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It looks like the coronavirus is taking a harder toll on Hispanic and black New Yorkers thanks to issues that mostly cant be addressed until the crisis is over.

Nationwide, the underlying issue seems to be a disparity in preexisting conditions, reports the US governments top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci: Its not that they are getting infected more often, its that when they do get infected, their underlying medical conditions the diabetes, hypertension, the obesity, the asthma those are the kind of things that wind them up in the ICU and ultimately give them a higher death rate.

In the city, at least, blacks and Hispanics may well face greater exposure to the virus, since theyre likely a more-than-fair share of the essential workers still riding (and operating!) the subways and generally taking greater risks.

Fauci suggests the pandemic will ultimately shine a very bright light on some of the real weaknesses and foibles in our society, such that these issues will get the nations attention in the months ahead.

But the hard truth is that theyre extremely difficult to address.

Poverty, of course, drives much of the problem: Healthy eating takes more money or more time, care and energy, which often comes down to the same thing. And awareness of the dangers tends to go along with higher incomes and higher education.

The Bronx has long ranked as the states least-healthy county in yearly lists from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. That prompted Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. to create the #Not62 campaign to improve health outcomes for the boroughs predominately Hispanic and black residents by targeting the underlying social, economic and environmental factors. But progress is painfully slow.

How aggressive should we go? This problem was the target of any of Mayor Michael Bloombergs nanny-state policies, from his (fairly successful) drive to marginalize smoking to his (largely failed) efforts to ban Big Gulp sodas, discourage high-salt and high-fat diets and so on.

He even experimented (using private, not public, money) with bribing people into leading healthier lifestyles. None of it won him much popularity.

Nor does it help that prominent leaders like the Rev. Al Sharpton can be bought off by Big Tobacco to defend menthol cigarettes and vaping products against public-health efforts.

When it comes to disparities in public health, the weaknesses and foibles in our society are a lot more complicated than anything as simple as racial prejudice.

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Race and coronavirus: There are no easy answers - New York Post

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Sean Diddy Combs is known for his signature dance moves and now he wants to share the dance floor with the worldvirtually that is. The hip-hop mogul will be hosting a Dance-A-Thon today (April 12) via Instagram in order to raise money for healthcare workers in underserved communities.

Me and my family are having a dance-a-thon the whole world is invited, he said in his Instagram announcement. We on lockdown, but we want to dance.

The Bad Boy CEO has partnered with Direct Relief and has called on celebrities like Megan thee Stallion, Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Lopez, Swizz Beatz, Shaquille ONeal, Alicia Keys, Drake, Will Smith, Chris Brown, Oprah Winfrey, Drake, DJ Khaled, Lizzo, Kelly Rowland, Janelle Monae, Ciara and many more to participate. All six of Diddys children will be participating as well.

Diddy also hosted a town hall meeting about the COVID-19 pandemic last week in Revolt TV. OnState of Black America & The Coronavirus, Diddy moderated a discussion about his COVID-19 is significantly affecting the African-American communities. Panelists included Senator Kamala Harris, Angela Rye, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Van Jones Meek Mill and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

He also has been urging people to get involved and stay informed so we can help those in need as much as we can.

Over the next few days Ill be locked in and focused on finding ways to directly support our healthcare workers but I dont have all the answers, he said on Instagram. If you want to help or have any great ideas, please reach out to me now! God bless us all.

COVID-19 has been killing African-Americans at a higher rate due us having more preexisting health conditions than other races.

African-Americans have more of the underlying health conditions associated with fatality (among those with coronavirus); the heart disease, diabetes, asthma, obesity, Dr. Jeanette Kowalik told BBC News.

Tune into the Dance-A-Thon today at 3 p.m EST via Diddys Instagram. Take a look at his Instagram announcements below.

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Diddy Is Hosting A Dance-A-Thon To Benefit Healthcare Workers - MadameNoire

Another day, another drag. This time it's rappers Diddy, DJ Khaled and actor Kevin Hart who are at the receiving end of the internet's unsavory comments.

A Twitter user shared images of each of these men with the caption, "I took a month of quarantine for these men to age 10 years lol," and it began the stream of comments on their appearance.

"Its them damn kids," tweeted one user, but most comments targetted Khaled specifically, with some saying he looked "like he own a corner store in queens" and "like he fix iPhone screens," as well as that he "looks like he just came back from being lost on an island"

Many pointed out that people were acting like these men were the only ones who were looking less put together than their usual selves while in quarantine. One user stated, "Let's stop acting like DJ Khaled is only one looking rough without a barber."

If you think it's odd that people are coming this hard for these three men simply for the reason that they've let their beards grow out, perhaps a bit of context might help. "Meanwhile men are cracking jokes on women saying we just not be holding ourselves together because our nails, brows and hair aint done," tweeted the user who shared the images originally, while another responded, "Dudes can still look like shit and stay rocking, while girls will have mental breakdowns."

While they have a point, and these men have been known to make misogynistic comments in the past especially Khalid who once stated "Its different rules for men...A woman should praise the man the king" it still seems a tad unnecessary to demonize people for looking perfectly normal in their own homes during a global lockdown. Especially when it also, inadvertently, shames everyone else for choosing to prioritize other things like family, work, and mental health over personal grooming when it feels like the world might be ending.

Others highlighted there were more pressing matters. For instance, one user joked, "When tf DJ Khaled have another kid lmao." More seriously, many tweeted in support of the three men, stating "its only grey hair," and that "They still look good tho." Another added, "lol they only gotta dye their hair and its back to normal"

Looks aside, it's important to recognize that these men are simply doing what everyone else is doing. Go on, admit it. Most of us look like that right now. So why, then, is there such a high expectation on celebrities to be dressed to the nines while they're relaxing at home with their families, riding the quarantine out in what little peace they can manage, just like everybody else?

They're spending time with their partners and children, prioritizing what's important, and in Hart's case, healing from horrific injuries following a traumatizing accident.

Additionally, Khaled, who was at the receiving end of the worst of the troll comments, has been actively participating in the coronavirus relief efforts, while Diddy has contributed to the efforts by hosting a virtual town hall featuring Angela Rye, Big Sean, Reverend Al Sharpton, Fat Joe, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Killer Mike, Charles Blow, Van Jones and many more that highlighted how the black community has been disproportionately impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

Hart, in addition to spending his time on recovery, has continued to keep fans entertained with his signature brand of comedy via social media.

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Diddy, Kevin Hart and DJ Khaled trolled for their unglamorous appearance while in quarantine - MEAWW

The twelfth season of Real Housewives of New York Cityhas begun, and Bravo fans around the world are excited to finally get the scoop on all of the drama to come. The RHONY housewives are particularly known for their over-the-top antics, with too many iconic moments to chronicle.

RELATED:10 Questions We Have From The Real Housewives Of New York City Season 12 Trailer

Arguably the series' most shocking and iconic moments stem from the season three episode "Sun, Sand, and Psychosis," known more commonly as "Scary Island." Previoushousewife Kelly Killoren Bensimon begins to go off the deep end, spiraling into a nervous breakdown while spewing off the most ridiculous quotes imaginable. In honor of "Scary Island," let's go over Kelly's ten best quotes throughout their infamous St. John's trip.

The theory that Kelly could have been under the influence of drugs seems to be more and more plausible with each ridiculous quote mentioned throughout this list. One drug questioned was meth, since Sonja randomly smelled cat pee on their cat-free yacht, and meth has an ammonia-like smell.

This quote,mentioning the white noise, makes her sound like she's almost admitting to being delusional and not of a sound mind. Did Kelly Bensimon have a mental breakdown, or did she experience a drug psychosis?

Surprisingly, this quote comes at the beginning of Kelly's downward spiral, the night before the infamous dinner where Bethenny cooks steaks. While Ramona is flirting it up on another yacht, Sonja, Kelly, and Bethenny have an... interesting discussion that turns heated."Nobody cares about you Bethenny! You're vindictive and malicious and cunning and deceitful and it's creepy! That's why I get creeped out by you!"

After that attack, Kelly just keeps insulting Bethenny: "I'm sorry, I'm not a hoe-bag like Bethenny, I don't sleep with everyone who walks around." Bethenny and Sonja depart from the crazy to join the other women, only to be followed by Kelly!

Once Bethenny, Alex, and Ramona leave the table of crazy for a sanity break, Sonja tries to reason with Kelly, wondering if she knows how insane she's coming off. Out of nowhere (once more), Kelly jabbers: "and you want me to sit here with her? Cause she calls you a freaking hooker?"

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Kelly continues to butcher the English language, stringing sentences together that make no sense. Bethenny jokingly called Sonja a hooker the night prior, which Sonja didn't think twice about, but Kelly was clearly taking obsessive notes in her booklet of "How To Bring Down Bethenny."

After Alex admits that Kelly goes a little crazy and can be on the attack, Kelly says she "turns into these people" and then goes on a tirade about Ramona's True Renewal party, saying Alex showed up to deliver a message in crazy black and white eye makeup.

She was in kabuki! Well, you were, cause you were, like, white face and black eyes."Facetiously, Bethenny mentions that Alex must've gone in costume, and Kelly continues: "I was like 'holy sugar!' she was like, channeling, like-- I don't know. Like a vampire."

The night prior, Kelly throws out: Youre not a chef, youre a cook. It's creepy, once again calling Bethenny creepy!"I didn't go to culinary school?" Bethenny immediately retorts, and rightfully so! "I don't know what you did, and I don't really care," Kelly blatantly contradicts herself. "I went to culinary school, you moron!" Bethenny slams in her face, completely shutting down the Cook vs. Chef argument. Of course, Kelly continues, throwing in: "really, with who? Alain Ducasse? Who? Nobody cares!" Kelly missed the memo about going up against Bethenny, and how slim your chances of coming out on top will be.

RELATED:Real Housewives Of New York City (RHONY): The Season 12 Taglines, Ranked

Bethenny continues to rip into Kelly, eviscerating her by saying: "you speak and you don't know what you're saying-- you're the most unintelligent human being I've ever had the pleasure to be around."

During a moment where Ramona actually shows some vulnerability, she brings up the incident where she insulted Bethenny on the Brooklyn Bridge and decides to apologize. "Are you going to sit on her lap?" Kelly provokes Ramona, whose intimate moment was completely ruined. "Are you guys having a moment? Are you going to make out with the tongue?"Ramona and Bethenny give Kelly this look of confusion, wondering what her MO could be.

"You need a freaking time out!" Ramona retorts, and Kelly responds with an astounding: "I don't want a time out, I want you to zip it!" Once Ramona and Bethenny walk away, Bethenny hilariously throws in: "finally everyone's turned the same channel on. Just say to me-- I've always been right about everything I've said."

This quote is quite possibly the most disturbing of the bunch. Alex McCord tries to level with Kelly, explaining why she was uncomfortable modeling for her earlier that day at the beach. "You scare me," Alex admits. Kelly makes light of it at first, and then throws in: "Alex is having nightmares about me while I'm having nightmares about Bethenny killing me."

RELATED:10 Questions We Have From The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Season 10 Trailer

Puzzled beyond belief, Alex asks, "when has Bethenny tried to kill you?" Then Kelly responds with,"I was having nightmares. I have been, I threw up. But I was-- I threw up the night before I came, thinking that Bethenny was gonna freakin' kill me, cause she's tried to kill me so many times before."

Now this one crossed a line. Coming off the heels of her estranged father's passing (all while being pregnant, sober, and cooking the ladies dinner), Bethenny had every right to be celebrating in St. John with her friends, regardless of her relationship with her father or how soon he just died.

Several times Kelly calls Bethenny or what she does "creepy," which is pretty creepy in of itself!

This quote from Scary Island is undoubtedly the most well-known gif of Kelly Bensimon out there. After Bethenny does an impression of, well, maybe Al Sharpton, by saying, "you can't handle the truth," Kelly immediately blurts out, "Oh my god, Al Sharpton!" Bethenny and company look to Kelly in bewilderment, though this is probably one of her more cohesive lines of the night!

Just when you think this couldn't get any more strange, things take a left turn once again with unexpected results. As Bethenny and Kelly go at it, Kelly interrupts her thought with: "what about when you attacked Gweneth, my friend Gweneth?"Bethenny confusingly asks, "who's Gweneth?" Without skipping a beat, Kelly jabs back: "Paltrow? And what about Rachel?"

At this point, the ladies realize things are more serious than they originally anticipated, and they could have a serious problem on their hands.

NEXT:The 10 Most Outrageous Moments in Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) History, Ranked

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Briana is a freelance list writer/caretaker who has practiced social distancing and self-quarantining long before the coronavirus epidemic. She strives for success but succumbs to daily hedonistic tendencies, like overindulgence and procrastination. Briana enjoys long walks on anywhere but the beach, developing conspiracy theories about her favorite reality TV shows, reading people's astrological natal (birth) charts, contributing to the welfare animals, and living that robe life as much as she possibly can!Homegirl is the Patron Saint of Compartmentalization and '90s/'00s Throwbacks. Briana was born and raised in the World's Marijuana Capital: Santa Cruz, California, where she currently resides.

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RHONY: The 10 Most Outrageous Kelly Bensimon Quotes from 'Scary Island' - Screen Rant

Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.

The Washington Post:Three Cheers For Big Pharma As It Rushes To Develop A VaccineDoctors warn us that we cant feel truly safe against the novel coronavirus until an effective vaccine is developed. Fortunately, theres good news on that front. Both in the United States and elsewhere, many vaccines are already either being tested on humans or will be soon. Two clinical trials are in process in the United States. One underway in Seattle uses two doses injected into the bloodstream while a second, being performed in Kansas City and Philadelphia, merely pricks the skin and is followed by a small electric shock to help the chemicals penetrate deeper into the body. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are applying to the Food and Drug Administration to put a third potential vaccine into clinical trials soon. Scientists in Israel might be moving even faster. (Henry Olsen, 4/9)

Stat:Searching For An Effective Covid-19 Treatment: Promise And PerilIn response to the most serious global health threat in a century, the worlds biomedical establishment is unleashing an unprecedented response to the Covid-19 pandemic, rapidly increasing resources aimed at finding safe and effective treatments for the disease. But without careful attention to the pitfalls that can befall biomedical research and regulatory decision-making during a time of crisis, a lot can go wrong. (G. Caleb Alexander, Aaron S. Kesselheim and Thomas J. Moore, 4/10)

The Washington Post:Americas 2.3 Million Prisoners Are Sitting Ducks For This Virus. Heres How To Save Them.Washington, D.C., is an emerging hot spot for the novel coronavirus, but its jail is already a five-alarm conflagration, with an exploding number of inmates who have either tested positive for the disease or are suspected of having it. On a more cataclysmic scale, the infection rate among inmates in New York Citys main jail complex on Rikers Island is nearly seven times higher than in the rest of the city, which is ground zero for the nations covid-19 pandemic.Some 2.3 million people are behind bars in U.S. jails and prisons, and many of them are sitting ducks for a virus that thrives in cramped quarters and in confined spaces where standards of hygiene, and often even the availability of soap and other cleaning products, are notoriously poor. (4/9)

St.Louis Post Dispatch:To Protect Missourians, Release Missouri PrisonersWe are in the midst of an unprecedented, worldwide health crisis. Schools and businesses have shuttered, professional sporting events have been postponed, and as of Tuesday, at least 316 million people in at least 42 states have been urged to stay home all in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Elected officials recognize that strong, swift action is necessary to flatten the infection-rate curve and save lives. These actions must address prisons and jails. Public health experts agree that decarceration is critical to slowing the spread of this coronavirus. (Amy E. Breihan and Tricia J. Bushnell, 4/9)

NBC News:Coronavirus Deaths In The U.S. Reveal A Startling Truth About America's 'Two Pandemics'Every day, we are inundated with information about the horrors of the coronavirus pandemic. We hear about the rising number of deaths, the increasing rate of infections, the mental anguish, the shortages of critical supplies in hospitals, the people struggling to pay bills and survive, the long lines at food banks and so much more. But lost in the coverage of this virus is one critical point that we simply cannot ignore: the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African Americans and disenfranchised communities. (The Rev. Al Sharpton, 4/10)

The Hill:Poor State Reporting Hampers Pandemic FightShort of a cure or vaccine, our most powerful weapon against the COVID-19 pandemic is the information: The right data can tell us the severity of the problems we face and whether social distancing is working. Despite considerable handwringing by public officials about what we dont know about this disease, state health departments already have most or all of the relevant data. Unfortunately, they dont make it available in ways that provide a clear picture of whats happening.(Dr. Steven Goodman and Dr. Nigam Shah, 4/9)

NBC News:America's Coronavirus Response Must Center Women. And The Black Plague Helps Show How.When a major crisis threatens to destabilize the economy and society, there are two choices: We can respond by trying to keep old systems in place, or we can rethink them, innovate and create a better path to prosperity. Attitudes and practices related to women are going to have a major impact on how we fare during the coronavirus pandemic, and full recovery seems unlikely until the challenges they face are placed front and center. The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the weakness of outdated social norms and poor policy choices in the United States that have, among other things, placed painful burdens on women ranging from unworkable family roles and a meager social safety net to insufficient labor protections and intrusions on autonomy. (Lynn Stuart Parramore, 4/9)

The Washington Post:The One Thing About Giving Birth During The Covid-19 Pandemic That I Didnt AnticipateMy husband and I arrived at the hospital last Friday for my labor induction. Just two years ago, I gave birth in the same facility. But this time everything was different.As an emergency physician, Im trained to think in terms of worst-case scenarios. As an expectant mother, I had nightmares about all the things that can go wrong in pregnancy. But there was one thing about giving birth during the covid-19 pandemic that I didnt anticipate: how I would become scared of, and also scared for, my health-care providers. (Leana S. Wen, 4/9)

Stat:The Challenges Of Giving Birth In The Time Of Covid-19There are about 300,000 births every month in the United States. That wont change as Covid-19 continues its march across the country. Health systems are doing the best they can under immensely difficult circumstances to treat very sick patients, stem the spread of the virus, and keep those on the front lines healthy... As is always the case, the weaknesses in our strained health care infrastructure are disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable people, and that includes pregnant women. (Laurie Zephyrin, 4/10)

Los Angeles Times:Coronavirus Proved Bernie Sanders Right. But Only PartlyOne piece of conventional wisdom circulating in the wake of Bernie Sanders withdrawal from the Democratic presidential primary is that the COVID-19 pandemic proves he was right about healthcare.In truth, it proves him half right. The pandemic is causing millions of people to lose their jobs and their health insurance just when they are most in need of coverage. If this country had universal insurance coverage, as the vast majority of the civilized world does, that wouldnt be happening, and the federal government wouldnt be maneuvering to send billions of dollars in emergency aid to hospitals and state health programs. (John Healey, 4/8)

Chicago Sun Times:Mount Sinai Hospital Staff Battles Coronavirus And Their Own Anxiety, TooMany struggle with COVID-19 without ever being infected. Think of how worrisome this epidemic is to rational folks sheltering in comfort at home. Now, consider the mentally ill, the disturbed patients treated at a place like Mount Sinai Hospital the psychotic and bi-polar, schizophrenic and depressed. Like your world, their worlds, too, are turned upside down, though they often have far less ability to cope with events that even the most stable person can have trouble processing. We are seeing more patients experiencing more ill effects of emotional distress, said Dr. Paul Berkowitz, chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral health at Sinai. (Neil Steinberg, 4/9)

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Viewpoints: Pharmaceutical Help Is On The Way At A Time When Everyone Needs Good News; Freeing Certain Prisoners Can't Wait Any Longer - Kaiser Health...