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Hobby Lobby has reportedly begun closing stores, and slashing employee salaries following remarks from its CEO that "God is in control" during the coronavirus pandemic and social media has some thoughts about the situation. The news first reported by The Frontier, who spoke with employees of the company after they were notified of the situation.

In a letter to the terminated employees, the vice president of the companys art and creative division, Darsee Lett wrote, "It is with a tremendously broken heart that Ive been forced to take these unimaginable actions, and I genuinely hope you know that my prayers are with you and your family." Lett added, "It has been such an honor having you on my Team. I truly and deeply appreciate your service to this Department and the Company, and with you the very best as this calamity hopefully ends in the very near future." The layoffs and store closures come after Hobby Lobby CEO David Green issued a memo to employees, stating that while he does not know what the future holds for the business, everyone will have to "tighten" their belts. He also stated that "God is in control" of the situation.

The news has not been met well by social media users, with many taking to Twitter to express their frustration on the matter. Scroll down to read reactions.

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Hobby Lobby Closes Stores, Slashes Salaries Following 'God Is in Control' Remarks and Social Media Has Thoughts - PopCulture.com

The China-caused coronavirus is sweeping the globe, and America's journalists are losing their minds. In fact, they are dangerously out of control, a WashingtonFree Beacon analysis discovered.

The virus is starting to spread among members of the White House press corps. But even that doesn't explain the media's hysterical aggrievement in response to the crisis, which China's communist government could havedramatically curtailed, but didn't. Now they're essentially accusing him of murder because an Arizona couple decided to ingest aquarium cleaner.

When they aren't complaining about the indignity of being forced to work from home without a comfortable office chair, journalists have been conducting "analysis" suggesting the president wants U.S. media to behave more like China's. For reasons unknown, U.S. media have been doing just that all on their own, at least when it comes to regurgitating Chinese propaganda.

CNN and NBC, for example, were recently cited by Chinese state-run media in an effort to downplay China's responsibility for the pandemic. The nerds at Voxpublished a piece on "How the US stacks up to other countries in confirmed coronavirus cases" that doesn't mention China once. CNN in particular has been eager to promote authoritarian propaganda, even if it means shilling for Vladimir Putin, enemy of the anti-Trump "resistance."

The media's early coverage of the coronavirus outbreak was rife with efforts to downplay its seriousness, a message Chinese authorities were eager to promote as well.The Washington Post published multiple pieces attempting to reassure Americans that the virus was no worse than the flu,warning against an "aggressive government response" to the outbreak.Voxtweeted on Jan. 31: "Is this going to be a deadly pandemic? No." The tweet was deleted this week because it "no longer reflects the reality of the coronavirus story."

Even naming the source of the virus drives journalists over the edge. In late January, the New York Times was tweeting updates on the spread of the "Wuhan virus." By March, the once-storied publication was calling Republicans "racist and xenophobic" for using that term.At the same time, most media outlets were denouncing Trump's decision to ban travel from China as ineffective and racistechoing former vice president Joe Biden's attack on the president's "hysterical xenophobia." Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health recently praised the travel ban for helping the United States avoid a more disastrous outbreak like the one seen in Italy. But what does he know? He's not a journalist.

To the surprise of no one outside the media bubble, the American people are slightly more inclined to trust President Trump than the media to provide accurate information on the coronavirus, according to a recent poll from CBS News. Trump's approval rating is at an all-time high, and a majority of Americansapprove of his handling of the coronavirus outbreak.Accordingly, our nation's journalists responded by lashing out at the American people.

Former Obama bro Jon Favreau, for example, argued that Trump's rising poll numbers were evidence that "There is something deeply, deeply broken about the way Americans get their news and information in this country." New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie mused that Trump's high approval rating was the result of the dramatic increase in viewership of evening newscasts during the coronavirus outbreak, and the airing of clips"featuring a truncated Trump who appears more competent than he is as a result of editing."

Perpetually in denial about the erosion of public trust in the media, members of the media persist in considering themselves the primary drivers of public opinionand thinking Trump is only popular because they aren't doing enough to persuade everyone he's bad. They can't accept, or even consider, that their outlook "no longer reflects the reality," to borrow a phrase.

As such, American journalists are currently debatingthe risks of airing the president's coronavirus briefings in a "live and unedited" format. Seattle's NPR station on Wednesday became one of the first outlets to announce they would stop airing Trump's briefings "due to a pattern of false or misleading information," a move that wascelebrated by journalists and liberal activists, to the extent there is a difference.

Hysteria over the briefings had more to do with the state of the national media than with the president."These are not rallies. These are press briefings. The idea that networks should consider not airing them is more an indictment of the fecklessness of the journalists in the room than of Trump himself," said former CNN producer Steve Krakauer.

Meanwhile, the media are covering congressional negotiations over a coronavirus stimulus bill slightly differently than they covered Republican "obstruction" under President Obama. Despite the best efforts of Democratic lawmakers to pack the bill with superfluous liberal priorities, including an entire section that would require corporate recipients of federal aid to submit "diversity data" to a congressional panel, the media have been reluctant to portray Democrats as obstructionist, even when they are blocking legislation.

Earlier this week, when Senate Democrats prevented passage of a nearly $2 trillion stimulus package, the Washington Post reported: "GOP stimulus bill fails an early test." The New York Times declared: "Partisan divide threatens deal on rescue bill." Now that the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) has adjourned for the day. She's unlikely to feel pressure to act quickly. At least not from the media. They have more pressing concerns, like keeping Joe Biden alive.

Andrew Stiles is senior writer at the Washington Free Beacon. He can be reached at stiles@freebeacon.com.

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ANALYSIS: The Journos Are Out of Control - Washington Free Beacon

THE second week of the movement control order (MCO), implemented to control the Covid-19 outbreak, is nearing its end.

With most Malaysians having to stay at home during this period, especially with the movement restriction being extended by another two weeks, many have had to resort to creative ways in keeping themselves and their families occupied.

Film fans will get a kick out of solving these emojis to Name the Movie.

Several quizzes the authors of which are unknown but thank goodness for them have been making their rounds on WhatsApp.

One quiz called Name the Movie challenges the reader to guess movie titles based on emojis.

For example, the movie The Lion King is represented by emojis of [spoiler alert] a lion and a crown.

Another quiz that similarly uses emojis is Name the Country which tests you on your geography and world knowledge by guessing the names of countries based on a combination of icons and letters.

There is also a quiz that requires the reader to solve riddles and identify a fruit from each given statement.

For example, the name of a fruit is hidden in the sentence Did you see a man go by?.

CK Tan said he found the Name the Movie quiz easier than Name the Country.

It helps that I enjoy movies, so it is easier for me to guess the names of movie titles, said another person who took the same two quizzes, who only wished to be known as Hafiz.

Trying to guess the countries was a lot harder. I was able to figure out the names for Japan and Ukraine, but not the others, he added.

Sharifah Mohamad said she would only attempt the quizzes when she was free, as she had to work from home in the daytime.Lets see if Im able to complete one or two challenges by the end of the MCO period, she quipped.

Name the Country may present a bit more challenge.

V. Kumar said he found a way to cheat for the fruit riddle challenge by copying and pasting the statements onto a word-editing document.

I will then add or remove spaces in between the words until I can figure out the fruit hidden in the line, he gleefully shared.

Meanwhile, staying fit and healthy can be difficult during the MCO period, particularly for those used to running in parks or working out at gyms or outdoors.

Some fitness buffs have been attempting the 10-clap push-up challenge, including Muar MP and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

The challenge requires participants to finish the clap push-ups within a limited timeframe.

Syed Syaddiq posted on Twitter that he was able to complete 20 within 17 seconds.

Another popular activity that has been making its rounds on the Internet is to brew Dalgona coffee.

This creamy coffee beverage resembles a popular Korean street food snack called dalgona or ppogi, a sponge candy made from sugar and baking soda.

Dalgona coffee is made from a combination of instant coffee granules, white sugar and hot water.

These ingredients are whisked together whether by hand or with a mixer until thick and frothy, then poured over a glass of milk.

Variations of the Dalgona coffee beverage have since popped up, replacing the coffee with green tea and other caffeine-free versions such as cocoa.

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Malaysians have various quizzes and riddles on social media to occupy their time during MCO - The Star Online

So she created a digital news consortium, Courier, with sites in key 2020 states. She started her own PAC, Pacronym, to attack Mr. Trump across the web, and, in a coup, hired the Facebook specialist assigned to Mr. Trumps 2016 campaign.

But Acronym faced an existential challenge after a firm it backed, Shadow, won the rights to tabulate the Iowa caucus results, only to see its app fail to produce a final outcome. While Ms. McGowans donors and board stuck with her, a new round of hand-wringing about the partys technology ensued.

The partys hopes turned to Mr. Bloomberg and the tech-driven operation he vowed to use against Mr. Trump, win or lose. Earlier this month, he announced he was folding his digital tent along with his campaign.

A trans-Atlantic group called the Alliance of Democracies last year issued a Pledge for Election Integrity, forswearing the use of disinformation, troll networks and deceptively edited content.

The online list has nearly 200 signers from the European Union but only one from the United States Mr. Biden.

Last week, the loneliness of Mr. Bidens pledge was apparent as a false document purporting to show he had tested positive for Covid-19 began circulating on Twitter among Trump supporters, on 4Chan and in far-right Telegram groups. This time, the campaign hit back on social media.

Mr. Bidens digital director, Rob Flaherty, said the campaign would respond forcefully when a false attack threatened to reach critical mass, and would keep pressing social media platforms to police false content. (Facebook ultimately agreed to label the deceptive Biden video partly false.) But, he said, the campaign would stick to Mr. Bidens own pledges. You ask people, what does fight fire with fire mean? he said. They net out at lie, and were just not going to do that.

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Trump Won the Internet. Democrats Are Scrambling to Take It Back. - The New York Times

NEW YORK Sister love playing out in a living-room hair trim. A botched home dye job with a silver lining. Stylists shipping out kits of personalized colour with promises to talk their regulars through the process via FaceTime.

As the spread of the coronavirus sends more people into isolation, trips to beloved salons and barbershops for morale-boosting services and camaraderie are on hold.

While some brazenly cut themselves new bangs, turn to over-the-counter colour or try picking up electric clippers and scissors to work on the heads of loved ones, others are letting nature take its course.

Memes and real-life stories are flying about cuts gone bad and the onslaught of gray hair, along with out-of-control eyebrows, sad lash extensions and overdue nail work. While such things seem frivolous in the sad and desperate crush of the pandemic, many people are reaching for rituals as emotional relief and connection to their longstanding way of life.

Mary Beth Warner in Syracuse, New York, has a lighthearted air about her as she hunkers down with her husband and 17-year-old son, but she isnt laughing on the inside.

I remember my mom used to say during the war, as long as they could get lipstick they were happy, she said. Thats how I feel right now about my hair.

Warner, 63, usually travels to Manhattan for colour appointments every four weeks with Frank Friscioni at Oon Arvelo Salon. Hes been doing her colour (blonde) for 25 years.

Shes past her regular appointment, but rather than take on the task herself, shes wearing a baseball cap to walk her dog until she can coax Friscioni up for a house call, something hes doing with other clients closer to the city.

Oh I love my Frank, Warner said. I dont trust anybody else. Right now Im mortified for anybody to see. Emotionally, it means a lot. I dont care if I die as long as my hair is blonde in that coffin.

Others are more settled in letting their gray hair fly. Comedian-actor Kevin Hart puts videos on Instagram chronicling his life at home with salt-and-pepper hair and beard. Hashtag: #GreyHairDontCare.

Everybodys going gray. Im going to embrace it right now. I look like Morgan Freemans nephew, he told Ellen DeGeneres in one of the celebrity phone chats shes posting on Instagram from her Los Angeles home.

For others, styles are going shaggy as they rediscover ponytails, buns, and dusty stashes of headbands and hair baubles.

Not the Hinds sisters.

The younger, 18-year-old Sophie, calmly read a book as her 20-year-old sister, Fiona, nervously lopped a good 7 inches off her long reddish blonde hair at home on Manhattans Upper West Side, creating an adorable bob.

Fiona said she boned up for the task by watching one YouTube video that we didnt even finish. We watched the first five minutes.

To which Sophie responded: Are you kidding? You didnt tell me that.

In Fayetteville, Arkansas, stylist Scarlett Howell voluntarily cancelled all appointments for at least two weeks. Shes relying in part on savings to pay her bills.

Theres a lot of salon owners and stylists who refuse to close until its mandated, and so theyre actively putting people at risk, she said. Its incredibly frustrating.

Howell doesnt recommend DIY cuts or coloring using professional products that are stronger and trickier than over-the-counter varieties.

Its really damn hard to cut your own hair, she said.

Some of her regulars are paying for their cancelled appointments.

My clients are my family, Howell said, breaking down in tears. It really means a lot for people to reach out.

Kelly Cardenas, who shut down his salons in Las Vegas, Chicago and Carlsbad, California, calls the DIY hair experiments playing out in homes and on social media a mere 15 minutes of feeling OK that could take your hairdresser up to a year to fix.

Debra Hare-Bey, a braider and stylist in Brooklyn, said black hair, depending on texture, length and style, might pose home challenges for those used to relying on specialists. Asked how her clients are feeling now that her home business is closed until the health emergency subsides, she said: Its pandemonium. Pure and simple. Theyve lost their minds.

Mylena Sutton, 43, in Haddonfield, New Jersey, isnt ready to take matters into her own hands.

Im an African American woman with very kinky, curly hair that tends toward being dry. I dont relax my hair, but I do colour it and theres no way in the world that Im attempting that at home, she said.

For now, shes covering her roots with hats, headbands and overall hiding.

Kody Christiansen, a student at New York University, went the box-colour route with a slight mishap, but has no regrets. The 30-something about to graduate with an associates degree was going for platinum, like the person on the box. He wound up a brassy yellow instead, but used a silver spray he had on hand to even out his colour for a two-tone effect.

Its a metaphor for my life, said the Bronx actor and author, who until a few years ago was homeless and addicted to drugs and alcohol. Until recently, my life wasnt anything like life on the box.

Brian Coughlin, 35, in Evanston, Illinois, usually heads to the barber every eight to 10 weeks. He was about a month overdue when he asked his wife, Ashley, to try the clippers.

Huh! huh! Ashley gasped near the end of a YouTube video they made during the process. She forgot to snap on the appropriate attachment for the clippers and carved a bald spot into the back of his hair.

Im sorry. I was doing so good, she said, to which Brian replied: Its OK. Just cut around it and well see what we can do.

___

Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at https://twitter.com/litalie

Leanne Italie, The Associated Press

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Gray hair, dont care: Cuts and colour lead to home travails - CityNews Winnipeg