Ontario’s Russell Alexander Law Firm Releases Free E- Book 
on Child Access and Custody During Coronavirus
Divorce law experts offer legal advice for families during the pandemic

LINDSAY, ONTARIO—Noted Ontario family law firm Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers has released a new e-book on custody issues during the coronavirus pandemic.

Written in collaboration with Nafisa Nazarali and Carolyn Warner, “Child Access and Custody During the Pandemic” provides parents with helpful advice on navigating child access and custody during government-mandated lockdowns, self-isolation and school closures.

“The coronavirus has upended all of the assumptions around daily life that we had when custody arrangements were drawn up,” said Russell Alexander, founder of the firm who spearheaded the new e-book. “With many courts suspending operations or hearing only limited cases, families are finding themselves in uncharted territory.”

Overall, Alexander advises that parents who share custody use good judgment and cooperation to handle custody issues as much as possible before turning to the courts. His firm emphasizes collaborative law, which seeks to avoid adversarial courtroom tactics, an approach he thinks is even more important during the pandemic.

But if that approach does not work in a particular situation, the book provides detailed instructions of what needs to happen if a parent does in fact need to bring an urgent matter to court.

Alexander is the Amazon-bestselling author of “The Path to a Successful Divorce,” which takes readers through the process from finding a lawyer to handling post-litigation issue. He is also author of the upcoming book “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Divorce,” which hits shelves later this year, as well as many informational e-books that are available for download on his site. He has been featured in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and CanLII, among other notable outlets, talking about divorce in the era of coronavirus.

Download your free copy of “Child Access and Custody during the Pandemic” or visit the Russell Alexander Family Lawyers’ online  COVID-19 and Divorce Information Centre for a comprehensive list of legal resources.

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Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers

Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers is committed to practicing exclusively in the area of family law in Ontario dealing with all aspects, including separation and divorce, child custody and access, spousal support, child support, and division of family property. A team of lawyers provide guidance from start to finish, helping clients identify and understand the legal issues as well as the options and opportunities available through the transition. The firm has offices in Lindsay, Whitby, Oshawa, Markham, Peterborough and Toronto, Ontario.

For more information, visit: http://www.russellalexander.com

CARSTAR LOCATIONS ACROSS COLORADO OFFER FREE VEHICLE SANITIZATION SERVICES FOR FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS

DENVER (April 23, 2020) – As Colorado’s men and women battle on the frontlines of the coronavirus as healthcare workers and first responders, CARSTAR collision repair centers throughout the state are offering free services to help keep them on the road, safe from germs and viruses in their vehicles.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to those who are putting their lives on the line to help face the coronavirus challenge,” said Steve Rigsby, director of business development for the CARSTAR Colorado Business Group. “This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ for their service. We always want to do everything we can to keep drivers safe on the road. Now, it’s even more important that these frontline workers have safe, clean vehicles to get them to work and to take care of their families.”

At any of the 10 CARSTAR locations in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas, first responders and healthcare workers can receive a free, complete interior and exterior sanitization and disinfectant service for their vehicle. There is no requirement for any additional purchases or repair service with the special offer.

Vehicle interiors normally contain many different kinds of surfaces, from leather and metal to rubber and plastic. The virus can spread while sharing airspace with an infected person, the surfaces the person touched, or even the airspace after an infected passenger has left. Some early reports suggest that the virus can persist in the air for up to three hours and for two to three days on stainless steel and plastic surfaces. Another study on a related coronavirus that causes SARS found that the virus can survive on inanimate surfaces like metal, glass or plastic for up to nine days.

To combat this in frontline workers vehicles, CARSTAR is using a product called Vital Oxide which is an EPA approved disinfectant and viral sanitizer. The product is commonly used in hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, ambulances and other virally sensitive environments. The CARSTAR technicians use a process called “fogging” on the vehicle interior with Vital Oxide to ensure total vehicle coverage. The product and process are safe for all vehicle interiors. The procedure also includes:

• Fogging all handles, controls and “high touch” areas, both interior and exterior
• Physical wipe down of all primary interior controls such as steering wheel, shifter handle, turn signal and wiper controls, window switches or handles, along with any seat adjusters ( both front and rear seats)
• Final viral treatment wipe down on your vehicle exterior handles, lock cylinders, rear hatch handles and other frequently touched surfaces

All CARSTAR team members are using the EPA and OSHA guidelines for proper Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) including gloves, eyewear, mask and coveralls throughout the process.

Healthcare workers and first responders who want to take advantage of the service should call the preferred location to make an appointment. Participating Colorado locations are available here with the exception of Ft. Collins. Participants will need to show their badge or employee ID at time of service. Also, the vehicle must be clean on the interior and free of excessive personal items and debris.

The sanitization process takes approximately 30 minutes, and participants can drop off their vehicle for service or wait in the lobby, providing they wear a mask.

To learn more about the CARSTAR locations of Colorado, visit here.

About CARSTAR

CARSTAR is North America’s largest franchise network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities with more than 700 locations in 35 states and 10 Canadian provinces. A part of the Driven Brands family of automotive aftermarket franchise brands, CARSTAR delivers national scale, premier vehicle repairs, repeatable outcomes and the industry’s highest customer satisfaction ratings. CARSTAR has maintained its commitment to give back to the communities it serves through a variety of fundraising initiatives, including raising over $4 million for cystic fibrosis research, care and advocacy across North America. CARSTAR is actively seeking new franchise partners and interested parties should contact 844-906-9764 or visit CARSTARfranchise.com.

New Task Force outlines how to embed AI and digital technology into physicians' training and practice

OTTAWA, April 23, 2020 /CNW/ - The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada's Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emerging Digital Technologies unveiled twelve foundational recommendations on how we can prepare the physicians of today – and tomorrow – for the massive technological changes coming to their practice.  

"These recommendations are the beginning of a national conversation on how we will address AI and emerging technologies, particularly as it relates to specialty medicine training and ongoing professional development," says Dr. Richard Reznick, Chair of the Task Force and President-Elect of the Royal College.  "What is clear is that AI won't replace medical specialists. That said, it will be critical that all future specialists embrace AI, as this technology will impact all specialties, without exception.  

"We acknowledge the release of this report during a global pandemic.  While not the focus of our report, the importance of AI and emerging digital technologies for supporting and responding to unprecedented shifts in health care become even more pronounced as we adhere to expectations of physical distancing while treating patients (e.g. telehealth, robotics) and challenges us to rethink how we prepare residents and Fellows for rapid deployment of new and emerging AI-technologies," he adds.

Members of the Task Force include Fellows of the Royal College and AI experts, who consulted widely with key stakeholders, interviewed 22 key experts and received responses to a survey from over 4,000 Fellows and Resident Affiliates to inform their findings. These recommendations aim to inform the future of care and physician training in Canada. 

Highlights include that the Royal College:

• Continuously monitor the health of individual disciplines, but for now, NOT make alterations to the number and complement of specialist physicians being trained in Canada; 
• Consider introducing a new discipline in clinical informatics; 
• Promote the development of new opportunities that support Fellows and Resident Affiliates in working with innovators in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors to co-develop and spread AI and emerging digital technologies; 
• Integrate digital health literacy competencies into residency training and professional development; and 
• Promote, enable and extend scholarship, education and other forms of support to physicians that increase their knowledge of the social justice implications of AI-based technologies.

"The role of the Royal College is to prepare and empower our members with the tools, skills and knowledge they need throughout their careers," says Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce, Royal College CEO. "AI will fundamentally change how we train and work. We look forward to working with medical school and health care partners on this exciting initiative."

The full report is available at http://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/health-policy/initiatives/ai-task-force-e.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is the national professional association that oversees the medical education of specialists in Canada. We accredit the university programs that train resident physicians for their specialty practices, and we administer the examinations that residents must pass to become certified as specialists. In collaboration with health organizations and government agencies, the Royal College also plays a role in developing sound health policy in Canada.

www.royalcollege.ca

SOURCE Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Hunt for Coronavirus Cure Casts Light on Fight Against Another ‘Deadly Scourge,’ Gospel for Asia Says

On World Malaria Day, April 25, GFA World new report cites lifesaving impact of malaria-fighting efforts across Asia

WILLS POINT, Texas -- The hunt for a cure for COVID-19 draws attention to another “forgotten” health crisis that continues to claim more than 400,000 lives around the world every year -- mosquito-borne malaria. 

As some political leaders and doctors suggest readily available anti-malarial drugs may be beneficial in treating coronavirus patients, Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org) and other organizations are highlighting the much-overlooked “deadly scourge” of malaria.

World Malaria Day -- an annual awareness event -- is April 25, and malaria-fighting organizations like GFA are eager to see that the ongoing battle against the mosquito-spread menace doesn’t get ignored or forgotten because of COVID-19.

Almost half the world’s population is at risk from malaria -- spread by infected mosquitoes -- and children under five years are the most vulnerable, says a new GFA World report, titled Mosquito-Driven Scourge Touches Even Developed Nations.

Despite the effectiveness of anti-malarial drugs like chloroquine -- recently touted as a treatment for coronavirus -- malaria still kills more than 400,000 people worldwide every year, more than double the global coronavirus death toll to date.

Each year, there are more than 200 million reported cases of malaria, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. So far, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide stands at about 2.5 million and rising.

Mosquito Nets: Ten Dollar Lifesavers

Describing malaria as a “deadly scourge,” GFA World’s latest report is one of a series of in-depth special reports by the Texas-based mission agency examining critical global issues, promoting awareness, and challenging people to respond. A life-saving mosquito net costs as little as $10 -- but that’s more than many of Asia’s poorest families, who earn less than $2 a day, can afford.

“For many years. . . teams across South Asia have been engaged in malaria prevention,” said Dr. Daniel, director of Believers Eastern Church’s medical ministry in Asia. “These committed local workers, often trekking miles on foot, distribute free mosquito nets -- some 360,000 last year alone – to prevent malaria infection and provide clean water and community sanitation to help reduce mosquito breeding grounds.”

Although malaria has a lower mortality rate than coronavirus, the financial toll of malaria is huge. According to estimates, malaria costs the African economy $12 billion every year through healthcare and loss of productivity and investment.

With much of South Asia currently under COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, GFA World is supporting outreaches to those most severely impacted -- including impoverished day laborers unable to earn money for food. Teams are providing free meals as well as mosquito nets.

“Even in lockdown amid COVID-19, we in the West have the opportunity to pray at home and support local workers in the field to save lives,” said India-born GFA World founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan, whose mission has served the poor in Asia for 40-plus years and has become one of the biggest mission organizations in the world.

# # #

Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org) is a leading faith-based mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear about the love of God. In GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,000 clean water wells drilled, over 11,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
 

PHOTO CUTLINE:  ANOTHER DEADLY SCOURGE: Political leaders and doctors suggest readily available anti-malarial drugs may be beneficial in treating coronavirus patients as Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org) and other organizations highlight the much-overlooked “deadly scourge” of malaria on World Malaria Day, April 25.

SaNOtize Obtains Health Canada Approval to Commence Phase II Trial for Potential COVID-19 Therapy

New Laboratory Tests Conducted by Utah-Based Institute for Antiviral Research Confirm SaNOtize's Nitric Oxide Releasing Solution (NORS^TM) is Over 99.9% Effective Against 
SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that Causes COVID-19

VANCOUVER, April 22, 2020 /CNW/ - SaNOtize Research and Development Corporation ("SaNOtize" or "the company") today announced that it has been granted approval by Health Canada to conduct a multi-Centre Phase II prevention and efficacy trial for a front-line antiviral prevention and early treatment for use against COVID-19. 

SaNOtize also announced that new tests conducted by the Institute for Antiviral Research at Utah State University confirm SaNOtize's Nitric Oxide Releasing Solution (NORS^TM) inactivated more than 99.9% of SARs-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, within two minutes, in laboratory tests.

SaNOtize has been evaluating nitric oxide (NO), a naturally occurring nanomolecule, as a first-in-class drug with the potential to be used as a topical antimicrobial agent to treat a wide variety of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases, including COVID-19. The company has been granted US and EU patents on a Nitric Oxide Releasing Solution (NORS^TM), and is testing ready-to-use, inexpensive and rapidly-scalable applications delivered through gargle solutions, nasal spray and nasal lavage. 

"We are grateful for Health Canada's rapid response and are moving as quickly as possible to conduct Phase II trials here in Canada, with a focus on frontline healthcare workers and other individuals at greatest risk of infection," said Chief Science Officer and co-founder, Dr. Chris Miller. "If our Phase II results confirm our earlier work, including the very encouraging results just received from the Antiviral Research Institute, we will be seeking emergency approval in Canada to proceed directly to Phase IV introduction of our product to the market as part of the global fight against this deadly pandemic. At the same time, we are seeking Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA so that we can make NORS^TM available to healthcare workers and other high-risk individuals in the US on an expedited basis."

Repeated application of NORS^TM has been demonstrated to be safe and potentially effective in patients with chronic sinusitis. Further trials have demonstrated its effectiveness in-vitro against viruses, including influenza A, hCoV-OC43 and H1N1. The company has robust data demonstrating NORS has a rapid and significant virucidal effect against Influenza A virus (6 log reduction within 30 seconds). Data from these trials has provided a strong foundation to suggest that application of NORS^TM may have considerable impact in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, SaNOtize believes that by reducing the risk of infection, daily use of NORS can help facilitate the gradual resumption of social and economic activity while we wait for a vaccine to be developed. 

Dr. Ferid Murad, a recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery that nitric oxide acts as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system, and a member of the SaNOtize Board of Directors, said, "Nitric oxide is an incredibly versatile molecule that regulates almost everything in our body.  When used therapeutically, it has a well-documented safety profile and is demonstrated to be effective against a wide variety of viruses, bacteria and fungi.  I'm excited to be working with the SaNOtize team and believe that they have a safe technology that could be effective in treating infections, including COVID-19."

"Our goal has long been to find a way to use Nitric Oxide's antimicrobial properties to improve human health," said Dr. Gilly Regev, SaNOtize CEO and co-founder. "We are working around the clock to achieve that goal in time to help with the fight against COVID-19." 

The pharmacology, toxicity, and safety data for NO in humans is well-established. The NO produced from NORS^TM is an identical molecule to nitric oxide naturally produced by the human body, and to the nitric oxide that has a drug approval by the FDA for the treatment of premature infants with acute pulmonary hypertension. There is no biochemical, pharmacokinetic or physical difference between them. 

SaNOtize is currently in discussions with suppliers and potential partners to rapidly scale up production of NORS in North America upon receipt of regulatory approval. NORS^TM is formulated from readily available USP grade ingredients from multiple sources. High volume scale-up could be done rapidly in an extremely cost-effective manner. Shelf-life and stability have been determined to be one year in the appropriate container. 

For more information about SaNOtize, NORS^TM, and our efforts to bring to market antiviral nasal spray, gargle treatment and deep sinus wash products for use in the fight against COVID-19, please visit our website or download our discussion paper.

About SaNOtize
SaNOtize Research & Development Corp. is a biotech company based in Vancouver, BC working to commercialize the multi-faceted antimicrobial properties of a liquid producing nitric oxide. The company has developed and patented a Nitric Oxide Releasing Solution platform technology (NORS^TM) to treat and prevent microbial infections. 

SOURCE SaNOtize Research and Development Corporation

Hadassah Launches reConceiving Infertility and Introduces 
 Amy Klein as Initiative Ambassador April 22, 2020 – NEW YORK, NY – Hadassah announces the launch of reConceiving Infertility, a national information and advocacy campaign on this once-taboo subject during National Infertility Awareness Week (April 19-25). The New York Times“Fertility Diary” columnist and author Amy Klein will serve as the initiative ambassador. The initiative will raise awareness, destigmatize and confront prejudices and misconceptions, drive policy change at  the state and national level, and empower patients to advocate for their own health, according to Rhoda Smolow, Hadassah National President of the nation’s largest women’s Zionist organization with approximately 300,000 members, donors and supporters.  reConceiving Infertility will feature a series of videos narrated by Klein, author of The Trying Game: Get Through Fertility Treatment and Get Pregnant Without Losing Your Mind (April 2020, Penguin/Random House). The first video, "How to Help People Struggling With Infertility During COVID-19," is available at www.hadassah.org/infertility. “What Not To Say About Baby-Making” and “Infertility: Costs, Coverage, and Creativity” are next in the series. Klein’s powerful story involved nine rounds of fertility treatment, 10 doctors and four miscarriages – in just three years.   Future engagement opportunities with Amy Klein and other experts, including live and digital events, will be announced following updated COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions. Visit the Hadassah Resource Center on Infertility to learn more about this campaign, Hadassah’s participation in National Infertility Awareness Week, and activities throughout 2020.  reConceiving Infertility builds on Hadassah’s work empowering patients to take charge of their own health as it also encourages staunch advocacy engagement around women’s health policy in the United States. To further demystify infertility, Hadassah is organizing community programs, hosting trainings and empowering individuals to speak openly about their infertility journeys and pathways to parenthood – or their decision to live childfree. The initiative considers the whole family – parents who may never be grandparents or siblings who may never be aunts or uncles, who are equally affected. The inability to have a child affects 6.7 million women in the U.S, according to a Centers for Disease Control study, or about 11 percent of the reproductive age population. Given limited access to insurance coverage and the high cost of treatments, including assisted reproductive technology (ART), many families incur substantial debt or are prevented from seeking treatment due to the financial burden.  Smolow states, “The more women and men I talk to, the more I understand how infertility has made so many rethink their lives and expectations and how devastating this can be. In the United States, one in eight couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Among American Jews, it’s higher: nearly one in six couples, according to the Jewish Fertility Foundation."  Janice Weinman, Hadassah Executive Director/CEO adds, “Education and awareness are essential steps toward policy change. With our expertise championing health policy and a robust network of advocates across the country, Hadassah is continuing its fight to expand access to fertility care – from diagnosis and medication, to in vitro fertilization and other treatments.”     Hadassah is mobilizing supporters and partner organizations to support infertility-related legislation at the state and federal level by writing letters and meeting with officials in support of expanded insurance coverage and greater access to treatment. Its Infertility Policy Statement highlights the expertise of the Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel, advocates for quality, affordable infertility diagnosis and treatment in the United States and affirms that insurance coverage for infertility screenings and treatments – like maternity care – should be required in every health insurance plan.  Klein states, “I have long respected Hadassah’s work building community and promoting women’s health. I am proud to be a partner with an organization that has always been at the forefront of important issues. As everyone suffers the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and isolation, most fertility clinics have closed, forcing couples who were relying on treatment to stop as their biological clocks continue to tick. Many high-risk women, with histories of miscarriage or hospitalization during pregnancy, are told not to try to conceive naturally, as to not tax our already burdened healthcare system. I look forward to working with Hadassah to raise national awareness about the challenges of infertility and how we can support the people we love.” Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With over 300,000 members, Associates, donors and supporters, Hadassah brings Jewish women together to effect change and advocate on critical issues such as security of Israel, combating anti-Semitism and promoting women’s health. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization's (HMO) two hospitals, the world-renowned trauma center and the leading research facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah supports the delivery of exemplary patient care to over a million people every year. HMO serves without regard to race, religion or nationality and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.  Photo ID Credit: Amy Klein, reConceiving Infertility Initiative Ambassador  

We Are Allowed to Be Irritated
By Jerry Sander

Winter is over. Birds, squirrels, foxes, and groundhogs are scurrying around my backyard as nature once again expands. But it is Week Number 5, 6, 7, or 8 (what difference does that make anymore?) of being cooped up with our spouses in the Pandemic-Protective isolation units of our homes. We are not doing the things we used to do as a matter of course—the things we did and called “life.” It’s hard to remember what the rhythm of those old lives felt like, isn’t it? One thing is for sure: our previous lives probably didn’t include being with our spouses 24/7, today, this day, tomorrow, EVERY DAY. 

We are increasingly irritated. Frustrated. Pissed off. Sometimes we know why, but often not. We’ve read all the online advice columns: exercise, stress-reduction meditations, blah-blah-blah. 

Often our irritation has something to do with what our spouse has just done (or not done). Sometimes we’re irritated by the way our spouses do things (we hadn’t been around to see this before). Dishes in the sink, dishwasher issues, bathroom habits, taking off shoes/boots before walking around newly cleaned floors, laundry, where things should go, etc., may be the presenting problems, but lurking just behind them are core issues of how we soothe ourselves as individuals (which often occurs when the other person isn’t around). Excessive drinking, smoking weed, pornography, masturbation, and other nonproductive lazy time may not have been what the World Health Organization meant when they urged people to use self-soothing strategies that have worked for them in the past, but as Americans we do what we believe we have to do to not lose our minds when we are receiving the dual messages that “this, too, shall pass” and “there will be a lot of deaths.”  Which one should you get ready for? Both?? If I’m getting ready for death, my behaviors will probably look different from getting ready to return to work next month.

Reuters reports that market investments in the makers of chocolates, legal weed, and alcohol are being rewarded well, and the smart money is going to buying shares of Novo Nordisk, the world’s biggest maker of diabetes treatments. It seems that the stock market is banking on us coming out of this fatter and more substance-dependent than we went into it. 

And couples are faced with the living reality of the words of an old Dan Hicks’ song: “How can I miss you when you never go away?”

The truth is that almost all of us are woefully unprepared for the idea of irritation being an ordinary, expectable part of relationships, rather than understanding that every relationship goes through phases of harmony, disharmony, and then repair—every week! Sometimes every day! Sometimes several times a day! We’ve been primed to see irritation and aggravation as a sign that something is seriously wrong with this relationship. Perhaps it is a “sign” that the End is Near, that divorce is up ahead. (A lot of speculation is circulating about what the divorce rate will be, coming out of these months. Or . . . the birth rate nine months from now.)

I know of one marriage that began years ago with one partner—from the first month of marriage—obsessively reading an old advice column called “Can This Marriage Be Saved?” She was focused strongly on “looking for signs” of failure. She was hypervigilant for things careening off the tracks. Sure enough, her marriage derailed, fulfilling her expectations. The things that were irritating and annoying about her spouse? They were all signs that it was a bad marriage that had to end. And it did.

Motorcyclists—and airplane pilots—are familiar with the idea of “object fixation.” If there is a dead skunk in the middle of the road and you are approaching it on your motorcycle, should you be foolish enough to stare at it and stare at it and tell yourself, “Oh, my God, there is a dead skunk in the middle of the road, right there! What if I hit it?” You will probably hit it. Why? Because we go where we are looking to go. This is literally true on a motorcycle. The lifesaving move on a motorcycle is to look for the safe path around the dead animal in the road.  If you want to stare at anything, stare at that! The same thing is metaphorically true for a marriage, or relationship. 

If you come to understand that being aggravated and irritated with your partner during this quarantine is as normal and to be expected as the sun rising in the morning and setting at night, you will understand that everything is going the way it is supposed to go. And that the small things can be talked about—laughed about, ultimately—if they aren’t made out to be “proof” of a failed, or failing, relationship. They are merely aggravating. There are ways of talking these things through and of sparing yourself the painful self-harm of accumulated resentments. 

If there is a deep pool of love and affection between the two of you, beneath the aggravation and ordinary irritations of everyday life in close quarters, both partners will emerge from this with a more intimate connection than ever before. 

Just don’t expect your partner (or yourself) to lose the irritation part. It might not be about what it was about yesterday. “It’s always something . . .,” the pessimists sigh. 

Yes, it is. But so is intimate repair work. That, too, is always something. Something to celebrate.

### 

Jerry Sander is a couples therapist in New York who specializes in Relational Life Therapy. He is the author of the novel, Convergence, and is at work on an episodic memoir titled “The Guyland.” For more information please visit www.rusa-ie.com and www.buzzsprout.com/987001.

NBC News Joins Covering Climate Now 

Earth Day announcement comes amid CCNow’s week of “climate solutions” coverage

NBC News announced today that it is joining Covering Climate Now, a global journalistic collaboration committed to better coverage of the climate story. MSNBC and Noticias Telemundo, both also part of the NBCUniversal family, also joined Covering Climate Now, which includes more than 400 TV, radio, digital and print news outlets with a combined audience approaching 2 billion people.

"Now more than ever it is important to cover one of the most pressing issues in our lifetimes,” said Al Roker, who made the announcement on NBC News' TODAY, the iconic morning news program where he is the weatherman and a co-host of the 3rd Hour of TODAY, as well as heading NBC News’ Climate Unit. "Climate issues are real, and what we will provide are real facts from real scientists so people can make choices and decisions for themselves." See Roker’s announcement here.

The NBC announcement comes as Covering Climate Now’s partners are presenting a week of coverage coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and focusing on climate solutions. From April 19 to 26, outlets including some of the biggest names in news—The Guardian, Reuters, Bloomberg, CBS News, HuffPost, Agence France Presse, The Times of India, and more—are running news articles, commentaries, interviews and multimedia presentations on climate solutions ranging from technical fixes such as solar panels and pricing carbon to civic actions such as voting and protest marches. During a similar week of coverage last September around the United Nations Climate Action Summit, Covering Climate Now partners ran more than 3,600 stories, helping to drive a massive increase in overall coverage of climate change after years of limited media interest.

“Covering Climate Now could not be more thrilled to have NBC, MSNBC and Noticias Telemundo join our collaboration,” said Mark Hertsgaard, CCNow’s executive director and the environment correspondent for The Nation, who has reported on climate change from 25 countries since the 1990s. “More and better news coverage is itself an indispensable climate solution, and we can’t wait to see how all of our NBCUniversal colleagues bring their talent and resources to bear on this challenge.”

“Noticias Telemundo is deeply committed to bringing our viewers news about the environment and excited to further our commitment by becoming part of Covering Climate Now,” said Vanessa Hauc, a Telemundo anchor and the network’s climate correspondent. “It reaffirms our mission to inform and empower our audience on an issue of vital importance to them.”

Co-founded in April 2019 by The Nation and the Columbia Journalism Review in association with The Guardian, Covering Climate Now is a non-profit organization designed by journalists, for journalists. Kyle Pope, CJR’s editor and publisher, and Hertsgaard co-authored an article on Monday explaining why they decided to proceed with a dedicated week of climate solutions coverage even as the public and fellow journalists are understandably focused on the coronavirus. "The overlaps between the coronavirus crisis and the climate crisis are many, and the same best practices when it comes to reporting are needed,” Hertsgaard and Pope wrote, adding, "We must report with compassion, candor, and courage, not only chronicling the ongoing devastation, as important as that is, but also illuminating credible remedies and reasons for hope."

All bona fide news organizations are invited to join Covering Climate Now. There is no financial cost, nor any “editorial line” to follow, except respect for climate science. Send inquiries to:  editors@coveringclimatenow.org.