The COVID-19 pandemic has to be a real letdown for the Class of 2020. They’ve worked years to earn their graduation, prom, baccalaureate, and senior banquets all to have it wiped away by the pandemic.

The end of the 2020 school year is also a disappointment for teachers and staff at schools across the country. They also feel a sense of tremendous pride in watching their students graduate.

Virdie Montgomery, the principal of Wylie High School in Texas, didn’t feel like he was doing enough to congratulate the class of 2020, so he decided he would do so in person to all 612 graduating seniors.

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After all, the self-described “66-year-old, fat, bald principal” was known for his exuberant school spirit. He once dressed as an Elf on the Shelf and perched himself on top of the school’s marquee to celebrate the holidays.

via Virdie Montgomery / Facebook

“I get emotional real easy with my kids,” he told WFAA. “And I just didn’t feel like I was doing enough. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

So the principal and his wife jumped in their car and got to work.

“She told me I was crazy,” Montgomery said. “I tell you what, that first day, at the end of the first day it felt like I had made a mistake. Because it was hard,” he said. He delivered a Snickers candy bar to each student and it came along with a dad joke.

He told them each that they’d look back on these days and “snicker.” “I delivered that joke nearly 600 times. So it’s pretty lame,” he admitted.

“I just love our kids and they have awesome families I have found,” he wrote on Facebook. “If I missed someone it was totally by chance.”

It took 12 days and put over 800 miles on his car’s odometer but Montgomery and his wife were able to reach all 612 seniors at trips to 636 addresses.

“I am now a well-traveled Wylie person and found parts of the town I did not know existed and so many Pirates that live on the other side of town was humorous as well,” he wrote on Facebook.

The principal hopes that someday his school will be able to hold a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020. Texas’s statewide stay-at-home order ended on Thursday so people are starting to get back to normal.

Non-essential businesses, including shopping malls, retail establishments, movie theaters, are now allowed to operate at 25% capacity. Museums, libraries, and restaurants are now open as longs as people practice social distancing.

Large gatherings in the state are still forbidden until further notice.

Montgomery’s trip surely brightened the days of his students on lockdown, but it meant just as much to him. “All I know is that for me it was something I needed to do,” he said, “I can’t adequately describe the reward it is to get to do this and see these kids in their natural environment.”

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The National Women’s Soccer League followed in the footsteps of Major League Soccer on Monday, announcing that players will be able to use outdoor team training fields for solo practice sessions starting May 6. These individual workout sessions will be voluntary and will comply with the league’s “Return to Play Phased Protocol.” The “Return to Play Phased Protocol” was created by the NWSL’s medical task force and details all health and safety guidelines in addition to requiring teams to respect all government mandates.

Preseason for the league’s eighth season began on March 4, but NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird swiftly announced its suspension on March 12 due to the spread of the global coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the 2020 regular season did not kick off as scheduled on April 18, and the league-wide moratorium on full team training remains in place through and including May 15.

Beginning May 6, players who participate in the voluntary, individual workouts will not have access to locker rooms, weight rooms and indoor team training rooms. Only players who require medical treatment are allowed to use team weight rooms and training rooms. An essential staff member will, while maintaining social distancing, be allowed to oversee training in this phase to ensure that players are following all league and team protocols. According to the league statement, the NWSL hopes to have teams go through specific “phases” until full team training and play can resume. Many teams in the German Bundesliga also followed this first phase of only allowing individual practice sessions and is hoping to resume play later this month.

While the league is allowing players to use team’s outdoor training fields, it requires that each team get approval from their medical staff before making any decisions, screen participating players daily for COVID-19 symptoms, thoroughly clean and disinfect all commonly touched surfaces daily and limit the number of staff to only include essential personnel. Additionally, players who are fulfilling self-quarantine for any reason are not allowed to enter team practice facilities and everyone has been advised to continue to adhere to the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines for good hygiene which include refraining from touching your face, washing your hands often and thoroughly and practice social distancing.

According to Steven Goff of the Washington Post, the NWSL is eyeing May 16 for the return of training camp, which would make it the earliest American sports league to return. The league also told all of its players at the end of April that they should return to their team markets within two weeks for medical exams. While it remains to be seen if the NWSL can actually hold its season this year, the NWSL might be better suited than some other men’s leagues to due to its smaller operating numbers and a higher ability to adapt to changing circumstances. As Forbes’ Howard Megdal wrote, “consider that while every league requires the coming together of hundreds of people to fully operate, the NWSL has just nine teams, making such an undertaking exponentially easier (though still, let’s be clear, extremely difficult with unknown variables) than, for instance, Major League Soccer.”

Regardless of what else is going on in the world, nobody can take holidays away from us. Sure, many of us are working from home, socially distancing from friends and family, and generally feeling weird about day-to-day life. But we can still enjoy the upcoming spring and summer holidays. In fact, it feels sort of essential for maintaining even a vague sense of normalcy.

The first on the docket is Cinco de Mayo and you bet we’re going to make an all-you-can-eat home taco buffet and drink more tequila than we probably should. But we’re not interested in beginning Seis de Mayo with a killer hangover, so we’re not ordering a plastic handle of bottom shelf swill. Instead, we’re asking some of our favorite bartenders to tell us the tequilas they wish more people knew about and letting them guide the way.

Santera Anejo

Nate Fishman, bartender at Liquor Lab in New York City

Santera Tequila is made in the traditional brick oven method, which results in a smooth and enjoyable finish. Santera also has a bunch of great recipes on Instagram for the at home bartender to get crafty with on Cinco de Mayo. It is a collector’s tequila at an everyday tequila price.

Forteleza Reposado

Ellen Talbot, lead bartender at Fable Lounge in Nashville

Espolon Blanco in a margarita. It’s affordable and made with 100% Blue Weber Agave. For shots, try Forteleza Reposado. Forteleza is made using a 100% tahona mill process, providing smooth, silky vanilla notes.

Clase Azul Reposado

Matt Shields, bartender at The Bay Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

If you’re balling in a budget for Cinco or looking for happy hour specials, this tequila won’t be on there — but Clase Azul Reposado is one of the best tequilas in the marketplace. No mix, no lime, no chill, just neat.

Código Blanco

Saeed “Hawk” House, bartender at Ever Bar in Los Angeles

The best tequila to drink on Cinco de Mayo is Código Blanco. I like their blanco a lot because not only is it great in a margarita, Paloma, etc., it is also great in a tequila tonic. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of shaking up multiple cocktails for you and your friends, consider grabbing Código Blanco and Fever-Tree Citrus Tonic, and pouring up some two-ingredient highballs. Garnish it with a lime wedge, and you’re good to go.

Coralejo Reposado

Blake Jones, bartender and director of beverage at The Kennedy in Pensacola, Florida

I’m a huge fanboy of Coralejo and Fortaleza. Both put out great products and have such a good clean finish. Great neat, on the rocks, chilled or in a cocktail. It doesn’t matter the application.

Clase Azul Anejo

Gabriela Dimovska, general manager at V DTLA in Los Angeles

I would choose Clase Azul Anejo for my Cinco de Mayo celebrations. I think it’s a delicious tequila to both drink on its own or in a cocktail (best served on ice, in my opinion). Also, the bottle is a blue & white hand crafted and painted ceramic majestic bottle that would spice up any liquor shelf or cabinet, both at home and in a bar.

Olmeca Altos Reposado

Danielle Becker, bartender at the Aspen Meadows Resort in Aspen, Colorado

Hands down my favorite tequila for cocktail mixing is Olmeca Altos. It’s so smooth, so clean and the price is spectacular for a 100% agave, hand cut and tahona ground traditionally-made tequila. Honestly, it should be in every bar that wants to create great tequila drinks.

Hornitos Black Barrel

Freddy Concepcion Ucan Tuz, bartender at JW Marriott in Cancun, Mexico

Hornitos Black Barrel: A tequila which is aged in used American barrels in the Scottish way. Toasted with vanilla notes it is both balanced and very smooth in the palate. A perfect combination with dessert, too — as it can combine very well with chocolate. Overall, a great tequila for drinking on the Cinco de Mayo with friends and family.

Don Julio Blanco

Wesley MacDonald, owner of Caña Bar and Kitchen in Curaçao

Most people know this one, but Don Julio Blanco will always have a special place for me as is it a consistently delicious tequila. Smooth, crisp and versatile in any cocktail and the great heritage of Don Julio lives throughout the spirit. Added bonus its affordability and availability.

Milagro Anejo

Jaime Salas, Milagro Tequila brand ambassador

Milagro Tequila makes for a great go-to for Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Its versatility in drinks makes it an exceptional choice, not to mention its friendly price point for a finely crafted 100% agave tequila.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

9-1-1 (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) — Athena risks her life to find the serial rapist terrorizing the community while the team races to save a little girl trapped in a runaway hot air balloon.

Creepshow (AMC, 10:00 p.m.) — Shudder brings its popular horror anthology series to AMC tonight, and the show’s first episode — one that centers on severed doll heads and a father’s devious drinking habit — looks like sufficient nightmare fuel.

The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — The six remaining couples switch partners and go on dates with someone in another couple in order to test their relationships and their chemistry on stage, and off.

The Neighborhood (CBS, 8:00/ 8:30 p.m.) — Malcolm, Marty, and Grover have an unwelcomed adventure at the county fair while Dave enlists Calvin’s help in improving the neighborhood after a near hit-and-run. When he decides to run for city council, a photo from his past threatens to derail Dave’s campaign.

All Rise (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — With Los Angeles under strict stay-in-place orders and trials piling up, Judge Benner authorizes Judge Carmichael to preside over a virtual bench trial.

Roswell, New Mexico (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — Rosa makes a life-changing decision as Max searches for Cameron despite Liz’s warnings to take it easy and Michael worries over Maria’s mental health.

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The NFL is moving its 2020 five-game International Series back to the U.S. due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the league announced in a statement Monday. The NFL was scheduled to play two games at Wembley Stadium and two at Tottenham Hotspur’s home ground in London, as well as one game in in Mexico City at Azteca Stadium although no dates were announced.

Additionally, the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins were the four organizations set to be home teams during the International Series. Instead, these teams will now play all of their home games at their respective stadiums in the U.S. — assuming that the 2020 NFL season is played as scheduled in the fall.

“After considerable analysis, we believe the decision to play all our games domestically this season is the right one for our players, our clubs, and all our fans in the US, Mexico and UK,” said NFL Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Christopher Halpin in the statement. “We greatly appreciate the support of our governmental and stadium partners in Mexico and the United Kingdom, who all agree with this decision, and we look forward to returning for games in both countries in the 2021 season.”

The International Series was started in 2007 as a way to grow the NFL’s global fanbase, and the games in the United Kingdom were broadcast on Sky Sports and BBC Sports. Since the series began, the NFL has held at least one regular season game in London every year and the Jaguars have hosted one game there every season since 2013. In recent seasons, the games have grown in popularity and the number of international fans has surged. Last year, Reuters reported that ticket demand for the NFL’s five international games had jumped 55% compared to in 2018. Additionally, the number of domestic ticket sales to international fans traveling to the U.S. to watch a game increased by 19% last season, with most of the demand coming from Canada, Mexico, Australia, the UK and Germany.

The NFL is expected to release the full 2020 schedule later this week.

After Rick and Morty fans waited 25 months between the third and fourth seasons, Chris Parnell, who voices Jerry Smith on the hit animated series, has some good news going forward.

While talking to TV Line, Parnell promised a much shorter wait between seasons now that Rick and Morty co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland locked down a 70-episode order from Adult Swim. “[Dan and Justin] wanted some job security, and they wanted to know that the show was going to be around for a while so that they and the writers could get into some sort of momentum,” Parnell said. “We’ll see less lengthy breaks between seasons going forward because of that.”

Parnell also fielded questions about what it’s like voicing, Jerry, the most pathetic character on the series. Don’t get him wrong, Parnell thinks playing Jerry is awesome and loves that he works in his own way, but the SNL alum also admits that he’s pretty much in the dark as to how his performance will fit into each episode. When asked what sort of shenanigans Jerry will get into in the fourth season, Parnell had very little idea:

The only thing I really remember is that he takes up beekeeping. That’s the thing that I remember. Beyond that, I couldn’t really tell you. Watching the trailer, I was reminded of the face-hugger episode. Honestly, after I record the show, I kind of forget it. Then I watch it a year or so later, and I think, “Oh yeah, I kind of remember that!” It’s fun, because I don’t have any expectations or memory of what I did. Hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised — or at least pleased with my performance.

To put a further point on it, Parnell was specifically asked if the season finale, “Star Mort: Rickturn of the Jerri,” will be a Jerry-focused episode, he just laughed and said, “I would guess so.”

In the meantime, if fans are worried that the ongoing health crisis will have an impact on Rick and Morty‘s production, the show made a surprising pandemic reference in Sunday night’s mid-season premiere. The last minute addition amazed even Parnell who admitted in a separate interview that he had no idea that the show could pivot that quickly to current events like South Park. It’s definitely an encouraging sign for the days ahead.

“I’ve only seen the trailers so I did not know that had been put in,” Parnell told GamesRadar+. “That’s amazing. I guess obviously very late in the game they can add that stuff.”

(Via TVLine & GamesRadar)

As states across the country begin to open up, face masks and coverings are becoming an increasingly large part of our everyday wardrobes. It’s clear that before we return to “normal” there’s going to be a period in our lives where we rock masks, and if we plan on traveling anytime in the near future, they’re absolutely going to be something we wonder whether or not we forgot to pack as we frantically race to the airport. Just about every major American airline now requires or is slated to require that all passengers and crew members wear face masks for the entire duration of their flights.

Face masks aren’t the only way that airlines are upping their safety precautions, either. Many on this list are upping their sanitation and air circulation practices or are planning on not booking middle seats for the foreseeable future, which is maybe the only good thing to come out of the coronavirus. Though, if this jam-packed American Airlines flight from last week is any indication, airliners are still having issues adhering to the whole social distancing thing.

Safety policies for each major US carrier are listed below.

Alaska Airlines

Starting on May 4th Alaska Airlines passengers will be required to wear face masks or coverings for their entire airport and flight experience. On their policy page, the airline indicates that specific details about the face mask requirements will be shared in the near future and will be part of the pre-trip communications between all future customers.

Masks will be supplied to those who don’t bring one.

American Airlines

Beginning on May 11th, travelers flying on American Airlines will be required to wear face masks for the duration of their flights. Currently, American Airlines’ policy makes no mention of being required to wear face masks during the check-in process or in boarding gate areas, but acknowledges that local law enforcement may require you to wear a mask in the airport where you depart, connect, or land, and recommends following CDC guidelines.

Delta

Delta is requiring face masks for all customers and employees in-flight and during all Delta touchpoints, which include the lobby check-in, Delta Sky Clubs, boarding gate areas, and jet bridges. Small children or other people unable to keep a face mask in place are exempt from the rule, and the removal of your mask will be permitted during meal service.

Delta will also supply you with a mask if you come bare-faced.

Frontier

From May 8th until further notice all customers flying Frontier will be required to wear face masks at ticket counters, gate areas, and in-flight. Very young children unable to maintain a face mask are exempt from the rule.

Hawaiian Airlines

Starting May 8th all guests on Hawaiian Airlines flights will be required to wear a face mask or covering over their noses and mouths from check-in until after deplaning. Disposable masks will be available for guests who don’t have a face mask.

JetBlue

Beginning May 4th, JetBlue customers are required to wear face masks or coverings over their noses and mouths for the duration of their journeys. That means during check-in, boarding, in-flight, and during the deplaning process. Children unable to maintain a face covering will be exempt from this requirement. No other exceptions apply.

Southwest Airlines

Travelers flying Southwest will be required to wear masks beginning May 11th. Southwest is supplying customers who “forget their masks at home” with a complimentary mask, so expect no one to show up with their own masks.

Spirit

Spirit passengers will be required to wear face masks in-flight beginning on May 11th. Currently, Spirit doesn’t have a policy of providing a face mask to those who don’t have one, if you don’t have one you simply won’t be allowed on the plane. But they do provide a link for how to make your own mask at home, which is just so Spirit of them.

United Airlines

United’s face mask requirement starts today. As of May 4th, all travelers are required to wear facial coverings unless they have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask or are physically unable to put on their own mask. Small children will not be required to wear masks.

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