Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that he’s reopening his company’s car factory in California in violation of a local shelter-in-place order, as The Verge previously reported. Musk said he’ll be on the company’s production line this week. “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me,” he wrote.
Musk spent parts of the weekend railing against the order, which was put in place in mid-March by Alameda County officials in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The order restricted all but “essential businesses” from performing anything other than the most minimal operations, like processing payroll. After initially fighting the order, Tesla shut down the factory on March 23rd.
Musk has argued that the statewide stay-at-home order put in place by governor Gavin Newsom left room for Tesla’s auto manufacturing plant to remain open, and Musk had Tesla file a lawsuit against the county on Saturday in protest. On Monday, Newsom said that the state has had “very constructive conversations” with the county officials and Tesla representatives and that he hoped the company could open up “as early as next week.”
Alameda County supervisor Scott Haggerty told The New York Times this past weekend that the county and Tesla had been close to an agreement to reopen the factory on May 18th, but that was before Musk lashed out and filed the lawsuit on Saturday.
Tesla started making cars over the weekend, as The Verge reported earlier on Monday, and told all of the employees that it placed on furlough to get ready to go back to work. Those employees have been told they can stay home if they feel uncomfortable, but have to take unpaid leave in order to do so. (Tesla cashed out many employees’ paid leave after extending the furlough last month.) Other automakers like Ford and General Motors are scheduled to get their US manufacturing back up and running later this month. Some of those automakers wanted to open earlier, but faced resistance from the United Auto Workers union, which represents their workforces.
Alameda County finally responded late Monday, saying that it expects Tesla to provide a “a site-specific plan later today” for reopening the factory, and that it “look[s] forward to reviewing Tesla’s plan and coming to agreement on protocol and a timeline to reopen safely” — despite Musk already saying he would reopen the factory, and the fact that the company is already making cars.
“Today, May 11, we learned that the Tesla factory in Fremont had opened beyond Minimum Basic Operations. We have notified Tesla that they can only maintain Minimum Basic Operations until we have an approved plan that can be implemented in accordance with the local public health Order,” the county said.
By God’s good grace, I’m the father of four beautiful children: three girls and one boy. Today I want to talk about fathers and sons.
Just as there is something wonderful about being the father of daughters, there is something wonderful about being the father of a son. In my house, Daniel Jr (4) and I are outmatched four-to-one by girls, so we sort of stick together to make sure everything is not painted pink, some football gets watched on a regular basis, and that we watch as many superhero movies as Barbie movies.
Seriously though, the job of raising a son is a noble and important task. Sadly, it’s a job many men abdicate, leading to what is now a full-blown crisis in our country: a crisis of fatherhood. Look up the statistics when you have time and you will see that a very high percentage of young men in prison experienced little or no involvement from Dad. In my pastoral role, I’ve seen the devastating effects of a father’s absence or lack of leadership in the life of his son.
Fathering your sons is a serious job, men. And so in that spirit, I’d like to offer five things every son needs to hear from his father:
1) You are loved. Every boy needs to hear and know that his father loves him. Without this affirmation, a man carries deep wounds that affect his most important relationships. I’ve talked to men at all stages of life who yearn to hear those magic words that mean the most when they come from Dad: I love you.
Today, my son is only four years old, so it’s easy for me to do this. I suspect as he gets older, it grow a bit more awkward. But I plan on doing it still. Because behind the sometimes rough exterior of every young boy is a heart that longs to experience the love of their father. What you don’t realize is that the first image your boy will have of their Heavenly Father will be the image of the human father looking down on them. So tell your boy you love him.
2) I’m proud of you. I can’t tell you how many men I know who, to this day, are still living their lives in search of their father’s approval. Down deep in their hearts they wonder, Am I good enough? Did I make it? Is Dad proud? I’m learning that it’s important for us dads to be hard on our sons in many ways (see below), but we should never withhold our approval.
They need to know, at periodic junctures in their lives that they measure up that there is nothing they have to do to earn our favor. Sure, at times they will disappoint and they should know and feel this. And yet we should not be the taskmaster who, in trying to motivate our sons to greatness, withhold the very ingredient that will fuel their success: confidence.
I’m reminded of God’s approval of Jesus as His Son was baptized by John the Baptist. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17; Mark 19:35). Yes, there are important theological ramifications to that phrase beyond mere approval, but still I can’t help see God’s approval for Jesus as a model for our relationship with our sons.
If your son doesn’t make Division 1, if he gets accepted into a school other than Harvard, if he becomes a truck driver instead of a pastor, don’t ever give him the impression you like him less. Don’t damage his soul this way.
3) You are not a slacker, you’re a soldier. Today the culture presents such a confusing picture of manhood. What is a man supposed to me, anyways? Pop culture tells him he’s sort of unnecessary and the best he can do is idle away his adolescence by satisfying his sexual urges, simulating warfare with a joystick, and lacking any kind of noble ambition.
But God did not make your son or my son to be a slacker, but a soldier. Now don’t get uptight about the word soldier. It’s okay to encourage our sons to be masculine. This doesn’t have to mean a dear-hunting, truck driving survivalist. Plenty of real men sip lattes, drive minivans, and hate camouflage (guys like me).
There is a vision of manhood in the Bible, one of nobility and strength, of sacrifice and courage. A real man fights for what he loves. A real man cherishes the woman God gives him. He doesn’t exploit her. A real man pursues that calling God has stamped upon his soul, one that is discovered through intimacy with God, identification with gifts and talents, and meeting the world’s deep needs (to paraphrase Buechner). Nobody can help guide our sons along their mission more than us fathers. Let’s not leave our sons’ futures to chance. Let’s stand beside them, modeling for them what it looks like to live on purpose.
4)Hard Work is a Gift, Not a Curse. Idleness, laziness, and indecision are the devil’s best tools for ruining the lives of young men. Guys, our sons needs to see us work hard and to be encouraged, made to work hard. They need to see that work is harder because of the fall, but was actually given by God to experience His pleasure.
Getting our hands dirty, straining, struggling, sweating–these are all good things, not bad. Sadly many young men have not seen what it actually looks like for a man to work. Let’s show them that work brings joy. Work honors God. Work done well brings glory to the creator.
It may be done with fingers on a keyboard or by swinging an ax-head or by maneuvering a fork lift. It can be done in air-conditioned offices, muddy swamps, and underneath a car. But make no mistake: work matters and what we do with our hands, done well, is a testament to the Creator.
5) You are gifted, but you are not God. Let’s imbue our sons with a sense of confidence, of approval, of dignity. But let’s remind them that while they are gifted by the Creator, they are actually not God. Let’s teach them that genuine masculinity doesn’t strut. It bows. It picks up a towel and washes feet.
A real man is as comfortable praying as he is preaching. He knows that his strength isn’t found in his exploits or what he thinks people think of him. His strength comes from God. This humility will fuel his compassion and will allow him to forgive those who deeply wound him. Let’s let our sons know that their lives really begin, not when they walk down the aisle at 18 or when they get their first employment contract or when they fall in love with a woman.
Their lives began on a dusty hill 2,000 years ago, at the foot of the cross, where justice and forgiveness met in the bloody sacrifice of their Savior. Let’s teach them that to live their whole lives without Jesus is like playing a concerto on the deck of the Titanic. It’s beautiful while it lasts, but it ultimately ends with sorrow. If we do anything at all with our sons, men, let’s point them to the Jesus we know.
Daniel Darling is the Vice President for Communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (ERLC).
Can I Eat Mangoes If I Am Trying To Lose Weight? Know A Nutritionist’s Reply
Mangoes for weight loss: Nutritionist Pooja Makhija says that mangoes can be eaten as part of weight loss. Remember to eat the whole mango and avoid drinking mangoe shake, smoothie or aamras.
We all love mangoes! But sadly there are so many misconceptions about this one seasonal fruit that one keeps questioning whether or not to eat them. If you see the nutrition profile mangoes – fibre, Vitamin C, copper, folate, Vitamins A, E, B5, K and B6, potassium, magnesium, manganese (the list goes on) – you will not question your choice of including them in your daily diet. However, fructose, the naturally present sugar in mangoes is what makes people doubt the king of fruits and refrain from eating them.
Ten tips for a balanced diet during lockdown
Social distancing measures have forced most of us to drastically change our lifestyles overnight, so keeping to healthy routines and behaviours with food will benefit you.
Can mangoes be included in a weight loss diet?
According to nutritionist Pooja Makhija, mangoes can be in included in weight loss diet. Make sure you eat the mango and don’t consume it in the form of shakes or aamras or smoothes. “Stick to eating one mango in a day. Make sure you don’t eat it with your meal and it in between and enjoy one mango every day,” Makhija says in her Instagram story now saved as highlights.
Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar agrees. “Mango is not just safe but recommended for people with diabetes and obesity for its rich nutrient profile. It is high on fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients,” she writes in one of her Insta posts.
Diabetes, cholesterol and other concerns
Mangiferin is a bioactive compound found in mangoes. It has multiple therapeutic benefits and is used in treatment of infections, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. “Worldwide, diabetic associations recommend eating fresh and seasonal fruits including mangoes,” mentions Diwekar’s Insta post.
Glycemic index of mangoes is 51, which technically qualifies it as low GI food. However, each person responds differently to different foods and if you have diabetes, it is the best to consult your expert before including mangoes or any other fruit in your diet.
Mangoes have a low glycemic index and this makes the fruit safe for diabetics Photo Credit: iStock
Heart and cholesterol
Rich in fibre and Vitamin C, mangoes can help in improving digestion and regulate blood lipid levels. The fruit can be beneficial for improving cholesterol levels. Mango contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes which have cardioprotective effect and can reduce risk of heart disease.
Other health benefits
1. Eyes and skin: Zeaxanthin and carotene are two compounds which protect the eyes and skin from damage caused by free radicals and ageing.
2. Brain: B vitamins in mangoes can help in production of red blood cells that can help in improving brain function and fat burning.
3. Liver: Phenolic compounds in mangoes can help in preventing liver damage, inflammation and chronic conditions including obesity.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. AGN does not claim responsibility for this information.
