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2 Children Killed, 3 Adults Injured In Strawberry Mansion House Fire As Neighbors Say Firefighters Had Difficulty Finding Working Fire Hydrant

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A house fire left two young children dead and three adults injured in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. The flames broke out just after 4 a.m. Monday on the 2400 block of North Myrtlewood Street. The children were 2 and 4 years old. Firefighters rushed to the scene in Strawberry Mansion, but it was difficult for them to find a working fire hydrant. Witnesses say they went to a number of nearby blocks before they were able to find water. “I could hear them yelling, ‘We need water, we need water,’ and some of them were running down the street trying to get water, but they had to go over on the other blocks to get the water,” a witness said. Neighbors say the family has seven children and some managed to escape through the back of the home. “You could hear the mother and father outside screaming telling them her children were in the house,” a witness said. There was a lot of chaos and screaming out front, but once they realized two of the children were still inside, that father went back in to try and save them. He ended up with burns and, unfortunately, the children did not survive. Fire officials say the blaze started on the first floor and went up to the second floor. Battling heavy rain and winds, and with aggressive efforts, it took more than an hour to get the fire under control. Officials say about 60 firefighters, medics, and support personnel responded to the scene. “They made an aggressive interior attack and extinguished the fire,” Philadelphia Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Richard Davison said. “At this time, our fire marshals are on location to conduct an investigation on the cause and origin. There was no extension to the left and right exposures. However, there was a small extension to the second floor.” The family moved to the block about a year ago and neighbors banded together to help during this tragedy. “He looks like he might have had some injuries to trying to go back in to save his children and put the fire out. Then there was another neighbor that took in the other kids to make sure they were safe and stuff,” one neighbor said. “I can’t imagine. And watching so many people around here, their horrifying face this morning, watching as the firemen carry these babies and stuff out. It’s terrifying. Even their pets and stuff. It’s really devastating. They lost everything,” another neighbor said. One neighbor says nearby fire hydrants have been down for a couple months now and has called to get them fixed, but a number of them are still broken. However, the fire department said no fire companies have reported any problems with the water supply. Meanwhile, a nearby funeral home has offered to take care of the children’s funeral expenses.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Symptoms and causes

Overview Coronavirus Open pop-up dialog box Close Coronavirus Coronavirus Coronavirus is a family of viruses that can cause respiratory illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). In 2019, a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak that originated in China. The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Public health groups, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO , are monitoring the pandemic and posting updates on their websites. These groups have also issued recommendations for preventing and treating the illness. Products & Services Coronavirus map: Tracking the trends Symptoms Signs and symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may appear two to 14 days after exposure. This time after exposure and before having symptoms is called the incubation period. Common signs and symptoms can include: Fever Cough Tiredness Early symptoms of COVID-19 may include a loss of taste or smell. Other symptoms can include: Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Muscle aches Chills Sore throat Runny nose Headache Chest pain Pink eye (conjunctivitis) This list is not all inclusive. Other less common symptoms have been reported, such as rash, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness. The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from very mild to severe. Some people may have only a few symptoms, and some people may have no symptoms at all. Some people may experience worsened symptoms, such as worsened shortness of breath and pneumonia, about a week after symptoms start. People who are older have a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 , and the risk increases with age. People who have existing chronic medical conditions also may have a higher risk of serious illness. Serious medical conditions that increase the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 include: Serious heart diseases, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy Cancer Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Type 2 diabetes Severe obesity Chronic kidney disease Sickle cell disease Weakened immune system from solid organ transplants Other conditions may increase the risk of serious illness, such as: Asthma Liver disease Chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis Brain and nervous system conditions Weakened immune system from bone marrow transplant, HIV or some medications Type 1 diabetes High blood pressure This list is not all inclusive. Other underlying medical conditions may increase your risk of serious illness from COVID-19 . COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool Assess your symptoms and find out if you're a candidate for a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test. When to see a doctor If you have COVID-19 symptoms or you've been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 , contact your doctor or clinic right away for medical advice. Tell your health care team about your symptoms and possible exposure before you go to your appointment. If you have emergency COVID-19 signs and symptoms, seek care immediately. Emergency signs and symptoms can include: Trouble breathing Persistent chest pain or pressure Inability to stay awake New confusion Blue lips or face If you have signs or symptoms of COVID-19 , contact your doctor or clinic for guidance. Let your doctor know if you have other chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease or lung disease. During the pandemic, it's important to make sure health care is available for those in greatest need. More Information Unusual symptoms of coronavirus Causes Infection with the new coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ). The virus appears to spread easily among people, and more continues to be discovered over time about how it spreads. Data has shown that it spreads from person to person among those in close contact (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters). The virus spreads by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can be inhaled or land in the mouth or nose of a person nearby. It can also spread if a person touches a surface with the virus on it and then touches his or her mouth, nose or eyes, although this isn't considered to be a main way it spreads. Risk factors Risk factors for COVID-19 appear to include: Close contact (within 6 feet, or 2 meters) with someone who has COVID-19 Being coughed or sneezed on by an infected person Complications Although most people with COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms, the disease can cause severe medical complications and lead to death in some people. Older adults or people with existing chronic medical conditions are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 . Complications can include: Pneumonia and trouble breathing Organ failure in several organs Heart problems A severe lung condition that causes a low amount of oxygen to go through your bloodstream to your organs (acute respiratory distress syndrome) Blood clots Acute kidney injury Additional viral and bacterial infections Prevention Although there is no vaccine available to prevent COVID-19 , you can take steps to reduce your risk of infection. WHO and CDC recommend following these precautions for avoiding COVID-19 : Avoid large events and mass gatherings. Avoid close contact (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) with anyone who is sick or has symptoms. Stay home as much as possible and keep distance between yourself and others (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters), especially if you have a higher risk of serious illness. Keep in mind some people may have COVID-19 and spread it to others, even if they don't have symptoms or don't know they have COVID-19 . and spread it to others, even if they don't have symptoms or don't know they have . Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover your face with a cloth face mask in public spaces, such as the grocery store, where it's difficult to avoid close contact with others, especially if you're in an area with ongoing community spread. Only use nonmedical cloth masks — surgical masks and N95 respirators should be reserved for health care providers. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw away the used tissue. Wash your hands right away. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Avoid sharing dishes, glasses, towels, bedding and other household items if you're sick. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, electronics and counters, daily. Stay home from work, school and public areas if you're sick, unless you're going to get medical care. Avoid public transportation, taxis and ride-sharing if you're sick. If you have a chronic medical condition and may have a higher risk of serious illness, check with your doctor about other ways to protect yourself. Travel

“Certainly, the Messaging Was Botched”: How the Trump Administration Screwed Up on Masks

Among the many crises caused by the global coronavirus pandemic is a crisis of information. Good information, as Charlie Warzel wrote in the New York Times, is one of our best defenses against the virus. But faulty science, untrustworthy authorities, and intentional attempts to deceive all serve to worsen the disaster—and can be a matter of life and death. The recent confusion about CDC guidance on wearing face masks shows exactly how vital—and how difficult—public health communication can be during a pandemic. To get an understanding of how it’s done right, I spoke to Dr. Dean Schillinger, a medical doctor and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies how public health literacy can affect patient outcomes. As the nation’s leaders grapple with how to communicate medical information effectively, we wanted an expert’s opinion on how to turn messaging into mobilization. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) The coronavirus messaging regarding masks has been confusing, to say the least. At first, it was: “Don’t wear masks; save PPE for healthcare professionals and people on the front lines.” Now it’s evolved to a recommendation to wear a cloth mask, even though efficacy studies aren’t yet definitive. How could that messaging have gone better? Certainly, the messaging was botched in that it’s been confusing. As a public health person, when you’re facing an epidemic and you don’t know which way it’s going to go, you always have to err on being conservative. So it would have been a right call to say: “We’re recommending masks, even though we don’t have evidence that [this virus] works like the flu. We don’t know anything about it. It seems to be going rampant in China. We’re going with the mask thing. And yes, we know it’s weird. Yes, we know there’s stigma, but we’ve talked to a bunch of people—here’s our message.” That would have been a fine outcome. “It’s easy to say, ‘Wear a mask.’ But that doesn’t get the job done.” But now that we have a new consensus, the most important question is: What is the communication plan around masks? We now have a different recommendation; let’s do it right. And I think we’re seeing an example of how it’s not being done right. Everything from Trump’s undermining of the message at his press conference to the absence of amplifiers and key celebrities modeling how cool it is to wear a mask. Everything that’s supposed to happen is not happening. How many people understand that you need to wear a mask not to protect yourself but to protect others? Is that important to convey? And how do we overcome the stigma that is perhaps associated with wearing a mask? How do you make a mask? I mean, there are loads of communication questions and cultural questions that no one’s asking. It’s easy to say, “Wear a mask.” But that doesn’t get the job done. So what does get the job done? What makes for effective public health communication? So there are a few points: 1. Have a plan: That plan should be rooted in what we call a “logic model,” where you clearly define what the messages and messengers are trying to achieve. All those things need to be mapped out, and the strategy needs to be aligned with those objectives. One of the problems we’re seeing here in the current crisis is the absence of a coordinated communications plan. Particularly at the federal level, it’s been quite apparent that nobody really knows who’s in charge of communication. So that, in part, is why we’re so enamored by the daily presentations given by Gov. Gavin Newsom in California and Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York, because we see someone who’s presenting communication in a way that feels logical. 2. Get the right people: Next is having the appropriate person deliver the message. People who have both gravitas and have engendered enough trust in the general population that they will tune in and have a higher likelihood of adhering to any recommendations. That person should be closely aligned with other trusted individuals from diverse communities who can amplify and tailor the message. So a great example of this is when Tony Fauci and Steph Curry had their Instagram conversation. People who follow Steph Curry who might not be following Dr. Fauci suddenly hear Dr. Fauci and immediately trust him because Steph Curry is showing him respect. So having a network of influencers and amplifiers for the communicator in chief, I think, is very, very important because we live in an extremely diverse country. 3. Don’t be overconfident: It’s important to be clear about what we know and what we don’t know. One of the problems that we have seen both from the formal and informal communication sector is overconfidence in statements made when, quite honestly, this is a brand new beast. And I think sometimes communicators—particularly at high levels—feel the need to present a level of certainty and make recommendations based on a belief that they are certain. That strategy may provide short-term gains, but may undermine trust in the long term. “I think the principle of communicating uncertainty, while uncomfortable, is extremely critical.” We have to acknowledge, for example, that we’re not entirely sure if you have to be symptomatic to transmit the disease, that we don’t know if asymptomatic people can transmit the disease yet. And I think if that kind of conversation had happened, the CDC or other entities may have said: “Because we don’t know, and because we do know that this thing is potentially deadly, you might consider wearing a mask outside.” I’m not trying to cast aspersions on the CDC; I may have well done the same thing they did with the facts that I had at hand. But I think the principle of communicating uncertainty, while uncomfortable, is extremely critical. 4. Use clear and simple language: I think we’ve done a pretty good job at this. These messages of: Wash hands, don’t touch your face, shelter in place—those things have been relatively uniformly communicated. I think what’s been less effectively communicated is at the next level up, which is at the municipal and government and state level. Why is it that there are some states that are not issuing these orders? How is that possible that we have such variation across states in terms of adherence? Is it that we aren’t speaking to the stakeholders, the decision-makers effectively? So while it’s important to communicate to the general population, there’s also an art and a science to speaking to policymakers about science. 5. Know your audience: Communication, by its very nature, is normally a bidirectional and reciprocal process. When you’re on a pulpit, you don’t have the luxury of getting feedback on what you’re saying. Good communication campaigns and plans have embedded in them key informants, focus groups, etc., that are representative of the general population. And you want to be field-testing your messages, you want to elicit the concerns of those stakeholders and audiences, so that you can then create either broad messages that are understood and actionable and resonate with everyone—or tailored messages for certain subgroups using your amplifiers. As communication scientists, that is one of the most fundamental questions: Who’s your audience? And what do they say they need and want? Part of the problem here with all of this in terms of the communication plan, the spokesperson, the amplifiers, the focus groups; all that stuff that requires a lot of infrastructure and planning and capacity building that should already be in place, so when these events happen, we can kick into gear, right? And that’s an important lesson I think we’ve learned here, that the discipline of health communication needs to be invested in and the infrastructure and personnel need to be trained and ready to go. 6. Effectively harness social media: In a paper I contributed to for the American Journal of Public Health that’s currently in review, we showed how social media is phenomenally powerful at accomplishing a range of health communication functions. It can itself be a vector of contagion, in the sense of spreading misinformation, or it can be a means of protecting public health and transmitting very helpful messages. So social media as a communication vehicle has, in unprecedented ways, placed communication at the center of who gets to be healthy and who doesn’t. And so we really need to understand both the dynamics of social media as it relates to public health, as well as how to harness it to advance public health and not undermine it. How can officials communicate effectively despite the fact that good, reliable science moves on a much different timeline than a global pandemic? Trials and peer-reviewed studies can take months and years. “Science is not facts; it is a process of discovering or approximating truth…We need the general public to understand the scientific process.” So this question raises a larger issue in society of what I call science literacy. There is a dichotomous view that people have that either science knows everything or science knows nothing. In reality, science is not facts; it is a process of discovering or approximating truth. And it’s constantly iterative and refined as we learn more. So we need the general public to understand the scientific process. And that does take time. It may be a week’s time to study in a mouse, or it might be a year’s time to study a vaccine in the human. But people need to understand what [the scientific method] buys you, how incredibly helpful it is to use it in terms of approximating truth and how painstaking it is to do it. Because if you don’t do it, you really mess things up. You draw false conclusions. So that’s why shortcuts like Trump’s saying everybody should be taking hydroxychloroquine are profound, deeply disturbing mistakes. All of this is hard enough to communicate to educated, affluent audiences. What special considerations should be taken when communicating health information to vulnerable communities? There’s the basic messaging, and then there’s the question of: Now what? So we’re telling people to shelter in place, which may lead to other questions. How do they get food, for example? So one of the things that has to be done better in terms of public messaging is communicating to vulnerable populations in particular, what resources they have available to them to take care of the basic necessities of life during this crisis. What if you’re marginally housed? Where do you go? What if you’re marginally housed and you get sick and you have seven roommates, what do you do? It’s getting into the weeds a little bit about a lot of the same common five or six common problems, such as, how do you get unemployment benefits? On those things, everyone is left to fend for themselves. It uncovers the fragmented social safety nets that we have in this country. Right now, I think the big gap is in, not so much COVID risks itself, but the health risks associated with the social distancing and sheltering in place. These policies have immediate effects on poor families and individuals. So it’s important to communicate what is and is not available. And what are we doing to work on what’s not available? And be honest. Let’s just let’s not bullshit about it.

Claudio María Domínguez hablo de "karma" en el coronavirus: "Mueren los que tienen que irse según una decantación biológica lógica"

A través de Hacete cargo, su programa en C5N, Claudio María Dominguez analizó los números del coronavirus y, fiel a su estilo, llamó a una vida más saludable y propuso ver desde otra perspectiva las cifras de la pandemia. “No hay dos mil infectados en la Argentina, hay dos mil testeados y se han muerto sesenta, setenta u ochenta, ya que cuando salga este programa yo lo grabo un día antes. Sigue siendo el 0,01%, o sea que no era el problema la muerte del ‘bicho’”, aseguró el conductor. "¿Se está muriendo el planeta? ¡No! Están muriendo los que tienen que irse según una decantación biológica lógica de los números que se manejan en el planeta". G-plus “Para alguien que se le murió el papá, el abuelo o el marido, es la muerte. Pero es la misma muerte que le hubiera arrebatado cualquier situación kármica. Estamos hablando de una pandemia a nivel de inconsciente colectivo. ¿Se está muriendo el planeta? ¡No! Están muriendo los que tienen que irse según una decantación biológica lógica de los números que se manejan en el planeta”, lanzó, polémico. "Cada día nacen 400 mil personas y mueren 200 mil. ¿Esos 200 mil que mueren son los del ‘coronabicho’? ¡Nooo! Es el 0,01%. Mueren de hambre, de todas las pestes en el planeta. ¡No sean idiotas!". G-plus “Que la gente ponga en Google, Firefox… Cada día nacen 400 mil personas y mueren 200 mil. ¿Esos 200 mil que mueren son los del ‘coronabicho’? ¡Nooo! Es el 0,01%. Mueren de hambre, de todas las pestes en el planeta. ¡No sean idiotas! Mil personas mueren en Argentina por día, ese es el promedio de los años anteriores. ¿Cuántas están muriendo de ‘coronabicho’ oficialmente? ¿Cinco, cuatro, diez?”, siguió el difusor y referente de la espiritualidad. “Seguramente en el pico de la pandemia, el 18 de abril. ¿Veinte personas? ¿Treinta? Mil personas mueren en la Argentina de todo lo otro. ¿Y no te dan miedo ese número? Tampoco te tiene que da miedo, pero vos podrías ser parte de esas mil. ¿Qué podés hacer? Podés modificar el karma, sabé quién sos, viví una vida energéticamente tuya. No vivas una vida implantada”, aseguró Claudio María Dominguez, para terminar dando consejos sobre cómo cambiar la alimentación.

Sexual assault allegation by former Biden Senate aide emerges in campaign, draws denial

The Washington Post has been examining Tara Reade’s allegation over the past three weeks, since she said on a podcast that Biden had pinned her against a wall, reached under her skirt and pushed his fingers inside her. At the time, she was a 29-year-old staff assistant. The Post has interviewed Reade on multiple occasions — both this year and last — as well as people she says she told of the assault claim and more than a half-dozen former staffers of Biden’s Senate office. AD In interviews with The Post last year, Reade said that Biden had touched her neck and shoulders but did not mention the alleged assault or suggest there was more to the story. She faulted his staff, calling Biden “a male of his time, a very powerful senator, and he had people around saying it was okay.” AD She acknowledged in more recent interviews that she twice voted for the Obama-Biden ticket, saying she strongly supported their political positions. Since January, Reade has been a vocal supporter of Biden’s former rival Bernie Sanders. She said political considerations played no role in her decision to raise the sexual assault allegation. President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. and his campaign manager, Brad Parscale, sought to inject Reade’s allegation into the presidential campaign on Saturday by accusing the media on Twitter of not covering it. After the New York Times published a story about Reade’s account Sunday morning, social media lit up as partisans either rushed to equate it to widely publicized claims against other powerful men or to point out ways in which hers is different. AD The former vice president has been accused of unwanted hugging and other physical contact, but The Post found no other allegations against him as serious as Reade’s. More than a dozen women, by contrast, have accused Trump of forced kissing, groping or sexual assault, and he has been recorded on audio boasting about grabbing women between their legs. AD On Thursday, Reade filed a complaint with D.C. police. She told The Post she did so because she is being harassed online and wanted law enforcement to be aware of her claim. A public record of the complaint does not name Biden but says Reade “disclosed that she was the victim of a sexual assault” in 1993. Reade told The Post she gave police a long interview describing the alleged assault by Biden. The portion of the police report detailing her allegation is not public. Filing a false report is a crime punishable by up to 30 days in jail. AD Reade, now 56, said in recent interviews that she was afraid to report the assault or talk about it publicly last year, when she accused Biden of unwanted touching in online posts and media interviews. In those accounts, she said she complained to supervisors about the alleged neck and shoulder contact and a request from a supervisor that she serve drinks at a reception. She said the supervisors later ostracized her and told her to look for another job. AD “I didn’t have the courage to come forward” about the assault, Reade said. “I couldn’t get the words out. . . . As time has progressed, I felt stronger about speaking my truth. I realized I had to do this.” Reade said she described the alleged assault soon after it happened to her mother, who died in 2016, and to a friend, a former intern for another lawmaker. In an interview, the friend corroborated Reade’s account of their conversation but declined to be named in this report. AD In another recent interview, Reade’s brother, Collin Moulton, said she told him in 1993 that Biden had behaved inappropriately by touching her neck and shoulders. Their mother urged Reade to contact the police, Moulton said, adding that he felt “ashamed now for not being a better advocate” for his sister. Several days after that interview, he said in a text message that he recalled her telling him that Biden had put his hand “under her clothes.” AD Reade said she told a therapist earlier this year about the alleged assault. The Post asked Reade for the therapist’s notes of that conversation, but she has not produced them. Biden’s presidential campaign called Reade’s accusations false. “Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women,” said Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director. “He authored and fought for the passage and reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. He firmly believes that women have a right to be heard — and heard respectfully. Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press. What is clear about this claim: It is untrue. This absolutely did not happen.” AD The campaign also released a statement attributed to Marianne Baker, who was an executive assistant in the office and one of the supervisors to whom Reade says she made a harassment complaint. AD “In all my years working for Sen. Biden, I never once witnessed, or heard of, or received, any reports of inappropriate conduct, period — not from Ms. Reade, not from anyone,” Baker said. “I have absolutely no knowledge or memory of Ms. Reade’s accounting of events, which would have left a searing impression on me as a woman professional, and as a manager. These clearly false allegations are in complete contradiction to both the inner workings of our Senate office and to the man I know and worked so closely with for almost two decades.” Baker did not respond to messages seeking comment. AD Reade worked for Biden’s office from December 1992 to early August 1993, according to Senate records. She said that in addition to Baker, she complained about feeling uncomfortable — but not the alleged assault — to two other supervisors in the Senate office: Dennis Toner, deputy chief of staff; and Ted Kaufman, chief of staff. Toner and Kaufman said in interviews that they had no specific recollection of Reade and no memory of such a complaint. AD “I would remember something like this if it ever came up,” said Toner, a Delaware-based consultant. “I think it’s an outrageous accusation that’s totally untrue.” Kaufman said: “It never came up. And I sure would have remembered if it did.” Kaufman has no formal role on the campaign but remains a close confidant. AD Reade initially oversaw a group of interns. Two recalled that Reade abruptly stopped overseeing them in April — just a few weeks after the interns arrived — but neither was aware of the circumstances that led to her departure. Reade stopped working in the office several months later. The 2020 presidential campaign will be the first since the #MeToo movement in late 2017 began inspiring women to share stories of abuse by powerful men. Near the end of the 2016 campaign, The Post uncovered a 2005 videotape in which Trump bragged that because of his fame he could grab women between the legs, comments he dismissed later as “locker-room banter.” In the days after that audio was published, about a dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct going back decades. Their stories ranged from Trump groping their breasts and buttocks to him kissing them without consent on the lips. Trump called the women liars. More recently, he has denied a New York writer’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room more than two decades ago. AD AD Last spring, as Biden was preparing to formally enter the presidential race, about a half dozen women came forward with stories of unwanted touching or displays of affection. None alleged sexual assault. Among them was Lucy Flores, who said that in 2014 the then-vice president touched and kissed the back of her head during her campaign for Nevada’s lieutenant governor. Biden pledged to be “more respectful of people’s personal space.” But he joked about the criticism two days later, and he has remained physically affectionate during campaign events. where some supporters ask for hugs. Flores’s story inspired Reade to offer her own account to her local newspaper, the Union, in Nevada County, Calif, Reade said. The details in that article matched the narrative Reade gave The Post the next day in a telephone interview. AD She said in that interview, on April 4, 2019, that on at least three occasions Biden put his hands on her shoulders and the base of her neck. She also said she walked in on an argument between two staffers, in which one suggested that Reade was being asked to serve drinks at a reception because Biden thought she was pretty and liked her legs. She said the supervisors she later complained to dismissed her concerns, told her to wear less provocative clothing and took away responsibilities before finally asking her to resign. In The Post interview last year, she laid more blame with Biden's staff for “bullying” her than with Biden. “This is what I want to emphasize: It’s not him. It’s the people around him who keep covering for him,” Reade said, adding later, “For instance, he should have known what was happening to me. . . . Looking back now, that’s my criticism. Maybe he could have been a little more in touch with his own staff.” The Post last year published other accusations of unwanted touching by Biden but not Reade’s. A friend that she said she had told of the harassment did not respond last year to requests for comment. That friend — the same one who in recent days confirmed that Reade told her of the alleged assault — said she had no memory of receiving calls from The Post. After Reade went public with her account of harassment, she faced a backlash on social media. Her effusive praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin — she described him in a Medium post in December 2018 as a “compassionate, caring, visionary leader” — led to attacks that she was seeking to advance Russian interests. Reade told The Post she had gained admiration for Putin while doing research on Russia for a novel. She said she took down the Putin-related posts because of the attacks. Throughout the rest of 2019, she tweeted dozens of times at several Democratic contenders and at least once at Trump, saying that Biden sexually harassed her when she worked in his Senate office years earlier. “I don’t have an agenda other than I just wanted my story told,” said Reade, who has a law degree and was working part time assisting families with special-needs children when the coronavirus pandemic hit. On Saturday, she retweeted Trump’s son’s admonishment of the news media with a comment: “Please Republicans do not use my assault for political gain. Help me pressure @cnn, @nbc, @wapo, @newyorker to question Joe Biden. Thank you” Reade’s allegations gained traction among some supporters of Sanders, who quit the race last week amid mounting pressure as Biden swept most primary voting states. Reade said she only recently backed Sanders and previously leaned toward some of his Democratic rivals. She gave $5 through the ActBlue fundraising website to then-candidate Marianne Williamson in August 2019, public records show. But since January, Reade has repeatedly plugged Sanders’s campaign while criticizing Biden on social media. A March 5 tweet called Biden “a misogynist pred” while touting a ticket led by Sanders with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as his running mate. “Tell Bernie to stay in! voters deserve to hear my silenced history w Biden,” Reade said on Twitter on March 22. Two days later, the Intercept posted an article describing the alleged harassment and Reade’s appeals for help in January from the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, a project of the National Women’s Law Center that offers sexual harassment victims financial support and referrals to lawyers and public relations professionals. The Intercept story did not mention her assault allegations. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the fund said it does not offer financial assistance in every case. Uma Iyer, vice president for communications with the law center, said the group’s nonprofit status prohibits it from underwriting cases involving allegations against political candidates. “In Ms. Reade’s situation our determination was based on the fact that her allegations were against a presidential candidate in an election year and primary season,” Iyer said. The group’s nonprofit designation, Iyer said, “mandates a strict and absolute prohibition on participating in electioneering or political activity, and we could not fund a public relations effort around these allegations without significant risk of running afoul of these strict legal rules.” The day after the Intercept article posted, another media outlet, a podcast co-hosted by Sanders supporter Katie Halper, released an interview in which Reade described the alleged assault. In the recent interviews with The Post, Reade said she could not remember exactly where in the Capitol complex she was when she met Biden to deliver a gym bag to him. She was wearing a skirt and no stockings because it was a warm day in April or May, she said. “He put me up against the wall and took the bag,” she said. “He reached up underneath my skirt. . . . I remember two fingers. . . . It was such a nightmare.” She said he asked, “Do you want to go somewhere else?” She said that when she pulled away, he said, “Come on, man, I thought you liked me,” then told her that she meant “nothing” before finally grabbing her shoulders and saying, “You’re okay.” The friend who Reade said she told about the incident at the time had interned on Capitol Hill and was in college in Virginia at the time of the alleged assault. “I still remember that she handed off the gym bag and then she was pinned up against the wall,” Reade’s friend said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because she feared online harassment and professional consequences. “His hands went under her skirt. . . . He pushed his fingers into her, not at her invitation. Not at her request. She was confused about why he thought it was okay to do that.” Reade’s younger brother, Moulton, said she had told him parts of her experience with Biden but not the alleged sexual assault. “I heard that there was a gym bag incident . . . and that he was inappropriate,” Moulton said. “I remember her telling me he said she was nothing to him.” A few days after that interview, Moulton sent the text saying he wanted to clarify his remarks. He wrote that he recalled Reade telling him in the early 1990s that Biden had cornered her and put his hands under her clothes. Another friend of Reade’s said that in 2006 or 2007 Reade told her Biden had touched her arm and behaved inappropriately. She had no other details, she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of concern she might face online attacks. Reade said that in 1993 she filed a complaint with a congressional human resources or personnel office but did not remember the exact name. Her complaint dealt only with the alleged harassment, not the assault, she said. The Post could find no record of the complaint, and Reade said she never received a copy. The Senate Office of Fair Employment Practices, which fielded complaints starting in 1992, was replaced under a 1995 law and is now called the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Biden staffers who might have been alerted to such a complaint said they do not recall hearing of one, and Biden’s official Senate papers were donated to the University of Delaware but remain sealed from the public. In interviews with a half-dozen former Biden staffers who overlapped with Reade, many were hesitant to cast doubt on an individual woman’s account but said Reade’s story did not match their experience in a tightknit office with high-ranking female staffers. None of those reached by The Post recalled witnessing Biden putting his hands on Reade or the request that she serve drinks. “There was never anything like that that was ever a part of the culture of working on the Hill at that time for Biden,” said Melissa Lefko, who worked as a staff assistant in 1993. “There were plenty of other senators I could point in your direction as known for their sexual predatory behavior of female staffers. Biden was never, ever one of those senators. Never. Never.” In Medium posts in January and one in April 2019, Reade said no one on Capitol Hill would hire her after she complained about Biden’s behavior and the request that she serve drinks. In late 2018, she wrote that she left Washington to pursue an acting and artistic career, turned off by what she called the U.S. government’s “xenophobia” toward Russia. In a 2009 essay that noted Biden’s work on the Violence Against Women Act, she discussed moving from Washington to the Midwest to be with a boyfriend. She occasionally has tweeted positively about Biden, saying in 2017, “My old boss speaks truth. Listen” with a link to a BBC story about Biden calling for the tech industry to help fight cancer. Reade told The Post in a recent interview that she tweeted support of him because she admired some things about Biden despite the alleged assault. “Here’s the person I admire, who stands for all I believe in,” she said. “At the same time, that’s what happened to me personally.” Correction: This story as originally published misstated the language in a police report about Tara Reade’s complaint. That version of the story quoted the document as saying Reade “disclosed that she believes she was the victim of a sexual assault.” The document does not contain the words “she believes.” This version has been corrected.

Download Falling Inn Love (2019) Dual Audio (Hindi-English) 480p [300MB] || 720p [900MB]

Download Falling In Love (2019) Movie Dual Audio (Hindi-English) 720p & 480p & 1080p. This is a Hindi movie and available in 720p & 480p qualities. This is one of the best movie based on Comedy, Romance. This part of this series is now dubbed in Hindi. Click on the Download links below to proceed movieskidunia.com is The Best Website/Platform For Bollywood And Hollywood HD Movies. We Provide Direct Google Drive Download Links For Fast And Secure Downloading. Just Click On Download Button And Follow Steps To Download And Watch Movies Online For Free. Download Falling Inn Love Hindi Dubbed 720p & 480p~ MoviesFlix.Org.in Movie Info: Full Name: Falling Inn Love (2019) Falling Inn Love (2019) Language: Dual Audio (Hindi-English) Dual Audio (Hindi-English) Size: 300MB & 900MB 300MB & 900MB Quality: 480p & 720p – WEB-DL 480p & 720p – Format: Mkv Storyline: When city girl Gabriela spontaneously enters a contest and wins a rustic New Zealand inn, she teams up with bighearted contractor Jake Taylor to fix and flip it.Gabriela Diaz’s (Christina Milian) San Francisco design firm folds the week of her break-up. Inspired by a potent concoction of wine and Wi-Fi, she successfully enters a contest to “Win an Inn” overlooking New Zealand’s countryside. Thousands of airline miles later, she discovers The Bellbird Valley Farm boasts a crumbling facade, floorboard-treading goat, and meddling neighbor who covets the space. Eager to renovate and sell the property fast, she partners with Jake Taylor (Adam Demos), the Kiwi contractor and volunteer firefighter observing much of her city-girl culture shock. Once the final fixtures are hung, she’s hesitant to leave him, the inn, and the inviting community that nurtured her creative side. Screenshots: Download Falling Inn Love (2019) (Hindi-English) 480p [300MB] Download Links Download Falling Inn Love (2019) (Hindi-English) 720p [900MB] Download Links | Free Download Full Movie Via Direct Links || Thanks, for choosing us for downloading movies, if you facing any problem please contact us and we will try to solve your issue. https://t.me/Allindianwebserisandmovies or manually search @Allindianwebserisandmovies Google drive Download Falling Inn Love openload Ala Download Falling Inn Love

Plants vs. Zombies 3 Soft Launch - Update - April 13

Making a splash in your games (just in time for Spring in the northern hemisphere), we’ve just released a brand new update for PvZ 3! Here to get us started for this latest update, we have Devin from the PvZ 3 Team! Hi gang! This is Devin Low, Creative Director of Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, and Lead Writer of the storyline and dialog for Plants vs. Zombies 3 (among other features). In our latest PvZ 3 release, we’ve updated the storyline to be more focused, funny, and action-packed. If you’re already partway through the story, all your progress is saved. However, a few things may have shifted from what you saw before. Here are some key moments that have been updated. Now is your spoiler warning: these bullets may have spoilers for things you haven’t reached yet. If that bothers you, consider skipping this whole section, or stop reading when it mentions Town Blocks you have not yet completed. Sunflower and Dave now use different animations during their dialog to show different emotions they feel. Dave’s Workshop: You discover that all the Sunflowers from other blocks are mysteriously missing. Nightclub : You discover the origin of the Brainiacs: Dr. Zomboss stole Plant Food from Dave and combined it with Brains to concoct “Brain Food.” Then Dr. Zomboss fed Brain Food to zombies he hand-picked for their bizarre obsessions, creating the nefarious and powerful “Brainiac” bosses. Nightclub: “Brain Fog” is a Dr. Zomboss creation that immobilizes plants, leaving humans unguarded in their homes. Each time you push back the Devour Tower, you push the Brain Fog back too, freeing another Town Block. Farm: Instead of chasing an infinite-sun-producing “Dawn Sun” you are now chasing infinite-sun-amplifying “Solar Sunglasses” for Sunflower to wear. Farm: In the previous version, you were seeking 4 Plant Keys to unlock the Bank Vault that holds the Dawn Sun. Now you are seeking 3 Magic Beans that know 3 Magic Words to unlock the Bank Vault that holds the Solar Sunglasses. We hope you enjoy unlocking the story and all the things to come! Dr. Zomboss makes his dramatic entrance! Players will now fight Dr. Zomboss himself in the Devour Tower! In order to drive Devour Tower away from one of your blocks in Neighborville, you’ll have to face off Dr. Zomboss himself! He can be found in the last battle for every block (for example, Floor 4, Floor, 7, etc) riding his Devour-Bot, which looks like the Devour Tower but in smaller mech form. In each fight, he switches between different attack modes which mirror the various threats featured by zombies on that block. For example, in one block he might make himself armored, or create a shield barrier. In another, he may start to fly, spawn lots of little ZomBuddiez robots, or create fog and go into stealth mode. Each block's battle is different. Additionally, Dr. Zomboss also spawns different zombies in each battle. Now Showing: Movie Theater! The Movie Theater is up and running in Neighborville! In the Movie Theater, you can watch short ads in order to gain rewards via spinning the prize wheel Rewards include stuff like currencies and even seeds for Epic plants! There’ll be a free spin available to you throughout a day, so check back every so often! Similarly to other buildings, you’ll be able to upgrade the Movie Theater using Blueprints you can get from watching Ads. Team Manager Changes You can now create and save up to 5 different teams of plants to quickly and easily switch between them to suit your purposes! Brainiac Invasion shake-up The Daily Tasks objectives have been changed slightly in the following ways: ‘Play a battle in the tower *2* times ‘Win *3* Breakout Battles ‘Buy a seed packet from the store ‘Earn *5* stars’ ‘Collect resource from a building’ Additional Authenticators We now support Facebook and Sign in with Apple to save your progress across devices Devour Tower Changes Defeating floors in Devour Tower also advances the story, with dialog between Sunflower, Peashooter, Bonk Choy, Wall-Nut, Dave, Penny, and Dr. Zomboss. Now with added individual character animations! Balance Changes: Zombie Trick changes Zombie tricks have been tweaked in which they can appear more often in a battle but will cause far fewer waves of zombies to appear Zombie tricks now appear earlier in a stage (eg, Stage 1 or 2 of a battle) “Do or Donut” trick now spawns 1-2 donuts, down from 2-3, and will no longer appear in the Dave’s Workshop block. Instead, it’ll appear on the Mulchburger Fast Food block Improvements to obtaining plants and coins The amount coins that can be earned has been increased for all blocks Made it easier for players to get and level up the plants they’re most interested in: drops from battles on a block will only be seeds listed in “Seeds found here” guide for the block (‘Treasure Chest’ icon on the bottom left of the screen) In order to balance the increased coins, we’ve made minor tweaks to the content drop rates of pinatas Arena Timer Changes In order to balance engagement in other parts of the game, we’ve increased the Arena Gloves refresh timer to 15 minutes Fixes and Improvements: Here is just a small selection from the massive list of fixes and improvements that are coming in this latest update.

Akkoord bereikt over repatriëring Belgen uit Marokko met dubbele nationaliteit

De Marokkaanse autoriteiten hebben ermee ingestemd om af te wijken van hun regel van niet-verwijdering van mensen met de dubbele nationaliteit, zodat sommige Belgische-Marokkanen naar België kunnen terugkeren terwijl ze in hun land van herkomst zijn gestrand na de pandemie van het coronavirus, dat zei minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Philippe Goffin maandag. "Ik bevestig dat België de terugkeer van de Belgen die tijdelijk in Marokko verblijven, zal kunnen blijven begeleiden. Een mededeling is sinds gisteren (zondag, red.) via de Belgische ambassade in Marokko binnengekomen. Deze zondag om 16.00 uur hebben we al 1.500 verzoeken tot terugkeer ontvangen. We zullen elk van hen bestuderen op basis van objectieve criteria die vooraf met de Marokkaanse autoriteiten zijn vastgesteld," zei Goffin in een verklaring. Minister Goffin bedankte de Marokkaanse autoriteiten "die ermee hebben ingestemd om af te wijken van de regel van niet-verwijdering, om specifieke humanitaire en sociale redenen en voor degenen die tijdelijk in Marokko verblijven en in België gedomicilieerd zijn". "Humanitaire redenen omvatten dwingende medische redenen (ernstig risico voor de gezondheid) die gedekt zijn door een Marokkaans of Belgisch medisch attest. Ernstige sociale redenen zijn de scheiding van de familie (ouders en kinderen, vooral als het om minderjarigen gaat) als gevolg van gebeurtenissen (bv. kinderen of ouders die andere familieleden in Marokko bezoeken en niet kunnen terugkeren door de pandemie) en het risico van verlies van werk of faillissement van het bedrijf door een langdurige afwezigheid," zei het hoofd van de Belgische diplomatie.

Here's why Louisiana isn't reporting coronavirus recovery numbers

The Governor’s office says recoveries are tough to track “because most people who are sick recover at home.” NEW ORLEANS — We have gotten many comments asking why we don’t report the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19. Each day, the state reports the number of total coronavirus cases, the number of those who died from the virus, and the number of those hospitalized. On Monday, April 13th the State Department of Health reported 21,016 total cases, 884 deaths, and 2134 patients hospitalized. It also breaks down all that data by parish, by gender, by ethnicity, etc. The Governor’s office says recoveries are tough to track “because most people who are sick recover at home.” They say “a person is considered recovered when it has been at least seven days after the onset of illness, AND at least three days after resolution of fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications) AND resolution or improvement in respiratory symptoms.” The state says it’s working on a way to track recoveries, but there is no requirement for those people to notify the state they’re feeling better. So, there is no definite number of recoveries, however, you can get a good idea by doing a little math taught to us in grade school. Using today’s numbers, 20,132 of the 21,016 coronavirus patients in Louisiana are still alive. 18,885 of them are NOT in hospitals. In Louisiana, roughly 96% of those sickened with coronavirus have recovered. That’s good news, but the death rate of this illness is still higher in Louisiana than it is in the rest of the country. Still, we’ll take our good news where we can get it. ► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are such an easy meal, either on a busy weeknight or for a party. Just throw chicken, spices, and pineapple juice (the secret ingredient!) in the slow cooker, and let it cook for hours. Leftovers freeze well for later. Photography Credit: Elise Bauer So, what’s your favorite taco filling? While I’m sometimes tempted towards chile verde or pulled pork, I usually pick the spicy shredded chicken. No need to go out for this though, it’s easy to make at home, especially with a slow cooker! Ten minutes prep, slow cook for hours, then shred with a couple of forks. VIDEO! Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos 3 Elements for the Best Shredded Chicken There are three elements to perfect shredded chicken—the chicken, the rub, and the sweetness. For the chicken, we use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they have more internal fat, more flavor, and they hold up better to long slow cooking than breasts. we use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they have more internal fat, more flavor, and they hold up better to long slow cooking than breasts. For the rub , we are using chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, onion and garlic powder, and salt. Spices vary by brand and age so you may need to experiment to get the right mix for you. , we are using chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, onion and garlic powder, and salt. Spices vary by brand and age so you may need to experiment to get the right mix for you. The “secret sauce” of this shredded chicken recipe is the addition of pineapple juice. Not only does pineapple juice add sweetness (needed for balance of flavors), it helps tenderize the chicken, making it even easier to shred. Pineapple is the essential ingredient in “tacos al pastor,” it works great with this shredded chicken. Finally, it always helps to have an endorsement from an unsuspecting guest. My father dropped by for a taste and declared that it was excellent pulled pork. When I pointed out that it was indeed chicken, he couldn’t have been more surprised! What to Serve with Chicken Tacos Make your tacos with corn tortillas, warmed briefly in a dry skillet or in the microwave, and then top with any of the following: Finely shredded cabbage Thinly sliced radishes Chopped avocado Cilantro Lime wedges If you’d like, serve Cilantro Lime Rice or Spanish Rice on the side. Also, this shredded chicken is perfect not only for tacos, but also for burritos, tostadas, tamales, or even a taco salad. Storing and Freezing Shredded Chicken Taco Meat The shredded chicken keeps well in the fridge for up to five days and can either be reheated slowly in the slow cooker, over low heat on the stovetop, or in the microwave. This chicken also freezes well. Package in freezer bags or other storage containers with as much air pressed out as possible to prevent freezer burn, and freeze for up to three months. More Taco Recipes to Try

Easter light show

On Gogol street in Dimitrovgrad yesterday, a severe accident occurred. The Kalina crashed into a pole at full speed.According to preliminary information from the regional traffic police, the 24-year-old driver of the car lost control and drove into the light support. As a result, a 22-year-old passenger was injured. The guy was taken to a medical facility.

Sloths in the Water

Article body copy Over and over again, animals have dipped their toes in the ocean and stayed. Reptiles did it multiple times, becoming majestic sea dragons like the ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs. Whales are an even more celebrated example. How cetaceans went from four-legged landlubbers to streamlined sea blubbers is an iconic example of transcendent evolutionary change. And then there are the giant sloths. Reconstructed in museum fossil halls, the giant sloths of ages past look about as seaworthy as bricks. Their bones are large, bulbous, and stout, a sturdy framework to hold the immense weight of the herbivorous mammals that could weigh over four tonnes. And yet, in Peru and Chile, in strata between seven and three million years old, paleontologists have found a set of five sloth species, all from the genus Thalassocnus, that together illustrate how giant sloths once shuffled into the sea. When these shaggy beasts’ fossils were first described in 1995, it was thought that Thalassocnus was a giant wader. The sloth didn’t so much swim as slog in the shallows, holding onto rocks with its enormous claws and slurping up soft vegetation. But recent reanalysis of the sloths’ bones have changed that story. Eli Amson, a paleontologist at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany, is one of the researchers who undertook this osteological revision. After reexamining the fossils, Amson and his team found that Thalassocnus was more at home in the water than previously thought. Some of the changes seen through a succession of five distinct Thalassocnus species are similar to those observed in cetaceans as they evolved to life in the sea. For example, the bones of Thalassocnus, like those of early cetaceans, are osteosclerotic—evolved to be exceptionally dense—and acted as ballast to help the animals maintain neutral buoyancy as they swam in the shallows. The modifications were so extensive that even the thin bones inside the sloth’s nose, called turbinates, became thickened as a result of changes in the rest of the body. But there are differences in the path along which the sloths evolved, too, that set them apart from that taken by cetaceans. Amson says several features in the sloths’ skeletons point toward a bottom-walking way of swimming in which the sloths punted along, pushing off the bottom from point to point, much like modern hippos do. The sloths weren’t undulating their spines up and down to swim like early whales. Instead, Amson says they bounded along the bottom, using their long tails to steer. The sloths sculled around in the shallows, munching on plants with their flattened molars. These differences in locomotion are reflected in the spine—the Thalassocnus species that evolved later in the transition to the sea had backbones that became more fused and stiff, rather than more flexible. “Thalassocnus has the potential of becoming a fantastic example to study evolutionary transitions, as many of the traits observed in the lineage offer really compelling cases of gradual adaptation,” Amson says. And the beast also shows that “sloths in the Miocene lived in the trees, on the ground, and in the water,” says San Diego State University marine mammal expert Annalisa Berta. The time was a heyday for these large, furry mammals. As unusual as a bear-sized, swimming sloth might seem, though, the mammal’s evolution “is not that surprising, I think,” Amson says. While giant sloths weren’t speed demons, they were much more active than their modern counterparts. And that some became adapted to life in the water also isn’t entirely unexpected, especially given vertebrates have repeatedly taken the plunge. In fact, Thalassocnus shares some traits with other marine mammals that also took to the waves to enjoy some sea greens. Today’s sirenians—manatees and dugongs—are herbivores, and an unusual group of extinct beasts called desmostylians also wandered into the water to munch on vegetation. “Different marine mammal herbivores colonized the oceans,” Berta says, with “desmostylians in the North Pacific, Thalassocnus in the South Pacific, and sirenians more globally dispersed.” This not only makes Thalassocnus an example of transcendent evolutionary change, but of convergence—when different lineages independently arrive at similar body plans or behaviors.

Small Business & Office Phone System Toronto - Voiswitch Inc.

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Grandstream UCM6204

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Best SMD LED Video Wall In Pakistan

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Wireless Smart Conference Room Solution Provider in Pakistan

The major pain point on traditional meeting room is to connect all devices by cable, which is complex and wasting of time. EduServ Wireless smart conference solution system, start the meeting in anytime, anywhere, increase the efficiency on planning.

Laptop Portable Charging Cart Provider in Pakistan

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COVID-19: How Ecuador Descended into Chaos

Guillaume Long says that under pressure by the IMF to reduce the size of the state, the Moreno government has made damaging cuts to public health. By Guillaume Long CEPR In the last few days and weeks, media outlets around the world have been publishing shocking stories and images of the Covid-19 crisis in Ecuador. Scenes of corpses abandoned in the streets of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second-largest city, have shaken audiences in Latin America and beyond. Statistics, even the highly untrustworthy official ones, have confirmed the dire picture of a fast-accelerating crisis. Whereas on March 17 just 111 people had tested positive for Covid-19, by April 16, 8,225 were reported to be infected, and 403 people were reported to have died. Bearing in mind the difficulties of cross-country comparisons and disparities in testing, Ecuador now has the highest per capita Covid-19 death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the second-highest per capita number of Covid-19 cases. On April 16, the government official in charge of the mortuary crisis, Jorge Wated, announced: “We have approximately 6,703 deaths in these [first] 15 days of April reported in the province of Guayas. The usual monthly average for Guayas is about 2,000 deaths. After 15 days, we obviously have a difference of approximately 5,700 deaths from different causes: Covid, presumed Covid and natural deaths.” The next day, Minister of the Interior [Ministra de Gobierno] María Paula Romo would confess: “Can I as an authority confirm that all these cases are Covid-19? I can’t, because there are some protocols to say that these cases qualify as such, but I can deliver the information and tell you that, at least, a good part of this data, their only explanation is that they are part of the contagion epicenter we had in Guayaquil and Guayas.” The revelations are astonishing. This suggests that a likely 90 percent of Covid-19 fatalities went unreported by the government. If these 5,700 deaths in excess of Guayaquil’s fortnightly average of fatalities were Covid-19 victims, Ecuador would be the country with, by far, the highest Covid-19 per capita death toll on the planet over this period. Even if other countries are eventually shown to have underreported, it is difficult to fathom underreporting on such a grand scale. So how did Ecuador, and the city of Guayaquil in particular, with 70 percent of confirmed national cases, reach this point? First Case Announced Feb. 29 On Feb. 29, the Ecuadorian government announced that it had detected its first case of Covid-19, thus becoming the third country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico, to report a case. That afternoon, authorities claimed they had located 149 people who may have been in contact with the first Covid patient, including some in the city of Babahoyo, 41 miles from Guayaquil, as well as passengers on that first patient’s flight into Ecuador from Madrid. The next day, the government announced that six more people were infected, some in the city of Guayaquil. We now know that these numbers were greatly underestimated, and that many people had contracted the illness before displaying any symptoms. In fact, the Ecuadorian government has since established its own late projection of what may have been closer to the real numbers: rather than the seven people infected with Covid-19 it announced on March 13, a more accurate figure was probably 347; and when on March 21 it reported 397 people had tested positive, contagion had probably already extended to 2,303. From early on, Guayaquil and its surroundings seemed to be the most affected by the spread of the virus. Despite this, initial measures to slow infections were late coming and even slower to be implemented. On March 4, after the government had already prohibited the presence of spectators at soccer games, it took the decision to allow the public to attend a Libertadores Cup soccer game in Guayaquil, which many commentators have blamed as a major contributor to the massive outbreak of Covid-19 in the city. Over 17,000 fans attended. Another smaller national league game was held on March 8. Mid-March: Infections Rising By mid-March, and despite numbers of infected people quickly rising, many guayaquileños continued to go about their lives with minimal — if any — social distancing. Contagion also seems to have spread aggressively in certain well-to-do areas of the city, for example in the wealthy gated communities of La Puntilla in the suburban municipality of Samborondón, where, even after authorities had issued stay-at-home ordinances, inhabitants continued to mingle. A high-profile wedding was attended by some of the city’s “finest,” and authorities later intervened to cancel at least two more weddings and a game of golf. On the weekend of March 14 and 15, guayaquileños congregated on the nearby beaches of Playas and Salinas. By the end of the first week of March, the situation had deteriorated sharply. On March 12, the government finally announced that it was closing schools, establishing checks on international visitors, and limiting gatherings to 250 people. On March 13, Ecuador’s first Covid-19 death was reported. The same day, the government announced it was imposing quarantines on incoming visitors from several countries. Four days later, the government limited gatherings to 30 people and suspended all incoming international flights. On March 18, the conservative mayor of Guayaquil, Cynthia Viteri, attempted an audacious political stunt. Facing rising infections in her city, the mayor ordered municipal vehicles to occupy the runway of Guayaquil’s international airport. In a clear breach of international norms, two empty KLM and Iberia aircrafts (with only crew on board) that had been sent to repatriate European citizens to their home countries were thus prevented from landing in Guayaquil and forced to reroute to Quito. (The next day Viteri announced that she had contracted Covid-19 and would be self-isolating. She has since recovered.) Stay-Home Quarantine March 18 On March 18, the government finally imposed a stay-at-home quarantine. The next day, it imposed a curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. (from 4 p.m. in Guayaquil), which was later extended from 2 p.m. for the whole country. Four days later, Guayas province was declared a national security zone and militarized. For hundreds of thousands of less privileged guayaquileños whose livelihoods depend on their daily income, staying at home was always going to be problematic, unless the government was able to intervene with an unprecedented program to cover the basic needs of the population. With a high percentage of the labor force being informal and non-salaried, and therefore especially vulnerable to the impact of income lost because of people staying at home, Guayaquil is in many regards an archetypal example of a vulnerable urban context in the developing world. On March 23, the government announced, and later started to implement, a $60 cash transfer for the most vulnerable families. Sixty dollars in the context of Ecuador’s dollarized economy, in which the minimum wage is $400 per month, can be an important supplement in the fight against extreme poverty. But it can hardly be considered adequate to guarantee subsistence for many people barred from exercising other economic activities. Moreover, recent images of people lining up in vast numbers in front of banks in order to cash in on the government offer should raise alarm if the objective is for people to stay home. Health Minister Resigns March 21 On March 21, Minister of Health Catalina Andramuño resigned. That morning she had announced in a press conference that she would be receiving 2 million testing kits and that these would arrive shortly. But on March 23, her successor announced that there was no evidence 2 million kits had been purchased and that only 200,000 were on their way. In her resignation letter to President Lenin Moreno, Andramuño complained that the government had not allocated her ministry any additional budget to face the emergency. In response, the Finance Ministry argued that the Health Ministry had plenty of unused money and that it should use what had been assigned to it for the fiscal year 2020 before requesting more. But this is easier said than done, as pre-approved spending in ministerial budgets inevitably leads to difficulties in freeing up liquidity for unforeseen activities, especially on a grand scale. Denial Response Yet, the Moreno government’s response has been denial. Government ministers and diplomatic representatives abroad were told to give interviews denouncing it all as “fake news.” The Ecuadorian ambassador in Spain denounced the “false rumors, including the one about the corpses, supposedly on the sidewalk,” as propagated by Correa and his supporters to destabilize the government. The attempt backfired; global media added to its coverage of the drama unfolding in Ecuador the government’s brazen negationism. On April 1, after Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele tweeted, “After seeing what is going on in Ecuador, I think we have been underestimating what the virus will do. We weren’t alarmist, rather we were conservative.” Después de ver lo que está pasando en Ecuador, creo que nos quedamos cortos en el cálculo de lo que este virus hará. No fuimos “alarmistas”, si no que pecamos de conservadores. Cualquiera que dude, ponga “Ecuador” en el buscador de Twitter y seleccione “videos”. — Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 1, 2020 Moreno replied: “Dear fellow presidents, let us not echo fake news that have clear political intentions. We are all making efforts in our fight against COVID-19! Humanity requires us to be united.” Meanwhile, corpses continued to pile up. Guayaquil’s authorities had announced on March 27 that these abandoned bodies would be buried in a mass grave, and that a mausoleum would be erected later. This provoked national outrage. The national government was forced to intervene to say this would not be the case, but it took four more vital days for it to act. On March 31, under tremendous pressure, Moreno finally took the decision to appoint a task force to deal with the problem. The man at the head of the task force, Jorge Wated, explained on April 1 that the problem stemmed in part from the fact that several funeral parlors, whose owners and workers were afraid of Covid-19 contagion through their handling of corpses, had decided to close down during the crisis. This, added to the increase in deaths from Covid-19, had created a bottleneck and prevented timely burials. The bottleneck had gradually grown as the Moreno government failed to intervene in the funeral parlors or mobilize other urgent private assets, such as refrigerated infrastructure (trucks, coolers, etc.) to manage the growing number of bodies. Mortuary Crisis The mortuary crisis was the result of Covid-19 in as much as the number of dead bodies rose and people were afraid of contagion. But the bottleneck affected the management of bodies from other causes of death. The system simply collapsed. More evidence is needed to evaluate whether fear of contagion, including the fear felt by health care workers in different capacities, has been a decisive factor in the weakening of appropriate institutional responses. The special task force seems to have at least reduced the backlog of bodies awaiting burial, but the problem is still far from resolved. France 24 reported that nearly 800 bodies have been picked up from people’s homes, outside the usual channels, by police officers dispatched by the task force. Another emergency measure has been the use of cardboard coffins, which has also fostered much public anger — expressed on social media in the midst of physical distancing policies. These extreme measures have emboldened the notion that the official numbers of Covid-19 deaths cannot be trusted. How could a few hundred deaths suddenly throw the country in such disarray? When over 600 people died in a matter of seconds during the April 2016 earthquake, Ecuador did not face such consequences. Time seems to have confirmed that these suspicions were fully warranted. There are other, more structural and long-term problems related to the Covid-19 crisis. Convinced of the need and under pressure by the IMF to reduce the size of the state, the Moreno government has made damaging cuts to public health. Public investment in health care fell from $306 million in 2017 to $130 million in 2019. Researchers from the Dutch International Institute of Social Studies have confirmed that in 2019 alone, there were 3,680 layoffs from Ecuador’s Health Ministry, amounting to 4.5 percent of total employment in the ministry. In early April 2020, the health care workers’ union, Osumtransa, protested that an additional 2,500 to 3,500 health care workers were notified during the carnival holidays (Feb. 22 to 25) that their contracts were ending. This would have hiked ministerial layoffs to roughly 8 percent. And, of course, in November 2019, Ecuador put an end to the agreement it had with Cuba in health cooperation and 400 Cuban doctors were sent home by year’s end. Moreno’s Low Approval If leadership, trust, and good communication are important in times of crises, then the fact that Moreno’s approval ratings oscillate between 12 and 15 percent, some of the lowest for any president since Ecuador democratized in 1979, reflect a serious problem. There can be no doubt that the Moreno government’s current lack of popularity greatly hampers its capacity to demand collective sacrifice and uphold the rule of law. The head of the task force’s singular April 1 public address thus sounded like a desperate attempt to make the government look serious, competent, and accountable. Wated, the official in charge of the mortuary crisis, went as far as to predict that things would get far worse before they got better, saying between 2,500 and 3,500 would die, in Guayas province alone, from the pandemic. This was still short of revelations yet to come. But was Wated psychologically preparing the Ecuadorian people for what appeared to be a far greater death toll than what had thus far been announced? Wated’s admission seems to have sparked a new approach from the Moreno government. In his April 2 address to the nation, Moreno pledged to be more transparent with information on the victims of Covid-19 “even if this painful.” He publicly acknowledged that “whether for the numbers of infected or of deaths, the registers have been underestimated.” But old habits die hard, and Moreno again denounced “fake news,” even blaming the current economic hardship on public debt accrued under his predecessor, Correa. Moreno claimed that Correa had left him a public debt of $65 billion even as his government’s own figures indicate that the public debt at the end of the previous government was only $38 billion (it is now over $50 billion). All this pettiness, in the midst of a deadly crisis, will likely do little to improve the president’s credibility gap; polls show only 7.7 percent find Moreno credible. Three days later, encouraged by the president’s call for transparency, the deputy minister of health reported that 1,600 public health care workers had contracted Covid-19 and that 10 medical doctors had died because of the virus. But the next day, the minister of health rebuked his deputy, and said only 417 medical workers had fallen ill; 1,600 merely referred to those who could be infected. These admissions nevertheless gave credence to health care workers’ recurrent complaints that they are ill-equipped to tackle the crisis which puts their own safety, and their families’, at risk. Then on April 4, in this sudden flourish of ostensible governmental sincerity, Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner apologized, in another formal televised address, for the deterioration of Ecuador’s “international image.” A likely candidate in the February 2021 elections, Sonnenholzner has attempted to position himself as the leader of the government’s response to the crisis but has also been accused of exploiting the pandemic to promote his image. Time will tell whether Sonnenholzner succeeds in spinning his leadership, or whether Ecuador’s dramatic mismanagement of the pandemic and mortuary crisis becomes a death blow to his political ambitions. It took the Ecuadorian government another 12 days from Sonnenholzner’s apology to finally admit what everybody had long suspected: that the government’s report of 403 Covid-19 deaths was fictitious and probably amounted to less than 10 percent of the pandemic’s casualties. Ecuador’s Covid-19 disaster has now acquired proportions that the country’s current leadership seems ill equipped to overcome. Sadly, for the people of Guayaquil, the suffering seems far from over. CEPR Note: This post was edited on April 18 and on April 20, and updated with new official numbers of deaths. Guillaume Long is a senior policy analyst at CEPR. Prior to joining CEPR, Guillaume held several cabinet positions in the government of Ecuador, including minister of foreign affairs, minister of culture, and minister of knowledge and human talent. Most recently, he served as Ecuador’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva. This article is from CEPR. Please Donate to Consortium News.

'Billion Molecules Against COVID-19' Challenge to Launch with Massive Supercomputing Support

Around the world, supercomputing centers have spun up and opened their doors for COVID-19 research in what may be the most unified supercomputing effort in history. Now, a new competition from the Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI) is poised to raise the bar even higher, aiming to recruit up to a hundred teams to crunch billions of molecules in the hunt for a COVID-19 therapeutic – and offering millions of euros in prizes. In an interview with HPCwire, JEDI’s founder, André Loesekrug-Pietri, spoke about the structure and goals of the ambitious, supercomputing-powered challenge. JEDI, a foundation that aims to be the “European DARPA” and a “moonshot factory,” typically looks to the future, focusing on longer-term projects that are years away and haven’t received funding or scientific attention commensurate to their social impacts. But with the advent of COVID-19, JEDI found itself working distinctly in the present – and hunting for a way to create value added in a crowded research field. “A couple of weeks ago, we brought together all those people who are involved in the broader healthcare sector, trying to understand: okay, what could be our added value in this global crisis?” Loesekrug-Pietri said. The experts indicated that research was focusing too much on individual molecules – such as hydroxychloroquine – and there, JEDI saw an opening. “Why don’t we use the capacity that HPC is giving us today? And why don’t we, on top of that, bring in people coming from ML and artificial intelligence to try to optimize these calculations?” Loesekrug-Pietri said. “And so we framed a challenge around: can we screen, to a level unprecedented before, … for an interaction either destructive or ameliorating [to] the coronavirus?” The Billion Molecules Against COVID-19 Grand Challenge It’s a catchy headline: a billion molecules. The name, however, might actually be underselling the ambition of the competition. “Every team needs to come up with a billion molecules,” Loesekrug-Pietri explained. In the first stage of the challenge, each of the teams (Loesekrug-Pietri expects that around 50 to 100 teams will have the capacity to compete) will be tasked with screening those billion molecules for their affinity with COVID-19 using three different screening methods. The objective: to identify molecules with strong binding potentials (within 100 nanomolar) that can advance to the second stage of the challenge. “The uniqueness here, also a little bit inspired by climate models, is not just to have everybody come up with their own solution, but requesting that all teams come up with three different methods to screen these molecules on their binding affinity,” Loesekrug-Pietri said. Between the first and second stages of the competition, JEDI will take advantage of the medley of results produced by many teams using many approaches by cross-correlating the results from all the teams to produce a so-called “ultimate list.” “By cross-correlating these methodologies, you basically leverage out biases or errors,” Loesekrug-Pietri said, explaining that most researchers don’t cross-correlate their results internally – let alone with international teams using radically different methods. The second stage, Loesekrug-Pietri said, is all about reducing the viral load, with the aim of reducing it by 99 percent. “We will ask the teams again to come up with very creative virology calculation methodologies using predictive algorithms to be able to pinpoint which of the compounds they want to test in terms of viral discharge,” he said. “We are then going to synthesize these ultimate compounds to go to stage two in order to really test. Because otherwise, you remain very theoretical, which is a really great step, but then you need to test it on real molecules.” The most promising candidate molecules in the ultimate list will be synthesized – if possible – and their potential to reduce viral load will be tested in the real world. “If you have affinity plus viral discharge,” Loesekrug-Pietri said, “then you are up to something really powerful.” The third and final stage will focus on testing existing real-world therapeutics. “Stage three is basically one and two together, plus using that on existing FDA-approved drugs,” Loesekrug-Pietri said. JEDI, he explained, wanted to zero in on any and all drugs that researchers may have overlooked. “Here, we basically want to create serendipity and force people to also check on all the molecules where we already know the toxicity and where basically we can go directly into animal testing,” he said. After feedback from the scientific community, the third stage will also incorporate drug cocktails. “Look at how HIV went,” Loesekrug-Pietri said. “It took us 25 years to go from testing individual drugs, and today, the things that work are cocktails of up to ten different drugs that need to be taken in different phases.” The supercomputing firepower To enable the teams to conduct their research, JEDI has brought together a broad coalition of high-profile supercomputing and science organizations. HPC resources are being provided by GENCI, the French national high-performance computing organization; the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE); and Deutsche Telekom (which Loesekrug-Pietri said is committing all of its CPU and GPU resources), among others. JEDI is also working to distribute the resources evenly among participants. “What we’re currently building,” Loesekrug-Pietri explained, “is an interface where basically the participant can tap directly into these resources and request a certain number of hours – millions of core hours, probably – and it will distribute it by doing a bit of load balancing, if I can call it that.” However, Loesekrug-Pietri isn’t even sure that load balancing will be necessary. “We have, probably, enough resources ourselves, but it’s very difficult to estimate – it will really be depending on the methods that people will use,” he said, adding that machine learning approaches can sometimes offer 30-fold speedups relative to brute force computing, complicating total demand estimates. In terms of capacity, Loesekrug-Pietri said that JEDI is aiming for “not unlimited, but close.” “We are in the tens, if not in the hundreds of millions of core hours,” he said. Crowdsourced computing powerhouse [email protected] is working closely with JEDI, helping to provide targets for researchers to assail with candidate molecules. “The more targets we have on which teams will be able to run their billion compounds,” Loesekrug-Pietri said, “the more combinations of keys and locks. You can imagine that these become numbers which are just absolutely massive.” [email protected]’s John Chodera has joined the challenge’s scientific committee, which also includes leaders from a wide range of universities, research institutes and supercomputing centers. Looking ahead The challenge launches on May 1st. Loesekrug-Pietri estimates that the first two stages will each take around four weeks, with a couple of weeks between them to allow for cross-correlation of the lists. Stage three, however, may coexist with the other stages, depending on how teams are progressing through the challenge. Either way, Loesekrug-Pietri said, “we are looking for results before the end of June.” The challenge, he added, was built as open science, and participants will deposit their results into public libraries to aid global efforts against COVID-19. “We think that we can probably … be much faster in this very long traditional testing phase without cutting corners,” Loesekrug-Pietri said. “By cross-correlating, by using this massive screening, we are able actually to automate a lot of the steps that today are the reasons why these clinical tests are so long – because they’re all very sequential. We’re trying to do a lot of things running in parallel.” For JEDI, of course, the goal is to achieve a COVID-19 moonshot. “We already have high hopes that this will be a massive breakthrough,” Loesekrug-Pietri said.

Coffee consumption and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and total mortality: Does the brewing method matter?

Unfiltered brew was associated with higher mortality than filtered brew, and filtered brew was associated with lower mortality than no coffee consumption. Altogether, 508,747 men and women aged 20–79 participating in Norwegian cardiovascular surveys were followed for an average of 20 years with respect to cause-specific death. The number of deaths was 46,341 for any cause, 12,621 for cardiovascular disease (CVD), 6202 for ischemic heart disease (IHD), and 2894 for stroke. The multivariate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for any death for men with no coffee consumption as reference were 0.85 (082–0.90) for filtered brew, 0.84 (0.79–0.89) for both brews, and 0.96 (0.91–1.01) for unfiltered brew. For women, the corresponding figures were 0.85 (0.81–0.90), 0.79 (0.73–0.85), and 0.91 (0.86–0.96) for filtered, both brews, and unfiltered brew, respectively. For CVD, the figures were 0.88 (0.81–0.96), 0.93 (0.83–1.04), and 0.97 (0.89–1.07) in men, and 0.80 (0.71–0.89), 0.72 (0.61–0.85), and 0.83 (0.74–0.93) in women. Stratification by age raised the HRs for ages ≥60 years. The HR for CVD between unfiltered brew and no coffee was 1.19 (1.00–1.41) for men and 0.98 (0.82–1.15) for women in this age group. The HRs for CVD and IHD were raised when omitting total cholesterol from the model, and most pronounced in those drinking ≥9 of unfiltered coffee, per day where they were raised by 9% for IHD mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the coffee brewing method is associated with any death and cardiovascular mortality, beyond the contribution from major cardiovascular risk factors. Introduction Globally, coffee is the most frequently used central stimulant, and probably the safest.1 It has been in common use for a little more than half a thousand years, and, during that time, has been claimed as a healthy remedy for any disorder (including the plague) and the cause of all evil. More current research is still divided, and the jury has not, for example, decided whether coffee consumption contributes to increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) or not. Observational epidemiological studies assessing the association between coffee consumption and IHD mortality display an array of results. They range from showing no association2–7 to a protective effect,8–10 an increased risk,11–13 and a J-shaped curve.14 Relevant meta-analyses on the same issue have resulted in estimates indicating no increased risk, U-shaped risk curves, or an inverse association.15–20 The heterogeneity in these results indicates that there are population-specific factors that are affecting the possible association between coffee consumption and IHD, and that these factors are unevenly distributed across study populations. One particular factor might be the brewing method – that is, whether the final beverage has passed through a paper filter or not. Unfiltered coffee contains a substantial amount of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, increasing diterpenes kahweol and cafestol that might contribute, at least theoretically, to a higher IHD risk.21,22 Meanwhile, possible protective substances or chemical components in coffee and the uneven distribution of confounders associated with both coffee and IHD should be considered. Therefore, we studied the association between amount and type of coffee (filtered, unfiltered) and the risk of total, cardiovascular, IHD, and stroke mortality in a large cohort of middle-aged men and women, taking cigarette smoking and other potential confounders (mediators) into consideration, as well as blood lipids. Methods The data stem from the Norwegian Counties Study,23 the Norwegian Age-40 Program,24 and the CONOR Study, a pooling of compatible cohort studies in Norway.25 We collected data from 1985 to 2003. There was 85% participation in the Norwegian Counties Study, 70% in the Age-40 Program, and 60% in CONOR. Altogether, 635,718 men and women aged 20–79 years participated, of which 600,197 were without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, or cancer at baseline. Of these, 508,747 reported information on coffee and the other variables that entered into the multivariate analyses. History of CVD was self-reported, whereas we confirmed history of cancer by linkage to the Cancer Registry of Norway. Exposure variables The participants filled in a questionnaire at home, which was checked for inconsistencies at the screening site. The relevant questions for the present report concerned the amount and type of coffee consumed, smoking habits, and duration of formal education. Height (cm), weight (kg), and blood pressure were measured at the screening, and a non-fasting blood sample was drawn for total cholesterol and serum triglyceride determinations by an enzymatic method. The blood samples were centrifuged on the spot and sent to the laboratory for analyses. A Dinamap apparatus measured blood pressure three times. The mean of the two last readings was used in the analyses (more details reported in previous publications23-25). In Norway, coffee is traditionally brewed using a paper filter, resulting in a drip-brewed beverage, or by directly letting the ground coffee beans simmer in close-to-boiling water. We refer to the first method as filtered coffee and the latter as unfiltered. The questions about coffee read: Version (1) How many cups of coffee do you usually drink daily? (Write 0 if you don’t drink coffee): 1) unfiltered coffee (coarsely ground), number…, 2) coffee other, number…; Version (2) How many cups of coffee do you drink daily? 0 or less than 1, 1–4 cups, 5–8 cups, 9 or more cups. What type of coffee do you usually drink daily? Unfiltered (coarsely ground), filter, instant, decaffeinated coffee, do not drink coffee. Instant and decaffeinated coffee were categorized as filtered coffee. We categorized brewing method as filtered only, filtered and unfiltered, and unfiltered only. The number of coffee cups per day (/d) were 0, 1–4, 5–8, and ≥9. Confounding variables The following variables were included in the analysis as potential confounders: age, number of cigarettes/d, total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, education, and year of examination. Educational length comprised nine categories: <7 years, 7–9 years, ….17–18 years, and > 18 years; and physical activity was ≥1 hour vigorous physical activity per week or walking around, cycling, or other activity for at least four hours a week. Follow-up and endpoint ascertainment The participants were followed from date of participation to date of emigration, date of death, or December 31, 2013. CVD as the cause of death is defined by International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-8 390-458, ICD-9 390-459, ICD-10 I00-I99, by IHD ICD-8 and ICD-9 410-414, ICD-10 I20-I25, and stroke by ICD-8 and ICD-9 430-438, ICD-10 I60-I69. The number of deaths during follow-up were 46,341, 12,621 ,6202 and 2894 for any death, cardiovascular, ischemic, and stroke death, respectively. Doctors completed the death certificates with no further validation. All death certificates were sent to the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. Statistics We adjusted the mean values and percentages across the coffee categories for age and sex. We used the “adjmean” procedure in STATA: “Adjmean calculates adjusted means and SEs from linear regression estimates for the coffee groups, adjusted for sex and age. The covariates are set at their mean values”.26 To estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality, we ran the Cox proportional hazards model. Both cups/d and brewing type were factor variables. No coffee consumption was the reference when comparing the mortality in this group with the mortality in the three brewing methods. Among coffee consumers, filtered brew and 1–4 cups/d was the reference for comparison with the mortality in the eight other brew–cups combinations. The final model included the cups/d, brewing method, total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, educational length, physical activity, use of antihypertensives, and study as covariates. “Study” comprised the Norwegian Counties Study, Age-40 Program, and CONOR, defined as factors. We estimated HRs with and without total cholesterol as the covariate. We evaluated the proportional hazards assumption by visual inspection of the plot –ln(-ln(Survival probability)) versus ln(t) by each level of a variable.26 The graphs for CVD by brewing method and cups/d are depicted in Supplementary Figures 1 and 2. We assessed interaction between variables by the log likelihood ratio from models with and without term(s). For factorial interactions, we used the binary operator.26 We considered p-values less than 0.05 statistically significant. Results The filtered brew was preferred by 59% of participants, whereas 20% preferred unfiltered brew, and 9% used both brews; 12% did not drink coffee (Table 1). The share of men was lower in three of the groups and higher in the mixed group. Total cholesterol and number of cigarettes per day was lowest in the no coffee group and highest in the unfiltered group. The cholesterol level differed by 0.49 mmol/l between the unfiltered and no coffee group. The educational length was highest among the coffee abstainers. Equality across the groups was rejected for all variables (p < 0.0001). Table 1. Baseline characteristics by brewing method. Coffee-drinking men and women aged 20–79 years, without a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer. View larger version Table 2 shows adjusted all-cause and cause-specific mortality according to brewing method. The mortality was lower in the coffee groups than in the no coffee group. However, many of the HRs were comparable with no difference from the no coffee group, especially among men. Filtered brew was associated with lower HRs for CVD in men, whereas all three brews were associated with significantly lower CVD mortality in women. Analyses of non-smokers only gave similar results (see Supplementary Table 3). Table 2. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) by coffee brew. Men and women aged 20–79 years, without a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer. View larger version Table 3 shows the HRs for any death and CVD death stratified by age at baseline. For men aged 60 years or older, there is no favorable effect of coffee drinking on cardiovascular mortality. Men drinking the unfiltered brew had a higher mortality than the men not drinking coffee. Setting the cut-off at 70 years raises the HR to 1.40 (1.04–1.88). For women, the HR did not change with 70 years cut-off. Table 3. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) by coffee brew and two age groups. Men and women aged 20–79 years, without a history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. View larger version Among coffee consumers, the reference group of 1–4 cups/d of filtered brew had the lowest mortality and ≥9 cups/d of unfiltered brew had the highest mortality (Table 4). However, in women, the mortality in the mixed group was comparable to the mortality in the reference group for all three consumption levels. The HRs were generally higher when total cholesterol was not among the covariates. This was most distinct for unfiltered brew and IHD mortality. The HRs were 7% to 9% higher without cholesterol in men consuming 5–8 cups and ≥9 cups/d of unfiltered coffee, respectively. Corresponding figures for women were of the same magnitude. Table 4. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) by brew and number of cups/d, with and without adjustment for total cholesterol. Coffee-drinking men and women aged 20–79 years, without history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. View larger version Discussion We have found that filtered coffee is associated with lower mortality than no coffee or unfiltered coffee only. Furthermore, we have found that the raised IHD mortality for unfiltered brew is mediated partly through its association with total cholesterol. The studies on the association between coffee intake and mortality have given diverging results, from favorable effect, via no effect, to unfavorable effect. Our study is comparable to all results. Drinking unfiltered coffee is favorable – it is not associated with elevated mortality, except among older men, where unfiltered brew is associated with elevated cardiovascular mortality. The association between coffee consumption and total serum cholesterol has been known since 1983, and later studies identified the lipid-raising components of coffee, the diterpenes kahweol and cafestol.21 The concentration of these diterpenes in the final brew depends strongly on the brewing method, a finding that explained most of the heterogeneous results published regarding coffee intake and blood lipids. A portion of unfiltered brewed coffee contains about 30 times the concentration of the lipid-raising diterpenes kahweol and cafestol compared to filtered coffee.27 However, the porosity of the filter and the particle size of ground roasted coffee are determinants of the cafestol content in filtered coffee.28 The lower mortality associated with filtered coffee as compared with no coffee might arise from coffee being rich in antioxidants, including polyphenols. Polyphenols can inhibit oxidation of LDL, exert anti-thrombotic effects, and improve endothelial dysfunction. The evidence for this is from in vitro studies or animal studies.29 Coffee consumption is also associated with lower risk of diabetes, which is a risk factor for CVD.30,31 A selection to the no coffee group is another possibility. People may abstain from coffee due to some conditions apart from those we have accounted for. Total homocysteine (tHcy) is associated with cardiovascular death in observational studies. Coffee drinking is associated with tHcy, especially in high coffee consumption.32 This association applies to both the unfiltered and filtered types.33–35 We do not know, however, if the unfiltered type specifically has an effect on tHcy. On the other hand, our findings of a favorable association between filtered coffee consumption and CVD mortality agree with findings of an association between higher consumption of filtered coffee and lower levels of markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.36 The tendency of a higher mortality at higher consumption levels fits with a finding from the Tromsø Heart Study where heavy coffee drinking might be associated with some unknown socioeconomic or regional factors.37 The information about coffee as an exposure variable stems from a questionnaire filled in before and checked by a research nurse at the screening site. We only have information from one single occasion and misclassification may have occurred, especially if the intake varies by season. We do not know the size of the cups varying from small mocha cups (50–80 ml) in parties to mugs at work (180–220 ml), averaging about 125 ml.38 Furthermore, some people use milk, cream, or sugar in their coffee, and some have the habit of consuming sweets together with their coffee. These and other potentially dietary habits were not accounted for. Another aspect is that people are likely to have changed their coffee consumption pattern during follow-up. Most notably, there has been a switch from unfiltered to filtered coffee.38 Norsk Kaffeinformasjon reports that 4% of coffee consumers drink traditional boiled coffee and that more than 70% drink traditional filtered coffee.39 Since the 1990s, the French press method has been in the market, but only 10% brew this way today. Espresso coffee is consumed by 15% of the Norwegian population. The pods (capsules) have obtained footing in Norwegian workplaces. Finally, 18% use instant coffee and only 0.7% of the coffee imported to Norway is decaffeinated.40 French press, espresso, and pods contain lipid-raising substances. We do not know the pattern of changing coffee habits and to what extent these may have influenced our estimates. However, a change in favorable direction is suggested from the findings of a 12-year follow-up study, where an adverse association between coffee consumption and coronary heart disease mortality during the first six years of follow-up disappeared during the last six years of follow-up.41 We can only speculate as to why the men aged 60 and above fared worse with unfiltered coffee regarding cardiovascular deaths than the younger men. It may be that the older group were less inclined to change to the filtered brew, and that we are facing a sex- and age-specific selection towards the more favorable brews. This may also explain why women reporting both categories are doing better. We do not know whether our findings are valid for other populations. However, it is reasonable to assume that the cholesterol raising effect of unfiltered coffee is generalizable. Thus, a high intake of unfiltered coffee could be most unfavorable in high-risk groups. In Norway, there is an excess risk of acute myocardial infarction among immigrants from South Asia and Former Yugoslavia, and, if appropriate, these groups may benefit from moderate consumption of filtered coffee.42 One strength of the study is the large number of participants with complete follow-up with respect to mortality. The well-known potential confounders are registered or measured and taken into account. We found a higher total and CVD mortality for unfiltered than for filtered coffee consumption. The lowest mortality was among consumers of 1–4 cups of filtered coffee per day. Author contribution AT contributed to the conception or design of the study and drafted the manuscript. RS contributed to the acquisition of data, interpretation of data, and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. JMC and DST contributed to the interpretation of data and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. All authors gave final approval of the article. Acknowledgement We thank the Norwegian Counties Study, the Age-40 Program, the CONOR study, and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. Declaration of conflicting interests The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: DST has acted as a consultant on issues related to coffee consumption for the Norwegian Coffee Information (Norsk Kaffeinformasjon, European Coffee Brewing Centre). AT, RS and JMC have nothing to disclose. Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

1 in 4 Alberta COVID-19 cases now tied to meat plant, as outbreak spreads to nearby First Nation

Canada's largest outbreak of COVID-19 linked to a single site — an Alberta meat-packing plant — has now spread to a nearby First Nation, a local official says. There are now 15 cases of COVID-19 within Stoney Nakoda Nation — 14 in Eden Valley and one in Morley. The First Nation is west of Calgary and east of Canmore along the Trans-Canada Highway. Ryan Robb, CEO for Stoney Tribal Administration and the deputy incident commander for the First Nation's COVID-19 response, said contact tracing has led public health officials to believe some of the cases are related to the Cargill meat-packing facility in nearby High River because some First Nation members work at the plant. That plant is the location of Canada's largest outbreak tied to a single site, with 1,167 cases, representing nearly 25 per cent of Alberta's total COVID-19 cases, said a spokesperson for Alberta Health. Robb said that "much like every other community, we're taking all the precautions we can." "We've managed to make it as long as we have, and hopefully we'll be able to contain those outbreaks we have now." There are three bands under Stoney Nakoda Tribal Administration, Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley, located on three reserves in southwest Alberta, Eden Valley, Morley and Bighorn. The First Nations' total population is around 4,000 people. 'Strong and resilient people' Bearspaw First Nation Chief Darcy Dixon said in a statement posted to the Nakoda emergency management website Friday that the first three community members who had tested positive were in isolation at home. That number was updated to 15 on Monday. "Although this news may feel disheartening, the fact remains that our Nations have done an amazing job at limiting the spread of COVID-19 through our communities," Dixon said. "Our Nation is made of strong and resilient people." Drive-thru testing is available in Eden Valley and Morley, and an isolation centre was set up weeks ago to accommodate up to 150 people if necessary. Robb said the First Nation was the first to have an isolation centre up and running in Canada. WATCH | Workers raised concerns about Alberta meat processing plant: Employees at the Cargill meat processing plant raised concerns about public health measures not being followed two weeks before a COVID-19 outbreak forced the plant to close. 1:39 Alberta Occupational Health and Safety launched an investigation into the Cargill outbreak after a worker at the plant died. Some employees at the facility have accused the company of ignoring physical distancing protocols and trying to lure them back to work from self-isolation. Union representatives have called for an independent or criminal investigation into the workplace. Cases have spread into the broader community, including a seniors' home in High River. It's not known how many members of Stoney Nakoda work at the plant but 759 of the plant's roughly 2,000 workers have contracted the illness, a spokesperson for Alberta Health said. Curfew, roadblocks on First Nation To slow the spread of COVID-19, officials are trying to keep visitors off Stoney land by installing no trespassing signs and roadblocks. Locals are encouraged to keep to a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew unless they must be out for work. Robb said while Eden Valley only has one entrance, Morley has about 20 entrances to monitor, and is located between Calgary and Banff so it can be a popular spot for visitors to stop. "We are asking our neighbours and friends to understand that we're trying to minimize COVID-19 as much as we can," he said. Messaging to encourage members to physical distance and wash their hands frequently is also being posted to the First Nation's social media channels in both English and Stoney. 'Take all steps' Nearby Tsuut'ina First Nation has yet to report its first positive case of COVID-19 but has introduced fines for those who break its curfew during the state of emergency. "We must take all steps to prevent COVID-19 from being brought in from the high-risk zone of Calgary. This is a first approach on protecting our borders," a notice posted to its website read. Of Alberta's 4,850 cases, 3,366 are in the Calgary zone. Ottawa has committed $306 million to support Indigenous communities during the pandemic. First Nations across Canada have implemented curfews, lockdowns and checkpoints in efforts to keep residents safe. Experts have expressed concerns that the pandemic could disproportionately hit Indigenous communities, which could be at higher risk for negative health and economic outcomes.

Tyson Foods takes out full-page ad: 'The food supply chain is breaking'

Tyson Foods executives said in a full-page ad published Sunday that the closure of food-processing plants due to the coronavirus is “breaking” the supply chain. In a full-page ad published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, board chairman John Tyson wrote that “the food supply chain is breaking," saying farmers will be left without anywhere to sell livestock and "millions of animals — chickens, pigs and cattle — will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities." "There will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed," he added. ADVERTISEMENT In the ad, Tyson said it will waive the waiting period for short-term disability to allow workers who get sick to immediately be paid as well as waiving the co-pay, co-insurance and deductible for doctor visits for coronavirus testing, along with donating more than $11 million in food and meals since March 11. The company has already closed facilities in Logansport, Ind., and Waterloo, Iowa, while Smithfield has closed a facility in Sioux Falls, S.D., where at least one worker has died from the virus, as well as a JBS facility in Worthington, Minn. The Waterloo, Worthington and Sioux Falls facilities comprise about 15 percent of pork production in the U.S. At least 182 cases of the virus were linked to the Waterloo plant closure, and three employees told CNN the plant has taken insufficient steps to protect them from the virus, including conditions that made it all but impossible to properly practice social distancing inside the facility. The company told CNN plants are sanitized daily and Tyson himself wrote in the advertisement that the company performs daily temperature checks and requires the wearing of face masks in all facilities.

Paedophile, 31, from Huddersfield is jailed for four years after raping 13-year-old girl

A paedophile has become the 35th member of an Asian grooming gang to be jailed as part of a major police investigation. Manzoor Akhtar, 31, has been jailed for four years for raping a young girl he had groomed when she was just 13. Another man, Shaqeel Hussain, 36, has had 12 months add to a previous sentence after admitting indecent assault on a 16-year-old girl. He had previously received an eight-year prison sentence at his last trial for raping a 14-year-old girl. The latest convictions mean 35 men have now been jailed as part of Operation Tendersea, a multi-agency investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in Huddersfield, West Yorks. The group have been jailed for a total of 380 years between them. Manzoor Akhtar (left), 31, has been jailed for four years for raping a young girl he had groomed when she was just 13. Shaqeel Hussain (right), 36, has had 12 months added an eight-year prison sentence handed out at a previous trial for raping a 14-year-old girl Leeds Crown Court heard that Akhtar, of Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, sexually assaulted the victim during 2005 and 2006. Meanwhile, Hussain, 36, of Dewsbury, West Yorks, can now be named as reporting restrictions were lifted after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Detective Chief Inspector Richard McNamara of the Kirklees District CID, said: 'Akhtar richly deserves the prison sentence he has been given after being found guilty and convicted for the dreadful sexual abuse of this young victim. 'He thought nothing of this girl's obvious very young age as he raped her and treated her in a fashion which can only be described as callous in the extreme.' DCI McNamara said he was also pleased that Shaqeel Hussain could now be named. The latest convictions mean a total of 35 men have now been jailed as part of Operation Tendersea, a multi-agency investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in Huddersfield, West Yorks. Pictured: Leeds Crown Court He said: 'Hussain was convicted for rape in an Operation Tendersea trial in February 2020 but at the time we were not able to release his identity. 'He has now been sentenced after pleading guilty to an indecent assault on a 16 year old victim, and can be named as reporting restrictions have been lifted. 'He will face a total of nine years in prison in total for both of these depraved offences in which he showed no regard whatsoever for his victims.' DCI McNamara said: 'A repeated feature of these cases has been the stunning bravery of the now young women who have come forward to tell us about the abuse they suffered and then doing everything they can to support the police and CPS in taking action against those who abused them. What is Operation Tendersea? Six men were jailed today for the rape and sexual exploitation of teenagers in Huddersfield. A seventh is due to be sentenced tomorrow. It means that a total of 34 men have now been convicted following West Yorkshire Police's Operation Tendersea investigation into child sexual exploitation in the town, with prison sentences totalling more than 300 years. So far, six cases have been heard through the operation, leading to multiple convictions and total sentences of 377 and a half years. It is the single biggest group of convicted rapists in the same area. Another trial stemming from the operation is due to start in April. DCI Richard McNamara of Kirklees District, West Yorkshire Police said today: 'Operation Tendersea should send a very clear message that the Police and our Partners at Kirklees will not hesitate to pursue those who sexually abuse children and we will do all we can to seek justice for the victims, no matter when, or how long ago the abuse took place. 'I would urge anyone who may have been the victim of child sexual abuse in Kirklees or elsewhere who has not contacted us to come forwards.' Advertisement 'The courage of victims is helping us take dangerous predators such as Manzoor Akhtar and Shaqeel Hussain off our streets, show them for what they are, and put them behind bars where they belong.' As previously reported by MailOnline in February, six men who were convicted of raping two vulnerable schoolgirls were sentenced to a combined 55 and a half years in prison. Usman Ali, Banaras Hussain, Abdul Majid, Gul Riaz and two other defendants were sentenced after a four-week trial at Leeds Crown Court. The sickening abuse took place between 1995 and 2011 in Huddersfield and the girls were aged just 13 and 14 when they fell victim to the vile gang. The court heard that the schoolgirls were 'made to feel special' by the 'vile and wicked' predators who then treated them as 'objects to be used and abused at will'. By the time she was 15, the first victim had been raped by 300 men. The defendants were convicted of nine counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault after the sixth trial to come from the Tendersea inquiry. Ali, 34, of Huddersfield, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of two offences of rape against one victim. Riaz, 43, also of Huddersfield, was sentenced to 15 years after being found guilty of rape and two indecent assaults against one girl and rape against the other. Banaras Hussain, 39, of Shipley, was jailed for nine and a half years after being found guilty of raping one of the schoolgirls. Abdul Majid, 36, of Huddersfield, was sentenced to 11 years after being found guilty of raping one victim twice. A fifth, 30 and also from Huddersfield, was jailed for four years for raping one of the girls. The sixth was Hussain, who could not be named at the time.

RCMP investigating after fire destroys wigwam at anti-pipeline camp

A torched traditional house and belongings at an anti-pipeline camp located near farmers fields in southern Manitoba is being investigated as arson, according to RCMP. Some camp supporters and observers on social media are calling on police to investigate it as a hate crime. "It felt like my whole world was gone," said Geraldine McManus, a Dakota two-spirit person who has spent a lot of time organizing the Spirit of the Buffalo camp in the traditional territory. "That camp means the world to me. That's where I sit and speak with ancestors. That's where we sit and pray. People don't understand. It's like someone coming and going and burning down a big church." RCMP are investigating a fire that may have been intentionally set at the Spirit of the Buffalo camp, an anti-pipeline demonstration site near Gretna, Man., to oppose Line 3. (Submitted by RCMP) A fire broke out Saturday at approximately 11 p.m. at the site near Highway 30 and the Gretna port of entry from North Dakota into Manitoba, RCMP spokesperson Paul Manaigre said in an email. It was not called in to 911, he said. A volunteer firefighter who lives nearby the area saw the fire Saturday night and reported it to his crew, who in turn attended and put it out. Carman RCMP received the report Sunday morning. A wigwam and several wood piles were destroyed, police said. 'Whole thing is gone' Camp leader McManus said more than $1,700 in firewood for a sweat lodge was ruined by blaze earlier on Saturday. "They burned that first, so I came to town to kind of regroup my mind," McManus said, adding that "they left a hell of a big mess when they set that fire." McManus had planned to return to camp to clean it up on Sunday. That was until friends delivered the message: "The whole thing is gone now. They burned the entirety of everything down," McManus said. McManus said the Spirit of the Buffalo is located on Crown land has been claimed by the camp in an international area along the Canada-U.S. border between Gretna and Emerson, Man. It has been almost two years since people opposing pipeline development through the region began demonstrating at the camp atop Enbridge's Line 3 project. A community of supporters who visited the demonstration site helped build the permanent structure over the pipeline so McManus could stay there throughout the winter "to just pray and ask that those lines don't get put in, that it doesn't hurt the animals or the plants or the water or our people," McManus said. Some workers and farmers in the area have attempted to intimidate demonstrators at the site, according to McManus, who says the site is not a place of protest. The group, which is receiving support from the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition, refuses to leave the area, despite ongoing threats against pipeline opponents and their proximity to a nearby shooting range. "It's a prayer camp. It's not an action camp. I'm not trying to, you know, burn peoples' properties down. I'm out there praying on that line, that it doesn't hurt everything in its path." Spirit of the Buffalo camp pictured on April 10, two-and-a-half weeks before the fire broke out. (Submitted by Peter Charbonneau) "When we pray on things hard enough, we can make things happen," McManus said. "And that's what I've been doing out there, praying and making things happen. And the ancestors keep speaking to me out there and showing me things to do. So it wasn't like I was sitting out there alone. I was out there with the ancestors." Pipeline company responds The crude oil infrastructure is designed with potential for a forest or surface fire, and is at a "more than a sufficient depth to ensure the safety of the pipeline, people and environment," the company said in an email. According to Enbridge, the pipeline infrastructure in the area is located at least four metres below the roadbed. "In the event our pipeline infrastructure is threatened, we would activate our emergency response protocol in close cooperation with local first responders," reads the statement. Enbridge officials have said the pipeline, which was built in the 1960s, is deteriorating and needs to be replaced. Current capacity is 390,000 barrels per day, but the new 36-inch pipeline will restore it to its former capacity of 760,000 barrels per day, the company said in July 2018. The original 34-inch pipeline will be deactivated and left in place, which Enbridge says causes less damage than removing it. Enbridge said Monday it is cooperating with the police investigation.

The Alberta Government’s Failures Are Killing Workers and Spreading COVID-19

The story of Alberta’s response to COVID-19 is one of success in the community and failure in a growing number of workplaces. As I write this column on Sunday night, the provincial government has reported 427 new cases of COVID-19 and a total of 4,480 cases since testing began in earnest a five weeks ago. “The majority of the numbers we’re seeing right now are linked to the big [workplace] outbreaks,” acknowledged Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw in one of her recent press briefings. Hundreds of workers have tested positive for the virus at the Cargill meatpacking plant in High River, the JBS meatpacking plant in Brooks and at dozens of long-term and continuing care centres across the province. As a leader in Alberta’s labour movement, I can tell you this is just the tip of the iceberg. The provincial government has promised to start reporting other workplace outbreaks sometime in the next two weeks. But unions affiliated with the Alberta Federation of Labour have told me that dozens and dozens of their members have tested positive while working in jobs that have been deemed essential. Others are being sent home from these jobs without testing, even though they may have been exposed to co-workers who have tested positive or are exhibiting symptoms themselves. In addition to meatpacking plants and long-term care facilities, the workplaces with new positive cases include warehouses, other food processing plants, oilsands work camps and grocery stores. So far, hundreds of Albertans have been infected at work. Dozens of these workers have been hospitalized. And three have died — giving Alberta the heartbreaking and shameful distinction of recording the first COVID-19 workplace fatalities in Canada. Our province’s failure to stop the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces is bad enough on its own. But if we don’t get a handle on the problem, the failure to contain the virus in workplaces may also imperil our success in the broader community and push back the timeline for reopening our economy safely. The obvious question is “why?” Why are we having so much more trouble stopping the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces than in the broader community? And why are we having more work-related infections than our neighbours in places like B.C.? From my perspective the answer is clear: here in Alberta, we’ve failed to acknowledge that public health and workplace health are fundamentally different things and that, therefore, they have to be approached in fundamentally different ways. To get a sense of how badly the Alberta government has messed up in this regard, it’s useful to look at the report of the special commission set up to draw lessons from the 2003 SARS outbreak in Ontario. One of the commission’s main findings was that lives could have been saved and the spread of infection stopped more quickly if workplace health and safety principles and practices had been integrated into the emergency response. Instead they were “sidelined” and “siloed” in favour of public health approaches that didn’t consider the unique constraints imposed by work environments (and the unique power employers have over their workplaces). Specifically, the commission concluded that workplace health and safety officials should have been included in the government’s emergency response command structure; that workers should have been listened to instead of ignored; and that labour department officials should have been directed to conduct proactive inspections, instead of allowing employers, including employers at public health facilities, to regulate themselves. The commission also concluded that employers should have been required to consult more extensively with unions and joint worker-employer workplace health and safety committees; that steps should have been taken to encourage workers and employers to view infection control through the lens of “health and safety culture;” and that the government should have been more skeptical of notions that all employers come to the table with goodwill and best intentions about safety and that safety is an equally shared responsibility between workers and employers. (When it’s clear that not all employers have the best of intentions and that employers have control over practices that affect safety in ways that workers do not.) Perhaps most importantly, the SARS commission concluded that governments and employers should have been required to embrace the “precautionary principle,” which stipulates that when lives are at risk we should err on the side of caution, even if action may seem premature and all the facts aren’t in yet or there are competing interests (like industry profits). How has the Alberta government fared in relation to the best-practice benchmarks set out by the SARS commission? In a word, its performance has been dismal. The labour minister has not been included on the premier’s emergency measures cabinet committee. Calls to the government hotline about workplace violations of COVID-related directives are not answered by workplace health and safety inspectors, but by public health staff. They know little or nothing about workplace health and safety rules and have no power (or political backing) to do anything about employer violations. Workers at meatpacking plants and long-term care facilities have not been consulted by employers about their concerns related to COVID-19 in the workplace. At Cargill, the workers’ pleas to suspend operations at the plant were ignored for three weeks, and the plant was only shut down after a worker died. The labour department conducted no proactive coronavirus-related health and safety inspections of worksites (public or private) in the province. In the case of the Cargill plant, an inspection was only conducted after the outbreak had begun, and even then it was a “virtual” FaceTime inspection of the facility with a company manager holding the camera. As for consultation with unions on health and safety, there has been none in the meatpacking plants and very little in other workplaces. The government has watered down workplace health and safety committees so much that they have essentially ceased to exist outside of unionized workplaces and the construction industry (which, due to decades of worker activism, has a stronger safety culture than most other industries). No other province has sidelined these important committees more aggressively than Alberta under the United Conservative Party. Employers, especially in meatpacking, are being allowed to continue providing “attendance bonuses”which provide incentives for employees to come to work even when they’re sick — the very antithesis of a positive health and safety culture. Alberta’s public health authorities have also allowed themselves to be played by employers who clearly are not putting safety first. Instead of imposing consequences for violations, public health officials have been providing cover for employers who continue to put their workers at risk. And instead of demanding more from employers who actually control what happens in the workplace, they’ve been using the notion of “shared responsibility” to blame the workers themselves. The most outrageous example of this was when Hinshaw suggested the virus was spreading among Cargill workers in part because employees were carpooling to work and living in cramped accommodations, rather than pointing the finger at the employer who continued to have employees working elbow to elbow on the production line for weeks after workers started to test positive. Employees at the plant also noted a lack of protective equipment and charged that for two crucial weeks the company provided masks to managers, but not to production workers. Finally, the precautionary principle, which is the foundation of good workplace health and safety practice, is simply being ignored. While other provinces like B.C. issue orders suspending operations at places like meat packing plants when positive cases have been reported, in Alberta the government sits on the sidelines waiting for the employers to do the right thing (which, in the case of Cargill, only happened after workers started to die). In fact — and it boggles my mind to say it — the Alberta government has not reprimanded, fined or shut down a single workplace in the province for violations of public health “guidance” — even though many are clearly doing less than the bare minimum to keep their workers safe. Many Albertans are saying the UCP is the worst party to be in charge of their province at this time because they don’t believe in the public services that we’re relying upon at the moment or working toward the diversification our economy so clearly needs as the future for our oil and gas sector dims. Those things are true. Ignoring US Alarms, Alberta Meat Packers Spawned Canada’s Biggest Outbreak read more But another reason why they’re the worst possible party to be in charge at this moment is their almost pathological unwillingness to consider anything proposed, or even influenced, by workers or unions. Sadly, modern and effective workplace health and safety policies — which have been shaped by decades of worker and union research and advocacy — fall into that category. The bottom line is that the Jason Kenney government has a huge blind spot when it comes to workplace health and safety, and it’s undermining efforts to save lives and stop the spread of the coronavirus in Alberta. If they don’t get over themselves and start embracing best practice approaches to infection control and worker safety during a pandemic we’re all going to pay a heavy price. Some will pay that price with their incomes and jobs as outbreaks continue and the safe reopening of our economy recedes further into the future. Others will pay the price with their health, and still other with their lives. The time has come to crack down on employers and workplaces that are not doing their part to keep their employees safe. The government may have the power to label these workers as essential; but that doesn’t mean they should be treated as expendable.

‘Trolls World Tour’ Breaks Digital Records and Charts a New Path for Hollywood

LOS ANGELES—Last month, as the nation’s movie theaters were days from closing down, executives at Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures moved on a decision that would soon pay off handsomely. A massive marketing campaign was already under way for the studio’s April 10 release, “Trolls World Tour,” an animated sequel to the 2016 hit. The studio decided not to postpone the opening, instead making the movie available as a digital rental on platforms like Apple Inc.’s Apple TV for $19.99. Three...

The Coronavirus Is Forcing The Progressive Movement To Rethink Its Entire Strategy

“The message of our campaign — that we are all as vulnerable as the most vulnerable among us — has been crystallized by this crisis.” Stephen Voss for BuzzFeed News Mckayla Wilkes is seen at her home in this June 2019 file photo. The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus. To help keep this news free, become a member and sign up for our newsletter, Outbreak Today. WASHINGTON — On an average day, Mckayla Wilkes starts early. She’s currently homeschooling her two kids because of the coronavirus outbreak, so the mornings are filled with working with her young daughter on recognizing the alphabet and juggling her son’s math, science, social studies, and reading assignments. After two to three hours of schoolwork, Wilkes, 29, who’s running for Congress in Maryland, starts four to five hours of “call time” to fundraise for her campaign. After that, it’s back to homeschooling. “I was always a multitasker, but this is a whole ‘nother level of multitasking,” she said during a recent interview with BuzzFeed News. “It's kind of like doing everything all at once — like, I'll be doing call time, but then, you know, my 5-year-old will come in and want a sandwich.” Wilkes is a progressive running in the Democratic primary against House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the second-most powerful Democrat in the House. Originally, the election was scheduled for April 28, but due to the coronavirus, voting is now scheduled for June 2. For months, Wilkes and her team knocked on thousands of doors in the district, hoping to re-create the success of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who took down a powerful House Democrat two years ago. Courtesy Wilkes Campaign But now Wilkes and her team are forced to work from home, and the organizing strategy they relied on is out the window. She’s not alone. Other progressive primary challengers across the country who have relied on door-knocking and in-person events to overcome well-funded incumbents say they have had to retool their campaign strategies, focus on vote-by-mail efforts, and make additional fundraising calls to keep their campaigns running as the pandemic rages globally. “Campaigning during COVID is campaigning how all grassroots campaigns start out,” Wilkes said. “Because in the beginning, you don't have money, you have to use social media, you have to do things virtually, you have to kind of, you know, build your base, so that you can get money to knock on doors. And so we've reverted back to how we began the campaign.” To connect with voters during this time, Wilkes and her campaign manager, Dash Yeatts-Lonske, said, campaign staff and volunteers are phone-banking daily. Wilkes also holds virtual events on Facebook Live, something other progressive challengers, including Morgan Harper, who’s running against incumbent Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty in Ohio, said they’ve had success with. “When you’re a grassroots campaign, the whole name of the game is bringing people together physically to organize,” Harper told BuzzFeed News. “But we can do this digitally, and that has been an adjustment that we've been able to make really well, and our team has been able to make, by doing conference calls and all that — like a lot of people are doing — and I am in many ways more optimistic than ever.” “The message of our campaign — that we are all as vulnerable as the most vulnerable among us — has been crystallized by this crisis,” Harper said. "When you’re a grassroots campaign, the whole name of the game is bringing people together physically to organize." Originally, Harper’s election was scheduled for March 17, but last month, it was moved to Tuesday. “We didn't do a ton of Facebook Live before this extended campaign period, and we’ve certainly stepped those up given that we can't hold our weekly in-person community rallies like we had been doing,” Harper said during a recent interview with BuzzFeed News. When the date was first moved, Harper said there wasn’t a lot of clarity. The campaign worked to connect with community organizations like Meals on Wheels to deliver food to people in need, and once the new election plan was clear, the team prepared to help people successfully vote by mail. “That's a huge transition, because most people don't vote by mail and the absentee process here is complicated,” she said. “A lot of people we knew were going to be navigating that for the first time, and it's confusing, and they also have a lot of other things going on, so we were very concerned about disenfranchisement.” Courtesy Harper Campaign Yeatts-Lonske said a lot of the Wilkes campaign’s phone-banking efforts have also been focused on helping people vote by mail. Holyoke, Massachusetts, Mayor Alex Morse — a young, openly gay progressive who’s challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Richard Neal — said Facebook Live events have been his most effective tool for communicating with many voters at once. Usually, several hundred people will join when the event is live, and then thousands of people will view the archived video in the days and weeks after. "We had about eight quote-unquote normal months of campaigning." “We had about eight quote-unquote normal months of campaigning … we were crisscrossing the district every single day, multiple times a day doing, you know, town halls and meet-and-greets and meeting with Democratic city and town committees, and going to cafés and just meeting people where they're at and talking about our message and converting people that may have been skeptical,” Morse said during a recent interview with BuzzFeed News. The campaign was really hitting its stride, Morse said, right as the coronavirus outbreak forced everyone inside, out of cafés and town halls and other traditional campaign meeting places. The Massachusetts congressional primaries are still months away, however, and Morse hopes that before their Sept. 1 Election Day, the campaign will be able to get back outside and into the community. But for now, he says, “We have to we have to operate under, you know, [the theory of] ‘Let's do everything we can given this pandemic and ... the constraints that we're under.’” As part of that, Morse’s campaign has started doing community wellness phone-banking events. Campaign volunteers have been calling residents in the district to make sure they are connected with community programs should they need help during the outbreak, and just to check in. “You know, ‘How are you doing? Are you holding up? Is there anything we can help connect you with?’” Morse said they are asking voters. Then, they talk about what Morse is doing as mayor of Holyoke, a town in the district, explain he’s running for Congress, and talk to people about their concerns. “I think we've noticed that people appreciate just simple questions like ‘How are you doing?’” the mayor noted. Then, he said, “[They’re] having a conversation about the campaign and actually using that as an opportunity to identify support.” Because everyone is stuck at home, Morse said, voters also seem to be picking up the phone more often and are more willing to talk at length. And candidates also said they believe the coronavirus outbreak has made voters more sympathetic to progressive ideas in general. “The crisis has illuminated the already existing inequities in our community and in our district, and it's also illuminated the brokenness of our political system on all sides of the aisle in that there's a consistent failure to meet the moment,” Morse said. “Congressman Neal — and this is not an exaggeration — is the biggest obstacle to health care being a human right in the country. As long as he's chair of the Ways and Means Committee, we will not have Medicare for All. Health care will not be a human right.” (In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Neal campaign spokesperson Kate Norton said, "After ending last quarter more than $1 million short of his campaign's stated fundraising goal, Alex is clearly desperate and willing to say whatever it takes to get any attention, no matter how outlandish.") Morse says he feels it’s particularly relevant right now in his district, because of how dangerous the coronavirus can be for people with asthma — and Springfield, Massachusetts, the largest city in the district, is the asthma capital of the United States. Wilkes said she’s noticed a similar sentiment in her own district. “A lot of people [who] are going through this haven't been through this before, but for so many other people this is just another day to them,” Wilkes said. “Before COVID, we had people struggling to put food on the table, sending their kids to school and [hoping] that's how they're going to get their meals for that day. We already had people saying, ‘How am I going to go to the doctor? What if I get sick? I don't have health insurance.’” More and more people are losing employer-sponsored health insurance, worried about their finances, and unsure how they’ll be able to feed their families, as 26.5 million people in the US have filed for unemployment, and others are seeing their hours cut or wages decreased. “It is completely expedient to have someone that has progressive values in office on all levels of government, because this pandemic is not going to go away anytime soon,” Wilkes said she tells voters. “And it's like, who do you want fighting for you during this pandemic? Do you want someone who's not going to be bold, who's going to be pulled into corporate interests, or do you want to have someone that's going to fight for you?” Progressive challengers have had mixed successes so far in 2020. Jessica Cisneros, the first candidate recruited and endorsed by Justice Democrats (one of the groups that helped Ocasio-Cortez) this cycle, lost to Rep. Henry Cuellar — one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in the House — earlier this spring. But Marie Newman, another Justice Democrats candidate, successfully toppled another anti-abortion Democrat, Rep. Dan Lipinski in Illinois, not long after. And in addition to now having to deal with the coronavirus, progressive campaigns have also lost their most ideologically compatible presidential candidate in the Democratic primary in recent weeks. But, perhaps counterintuitively, Harper, Wilkes, and Morse all said that since Sen. Bernie Sanders exited the race, their campaigns have seen increased volunteers and fundraising numbers. “We've just gotten like a huge burst of energy,” Wilkes said. “People were eager to come and volunteer with us. A lot of people were like, you know, basically saying that they're going to focus a lot more on down-ballot races. … It brought us a fundraising surge and then also a volunteer surge.” Stephen Voss for BuzzFeed News Mckayla Wilkes is seen at home in this June 4, 2019, file photo. Morse said there was “some despair” when both Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren exited the race, but, he said, people seem to have been moved by the argument that it’s important to invest in building a Democratic bench. “That message is resonating with voters with donors and supporters — that we need to invest in progressives — and you know with Biden, with the Biden presidency, it's going to be important that we have more progressive members of Congress holding the administration accountable,” he said. Harper said she thinks Sanders’ exit helped people realize that “organizing has to be more than just one person.” “These policies that Sen. Sanders has put on the radar for a lot of people really broaden the understanding of what types of steps could be taken at the federal level to support people being able to leave more stabilized and create more secure futures for all of us,” she said. “That’s something you can't just take away.”

Florida coronavirus update for Tuesday: U.S. cases top 1 million; DeSantis to make reopening announcement Wednesday

The order comes after industry leaders warned that consumers could see meat shortages in a matter of days after workers at major facilities tested positive for the virus. A senior White House official said the administration was working to prevent a situation in which a majority of processing plants shut down for a period of time, which could lead to an 80% drop in the availability of meat in supermarkets. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the order before its release.

Gov. Andy Beshear apologizes to Tupac Shakur over Kentucky coronavirus unemployment claim

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Tupac Shakur have squashed their beef. State officials are working to resolve an unemployment claim filed last month by Shakur, a Kentucky man not related to the iconic hip-hop artist, after Beshear pointed it out on Monday as an example of fake claims that had been filed in the commonwealth. “The governor was advised that a fraudulent claim had been filed in the name of Tupac Shakur. It now appears that a Kentuckian by that name has filed a claim," Beshear spokesman Sebastian Kitchen told The Courier Journal on Tuesday. "This morning, Gov. Beshear called Mr. Shakur to apologize. The Office of Unemployment Insurance is working to resolve the claim.” Opinion:In coronavirus fight, Beshear has crossed the line with questionable restrictions With all eyes on him at his daily coronavirus press briefing Monday afternoon, Beshear used the filing to make a point — fraudulent claims filed in Kentucky are slowing up unemployment distribution for others in the state who really need that money. More than 100,000 people filed for unemployment last week alone, records released Thursday show. "We had somebody apply for unemployment for Tupac Shakur here in Kentucky," Beshear said Monday. "That person probably thought they were being funny, they probably did — except for the fact that because of them, we've got to go through so many other claims, and one person thinking that they were funny, using somebody else's identity is going to make tens of thousands potentially of other people wait." Beshear had a point about fraudulent claims. But he picked the wrong one to use as an example. Shakur is a real person, and his claim was legitimate — he's a 46-year-old cook who worked at Lexington's Alfalfa’s and Lynagh’s restaurant before it closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, which got in touch with him after Beshear's briefing. Also:Louisville woman violated court order to self-quarantine by going to a Kroger, police say Kentucky's Tupac Shakur goes by Malik, his middle name, according to the Herald-Leader. A Muslim, he changed his name around 1998, as the last name Shakur means “thankful to God” in Arabic. He is not, however, related to Tupac Shakur the rapper, who released several platinum albums in the 1990s before he was killed in an unsolved shooting in 1996. Conspiracy theories surrounding his death have become a part of popular culture since then. Several posthumous albums have been released since 1996 featuring verses he recorded before his death, playing into unfounded arguments that he could still be alive. Tupac Malik Shakur got an apology from the governor Tuesday morning over the phone, and unemployment officials are working to resolve his claim. During his Tuesday press conference, Beshear again apologized and thanked Shakur for being "so kind" during their conversation earlier. "I didn’t know – and that’s my fault – that we have a Kentuckian who goes by Malik whose name is Tupac Shakur," Beshear said Tuesday. "I talked to him on the phone today, and I apologized. I told him how it happened, but I owned it. It’s my fault." Shakur's response? I ain't mad at cha, according to Beshear. "He was gracious," the governor said. "I said I’m sorry if I embarrassed him and caused him any attention he didn’t want, and he was very kind. He ended the call ‘God bless,’ and we’re going to make sure that we resolve his claim." Reporter Joe Sonka contributed. Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. Support strong local journalism and subscribe: www.courier-journal.com/lucasa.

Mainz-Boss Hofmann: "Wir brauchen eine Veränderung im System Fußball"

Mainz 05 wird die Corona-Krise finanziell überstehen, selbst wenn die Saison abgebrochen wird. Das ist das Ergebnis einer virtuellen Informationsveranstaltung für Fans und Mitglieder am Dienstag. Nach Ende der Krise will Vorstandsboss Stefan Hofmann die Diskussion über eine Veränderung des Profifußballs forcieren. "Nachdem die Krise überstanden ist, müssen wir auch an das System Profifußball ran. Wir benötigen mehr Bodenhaftung, mehr Solidarität und mehr Nachhaltigkeit. Wir brauchen auch im System Fußball eine Veränderung", betonte Hofmann. Die Krise führe die Nachteile des "Höher, Schneller, Weiter" vor Augen. Selbst so seriös geführte Vereine wie Mainz 05 wurden von ihr "förmlich überrollt, deshalb haben wir Krisenmanagement auf allen Ebenen betrieben, die Dinge sehr klar, sehr nüchtern und sehr sachlich analysiert". Ohne gravierende Einsparmaßnahmen, die sich auf bis zu zehn Millionen Euro summieren können, hätte dem Klub bei einem Saisonabbruch eine Insolvenz im Sommer gedroht. Durch den Gehaltsverzicht von Spielern, Staff, Vorstand und Geschäftsstellenmitarbeitern sei der Bestand des Vereins nun längerfristig gesichert. Mit den Profis hat Sportvorstand Rouven Schröder individuelle Regelungen getroffen. Er stellte klar, dass es sich dabei "eindeutig um einen Verzicht handelt", wobei sich der Klub offenhält allen Mitarbeitern "etwas zurückzugeben", wenn die Saison fortgesetzt werden kann. Bei einem Abstieg in die 2. Liga werden die Rechnungen deutlich dramatischer. Dr. Jan Lehmann Das wird wohl der Fall sein, wenn die Saison wie angestrebt regulär beendet werden kann und die TV-Einnahmen nahezu komplett fließen. Mainz 05 geht in seinen drei möglichen Szenarien von Geisterspielen bis Ende 2020 aus. Bei einem Saisonabbruch würde nach Berechnungen von Finanzvorstand Dr. Jan Lehmann der Umsatz von 120 Millionen auf 97 Millionen Euro einbrechen. Die Saison mit Geisterspielen zu beenden, bedeute einen Umsatzverlust von fünf Millionen Euro. Spiele ohne Zuschauer in der Hinrunde 2020/21 würden zudem zehn Millionen Euro wenig in die Kasse spülen. "Bei einem Abstieg in die 2. Liga werden die Rechnungen deutlich dramatischer", sagte Lehmann. Durch das Maßnahmenpaket mit Gehaltsverzicht und Kurzarbeit "ist das Überleben und die Liquidität über den Sommer hinaus gesichert", wie der Finanzvorstand sagte. Auf kicker-Rückfrage versichert der Verein die Lizenz ohne Auflagen und Bedingungen gemäß den neuen Handlungsrichtlinien der DFL bekommen zu haben. Aufgrund der Corona-Krise sind die Kriterien diesmal weniger streng als in den vergangenen Jahren.

10 Players Aaron Rodgers Hates

A-aron Rodgers can be one of the most volatile players in the NFL. No one holds a grudge like Rodgers. There are many people he loathes, Matt Lafleur and his own family are probably atop that list. His disdain isn’t all used on coaches and family members though … he saves plenty for his fellow NFL players. With the arrival of Jordan Love, there is some new blood on Rodgers’ shit list. In honor of the Packers selecting an heir-apparent to their quarterback slot, let us explore 10 players who Aaron Rodgers truly hates. RELATED 10 NFL Players Tom Brady Hates Madden Simulation Betting 10. Marquez Valdes-Scantling Valdez-Scantling has been talked up by everyone from talking-heads to that annoying guy named Dave in your fantasy league. Each of the past two years, he’s supposed to be the next big receiver on the Frozen Tundra. However, he’s the only receiver who has been targeted more than 100 times by Rodgers to have caught less than 50% of their targets. Rodgers is the kind of fierce competitor who demands perfection. A receiver who has worse odds of catching the ball than a coin toss will not cut it for him. Valdes-Scantling has underperformed year after year and game after game. 9. Russell Wilson In 2015, all that stood between A-aron and a second Super Bowl appearance was 30 minutes of football and maintaining a 16-0 lead over Seattle. All looked good until a young upstart named Russell Wilson got to work. Wilson and the Seahawks clawed their way back into the game one score at a time. Thanks to 15 fourth-quarter points, Wilson got to overtime and won the game with a deep strike. Rodgers had been to the mountaintop once already and was poised to head back there before Russell Wilson stole his glory. 8. Shea McClellin 2013 was going to be the Packers’ year. They were 5-2 heading into a Week 8 showdown with division rival Chicago. Shortly into the first quarter, Shea McClellin put Rodgers’ season on ice as he drove him into the turf shattering his collarbone. That 2013 Packers team still managed to make the playoffs despite being quarterbacked by Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien, and Matt Flynn. Rodgers was denied a deep playoff run by McClellin’s hit in Week 8. 7. Colin Kaepernick Kaepernick and the 49ers were the toast of the NFC in the mid-2010s. Rodgers was the victim of that buzzsaw in the 2013 and 2014 Playoffs. In 2013, Kap ran over the Packers to the tune of 181 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, leading the 49ers to 45 points en route to the Super Bowl. In 2014, Rodgers and the Packers hosted the upstart 49ers and it was more of the same. Kaepernick milked five minutes off the clock to end the game and the Packers’ season with a game-winning field goal as time expired. 6. Antwan Odom One fine Sunday in September 2009, the Cincinnati Bengals came strolling into the *insert Boomer voice* Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. On the Bengals’ bus that day was a fifth-year defensive end out of Alabama by the name of Antwan Odom. No one had heard of or read about Antwan Odom. NO. ONE. However, on this fateful day, Antwan Odom made A-aron his bitch. Odom sacked Rodgers five times and hit seven times total. Much like many great QBs, Rodgers does not like to get hit, much less seven times in the same game. 5. Brett Favre Brett Favre is the man who just would not retire in Green Bay and denied Rodgers the ability to see the field for three years. Favre’s constant will-he-won’t-he act had to frustrate Rodgers. 4. Baccari Rambo Why is Rambo a player Aaron Rodgers hates? Similarly to Odom, Rambo was a one-hit-wonder. But boy was it hit. Rambo was cut by Washington after a lackluster start to the 2014 season before Doug Marrone and the injury-ravaged Bills came calling. Rambo played sparingly before Rodgers and the Packers came to visit in Week 14. Rodgers and the Pack should have stayed home. A-aron completed 40% of his passes, his lowest career total in a game he started. In addition, he fumbled the ball once and threw two interceptions to Rambo. Kyle “Uncle Rico” Orton turned the ball over less and Dan Carpenter drilled five field goals as Rambo led the Bills to a win. 3. Jared Allen As previously said, Aaron Rodgers hates getting hit. Allen has sacked Rodgers 14.5 times and hit him 21 total times as well. No one has taken Rodgers to the turf more than Jared Allen. Considering how Rodgers reacted to the hit the next entrant put on him, imagine how he has to feel about the guy who sacked him 14.5 times. 2. Anthony Barr He really hates Anthony Barr after he put a vicious and potentially dirty hit on him in 2017. Looking at how hard Rodgers went at Barr the season after the hit, there is nothing but bad blood here. Aaron Rodgers and Anthony Barr share a few words in between plays. What do you think was said? #MINvsGB pic.twitter.com/qlJJ531Zvd — Kevin Boilard (@KevinBoilard) September 16, 2018 Rodgers has a nasty temper, but he normally keeps it in check on the field. Running into the man who ended his 2017 season early and denied him the ability to finish a season he had started hot with 13 touchdowns and leading the Pack to a 4-1 record before Barr’s hit in Week 6 ended another potential big season. 1. Jordan Love Aaron Rodgers is familiar with the situation of a rookie quarterback being brought in to replace an aging veteran. He was the younger man earlier in his career when he was brought in to “learn from” Brett Favre. The Packers and Rodgers had to suffer through three years of Favre waffling between retirement and returning. Fast-forward to Thursday, April 23, 2020, the night that Aaron Rodgers was put on notice by Green Bay. The Packers selected a big-armed QB out of Utah State named Jordan Love. Post-draft Rodgers has apparently said and done everything to make it sound like he is welcoming Love. However, given Rodgers’ frosty relationship with Favre and his attitude towards Coach Matt LaFleur and others he feels have kept him from greatness, Jordan Love is in for a cold reception on the Tundra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McoJH6VvW1U READ ALSO Michael Jordan’s Worst 5 Gambling Losses 6 NFL Players On The Move Post-Draft

[PC] Free - Assassin's Creed II / Child of Light / Rayman Legends @ Ubisoft

Edit - this deal is now live. All three games are now free! Free from May 1-5 if you missed it previously. If the page comes up blank then you may need to load it on a pc according to some users on HUKD and MyDealz. Credit to mydealz

Dólar hoy: el dólar blue subió a $120 y el “contado con liqui” superó los $119

La divisa de EEUU en la plaza formal asciende 11% en 2020, pero las paridades alternativas aumentan más de 50%. (Reuters) El precio del dólar se operó con ligera alza en el circuito oficial y registró una suba marcada de cuatro pesos en las paridades bursátiles y de dos pesos en el mercado paralelo, donde regresó al récord de $120 para la venta. En el mercado mayorista se pacta a $66,64, con un incremento de once centavos en el día, para sumar un alza de 11,3% en 2020. Aunque la suba equipara la inflación del período, la realidad es que el dólar formal empieza a quedar desfasado de la fuerte corriente de devaluaciones emergentes, con Brasil a la cabeza, donde el dólar fue negociado este martes los 5,58 reales, para sumar en lo que va del año un incremento de 38,8% en menos de cuatro meses. En el reducido mercado paralelo, el dólar “blue” ganó dos pesos o 1,7%, a 120 pesos, un máximo también alcanzado en forma intradiaria el jueves pasado. La brecha cambiaria entre el dólar formal y los alternativos sigue por encima del 70 por ciento. <b>Las paridades del dólar “liqui” y “blue” registran un incremento cercano a 60% en 2020</b> De la mano de la importante recuperación de las cotizaciones de acciones y bonos, la paridad bursátiles del “contado con liquidación” llegó a operarse después de las 14 horas a 120 pesos, mientras que el dólar MEP alcanzó los 117,90 pesos. Cerraron a $119,64 y $116,95, respectivamente. “Esto se da en un marco de continua dolarización de inversores, ante las dudas sobre la reestructuración de la deuda, y en momentos de crisis económica ante la inactividad por la cuarentena total”, apuntaron los analistas de Research for Traders. Desde Portfolio Personal Inversiones reseñaron que “a pesar de los esfuerzos del Central por contenerlo, la suba del dólar financiero se acelera en el inicio de la semana”. Añadieron que “las regulaciones en las tasas y las últimas restricciones a los Fondos Comunes de Inversión no fueron suficientes para detener la demanda”, mientras que la brecha alcanza “zona de máximos incluso mayor a lo registrado durante el 2015”. Según un reporte de Balanz Capital, “la continuidad en la demanda en el dólar no oficial pareciera que llevó a la implementación de una nueva medida, la cual contempla limitar la tenencia de disponibilidades en dólares al 25% del patrimonio para los fondos abiertos con cuotas denominadas en pesos”. El economista Martín Tetaz describió que “en medio del inminente anuncio de la oferta de canje de deuda por parte de Economía, desapareció la oferta en el mercado paralelo legal y saltaron tanto el contado con liquidación como el dólar MEP. Nadie quería vender sus dólares comprando un bono en el que tenía que quedarse estacionado cinco días, con pronóstico de granizo y sin techo en el parking”. El Banco Central habilitó a partir del lunes 20 el retiro de depósitos en dólares por ventanilla y el acceso de ahorristas a sus cajas de seguridad. Ambas operaciones se encontraban restringidas por las medidas de aislamiento social dispuestas desde el 20 de marzo pasado. Los depósitos en dólares en efectivo del sector privado retrocedieron entre el lunes 20 y el jueves 23 -último dato provisto por el BCRA- unos USD 355 millones o 1,9%, a 17.934 millones de dólares. También hay que seguir de cerca la evolución de las reservas internacionales del Banco Central, pues los depósitos en dólares del sector privado influyen en el monto de activos brutos del BCRA. Las reservas sumaban el lunes USD 43.648 millones, con una caída de USD 170 millones desde el 20 de abril. SEGUÍ LEYENDO: Comienzan la investigación sobre los 950 titulares de cuentas no declaradas por más de USD 1 millón cada una que encontró la AFIP Subieron acciones y bonos para ser usados en las vías alternativas de dolarización de carteras Bancos en alerta por el plan de cambiar Leliq por bonos del Tesoro: qué efectos temen que tenga en el sistema Jornada financiera: los cinco datos centrales de una rueda con alzas y bajas para la Argentina

Pence tours Mayo Clinic without a mask despite policy

Vice President Pence, who leads the White House's coronavirus task force, did not wear a mask while touring the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota despite being informed that wearing a mask is part of the clinic's policy.

Trump to order meatpacking plants to reopen under Defense Production Act

My first thought upon reading this was “Reopen how?” The problem with the now-infamous Smithfield plant in South Dakota, for instance, isn’t that they’ve been forced to close down due to aggressive stay-at-home orders by local government. The problem is that many, many workers are sick with COVID-19 — more than 700 at last check. Trump can reopen every plant in the country. Who’s going to staff them? But there’s more to this than meets the eye. Workers and management at Tyson, the world’s second-largest meat processor, have been waging a PR war against each other in the media this past week. Five days ago CNN published a brutal report on Tyson’s plant in Waterloo, Iowa, where at least 182 cases of coronavirus are linked to the facility. Meatpacking is an excellent incubator for a virus because of how close employees are to each other on the production line. “I work about two feet from my coworkers,” said one Tyson worker. “I’m about an arm’s length away from my partner.” The company says it’s taken steps to improve hygiene, sanitizing the plant every day, instituting temperature checks on workers, and so forth, but some employees say it’s not nearly enough. “I don’t think Tyson gives two sh*ts about their employees. I really don’t,” Thompson told CNN… There are “2,700 employees, three shifts, and they only cleaned it once a day. This is after they knew that they already had positive tests coming out of that plant,” Thompson told CNN. “There was no enforcement of PPE, there was no requirement. In fact, some people we saw walking around actually had masks, but they were wearing them around their neck,” he said… The employees said other crowded areas, such as the locker rooms and hallways, were not being modified in any way to promote social distancing. “We’re all extremely congested, especially at the shift exchange in the locker room,” a third Tyson employee told CNN. She is a production line worker. Tyson made masks mandatory on April 7 but didn’t provide them to employees at first. Some employees believe the plant should close before there’s a Smithfield-scale outbreak and complain that their bosses care only about the bottom line. “All they talked about was production, production, production, production,” said one of his discussions with plant managers. Yesterday it was management’s turn to fire back. John Tyson, the company chairman, bought a full-page ad in several major papers warning ominously that “The food supply chain is breaking.” You can read the full text here. Tyson does some PR by describing how the company is paying bonuses to frontline workers and taking steps to improve safety, like encouraging employees to stay home if they feel sick (which doesn’t solve the problem of asymptomatic carriers), but the thrust of his message is how much America stands to lose if Tyson and other meatpackers have to shut down. Not only will many thousands of animals need to be euthanized and their meat wasted if Tyson can’t process them, he warns, but millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain if plants are “forced to shutter our doors.” Which is the key bit — “forced.” An important detail in CNN’s story about the Waterloo plant is that local officials and (of course) labor leaders fear for the safety of the workers there and are pushing for a shutdown: “Eighteen local and state elected officials, including mayors, state representatives and state senators, wrote a letter to Tyson Foods on Thursday asking it to voluntarily close down the plant.” Tyson management is clearly worried that that sentiment will spread and eventually pressure state officials into ordering a mandatory closure of the plant. In that context, the point of John Tyson’s paid ad yesterday is obvious: He wanted to apply counterpressure to federal officials, starting with Trump, by spooking the public about meat disappearing if the plant was allowed to close. He wants the feds to bigfoot Iowa’s state and local governments by ordering the plant to remain open no matter what. Sounds like it worked like a charm: President Donald Trump plans to order meat-processing plants to remain open, declaring them critical infrastructure as the nation confronts growing disruptions to the food supply from the coronavirus outbreak, a person familiar with the matter said… Trump signaled the executive action at the White House on Tuesday, saying he planned to sign an order aimed at Tyson Foods Inc.’s liability, which had become “a road block” for the company. He didn’t elaborate. The order, though, will not be limited to Tyson, the person said. It will affect many processing plants supplying beef, chicken, eggs and pork… The White House has been discussing the order with meatpacking executives to determine what they need to operate safely and stay open, in order to prevent shortages, the person said. White House General Counsel Pat Cipollone worked with private companies to design a federal mandate to keep the plants open and to provide them additional virus testing capacity as well as protective gear. They’re going to immunize meatpacking plants from lawsuits so that they can order their workers back on the line without fear of accountability, no matter how real and foreseeable the risk of mass infection is. Workers who are afraid can always refuse the order, of course — but there’s a catch: “Iowa Workforce Development said Monday that failing to return to work out of fear of catching the virus will be considered a voluntary quit, which disqualifies workers from receiving unemployment benefits.” Employees have lost their leverage because of Trump’s invocation of the DPA. Without that, they at least had a chance that local officials would close the plant down. They can always strike, but this is a baaaaaad economy in which to risk one’s job. Instead I assume this battle will continue to be fought in the media. If the Waterloo plant does fall victim to a Smithfield-type catastrophe, with hundreds of workers getting sick after they’re called back on the job, it’ll be a PR disaster for Tyson. And maybe for the president, although Americans love meat enough — and are frightened enough by the whispers about a broken food supply — that they’ll probably forgive him anything in the name of keeping the hamburger conveyor belt moving.

Inside Donald Trump and Jared Kushner’s Two Months of Magical Thinking

On the afternoon of Thursday, March 19, Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office obsessing over the beaches in Florida. CNN footage of shirtless spring breakers packed onto the sand while the coronavirus pandemic raged sparked national outrage—and pressure on Trump to act. The next morning, New York governor Andrew Cuomo would announce strict stay-at-home orders for residents, but Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis refused to close his state’s beaches, a position even Florida’s Republican senator Rick Scott called reckless. “Lots of people were telling Trump to lean on Ron,” a Trump adviser said. Trump’s view of the situation was complicated, though. For weeks, his top medical advisers, Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, had been hectoring him about the seriousness of the crisis and the necessity of swift action, testing, lockdowns. “We knew from the beginning...we were going to get cases in the United States,” Fauci told me. “We knew we were in for a very serious problem.” Sometimes, Trump listened. The disease was coming closer to his own circle—chief of staff Mark Meadows and communications director Stephanie Grisham were self-quarantining—and the number of cases in New York City had reached 4,000. But the substrate of his thinking hadn’t evolved, and it kept reappearing. He worried about the economy, which was crucial to his reelection. He vented to friends that the doctors were alarmist, and that the crisis was something Democrats and the media were doing to him. “Trump was obsessed with Pelosi, Schiff, the media, just obsessed. He would say, ‘They’re using it against me!’ recalled a Republican in frequent contact with the White House. “It was unhinged.” Florida was a test case of his magical thinking about the novel coronavirus: That it was temporary, that warm weather would make it disappear. But eight Florida residents had already died from COVID-19 and more than 400 had been diagnosed. “Given the elderly population, if that took off, it would be a nightmare,” a person close to Trump told me. At an adviser’s urging, Trump called DeSantis to tell him to shut down the beaches. “Ron, what are you doing down there?” Trump said, according to a person briefed on the call. “I can’t ban people from going on the beach,” DeSantis snapped, surprising Trump. “These pictures look really bad to the rest of the country,” Trump said. “Listen, we’re doing it the right way,” DeSantis said. DeSantis’s intransigence backed Trump into a corner. The 41-year-old governor was a Trump protégé and a crucial ally in a must-win state. “Trump is worried about Florida, electorally,” said a Republican who spoke with Trump around this time. Trump did something he rarely does: He caved. He told DeSantis the beaches could stay open.

The Quarantine According to Kesha: The Singer's POV on Beauty, TikTok, And 'Tiger King'

Kesha is bored. Just like the rest of us. But unlike the rest of us, her unexpected WFH situation comes amid a postponed tour and changes to her beauty brand Kesha Rose Beauty that we imagine don't include any hands-on consultations. "Well, I think that because I'm quarantined, and I'm at home, I have more time on my hands than I have in a decade," the singer and beauty mogul told ELLE.com during our Zoom interview. So, what is the reigning queen of glitter doing with her abundance of hours? Her daily routine ranges from the relatable—face masks, Tiger King binges, and TikTok—to the eccentric—painting a green screen wall in her home to film said TikTok content. Ahead, Kesha's tips for thriving in the chaos and assurance that, yes, she's worn glitter mid-quarantine. Kesha Rose I Want It All Set kesha rose hipdot.com $84.00 SHOP To start, have you worn glitter at any point during this quarantine? I have! I was filming a little video for a song I wrote called "Nicolas Cage." I used my palette and just smeared a bunch of all of the colors—glitter included—all over my face because somehow, it just makes life a little bit better when you add glitter to it. How has your beauty approach changed during this wild time in the world? I've been trying to get a little sun and also trying to do a face mask and do all the things that I usually am too exhausted to do at the end of the night, after a long day of work. I've meant to exfoliate twice a week, and I haven't been wearing a ton of makeup. I'm letting my skin breathe, but I also have days where I put makeup on, and it really does help my mood. KESHA ROSE BEAUTY You've been sharing a lot with your fans during the quarantine. Has that been therapeutic for you, and have your fans appreciated the new content? I think now more than ever; I realized that I just want to entertain people because I'm not a doctor, and I'm not a nurse. I think if I can provide anything, hopefully, it's just a moment of some kind of entertainment during this time because I definitely have realized the importance of escapism in all of this. It's something to take your mind off of a global pandemic. If I can, in any way, be just a little bit of an escape, then I'm really happy. If anything I'm putting out is helping anybody just smile for five seconds, then I'm giving my gift to the world, which is just being an entertainer. I try to engage with my fans more than ever now because I have the time to do so. I also just don't want anybody to feel like they're alone in any of the emotions because I feel all the same nerves and anxiety as a lot of my fans are saying they're feeling. KESHA ROSE BEAUTY Before all of this, you had a super busy year. What's it been like to deliberately slow down? How have you been keeping creative? I've been trying to learn how to paint, trying to learn how to cook. Two things I'm pretty terrible at doing. But every day, I just try to wake up and try to do something I've been meaning to do for, I don't know, my entire adult life. I'm also spending a lot of time with my cats. I know that sounds kind of stupid but has been really grounding and nice to just take my mind off of things. I haven't been that well-versed in editing my videos and filming my videos for TV shows. Because of the quarantine, I'm at home trying to figure out how to film it and angle the lighting and how to play it all. It's forced me into learning how to be even more integrated with the creating of all my art. You've got a very fun following on TikTok. Did you feel pressure joining TikTok because of your famous song of the same name? It's been fun to just fuck around with it and have fun with it. I'm hoping that just dancing around my house like an idiot can somehow bring a moment of happiness to somebody out there because we're all just trying to figure out how to get through this time. I'm just trying to figure out how to be helpful in my way. I wish I were a doctor. I wish I were a nurse. I wish I could be more hands-on useful. But in the meantime, I'm just playing music for different charitable organizations and just trying to be entertaining. Hopefully, me acting like an idiot can make somebody else out there who's maybe having a not great day at least laugh at me. This content is imported from TikTok. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. What's the weirdest thing you've done during quarantine? I think one of the weirdest things is I just painted a wall in my house green to make a green screen wall. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do with that, but I now have a massive green screen in my home. What are your beauty and wellness recommendations for this time? I would say do not put too much pressure on yourself because I can find myself always putting pressure on myself to accomplish an extraordinary amount of things. I think right now, we all just need to be just gentle and patient with ourselves because we're going through something that is unprecedented in all of our lifetimes. Do not get down on yourself if you don't accomplish wild things. Recommendations for getting through it is, absolutely swear, if you take a bubble bath, it's life-changing. I've been taking baths every single day and doing a collagen and sheet mask. I feel like it's my treat for myself every day by getting through a very stressful anxiety-induced time. Any music you're loving, shows, movies? Have you gotten into Tiger King? Oh, God, of course. Doesn't everybody watch the Tiger King? That lady (Carole Baskin) for sure fed her husband to the tiger. Let's just be real. Everybody knows that. I want to know what happened to the cats. I need to follow up and make sure that the animals are okay. That's my lasting impression is I want to know what happened to the tigers. Oh, Schitt's Creek is like just for fun. If you need a total escape, that's a happy, funny thing. What's next for Kesha Rose Beauty? I could talk forever about the makeup because I feel like I've had every kind of makeup known to humankind on my face. I've glued all sorts of strange objects to my face throughout the entirety of my life and my career. I've always loved pushing the boundaries of fashion, music, and makeup. I love that the response to the makeup has been positive because I spent so much time making sure that it was something that I could stand behind, something that I would wear on a red carpet, something that I would wear on stage, something that I can genuinely stand behind. That's why it took me so long to get it to the point where I can put it out because I didn't want to settle. KESHA ROSE BEAUTY This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Savannah Walsh Editorial Fellow Savannah Walsh is an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Oscars During Coronavirus: Academy Rules Streamed Films Eligible, Merges Sound Categories

The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony is still slated to take place Feb. 28, 2021, but the road to it is going to look considerably different than it did for any of the prior 92. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 54-person board of governors, acting on the recommendation of its awards rules committee, on Tuesday morning voted — during a secure Zoom session that started at 9 a.m. and lasted for more than two hours — to significantly ease Oscar-eligibility requirements in response to the ongoing pandemic that has largely shut down the global film industry, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. This season, and until further notice, films can qualify for the competition without screening for at least one week in a Los Angeles-area theater, the long-standing barrier for entry; after all, all movie theaters in L.A. and most of the country remain shuttered indefinitely. Instead, films that were scheduled for theatrical release, that meet the other eligibility requirements and that are made available for Academy members to view on the organization's members-only streaming service, Academy Screening Room, within 60 days of being made available on a publicly available streamer or VOD service will be in the running. (This covers any and all pics that scrapped their theatrical release due to the coronavirus crisis in favor of another method of reaching consumers, such as Trolls World Tour.) The awards rules committee, which is currently chaired by the Academy's first vice president Lois Burwell and comprised of roughly a dozen governors (including some boldfaced names like Whoopi Goldberg), emphasized that this should be a one-time adjustment, but that it is not fair to punish companies and filmmakers who felt or feel the need, for reasons financial or otherwise, to get their work out to the world prior to the resumption of traditional moviegoing. The board, meanwhile, will revert to its prior Oscar-eligibility requirements when it — in consultation with health experts — concludes that theatrical moviegoing is once again safe. (At that time, it will expand the number of cities in which a film can screen for a week to qualify, adding five more on top of L.A.: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta.) Tuesday's virtual gathering also resulted in a number of other changes for the coming awards season which would have made major news under any other circumstances. For instance, the two sound Oscars — best sound editing and best sound mixing — have, following a period of study initiated and conducted by the governors of the sound branch, been consolidated into one, best sound (which will recognize both editors and mixers), bringing the number of Oscars that will be presented on the telecast from 24 to 23. Additionally, to be eligible for the best original score Oscar, at least 60 percent of a film's music must be original, as opposed to "predominantly" original, the prior standard. And finally, all Academy members — not just those who are able and willing to attend screenings at the organization's headquarters in Beverly Hills — will now be able to vote to help determine the best international feature Oscar shortlist, submissions for which will be made available for streaming via the Academy Screening Room. (However, it remains to be seen if members will be able to exercise this new privilege this season, since many countries have not yet been able to release any films due to the pandemic.)

Incredible archive footage of the time a UFO landed in a field behind the Bentilee estate

Want Stoke-on-Trent news emailed to you direct from our journalists? Sign up to our newsletter Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email Incredible archive footage has emerged of eye-witness accounts of a UFO landing in a field in Stoke-on-Trent. The year was 1967 and space fever was at its height and flying saucers and alien spacecraft were the talk of the pubs, offices and factory floors of the Potteries. There were dozens of sightings of flying saucers in the skies above North Staffordshire as summer neared an end. But one particular incident on night of September 2 - with dozens of independent accounts of a red glowing craft - seemed to have even the experts puzzled. Now StokeonTrentLive has acquired a clip from ATV Today where housewives, children and even a police officer reveal exactly what they saw that mysterious night in Bentilee. It starts with presenter Gwyn Richards doing a piece to camera about an 'extraordinary event which was witnessed by a great many people'. Two of those he interviews are neighbours Mrs Bowen and Mrs Stephenson who both saw the UFO land next to the estate. In a matter-of-fact tone Mrs Bowen recalls: "It seemed like a saucer, you know. It changed in different colours - a red, a greenish and a blue. I did get frightened of it when it dropped." Mrs Stephenson adds: "The object glowed bright red as if someone had lit a bonfire in the middle of a field. It spanned half a field. We could see the outline of it clearly like a dome but we couldn't see no door. There was no heat it was just a red glow. "We couldn't even hear a bird, everything was dead. "There was a man standing behind us. He said 'Did you two see it?'. We said 'yes'. He said 'I was in the bedroom and we thought the field was on fire because the bedroom was illuminated red. I came down because I thought I was seeing things'. "While me and Mrs Bowen were at the bottom of the close we saw the object in the sky going the same was as it had come. The colours were glowing and it was going at a high speed." A group of four young boys including Malcolm Bowen also shared what they saw on the night, while a policeman admitted he was so alarmed he asked the younger children to return inside. Malcolm recalls: "The rest of them ran off and I just stayed there. It was just like an ordinary saucer with a round sort of thing on the top. We thought it was an aeroplane at first but we all kept quiet. "We saw it going round and then we said it couldn't be an aeroplane. We didn't hear any sound. "We saw a very bright glow and it went straight up in the air and it went spinning round. Ten or 12 seconds later it went out of sight." Meanwhile, a circumspect local policeman also gave his account of the Bentilee UFO - and offered a possible explanation. He says: "We got there and we were met by a gang of children and one or two adults who informed us that they had seen this glow in the sky travelling from east to west or west to east, I can't remember exactly which. And that it had disappeared over the brow of the hill we were facing. "We started climbing this banks. We were a little apprehensive and we did send quite a few children back who were quite small. "These things could happen but I don't actually believe in them but I can't prove it one one way or the other. "The parents of the children were so adamant that this thing had happened we thought we'd be on the safe side. We carried on to the top of the hill and could see no signs. We could see nothing at all. "In the distance there was a public house that had all yellow signs around it. I assumed that this lighting up for the first time could have been what they had seen." UFO investigators Roger Stanway and Tony Pace were also interviewed for the piece at Newchapel Observatory where they described the Bentilee landing as 'quite incredible'. They revealed how they took their findings to the Ministry of Defence which confirmed something happened on the estate that night. Mr Pace says: "The fact that quite a few witnesses were quite worried and disturbed at what had occurred convinced us that something really strange had happened on that Saturday night in September 1967." Mr Stanway adds: "We couldn't find any explanation from the sources we contacted; air traffic control, the police, things of that nature. "And as people on the estate wanted an explanation and we wanted something as well, we thought we'd go down to the MoD in London. "We discussed the Bentilee episode as there was a terrific amount of evidence and independent witnesses. "I then faced them with the bold question - 'Well gentleman, do you think in fact what is described in this report actually did take place?'. The reply was 'yes'. "Well this somewhat surprised me as I expected them to have a number of explanations. "My next question was 'What is the explanation, what were these objects, these phenomena?'. Much to my surprise they said 'we have no idea'. My immediate reaction was to say 'does this worry you?'. And they said 'yes'." The report ends with Mr Richards telephoning Manchester Airport from a public call-box to report his own sighting of a strange craft in Derbyshire. Not surprisingly, The Sentinel closely followed all the strange happenings from that time with Mr Stanway and Mr Pace logging more than 70 separate incidents of UFO activity within a 20-mile radius of Stoke-on-Trent for their report ‘UFOs: Unidentified, Undeniable’. Speaking to the newspaper in 2006, Mr Pace said: “In 1967 there were many reports of UFOs in the Potteries, and many seemed to be centred over the Bentilee area. At the time it was a country-wide phenomenon, there were sightings all over the country. “You can’t just dismiss things like that when so many people saw things.” North Staffordshire historian Bill Cawley has also looked back on the bizarre events in and around the Bentilee estate and further afield. He said: "Reports of strange things in the sky stretched from Cannock to the hills above Leek. "But the centre of much activity was the Bentilee estate, and the local media was full of sightings of UFOs in the skies of the city. "On September 2, there were eight different sightings between 1am and dawn, with a lack of sound being a feature of all the sightings. "An object like a spinning top was spotted by a resident of Beverley Drive. “There was a very interesting account given by a Mrs Becanin. As an accomplished artist, she provided line drawings of what she had seen from her home in Hethersett Walk in the early hours. “She couldn’t sleep, and at 1am, after a drink of water, she looked through a window to see three orange lights lying on common ground some distance away. “One of the lights seemed closer to her and larger, and was flashing with a brighter light. “It began to ascend with a shower of green sparks, disappearing to the north east. The other two lights also vanished. The whole incident took two minutes. "Another group saw a basin-shaped object fly overhead. It was glowing red and yellow, and appeared to land in fields off Beverley Drive. “Children and adults ran in the direction of the landing site and one of the children said the area seemed on fire. Something had landed in the field and remained. “A woman rang the police, who duly arrived. They saw nothing, but on leaving the area, a man in an upper room window called over that the saucer was taking off. It rose to about 300ft and then disappeared. “When they were interviewed, the police remained sceptical and said the lights might have been reflections from street lighting or from the windows of a local pub. "Then, on September 4, Terry Bagnall, aged 15, of Beverley Drive, saw a brightly coloured cigar-shaped object fly over the area with a bright light, which increased in intensity as it rose in the late morning sky. “The report pointed out that jets using Manchester airport flew over the area, and that this would account for some of the sightings. “It was also possible that many would have confused UFOs with satellites. A person mistaking the planet Venus was another possibility, as was freak weather conditions. “However, Stanway and Pace concluded that 10 per cent of the sightings were unexplained.” Whatever happened on that night in Bentilee, the truth is out there.

PegNet Integrates with Chainlink

The community is excited to announce that PegNet is now working with Chainlink, the leading decentralized oracle network, in an effort to help further decentralize the data and prices that Chainlink is gathering. The integration will see that a PegNet operator is added to the Chainlink system to report on all of the prices from the PegNet system, enabling the flow of PegNet asset prices into Chainlink. Additionally, this connection between PegNet and Chainlink can flow the other way; with the PegNet miners reading the API’s from Chainlink — which averages prices of crypto from multiple different sources to present a median price — which can then be used as one of the price feeds for the recently launched PegNet. Integrating with Chainlink not only strengthens Chainlink’s data sets with proof-of-work secured asset prices, but it also strengthens PegNet with additional data sources that our miners can use, so it’s a benefit to both communities. As far as we know, PegNet is the first Proof-of-Work (PoW) oracle added to the Chainlink network. Therefore, PegNet adds a new level of verification to Chainlink’s data set of prices because it’s secured with Proof of Work. The announcement is about the greater decentralization of information, in that people who use Chainlink as a data source will now benefit from PegNet’s data sources as another decentralized source of information. This is highly important because it has become a necessity to have decentralized oracles in DeFi. Not long ago, there were two attacks on the DeFi exchange, bZx, caused by low liquidity and price oracle issues. If bZx would have integrated Chainlink’s price oracles, these types of “flash loan” attacks could have been avoided. Now moving back to PegNet’s Chainlink integration, the integration enables people to use PegNet to trigger smart contracts that work with Chainlink, which gets PegNet involved at the application level in DeFi. This can have big implications for PegNet as developers building anything in DeFi can more confidently use PegNet’s real decentralized stablecoins such as pegged dollars and other pegged assets (pAssets) in their DeFi applications, knowing they are secured by Chainlink. Therefore, PegNet’s integration with Chainlink should help to further advance PegNet’s vision of bringing a decentralized, non-custodial network of tokens pegged to different currencies and assets to the world of decentralized finance and DeFi applications. PegNet joins the growing group of top projects working with Chainlink such as Polkadot, Hedera Hashgraph, Synthetix, Celer Network, Matic, and more. About Chainlink Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that enables smart contracts on any blockchain network to securely connect to external data sources, APIs, and payment systems. Chainlink is the leading decentralized oracle network recognized by top blockchain companies and leading independent research firms such as Gartner. Chainlink has highly reliable and secure oracles that provide tamper-proof inputs and outputs for complex smart contracts on any blockchain and is the industry leader for decentralized oracle solutions. To learn more about Chainlink’s latest developments, join them on Telegram or Twitter. About PegNet PegNet is a decentralized, non-custodial network of tokens pegged (stabilized) to different currencies and assets that allow for trading and conversion of value without the need for counterparties. PegNet leverages a decentralized network of Proof of Work-based price oracles in creative ways to converge on the prices of pegged currencies and assets (pAssets) on the network. PegNet enables the conversion between any listed pAsset for just 1/10th of a cent ($0.001) and can play an integral role in new DeFi applications. To learn more about PegNet’s latest developments, join them on Telegram, Twitter or Discord.

Here's how Tesla and SpaceX worked with and paid each other in the past year

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and Tesla Inc., speaks during an event at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. On Tuesday, Tesla revealed in a new SEC filing some of the ways that it works with CEO Elon Musk's aerospace venture, SpaceX. The filing shows related party transactions that included the purchase of $600,000 of Tesla car parts by SpaceX in the first quarter of 2020. While transactions between the two firms aren't new, Tesla hasn't ever reported a bulk sale of car parts to SpaceX. There are other areas where Tesla and SpaceX sometimes work together. SpaceX is collaborating with NASA and astronauts will drive to their launchpad in Tesla vehicles during a forthcoming (and historic) launch, for example. Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken took a Tesla Model X ride to the launchpad during a 'dress rehearsal" for the launch in January this year, too. It's not known how many Tesla vehicles SpaceX may own or operate in its fleet.

Norman Gulamerian, Artist With a Grand Passion, Dies at 92

This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. Norman Gulamerian was a successful businessman and an artist, but his life was shaped by his love for an exuberant young widow and her five children. He met Mary Alexander briefly after a funeral in St. Louis in 1963. An optimistic, can-do Julie Andrews type — she even sang — Mrs. Alexander was raising her children (Christopher, Rebecca, Seth, Eve and Jennifer) on her own after her husband had died of a heart attack. When Mr. Gulamerian, who lived in New York, met her again two years later, he was taken by the whole package — the lively children tumbling over one another not to mention Mrs. Alexander’s dark beauty, her joyous light brown eyes and the way she threw her head back when she laughed.

Mindestabstand : Kreuzberg: Autonome wollen sich bei 1. Mai-Demo an Mundschutz-Regeln halten

Teilnehmer an einer «Revolutionären 1. Mai-Demonstration» in Berlin. Foto: dpa BerlinTrotz massiver Demonstrationsbeschränkungen wollen linke Gruppen am 1. Mai in Berlin auf die Straße gehen. Am Montag kündigten sie auf der linksradikalen Internetseite Indymedia dezentrale Protestaktionen im Kreuzberger Kiez „SO 36“ an. „Haltet dabei den Mindestabstand ein und vermummt euch mit Schals oder Masken“, heißt es in dem Aufruf unter anderem. Man wolle die Straßen mit antirassistischen, antipatriarchalen und antikapitalistischen Inhalten fluten. Seine Botschaften solle man auf Tüchern, Transparenten, mit lauten Parolen und Wurfzetteln verbreiten. Mit Rauchtöpfen, Sprühereien und Farbbeuteln könne man Akzente setzen. Dabei solle man stets in Bewegung bleiben. Die Orte der Aktionen sollen am Abend über Twitter und Internetseiten bekannt gemacht werden. Ab 20 Uhr sollten dann im ganzen Kiez „Feuerwerke gezündet werden“. Laut Senatsverordnung zur Eindämmung des Coronavirus dürfen sich nur bis zu 20 Demonstranten versammeln – und dann auch nur stationär. Für den 1. Mai wurden in Berlin 18 Versammlungen angemeldet. Über alle entscheidet die Polizei zusammen mit dem Gesundheitsamt des jeweiligen Bezirks. So werden unter anderem der Zu- und der Abstrom von Demonstranten im Vorfeld betrachtet und auch die Wahrscheinlichkeit, ob es mehr als 20 Teilnehmer werden. „Wir haben noch über keine Anmeldung entschieden“, sagte eine Polizeisprecherin. Unter anderem gibt es eine Anmeldung für eine Demo, die um 13 Uhr vom Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg starten soll. Zu dieser wird ebenfalls seit Montag aufgerufen. Das Verbot von Demonstrationen und Versammlungen und die weiteren Einschränkungen in diesem Ausnahmezustand, gingen klar gegen selbst die grundlegendsten demokratischen Rechte, erklärten die Aufrufer. Nach deren Ansicht würden Seuchenschutzparagrafen willkürlich angewendet. Deshalb solle am 1. Mai gegen die „faschistischen Methoden“ demonstriert werden. Aussichtsreichster Kandidat, mit einer Demo-Anmeldung durchzukommen, dürfte der Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund sein. Er will am Tag der Arbeit auf dem Pariser Platz vor dem Brandenburger Tor demonstrieren: Unter Einhaltung der Abstände sollen 18 Personen Plakate halten. „Der Tag der Arbeit steht in diesem Jahr im Zeichen des Infektionsschutzes“, sagte Innensenator Andreas Geisel (SPD) am Montag im Innenausschuss des Abgeordnetenhauses. „Wir müssen Grundrechte wie die Versammlungsfreiheit und das Recht auf körperliche Unversehrtheit und Leben miteinander abwägen“, sagte er. „Die größte Infektionsgefahr besteht durch Menschenansammlungen“, betonte Geisel auch mit Blick auf die sogenannte Hygiene-Demo am vergangenen Wochenende. Am Sonnabend hatten zum fünften Mal auf dem Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz mehrere Hundert Menschen gegen die Eindämmungsverordnung des Senats demonstriert. Auch die jährlich stattfindende Critical Mass-Demonstration von Radfahrern, an der mehr als 200 Menschen teilnahmen, wurde von der Polizei aufgelöst. Geisel zufolge stehen für die Polizei auch am 1. Mai zwei Dinge im Vordergrund: Der Infektionsschutz der Bevölkerung und die Eigensicherung der Polizisten. Er kündigte an, Menschenansammlungen am 1. Mai frühzeitig zu unterbinden. „Die Polizei wird einschreiten, Identitäten feststellen und entsprechend Strafverfahren einleiten, wie es an den vergangenen Samstagen auch der Fall war“. Die Berliner Polizei hat nach eigenen Angaben eine entsprechend hohe Anzahl an Einsatzkräften, um die Corona-Verordnung durchzusetzen. Wie viele Unterstützungseinheiten sie aus anderen Bundesländern anfordert, wird sie in den kommenden Tagen entscheiden.

Coronavirus treatment: Plasma therapy not approved as treatment, use only for trial: Govt

NEW DELHI: The health ministry on Tuesday came out with a categorical and emphatic warning that it has not approved plasma therapy for treatment of coronavirus and this should be used only for research and trial purposes till there is robust scientific evidence to support its efficacy.The announcement came as a surprise as some private hospitals have used plasma or immune therapy on patients needing enhanced respiratory support. Delhi’s Max Saket hospital recently claimed success with a middle-aged patient though the method failed to save the person’s father who was much older and in his late 80s.The Centre’s views indicate that it feels the treatment carries an unacceptable risk and Lav Agarwal , joint secretary in the health ministry, said if it is not administered properly, it could be life-threatening. Trials involving plasma therapy will, however, continue with ICMR awaiting more clinical evidence.The government’s virtual prohibition of plasma therapy as a line of treatment comes at a time when several states feel it might be a promising option. States like Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka have sought permission from ICMR to treat critically-ill Covid-19 patients with this therapy.“There is no approved therapy for Covid-19 in the country, including plasma therapy. Plasma therapy is being experimented with and there is no evidence to support it as a treatment. It is only at an experimental stage,” Agarwal said.“ICMR has launched a national-level study to find out the efficacy of plasma therapy in the treatment of Covid-19. Till ICMR concludes its study and a robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in a proper manner un der the proper guidelines, then it can also cause lifethreatening complications,” he added.Worldwide studies are currently under way on various therapies with plasma being one of them. Even the US FDA has approved the use of plasma therapy only for experimental purposes and not for treatment.

Tesla Cybertruck Gigafactory: Wichita submits a bid for the new factory

Tesla Cybertruck Gigafactory is becoming an important target for many communities, and now Wichita, Kansas, adds itself to the list with a new bid for the electric vehicle factory. Ever since Musk announced that Tesla was scouting locations in the midwestern US for a new gigafactory to build its electric pickup truck dubbed “Cybertruck Gigfactory,” several states and regions have submitted bids to try to attract the plant. Musk didn’t elaborate on where specifically in the Midwest Tesla is currently scouting, but the CEO previously mentioned a tri-state area and Texas as possible locations for a second vehicle manufacturing facility in the US. There were reports that the Nashville area is in talks with Tesla, and Joplin, Missouri, said that it has submitted a formal bid with $1 billion in incentives. Now the Greater Wichita region is adding itself to the list with a bid for the Tesla Cybertruck Gigafactory. The Greater Wichita Partnership and the Kansas Department of Commerce partnered to create a website and video to present the bid. They write about their bid: With the site of your dreams and the best manufacturing workforce in the nation, we can provide everything Tesla’s Cybertruck Gigafactory needs right here in the heartland of America. The group is offering a large 800-acre plot of land just outside of the city. Here they list the advantages of the location: 800-acre site Access to two Class I Railways (BNSF railway and Union Pacific) BNSF transload facility with available capacity within five miles Quick access to I-35 with two interchanges less than two miles from the site location Electric substation available on site Adjacent 8,400-acre lake offering high-capacity water with low rates The Greater Wichita Partnership is also listing a bunch of incentives that could be available to Tesla — though without listing an actual total value, as Joplin offered. Here’s the list: Musk did say that Tesla is looking for incentives, but he also said that there are several other factors when it comes to choosing a location for the Tesla Cybertruck Gigafactory: Incentives play a role, but so do logistics costs, access to a large workforce with a wide range of talents, and quality of life. The group claims that they have the “No. 1 manufacturing-skilled workforce in the nation” with “manufacturing accounting for nearly 18% of the region’s employment, more than double the national average.” Tesla is expected to announce an official location for the electric pickup truck manufacturing plant soon in order to be able to stick to its 2021 timeline to deliver the Cybertruck. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.

[Withdrawn] Online radicalisation

1. Question Time Live with Detective Chief Superintendent Sue Southern from West Midlands Police Today we are focusing on the danger that vulnerable people face from online radicalisation. Please join Detective Chief Superintendent Sue Southern from West Midlands Police in our webchat today where she will be answering questions about the dangers of online radicalisation. The webchat will take place at 10.00am Join the conversation: @Policechiefs #CounterTerrorismUK 2. Online radicalisation uncovered Used in the right way, the internet provides entertainment, connectivity and interaction for millions of people across the world. However, terrorist groups have also recognised the power of this medium and are increasingly reaching out to young people using the web as a tool for recruitment and radicalisation. This is of huge concern as we know that young people are heavily influenced by the content they see online - and particularly social media. A national survey of 11-24 year olds conducted by the National Counter Terrorism Policing HQ has highlighted this. It shows that many young people obtain information from Google and social media sites including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The internet has transformed the way that terrorist organisations can influence and radicalise people. It enables groups such as ISIL to reach a larger global audience, with broader and dynamic messages. This means that vulnerable people can easily be exposed to extremist materials that are easily accessible online, and radicalised by extremist views. It is also important to be aware that vulnerable people may have online conversations with others that seek to radicalise them and who aim to take them into the less open online space to discuss issues such as, how to prepare for and travel to Syria and how to carry out attacks on the public in the UK. Tackling extremist content on the internet is vital in countering the terrorist narrative and stopping offences that incite terrorism. There is considerable effort going into removing extremist material from the internet. 3. Fact and Figures: The true picture The police are active in tackling online radicalisation and many extremist websites are removed by the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU). The availability of this type of material on the internet is being reduced all the time and with large increases in referrals from the public, more and more sites will be taken down in the future. The internet provides a discreet opportunity for extremists to target young, vulnerable individuals within their own homes which means the work of the CTIRU is crucially important in the fight against terrorism. During an average week, the CTIRU is removing over 1,000 pieces of content that breach terrorism legislation. Approximately 800 of these are Syria and Iraq related and have been posted on multiple platforms. In the last 12 months (to the end of June 2015) around 38,889 internet takedowns were undertaken by the CTIRU reducing extremist material available on the Internet. That is over 100,000 since the unit was set up in 2010. Much of this has been achieved by forming working relationships with key social media outlets. 4. To counter online radicalisation we need you During CT Awareness Week we are reminding the public to report suspected online terrorist activity or material to www.gov.uk/report-terrorism or to the social media platforms themselves. 5. Further support and expertise There is a wide range of help and advice available online if you are concerned that someone you know is showing signs of being radicalised. You can visit www.preventragedies.co.uk for information and resources in a range of languages. Let’s Talk About It is a useful online resource designed to provide practical help and guidance to all communities in order to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. You can call your local police or ring 101 for access to support and guidance. Please also take a moment to watch the new clips highlighting the dangers of online radicalisation from the National Head of Online Extremism Sue Southern. Overview Top 5 tips to keep young people safe online

WoodGreen responds to growing food demand from seniors during COVID-19

Before the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the department manning a seniors’ helpline at WoodGreen Community Services would receive at least 40 calls a weekend from elderly people seeking help. Just days after stay-home measures came into effect, the number jumped to more than 300. “It was overwhelming. We’ve had to staff up and re-deploy our staff. We’ve had to develop new areas of service or programming that didn’t exist before,” said Michelle German, WoodGreen’s vice-president in charge of equity and strategy. WoodGreen, one of the largest social-service agencies in Toronto, has provided services to thousands of people across the city for more than 80 years. Its seniors’ care program normally helps seniors get connected to their primary healthcare providers or organize a crisis intervention from a social or personal support worker. But during the pandemic going into the sixth week, seniors are mostly calling the centre in hopes of getting some groceries while they’re in isolation, said German. A few of the callers also express concern about possibly having contracted the virus and needing an assessment, and others ask for help figuring out how to access government benefits. The surge in food demand has propelled WoodGreen to launch the COVID-19 Commitment Challenge, an effort to raise enough funds to buy and deliver groceries to seniors in various parts of the city. A number of community organizations and corporate institutions have stepped up, including Sidewalk Labs, Loblaws, the Raymond Chang Foundation and the Daniels, Dream and Newpoint development firms. Over $100,000 has been raised and used to purchase and deliver more than 1,000 bags of groceries to seniors in need. German said in addition to food demands, many seniors have become “very isolated” during this pandemic and will call the centre in hopes of getting some kind of social contact. WoodGreen staff has had to devise a plan that can address this issue. There’s a new program where the agency purchases and delivers activity kits to seniors at their homes. These kits range from puzzles and cards to materials to make masks. Staff also offer online exercise classes for seniors. “When COVID hit, seniors’ connection to the outside world was just cut off,” said German, noting WoodGreen used to run outdoor programs for seniors’ physical well-being and social contact. “Now we’re inspired to move fast and make sure that most people who are all of a sudden stuck at home and don’t necessarily have support network can get what they need.” WoodGreen also has established a “proactive family check-in” initiative, which is about reaching out to the seniors to find out how they’re doing during this time of crisis. German said one person in the entire WoodGreen network developed mild symptoms of COVID-19 and has recovered. The group’s staff members who are on the frontline had taken extensive training about infection diseases and had already been using personal protective equipment before COVID-19 pandemic, she said. “One of the main drivers of these initiatives we’ve been implementing is to keep our people home,” she said, adding WoodGreen also runs some housing programs around the city where about 1,200 people live, most of them seniors. “They don’t have to worry or feel stressed out about where their food is coming from or if their medicine will be dropped off. They have much more comfort in staying in and following the directives of public health.”

LeDuff: Wayne County sheriff released a Covid-infected, one-lung felon. He made his getaway by bus.

David Fortuck is a fugitive now. (Photo: Michigan Department of Ciorrections) The voice on the other end was hoarse and worn, the breathing laborious, wheezing like a rusty kazoo. David Arthur Fortuck is on the lam. The violent armed robber, given up for dead with a raging case of Covid-19, is very much alive and holed up at an undisclosed location, working under an alias, unable to believe his turn of fortune. “I ain't going to prison, Charlie,” he said by way of burner phone. A message had been put out on the streets for him to call and Fortuck was now giving his life plan. “I'm going to get better and then I'm going to get the fuck on,” he said. “Far, far away from here. I can't believe they let me out. It was like a birthday present or something. I mean, it was like a dream.” Just last week, Fortuck, a habitual criminal with a long rap sheet and a single lung, was struggling for life at Harper Hospital in midtown Detroit. He was attached to a ventilator and shackled to a gurney, guarded around the clock by sheriff's deputies. He had contracted Covid-19 while residing at the Wayne County Jail, where he was waiting to be sentenced for armed robbery. He was in a partial coma, given little chance of survival. But miraculously, he lived. When he emerged from his fog, Fortuck saw that his ankles had been unshackled, his shoes returned without the laces, his trousers neatly folded, his discharge papers placed next to those. “I said to myself, 'This has to be some kind of trick, some kind of setup,' you know?” Fortuck said. “I mean, the guards just vanished, disappeared, man. I was supposed to be going to the penitentiary. I thought I was dreaming.” Fortuck lingered in bed a few more days, gaining strength while he “cased the joint” for deputies. But there were none. They were long gone. It was three days past his 53rd birthday when he decided to accept the get-out-of-jail-free card and make a run for it. “I looked out the window and there was nobody there, so I disconnected from the machine and left. I'm not a stupid man.” He was advised by hospital staff that he was too weak and sick to leave. But seeing how there were no cuffs or cops to compel him to stay, Fortuck slipped on his laceless shoes and the one-lunged, bipolar ball of Covid hit the streets. “Did you know the city buses are free, Charlie?” he coughed, choking back the wonderment of it. “I availed myself of them. You enter in the back now. I tried to practice the appropriate social distancing. I mean, I'm not an animal.” And with that, Fortuck made a beeline for the suburbs. “I mean, the treatment is better out there for one,” he said. “Besides, it's like a when a nuclear bomb goes off? You try to run away from ground zero, you know? Get away from the radiation. Detroit and the jail is ground zero.” He was reminded that he was indeed that smoking ball of radioactivity. "True,” he said. Better if he'd die elsewhere So how did “Hard Luck” Fortuck get kicked from custody and back into civil society? A habitual violent felon facing a 5-year sentence while residing in the Wayne County Jail? He was released on what is known as an administrative jail release, whereby the sheriff has sole authority, by virtue of the courts, and sole discretion to let inmates back on the streets due to housing emergencies. And there is no bigger emergency right now within the rotted county jails than the Covid cluster raging inside. In fact, Sheriff Benny Napoleon has seen fit to release more than 600 people over the past month. None have been tested for the virus before being put back on the street. “He was released via AJR, April 21st,” the sheriff's department acknowledged in a brief statement. “He was a medical risk and was at the hospital at the time of release.” That is all well and good, but the sheriff released a violent inmate who was headed for prison. Furthermore, it is hard to see how this was a medical risk when he was shackled to a hospital bed. Further still, the paperwork said he paid a bond of $1,250 – which he did not. Further still, he was released without an electronic tracking tether. Why was he let go? There are three theories among deputies and Fortuck himself. The sheriff did not want to pay for round-the-clock guards. The sheriff did not want to pick up the hospital tab. If Fortuck died a free man, then the medical bill would be buried with him. The sheriff wished to avoid the death statistic, which would only bring more scrutiny on his jailhouses. The troubles there are well-chronicled: Nearly 200 jail employees have tested positive for coronavirus. More than 200 have been quarantined. The two top doctors died from the virus, the sheriff unaware that one had been dead a week. The commander of the maximum security facility and a ranking corporal are also dead. One inmate who was released on AJR earlier this month, took the wrong bus and then a taxi across the county before dying at home. The public was told none of this. Despite months of warnings about the state of the fetid jails, politicians are silent. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who oversaw the collapse of the jailhouses when he was deputy county executive, is silent. Warren Evans, the Wayne County executive who was once the sheriff, is silent. The current sheriff, Benny Napoleon, who was once an assistant county executive, is silent. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is off doing comedy shows, has been mum. State Attorney General Dana Nessel, to her credit, did get some dental masks donated for the inmates at the jails, and issued a press release about it. Meanwhile, Hard Luck Fortuck, the one-lung, bipolar time bomb, was roaming the streets. A nervous friend arms herself Trevious Lane-French at home, worried about a knock on the door (Photo by Blaze Foley) “They just unleashed him out here among us,” said Trevious Lane-French, an old friend, who resides at Fortuck's last known address. “I mean he's infected with Covid, for one. He's also bipolar, he gets violent when he's without meds. It's a real potential for disaster.” After Fortuck called her from the hospital to inform her of his good luck, Lane-French felt compelled to make a trip to the Double Action gun shop in Madison Heights. She purchased a 9mm pistol in case Fortuck came knocking. And he did. There was no episode, however. No scene. No violence. She gave him some money and he went away. “She's right about me,” Fortuck said. “I don't feel I belong in prison, I belong in a mental institution. When I left the hospital, I wasn't given any medication.” Flush with some cash, Fortuck made his way to the suburbs. He patronized a Metro PCS store and bought himself a burner phone with prepaid minutes. No telling how many people he may have infected at the store. Next he went to the Mobil gas station, where he pawed through the sandwich cooler. Egg salad. Turkey salad. Ham and cheese. Eventually he settled on the turkey and Swiss. “I'm a little bit of a foodie,” Fortuck said with some real dignity. “It was white bread, I believe. I paid for it.” No telling how many people – or sandwiches – he may have infected there. Fortuck booked a motel room, spent the night, watched the governor on a morning show. He checked out and warned no one of his soiled sheets. “No, I didn't tell anyone I have Covid,” he said, regretting in retrospect that he did not tell the maid. “I didn't think about that one. I'm just trying to live, you know? Every human being's motivation is survival when you get right down to it.” David Arthur Fortuck is not dead. His sole lung is still very much working. And he is not legally a fugitive. But he knows the law will come hunting once his story hits the news. He knows they'll be angry, and embarrassed. “Honestly, they really fucked up here,” he said from his undisclosed location, off the streets now, his prepaid minutes running low. “But I'm going to get better and make a run for it. Wouldn't you?”

InsideCTSports: NESN to Re-Air Sun Games from 2019 Season

The featured game will be released via NESN and Connecticut Sun social channels on a weekly basis. The WNBA announced on April 3, that training camp and the 2020 regular season will be postponed due to emerging details surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. For tickets and information, visit To receive news releases and updates from NESN, e-mail The featured game will be released via NESN and Connecticut Sun social channels on a weekly basis.The WNBA announced on April 3, that training camp and the 2020 regular season will be postponed due to emerging details surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. For tickets and information, visit ConnecticutSun.com To receive news releases and updates from NESN, e-mail nesnpr@nesn.com or follow @NESNPR on Twitter. —Staff Reports #WNBAReWatch / #ctsun / @ConnecticutSun / #wnba / @wnba / The Connecticut Sun announced today that the New England Sports Network (NESN), television partner of the Sun, Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins, will re-air select games from the Sun’s 2019 season every Sunday at 4 p.m. The first game is scheduled to air on Sunday, May 3, at 4 p.m. ET. The contest will feature Connecticut’s match-up against the Las Vegas Aces on June 2, 2019. The game will also re-air on NESN+ at 10 p.m.

Here’s How Much Money Musicians Make a Year

There is a misconception of musicians from those outside of the industry that those who create music for a living generate a significant income. This couldn't be further from the truth. The rockstar vision is permeated through the few top-tier bands that actually make it to the top. There are countless bands that you'l likely never hear of who are traveling around in vans, barely making enough money to make it to the next show. This is a reality for so many artists. A new study on the "challenges and opportunities" that musicians face has revealed an average yearly income of $35,000 in 2017, but only $21,300 of that total was generated through music-related ventures. The case, conducted by the Music Industry Research Association, in partnership with MusiCares and the Princeton University Survey Research Center, surveyed 1,227 US musicians. Their report says that 61 percent of musicians admitted "music-related income is not sufficient to meet their living expenses." They added that according to the American Community Survey, the median income of musicians between 2012 and 2016 was also between $20,000 and $25,000. This shows that not much has changed for the average musician, despite the rise of streaming over the last five years. Reports claim that the music industry is seeing an upswing in a monetary sense for the first time in well over a decade, but if the every-day musician can't make a living from their art, what does that say? The MIRA report also included that live performances were responsible for generating a majority of a musician's income. "Eighty-one percent of musicians earned income from live events in 2017, and these performances accounted for 42 percent of the average musician’s music-related income," they wrote. "The median amount of income earned from live events, for those who reported receiving income from this source, was $5,428." This goes to show how important it is to support your favorite artists. Unfortunately, if there is no money coming in, there is likely no art coming out. Musicians need to eat, have a place to live, purchase necessary goods and so-on, just like everyone else. Without a stable source of income, they are forced to seek additional avenues of work. You can read the study in full here. 50 Most Important Metal Bands in the 21st Century

Scotiabank to end its metals business

According to the financial post, Scotiabank told its staff today that it would close its metals business. Scotiabank has long been one of the premier names in precious metals trading as for years the business has been one world’s biggest lenders in the industry with its history stretching as far back to 1684 as that was the inception of Mocatta Bullion, which Scotia purchased in 1997. The bank has downsized its gold business considerably following the 2018 money- laundering scandal which centred around a US refinery that smuggled gold from South America. Even following the downsize, it still remained one of the five banks to settle gold trades and one of twelve markets makers that provide liquidity in the London market. This should be good news for HSBC and JP Morgan, as they will only further dominate the London market. Gold trading in London is estimated to be worth more than $5tn a year. More to follow…

Doctor Calling For International Media — SWEDEN REPORT

Recently it was revealed that Karolinska, Stockholms biggest hospital, were given directives to deprioritize anyone over 80 from ICU treatment, along with anyone 60+ with multiple conditions. In the county of Västernorrland, 15 people recently died of corona - 10 of which never made it to the hospital. They were denied available ICU units, as staff has been instructed not to “waste” these on elderly patients deemed hopeless cases. Note however that Sweden has an exceptionally liberal definition of “hopeless”. Numerous doctors in Stockholm testify to state radio P3 Nyheter, saying that patients who could’ve had good chances of surviving otherwise, are being denied intensive care units. Even if a unit is available, staff will generously count on someone needing it next, to which many are simply left with morphine and oxygen gas, doctors testified. When medical officer Hans Boman is interviewed by state media SVT, he says it’s “more rule than exception” to let old patients die in elderly homes. Where they may or may not be given oxygen. 92-year old Eva Alinder passed away in torment at her elderly home, where she was denied basic care. Eva’s daughter told Expressen: “She slowly choked to death in front of our eyes. The staff refused to send mom to the hospital because she was “too old”. They let her be tortured to death without oxygen all night, so many hours, without even being allowed to visit a hospital. She worked all her life, paid taxes, and this was the thanks she got.“ According to daughter Catharina Alinder, the only help staff offered Eva was a paracetamol, and crack opening the window. This while Eva’s oxygen levels were down to just 60 percent. Catharina continues saying: -”It was horrible for me and my sister having to see mom suffer so much during her last 24 hours in life.” After all this, the mother didn’t even qualify as a corona death in Swedish statistics, as she “technically” wasn’t tested at the hospital: – “There has to be a huge dark number of deaths, from people dying at elderly homes without being tested. My mother isn’t part of the statistics. I’m sure she’s not the only one.” Time Magazine recently wrote a highly critical article of Sweden, stating: “A head doctor at a major hospital in Sweden says the current approach will “probably end in a historical massacre.” He says healthcare workers at his hospital who have tested positive for the virus but are asymptomatic have been advised to continue working. He asked to remain anonymous because “it is frowned upon to speak of the epidemic or to go against the official vision” but said he felt a need to speak out from an “ethical and medical point of view.” Currently, Sweden is not even following basic World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Such as contact tracing where possible and strict measures of self-isolation. This has caused mixed reactions on social media, where some Swedish citizens protest strongly against what they describe as state senicide policy:

Eubank Jr. Targets Jermall Charlo: He Hasn't Fought Anyone, Weak Wins!

WBA interim-middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr. is very eager to gets his hands on Jermall Charlo, who holds the WBC crown at 160-pounds. The two boxers crossed paths when they co-headlined a Showtime televised card last December. Charlo retained his WBC title with a knockout of Dennis Hogan, and Eubank Jr. capture the WBA's interim-belt when he stopped Matt Korobov in two rounds due to injury. Eubank Jr. is not the most liked individual in boxing - but he believes Charlo is far more despised by the boxing public. "I've bumped into him a couple of times," Eubank Jr. told Sky Sports. "We had a press conference before both of our fights in New York. "He is not a likeable guy. Some people say I'm arrogant or cocky but I'm a down to earth, decent guy. This guy's head is in the clouds. He thinks that he's more than he is. I would take great pleasure in taking him down a peg or two." Eubank Jr. would be willing to face Charlo as soon as possible - once the coronavirus pandemic is resolved. "Absolutely. I don't like his character. He's got the belt so it will always be an interest. Anyone with a belt in my weight division I want to fight. At this stage of my career, I can't afford to take any steps back so title fights and big names are what I want," Eubank Jr. said. He is far from impressed with Charlo's level of competition at junior middleweight and middleweight. Charlo held the IBF title at 154-pounds, before vacating and heading to 160. "He hasn't fought anyone. He hasn't had any big tests. Until he fights someone like me we will never know how good he is. Anyone can look big and strong and fast against weak opponents. That's all he's had in his career. Until he fights someone like me, he will find out that this isn't the game that he thought it was," Eubank Jr. said.

‘The hardest part is being alone’: Volunteer doctors from across the US face life on New York's coronavirus frontline - far from home

T he doctors and nurses on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak in New York are waging a battle they did not choose to fight. The tragedy came to them, arriving abruptly in their workplace and turning their lives upside down. But there are some who ran towards the fight. They chose to leave their families behind to volunteer in overwhelmed hospitals at the epicentre of the global pandemic, and in doing so put themselves in harm’s way. “I’m terrified of catching it, absolutely,” says Dr Gretchen Winter, 37, who came from Birmingham, Alabama to volunteer. “But I was scared in Alabama, too. I’m scared everywhere that I’m going to catch it. That’s not a reason not to help.” Dr Winter is among thousands of volunteer doctors from across the country who have flooded into New York in the past few weeks to treat coronavirus patients. They are very much in need: More than 17,000 people have lost their lives to the deadly disease across New York state. Although the rate of infections are slowing, it is still seeing around 1,000 new hospitalisations and more than 300 deaths a day. The volunteers live a Spartan-like existence, thousands of miles from home. Every day they file out from the hotels in Manhattan that have become their temporary homes and spread out across the city to the intensive care units and emergency wards. “When I’m not at work, I’m in my hotel room alone,” says Dr Winter. “I go home, do a decontamination process, take off my masks and clothes. Then I shower, order delivery, do a little workout, eat dinner and go to bed.” Speaking to The Independent after her first week on the New York frontline, Dr Winter describes a hospital system that is still struggling, even as the city has managed to make some progress. “The patients are very sick. Most are on some form of life support. Some people are on more than one form of life support. It’s well above capacity,” she says. Her day job prepared her well for this crisis. Dr Winter works as a pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She was already treating coronavirus patients there, but saw colleagues struggling in New York and wanted to help. In February, hospitals in the city were sending out calls for volunteers to medical professionals across the US. She decided to go to help patients, but also because she wanted to provide some relief to those doctors and nurses who have been fighting the outbreak for months. “The doctors who live here have been working overtime for forever trying to take care of this and they're just completely exhausted,” she says. “I want to give them some time to rest and recuperate.” Many of the volunteers are unpaid for their work. They have to deal with the stress and danger of treating coronavirus patients during the day, and the isolation that comes with working so far from family and friends in the evening. “Honestly, the hardest part for me isn’t the medicine — I can do that no matter where I am. It has been being alone in that hotel room at night,” she says. “Normally at home, when I finish in the ICU, I go home and I have my piano to play and I can spend time with my loved ones. It adds stress to an already stressful job. You don’t have that support system.” According to some estimates, more than 30 healthcare workers have died in New York since the outbreak began. The volunteer doctors and nurses, like all those working on the frontlines of the coronavirus, have had to make some sobering decisions since putting themselves in the firing line. “All the healthcare professionals I know are making wills and sorting out our life insurance,” says Dr Winter. “We’re preparing for the worst because healthcare workers, nurses, doctors, sanitation workers are dying at an alarming rate from this disease.” One of the biggest issues for medical staff in New York during the worst days of the crisis was a lack of protective equipment for frontline staff. Many doctors and nurses reported having to reuse face masks — which put them at greater risk of infection. Dr Winter says the dangers that come with treating coronavirus patients is different from anything else. “We didn't sign up to be heroes. You know, cops sign up to work in dangerous conditions. Firefighters sign up to work in dangerous conditions. Soldiers sign up to work in those conditions knowing that they are putting their lives on the line. And those people are heroes. But health care workers, we don't sign up to be a doctor thinking that our lives will be on the line,” she says. “Because of the seriousness of this virus, we are now facing the dilemma of protecting our own health or protecting patients. And most healthcare workers are driven to help others. We are willing to put our own health at risk to care for these patients. But it is a trade-off that most of us wish we didn't have to make.” But there are some silver linings to the work. On Monday, Dr Winter extubated her first patient, who had been on a ventilator for two weeks. And everything she is going through today, she says, could well serve her and her patients in the future.

'No': The New York Times responds to Fox News legal threats over coronavirus death smear

A dispute between Fox News and The New York Times appears to be escalating towards a legal confrontation after 'The Grey Lady' refused demands to retract a story and apologise to cable TV host Sean Hannity. Mr Hannity sent a legal letter to the publication after a column in the paper allegedly associated the death of a New York bartender with his comments that Americans were getting "unnecessarily" scared by "this new hoax". "The columns are accurate, do not reasonably imply what you and Mr Hannity allege they do, and constitute protected opinion," Times' legal counsel David E. McCraw wrote to Mr Hannity's lawyer Charles Harder. "In response to your request for an apology and retraction, our answer is 'no'." Mr Harder, who is also the lawyer for Donald Trump and represented Hulk Hogan in taking down Gawker.com, had sent a 12-page legal demand about three articles from columnist Ginia Bellafante, contributing writer Kara Swisher and media columnist Ben Smith. In the 18 April article from Ms Bellafante, the daughter of 74-year-old Joe Joyce was quoted as saying her father decided to go on a cruise despite coronavirus after watching Fox News and believing the danger was under control. Mr Joyce took a cruise to Spain with his wife on 1 March and became ill on 27 March. He died on 9 April. "Eventually, Fox changed course and took the virus more seriously, but the Joyces were long gone by then," Ms Bellafante wrote. Ms Bellafante has herself come under criticism for downplaying the coronavirus threat, tweeting in late February that the virus is not deadly in most cases and she fundamentally didn't understand the panic. According to Mr Harder, in earlier columns on 22 March and 31 March, Mr Smith and Ms Swisher implied that Mr Hannity downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic and that he was responsible for determining all of Fox News' coverage of the coronavirus. Mr Hannity addressed the issue on Monday's broadcast, saying the newspaper "all but accused me of murder". "The same people now accusing the president, even yours truly, pretty much of murder, killing people who passed away from the coronavirus, when nothing could be further from the truth," he said. In the legal letter, Mr Harder said "The New York Times' failure to retract the story and issue an apology would leave Mr Hannity with no alternative but to consider instituting immediate legal proceedings". "You falsely state and falsely imply a connection between Mr Hannity's on-air comments and Mr Joyce's decision to take a cruise," the letter said. "But what you fail to mention is that Mr Hannity's comments could not possibly have influenced Mr Joyce's decision because he embarked on his cruise on March 1 (according to your report), while Mr Hannity made comments on 9 March, which you claim influenced his decision." "Moreover, you were fully aware that this was the actual timeline, and in order to mislead your readers and support your false narrative, you withheld the date of Mr Hannity's comments from your story."

Police seek tips about driver who plowed over man in SE Portland (video)

Police are seeking tips about a driver suspected of plowing into a man who confronted him earlier this month because he was peering into other cars in Southeast Portland, authorities say. Startling video footage of the April 10 encounter shows a man walking up to the driver’s side of a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and possibly having an exchange with someone inside. The driver then backs up and drives straight into the man, hitting him. The man who was hit suffered serious injuries, including a broken rib, police said. The driver damaged other property as he fled the 2600 block of Southeast 136th Avenue. Investigators created a composite sketch of the driver, who’s described as being 40 years old. He has dark hair and is believed to be about 5-foot-8 with a trim build. The Jeep is gold and has license plate No. YUR384. It also has front-end damage. A police spokeswoman said police don’t know whether the Jeep was stolen. The driver’s description doesn’t match that of the Jeep’s owner, but he arrived in the vehicle and had its keys, the spokeswoman said. Detectives are seeking information about the Jeep and its driver. Police ask anyone who has information to contact Detective Jeff Sharp at jeff.sharp@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0097. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.

Opinion | Grim Milestones: U.S. Deaths in the Pandemic and in Vietnam

To the Editor: In the next day or two, we will encounter a terrible coincidence. The American death toll from Covid-19 will surpass the total number of Americans killed in Vietnam, officially listed as 58,220. This Thursday also marks the 45th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the ignominious end to our war in Vietnam. I remember that day since I was a New York Times correspondent in Saigon at the time and was evacuated by helicopter. It now seems likely that these two great tragedies will be linked by something fundamental about presidential leadership. The historical record shows that Lyndon Johnson decided to commit U.S. forces in Vietnam even though he had been warned that the war was not winnable, and Richard Nixon continued the bombing there despite similar advice against it. Donald Trump ignored warnings from his own intelligence agencies about the coronavirus months ago and did little to prepare the country. Johnson and Nixon both tried to overpower facts by bending them to their will. Now Donald Trump has chosen to go down the same fateful road with oddly synchronous numbers of deaths so far.

Crypto Fund Manager Sued Over Alleged Fraud and Deception

Internet tech support and consulting player KDH Consulting Group recently filed an official complaint against crypto investment management firm Iterative Capital Management for alleged fraud and misdirection. Accusations include "fraud and breach of fiduciary duties, among other things," the April 27 filling stated. Iterative Capital allegedly lied Iterative Capital allegedly falsely boasted of previous crypto investment and trading success and liquidity related to a “hedge fund-like” account, which they urged KDH to join. Instead of using the capital as stated, for crypto investment and trading profit, the filing accuses Iterative Capital of taking the assets appropriated to the account and treating them as private savings, spending on crypto on mining endeavors and over-the-counter, or OTC, trading. The actions date back to 2017 The allegedly fraudulent firm attracted KDH back in the latter half of 2017. Christopher Dannen, Interative Capital's co-founder, recapped two previously fruitful accounts, proposing "a highly liquid new fund with quarterly withdrawal rights focusing primarily on trading cryptocurrencies and network tokens," the filing explained. Iterative Capital, however, allegedly knew crypto trading was on its way out during its push for KDH's capital in December 2017, and prepared to put the money toward mining without disclosure. "Moreover, Individual Defendants failed to mention that, for the same very reason, they returned funds to investors from the previous fund," the filing read. "To the contrary, they praised their prior success and concealed true performance history and investment intentions." KDH put $1,000,000 into the fund, attaining limited partner status in the process. In the years following, Interative Capital allegedly dodged investors and altered plans without returning capital, bleeding value in the processes. Over the past two years, a number of legal disputes have surfaced stemming from 2017 activities, showing the industry's transition out of its Wild West period. Cointelegraph reached out to defendant Christopher Dannen for additional details, but received no response as of press time. This article will be updated accordingly should a response come in.

COVID-19 in Sask: Treatment capacity scaled back as new projections reduce worst-case to 3,000 deaths

Projected number of deaths in worst-case scenario is now around 3,000. Overall number of cases in worst-case now projected at about 255,000. New calculations include rate of transmission based on compliance with restrictions. SHA to reduce maximum capacity by 1,000 hospital beds, 400 ICU beds and 400 ventilators. The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) will reduce the number of hospital beds, intensive care beds and ventilators it plans to make available based on new, lower projections for the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Saskatchewan, including figures based on public compliance with restrictions. The updated COVID-19 Modelling and Health System Readiness document, updated from the first projections unveiled on April 8, shows the SHA is preparing for a worst-case scenario of about 3,000 total deaths and 60 daily intensive care admissions. "We have flattened the curve based on what's gone on in the province: the three-legged stool around testing, contact-tracing and those severe public health restrictions," said SHA CEO Scott Livingstone at a news conference on Tuesday. "What the model will help us do on a daily basis, weekly basis, monthly basis, is allow us to measure what's happening in the province, whether it's us reopening the health care system or the economy continuing on in phases." Read the full document released Tuesday, April 28, here: The April 8 report said the authority was planning for between 3,000 to 8,300 deaths, and approximately 20 to 200 daily intensive care admissions, from COVID-19 at its peak. The overall number of cases it is preparing for is now about 255,000. The April 8 document put that number between 153,000 and 408,000. The SHA will reduce its maximum capacity by 1,000 hospital beds, 400 ICU beds and 400 ventilators. The original modelling said the province thought it might need 963 ICU beds and 860 ventilators but did not specify how many hospital beds overall. The SHA said it will still have 83 more ventilators than it would need under the new projected scenarios. 'New normal' Despite the more positive outlook, Livingstone said what happens next is largely in the hands of the public. "Our new normal is a normal with COVID in our population and in our province until a vaccine arrives and we need to plan that way." The original modelling was based on a basic reproductive rate, or R0, which is the average number of people that one person with the virus could infect, of 2.4 to 4.0. This was based on if no interventions — such as restrictions and closures — had been taken. Under the new modelling, which the SHA described as an "improved outlook," the SHA is planning for an R0 of 3.12. The projection of about 3,000 deaths is based on that number. New calculations show current trend The new document also includes a new calculation: the effective reproductive number, or Rt. According to the document, that number reflects the current trend and describes how well the various interventions are slowing the spread of COVID-19, with a lower Rt value being better. It also reflects fluctuating public compliance. On April 25, that number was pegged at 0.7, which the SHA said shows strong compliance with public health measures. The document notes that number could be lagging by 7-14 days. "If we don't stay flat then we know we're going to have to back off what we're doing with respect to providing more services and we will redirect those resources to COVID and we may have to start instilling more restrictions in the province again," said Livingstone. The new document states that the virus has reached a "tipping point" if the effective reproductive number reaches 1 or higher. "Rt consistently [higher than] 1 is a major consideration in determining public health measures," said the document. "The Rt value is helpful in determining effectiveness of current interventions right now, and can be a guidepost to use when choosing to implement new measures, or loosen existing ones." The Rt number will now be shared with the public weekly, the SHA said. "We definitely will be watching it and the goal of having the effective reproductive number is to be able to be aware and adjust as we need depending on how the loosening of the restrictions work as well as how everyone responds to them," said senior medical information officer Dr. Jenny Basran at Tuesday's news conference. She said there are efforts underway to develop Rt numbers for each region individually, but no specific numbers are available for the outbreak area in the far north at this time. Basran said it is critical that the public continues to practice physical distancing and follow hand-washing guidelines. The new modelling document does not set a date to resume elective surgeries and other medical services that are on pause. Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone says restrictions could be reinstated if the curve does not stay flat. (CBC) Livingstone said any resumption of those services will happen in phases to balance COVID-19 care needs. He said people have started shying away from seeking medical care from doctors and hospitals due to fear. Data is now being used to try to assess how many people there are in the community with unmet medical needs, Livingstone added, to inform the next steps. "The last thing we want to do is start burning through elective surgeries only to have our facilities fill up with people that have medical needs that we haven't met, or diagnostic needs that went postponed," said Livingstone. More details about the provincial strategy to increase testing — a measure promised to coincide with the loosening of restrictions — are also included in the new document. One of those measures is to start testing "asymptomatic contacts" identified through public health contact and outbreak investigations, along with outreach to populations perceived to be less likely to seek testing. It said testing is available at 50 sites across the province and the number of lab processing sites is being expanded from eight to 19. Tuesday's modelling document also includes Google data that indicates people in Saskatchewan have reduced their visits to grocery stores, pharmacies, transit stations and workplaces, but not as dramatically as in Canada overall. SHA's "improved outlook" for the province comes as leaders in northern Saskatchewan call for funding to help address an outbreak that has led to a public health order to restrict travel to and from the region. As of Monday, there were 42 active cases reported in the far north and 10 in the north.

The Selfish Gene

Post#14: The Selfish Gene Author: Richard Dawkins In The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, your mind will be blown multiple times for sure. One of the central themes, if not, the main central theme of the book is the idea of replicators (DNA molecules), and their vehicles or as Dawkins calls them (survival machines). By survival machines of course he means humans. Intelligent life on a planet comes of age when it first works out the reason for its own existence. The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins The quote above is the very first line of the book which is quite a hook for a book. It is a statement that resonates deeply and make us think. Do signs of intelligence start coming up to the surface once we actually become intelligent and start questioning who we are? The question is very difficult to answer and Dawkins doesn’t get philosophical at all in The Selfish Gene. Instead, he explains things in a matter-of-fact way which is appreciated by his readers. The main argument of the book is that all living organisms such as humans, animals, and plants are just machines or rather vehicles controlled by genes that live inside of us. These genes are the real masters who call the shots. In a way, we are just vehicles which main purpose is to help genes survive and propagate generation after generation. Since genes are selfish entities that only look out for themselves, then we can expect that we never act for the benefit of other humans as well. I’m not sure I agree with this idea, but Dawkins claims that even when we are working in cooperation, there is always a hidden benefit that we expect to gain from this cooperation. The other way around is easier to see since there are plenty of examples of people manipulating others for their benefit. Dawkins claims there is a general misconception when we say that we do things for the good of the species. He thinks that this kind of altruism is selfishness in disguise. The idea of sacrificing for others is popular because it aligns with our moral ideals. Moreover, this idea is shared by most people because it tunes in with what we believe in, but there might be a hidden truth to all of that. To put it in a slightly more respectable way, a group such as species or a population within a species, whose individual members are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the welfare of the group, may be less likely to go extinct than a rival group whose individual members place place their own selfish interests first. Therefore, the world becomes populated mainly by groups consisting of self-sacrificing individuals. This is the theory of ‘group selection’. The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins One of the ideas mentioned in the book that I don’t agree with is the idea that life started out of nowhere by an accidental grouping of molecules on Earth. Dawkins claims that many years ago the Earth had a very different and richer environment with abundance of different molecules of oxygen, water, methane, and others which might have associated themselves together by accident to form a replicator which started evolving into what we are today. These replicators started looking for ways to protect themselves from outside dangers, so as a mechanism of protection they created containers or rather vehicles in order to travel safely, survive, and propagate. Dawkins claims that human bodies are just a reliable way for genes to ensure that they are passed on unaltered. As you move ahead, there are other important ideas laid out in the book. Ideas such as evolutionary stable strategies (ESS) are also explained with examples taken from the animal kingdom which are really fascinating. An evolutionary stable strategy or ESS is defined as a strategy which, if most members of a population adopt to, cannot be bettered by an alternative strategy. The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins In other words, we tend to do what the majority of people is doing because we know that a population is just a group of individuals who are trying to maximize their chances of survival, so they have agreed upon a common strategy for how to do certain things such as acting in a variety of ways under certain circumstances, cooperating with other people, etc. Obviously, there are exceptions like in all areas of life, but they’re nicely explained and tied back to the this idea of ESS. The examples in the book not only refer to animals, but also humans. No pun intended since I know humans can also be considered to be animals of some sort. Dawkins explains that there is such a complicated game going on in our lives. This refers particularly in how we act when we are around others and even when selecting a partner. Our brains consciously or unconsciously start making calculations and come up with a cost-benefit analysis of situations and people way ahead of the curve in order to save us time and energy. There is also characteristics such as fidelity and persistence which are prominent when females choose a partner based on what strategy females are going with. There is a whole chapter about this in the book outlining the strategies used by males and females. Another fundamental idea of the book is the idea about memes. Memes are the new replicators. A meme is the idea of the unit of cultural transmission. Memes could be things such as ideas, tunes, ways of making things, fashion styles, etc. Memes are similar to genes in that they also look to survive. The medium of transmission differs from genes since memes travel from brain to brain by a process called ‘imitation’. For example, if a professor hears or reads of a new idea which is appealing and convincing enough to him, he passes this idea to his coworkers and students. If the idea holds up to be interesting enough and resonate with others, then the meme is propagated to other individuals which in turn pass it to others and so for and so on. In this way, memes have a long reach and survival expectancy for literally generations. One example of a meme that has lasted for generations is cultural traditions. “When you plant a fertile meme in my mind you literally parasitize my brain, turning it into a vehicle for the meme’s propagation in just the way that a virus may parasitize the genetic mechanism of a host cell.” The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins Dawkins expands on this topic thoroughly by talking about survival value of memes, constant mutation and blending of memes, and others that seem to explain why we have such a burning desire to invent things in order to leave a legacy behind. If you contribute to the world’s culture, if you have a good idea, compose a tune, invent a sparking plug, write a poem, it may live on, intact, long after your genes have dissolved in the common pool. The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins There are so many ideas worth exploring in The Selfish Gene and some of those have not been mentioned here such as the non-zero sum game and the zero sum game which Dawkins mentions in the book too. In order to keep this post readable and also because I want you to give this book a try, I have not included many of those ideas. This book is fascinating and once you read it you come out of the other side with a better understanding of who you are and what we are made of. Nevertheless, you also come out with a renewed sense of wonder and lots of questions perhaps more than you had before and I say that in the best possible way. Additional Resources: The Selfish Gene Explained Some chapters of the book have been made into cool videos Richard Dawkins explains his idea of memes Similar Posts Sapiens : A Rich History of Humankind

Column: Why did Trump push disinfectant as a cure for the coronavirus? He listens to quacks

It was one of those jaw-dropping moments we’ve come to expect from the president: “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” Trump said last week during his daily news briefing. Looking in the direction of the experts sitting against the wall to his right, he asked: “And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets inside the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.” The uncomfortable stare of Deborah Birx, the physician who serves as the response coordinator for his coronavirus task force, said it all. The president seemed to be suggesting that doctors inject patients with household disinfectants such as bleach, which kills the virus on hard surfaces. Calls to poison control centers spiked. The manufacturers of Clorox and Lysol pleaded with the public not to ingest their products. Advertisement President Trump soon claimed he was being “sarcastic,” trying to bait reporters, because, of course, when more than 50,000 of your fellow Americans have died from a little understood new virus, and millions more are unemployed, the moment screams out for sarcasm and hostility. Trump famously does not rely on science, nor on experts. He goes with his feelings, his gut, his “you know what,” as he said last week, pointing to his hyper-coiffed head. Since he took office, we have seen that he does not read, does not study and tends to parrot what he hears on Fox News. It is not clear how the topic of ingesting disinfectants came to Trump’s attention, but there is a thriving industry of snake oil salesmen who have pushed the practice for years. They market chlorine dioxide, an industrial form of bleach, as a miracle cure for ailments such as brain cancer and HIV/AIDS. More recently, they have moved into the autism market, where parents desperate to “cure” the condition are advised to put dangerous concentrations of bleach in their children’s drinking water and give them bleach enemas. One of these purveyors, the self-styled archbishop of the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, Mark Grenon, said he reached out to Trump recently for help after a federal court barred him from selling Miracle Mineral Solution, or MMS. Grenon calls MMS a “sacrament,” and according to his claims, it can cure damn near everything but gullibility: cancer, multiple sclerosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, autism. And now, of course, he’s touting its virtues as a COVID-19 treatment. Advertisement Earlier this month, a Florida judge issued a temporary restraining order that bars Genesis from marketing MMS, which government lawyers asserted is nothing more than “a powerful bleach product.” The order, which stemmed from a Justice Department complaint, came months after a Food and Drug Administration warning that ingesting what amounts to industrial bleach can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe dehydration that can lead to death. According to the Guardian, Grenon claimed to have sent Trump a letter touting MMS as “a wonderful detox that can kill 99% of the pathogens in the body,” and “can rid the body of COVID-19.” On his radio show, Grenon read the letter he said he had written to Trump, the Guardian reported. “Dear Mr. President,” it began, “I am praying you read this letter and intervene.” The White House did not respond to a Guardian inquiry about whether Trump had seen the letter. While it was shocking to many that the president would blithely recommend such a dangerous idea, one group was entirely unsurprised: mothers of autistic children who have joined forces to fight the plague of medical misinformation that endangers their kids. For years, quacks have been promoting the idea that ingesting bleach, either orally or by enema, can “cure” autism, a neurological condition for which there is no cure. Advertisement About five years ago, Melissa Eaton, 40, a mom in Salisbury, N.C., whose 10-year-old son has autism, banded together with other mothers of autistic children to infiltrate pseudoscience groups on social media that were promoting questionable autism treatments, including chlorine dioxide, the industrial bleach sold by Genesis and others. In 2013, she said, a disciple of Grenon’s, Kerri Rivera, began promoting the bleach as a cure for autism. Rivera moved to Mexico after Illinois shut down her business. She is now believed to be living in Germany with the father of an autistic child who sought her services in Mexico. “When I saw the abuse and harm, it wasn’t something I could let go of,” Eaton told me, adding that she sees her son as someone whose brain works differently, not someone who needs curing. “I saw photos of children’s bloody intestinal lining on their diapers. They had given their children this product and this is what came out. And the fact was they thought it was a parasite and autism was leaving.” For years, she and her colleagues have reported the bleach promoters to regulators, with mixed results. They were thrilled with the Florida decision. And they have had a few victories of their own, persuading Amazon and EBay to stop selling Rivera’s products. YouTube banned videos promoting MMS after an investigation by Business Insider. Now, COVID-19 has put an even brighter spotlight on these unethical operators.“It has taken a pandemic to expose this movement and the ways that pseudoscience scammers use social media and fear to sell their products,” wrote Eaton and three coauthors in the New York Times on Sunday. Advertisement “We’ve gotten a close look at the psychology that draws people toward such products — and in our view, it is akin to the psychology that drives some of the Trumpist worldview,” wrote Eaton with Anne Borden King of the Campaign Against Phony Autism Cures, Emma Dalmayne of Autistic Inclusive Meets, and Amanda Seigler of Fierce Autistics and Allies. “It is a siege mentality, rooted in the ideology of the anti-vaccine movement, based on anecdotes, conspiracy theories and a fear-mongering distrust of so-called Big Government.” On Saturday, stung by the blowback to his inane suggestion about disinfectant, Trump intimated that he would end his marathon coronavirus task force briefings. “Not worth the time & effort,” he tweeted. Nor, I would add, is it worth the danger he poses to the health and well-being of people all over the world. Twitter: @AbcarianLAT

64 mujeres asesinadas en Tijuana

La muerte de Blanca Melissa Murillo de 27 años, reportada por los médicos de ISSSTECALI el 26 de abril, se contabilizó como el asesinato número 20 de una mujer cometido durante el mes de abril en Tijuana, y la número 64 en los que va del año 2020 en la ciudad fronteriza. La Fiscalía General del Estado de Baja California, informó que inició la carpeta de investigación número 0204-2020-17229, por el delito de feminicidio, para localizar al homicida de la joven quien contaba con antecedentes por delitos relacionados con el narcomenudeo. A las ocho de la mañana del domingo, el CentroControl Comando, Comunicación y Cómputo (C4) recibió una llamada denunciando que una mujer inconsciente y con lesiones, a espaldas estaba tirada en la Unidad Deportiva y Recreativa “El Dorado” en la calle Oscar Baylón Chacón, de la colonia Tierra y Libertad, ubicada en la delegación La Presa. El personal que atendió la emergencia, informó que la mujer, tenía golpes en cabeza, pero también la habían apuñalado en la frente y el cuello, antes de abandonarla en la calle de terracería, con el torso descubierto. En la escena del crimen encontraron tirada una blusa rosa de tirantes, y varias manchas de sangre sobre la vialidad de tierra. La víctima fue trasladada con vida a las instalaciones del ISSSTECALI, en la colonia El Mirador, pero se reportó que su estado de salud era delicado. A las 14:45 horas del mismo domingo el personal médico informó que la joven había muerto debido a las lesiones que recibió. En lo que va del año, en la ciudad se han organizado dos manifestaciones contra los feminicidios, la primera el 15 de febrero, tras el asesinato deMarbella Valdez Villarreal de 20 años, quien apareció muerta el 8 de febrero en un basurero clandestino en la colonia Genaro Vázquez, a espaldas del fraccionamiento Barcelona, en Distrito de Santa Fe. Su homicida Juan Pérez Hernández, quien la acosó durante meses, y fue vinculado a proceso el 22 de febrero. Y la segunda fue parte de la marcha nacional del día internacional de la mujer el 8 de marzo, bajo la consigna de “ni una menos”, seguida de “Un día sin mujeres” el 9 de marzo. El 25 de abril, el Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública (SNSP), presentó el reporte de violencia contra la mujer cometida durante el primer trimestre del 2020 en el que México sumó 240 feminicidios. En cuanto al reporte por municipio, Tijuana ocupó el primer lugar nacional en este delito, con 5 de los 9 asesinatos cometidos en Baja California contra mujeres debido a su condición de género, lo que muestra un peligroso avance, comparado con 2019, cuando con 12 carpetas iniciadas, Tijuana ocupó el quinto lugar nacional. Comentarios comentarios

Indonesia's Haunted House Quarantine Punishment Proves Wildly Successful

By Tim Binnall An Indonesian official's headline-making decision to house coronavirus quarantine-breaking individuals in a haunted house has proven to be a rather clever tactic when it comes to convincing residents to adhere to the lockdown. After a handful of residents had disobeyed orders to stay at home for two weeks to ensure that the virus did not spread, Kusdinar Untung Yuni Sukowati decided that she would lock them inside of a haunted house to teach them a lesson. The unorthodox method for enforcing social distancing understandably made news around the world and, it turns out, was a tremendous success. In an update to the story, the three men imprisoned in the haunted house reportedly begged authorities to free them after only three days because they were having terrifying dreams. "One of them even cried out of fear and boredom," explained the village chief. Although the men apparently did not see any ghosts, the mere prospect of sharing a home with some sinister spirits was more than they could bear. As such, officials eventually agreed to let the three people go back to their homes with the promise that they would not break quarantine again, since now they knew that the would wind up back in the haunted house. Amazingly, this concern also extended to other residents of the area who vowed to also adhere to the lockdown lest they be forced to endure the same spooky punishment. Whether such a tactic would work here in America is debatable, since we know more than a few ghost hunters who would be thrilled to be locked inside a haunted house during their downtime.

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Here's How the Media Will Fix Biden's #MeToo Problem

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com. Pressure is mounting for former Vice President Joe Biden to finally address the allegations made by Tara Reade, a former staffer when Biden was a senator in the mid-1990s. Up until now, the legacy media has formed a bit of a barricade around the Democrat's presumptive nominee for president by simply ignoring the story altogether, a privilege they did not afford now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation process. As Mollie Hemingway has pointed out at The Federalist, the double standard in how media outlets treated unfounded, uncorroborated allegations against Kavanaugh and their outright denial of the mere existence of the much more credible and detailed allegations against Biden borders on the criminally absurd. But now that another contemporaneous account has surfaced via Business Insider and the haunting video of a woman believed to be Reade's mother calling into the "Larry King Live" show on CNN has been revealed (no thanks to CNN, of course) Biden will need to finally address this issue in some way. And we can have a pretty good idea of how it will play out. First, it may be instructive to see how this sort of story plays out when the target of the politically damaging narrative is a Republican. During the Kavanaugh hearings, the media was not just in a bloody frenzy over the unfounded allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford with relentless, wall-to-wall coverage, they also refused to allow any other Republican politician to escape multiple and relentless demands to say whether they believed Ms. Ford (the victim) or whether they stood by Kavanaugh (the accused) in the drama. This was meant to apply direct and unrelenting pressure not just on Kavanaugh or Trump but every Republican elected official. They were all forced to go on the record and counter the ubiquitous "all women should be believed" narrative that had been created as a weapon to be used against political enemies in the #MeToo era. Some squirrelly Republicans knuckled-under to the relentless screams and demands of "Justice for Christine." Just look how former Senator Jeff Flake relinquished his honor by succumbing to paid protesters who forced their way into the Senate elevator until he agreed to throw Kavanaugh to the wolves. No Republican could engage with the media at any level without a litany of questions all designed to box them into a corner on whether they were going to protect the accused rapist or whether they'd stand up and defend the poor defenseless victim. And, make no mistake, it wasn't about Ford and Kavanaugh anymore, if you didn't believe Ford or thought that Kavanaugh deserved the presumption of innocence, you were condemning all rape victims and implying that all women were liars when it came to these matters. That's how the media framed it because it served to benefit Democrats and harm Trump and Republicans. That's what they do. Meanwhile, Biden has not faced a single question about these allegations for well over a month despite multiple television appearances. Furthermore, every Democrat has escaped any real questions about Reade and her allegations as well. In fact, this past weekend, the three women thought to be on Biden's short-list for the vice-presidential nomination appeared on major Sunday news shows. Neither Sen. Amy Klobucher, Sen. Kamala Harris nor former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams was asked about Ms. Reade's allegations. Quite a different story, isn't it? At some point, sooner rather than later, Biden will have to speak to it. He has to give his fellow Democrats something to go with when, eventually, the questions are asked. He also has to give his defenders in the media something to go with. Here's how it will play out. Biden will grant an exclusive, one-on-one interview with a friendly, female journalist (I mean, there are many to choose from.) The interview will probably be for 60 Minutes (Leslie Stahl, I'm thinking) and the interview will be pre-recorded so the news outlet will have the opportunity to make Biden look his best. Biden will have well-rehearsed and tested answers to questions about Reade's allegations. His wife, Jill Biden, will be sitting next to him and she will do much of the heavy lifting. Both Bidens will pretend that this whole ordeal has been such a burden and they will thread the needle of dragging Reade through the slime while still maintaining that women should be believed, just not this woman. And five to seven minutes later it will be over. And that will be that. No other news outlet will feel compelled to raise the issue. No other Democrat will need to answer to Ms. Reade's allegations. They'll all have the same rehearsed answer. "Joe's already spoken to these allegations. It's old news. Nobody cares. Move on." And the media will, in fact, move on. This is how they do it. It's how they've done it in the past. It's how they'll do it this time. As Chris Plante likes to say, "It's good to be a Democrat." Editor's Note: Want to support Townhall so we can keep telling the truth about Joe Biden and the liberal media coverup of the sexual assault allegation against him? Join Townhall VIP and use the promo code WUHAN to get 25% off VIP membership!

Victoria slams federal pressure on schools

Victoria is standing firm against pressure to have its schoolchildren ready to return to face-to-face learning within a month, as another person dies from the coronavirus in the state. The woman in her 80s died in hospital on Tuesday, bringing Victoria's death toll to 18. The total number of Victorian cases rose by three on Wednesday to 1354, but only 67 are active, with 1287 having now recovered. The federal government has offered private schools across Australia an early payment of 12.5 per cent of their annual funding, or $1.7 billion, if they get students back into classrooms by the end of May. The same amount would be paid on June 9 if at least half their students are back in regular classroom-based learning from June 1. The cash would otherwise be given to them in July. Victorian Education Minister James Merlino has lashed the offer, which comes as parents in the state are urged to keep children at home to learn remotely if they can. "What the federal government is doing is using funding to force non-government schools to ignore the expert health advice of the Victorian chief health officer," Mr Merlino said on Wednesday. "Expert health advice, not money, should determine whether or not a school fully opens for students, staff and teachers." Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton is recommending most students stay home. But the health advice from the national Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy is that there is no evidence of transmission of the virus at schools and that students don't need to exercise social distancing. "The best place for them to be during those school years is in the classroom and being with their friends and getting the best outcomes. We believe that's now safe for that to occur," Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said in Canberra on Wednesday. "Different states will make their own decisions in relation to their own schools that they run. Victoria is a bit different from other states, the ACT is a bit different from others as well." Independent Schools Victoria says it has been put in an "extraordinarily difficult and unfair position". "'Independent schools are being used as a wedge in a policy disagreement between the federal and Victorian governments," chief executive Michelle Green said. "This is unfair and entirely inappropriate when what's at stake is the health of children and their teachers." Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the policy wasn't aimed at undermining the Victorian government's approach. "We're not undermining it and it's not a bribe," he told 3AW. "As the commonwealth government, this is for all states and territories. This isn't designed for one particular state." The idea is to give schools a cash boost if they need it to cope with the virus crisis while also giving them an incentive to end learning from home, with schools having until Friday to opt in. The Victorian government won't loosen any restrictions to combat coronavirus until at least May 11, when a state of emergency comes to an end. It wants 100,000 people to be tested for COVID-19 within two weeks to help inform its decisions at that time. Among those tested for the virus on Wednesday was CFMEU boss John Setka, who joined construction workers being tested at the $2.8 billion Melbourne Square site at Southbank.

explicit, artist:htpot, artist:pusspuss, edit, rainbow dash, oc, oc:cheesycheese, pegasus, pony, comic:rainbow dash and you attend the gala, anatomically correct, animated, anus, audible creampie, bal

yike >stop animatingI never said that, I simply said the awesome work htpot does. I agree that some of his animations have pretty stale audio, but this one is pretty good. I know a lot of people say to whole cliche "if you don't like it do it yourself," but seriously. I edit a lot of these animations for myself (including this one here) to increase their length and change the sounds up a little bit, give it a shot yourself if you don't like it.On that note, hey htpot, do you know why the third last frame of this animation causes my Premiere Pro to crash? When I remove that specific frame I can playthrough the timeline and export it just fine, but with it anywhere in the animation I get a bunch of freezes and crashes. I'm very curious, I haven't seen this happen before.

Miller High Life Is Giving 3 Couples $10,000 and a Sidewalk Wedding If Their Ceremony Was Impacted by COVID-19

Weddings are looking a little different so far in 2020. From livestreamed ceremonies in Singapore to sidewalk nuptials in New York City, couples have had to postpone, scale back, or even cancel their weddings because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an undoubtedly stressful and emotional time for those who’ve had to adjust their big days, so Miller High Life wants to help by throwing a few of these couples an intimate ceremony and giving them $10,000. Image zoom Courtesy of Miller High Life If your wedding plans have been impacted by the coronavirus, Miller High Life is here for you. As part of their "Wedding at Your Doorstep" promotion, the iconic beer company is going to give three couples a chance to tie the knot, sending an officiant and photographer to facilitate and capture the ceremony (while maintaining safe social distance, of course), along with $10,000 to go toward canceled wedding costs, a honeymoon fund so you can travel once it’s safe again, and of course, beer. Miller High Life is the “Champagne of Beers,” so it might just be the perfect drink to toast to your new life together. Image zoom Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Quest 2 & Rift S Stock Check: Quest 2 Backordered in Canada & US

Oculus Quest 2 won’t launch until October 13th, but the headset is already backordered in Canada by a month and by three weeks in the US. Most regions are set to ship the headset within its first week or release but that’s likely to change as launch day approaches. Updated – September 21st, 2020 Last week Facebook announced Oculus Quest 2 and immediately opened pre-orders ahead of the headset’s October 13th release date. The original Quest is no longer being sold by Oculus. We checked stock availability for direct purchases from Oculus.com for Quest 2 (64GB), Quest 2 (256GB), and Rift S across all regions where the headsets are sold. The latest shows that Quest 2 is already significantly backordered in North America. Canada is showing a backorder log of 29 days from the headset’s release date. The United States has the next longest backorder log at three weeks. Most other regions are still expecting to ship within one week of release, though a handful have already crept past beyond one week and we expect to see backorders queues continue to grow as launch day nears. Rift S, meanwhile, is available to ship within a week in most regions. Although it only recently caught up with demand after disruptions from the Coronavirus pandemic, demand for the headset will likely be winding down given that Facebook has announced plans to discontinue Rift S early next year. Beyond backorders, the two standouts on the chart are Germany and South Korea, both of which are showing a complete lack of availability across all Quest 2 and Rift S headsets. The reason is likely related to regulatory issues in those countries regarding the recent announcement that Oculus headsets will require the use of a Facebook account. Despite backorders creeping in for purchases direct from Oculus, stock at third-party retailers in Canada and the US appears to be holding steady. For instance, Amazon is still promising shipments of Quest 2 on launch day. Though Quest is being discontinued in favor of Quest 2, Facebook says its former headset was more successful than it initially anticipated. Despite major supply disruptions from the Coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, the company tells Road to VR that it sold all of the Quest units that it had expected to sell over the course of the product’s life. The company’s sales forecast is even higher for Quest 2; Facebook tells us it’s making “many more” units than the original Quest.

Uddhav Thackeray: With governor non-committal on council seat for Uddhav Thackeray, his fate as CM hangs in balance

Constitutional crisis? Uddhav's fate as Maharashtra CM hangs in balance MUMBAI: Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray ’s fate appears to hang in the balance as governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was apparently noncommittal on his nomination as member of the legislative council during an interaction with state ministers.A delegation of cabinet members comprising NCP’s Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Anil Parab, and the Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat and Aslam Shaikh knocked at Koshyari’s doors on Tuesday with a revised state cabinet re commendation to appoint Thackeray to the council.“Koshyari heard our case but was non-committal, so we do not know if our plea will be accepted or otherwise,” a senior cabinet member said. He said in view of the uncertainty over Thackeray ’s nomination, the government is considering approaching the Election Commission for early polls to the legislative council.As per the original plan, elections for nine seats were scheduled to be held on April 24, and Thackeray was to contest the polls. However, the EC postponed the elections in view of crisis, so the CM wanted to be a nominee of the governor as two such nominated posts were lying vacant. The cabinet submitted a proposal for his nomination to the Raj Bhavan on April 9, but it was informed recently that no decision had been taken on the plea on technical grounds. The cabinet then passed a fresh resolution on Monday.Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister on November 27, 2019. Since he was not a member of either House of the state legislature, it is binding on him to become a member within six months, that is, before May 27. “A cabinet meeting has been convened on Wednesday to review the tackling of coronavirus. We may pass a resolution urging the EC to hold elections to the council as early as possible, preferably before May 20.We will follow social distancing norms. The EC has powers to reduce the notice period for the election. It should concede our plea for the sake of stability of the state government,” the cabinet member said. Secondly, the member said there was a proposal to knock at the doors of the Supreme Court for suspending the provision of the election within six months.“In view of the lockdown, the government has postponed the last dates for all statutory activities by three months. Similarly, we feel the apex court should suspend the provision of six months as a special case. Thackeray was unable to contest the elec tions as these were postponed due to the lockdown,” he said.He admitted that in the event Thackeray is not nominated on the council, he would have to quit. Thackeray can then be sworn in as CM again and get elected to either House within six months or a new CM would have to be elected.

The “New Normal” in Las Vegas after the Coronavirus

Page 1 of 7 Farewell Crowded Dayclubs and Nightclubs Nightclubs have a long uphill battle coming out of the pandemic. Some nightclubs in Las Vegas see thousands of patrons pass through their doors each night. Post pandemic, people will be less willing to pack shoulder to shoulder on dancefloors, in queues outside nightclubs, and at packed bars waiting for drinks. This discussion is primarily the large-scale nightclubs, not the smaller often local venues, we’re discussing the big ones! As guests enter nightclubs, at least near term, don’t be surprised to see staff taking the temperature of guests entering the venue. Additionally, expect hosts, managers, cashiers, and all other staff to be wearing masks and in some cases gloves. The need for cleaning staff now is tremendously more important as well as thousands of people touching surfaces will be next to impossible to keep sanitized. Dayclubs are another beast entirely. Packed with patrons, just like nightclubs, they add the risk of a giant petri dish for patrons to bathe in, splashing around for all to share – the pool. A nightmare scenario. Unlike a typical hotel resort pool, where volume is lower and it is easier to manage cleanliness and sanitation, dayclub pools often have hundreds of people entering and exiting the water at once. It’s next to impossible to ensure sanitation at this level. One way expected to mitigate the impossible cleaning task will be to limit the number of people in the water at any given moment.

El presidente del Incaa, Luis Puenzo, aseguró que están trabajando en un impuesto a Netflix

La Casa de Papel, uno de los éxitos de Netflix Crédito: Netflix Comentar Me gusta Me gusta Compartir E-mail Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Guardar 28 de abril de 2020 • 17:13 El director del Incaa, Luis Puenzo, aseguró este martes que el organismo está trabajando en un impuesto a Netflix para financiar el cine argentino. "Hay muchas cosas para revisar, pero en que las plataformas tributen estamos todos de acuerdo, como en su momento pagaron los videoclubes", señaló Puenzo en diálogo con el programa Habrá Consecuencias, por El Destape Radio. El también director de cine aseguró que ya habló del tema con representantes de la empresa. Sobre la crisis actual del sector, el cineasta señaló: "Estamos trabajando sobre tres medidas. Ya tomamos dos. Una son dos ayudas para los dos sindicatos fuertes del cine, los de técnicos y los de actores". "Acordamos una ayuda a las obras sociales de los sindicatos de técnicos y actores de 6 millones para cada uno. Ayudamos a las obras sociales de los sindicatos porque hoy los trabajadores sin trabajo no pueden aportar", adelantó. "Vamos a tomar una medida para directores, guionistas, productores, arte, etc.., son una serie de concursos para poder inyectar dinero en todo el abanico de la industria", señaló el funcionario. "Estamos tratando de ayudar a la industria del cine en lo que podemos, porque los recursos son escasos. Nos llegan menos fondos por la radiodifusión y cero de las entradas de cine, pero estamos haciendo lo posible para ayudar", cerró Puenzo. Conforme a los criterios de Más información

17 dead at Hawthorne Place in North York as military arrives to aid virus-stricken seniors’ homes

Seventeen people have now died from COVID-19 at North York’s Hawthorne Place Care Centre, where 47 residents have tested positive and a team of military personnel is now offering emergency assistance, the home says. The announcement comes on the heels of another reported death at the Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, the province’s second-deadliest nursing home outbreak. To date, Eatonville — which has been named in a class-action lawsuit — has confirmed 39 deaths, with 142 residents and 92 staff testing positive. Results for another 61 people are still pending. Both nursing homes are among the five in Ontario to start receiving military help this week to try and contain their deadly COVID outbreaks. Last week, Premier Doug Ford appealed to Ottawa for teams of military personnel to help with the province’s crisis in long-term care facilities, where the novel coronavirus has been spreading like “wildfire.” In addition to Hawthorne and Eatonville, army medics and nurses are now helping at Altamont Care Community in Scarborough, which has 170 cases among residents and staff and 33 deaths; Grace Manor in Brampton, with 70 total cases and two deaths; at Orchard Villa in Pickering, which has 245 total cases and 48 deaths in the province’s worst outbreak. These facilities were chosen because they “have the most acute staffing challenges leading to poor resident outcomes,” Gillian Sloggett, press secretary for the minister of long-term care, said in an emailed statement. “The Canadian Armed Forces teams will work in partnership with long-term care homes, as well as local hospitals, to help with infection control and prevention, and maintaining staffing levels in the homes,” Sloggett said. “Personnel redeployed will include medics and nurses accustomed to delivering excellent patient care, who will assist with a range of duties.” As recently as Monday, Hawthorne was listed as having just two COVID-19 deaths, according to Toronto Public Health data. In a statement, executive director Gale Coburn confirmed that 62 staff have also tested positive for COVID at Hawthorne, with another 49 test results pending, she said. She said some residents may be retested to “ensure that we have an accurate understanding of the outbreak in our home.” At Hawthorne, 28 support staff from the Canadian Armed Forces are now working alongside registered nurses and other staff, Coburn said. “Our entire team is grateful for the increased staffing support we’ve received ... We applaud each and every individual and organization that continues to support us in putting residents, and their needs, first.” At Eatonville, the military arrived on Monday to lend support to the home, with nearly 30 Canadian Armed Forces staff providing medical support, meals, and housekeeping. “These reinforcements will greatly benefit and bolster the hard-working team at Eatonville Care Centre who have pushed through the last few weeks with dedication and compassion,” said Evelyn MacDonald, executive director of the home, in the statement. “The staff moods have been elevated with the CAF arrival and support. Our thanks again, to the premier and government for moving this initiative forward so quickly.” According to the Star’s most recent count of publicly available records, more than 850 people have died in 268 confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks at an Ontario long-term-care or retirement home. Eatonville has become the target of a class-action lawsuit filed in Ontario Superior Court on Friday that alleges the company running the facility neglected patients and failed to “properly and adequately plan for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... It also alleges the home had inadequate staff and that it failed to comply with provincial and federal health regulations. Responsive Group — which runs several care homes and has not yet filed a statement of defence — said in a statement to the Star that it “recognizes the rights of individuals to advance their concerns through litigation.” “It is equally important that all parties in such matters have the opportunity to present information to the court and for it to be reviewed and thoughtfully considered. The court will then have to determine whether a concern merits certification.” With files from Jenna Moon

絶望…安倍晋三のコロナ経済対策は｢大大失敗｣に終わる いつまで無能ぶりを世界に晒すのだ

矢継ぎ早に経済対策を打ち出す、米トランプ大統領 新型コロナウイルスに関連した経済対策として、ドナルド・トランプ米大統領と米連邦議会による「第4弾」の財政支出の調整がつき、米国政府は巨額の経済対策を矢継ぎ早に打ち出してきた。米国政府は3月6日の第1弾、3月18日の第2弾、3月末に成立した第3弾・約220兆円の追加予算に加えて、第4弾の主な内容は中小企業の給与肩代わりをメインとした予算を組み上げた。これらの追加予算には企業存続・雇用維持に全力を注ぎ、米国の産業競争力を保ってV字回復を狙う、というトランプ政権の強い意志が色濃く反映されている。第1弾から第4弾の合計予算額は約300兆円に迫る超大型の補正予算群となっており、金額面からもその本気度を推し量ることが可能だ。 写真＝iStock.com／sefa ozel トランプ大統領は公約である200兆円の巨額のインフラ投資予算を上記の第4弾に盛り込もうとしていたフシもあり、今後第5弾の財政支出を検討する段階では巨額のインフラ投資が組み込まれてくる可能性がある。また、11月の大統領選挙の結果として、仮に民主党大統領・連邦議会が誕生したとしても、このインフラ投資政策に対する政権の意欲は変わらないことが予測される。そのため、インフラ投資による巨額支出は、米国政府内ですでに立案されており、遅かれ早かれ公表されることになると看做すことが妥当だ。

Crypto, Blockchain Regulation Heats Up as 32 Bills Were Introduced In the 116th Congress

A recent publication by Forbes has revealed that blockchain and cryptocurrency are no longer far-fetched concepts. Within the US' 116th Parliament, a total of 32 bills have been introduced within the past year. Despite the controversial and dynamic nature of these emerging technologies, regulators in Washington D.C appear to have a growing interest; hence the spike in discussions around them. Looking back, most of these discussions gained momentum after the announcement of Libra by Facebook. The IT giant is currently leading several entities towards the creation of a digital currency backed by financial assets like a basket of fiat currencies and treasury securities. However, the project has had its fair share of challenges, especially with the intervention of the U.S senate: which saw Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, summoned back in 2019. According to the Forbes review, bills that involve blockchain and crypto have since popped up and focus on four main areas: These include regulation, promoting blockchain use, curbing illegal activities and the possibility of a digital dollar. Blockchain & Crypto Regulatory Bills The regulatory framework of blockchain and crypto has been a hot topic not only in the U.S senate but other parts of the world as well. This was inevitable given the threat of disruption in existing financial ecosystems by ‘stablecoins’ like the proposed Libra cryptocurrency. It is quite notable that the project attracted quite a few bills around the regulation of digital assets. Some of the prominent ones include ‘Managed Securities are Stablecoins Act’ which was pioneered by Congressman Lance Gooden and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. This bill was brought forward to ensure that projects with a similar model to Libra are regulated as securities. Another one is the ‘Keeping big tech out of Finance’ by Rep Jesus Garcia in a bid to prevent large social media platforms like Facebook from engaging in financial activities. Curbing Illegal Activities in Blockchain and Crypto Digital currencies have raised global concerns on illegal activities such as money laundering, terrorism and human trafficking. This is mainly because of the anonymous nature of crypto transactions while some projects have gone to the extent of full privacy. As a result, Capitol Hill has seen the introduction of 12 bills within this regulatory scope. Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a bill dubbed ‘Defending American Security from Kremlin Act’. The initiative is basically meant to protect crypto exchanges from cyber theft with the same level of attention given to financial institutions. There are also three bills focusing on the integration of blockchain and AI to enhance the KYC/AML procedures by banks offering cryptocurrency services. Spurring Blockchain Adoption by the U.S Government While there may be some challenges, Capitol Hill is not short of identifying opportunities that lay within the blockchain and crypto industry. The regulators are also looking to spur the growth and adoption of distributed ledgers to enhance efficiency and output within the current processes. A bill tabled by Senator Todd Young dubbed ‘Blockchain Promotion Act’ is already past the committee stage and should be voted on soon. This initiative will enable the legal formation of a blockchain working group that will be reporting to Congress on blockchain-related opportunities and their feasibility. Other bills within this niche include the potential use of blockchain for hospital data security in researches done by U.S government agencies. Digital U.S Dollar Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) has gained popularity in the past year after several central banks showed interest in digital assets. Most of them were motivated by Libra’s threat and therefore a need to create a digital currency that could be managed through monetary policy. China appears to be ahead in this curve having pioneered a beta test of the much-awaited digital yuan. In the U.S, two bills were recently introduced based on the possibility of a digital dollar. These are the ‘Automatic Boost Communities Act’ and ‘Banking for All Act’. Going forward, it is likely that more bills within this area of development will pop up in the 117th parliaments as Congress seeks to clarify the oversight of such an asset.

PREMIERE: Weiwu “Ya Wei”

Names are a strange thing. As a musician, a band name can become a costume of sorts, something you put on, but ultimately disregard as a caricature of yourself. It can become something one fights with their label about, a la Prince, or something one must ultimately shed completely. Vishnu Dass, fka Michael Gungor, knows all about labels. As one half the formerly Christian husband-and-wife alternative band Gungor, a quick Google of his name reveals incendiary articles on his faith, Twitter spats among fans, and some of his recent, more revealing projects like his existential podcast Loving THIS with Michael Gungor. After Gungor’s farewell outing in 2019, dubbed “The End of the World Tour,” it was time to make new music with a new name altogether. He had adopted the name Vishnu Dass (meaning “servant of the creator”) in 2017 – it was given to him by the spiritual leader Ram Dass, aka Richard Alpert, author of 1971’s hippie manifesto Be Here Now. He detailed this choice on an episode of The Liturgists, a podcast he co-founded in 2014 with Mike McHargue, aka Science Mike, in order to explore “where faith, science, and art collide.” That name change signified a letting go, a release from the drama and pain of the past. A name that would lead him into a new future. Now, Vishnu Dass has a new solo project he’s calling Weiwu, and it has been a long time coming. It is the culmination of a spiritual journey that started during a 2010 meditation retreat in Assisi, Italy, as Michael was struggling with his belief in God – which was a huge problem, considering he was, at that time, in a multiple Grammy-nominated Christian band with his wife Lisa. “I was in spiritual crisis. I just needed to get away, figure out what was happening. Get my life back in some sort of manageable state,” Vishnu Dass says of that time. “I was questioning the existence of God a lot. I was questioning Christianity. What is true, what is not. Is there a God? What is God if God is real? I was meditating all the time and had this feeling or realization, this opening up – whatever we call God is just what is. I just remember writing in my journal: God is. Infinity is infinite. There is no parsing it out or dividing it.” His revelation in the moment led to him dancing joyously in the fields in Assisi, finally at peace within himself. That peace, however, didn’t last long once he returned home. He chased that feeling of oneness, exhausting himself for years. It wasn’t until he fully let go of his obsession, that he came back to spirituality with a new sense of purpose. The name change, the podcast, and everything that came after – including a 2019 book he wrote titled THIS: Becoming Free, that details how he climbed out of the proverbial cave to meet the divine on his own terms – was a direct result of that reckoning of faith. Weiwu represents the next part of that journey. Meaning “action that is not action,” Weiwu is a Taoist concept that Vishnu Dass utilized within the writing process of his upcoming album. He wrote the entire album in a “flow state,” resisting the urge to edit and forcing himself to stop and delete anything that was not created within flow. This may be the first music Vishnu Dass has written entirely by himself and for himself, a concept we spoke about in depth. In his band Gungor, the music was written, if not directly to God, most definitely for God, or as a way for the audience to praise or experience God. In this new work, Vishnu Dass has allowed himself to fully participate in all aspects of creation, from writing in flow to sound mixing the final edit. “When I take myself out of the equation, it’s not actually being selfless. It’s just being unconscious,” he says. The album is a mix of meditation and dance, meant to be listened to in one sitting, with the sound turned up. “My friend Hillary McBride turned me onto this thing called Five Rhythms Dance,” Vishnu Dass explains. “Gabrielle Roth came up with this kind of philosophy, ways of moving your body through the world. Those five ways are flow, staccato, chaos, miracle, and stillness. I want this music to move my body in these ways. Get the music out of my head and into my body.” The video for “Ya Wei” is a series of visuals, one form leading to the next in a seamless loop. It’s a mix of spiritual imagery with science, reiterating the themes Vishnu Dass has championed throughout his career. The song itself has many of the elements that Gungor was known for: the wall of sound technique, multiple layered voices rising to crescendo. Yet many of the instruments and music patterns in this latest work are drawn from other cultures, and move beyond the evangelical background that informed Gungor. It’s a promising new direction for a musician who has spent the majority of his career in service to religion. The themes remain mystical, but the statements of past songs are turned into questions. Vishnu Dass, aka Michael Gungor, aka Weiwu, has a sense of humor when it comes to his journey as a musician. He doesn’t flinch from conflict or shy away from a difficult conversation. In the end, his new identity has given him the strength to be honest, the joy to create, and the wonder to approach every day with fresh eyes. Follow Weiwu on Facebook for ongoing updates.

No mention of Tara Reade allegations as Biden holds 'women's town hall' with Clinton

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here. Former Vice President Joe Biden, together with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, hosted a virtual town hall Tuesday focused on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on women, but made no mention of recent sexual assault allegations leveled against him. Biden has faced mounting pressure to address sexual assault claims made by former staffer Tara Reade after more of her confidants have recently been reported to have corroborated her story. Biden's campaign has vehemently denied the story, though the candidate himself has not addressed the claims. He and Clinton on Tuesday, however, did talk about abuse against women, and the spike in domestic violence as many women are trapped at home with their abusers amid coronavirus lockdowns and stay-at-home orders across the U.S. Biden insisted that reducing violence against women was “the leading cause of my life,” and encouraged victims to call, text or message the National Domestic Violence Hotline. He said that the federal government should empower the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work with every state to increase shelter options for those fleeing abuse by contracting hotels, motels and shelters. HILLARY CLINTON ENDORSES JOE BIDEN: 'I AM THRILLED TO BE A PART OF YOUR CAMPAIGN' Biden also called for immediate economic relief to survivors, adding that “no one should stay with their abusers because they don’t have the resources to leave.” He called for cash assistance, paid safe days and paid safe leave. Central to the town hall was a call for economic relief for state and local governments, and Clinton said that those governments would need funding in order to provide abuse victims with shelters, police protection or EMT services. During the women’s forum, Biden also accepted an endorsement from Clinton, who in 2018 called on Republicans to give Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford the “benefit of the doubt.” “I want to add my voice to the many who have endorsed you to be our president,” the former first lady said Tuesday. “Just think of what a difference it would make right now if we had a president who not only listened to the science, put fact over fiction, but brought us together, showed the kind of compassion and caring that we need from our president and which Joe Biden has been exemplifying throughout his entire life,” Clinton said. Biden later said he wished the town hall forum was being used for “my supporting your reelection for president of the United States,” referring to the former secretary of state, had she been elected in 2016. “We’d have the pandemic but you would’ve already been prepared for it,” Biden added. “I’ll tell you one thing -- I would have read my intelligence briefings sounding the alarm since January,” Clinton said. Biden also called for other increases in government spending, including freezing rent for “qualifying individuals,” increasing SNAP benefits to give low-income families an additional $100 per month and increasing Social Security payments to older Americans. He called for an additional $1,000 per month to those on Social Security. Both Biden and Clinton accused Trump of trying to cut SNAP benefits during the pandemic, formerly known as food stamps, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that SNAP benefits had increased 40 percent over the last month and families of five with no income were receiving an additional $240 per month. JOE BIDEN CALLS FOR MORE 'ECONOMIC INTERCOURSE' AROUND THE WORLD Biden also called for “pandemic premium pay” for all essential workers and emphasized the need for paid sick leave for all workers to reduce the spread of the virus, in addition to an increase to the minimum wage. Clinton and Biden talked extensively about the need for transparency in coronavirus relief funding. Biden slammed Trump for removing Inspector General Glenn Fine who had been tasked with monitoring the coronavirus economic relief plan, and both Clinton and Biden said there was “basically no oversight of funds,” as some corporations who weren’t meant to receive small business funding gave back “$10, 15 million.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency on Monday launched a website to “promote transparency” in the federal response and track the trillions of dollars of relief spending. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz nominated veteran inspector general Robert Westbrooks to oversee the pandemic response as executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC).

Nick Saban says they had to monitor Jerry Jeudy’s work ethic, because he worked too hard

“I don’t think there’s any question that he’ll have a lot of success in the NFL.” - @AlabamaFTBL HC Nick Saban on @jerryjeudy Tune in NOW to our Virtual War Room » https://t.co/VKCpFqUUM8 pic.twitter.com/gHM5kBApLD As Denver Broncos fans get to know their new 2020 NFL Draft class, one interview of Alabama head coach Nick Saban stands out above the rest when it comes to Jerry Jeudy. They had him pegged as a player they wanted at Alabama when Jeudy was a junior in high school. Jeudy’s work ethic was a big factor. His drive to be the best had his own coaches concerned he would overwork himself. Clearly that wasn’t the case, since he was very productive in college. “We actually had to try to monitor his work outside of the work we did so we wouldn’t have overuse problems with him, which is not normal in a lot of cases.” - Saban “We actually had to try to monitor his work outside of the work we did so we wouldn’t have overuse problems with him, which is not normal in a lot of cases,” Saban said. “We would have practice, then he would go to the weight room and do things and, you know, we said, ‘Jerry, this isn’t the time of year you need to be sort of doing all that stuff’, but he was always a good practice player and had a good attitude. He’s smart, he’s instinctive playing the position. Great option route runner. His greatest strength is he can drop his weight and get in and out of a break and accelerate. He’s quick, but he’s fast and that’s a lethal combination.” Another big positive from Saban was Jeudy’s ability to get open. His instincts and ability to stop and go on a dime will pay dividends at the NFL level early on. Saban noted how Jeudy would often cut his routes off short and leave opportunities on the field, but by the end of his career in Alabama he exercised the patience that led to far more opportunities in the passing game. This pick might be the most exciting Broncos draft pick in years. The potential is all there. Can’t wait to see him on the field in a Broncos uniform!

500+ COVID-19 cases linked to Green Bay area meatpacking plants

GREEN BAY -- More than 500 workers and their close contacts at meatpacking plants in and around Green Bay have tested positive for the coronavirus, based on the latest figures released Tuesday by the Brown County Health Department. The Green Bay area has been a hot spot for COVID-19 cases due to spread among workers at the meatpacking plants and their close contacts. There were 255 employees of JBS Packerland who tested positive, and another 79 positive cases among people connected to the workers. That plant closed on Sunday. There were 145 workers who tested positive at American Foods Group, with another seven positive cases among people linked to the employees. And there were another 23 cases among workers at Salm Partners, a sausage maker in Denmark, about 20 miles away. Salm Brothers employs about 450 people, JBS employs about 1,200 and about 1,500 work at American Foods. Brown County registered its third death from the virus on Tuesday and had more than 900 confirmed cases countywide. Statewide, the total number of positive cases neared 6,300 and 300 people have died. More than half of the deaths, 174, have been in Milwaukee County.

Pence Tours Mayo Clinic Without Mask Even Though He Was Told to Wear One

KEY POINTS Vice President Mike Pence toured the Mayo Clinic without a mask despite that renowned medical facility requiring all visitors had to wear masks to avoid spreading the coronavirus. Pence, who leads the White House’s coronavirus task force, said he is regularly tested for the virus, and so far has been shown to be negative for it. President Donald Trump has said that he will not wear a mask, even as more than 1 million Americans have contracted the virus that causes COVID-19. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday toured the Mayo Clinic without wearing a mask, despite that renowned medical facility telling him that masks are required for visitors and everyone else there to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Video from a journalist pool camera at the Mayo Clinic at one point shows that 10 people in the area around Pence, including a patient, were wearing masks and personal protective equipment. Pence, who leads President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, later suggested to reporters that he did not need to wear a mask because he is tested regularly for the virus, and does not have it. The Mayo Clinic, which is located in Rochester, Minn., is requiring all patients, visitors and staff to wear a face covering or mask to slow the spread of COVID-19. The clinic said in a Twitter post that it had informed Pence of its policy mandating mask before he toured the facility. The clinic said in a Twitter post that it had informed Pence of its policy mandating a mask before he toured the facility. "Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today," Mayo Clinic wrote. About a half-hour after that tweet was posted, it was deleted by the Mayo Clinic. Press Pool Video Other video shows people wearing masks when they greeted Pence at an airport. The vice president was not wearing a mask when he got off his plane and headed to the Mayo Clinic. While at the facility, Pence participated in a discussion with top doctors there, along with Minnesota Gov. Governor Tim Walz and Rep. Jim Hagedorn, a Republican whose district in Minnesota includes the city of Rochester. Pence appeared to be the only official who participated in that discussion who did not wear a mask, according to a pool report. On the same day that Pence visited the Mayo Clinic, the tally of Americans who have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection topped 1 million. At least 57,266 Americans have died from COVID-19. Pence was asked about why he did not wear a mask in the very first question at his press conference at the Mayo Clinic. "As vice president of the United States, I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus," Pence said. "When the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] issued guidelines about wearing a mask it was their recognition that people that may have the coronavirus could prevent the possibility of conveying the virus to someone else by wearing a mask, and since I don’t have the coronavirus I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to be here to be able to speak to these researchers, this incredible health-care personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you," Pence said. A Mayo Clinic spokesman, when asked for comment, said in an email that, "Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP’s office." The spokesman did not respond to the question of why the Mayo Clinic deleted its tweet about Pence. Pence’s aides last week told The New York Times that he did not wear a mask for the same reasons he gave Tuesday. But the newspaper noted that Pence could contract the virus between his tests, and that the tests are not always accurate. Should Your State Reopen? For states considering lifting quarantine measures, the official guidelines propose either a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases within two weeks or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests. As shown below, when you compare yesterday’s new case count with that of two weeks ago, the number is often lower, simply because the counts fluctuate. Critics call the measures vague and ultimately because they aren’t binding, some states are choosing to reopen whether they meet the criteria or not. Trump three weeks ago said that new guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged all Americans to wear masks in public settings, to help reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. But Trump said he would not follow that guidance himself. "I just don’t want to wear one myself, it’s a recommendation," Trump said at the time. "Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know, I don’t see it for myself," Trump said. - Additional reporting by Tucker Higgins This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC:

Kylie Jenner y Anastasia Karanikolaou encienden las redes haciendo twerk en bikini

La joven modelo y empresaria estadounidense Kylie Jenner y su mejor amiga la influencer y modelo, Anastasia Karanikolaou, dejaron ver sus voluptuosas curvas mientras hacían un baile de twerk al ritmo de la canción Tiger King que se hizo viral recientemente en la red social de videos TikTok. Cabe destacar que, Kylie estaba tomando el sol en un ajustado bikini negro mientras que Anastasia posaba en un traje baño al estilo tie-dye. También te puede interesar: Meryl Streep bebe unas cuantas copas con sus amigas y es la sensación en la red Asimismo, Jenner confesó que su mejor amiga y ella se han dedicado este tiempo a ensayar las coreografías populares de la nueva plataforma de videos musicales tiktok. También te puede interesar: El príncipe Harry consigue su primer proyecto en Netflix Me gusta esto: Me gusta Cargando...

Step-by-step guide for how to apply for Oregon unemployment benefits as independent contractor, gig worker

Here is a step-by-step guide to what you will need to apply and how to determine if you are eligible from the Oregon Employment Department.” Elliot Njus/The Oregonian On April 28, 2020, the Oregon Employment Department launched a system for self-employed workers to apply for unemployment benefits. Don't Edit Oregon is offering a new benefit, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, for the self-employed, independent contractors and gig workers, who previously were not eligible for benefits because their employers had not paid into the system. Congress authorized the new benefits. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Here's a sneak peek at the application form you will need to fill out and send in. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit The World Health Organization declared the pandemic on March 11, 2020. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Even more questions answered by the state here. Don't Edit

Trump suggests coronavirus aid to states could depend on sanctuary city policies

President Trump on Tuesday suggested that new federal payments to help states deal with the coronavirus pandemic could depend on whether or not they were home to sanctuary cities. “If it is COVID related, we can talk about it. We want things including sanctuary city adjustments,” the president said during an event in the East Room of the White House. “I don’t even think they are popular even by radical left, because people are being protected that shouldn’t be protected and bad things are happening with sanctuary cities,” Trump continued at the event, which also showcased small business owners who’d benefited from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. “It is one of the things we think about. If we are going to do something for states, they will want something having to do with sanctuary cities and other different points that we can discuss a little later on.” Trump has frequently railed against sanctuary cities, which generally decline to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and offer services to illegal immigrants. During the event, which was co-hosted by first daughter Ivanka Trump, several small business owners thanked the president for the Paycheck Protection Program, which helped them retain workers and stay afloat. Amy Wright, CEO and Founder, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, a small chain of coffee shops that hires people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, praised the PPP. “We employ 120 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For most of them, it is their first paying job, which made the decision for us to temporarily close all five of our shops especially difficult,” Wright said. “But thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program and the incredible team, all 120 employees are back on the payroll today and working from home writing handwritten notes that we include with each online order we ship.” The PPP was set up through the CARES Act — the bill that was passed in March that sent many Americans direct payments of $1,200. But the initial $350 billion the bill quickly proved insufficient to meet demand. Congress agreed to later allocate another $250 billion to the PPP when it passed an additional $484 billion stimulus package last week. The SBA has also instituted new guidelines for the fund, which require companies to certify with their lenders that the can’t get relief elsewhere, and that recipients of SBA loans over $2 million undergo extra scrutiny.

Surprise discovery in Flynn case: former lawyers find evidence they failed to produce

The surprises keep coming in former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's legal battle to overturn his conviction in the Russia probe. Just days after the FBI belatedly produced possible evidence of innocence to Flynn's new legal team led by Attorney Sidney Powell, his old law firm on Tuesday informed the judge it had located 6,800 documents that it failed to turn over as required by a court order in 2019. Covington & Burling LLP told the court its search team failed to search all of the law firm's records and missed the documents, mostly emails. The documents were produced to Powell on Tuesday. "Covington determined that an unintentional miscommunication involving the firm’s information technology personnel had led them, in some instances, to run search terms on subsets of emails ... rather than on the broader sets of emails that should have been searched," Flynn's former attorney Robert Kelner told the court in a motion. "We now have performed another search, using search terms and manual reviews, on a broader universe of material to correct the earlier error and to transfer additional documents that are part of the client file," Kelner wrote, saying his firm was willing to assist Powell on any other matters and to address any questions the judge may have about the oversight. You can read the motion here. Flynn was forced to step down as President Trump's former national security adviser just weeks into his new job after a transcript of his calls with the Russian ambassador was leaked to the media, raising questions about whether he was part of an effort to collude with Moscow. Flynn eventually pled guilty to a charge of lying to prosecutors and became a cooperating witnesses for Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who ultimately concluded there was no evidence Flynn or any other Trump official conspired with Russia to hijack the 2016 election. His plea deal was reached while he was will represented by Kelner. Powell took over as Flynn's new lawyer last summer, and the judge in the case order Covington to turn over all defense documents to her. Powell has tried to reverse Flynn's guilty plea, dramatically alleging that FBI agents sought to "frame" her client on an unwarranted charge of lying and that Mueller's team and Covington improperly hid from the court that Flynn's plea deal was connected to a side deal not to prosecute his son. The court is expected to make public soon the new, but still sealed, FBI documents that were belatedly turned over to Powell, which she argued in a Friday court motion provided evidence that agents engaged in misconduct during the Russia probe.

Sony Could Bring Cortana-Like “Chatbot” To PlayStation 5

There have already been at least a couple of occasions where Sony Interactive Entertainment was spotted to be considering a dedicated voice assistant for PlayStation 5. In one patent, the unannounced artificial intelligence-powered system was dubbed as PlayStation Assistant. In another, the new DualSense controller for PS5 was suggested to be able to take voice commands through a built-in microphone array. Both patents from Sony highlighted how the Siri- or Cortana-like virtual assistant could help answer queries voiced by the user. In a more recently updated patent, Sony has once again put forth the idea of a chatbot that can process voice commands based on their intent. Thus, allowing the dubbed PlayStation Assistant to provide the user with additional information on top of and in relation to the original query. It’s worth mentioning here that voice command features like these obviously, have been used in other Sony electronic devices including mobile phones. So it would be interesting to see an AI in PS5 taking voice commands. Similar to how internet searches work these days, a user asking when the next God of War will release will also have the voice assistant gather information such as features and latest development updates. Hence, in a way, as Sony envisions, answering queries before they are made. A chatbot learns a person’s related intents when asking for information and thereafter, in response to an initial query, which the chatbot answers, the chatbot generates a secondary dialogue, either providing the person with additional information or inquiring as to whether the person wishes to know more about a subject. The chatbot may use an external trigger such as time, event, etc. and automatically generate a query or give information to the person without any initial query from the person. Interestingly, the patent also suggests that the potential voice assistant of PlayStation 5 will actually have an avatar capable of lip syncing during communications. That being said, note that not everything mentioned in patents and trademarks get to see the light. It all comes down to design and what is deemed most suitable for release. With multiple patents discovered already, there seems to be a high chance that Sony may yet reveal its voice assistant system. The company, though, will have to first reveal PlayStation 5, which is still scheduled to launch worldwide during the holiday season at the end of the year. Unlike Microsoft, Sony still has to show its next-generation console as well unravel what plans the company has for the future.

Canucks are a finalist to sign talented Swedish free agent forward: report

It’s down to the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings in the Mathias Brome sweepstakes, according to a report from TSN 1040’s Rick Dhaliwal. I expect Swedish free agent F Mathias Brome to sign soon, it’s down to the #Canucks and Red Wings. — Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 28, 2020 *Update: He chose Detroit. Brome, a 25-year-old free agent left winger who finished sixth in scoring in the Swedish Hockey League last season with 43 points in 52 games, was first linked to the Canucks more than a month ago. “Brome is a late-bloomer that only found himself a few short years ago in Sweden’s professional ranks, at which point his speed, puck skills and peskiness made him a top-flight scorer for Orebro HK,” says JD Burke, editor-in-chief of EliteProspects. “He’s defensively responsible, and he might even have utility on an NHL penalty kill. His scoring profile, while impressive relative to the SHL, isn’t what one might expect from a high-end piece, particularly when one adjusts for age, but the parts of his game that make him successful in Sweden are highly transferrable to the NHL.” Brome made the move to the SHL in 2017, playing two seasons with Mora IK before starring with Orebro HK in 2019-20. The 6-foot, 183-pound forward has seen a jump in his goals, assists, and points in each SHL season. Here’s an example of Brome’s speed and skill as he used the Forsberg move on a breakaway back in September: Mathias Bromé har tjatat hela morgonen – Så här kommer lite hockeygodis! 🍬 pic.twitter.com/xKHibkIpqx — Örebro Hockey (@orebrohockey) September 18, 2019 The NHL announced earlier today that it had extended its player development agreement with a number of federations around the world, including Sweden, enabling a deal to now get done immediately. The @NHL extends Player Development Agreements for the 2020-21 season. pic.twitter.com/ttigXvENjZ — NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 28, 2020 Canucks fans will also be eagerly awaiting news of a deal with Nils Hoglander, the impressive 19-year-old they picked in the second round of last year’s draft. Their first-rounder from that year, Vasily Podkolzin, still has one year left on his KHL contract.

AMLO confirma que se presentó primera querella contra empresa deudora

El presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmó que su gobierno ya presentó ante la Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) la primera querella por presunto fraude fiscal contra una de las 15 empresas nacionales y extranjeras que deben a la hacienda pública 50 mil millones de pesos. El pasado 21 de abril, la columna Bajo Reserva de EL UNIVERSAL adelantó que la Oficina de Presidencia ya había realizado esta acción contra una de estas empresas deudoras. "Algunos piensan que es como antes y que no va a pasar nada. Ya di instrucciones de que se presenten querellas y denuncias porque no soy encubridor. No puede ser que, si hay una deuda de 8 y hasta de 10 mil millones de una gran corporación que tiene para pagar, se encubra, me convertiría en cómplice. “Por lo pronto una se acaba de interponer hace unos días. Esa querella… es que son dos cosas. Es un juicio, esa empresa grande, grande, grande, son como 10 mil millones, pero de esos 10 mil millones hay mil 50 millones que claramente, como dicen los abogados, se pueden tipificar como fraude fiscal. Por eso es la vía penal. Ya está todo, ya se están formando los expedientes y las denuncias". En conferencia de prensa en Palacio Nacional, López Obrador informó que de las 15 de estas empresas, todavía deben entre seis y siete alrededor de 35 mil millones de pesos. - ¿Cuántas de estas empresas siguen debiendo? -Como seis, siete grandes empresas nacionales y extranjeras. - ¿Cuánto deben estas seis o siete empresas en su conjunto? -Pues si dieron 15 y deben 50, deben 35 mil millones, o sea nos da para otro millón de créditos. El presidente declaró esto al revelar que empresarios le propusieron una prórroga de pago de impuestos de hasta seis meses después que pasara la crisis sanitaria del coronavirus. “Imagínense si decretamos una prórroga para que se paguen los impuestos después, nos quedamos sin recaudación, ¿y cómo vamos a proteger a los pobres? ¿De dónde va a salir el dinero para darle los apoyos para las pensiones a los adultos mayores, a los niños con discapacidad? Ellos no creen eso (…) Yo tengo que proteger, blindar a los más necesitados”. “¿Imagínense que yo autorizo prórroga para el pago de impuestos, si no están acostumbrados los de arriba a pagar impuesto, que estoy fomentando? La cultura del no pago”. cg

Nannies Tell the Truth About Working During the Coronavirus

Illustration: Patrick Leger “We are like items to them; they can’t go without us.” I’m a live-in nanny for an ultrahigh-net-worth Manhattan family. I have a degree in early-childhood education and decades of professional nanny experience. The family I work for is pretty high profile. These people could afford to keep a full staff on furlough for months on end with benefits, but they choose not to. They’ve had people quit on them because of safety reasons. They told them, “Okay. Well, then, you’re not getting a reference. How dare you let us down.” But most of the people who they employ are foreign-born like me and would have a hard time sticking up for themselves. During the week, I stay with them at their outrageously large Hamptons house, so of course they need an outrageously large staff. There wasn’t really a conversation about moving up to the Hamptons with them; it was basically just “This is how it’s going to be.” For the first time since working there, I had a sort of Are you kidding me? reaction. Normally, I’m a “yes, ma’am” type of person. And that quickly escalated to her screaming that I had better come in or else. But then she was like, “I’ll make it worth your while.” I don’t know if that’s going to come to fruition. There’s so many people coming in and out of the house. There’s a sports coach for the kids, and he goes to other people’s houses and works with their kids, too. And then they have the chef that goes to the grocery store every day. There’s people who come in to do hair blow-dries a few days a week, a manicurist, a personal trainer. The other housekeepers and nannies are like, This is really ridiculous. They haven’t asked any of the workers to stop coming in. Why don’t they care? One of my co-workers, she has just been washing the clothes of the kids nonstop every time they come in contact with a new person. And if I’ve ordered anything on Amazon, like school supplies, I quarantine the boxes in the pool house for two days. I get met with a lot of rolled eyes from my employers. They don’t seem to be worried, even though when I started coming into the Hamptons, I had a cough. The dad seems to be a germophobe. He’s freaking out all the time about my kids washing their hands, but if we’re FaceTiming someone and I’m coughing in the background, he’ll say, “Oh, it’s just the nanny.” They have been sending me and my co-workers back to Manhattan on weekends in a private car together. But the driver doesn’t work exclusively with them, so there’s other people that go in this car at other times. One of my co-workers has a big family, they’re elderly, and also one of my co-workers’ husbands is really sick and is one of the delicate people that should not be exposed at all. Our employers probably don’t even know she has a family. It’s not one of the things they would wonder about. The dad sits on the couch all day on the phone doing business. But then he has the gall to tell people, “Oh, it’s so hard being with my kids. They’re doing all this homeschooling.” And I’m like, You haven’t done one thing with that! It’s me! They’ve never taken care of their own kids for more than an hour. One of my colleagues, whenever she is in the city, has to shop around for specialty items for them: things the chef needs that they can’t find in the Hamptons, and obviously they can’t use any old kind of toilet paper; they have to use their nice toilet paper, so she has to go to a few different shops to try and find it. There’s lots of specific items that they have become accustomed to and that they can’t go without. Just like the people. We are like items to them; they can’t go without us. “A lot of them had to go into work, and that’s one of the reasons why I think so many of them lost their lives.” I’m from St. Vincent. I came to this country about 14 years ago. Before the coronavirus, I was taking care of a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old. Then when I went in on a Monday morning, the bosses, who are both lawyers, said they were going to stay home and they would contact me to let me know what’s going on. I took it for granted because a lot of other nannies, their bosses are sending their money to their homes. But then they paid me the first week, and that’s it. I had to file unemployment. I put my everything into taking care of these kids. So at least parents should see that and appreciate it without having to remind them. This is a crisis. And if it wasn’t for this crisis, I would be at work. Still, I’m not going to reach out to them, because why did other employers find it in their heart to pay me? I cook for an old guy in Manhattan, just two days a week, and he has sent money to me three times right now. So why should I have to call them and ask them to pay me? I will never do that, believe me. They aren’t stupid. I have a 14-year-old son. I have to pay rent. It’s hard. It’s really, really hard. Now I just try and follow instructions and stay home. Everybody wants to live, so you just have to comply with the rules. My very good friend of about 35 years, Jenna Layne, passed away from the coronavirus. She was working as a nanny on the East Side of Manhattan. We were really, really close. She was one of the most beautiful people you could ever meet. A lot of nannies from the Caribbean have died. We have a nannies group, and they would post the people. It’s about ten to 15 from the Caribbean. A lot of them had to go into work, and that’s one of the reasons why I think so many of them lost their lives. We know that money is important, but I would have really not gone into work. Because if you have the money and you lose your life, what sense does it make? “Now I’m seeing them be real people.” I grew up in Chicago and got a bachelor’s degree in child development. I was a nanny there for three years after college before moving to New York. The family I work with now has a beach house in New Jersey, so they decided to go there. They offered for me to bring my fiancé and dog and cat and stay with them because they have the space. But my fiancé has to work in the city, so he stayed home. It turns out my employers actually own multiple houses next to each other, and they have their college friends staying in the other houses, as well as the kid’s aunt and uncle, so there’s about eight of us in this little complex. I knew they were very well off — they live in a very fancy building that has celebrities in it. When they said they had a beach house, it’s like, Okay, lots of people in their neighborhood have beach houses. But then they’ll be like, “Oh, our family also owns houses all over the country.” I feel like a lot of times, they’ll ask my opinion about things, like, “What do you think: Should we open up the pool?” The uncle really wanted to and then everyone else was like, “It’s kind of early.” And I was like, “I’ve never had a pool. I would have opened up the pool three days ago, and I would swim every day.” They just laughed. They’re buying me everything I need to be here, food and toiletries, because it’s nothing to them. Sometimes we’ll all go online shopping together, and they’ll be like, “Let’s all buy Lululemon pants together.” But other times they’re like, “Let’s see if Rolex is having a sale.” And I’m like, Oh, okay, I’m out of the conversation now. It’s a bit awkward because we wouldn’t normally see each other in this light. Like, it’s Friday night — is it weird if we all drink wine together? I’ve been kind of looking at the line of what’s acceptable and what’s not. Because they’re still my bosses. I’m definitely more weird about it than they are. One night they were making margaritas, and they were like, “Come drink with us. You can have 100 margaritas if you want!” But I don’t want to have 100 margaritas with my bosses. Them and their college friends are always like, “Let’s play drinking games!” It’s nice that they included me, but I feel so uncomfortable. What if I get drunk and embarrass myself? Now I’m seeing them be real people. They’ll be telling college stories, and it never even occurred to me that they, like, got drunk off boxed wine in college, because I just thought they were fancy rich people. I just assume if your parents have money, you don’t have to work in college, but they are like, “No, we all used to be bartenders. That’s why we love service people.” They’re very aware of not infecting other people. They’re not going out and stuff like that, but that is their only worry. Other people are worried that they’re going to be homeless or they’re going to starve. It kind of makes me upset because I feel like a lot of people are about to be homeless when it would take $1,000 to pay their rent and then there are people that are like, “I’m really bored. I should get the boats out of storage.” If you have money, you have no fear. You’re not afraid of anything. “Some people, in difficult times, they want to abuse you.” Illustration: Patrick Leger I’ve been a nanny for 17 years. In 2018, I started with a family with a baby. Then the coronavirus came. I take the train, and when I see the situation is very bad, I say to myself, I’m not going to take the train anymore because it’s dangerous. I can’t get sick. I’m 53 years old — I have to stay home. I live in the Bronx, and they live in Battery Park. I told her I don’t want to take the train because it’s dangerous. I told her I’m afraid. My children’s grandma on the other side passed away from the coronavirus. My daughter, in my country, had the coronavirus. She’s good now, thank God. I’m from the Dominican Republic, though I’ve been in America for 22 years. I don’t have work documentation. I don’t have health insurance. She told me, “If you’re not working, you can’t get paid.” I said, “It’s okay. I prefer to be healthy and not sick, because then I can find someone else to hire me.” She ended up paying me half because she said she felt bad, though I told her she didn’t have to. Then last week she called me and offered, “Oh, we’re going to rent a house in upstate New York. You can come stay with us.” I said, “I can’t because I have my grandchild living with me.” She said, “Oh, we can bring him. He can have his own room.” So we packed food and clothes, and her husband came and picked us up and drove us there. Once I was there, I asked her, since I’m live-in now, how much you want to pay me? I normally make $800 a week. She said she wanted to charge me $300 a week out of my paycheck because my grandson was with me, because she said “we’re going to give your grandson food.” And I said, “I don’t want you giving nothing to my grandson. I told you I’d buy him food. I’d never think you’d want to charge me $300 a week.” Then on Sunday last week, they said now we’re going to go to the Poconos, because they had bad internet at the first house. I thought about it and I said, “I’m not going to go. Because you want to squeeze me.” I told them, “Please take me home.” She said, “You don’t want to work anymore?” I said, “No, I just want to go home.” I was working hard. When I went downstairs at night, I had to cook because I had to feed my grandchild. Yet everyone ate the food that I made. I did the dishes. She treated me like her housekeeper when I’m supposed to be her nanny. I want to explain this to you, because some people, in difficult times, they want to abuse you. I told her she had to be careful about how she talks to me, because her child is crazy about me, she loves me. And I said, “You know how I treat your kids? I want you to treat me like that.” “In this profession, other peoples’ needs and wants come before your own.” Myself and the parents, we have excellent communication. We are very transparent with one another, and we’ve always said if anybody in the house does not feel well, we will let each other know. So a few weeks ago, I found out that the friends that I had close contact with had tested positive. I told the parents and got in touch with my doctor and quarantined myself. I’m living on the property. I have a bedroom, bathroom, closets, and a kitchen area to myself, and lots of windows with sunshine and fresh air. They have a very large home in a suburb of Connecticut. We made sure I had fresh linens and toilet paper and fresh meals and my strong cup of coffee in the morning. They really went above and beyond. Now that I’m out of isolation, I’m taking care of the whole family unit, where before it was primarily the children. So making sure everybody has what they need, what they want. Is everybody getting a workout in the gym? Do I need to make sure the children are out of the house if the parents need to work? I’m cooking for the whole family. In this profession, other peoples’ needs and wants come before your own. I think to have that mind-set doesn’t come naturally for a lot of people in the service profession. But for me, I have to put them first. It’s my responsibility. I actually initiated the conversation earlier this week to see if I need to adjust anything I’m doing since we’re going to be there for the long haul. We discussed the other workers who come into the home — if there’s a point where they can come in, what that will look like. And I said, “Look, I can pick up a mop.” I need to maintain flexibility in this job role. The other night, the mom said, “I’m closing up the kitchen for the night. Do you need a cup of tea?” I said, “Yeah, that would be great.” And then I texted back and said, “I really feel guilty. I’m supposed to be taking care of you.” And she replied back, “Now it’s my turn to take care of you.” *This article appears in the April 27, 2020, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!

Predestination and Human Actions

The legend of Oedipus is often considered the classic example of Greek fatalism. Troubled by doubts about his parentage, the protagonist consults an oracle who declares that he is destined to murder his father and marry his mother. Although Oedipus repudiates the awful prophecy, events cruelly conspire to bring about its fulfillment. All his efforts to evade his fate prove futile. The Reformed or Calvinistic doctrines of providence and predestination are often charged with being fatalistic. Yet this characterization trades on some deep confusions. Calvinism does indeed affirm that all events in creation are foreordained by God. As the Westminster Confession of Faith puts it, “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass” (3.1). Nevertheless, the confession immediately adds that this divine foreordination does not render meaningless the wills of God’s creatures. On the contrary, God normally works out His eternal purposes though secondary causes such as human agents and natural processes. Biblical examples of God directing human actions to His own ends include the story of Joseph (Gen. 45:5–8; 50:20), the Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel (Isa. 10:5–11), and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:27–28). How, then, does Calvinism differ from fatalism? Shouldn’t a Calvinist admit that Judas was fated to betray Jesus (John 17:12; Acts 1:16) just as Oedipus was fated to kill his father? We should note first that “fate” was understood by the ancients to be an impersonal force or principle that applied equally to men and gods. Just as the Greeks failed to acknowledge a transcendent personal Creator, so they lacked any notion of a sovereign God who directs all things “to his own holy ends” (WCF 5.4). For the pagan fatalist, there is no divine hand of providence, no overarching plan of God. There is no rhyme or reason to the fated outcomes; the universe is a theater of absurdity and tragedy. Contrast that with the biblical worldview, according to which God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11) and “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

The Autocanonizer

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Bob Odenkirk by Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum

Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Mr. Show) joins us this week to talk about the ‘perfect amount of fame’ he’s been able to develop through everything from Mr. Show and SNL to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Bob opens up on his innate cynicism he has and how it’s uncomfortable for him to interact with people not on that same wavelength. This is a great episode folks, we also get into the idea of expected attention, some frustrating experiences on the set of Better Call Saul, and the tragedy of how Chris Farley’s life played out.

Milwaukee Clinics Offer COVID-19 Testing To Uninsured, Homeless

Milwaukee’s five community health centers are offering COVID-19 testing and care for people who don’t have a regular doctor, including the uninsured and homeless. Testing for people with COVID-19 symptoms is being paid for by the state and Milwaukee County Emergency Operations Centers. Local health care systems have also contributed funds. Sign up for daily news! Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. People experiencing symptoms, should call their closest center before going to the clinic. This allows the health centers to limit exposure to patients as well as staff and help the community prevent further spread of COVID-19. The five clinics include:

UNM joins CABQ initiative to offer free outdoor Wi-Fi access

IT provides additional access points in UNM vicinity The University of New Mexico has joined the City of Albuquerque’s “Wi-Fi on Wheels” program, an initiative designed to offer free internet access at various parking lots across the city in an effort to help those without internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We’re all in this together, which means supporting students in grade school all the way through the University level,” said Dan Garcia, UNM vice president of enrollment services. “Each of us defines all of us, and UNM’s partnership with the City of Albuquerque and Albuquerque Public Schools is a way we can support both current and future Lobos.” “This program is critical to ensuring that everyone throughout our City has access to information, education and social connection, even those who don’t have access to the internet at home,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Thank you to UNM for stepping up to help expand the available network so that more people can benefit from this program.” Current locations for the “Wi-Fi on Wheels” program include select public libraries, some Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) campuses offering grab-and-go meals and certain APS high schools that distributed Chromebooks to students. The program is particularly useful to students who need to download assignments or upload completed work in order to complete their classes. The location of UNM’s mobile Wi-Fi is near at the Smartcone van in UNM’s RIO Parking lot located at University Blvd. and Avenida Cesar Chavez near UNM’s Student Services Center. It will be operated from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. The initial collaboration was created to help provide internet access to as many citizens as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assist Albuquerque Public Schools in their effort to connect students to the resources they need to work on academics. The City of Albuquerque extended its public access to free Wi-Fi hotspots in early April by providing additional locations in areas where social distancing is possible. The City has now created 65 Wi-Fi access points in parking lots around the community where residents can get online. The City of Albuquerque’s Wi-Fi on Wheels program can be accessed from a variety of parking lots. Available times and network name vary by locations. To use the service, a wireless device such as a laptop computer, smart phone or tablet is needed. There is no password needed to logon. The City encourages citizens to follow social distancing guidelines while using the public Wi-Fi. In addition to linking up with Wifi on Wheels, UNM IT is extending its Wi-Fi network to include the G-lot, IT parking lot, IT South lot and SSSC lot (see below for coverage maps). Access is now available for 140 cars in G lot, 232 cars in SSSC lot, and 40 cars in IT South lot. This will allow upwards of nearly 200 more users to access the internet from those combined locations, all while practicing social distancing by safely leaving an empty parking space between cars. With high speeds of up to 350 Mbps, the extended coverage will enable both UNM and APS students to participate in synchronous online classes. University leaders say there will be a notable boost in network speed when this is complete, which is planned for some time next week. K-12 graders can access the Wi-Fi using the LoboGuest network, while UNM students can select Lobo-Wifi by using their UNM NetID and password. For additional information, visit Wi-Fi on Wheels. This website will be updated as location information changes. G-lot Coverage SSSC Coverage

COBOL Isn’t Slowing Anything Down

Who Uses COBOL? COBOL and Compatibility COBOL and Modern Languages Identifying the Problem The press is writing stories that they know nothing about and didn’t research Volume and code changes occur which need to be done quickly COBOL Programs Will Continue to Process There are several misperceptions and assumptions with respect to COBOL and the latest difficulties several government entities have been experiencing due to COVID-19. COBOL and the IBM Zplatform were leading-edge technologies 40 years ago and they both still are today. They're increasingly innovative with each release. Both are quite modern and expertly designed tools. Even systems that run on an expertly designed tool that has a sudden increase in traffic is susceptible to performance problems. Add a simultaneous requirement change and the problem is compounded. This is what has happened to state governments. The systems of record may be COBOL but COBOL isn’t the problem, nor is the mainframe. The problem lies in the increase in transaction volume and the need to make sudden changes to programs that happen to be written in COBOL.There are a number of states that use COBOL, a language that has been widely reported to have an estimated 220 billion lines of code being actively used today. Also, many banks, insurance companies, airlines, railroads and retail point-of-sale systems also use COBOL. If you use ATMs, electricity or have a bank account, you’re likely using COBOL built systems. So, safe to say that most Americans and people globally who do some of the same activities every day like banking, are using COBOL and the mainframes that run itMany of us have installed a new version of Windows at some point and then spent countless hours trying to get other applications to work or Windows itself to work. We download new application versions, run programs as administrators or in compatibility mode to try getting everything functional. It has been painful for many users but vastly improved with each release. This past week though, I was wondering why no one ever says that that old PC OS, Windows, developed in way back in 1983, is the problem? We’re talking over 30 years old! Well, the difference is that many people globally, use Windows every day. Right?Part of the problem is also part of the beauty of COBOL and mainframes. Mainframes and the infrastructure that runs on mainframes has always been written to support the work that was done before. This was done to ensure that applications customers wrote would continue to work without needing to change them just because a new OS was installed, or a new mainframe was cabled up.The software I wrote many years ago will still run today on the newest mainframe and under the most current OS. I don’t see that in many other industries. Since the supporting infrastructure on the IBM Z platform, enables all customer code to continue running as upgrades are done, those applications simply continue to function. Customers can take advantage of the myriad number of advancements in new hardware and software if they choose or they can allocate time and resources to something else that is important to them. Imagine having to rewrite or reinstall hundreds of applications every time you bought a new mainframe or upgraded your OS? IBM Z customers and COBOL users don’t have this concern.COBOL programs written years ago or 10 minutes ago are forward compatible. IBM has done this purposefully and expertly. If customers want to take advantage of the enhancements we build into the product they can, if they choose to. Even if they don’t, their programs will continue to run.Like Windows (1983), COBOL (1959) was developed in the last century. Many see COBOL as archaic, which is misinformed and incorrect. Modern programming languages like Java (1991), C++ (1983) and Python (1991) support constructs like object-oriented programming, 64-bit addressing, and utilize APIs. Well, COBOL does those things too. In fact, COBOL applications can be invoked as services that connect frontend systems that use HTTP, Apache, JavaScript, etc.COBOL is also equipped with tools that handle XML and JSON processing. Application programmers can utilize 64-bit addressing without changing their code. However, COBOL isn’t a general-purpose language. COBOL was purposely designed for applications that perform transaction processing like payroll, banking, airline booking, etc. You put data in, process that data and send a result out.Misinformed perceptions about COBOL often emerge for the following reasons:I’ll address the latter but not the former. Anyone who has been in information technology for more than a few minutes knows that if you suddenly increase the volume of transactions your application is processing, application behavior will change unless you have prepared for that to happen. Additionally, if you suddenly change the requirements that the code operates by and demand that those changes happen ASAP, you’ll need skilled programmers who know your applications to make those changes.Rapidly changing transaction volumes can have deleterious effects on an application if provisions weren’t planned for. The areas that can be affected are widespread; network, routers, switches, storage and processing capacity. All of this can affect application performance. In the case of COVID-19 we have systems designed for a threshold of activity that has changed dramatically and rapidly. Not only is front-end infrastructure impacted, back-end infrastructure is too. New regulation is also forcing many of these systems to change. Those changes should be made by programmers who know the application if possible, not newly minted ones.There are systems that must now accommodate a huge influx of sustained activity and simultaneously change to accommodate new requirements. Changing the software will likely be the easy part since the additional change necessary to suddenly handle 2x, 4x or 10x increase in traffic could take planning across several disciplines and money. Adding circuits, increasing bandwidth or making provisions to enable your systems to handle more data and transactions takes effort and expense.COBOL is part of these systems but is only one of many and not the only area that needs augmentation and mitigation. Systems that see a relatively steady flow of traffic are often just left running and don’t get a lot of attention. Contrast that with systems that see routine spikes in traffic like retail enterprises plan for seasonal demand increases. They know what’s coming. State governments have been taken by surprise. Fortunately, COBOL programs will continue to process no matter how much is pushed through them and mainframe capacity can be changed dynamically if more processing power is needed.

Mulher morre em confusão por máscara em supermercado na região de Curitiba

Uma discussão entre um cliente e um segurança de um supermercado de Araucária, na Região Metropolitana de Curitiba, por causa de uma máscara de proteção contra o coronavírus (covid-19) terminou em morte na tarde desta terça-feira (28). Segundo informações do local, o segurança atirou após os dois entrarem em luta corporal, na porta de acesso do estabelecimento. O cliente, de aproximadamente 60 anos, ficou ferido e precisou ser contido pela Guarda Municipal (GM) ao tentar fugir do local. Uma funcionária do hipermercado Condor, que também foi atingida por disparos, não resistiu aos ferimentos e morreu. A ocorrência foi registrada por volta das 15h30. Uma ambulância do Siate foi acionada para socorrer as vítimas. O homem foi atendido dentro da ambulância e depois foi encaminhado para a Delegacia da Polícia Civil de Araucária. O segurança envolvido também foi para a delegacia. A funcionária já estava em óbito quando os socorristas chegaram. Segundo a GM, a discussão na porta do supermercado começou com uma funcionária do estabelecimento, que teria informado ao cliente envolvido que o uso de máscara é obrigatório para compras no local. O cliente teria reclamado e se negado a usar uma máscara que o funcionário estava lhe cedendo gratuitamente. Ao ter seu aceso à loja bloqueado, ele desferiu um soco contra o funcionário, derrubando-o. + Leia mais – Conta de água em bairro de Curitiba aumenta até 250%. Moradores na bronca! Em seguida, em nova discussão, dessa vez com um segurança do local, o cliente partiu para cima do funcionário. Após uma luta corporal, quando segundo testemunhas o cliente tentou pegar a arma do segurança, um disparou aconteceu e acabou atingindo o cliente agressor de raspão. A briga continuou e um novo disparou acertou uma fiscal de loja que estava no local e tentava apaziguar os ânimos. A fiscal de loja tentou fugir, mas baleada, acabou sentando em um banco próximo à porta da loja e mesmo recebendo os primeiros socorros, perdeu muito sangue e morreu antes de ser levada ao hospital. O cliente tentou fugir, inclusive trombando com a vítima do disparo, mas foi contido e acabou detido. A GM explica que a reação do segurança para tentar proteger a arma pode ter causado os disparos que acabaram matando a mulher. O caso será investigado. O segurança esta detido sob a acusação de homicídio culposo. O cliente foi conduzido ao hospital, mas também será detido quando se recuperar e poderá responder também por homicídio e agressão. O que dizem as empresas? Em nota, a empresa de segurança lamentou a morte da funcionária do supermercado e disse estar à disposição da polícia para ajudar nas investigações. “A empresa lamenta profundamente o ocorrido e presta total solidariedade à família e aos amigos da vítima. Informamos que empresa está colaborando com as autoridades na busca de informações que possam contribuir para a investigação do caso”, informou o Grupo Protege. O Condor enviou uma nota oficial para a imprensa lamentando profundamente o ocorrido em sua loja de Araucária e informa que está prestando todo o apoio e ajuda à família. “A empresa também está contribuindo com as investigações e prestando todos os esclarecimentos necessários para que as autoridades esclareçam os fatos”. A Tribuna precisa do seu apoio! 🤝 Neste cenário de pandemia por covid-19, nós intensificamos ainda mais a produção de conteúdo para garantir que você receba informações úteis e reportagens positivas, que tragam um pouco de luz em meio à crise. Porém, o momento também trouxe queda de receitas para o nosso jornal, por isso contamos com sua ajuda para continuarmos este trabalho e construirmos juntos uma sociedade melhor. Bora ajudar?

Instead of Buying Guns or Hoarding Food, Let’s Feed Each Other

After the nightly news showed people lined up outside of a Philadelphia gun shop in mid-March, my brother called me saying he had his guns and ammo at the ready. This echoed the hoarding I’d seen in my local grocery stores, creating the lack of garlic and toilet paper and rice. Everyone was terrified, trying to figure out how to survive this pandemic. I feared that, once again, too many of us were going about survival all wrong. From my patio in Santa Cruz, California, I watched a scrub jay deliver a peanut shell to its oak-tree home. My neighbor hollered hello from the street below, explaining that she was afraid to go to the store for groceries. “A person was held at gunpoint at the Target,” she said. “Everyone’s going crazy.” I wanted to go beyond simply planting a victory garden for my family’s sustenance. I wanted the sustenance to be shared. I looked down at the weedy patch of grass in front of my house. It reminded me of a time, growing up in Los Angeles, when a friend took me to his Watts neighborhood to show me the community gardens growing under the freeway, pointing out the abundance of free produce for residents. It occurred to me that we might be able to create something similar. “Do you have any seeds?” I asked my neighbor. “I’m going to try to plant us a community garden.” “I have a pitchfork for you to dig up your weeds and chicken wire for that gopher,” she said, pointing at the holes in front of my house. “Oh, and some flower seeds to get some pollinators into your victory garden.” The semantics of this subtle distinction gave me pause. My grandparents had “war gardens” in the 1940s, and small, potted remnants from that time took root on their patios well into their golden years. I’d often asked them to teach me how to grow veggies. But they argued that because grocery store shelves were fully stocked again, they didn’t think it was necessary to teach me how to put in the work of growing my own food. Yet now our local farms have waiting lists for their Community Supported Agriculture weekly deliveries. Now my elderly neighbors are afraid to touch lettuce at the grocer’s. Now large farms are throwing away millions of pounds of produce at the same time that more than 41 million Americans go hungry each day, and, according to the nonprofit Feeding America, that number could rise by an added 17.1 million because of COVID-19. Now the abundance that once felt like the marker of American life feels flimsy. Feeding our communities COVID-19 will change us. It’s just a question of how. Each morning, I wake up thinking we have the chance to create a better narrative. Together. Years of being a community activist taught me that the only way to survive anything is with the help of the people around you. And feeding one another is a good place to start. In my community of Santa Cruz, where almost 15% of the population lives below the poverty line (that’s above the national average of 12%), organizations are stepping up to feed people for free. Our recycling company, Grey Bears, carts free bags of produce to elders each week. And the Homeless Garden Project has donated more than 7,000 pounds of organic, immune-boosting veggies to local nonprofits that serve our unhoused. These vegetables have been farmed by formerly house-less graduates of their trainee program. “The community’s response to help our most vulnerable neighbors turns what could be a dark and lonely time into an understanding that we are all in this together,” executive director Darrie Ganzhorn said in an email. Santa Cruz’s tiny K-8 Live Oak school district is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank to offer complimentary, biweekly bags of produce and nonperishables for families, many of which are under the poverty line. The collaborative is also providing free sacks of breakfast, lunch, and dinner that include fresh fruits and veggies, dairy, protein, and snacks for all Live Oak youth. Administrator Stacey Kyle says that because they’ve heard directly what community members need, they’re now “expanding to offer reheatable meals on weekends, too.” We can plant seeds that take a little weight off our overburdened food system and grocery store workers. Inspired by all this generosity, I wanted to go beyond simply planting a victory garden for my family’s sustenance. I wanted the sustenance to be shared, so I sent out a blast on Nextdoor.com. Within minutes, people offered up compost bins, some more seeds and soil, starter pots. My septuagenarian neighbors brought over tools, advice, and veggie starts. Another guy I didn’t even know was scavenging scrap wood from a construction site nearby; when I asked about how to make a garden bed, he lugged over some wood, and constructed one in my yard. The retired crisis therapist across the street noticed the raised bed and said, “In the news, we’re seeing the worst of humanity right now, but around us we’re experiencing extreme acts of kindness, too.” She’s right. All over California, I’m hearing about neighbors with excess offering it to their communities. San Francisco resident Colleen Irwin put up a table in front of her house with the sign “Emergency Food Bank” in her Bernal Heights neighborhood. “The table fills up and empties four times a day,” she said in a Facebook message, adding that she can read the pulse of her neighbors’ needs after diapers and a white cake festooned with sprinkles were both gone in minutes. David Reber is placing sourdough starter in baggies around San Francisco, free for the taking. Folks in need of eggs have been invited to put cartons on the doorstep of one family with chickens, and they’re finding offerings of baked goods left on their porch in return. All over the East Bay, people are converting Little Free Libraries into Little Free Pantries. My kids even got in the game and made signs to announce that our little garden plot will soon offer free produce for the taking. Producing in Place By the end of the second week of our shelter-in-place order, my peas and lettuce had sprouted. To inspire food to emerge from dirt felt victorious indeed. I called my brother back and encouraged him to get to know his neighbors and offer to share the lemons growing on his tree. We should all find ways to connect with, and make allies of, the people who are suffering around us. My brother called me a hippie. He, like so many people I know, fears the worst in people. “When people get hungry, they do crazy shit,” he muttered. Many Americans have been raised with this ethos of individualism. I, too, was taught to take care of my family above all else. With the threats of joblessness and hunger in every community, I get that urge to protect what’s ours, especially when we’re terrified that a stranger’s cough can land us in the ICU. But in the 1930s and 1940s, 20 million Americans stepped up in a time of great global terror. They planted gardens in abandoned lots, on patios, and on rooftops. Today, too, we have the potential to shift how we engage with our world. In fact, social distancing requires it. We can broaden our perspectives and open our hearts to people with whom we might share nothing more than proximity. They will be the ones there for us in crisis. They will deliver chicken soup if we’re sick. They will check in on us if they don’t see us out and about. And they will let us know when the grocery store finally has some Clorox wipes. In return, we can plant seeds that take a little weight off our overburdened food system and grocery store workers, nourish our bodies with vegetables to strengthen our immune systems, and get exercise and fresh air necessary for our mental health. Planting roots in our neighborhoods allows us to reassess the true meaning of community and show our neighbors that we have their backs. Now six weeks into our shelter-in-place, the spinach and strawberries, tomatoes and kale, cucumbers and peppers are sprouting. When I called my neighbor to revel in these tiny green victories, she told me to look on my front stoop. There, I found a pack of toilet paper. Share Michele Bigley When not delighting over her sprouting garden, award-winning journalist Michele Bigley is writing a book about taking her sons to meet the change-makers working to protect the planet from, and prepare their communities for, our climate crisis.