scranton, Masses will continue each weekday at 12:05 p.m., but will only be available online via live-streaming. A link to the live-stream can be found here: https://www.kings.edu/chapel-stream. This includes the live-streaming of the next monthly Alumni Memorial Mass, which is scheduled for tomorrow (March 19) at 12:05 p.m.
For more information on the College’s actions relating to COVID-19, please see the dedicated web page at: https://www.kings.edu/mykings/covid-19-information
Please know that despite these disruptions we continue to operate – our teachers will be teaching, our students will be learning, and our staff, administrators, and Holy Cross priests and brothers will continue their service. The members of our Campus Ministry and Institutional Advancement teams remain available to support you however we can. For Campus Ministry services, please contact Fr. Thomas Looney, C.S.C., at thomaslooney@kings.edu or Fr. Jarrod Waugh, C.S.C., at jarrodwaugh@kings.edu. For Alumni Relations services, please contact Beth Doherty at alumni@kings.edu or (570) 208-5900 ext. 5732. We will continue to assess and evaluate circumstances as they arise, and we will continue to communicate about alumni-related programming and events as appropriate.
I appreciate that we encounter these challenges during the sacred season of Lent. I hope that our daily Lenten reflections serve as a source of comfort and peace. They will continue daily through Lent. From March 17 through March 25 we are participating in a novena to Blessed Basile Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, for the healing of those who have contracted the coronavirus. It is important that we find quiet moments of reflection and prayer in these days. Please pray for those afflicted. Please pray for those who care for the sick and suffering. Please pray for our students and their families.
I am so impressed by and grateful for the extraordinary effort, resourcefulness, goodwill, and grace demonstrated in these past days by our students, staff, faculty, administrators, parents, alumni, and my brothers in Holy Cross. This is a time like none of us have experienced before. It has been challenging, and it will continue to be challenging. No matter the challenge, however, together we will persevere. Our mission deserves it. Our mission demands it.
As I reflect upon who we are, what we do, and how we proceed onward in the face of adversity, I think of important language proclaiming the vision for our beloved school:
Inspired by the teaching and example of its namesake, Christ the King, who taught by example and ruled by love, King’s forms graduates who will champion the inherent dignity of every person and will mobilize their talents and professional skills to serve the common good.
You, my dear alumni, are those graduates. You, my dear friends, are our partners in this mission. I pray that you each find your path to serve the common good in these perilous times. Our world needs you.

CARTWRIGHT UPDATE ON COVID-19

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives) 

I wanted to give you an update on everything we’ve been doing in Congress to combat the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
On March 4th, we passed H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. This legislation provides for $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus threat. It includes $2 billion to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for researching a vaccine, $1.3 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $20 million for the Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans program to help small businesses impacted by this crisis, and more. Thankfully this legislation has been passed by the Republican Senate and signed by President Trump.
On March 14th, we took the next step and passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. This legislation took even more action to help everyday Americans impacted by this public health crisis. It provides for free diagnosis testing for COVID-19, strengthens unemployment benefits and food assistance programs, and expands paid leave options for millions of people. We are hoping that the Senate passes this legislation soon!
We’re also working on a third bill to provide even more relief to everyday Americans and workers, and I’ll have more details on that soon.
I know this is a time of great anxiety, and I want to give thanks to everyone who is doing their part by following the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. I also want to give a very special thanks to our first responders, medical staff, service workers, and all those who still have to go to work to keep the lights on at key institutions.

STARBUCKS CHANGING OPERATIONS AS THEY NAVIGATE COVID–19

As the situation with COVID–19 is extremely dynamic we will continue to make proactive decisions that are grounded in care for our customers and partners (employees), based in transparency and science, while also doing our part to help stop the spread of the virus.
Over the last week, as more communities, including the federal government, have called for increased social distancing to help contain the virus we are evaluating our store operations daily. Every community's public health needs are different, so we want to make sure we play a constructive role by taking responsible actions, guided by the CDC and other experts, to continue to do what's right for our customers and partners. You can always find the latest information from Starbucks here and track store hours and closures via our website or the Starbucks app.
Many of our customers have also asked how we will care for our partners. We have shared with our partners that they will never have to choose between working or taking care of themselves. For details on the comprehensive support and resources we are providing please visit here.
Starbucks® Rewards
For our Starbucks Rewards members we recognize that the current environment may limit your ability to redeem your Stars. Therefore, we will delay the expiration of all Stars scheduled to expire between now and June 1, 2020. For more information about changes to the Starbucks Rewards program please continue to visit our website.
These are truly uncharted times and we're learning right alongside you as we navigate COVID–19 together. We are proud of the swift decisions we are making, and we will always do what's best for our customers and partners.
As the situation continues to evolve, we may make some more changes, but through it all we will lead through the lens of Our Mission and Values which is to inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
Thank you for your continued loyalty and support.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400-The Game, NEPA's Fox .Sports Radio and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

ECTV PREVIEW

PREVIEW host David DeCosmo welcomes Lackawanna County's United Way CEO Gary Drapek to the program during the week of March 23rd to discuss efforts to deal with the growing problem of older adult isolation! 

PREVIEW is seen 3 times daily on Comcast channel 19 and on the electric city television YouTube page.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP

SUNDAY NIGHTS!

1980

Our 1980 logo.

A mine lift cage at the Vaal Reefs gold mine in South Africa falls 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi), killing 23……The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212…….The Silver Thursday market crash occurs in the United States and forty years ago the number one song in LuLac land and America was “Call Me” by Blondie.