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Coronavirus: Winsford gravestones cleaned in lockdown good turn

Coronavirus: Winsford gravestones cleaned in lockdown good turn Published duration 28 April Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic image copyright Ryan van Emmenis/PA image caption Ryan van Emmenis says his children are 'quite good' at cleaning graves A man and his children are using their daily exercise to clean gravestones in local cemeteries in Cheshire. Ryan van Emmenis, 37, from Winsford, has cleaned more than 20 headstones with help from his children, since the lockdown started. He responded after a friend posted a picture on social media of his sister's grave and, noticing it had weathered, Mr van Emmenis offered to clean it. His three children, Brooke, 12, Lana, four, and Larsson, three, all help. Mr van Emmenis, who runs a cleaning company, said that after the initial clean, he felt he could do more. Encouraged by his wife Hayley, he has now started to clean other gravestones in two local cemeteries, St Chad's and Swanlow Park. image copyright Ryan van Emmenis/PA image caption Ryan van Emmenis was encouraged to clean more graves by wife Hayley "When I'm out on my walks I pass a couple of churches and there are some really old headstones and tombstones," he said. "I thought 'I'll just take a out a little brush, some cleaning products etc and as I pass when I stop for my little break I'll have a little drink of my water and do a bit each day'. "You see results and you're like 'oh, this is great' so I just wanted to keep doing it." 'Family memories' He said it was good for the children to learn a little bit of history and respect their environment. "As young as they are, they can still get involved and they can still help," he explained. "They're quite good at it to be fair. "You've got to be respectful of the fact that it's someone's family member, it's someone's memories. "Some of these headstones I'm cleaning are over 100 years old. And algae, moss etc can have a really negative impact on them so you've got to be really careful." image copyright Ryan van Emmenis/PA image caption Some of the graves the family is cleaning are more than 100 years old He had feedback from grateful families, some of whom have not been able to visit their loved one's grave for 20 years.

CONFIRMED: Star Wars Land Originally Conceptualized As Tatooine and Endor According to Former Disney Vice President Dan Cockerell

In a recent interview, former Vice President of Walt Disney World Dan Cockerell confirmed long-standing rumors that the original concept for the Star Wars themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios included Tatooine and more from the original Star Wars trilogy. The first plans to expand the Star Wars presence in the park included the Mos Eisley Cantina and a new version of the Jedi Training Academy show, dating back to 2011/12. These projects were developed shortly after the completion of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue in 2011. We know that the plans also included the forest moon of Endor as a teaser was hidden in a display at the 2013 D23 Expo for the Speeder Bike thrill ride that would’ve allowed guests to take part in a mission during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. Other attractions in the land would’ve included a Jabba’s Palace dinner show, the aforementioned Mos Eisley Cantina, and a Path of the Force dark ride explaining the secrets and lore of the Jedi and the Sith. This Endor/Tatooine themed land was set to be built over what is the Echo Lake section of the park (including Gertie the Dinosaur’s extinction), stretching down to Star Tours. Makes sense, right? Into 2015, rumors persisted that the Echo Lake area was going to close, but it seems that a shift in the plans in the latter portion of 2014 led to the project moving to the back of the park. Finally, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was announced at the 2015 D23 Expo and construction started in the Spring of 2016. Bob Iger admitted to cancelling these Endor and Tatooine plans in a December 2014 interview, where he explained why the land would be focused on the Disney film trilogy. It’s nice to know that the archaic rumors were true, but I’m also a little sad at what could’ve been. How do you feel? Which version of the Star Wars Land did you want to see?

Would You Have Fallen for This Phone Scam? — Krebs on Security

You may have heard that today’s phone fraudsters like to use caller ID spoofing services to make their scam calls seem more believable. But you probably didn’t know that these fraudsters also can use caller ID spoofing to trick your bank into giving up information about recent transactions on your account — data that can then be abused to make their phone scams more believable and expose you to additional forms of identity theft. Last week, KrebsOnSecurity told the harrowing tale of a reader (a security expert, no less) who tried to turn the tables on his telephonic tormentors and failed spectacularly. In that episode, the people impersonating his bank not only spoofed the bank’s real phone number, but they were also pretending to be him on a separate call at the same time with his bank. This foiled his efforts to make sure it was really his bank that called him, because he called his bank with another phone and the bank confirmed they currently were in a separate call with him discussing fraud on his account (however, the other call was the fraudster pretending to be him). Shortly after that story ran, I heard from another reader — we’ll call him “Jim” since he didn’t want his real name used for this story — whose wife was the target of a similar scam, albeit with an important twist: The scammers were armed with information about a number of her recent financial transactions, which he claims they got from the bank’s own automated phone system just by spoofing her phone number. “When they originally called my wife, there were no fraudulent transactions on her account, but they were able to specify the last three transactions she had made, which combined with the caller-ID had mistakenly earned her trust,” Jim explained. “After we figured out what was going on, we were left asking ourselves how the crooks had obtained her last three transactions without breaking into her account online. As it turned out, calling the phone number on the back of the credit card from the phone number linked with the card provided the most recent transactions without providing any form of authentication.” Jim said he was so aghast at this realization that he called the same number from his phone and tried accessing his account, which is also at Citi but wholly separate from his spouse’s. Sure enough, he said, as long as he was calling from the number on file for his account, the automated system let him review recent transactions without any further authentication. “I confirmed on my separate Citi card that they often (but not quite always) were providing the transaction details,” Jim said. “I was appalled that Citi would do that. So, it seemed the crooks would spoof caller ID when calling Citibank, as well as when calling the target/victim.” The incident Jim described happened in late January 2020, and Citi may have changed its procedures since then. But in a phone interview with KrebsOnSecurity earlier this week, Jim made a call to Citi’s automated system from his mobile phone on file with the bank, and I could hear Citi’s systems asking him to enter the last four digits of his credit card number before he could review recent transactions. The request for the last four of the customer’s credit card number was consistent with my own testing, which relied on a caller ID spoofing service advertised in the cybercrime underground and aimed at a Citi account controlled by this author. In one test, the spoofed call let KrebsOnSecurity hear recent transaction data — where and when the transaction was made, and how much was spent — after providing the automated system the last four digits of the account’s credit card number. In another test, the automated system asked for the account holder’s full Social Security number. Citi declined to discuss specific actions it takes to detect and prevent fraud. But in a written statement provided to this author it said the company continuously monitors and analyzes threats and looks for opportunities to strengthen its controls. “We see regular attempts by fraudsters to gain access to information and we are constantly monitoring for emerging threats and taking preventive action for our clients’ protection,” the statement reads. “For inbound calls to call centers, we continue to adapt and implement detection capabilities to identify suspicious or spoofed phone numbers. We also encourage clients to install and use our mobile app and sign up for push notifications and alerts in the mobile app.” PREGNANT PAUSES AND BULGING EMAIL BOMBS Jim said the fraudster who called his wife clearly already knew her mailing and email addresses, her mobile number and the fact that her card was an American Airlines-branded Citi card. The caller said there had been a series of suspicious transactions, and proceeded to read back details of several recent transactions to verify if those were purchases she’d authorized. Jim’s wife quickly logged on to her Citi account and saw that the amounts, dates and places of the transactions referenced by the caller indeed corresponded to recent legitimate transactions. But she didn’t see any signs of unauthorized charges. After verifying the recent legitimate transactions with the caller, the person on the phone asked for her security word. When she provided it, there was a long hold before the caller came back and said she’d provided the wrong answer. When she corrected herself and provided a different security word, there was another long pause before the caller said the second answer she provided was correct. At that point, the caller said Citi would be sending her a new card and that it had prevented several phony charges from even posting to her account. She didn’t understand until later that the pauses were points at which the fraudsters had to put her on hold to relay her answers in their own call posing as her to Citi’s customer service department. Not long after Jim’s spouse hung up with the caller, her inbox quickly began filling up with hundreds of automated messages from various websites trying to confirm an email newsletter subscription she’d supposedly requested. As the recipient of several of these “email bombing” attacks, I can verify that crooks often will use services offered in the cybercrime underground to flood a target’s inbox with these junk newsletter subscriptions shortly after committing fraud in the target’s name when they wish to bury an email notification from a target’s bank. ‘OVERPAYMENT REIMBURSEMENT’ In the case of Jim’s wife, the inbox flood backfired, and only made her more suspicious about the true nature of the recent phone call. So she called the number on the back of her Citi card and was told that she had indeed just called Citi and requested what’s known as an “overpayment reimbursement.” The couple have long had their credit cards on auto-payment, and the most recent payment was especially high — nearly $4,000 — thanks to a flurry of Christmas present purchases for friends and family. In an overpayment reimbursement, a customer can request that the bank refund any amount paid toward a previous bill that exceeds the minimum required monthly payment. Doing so causes any back-due interest on that unpaid amount to accrue to the account as well. In this case, the caller posing as Jim’s wife requested an overpayment reimbursement to the tune of just under $4,000. It’s not clear how or where the fraudsters intended this payment to be sent, but for whatever reason Citi ended up saying they would cut a physical check and mail it to the address on file. Probably not what the fraudsters wanted, although since then Jim and his wife say they have been on alert for anyone suspicious lurking near their mailbox. “The person we spoke with at Citi’s fraud department kept insisting that yes, it was my wife that called because the call came from her mobile number,” Jim said. “The Citi employee was alarmed because she didn’t understand the whole notion of caller ID spoofing. And we both found it kind of disturbing that someone in fraud at such a major bank didn’t even understand that such a thing was possible.” SHOPPING FOR ‘CVVs’ Fraud experts say the scammers behind the types of calls that targeted Jim’s family are most likely fueled by the rampant sale of credit card records stolen from hacked online merchants. This data, known as “CVVs” in the cybercrime underground, is sold in packages for about $15 to $20 per record, and very often includes the customer’s name, address, phone number, email address and full credit or debit card number, expiration date, and card verification value (CVV) printed on the back of the card. Dozens of cybercrime shops traffic in this stolen data, which is more traditionally used to defraud online merchants. But such records are ideally suited for criminals engaged in the type of phone scams that are the subject of this article. That’s according to Andrei Barysevich, CEO and co-founder of Gemini Advisory, a New York-based company that monitors dozens of underground shops selling stolen card data. “If the fraudsters already have the target’s cell phone number, in many cases they already have the target’s credit card information as well,” Barysevich said. Gemini estimates there are currently some 13 million CVV records for sale across the dark web, and that more than 40 percent of these records put up for sale over the past year included the cardholder’s phone number. Data from recent financial transactions can not only help fraudsters better impersonate your bank, it can also be useful in linking a customer’s account to another account the fraudsters control. That’s because PayPal and a number of other pure-play online financial institutions allow customers to link accounts by verifying the value of microdeposits. For example, if you wish to be able to transfer funds between PayPal and a bank account, the company will first send a couple of tiny deposits — a few cents, usually — to the account you wish to link. Only after verifying those exact amounts will the account-linking request be granted. JUST HANG UP Both this and last week’s story illustrate why the only sane response to a call purporting to be from your bank is to hang up, look up your bank’s customer service number from their Web site or from the back of your card, and call them back yourself. Meanwhile, fraudsters who hack peoples’ finances with nothing more than a telephone have been significantly upping the volume of attacks in recent months, new research suggests. Fraud prevention company Next Caller said this week it has tracked “massive increases in call volumes and high-risk calls across Fortune 500 companies as a result of COVID-19.” “After a brief reprieve in Week 4 (April 6-12), Week 5 (April 13-19) saw call volume across Next Caller’s clients in the telecom and financial services sectors spike 40% above previous highs,” the company found. “Particularly worrisome is the activity taking place in the financial services sector, where call traffic topped previous highs by 800%.” Next Caller said it’s likely some of that increase was due to numerous online and mobile app outages for many major financial institutions at a time when more than 80 million Americans were simultaneously trying to track the status of their stimulus deposits. But it said that surge also brought with it an influx of fraudsters looking to capitalize on all the chaos. “High-risk calls to financial services surged to 50% above pre-COVID levels, with one Fortune 100 bank suffering a high-risk increase of 60% during Week 5,” the company wrote in a recent report. Tags: citibank, email bomb, Gemini Advisory, Next Caller

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El Paso Psychiatric Center: Coronavirus spread 'like wildfire' among staff, patients

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that a coronavirus case at the El Paso State Supported Living Center was revealed in a letter state Rep. César Blanco and other members of the El Paso legislative delegation sent Gov. Greg Abbott. El Paso health and civic leaders warned of an impending public health crisis in El Paso in early March as the novel coronavirus began infecting communities across the country. With minimal direction on how to prevent virus transmission and little to no personal protective equipment, El Paso Psychiatric Center employees continued feeding, bathing, socializing with, and at times even physically restraining patients, putting them in close contact with one another. By early April, the 74-bed state-owned mental health facility had become one of the first hotspots for COVID-19 cases in El Paso County. Case clusters tied to the facility ballooned from 11 on April 9 to 42 on April 21, the most recent data the city has shared. A psychiatric nursing assistant who was in his 50s died in mid-April, the county's fifth virus-related death. Despite the growing number of cases, and even the death tied to the state hospital, local officials, citing past practices and patient confidentiality, have declined to share the center's name, only referring to it as a "health care facility." The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which manages the state hospital, confirmed an individual there tested positive for COVID-19, but provided no other detailsas to whether that person was a patient or an employee. An El Paso Psychiatric Center response plan and interviews with half a dozen employees reveal the center's administration did not act promptly to protect staff and patients, which resulted in the state hospital becoming El Paso’s largest coronavirus infection site. "The whole attitude in the beginning concerning COVID-19, and still to this day with some employees … is that COVID-19 is not that serious unless you have underlying (health) issues," said Marcy Ortiz, a former social worker at the center who resigned April 14after she was unable to find child care. El Paso Psychiatric Center Superintendent Zulema Carrillo did not respond to an interview request. She instead notified someone at HHSC of the request, and HHSC spokeswoman Christine Mann sent a statement and responded to questions via email. El Paso Psychiatric Center is one of 10 state hospitals that treat Texas children, adolescents and adults with serious mental illnesses. The Texas State Employees Union said the outbreak in El Paso is reflective of larger issues at state health care facilities. "Very little has been done to protect both Clients and Staff at State Supported Living Centers, State Hospitals and State Health Science Centers," TSEU said in an April 15 news release. As of that date, TSEU said it had received reports of 228 COVID-19 cases involving employees and patients at state supported living centers and state hospitals throughout Texas. HHSC does not operate health science centers, Mann said. 'No one knew what to do' The first El Paso Psychiatric Center employee tested positive for COVID-19 around March 25, and by the end of that month, three employees had tested positive, an employee said. With the exception of Ortiz, the other six employees the El Paso Times spoke with requested anonymity out of fear of losing their job if they spoke out publicly. By April 3, a patient had also tested positive in addition to the three employees, according to information contained in a COVID-19 response plan dated March 30.The hospital stopped admitting new patients on March 29, Mann said. On April 14, 11 employees and 11 patients had contracted coronavirus, Ortiz said. "It happened like wildfire," Ortiz said of how quickly the virus spread between those inside the hospital. "By the beginning of April, people were running around like ants, like 'what do we do.' No one knew what to do, and that tells you how much preparation and thought head administration actually put into preparing for COVID-19 at the hospital." The city reported the psychiatric nursing assistant's death on April 15. His sister confirmed his death, but declined an interview request. City health officials have only said the man was 51-years-old and had underlying health conditions. COVID-19 news:How many ventilators does El Paso have? And is that enough? Multiple employees told the Times the first employee who tested positive for COVID-19 traveled to Mexico in early March and did not self-quarantine after returning to El Paso. In March, the El Paso Psychiatric Center was only screening staff for travel to areas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified as high risk for contracting coronavirus, like China, Iran and parts of Europe, Mann said. The screening went into effect March 5, the day after Texas reported its first case. Only employees who had visited, or had contact with someone who had traveled to these countries, were required to self-isolate for 14 days and allowed use of paid leave. Using paid leave to quarantine if employees had visited Mexico or another part of the state wasn't an option, Ortiz said, and the only way they could use sick time was if they had received a positive COVID-19 test result. "When you have to choose between feeding your family and paying your bills, what are you going to do? You're put in a tight place, so of course they were going to go to work," she said. Ortiz began having her temperature taken at the start of her shift during the second to last week of March. The El Paso Psychiatric Center's March 30 response plan indicates at that point it was taking employees' temperatures twice a shift, but Ortiz said that didn't happen to her until April 6. The plan also notes patients were having their vitals checked daily. The University Medical Center of El Paso provided El Paso Psychiatric Center with 50 COVID-19 test kits on April 3, UMC spokesman Ryan Mielke said. El Paso Psychiatric Center employees said these kits were used to test patients and staff. Poor infection control practices contributed to coronavirus spread Mann said staff had access to surgical masks, gowns and hand sanitizer prior to a confirmed case of COVID-19 and HHSC "provided additional PPE, such as gowns, N95 masks and face shields to staff immediately after an individual tested positive for COVID-19." She declined to provide the date employees were given additional personal protective equipment, or PPE. But multiple employees told the Times they were not given surgical masks until late March after colleagues contracted coronavirus. A March 31 text message between two employees who routinely interacted with patients reads in Spanish: "They gave us a cheap mask and told us it should last a week. Each day when we finish our shift, (they said) we should put it in a paper bag." The text was sent the same day they learned three colleagues had the virus. Ortiz did not see nurses and psychiatric nursing assistants regularly wearing surgical masks until at least the third week of March, at which point she said at least one employee had tested positive for COVID-19. She herself was not provided a surgical mask until the last week of March, like other employees. The center's response plan noted, as of March 30, "all staff are currently wearing masks." The employee who sent the text message said in an April 16 interview they hadn't received additional gear beyond a surgical mask, and had they bought a N95 mask with their own money to wear when interacting with patients. Nurses and psychiatric nursing assistants who did receive gowns were told to reuse them for up to a week, the employee said. Ortiz saw these staff wiping down their gowns and masks with alcohol wipes upon leaving the area of the hospital that had been designated for COVID-19 positive patients. "People were still not being educated on not bringing down your PPE from the units where there's infected people down to the non-patient units," Ortiz said of staff practices in mid-March, after the city announced the first local case on March 13. "People were taking off their PPE attire in the non-patient units and actually throwing their attire in trash bins outside of the hospital." "How is that infection control? Anyone can look through the trash. Anyone can be close to the trash and because it's (the virus) on that PPE, breathe in the COVID-19 and spread it." Ortiz said infection control practices were improving in the days before she left. Few teleworking options made available to staff The response plan noted El Paso Psychiatric Center leadership "identified telework options for people who can perform their duties either part or full-time offsite to reduce the number of staff coming and going from campus." Though leadership were "working to increase the number of staff who can work from home," the lack of full-time remote work was Ortiz's main motivation in resigning. She struggled to find child care after schools and day cares closed, and was only given the option of working remotely part of the day, a policy that went into effect for her department the third week of March. The center suspended individual therapy the last week of March and group therapy the first week of April, Ortiz said, so she felt she could have completed all her work from home. None of the other six employees who spoke to the Times between April 13 and 16 indicated they had been given telework options. Want to read more stories like this?Click here to subscribe. Support local journalism. Ortiz last reported to work April 7 because she went into quarantine the next day. She got tested for COVID-19 at the city's drive-thru test site on April 9 because she'd had contact with patients who tested positive and began to exhibit symptoms herself, including fatigue and cough. She did not get her negative test result back until April 13 and said she felt pressured by administrators to get the result as soon as possible so she could be cleared to return to work. Another factor in her decision to resign was her hesitation about being told by her supervisor that if the center became short-staffed, social workers would need to perform tasks assigned to psychiatric nursing assistants, like giving medications, taking temperatures or restraining patients. She worried if she did something wrong, a patient or colleague could report her to Adult Protective Services, putting her at risk of losing her license. Parent of COVID-19 patient questions why positive patients were discharged Three COVID-19 positive patients had been discharged by the date Ortiz resigned, she said. A parent of a patient hospitalized at the El Paso Psychiatric Center told the Times the center would have discharged their adult child had they not intervened and asked for the patient to remain at the facility until they tested negative. The parent asked to remain anonymous out of fear their child would be penalized by staff. The parent's child tested positive in early April, and the parent believes their child contracted the virus from the patient with whom the child had been rooming with and sharing a bathroom. Thatroommate experienced diarrhea and coughing, the parent said, which led their child to ask staff to be moved to another room, something that only happened after the roommate tested positive. "(My child) went in for a mental issue, and now we have to deal with this, that (they're) positive," the parent said. Their child had their temperature taken by staff before being admitted during the third week of the March. "I know (they have) a mental issue, but (they) have a voice, too. I go, 'you guys didn't listen to (them)," the parent said they told staff upon learning their child contracted coronavirus. Coronavirus:El Paso nurse's headaches eventually led to positive COVID-19 test days before she died The El Paso Psychiatric Center's March 30 response plan notes patients are required to be six feet apart during meal times and that positive COVID-19 patients will be "immediately" isolated from other patients. The parent said theyrequested that their child, who soon after the test was eligible to be discharged, remain there. The parent feared their child wouldn't remain in isolation if they were released and could infect others, including the dozen adults the child lives with at a local foster home. "I would feel guilty if one of the elderlies (residents) died because of my (child) because I just stood quiet. I didn't want to have that burden in my heart," the parent said. Mann said if a state hospital patient is psychiatrically stable and ready to be discharged, the hospital "takes all precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when discharging the individual to a safe environment, including coordinating discharge with the local mental health authority and family, and notifying the local health department." Aside from the letter the parent received notifying them of their child's positive test, the parent has only received one other letter from the El Paso Psychiatric Center superintendent about a coronavirus case in the facility. "I am writing to inform you that the El Paso Psychiatric Center has had a positive case of COVID-19. Our staff have been screening patients carefully, taking extra caution and we have tested all patients," the April 17 letter from Carrillo reads. "We can provide you with this information because consent was given to us notifying you of the presence of COVID-19," it read. "Privacy laws prevent us from providing you detailed information in most cases, but we will make sure you have all the information we can give you. We won't be able to notify you about every single case going forward." The letter did not mention that at least 11 patients and 11 staff had tested positive as of that date, nor did it mention the employee's death. Asked about the discrepancy in numbers reported to families, Mann said HHSC "cannot confirm individual cases without consent of the individual or legally authorized representative." El Paso legislative delegation calls on Gov. Abbott to protect patients Initial media reports about the coronavirus outbreak at the El Paso Psychiatric Center and the death of an employee prompted the El Paso legislative delegation to write Gov. Greg Abbott on April 21 to express concern about staff and patient safety at both that center and the El Paso State Supported Living Center. The El Paso State Supported Living Center, which is one of 13 centers across the state that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has at least one COVID-19 case, the letter noted. The letter signed by state Sen. José Rodriguez and state Reps. César Blanco, Art Fierro, Mary Gonzalez, Joe Moody and Lina Ortega, asks Abbott to "immediately ensure" testing is available for frontline workers, providers and patients at these facilities and to "provide flexibility to state employees to work from home or take time to self-quarantine for 14 days to ensure their safety without fear of consequence or retaliation." Additionally, the delegation asked the governor to ensure state employees have their temperatures taken at work and that workers and patients are informed of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention best practices to reduce virus transmission. They also called for increased funding to hire more staff to alleviate high turnover rates. "We believe the state can and should do more to ensure that we're not risking the lives of patients and staff at the El Paso Psychiatric Center," Blanco told the Times. The delegation had reviewed the center's response plan and discussed safety protocols with its administration, he said. Story continues below Like local lawmakers, the Texas State Employees Union has also called on Abbott to immediately test all workers at state hospitals and state supported living centers. On top of testing, HHSC must also inform workers and parents and guardians of patients of coronavirus infections at these facilities, said Aviv Rau, a union organizer. According to Rau, TSEU has received reports that El Paso Psychiatric Center employees ceased receiving internal infection reports on April 17, seven days after the first news story about the outbreak there. "Coming into work during COVID-19 is a calculated risk, and workers need facts in order to weigh out those risks," Rau said. "Keeping infections secret only heightens rumors and increases fear." Ortiz also agrees cases at state hospitals should be made public for workers, patients and the community's safety. "It's not a secret what's going on there. There are people getting sick. No, the right steps weren't always taken. Maybe now things are getting better. When I was leaving, things were actually getting better," Ortiz said. Molly Smith may be reached at 915-546-6413; mksmith@elpasotimes.com; @smithmollyk on Twitter.

Ethereum is Gearing Up for a Parabolic Push; Here’s How Far It May Run – Crypto News – Cryptocurrency News – Blind Signals

Ethereum has seen some immense bullishness today against Bitcoin, with the cryptocurrency firmly outperforming its peers as its buyers vie to shatter the resistance that has been firmly established around $198. This latest upside movement comes close on the heels of ETH’s recent rejection at this level, and its ability to rally while BTC consolidates seems to uncover some underlying strength amongst its bulls. One popular trader is now noting that he anticipates ETH to go parabolic against BTC in the days and weeks ahead. Ethereum Lays the Groundwork to See a Massive Rally Against Bitcoin At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading up over 1.25% against USD and up just under 1% against BTC. This has led the crypto to climb up to its key USD resistance region that exists within the upper-$190 region – an area in which the crypto has faced multiple harsh rejections at in recent times. While looking towards its Bitcoin trading pair, it also faces some resistance around its current price of 0.0255 BTC, although it appears to be significantly stronger against the benchmark cryptocurrency than it is against the US Dollar. This strength may be primarily rooted in its recent ability to break above a key trendline that was previously suppressing its price action. A popular pseudonymous crypto analyst on Twitter pointed to this trendline in a recent tweet, explaining that he believes ETH is “gearing up for round 2” while referencing a chart showing a parabolic upside target at roughly 0.034 BTC. “ETH/BTC gearing up for round 2. A continuation will make the rest of the market follow,” he explained. Image Courtesy of Galaxy The notion that Ethereum is leading the market is rooted in its ability to front-run Bitcoin’s price movements throughout the earlier part of the year – a trend that may continue strong in the months to come. How High Could This Rally Lead ETH against USD? The gains Ethereum sees against its USD trading pair may be far more tempered, however, as analysts are noting that it may only reach as far as $217 before stalling. Another popular trader mused this possibility in a blog post, explaining that he is closely watching for ETH to target $217 in the days ahead, before seeing a selloff that potentially leads it to as low as $130. He notes that this downside target would mark an ideal entry point for spot positions. “I am now looking at $217 (the March open price and prior support) as the upside limit before we see a retest of $167 and perhaps even those levels of confluence at ~$130. If we do come into $130, I will be buying spot ETH to hold for a long time,” he explained. Featured image from Unsplash. https://www.newsbtc.com/2020/04/28/ethereum-is-gearing-up-for-a-parabolic-push-heres-how-far-it-may-run/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ethereum-is-gearing-up-for-a-parabolic-push-heres-how-far-it-may-run

Bolsonaro’s latest crisis threatens Brazil’s virus response

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — As Brazil careens toward a full-blown public health emergency and economic meltdown, President Jair Bolsonaro has managed to add a third ingredient to the toxic mix: political crisis. Even if it doesn’t speed his downfall, it will render Brazilians more vulnerable to the pandemic. Bolsonaro’s decision last week to replace the federal police chief – and cross his popular justice minister, Sérgio Moro, who quit and alleged impropriety – has sparked an investigation into the president’s actions that will be conducted by the federal police itself. Already the scandal threatens to supplant coronavirus as the day’s most urgent matter. “He is dividing the attention of the government and of society, and draining efforts and energy that, in such a grave moment of pandemic, should be exclusively concentrated on efforts to fight COVID-19,” said Paulo Calmon, a professor of political science at the University of Brasilia. During the announcement of his resignation Friday, Moro said Bolsonaro told him on multiple occasions that he wanted to replace the federal police chief with someone who would give him access to police investigations, some of which reportedly target one or more of the president’s sons. That pitched the administration into turmoil and prompted Bolsonaro’s own prosecutor-general to call for a Supreme Court investigation. Irate Brazilians observing government stay-at-home recommendations because of the virus banged pots and pans from their windows in protest. Justice Celso de Mello authorized the probe into Bolsonaro’s actions late Monday, including possible crimes of coercion and corruption, and gave the federal police 60 days to question Moro. “The President of the Republic — who is also subject to the laws, like any other citizen of this country — is not exonerated from criminal liability stemming from his acts,” Mello wrote in his decision, which was published on the Supreme Court’s website. The criminal probe and Moro’s resignation threaten to weaken Bolsonaro’s standing at a time when he already has come under fire for opposition to state efforts to control the rapidly spreading coronavirus. More than 66,000 Brazilians have been infected and at least 4,500 have died – vast under-counts according to experts who point to the country’s widespread lack of testing. Bolsonaro also tossed his popular health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who had supported confinement measures put in place by state governors. Margareth Dalcolmo, a clinical researcher and professor of respiratory medicine at the state-funded Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio, said that “ambivalence” and inconsistencies by Bolsonaro’s administration have paved the way for “the biggest humanitarian tragedy we’ve ever seen in Brazil.” “We are running against time in a chaotic way,” Dalcolomo told an online panel Tuesday sponsored by the Washington-based Wilson Center. “We should have learned more from the countries that preceded us and we didn’t.” Bolsonaro has called COVID-19 “a little flu” and said sweeping state measures that have closed down all but essential businesses will cause economic damage far worse than allowing the disease to spread while isolating only high-risk Brazilians, such as the elderly and those with health problems. Bolsonaro’s newly named Health Minister Nelson Teich, in his first address to the nation, declared himself “completely aligned” with the president, adding that “health and the economy are complementary.” READ MORE: Threats to indigenous lands highlight Brazil’s environmental woes The International Monetary Fund this month forecast Brazil’s GDP will plunge 5.3% in 2020. That would be the deepest single-year tumble since at least 1901, when national accounts data from the government’s economics institute began. Brazil contracted 2% in 1918, the year of the Spanish flu pandemic, according to the institute. The exits of Mandetta and Moro have laid bare the divides within Bolsonaro’s administration, in addition to rifts between him and the governors, and with the legislature, Calmon said. “These divisions further weaken the government’s response capacity, especially in the health system that was already considerably battered by the economic crisis,” he said. Pollster Datafolha on Monday found the percentage of people surveyed who grade Bolsonaro’s handling of the coronavirus as bad or terrible has risen to 45% from 33% in March, while approval fell to 27%. In addition, 45% of respondents supported an impeachment process against the president, and 46% backed his resignation, up from 37% at the start of the month, according to the poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. “It’s time to talk. The president is digging his grave,” former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso wrote on Twitter on Friday. “He should resign before he is forced to resign. Save us, in addition to coronavirus, from having a long impeachment process.” Bruno Carazza, professor of economic law at the business school Ibmec and a columnist for newspaper Valor Econômico, said Bolsonaro has begun losing the support of wealthier, more educated Brazilians, whose backing had been based on rejection of the leftist Workers’ Party — more than a dozen of whose members were jailed during a sprawling corruption probe. Still, Bolsonaro’s approval rating has so far hovered around 33%, and Moro’s resignation has galvanized his base, which has vilified Moro as a traitor. “I doubt that will be maintained in the medium-term, primarily because the impact of the economic crisis will be strong and the peak of the pandemic hasn’t yet been reached,” Carazza said, adding Bolsonaro will suffer further public opinion damage as revelations from the investigation dribble out. Congress, which had been trying to hammer out solutions for the economic and health crises, will now have to absorb the impact of the probe, and possibly conduct an impeachment process if crimes are proven. Bolsonaro on Monday appointed André Mendonça, an evangelical pastor who has served as attorney general since 2019, to replace Moro, and Alexandre Ramagem to serve as director general of the federal police. Ramagem, who had been director of Brazil’s intelligence agency ABIN, has been photographed with Bolsonaro’s sons and his closeness with the Bolsonaro family has prompted concern among critics that he would give them undue preferential treatment. Leftist lawmaker Marcelo Freixo said Tuesday on Twitter he has filed suit to annul Ramagem’s nomination. Brazil’s last two impeachments — in 2016 and 1992 — both followed allegations of crimes, deep recession and massive street demonstrations. While the first two are now in place, the last, paradoxically, has been held back by the very self-quarantine measures Bolsonaro opposes. As the political crisis grabs a bigger spotlight, focus on social isolation is likely to fade, Carazza said. “To the extent that the political crisis assumes more media attention, people will start feeling the worst of the health crisis has passed and start getting lax with taking care,” Carazza said. “And we will start seeing the health situation worsen.” AP writer Joshua Goodman contributed from Miami.

Bandcamp Will Waive Revenue Sharing On First Friday of May, June & July to Support Artists

Bandcamp is once again offering to waive its share of revenue generated for music sales on its site on three days in the coming months, the company announced in a blog post. The first Friday’s of May, June and July -- May 1 (this Friday), June 5 and July 3 -- the company will not take a cut of sales from midnight to midnight Pacific time, with all money going directly to artists and labels. Bandcamp has done this a handful of times in the past, most recently on March 20, just as the coronavirus pandemic began shutting down states and events -- including all touring and live concerts -- across the country. In 24 hours, fans spent $4.3 million on 800,000 items (music and merch), or roughly 15 times the usual amount of sales on the site in a given day. At the peak of purchasing, the company said it saw 11 items per second flying off its digital shelves. Bandcamp accounts for artists are free, and the company normally takes a 15% cut on digital music sales and a 10% cut on merch items. "The Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact all of us, and artists have been hit especially hard as tours and shows are canceled for the foreseeable future," Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond wrote in the company’s blog post. "With such a major revenue stream drying up almost entirely, finding ways to continue supporting artists in the coming months is an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it... It may sound simple, but the best way to help artists is with your direct financial support, and we hope you’ll join us through the coming months as we work to support artists in this challenging time." In the blog post, Diamond also shared some tips for fans looking to further support their favorite artists, and for artists looking to maximize sales on the platform. See the full post here. Bandcamp has a strong history of supporting causes that aid the underprivileged, especially but not limited to the artists that use its services, having supported the ACLU, Transgender Law Center and Voting Rights Project in various campaigns in recent years. “We’re an ‘artists first’ service and the reason we are is because of this belief that music is essential to humanity,” Diamond told Billboard in an interview at the end of March. “My feeling has always been that if you believe that music is essential, then the welfare of the artist is also essential too.”

‎Hey Duggee: The Squirrel Club

Duggee wants you to join his Squirrel Club! The Squirrel Club app enables fans to create their own squirrels and become part of Duggee’s club! There’s lots of fun to be had customising your own squirrel. Will you be a penguin, a monkey or a rabbit? What eyes and smile will you choose? And would you like a hat? Hey Duggee’s Squirrel Club app allows you to create up to four new squirrels before heading to the clubhouse to play games and complete fun activities to earn badges for your collection. There are 17 badges to collect featuring all your favourite characters from Hey Duggee, including Duggee and the Squirrels, Chew Chew, Hennie, Tino and Mr and Mr Crab! Key Features: • An interactive app that encourages exploratory and open-ended gameplay. • Clear and simple interface designed for pre-schoolers. • Encourages creativity. • 17 games and badges to collect. Games include: The Omelette Badge Help the chickens get into the groove and lay some eggs by dancing along to an exercise video with them. Can you do your best stretching? The Voice Badge How well do you know the voices of Duggee’s friends? Match all the right voices to earn your Voice Badge. The Fashion Badge Duggee needs your help to get him ready for the fashion show. Mix and match hats and clothes to create the perfect outfit for Duggee’s catwalk debut! The Singing Badge Mrs Weaver the Beaver loves to sing a bottom-shaking melody! See if you can sing and dance along to earn your Singing Badge! The Colour Badge Select from different pens, pencils and paints to help Tino create a masterpiece for Duggee. Choose from three pictures and unleash your artistic side. The River Badge Help the Squirrels make their way along the river by using your finger to carefully guide their boat. Do keep an eye out for obstacles along the way! The Surprise Badge Duggee and the Squirrels have wrapped a surprise present for Hennie’s birthday. Can you piece the jigsaw together and guess the surprise? Featuring 3 difficulty levels to suit all ages - 4 pieces, 9 pieces and 25 pieces. The Making Friends Badge Duggee and the Squirrels have some friends over to visit. Tap on a card to reveal the friends and make a perfect match. The Dressing Up Badge Time to try out your dressing up skills! Choose from three scenes and take a photo to create a fun selfie with Duggee! The Wedding Badge Chew Chew and King Tiger are getting married. Help design the perfect wedding party for them by organising all the guests for a lovely wedding photograph. The Traffic Badge Carefully tilt your screen to help Duggee and the Squirrels find a shortcut through the traffic to the tropical lake. Make sure you don’t bump into a buffalo or an ostrich along the way! Customer Care: If you experience any technical issues with this app please get in touch. Most issues can be easily fixed and we are happy to help. Contact us at support@scarybeasties.com Privacy: This app does not collect or store any personal data from your device. View our privacy policy here: https://www.bbcstudios.com/mobile-apps/ About Studio AKA: STUDIO AKA is a multi-BAFTA winning & Oscar-nominated independent animation studio & production company based in London. They are known internationally for their idiosyncratic & innovative work expressed across an eclectic range of projects. www.studioaka.co.uk

How Ottawa pressed the provinces not to claw back pandemic benefits

It took federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough an agonizing 19 days to inform the public that she wanted Canada’s Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to be exempt from clawbacks under provincial and territorial social assistance and disability support programs. She did not make the announcement on television. In fact, she didn’t make it at all. It was made through her spokesman to the Toronto Star on April 13. Some of us had been asking for this for more than two weeks and now it’s time to start asking the hard questions: Article Continued Below Why the wait? Why did they not say this at the time? Why the silence from the Prime Minister? And why did the minister not make the statement herself? After all, this is federal money meant to go to the people who are eligible for it. It is not being made available to help provinces and territories balance their books on the backs of Canada’s poorest people. So how are we to understand the lack of moral suasion with the provinces and territories? The first place to look is the pedigree of the CERB payment itself. It is an offshoot of Employment Insurance and an earnings replacement program. Traditionally such programs are deducted dollar for dollar from social assistance programs. Article Continued Below But on April 2, just eight days after the CERB was introduced, the B.C. government stepped away from these traditional clawback polices as they correctly determined that the purpose of CERB was to help people stay safe, not just to replace earnings. Click to expand B.C. went it alone but the expected gush of congratulation from Ottawa simply did not follow. The silence was deafening. Another week passed, an eternity in politics, until the government of Newfoundland made a public announcement that the CERB would be clawed back. It issued a statement saying people wouldn’t be allowed to receive both provincial income support and the CERB at the same time. Then the floodgates opened. News reports and government announcements from Manitoba, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Alberta followed suit. It seemed the die had been cast. But Ontario had yet to make a move by the time Qualtrough’s office issued its statement. And then everything changed. The Ontario Minister, Todd Smith, wanted to talk to Qualtrough to understand her position better. A week later, on April 20, Smith announced the CERB would be treated in the same way as earnings with a generous exemption that would allow recipients to receive more than half of the CERB without clawback. For good measure, he announced that clawed-back funds would be reinvested in social assistance and no one would be cut off. Then something curious happened late in the week of April 20. Both Alberta and Manitoba announced they would adopt the same policy as Ontario and apply their earnings exemptions to the CERB. Manitoba even announced it would not cut anyone off assistance during the crisis. Now the pressure is on the other provinces and don’t think for a moment they aren’t feeling the pressure mount when three conservative and one NDP province, representing over two-thirds of Canada’s population, are fully or partially exempting the CERB. But what turned the tide? It’s clear it was Qualtrough’s statement. For many, this answer will be inadequate. But for those who believe that moral suasion and direction on the part of federal ministers does not work, there is overwhelming evidence that it does. Especially when it comes to social assistance clawbacks. Former Liberal minister Monique Begin used it twice on child benefits and seniors’ benefits in the 1970s and 1980s. Another Liberal, Ken Dryden, used it three times with the Canada Learning Bond, education grants and RESPs in 2004 and 2005. Conservative Jim Flaherty used it twice with the Working Income Tax Benefit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan in 2007 and 2008. Seven instances of federal moral suasion resulted in seven successes. Minister Qualtrough is in the process of making it number eight.

Nigel Pearson strikes a deal to stay on as Watford manager

Nigel Pearson has struck an agreement with Watford to stay in charge at least until the end of a season which is now set to stretch beyond his short-term contract. Pearson signed a deal until the end of May when he was appointed in December with the team stranded at the bottom of the Premier League having won only once in 15 games. Under his control, Watford have been transformed, winning five times and becoming the first side this season to beat champions-elect Liverpool in the Premier League. Nigel Pearson has agreed to stay on as Watford manager until the end of the current season Pearson's short-term contract signed in December was due to expire at the end of May They had climbed to 17th by the time football was suspended for the coronavirus outbreak, just outside the relegation zone on goal difference although still very much locked in a fight to survive with nine fixtures remaining. Pearson, 56, has proved popular with the players and fans at Vicarage Road and, back in the top flight for the first time since he left Leicester in 2015, has re-established his own credentials at the top level. He enjoys a good working relationship with owner Gino Pozzo and the board and there is an option built into his original deal to extend his contract for another season if both parties agree. This is not expected to be considered, however, until Watford are sure which division they will be in next season. If they are relegated Pearson may find other clubs try to lure him away.

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Fiskalni savet: Građani će vratiti sto evra sa kamatom

Podeli: Foto: BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO Najveća i nepovratna greška usvojenog rebalansa budžeta je predviđena isplata 100 evra punoletnim građanima Srbije, ukazao je Fiskalni savet u svojoj analizi, upozoravajući da će se država zadužiti da bi to finansirala, što znači da će građani narednih godina ovaj dug vraćati sa kamatom. Još prilikom ocene paketa antikriznih mera Fiskalni savet je nedvosmisleno ukazao na to da je isplata 100 evra punoletnim građanima višestruko štetna. U oceni Vladine uredbe o rebalansu budžeta za 2020. godinu, Fiskalni savet podseća da je podela 100 evra građanima ekonomski neefikasna, jer ne može da utiče na osetno i održivo ubrzanje domaće privrede. Zatim, da je i socijalno nefokusirana, jer najveći deo sredstava nije usmeren ka objektivno materijalno ugroženim građanima kojima je zaista potrebna finansijska pomoć. “Ta mera je i fiskalno neodgovorna, jer nameće dodatno i veliko zaduženje zemlje u godini u kojoj će i fiskalni deficit i javni dug imati snažan rast”, ističe se u dokumentu. Iako je čvrsta preporuka Fiskalnog saveta bila da Vlada od ove loše mere odustane, to se nije desilo. “Zbog toga sada ocenjujemo da je najveća greška usvojenog rebalansa to što on u vremenu izražene ekonomske neizvesnosti sadrži ovu izuzetno skupu i neprimerenu meru. Podsećamo i na to da država nema raspoloživih sredstava za ovu isplatu, pa će morati da se zadužuje da bi je finansirala – a taj dug će, s kamatom, vraćati svi poreski obveznici u narednim godinama”, upozorava Fiskalni savet. Kada je reč o usvajanju rebalansa mimo standardne procedure, Fiskalni savet ističe da je time omogućena brža realizacija mera za podršku privredi. Savet ističe da je rebalans budžeta, uz godišnji Zakon o budžetu, osnovni finansijski plan države – zbog čega je procedura njegovog usvajanja jasno i detaljno propisana Zakonom o budžetskom sistemu. Međutim, umesto toga, rebalans za 2020. usvojen je drugačije, uredbom Vlade od 24. aprila 2020. godine. “Postoji nekoliko razloga koji su uslovili usvajanje rebalansa po ubrzanoj proceduri. Prvo, rebalans omogućava hitno dodatno zaduživanje države i sprovođenje mera za pomoć privredi tokom pandemije – koje bez rebalansa nisu mogle da se sprovedu, jer nisu bile planirane prvobitnim budžetom. Drugo, budžet za 2020. će se (nakon stabilizacije prilika u zemlji) najverovatnije dodatno menjati – i tada će morati da se poštuju sve zakonom predviđene procedure”, ukazuje Fiskalni savet. Kako ističu u dokumentu, usvojenom rebalansu jesu date trenutno najbolje moguće ekonomske i fiskalne projekcije za 2020, ali malo je verovatno da će se one u potpunosti ostvariti. “Još uvek nije poznato koliko će da traje epidemija niti kakav će ona imati uticaj na pad BDP-a Srbije i umanjenje javnih prihoda. Takođe, nije isključeno ni to da će Vlada u cilju zaštite zdravlja stanovništva i pomoći privredi morati da donosi nove fiskalne mere koje će uticati na promenu javnih rashoda i zaduživanja države u 2020. godini”, navodi se u dokumentu. Uz sve to, u 2020. planirani su parlametnarni izbori nakon kojih se po pravilu usvaja rebalans, koji prati promene u organizaciji nove Vlade. “Kada sve ovo bude poznato budžet će morati ponovo da se menja, ovaj put na sistematičan način – a sada usvojeni rebalans ocenjujemo kao iznuđeno, prelazno rešenje, kom je osnovni cilj pravovremena realizacija antikriznog paketa mera države”, zaključuje Fiskalni savet.

Brazil passes 5,000 deaths from COVID-19: official

By Agence France-Presse Brazil, the South American country worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, has registered more than 5,000 deaths from COVID-19, the health ministry announced Tuesday. A record 474 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, with the number of infections rising to 71,886, the ministry said. The overall death toll from the pandemic in Brazil has exceeded that of China, where the virus first emerged before spreading across the world.

CA Schools Could Reopen In July; Businesses Will Be Staggered

CALIFORNIA — State officials on Tuesday unveiled a plan to gradually restart public life in California amid the coronavirus crisis, with public schools reopening for the next school year as soon as late July and businesses reopening in stages, depending on their level of risk. The four-stage process for easing the state's stay-home order was unveiled at a news conference by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Dr. Sonia Angell, the state's public health officer. Newsom did not provide a timeline for when restrictions would be eased but said the state was "weeks, not months, away from making meaningful modifications" to the order, assuming social distancing continues. According to the state's reopening framework, California is currently in Stage 1, defined by creating a safe environment for essential workers and laying out plans for easing restrictions in the future. The highly anticipated Stage 2 may include reopening schools in late July or August, Newsom said, citing the need to make up for lost learning as the state's students have faced a rough transition to distance education. Lower-risk businesses would also be allowed to reopen during this stage, including manufacturing, retail that allows for curbside pickup, and offices that are able to implement social distancing, Angell said. "Our kids have lost a lot with this disruption," Newsom said, calling distance learning "inadequate" to meet the needs of the state's 6 million students. The state will enter this phase through a statewide modification to its stay-home order, Angell said. For that to happen, the state must reach sufficient testing and contact tracing capacity, hospitalization and ICU trends must stabilize, and there must be enough personal protective equipment to meet demand. Next, Stage 3 would allow the reopening of "higher risk" workplaces that require person-to-person contact. That includes personal care businesses such as gyms and hair salons; churches, weddings and other religious services; and entertainment venues such as theaters and sports without audiences. Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters. A fourth and final stage — in which the state lifts its stay-home order and allows high-risk places such as concert venues, live sports and convention centers to reopen — will not come until the state has access to therapeutic drugs to treat COVID-19, Angell said. Experts have warned that that development may take months, if not years. Avoiding a second wave Tuesday's news conference was billed as an update to the fifth of California's six goals that state officials are studying as they decide when to reopen the state. The fifth goal concerns whether businesses, schools and child care facilities are able to maintain social distancing, including state guidelines that may require health checks for employees and customers.

‎SUPERTXT

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Leading Democrats Back Biden After Sexual-Assault Allegation

© elizabeth frantz/Reuters Prominent Democrats, including some women thought to be on Joe Biden’s running-mate shortlist, have lined up behind the former vice president in the month since Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer, made public an allegation he sexually assaulted her once in the 1990s. Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kamala Harris of California and former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams all have said that they respect women making such allegations and take them seriously. But they haven’t wavered in their support for Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, whose campaign has strongly denied the allegations. For the most part, Democrats haven’t voiced their opinions on the accuracy of Ms. Reade’s claims. Instead, they have attested to the longtime lawmaker’s character and policy efforts. California Rep. Ro Khanna, a co-chairman of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign, said President Obama had assessed his former No. 2, and “for me, that’s the ultimate vetting.” Mr. Sanders endorsed Mr. Biden on April 13, after suspending his campaign a week earlier. Get news and analysis on politics, policy, national security and more, delivered right to your inbox For her part, Ms Reade said she has been deflated by the lack of reaction over the past month, feeling that she has little support even from #MeToo advocates. Still, she says, she has no regrets about telling her story. “I can’t get restorative justice, but I wanted to further the sexual-harassment conversation, particularly about how powerful men can use the system,” she said. Mr. Biden, a Delaware senator from 1973 to 2009, hasn’t commented on Ms. Reade’s allegations. His campaign and former aides who worked in his office at the time have denied that any woman, including Ms. Reade, was mistreated by Mr. Biden or brought any concerns to them. In the last month, he has participated in about 20 television interviews as well as podcasts and virtual fundraisers. He hasn’t been asked about Ms. Reade’s claims at any of those events. Ms. Reade, 56 years old, has made two sets of allegations against Mr. Biden, 77, both of which stem from her time working in his Senate office for less than a year beginning in December 1992, when she was in her late 20s. She has said for more than a year that while she worked for him, Mr. Biden repeatedly rubbed her shoulders and neck in ways that made her uncomfortable. Late last month, Ms. Reade made a new allegation public. She said in a podcast interview and subsequent interviews with media including The Wall Street Journal that Mr. Biden had once cornered her in a corridor of the U.S. Capitol complex and touched her genitals without permission. Ms. Reade said she told her mother, brother and several friends about her alleged experience at the time it happened. She also said she reported the alleged touching that made her uncomfortable, but not the alleged assault, to three high-level Biden staff members. Ms. Reade also said she filed a complaint with the Senate’s personnel office about the alleged sexual harassment—though not the alleged assault—but nothing happened. She said she was forced out of the job as Mr. Biden’s coordinator of interns after making the reports. She said she doesn’t have a copy of her complaint to the office, and efforts to locate it with the Senate were unsuccessful. The office no longer exists. The Biden campaign has denied all of Ms. Reade’s allegations. Kate Bedingfield, the campaign’s communications director, said in a statement: “Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women. 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.” Mr. Biden’s campaign declined to make him available for an interview for this article. Ms. Reade’s brother and a friend who had been a Capitol Hill intern in other offices both told the Journal that Ms. Reade had told them about the alleged assault, which she said occurred after her supervisor had asked her to take a duffel bag to Mr. Biden. She said he kissed her and reached under her skirt to put his fingers inside her vagina. Ms. Reade, her brother and her friend couldn’t remember the exact date of the alleged assault. Ms. Reade’s friend said she recalled discussing it on two phone calls with Ms. Reade the day after Ms. Reade said the assault occurred; the friend said she took the calls in her college dormitory room and remembered it being late in the spring semester of 1993. Ms. Reade also said she had long, tearful conversations with her mother, Jeanette Altimus, about the alleged incidents throughout her time working for Mr. Biden. She said her mother encouraged her to quit and, after the assault allegedly occurred, to file a police report. Ms. Reade said she didn’t take the advice. Ms. Altimus died in December 2016, but Ms. Reade said her mother had once discussed her situation in vague terms, without naming Mr. Biden, during a call to CNN’s “Larry King Live.” The call was anonymous, and Ms. Reade couldn’t recall when the episode aired. During an Aug. 11, 1993, show, a caller from San Luis Obispo, Calif., said her daughter had left “after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all.” After CNN recently aired the clip, Ms. Reade said she is certain the caller was her mother, who lived in San Luis Obispo at the time. The three former Biden aides whom Ms. Reade said she told about the alleged touching—longtime Biden executive assistant Marianne Baker, chief of staff Ted Kaufman and policy aide Dennis Toner—all denied she ever told them anything like that. In a statement provided by the Biden campaign, Ms. Baker said she had worked for him for 20 years and “never once witnessed, or heard of, or received, any reports of inappropriate conduct, period—not from Ms. Reade, not from anyone. 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." Messrs. Kaufman and Toner both told the Journal they didn’t remember Ms. Reade. “I don’t remember, and I would have remembered her if she’d come to me,” said Mr. Kaufman, who has known Mr. Biden for almost five decades. Mr. Toner, who worked for Mr. Biden for 34 years, also said he would have recalled a conversation of that nature. “I do not remember any such conversation that I was alleged to have with Tara regarding Joe Biden and alleged sexual behavior,” he said. “I would recall it, I would remember the date. But it didn’t happen. That’s not Joe Biden.” As a lifelong Democrat, Ms. Reade said in an interview, she “always felt conflicted about Biden,” whose legislative efforts, such as sponsoring the Violence Against Women Act, she admired. Ms. Reade supported Mr. Sanders during the primary, but she posted social-media messages supportive of Mr. Biden as recently as 2017 and said she voted twice for Mr. Obama in presidential elections. She said she decided to come forward with the allegation of inappropriate touching after reading about other women who said Mr. Biden had touched them in ways that made them uncomfortable. Mr. Biden said in April 2019 of those complaints: “I hear what they’re saying. I understand it, and I’ll be much more mindful. That’s my responsibility.” Ms. Reade said she was prepared to tell reporters about the alleged assault last year, too, “but I lost my courage.” She said she decided to speak up when Mr. Biden became the likely Democratic nominee. Ms. Reade has previously given other explanations for leaving Mr. Biden’s office. In a 2018 Medium post, said she left because of what she considered Washington’s xenophobic attitude toward Russia and so that she could pursue an acting and artistic career. Ms. Reade said she recently contacted the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police. The statute of limitations had passed, but Ms. Reade said she believed filing a police report would possibly encourage other women to come forward. The public version of the incident report doesn’t contain names but says the filer “disclosed that she was the victim of a sexual assault which was committed by Subject-2 in 1993.” Ms. Reade said she named Mr. Biden in her police interview. A police spokesman described the investigation as “ongoing” and declined to answer further questions. President Trump’s allies have seized on the allegations of Ms. Reade and other women who say they had uncomfortable interactions with Mr. Biden. Mr. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is among those who have promoted Ms. Reade’s claims on Twitter, calling Mr. Biden “creepy.” Numerous women have accused Mr. Trump of sexual misconduct over the years. Mr. Trump has denied those allegations. Aides to Mses. Klobuchar, Harris and Abrams and to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pointed the Journal to comments they had made in previous interviews and declined to comment further. “Women have the right to be heard, and we have the responsibility to listen,” Ms. Abrams told the Daily Beast. She said that Mr. Biden “has spent over 40 years in public life advocating for women,” and that nothing in an April 12 New York Times article about Ms. Reade’s allegations changed Ms. Abrams’s opinion of him. Ms. Whitmer told HuffPost she “believes that it is important that these allegations are vetted, from the media to beyond, and that it is something that no one takes lightly.” She added: “But it is also something that is personal. We will not speculate or provide greater insight, without knowing more about the situation.” Ms. Klobuchar told National Public Radio that all women have a right to be heard and for their claims to be reviewed. Of Mr. Biden, she said he is “someone I worked with, I see him on, a leader on, domestic abuse." In a podcast interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Ms. Harris had a similar sentiment. She said Ms. Reade “has a right to tell her story. And I believe that, and I believe Joe Biden believes that, too.” However, she said, the Mr. Biden she knew has "been a lifelong fighter, in terms of stopping violence against women.” Write to Julie Bykowicz at julie.bykowicz@wsj.com

UFC 249: Beginner’s guide ahead of historic May 9 card

Come one, come all! Welcome to the UFC hype-train. Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, and let’s hope this thing goes off without a hitch! That’s right, sports are back! And the most popular MMA promotion in the world is serving up a stacked pay-per-view ticket, top to bottom. So if you’re new to the game, a casual fan or someone just itching for any kind of live sports, this is the guide for you. I will be previewing the entire main card, as well as the featured preliminary bout, for your reading pleasure. So sit back, relax and get to know the athletes taking part in this historic UFC event: Tony Ferguson (25 wins, 3 losses) vs. Justin Gaethje (21 wins, 2 losses) Lightweight (155 lbs) Few fighters epitomize their nickname as authentically as Tony Ferguson (1): “El Cucuy,” truly is the boogeyman of the lightweight division. Ferguson’s free-flow style presents an air of unpredictability, making him a nightmare to prepare for. With unorthodox striking and an aggressive ground game, Ferguson has finished 80 percent of his wins, and 20-of-28 professional bouts. Following a loss to Michael Johnson in 2012, he would go on to rattle off a dozen consecutive victories in the UFC, tied for the longest streak in the 155-pound division. Opposing Ferguson will be Arizona’s Justin Gaethje (4). A two-time state champion in freestyle wrestling and NCAA D1 All-American at the University of Northern Colorado, Gaethje has more than cut his teeth in the world of combat sports. >>RELATED: Former UFC fighter Ben Askren paying it forward with wrestling academy after retirement from MMA Coming off back-to-back-to-back knockout victories, Gaethje’s star has never shone brighter. After a rocky start to his UFC career which saw him lose two of his first three bouts, the 31-year-old has found his footing. Known for his reckless style of fighting, highlighted by his debilitating leg-kicks, Gaethje has assumed a more cerebral approach, albeit still hellaciously aggressive. Similar to Ferguson, the knock against Gaethje is his lack of defense, and willingness to accept damage in order to return even more. In the words of former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub, this fight is “First-Team All Violence,” and a monstrous main event. Henry Cejudo (15 wins, 2 losses) vs. Dominick Cruz (22 wins, 2 losses) Bantamweight (135 lbs) Boasting one of the most impressive resumés in combat sports, Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo (C) aims to defend his Bantamweight Championship for the second time. After a 32-second dispatching of then-champion TJ Dillashaw and a three-round war with Marlon Moraes, both in 2019, Cejudo will face a unique challenge in Dominick Cruz (NR). The latter, who has captured the 135-pound title twice before, will look to make UFC history when he returns from another lengthy layoff. In a career defined by injuries and his ability to overcome them, Cruz will step into the Octagon for the first time since 2016 (1,226 days, in case you were wondering). The mixed martial arts veteran has stated his disbelief in ring rust on multiple occasions, claiming it is not something he worries about. And with just two losses since 2005, it’s reasonable to take his word. >>RELATED: The battle outside of the cage: UFC fighters detail the anxiety they face away from the Octagon With some of the most dominant wrestling in the lighter weight classes, aided by an equally-dominant top game, and the quick-twitch muscles to put it all together, Cejudo is a tough puzzle to solve. Cruz will counter with his signature footwork and head movement, a pairing that has made him into a defensive wizard, one of the toughest targets to hit on the roster. Viewers will be treated to a fickle, fast-paced matchup between two of the UFC’s best, a technical treat. Francis Ngannou (14 wins, 3 losses) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruick (10 wins, 0 losses) Heavyweight (206-265 lbs) What more could an MMA fan (or sports fan, for that matter) ask for? Two massive heavyweights, two knockout artists and, most importantly, two talented combatants. Ngannou (2), who challenged for the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2018, and Rozenstruick (6), who has never been defeated, represent two of UFC’s best international fighters, hailing from Cameroon and Suriname, respectively. With a 90-percent knockout rate, Rozenstruick made a name for himself in 2019, finishing all four of his fights in violent fashion. Most recently, a last-second butchering which left Alistair Overeem’s lip so mangled that the referee was forced to end the contest with four seconds to go. >>RELATED: Bellator fighter Ed Ruth talks transition from wrestling to MMA, who could make similar switch, career goals Additionally, “Bigi Boi” defeated former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski, as well as Junior Albini and Allen Crowder. Now, fans will find out if his knockout power can matchup favorably against the hardest puncher in the UFC: “The Predator.” Ngannou grew up under harsh circumstances, working in Batié, Cameroon’s treacherous sand mines. Which, by comparison, makes the Octagon seem like a walk in the park. Engaging in combat has never seemed to phase the 33-year-old, who has put together a 9-2 record under the UFC’s banner. But after back-to-back underwhelming losses, Ngannou went back to the drawing board before tying together three knockout triumphs. These came at the hands of some of the division’s best in Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Impressive. Now, having regained much of the ground he had lost, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Ngannou is more dangerous than ever, with the ability to end a fight with a single punch. So, when Ngannou steps foot onto the canvas with the equally-intimidating Rozenstruick crosswise: don’t blink. Jeremy Stephens (28 wins, 17 losses, 1 no contest) vs. Calvin Kattar (20 wins, 4 losses) Featherweight (145 lbs) Jeremy Stephens (7) pitted against Calvin Kattar (9) is a prime example of professional matchmaking. Of course, setting up two top-10 fighters seems like a no-brainer. And, quite frankly, it is. But this fight offers more than meets the eye. Stephens has long been regarded as a UFC contender throughout multiple weight classes. Known for his heavy hands and forward-bound style, “Lil’ Heathen” is a promoter’s dream: guaranteed action. Despite a lengthy, mostly-successful mixed martial arts career, Stephens has never made it to the top of the mountain. And after his third consecutive loss, he seems to be running out of chances. Enter: Calvin Kattar. The prime gem of New England’s growing MMA scene, Kattar possesses some of the most crisp boxing in the game. Couple that with a 77-percent takedown defense rate, and Boston might be looking at another championship in the near future. So, in regards to the excellent matchmaking, here’s the reasoning: Stephens has begun to slide late in his career. Yes, he’s only 33, but with a whopping 46 professional fights, he’s spent quite a bit of time in combat. Conversely, Kattar—who is 32-years-old with only 24 fights—is seeing his stock rise. This means that if Stephens wins, UFC can further market one of its known commodities: an exciting finisher with dynamite in his hands, guaranteed to bring the action. And if Kattar wins, the promotion will have a new top contender to push. Win-win. >>RELATED: ‘$50,000 fireworks show’: UFC’s Randy Costa letting fights do the talking as he looks to honor fallen friend’s legacy Now, who takes this matchup? As stated: Stephens hits hard. Really hard. But Kattar isn’t so easy to hit, and with years of traditional boxing experience, technique is the name of his game. That’s not to say Stephens doesn’t possess technical aspects to his striking repertoire as well. Similarly, Kattar has some mustard on his punches, too. One more time: a matchmaker’s dream… and a sports bettor’s nightmare. Greg Hardy (5 wins, 2 losses, 1 no contest) vs. Yorgan De Castro (6 wins, 0 losses) Heavyweight (206-265 lbs) Lights, camera, action! This one sounds like it’s out of a movie. On one side of the cage: Greg Hardy. A former pro-bowl caliber defensive end for the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, shunned from the NFL after violating its domestic violence and drug policies, and showing little to no remorse. On the other side of the cage: Yorgan De Castro. A humble immigrant from beautiful Cape Verde, De Castro works as a security guard at Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts. Still, he’s found the time to train, and was invited onto Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, where he finished his opponent with leg kicks and hammer fists to earn himself a UFC contract. >>RELATED: Missing sports? Useful alternatives to help you get your fix during the COVID-19 pandemic Hardy wins the size matchup, with a six-inch reach advantage and a four-inch height advantage. However, Castro has yet to taste defeat, winning all six of his professional bouts, five via knockout. In the most unpredictable weight class, this bout follows suit. Expect a quick one here. Donald Cerrone (36 wins, 14 losses) vs. Anthony Pettis (22 wins, 10 losses) Welterweight (170 lbs) We’ve got a rematch on our hands for UFC 249’s featured preliminary bout. Two of the best nicknames in MMA collide with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (6) taking on Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (15). These two first met in 2013, when Pettis finished Cerrone with a devastating kick to the body, followed by a flurry of punches. Pettis would go on to defeat former-champion Benson Henderson to capture the UFC Lightweight Championship, while “Cowboy” would put together a storied career marked by his ‘anytime, anyplace’ attitude. Seven years later, the latter is in the midst of the second three-fight losing streak of his career, while Pettis has jumped back-and-forth between 145, 155 and 170 pounds, winning just two of his last five and four of his last ten. So, it’s safe to say the rematch comes with a bit less hype than the original bout. Nonetheless, this fight promises to bring the heat. Impressively, both men average more than one submission per three rounds (15 minutes) throughout their careers, with matching 46-percent significant strike rates, indicating two well-rounded combatants. While the fight won’t exactly determine the next contender at 170 pounds, it will pit two consummate creators of violence against each other, with a lot more than just a paycheck on the line. This fight is about revenge, legacy and a much needed win for either man. >>RELATED: New normal: One element from the 2020 NFL Draft could set the tone for the future of live sports UFC 249 will take place in Jacksonville, Florida at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Early prelims begin at 6:30 PM EST on UFC’s streaming service “Fight Pass,” prelims begin at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN, and the main card begins at 10:00 PM EST on ESPN+. Follow Sammy J. Hurwitz (@SammyJSammyJ) on Twitter Like this guide? Let us know by following @SOTSports on Twitter or by liking our Facebook page!

McConnell: Infrastructure will not be in next coronavirus relief bill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Senate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes MORE (R-Ky.) said on Tuesday that infrastructure will not be part of Congress's next coronavirus relief package, even as President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE has pushed for it to be included. McConnell, speaking to Fox News, said that while he was interested in passing an infrastructure bill, it was "unrelated" to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which Congress is expected to address with another bill as soon as next month. "We have an equal interest in doing an infrastructure bill. We don't have an equal interest in borrowing money from future generations to pay for it. In other words, it's unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic," McConnell said. ADVERTISEMENT Pressed on whether was saying he did not want the next coronavirus bill to include infrastructure, McConnell added, "Yeah, I'll be clear. Infrastructure is unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic that we're all experiencing and trying to figure out how to go forward." "We need to make sure that whatever additional legislation we do is directly related to this pandemic," he said. Instead, McConnell said the Senate will pass a "more modest" infrastructure bill "in the near future." That package is expected to build off a highway bill that passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last year. Trump and the White House have indicated they want to include infrastructure as part of the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The administration and some lawmakers in Congress have hoped for years to strike a deal on a larger infrastructure package but struggled to cut an agreement. He tweeted last month that there used to be a "big" and "bold" package included in the so-called phase four coronavirus legislation. "It should be VERY BIG & BOLD, Two Trillion Dollars, and be focused solely on jobs and rebuilding the once great infrastructure of our Country! Phase 4," the president tweeted at the time. ADVERTISEMENT Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby Richard Craig ShelbySenate GOP eyes early exit Dems discussing government funding bill into February GOP short of votes on Trump's controversial Fed pick MORE (R-Ala.) had also embraced infrastructure spending as part of the response to the coronavirus. But Trump appeared to tip his hand to skepticism among some Republicans earlier Tuesday when he noted that some GOP senators want to keep it separate from the ongoing response to the coronavirus. "I think Mitch is looking at it, as I do, to an extent, as the infrastructure — he likes infrastructure. We all do," Trump told reporters. "We want to do infrastructure, but a lot of people, a lot of the Republicans, would like to keep that as a separate bill, so we'll see how that works out," he added. One of the main hang-ups to getting a deal on infrastructure is how to pay for it. McConnell has warned repeatedly that he is not supportive of borrowing money to help for it. "It would take a lot of convincing to convince me that we should do transportation in a way that's not credibly paid," he told The Washington Post recently.

July 4 fireworks to return to Mount Rushmore this year despite coronavirus

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Kristi Lynn NoemSouth Dakota AG issues statement on fatal crash, says 'I discovered the body' Authorities confirm South Dakota attorney general involved in fatal crash South Dakota governor defends Sturgis rallygoers: 'Exercised their personal freedom to attend' MORE (R) said on Tuesday, as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, that July 4 fireworks will be held during planned celebrations at Mount Rushmore. The National Park Service announced that the Fourth of July celebration would return this year after an 11-year absence due to concerns over wildfires, citing an environmental assessment that showed it would not cause a significant impact, according to KOTA TV. "We're excited that this will be happening at Mount Rushmore, we've been working on this for quite some time," Noem said during a press conference. ADVERTISEMENT South Dakota has recorded 2,313 coronavirus cases and 11 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Last week, two speedway events were held in the state despite discouragement from Noem. She did not, however, try to force the races to be postponed or canceled. "We'll continue to evaluate what the crowd looks like," Noem said of the Independence Day events. "We'll make adjustments" if necessary, she added. The governor thanked President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE and the Department of Interior for working to "make this celebration possible again for the country." Trump, who spent last year's July 4 hosting an armed forces celebration in Washington, D.C., previously said he would "try" to attend this year's celebration at Mount Rushmore, calling into question why the display was ever canceled. "What can burn? It's stone. Nobody knew why," Trump said in January, according to CNN. "Regardless of how many people will be there, the fireworks will go off and I can't think of a better way for us to celebrate America's birthday," Noem said.

Uber's top engineer is leaving the ride-hailing giant as the coronavirus throws its core taxi business into turmoil

Uber's chief technology officer, Thuan Pham, has resigned effective May 16, the company said Tuesday. Pham, who joined the company in 2013, was one of the last remaining executives hired by ousted founder Travis Kalanick. The Information reported that Uber was planning to lay off up to 5,400 people to save costs as its core ride-hailing business is decimated by stay-at-home orders around the world. An Uber representative said the company was looking at "every possible scenario" for weathering the crisis. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Uber's chief technology officer and longest-serving executive, Thuan Pham, has resigned effective May 16, the company said Tuesday, as the company reportedly mulls further cost cutting to weather the coronavirus pandemic. "While the work is never done, I feel comfortable hanging up my hat at a time when the Uber Engineering team is at peak productivity, we have built robust system scale and stability, and are well prepared to face the future," he said in a press release filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "This has been a labor of love for me, and I am so proud of what we have done as a team." Pham joined Uber as its chief technology officer in 2013 under ousted founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick, who exited the company's board after selling his remaining stake in December. The Information's Amir Efrati reported Tuesday that the company was considering further layoffs of up to 5,400 people, citing a person familiar with the matter who said the plan was not yet confirmed. The layoffs could represent up to 20% of Uber's 27,000-person workforce and save the company up to $1 billion in expenses, according to The Information. In response to a question about the possible job cuts, an Uber representative said in a statement: "As you would expect, the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever." In recent weeks, hundreds of open jobs have disappeared from Uber's career webpage, which now shows zero open roles at the company. As the coronavirus pandemic precipitated shelter-in-place orders throughout most of the world, Uber's core ride-hailing business shrank to about 20% of its usual volume, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told analysts in late March. Private data suggested the decline could be even greater, to the tune of 94%, Business Insider reported earlier this month. To make up for the losses, Uber has leaned heavily into Uber Eats, which was already growing quickly as a major revenue source before the global slowdown. On the call in March, Uber said sign-ups by restaurants in the Seattle area (then one of the hardest-hit US cities) had increased up to 10 times the usual amount. Uber is set to report its first-quarter financial performance, of which only the latter weeks were affected by the pandemic, on May 7. The company withdrew its financial forecasts — including its estimate of an adjusted profit in 2020 — on April 16. "Given the evolving nature of COVID-19 and the uncertainty it has caused for every industry in every part of the world, it is impossible to predict with precision the pandemic's cumulative impact on our future financial results," Uber said at the time. Are you an Uber employee? We want to hear from you. Get in touch with this reporter at grapier@businessinsider.com, or via secure methods that can be found here.

When the Music Stops: Famed Tap Dancers Diamond and Silk Cut From Fox News

Photo : Paul Morigi ( Getty Images ) Diamond and Silk learned the harsh lesson of steppinfetchery: No matter how hard you dance, at some point, they will tire of your act and you will find that there is no one left to dance for. Advertisement On Monday, Fox News, the Alex Jones of network news, severed ties with the blackface duo, whose schtick has even grown too outlandish for a fake news network. Think about that for a moment; an outlandish news network just got rid of the MAGA vloggers for being even too outlandish for them. That’s like the WWE getting rid of a wrestling superstar for his moves being fake. Or Trump getting rid of S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham for holding too tightly to his taint. Managing Editor Genetta Adams: Graham isn’t in Trump’s administration. Me: The hell he ain’t! Adams: Fair enough. Apparently, Diamond and Silk “contributed original content to the network’s streaming service Fox Nation since shortly after its late 2018 launch,” the Daily Beast reports. Who knew? No, seriously, who watches this shit? Advertisement Looks like the duo was pushing some really wild conspiracy theories and disinformation about the coronavirus. “After what they’ve said and tweeted you won’t be seeing them on Fox Nation or Fox News anytime soon,” a source told The Daily Beast. Diamond and Silk—who were not born Diamond and Silk but were apparently given better birth names, Lynette Hardaway (“Diamond”), and Rochelle Richardson (“Silk”) before taking on the stripper monikers—became a thing in 2016 when they were willing to be black champions for Trump. They would become regulars on Fox News because...black women for Trump, who, of course, would become a part of Trump’s favorite blacks, which includes Kanye, the pastor with the conk, the whiny “comedian” guy on Twitter and Jim Brown. Trump began inviting the two women to his rallies and even started treating them like “senior advisers,” which would be a big deal but Hope Hicks and Rudy Giuliani are also advisers. From the Daily Beast: The social-media personalities were eventually tapped to provide weekly videos for Fox Nation after it launched as a subscription-based online video network. Their episodes, essentially 5-7 minute distillations of their freeform live-streams, appeared like clockwork on the streaming service until earlier this month. No new episodes of their online program have been uploaded since April 7, as CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy first noted over the weekend. Prior to this month, the duo never missed a week posting episodes since December 2018. The sisters’ Fox guest spots have also dried up recently. According to a search of TVEyes, a cable-news monitoring system, Diamond & Silk haven’t appeared on the network since a March 6 interview on Fox & Friends and a March 7 hit on the now-defunct Fox Business Network show hosted by Trish Regan, who was also ditched by Fox after her own comments calling the pandemic an “impeachment scam.” Advertisement Since The Root doesn’t know anyone who actually watches this bullshit, according to reports, Diamond and Silk were heavy on these COVID-19 misinformation streets. During their March 30 livestream, the pair claimed that the coronavirus death toll was inflated to make Trump look bad. Advertisement “What I need to know is how many people have passed away in New York, and what I need to know is: Who has the bodies?” Diamond asked—I’m saying Diamond asked, but I don’t know who she is. I know that one looks like she’s wearing a Lion-O from Thundercats wig and the other one looks like a downtrodden gospel singer who still has another song left in her somewhere. “I need for somebody that does investigative work to call the morgues. To call the funeral homes. We need to know, because I don’t trust anything else that comes out of his mouth now... Something’s not right here. Something is off here.” Advertisement She added: “Is this being deliberately spread? Look, I’m not being a conspiracy theorist, this is real, but I’m asking my own questions. What the hell is going on?” Silk, which is actually a common pimp name, actually veered into the hotep lane after she claimed that this disease was “man-made” and “engineered.” S he also asked if there was a “little deep-state action going on behind the scenes.” Advertisement “She also questioned whether the World Health Organization had a ‘switch’ to ‘turn this virus on and off?’” the Daily Beast reports. A day after these wild-ass claims, Twitter removed a post in which the women told people to expose themselves to the virus. Advertisement “The only way we can become immune to the environment; we must be out in the environment,” the since-deleted tweet read, the Daily Beast reports. “Quarantining people inside of their houses for extended periods will make people sick!” Fox News hasn’t said much about the curtain being closed on the tap dancing black women, but it’s clear that they went full Alex Jones. And there’s one thing you can’t do if you haven’t built up enough of a fan base and aren’t a white man and that’s go full Alex Jones. Advertisement But they will always have one fan for a lifetime:

‘I don’t have the coronavirus’: Mike Pence explains why he didn’t wear a mask

On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence explained to Maggie Haberman of The New York Times why he didn’t feel the need to use a mask during his visit to the Mayo Clinic earlier in the day. “And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers these incredible healthcare personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you.” more Pence per pool — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 28, 2020 ADVERTISEMENT The CDC’s current guidelines recommend wearing a mask in any public setting “where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain … especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.” Even if Pence does not have COVID-19, he could be infected from someone else who is showing no symptoms. Additionally, Pence was visibly not following social distancing recommendations either. With Pence heading the Coronavirus Task Force, he could risk infecting other members of the team, or even the president himself.

C&C Wrestle Factory: Cedric Alexander Explains The Surprising Origin Of Their Infamous Tag Team Name: EXCLUSIVE

In a recent interview with The Illumi-NERDI Wrestling Order, half of the popular C&C Wrestle Factory duo, WWE Superstar Cedric Alexander, reveals the true origin of their moniker. Alexander recently formed a tag team on Monday Night Raw with fellow high-flyer Ricochet. The new and exciting tandem has racked up a bevy of wins on the weekly program while wowing audiences with their unique brand of offense. However, the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Alexander has a long and storied history with a number of promotions. His run alongside star Caprice Coleman in Ring of Honor gave him the notoriety and popularity needed to get on the WWE’s radar. C&C Wrestle Factory’s True Origin During a recent conversation with The Illuminerdi’s Jeandra LeBeauf and Nathan Haskil, Alexander revealed that the name for their successful tag team, C&C Wrestle Factory, was spawned online in a Reddit thread. “The funny thing about that name is we never came up with it. It’s something that me or Caprice Coleman never came up with. It was purely Reddit, or the internet, someone just said, yeah, ‘Coleman and Alexander as the C&C Wrestle Factory’ as a joke and they fought it for months to not call us that. Then they were like you know what, we got nothing else better. That was it.” It’s an interesting note that fans online willed the C&C Wrestle Factory name into fruition. While it seems the initials of the wrestlers who make up the tag team feels like a no-brainer, it goes to show that the fans’ influence on the product they know and love remains strong. RELATED: WWE STAR MARK HENRY KILLED “SILVERBACK” ANGLE BECAUSE OF RACIAL UNDERTONES: EXCLUSIVE Nowadays, Alexander competes in the WWE on its Raw brand. Meanwhile, Coleman actively competed in ROH until 2017. Recently, the performer has taken to interviewing wrestlers on his recurring segment, “Coleman’s Pulpit”. The C&C Wrestle Factory ran from 2010 to 2013 and competed with the likes of Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, Jimmy Jacobs, and Steve Corino. While they never managed to obtain the coveted ROH Tag Team Championships, their matches with reDRagon (The Undisputed Era’s Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) and AEW founders The Young Bucks endeared them to wrestling fans throughout the 3-year run. RELATED: WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS IS THE DIFFERENT WRESTLING GAME WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR What do you think of how the fan-favorite tag team got their C&C Wrestle Factory name? What other instances can you think of where fans affected the product? Frog Splash those comments below and on social media. Make sure to share our Wrestling stories and keep checking back for the latest at The Illuminerdi!

UVA Health Enacting Changes in Response to COVID-19 Financial Impact

After considerable engagement with leadership at the highest levels, UVA Health is implementing a series of actions designed to mitigate the financial effects of COVID-19 and safeguard its ability to serve the community. “These decisions were reached only after a great deal of input from leaders across the organization, and are focused on actions we must take now to be able to fulfill our mission,” said Dr. Craig Kent, executive vice president for health affairs for the University of Virginia. As Kent outlined in an email message to the organization earlier today, as a result of earlier actions needed to respond to COVID-19, hundreds of inpatient beds have been regularly unoccupied, surgeries have declined by 70%, and clinic visits have been reduced by 90%. The result has been a fall in revenue from clinical care and related services that is producing a deficit of $85 million a month. “The challenges presented by this crisis are difficult to exaggerate,” wrote Kent. “We have no choice but to take action – now – to stabilize our organization.” Without the significant changes being put in place, within a few months the health system would not have the necessary funding to carry out its mission of providing high-quality patient care, training health providers and supporting critical research. The actions being implemented are designed to allow the organization to reduce expenses, adjust and rebuild over the coming months. These include: Expense reduction: Leaders are being asked to find savings where possible in medical supplies and pharmacy spending, along with reducing overtime, limiting work with contract staff and adjusting facility lease commitments. Non-essential travel is being eliminated, and leaders are being asked to reduce discretionary spending. Leaders are being asked to find savings where possible in medical supplies and pharmacy spending, along with reducing overtime, limiting work with contract staff and adjusting facility lease commitments. Non-essential travel is being eliminated, and leaders are being asked to reduce discretionary spending. Leadership compensation reductions: Kent will reduce his own compensation by 40% through the end of July. In addition, leaders at UVA Medical Center, UVA Physicians Group, the UVA School of Medicine and the UVA School of Nursing will reduce their compensation by 20% through the end of July. Kent will reduce his own compensation by 40% through the end of July. In addition, leaders at UVA Medical Center, UVA Physicians Group, the UVA School of Medicine and the UVA School of Nursing will reduce their compensation by 20% through the end of July. Physician compensation reduction: Physicians will have a 20% reduction in their total compensation through the end of July. Physicians will have a 20% reduction in their total compensation through the end of July. Retirement contributions: Retirement contributions will be suspended through the end of July for all UVA Medical Center and non-physician UVA Physicians Group employees. Retirement contributions will be suspended through the end of July for all UVA Medical Center and non-physician UVA Physicians Group employees. Funding for School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Library: UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group patient care revenue helps support the education and research missions of the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Library. That funding will be reduced by a yet-to-be-determined amount this year. Each entity will individually make decisions about potential program changes, salary reductions or furloughs. UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group patient care revenue helps support the education and research missions of the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Library. That funding will be reduced by a yet-to-be-determined amount this year. Each entity will individually make decisions about potential program changes, salary reductions or furloughs. Adjusting hours for patient care staff : Hours for patient care providers at UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group will be adjusted on a shift-by-shift basis based on patient volumes. As patient volumes increase, so too will staffing. Any patient care staff member whose hours are reduced will be able to use their available paid time off. These changes will not affect team members caring for COVID-19 patients. : Hours for patient care providers at UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group will be adjusted on a shift-by-shift basis based on patient volumes. As patient volumes increase, so too will staffing. Any patient care staff member whose hours are reduced will be able to use their available paid time off. These changes will not affect team members caring for COVID-19 patients. Furloughs for some non-patient care staff: Some non-patient care staff at UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group will be furloughed for up to three months. Health, dental and life insurance benefits will be preserved. Any furloughed employee will be able to use their available paid time off. A special team from the UVA School of Law will provide information and resources for unemployment benefits. Those furloughed may also access UVA’s Emergency Assistance Fund for employees. Of the above, actions that affect staff were the last resort, and are being put in place with the hope of avoiding the widespread layoffs other hospital systems in the region and country have been forced to make. “Our people make us who we are,” Kent said. “In my short time here, I have observed a vibrant organization supported by remarkable people. Without a doubt, today’s actions are difficult, and the impact on our community will continue to be immense as the result of this health crisis. We hope to return colleagues to work, and salaries to normal, hopefully as soon as possible.” UVA Health leaders will monitor the situation and evaluate these changes on a daily basis, with the goal of returning to regular operations soon. “We all care deeply for this organization and about our future,” Kent concluded. “We will endure – I know we will, working together.” A dedicated site has been set up with information and resources for employees.

College football tiers: Clemson and Ohio State on top, but who's next?

There are two inherent truths about college football's top 25 rankings. The first is that everyone reads them. The second is that everyone hates them. The contempt is legitimate. Look at the numbers: Teams ranked 20 through 25, over the past decade, are just 76-76 in matchups against unranked Power 5 foes that went on to finish the year with a winning record. Last year, teams ranked 11th or worse at game time were just 14-15 against unranked (but above .500) Power 5 competition. Teams that finished the year unranked in 2019 had a fairly solid 14-17 record against teams ranked 11th or worse at game time, too. In all, 32 different teams held a ranking between 21 and 25 last year -- essentially one-quarter of all of FBS. The point of all this is to say that the top 25 rankings are a sham, yet the entire idea is still so ingrained in our college football culture that, even if we hate it on a surface level, we can't help but bow to its ubiquitous power. To quote the great Frank Costanza, there has to be a better way! Indeed, there is: Tiers. No "1 through 25," but rather groups of teams on a similar level. This isn't exactly scientific, either, of course. But it's a start. And, since we've all been locked away in our homes and forced to binge-watch way too much TV, we'll use a few of those shows as our guides. Tier 1 (two teams): "The Wire" Seasons 1-4 Ohio State, Clemson

Health Care Workers Stand Up To Anti-Lockdown Protesters In North Carolina

Health care workers in North Carolina on Tuesday held a counterprotest against yet another “ReOpen NC” rally in the state capital. About a dozen nurses, doctors and other health care workers, wearing scrubs and masks, stood outside the State Archives of North Carolina in Raleigh with their arms crossed. Some carried signs reading “Stay Home For ME” and “I Can’t Believe I Have to Show Up Here Too.” They stood in a formation that allowed them to practice social distancing, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Jade Wilson Health care workers holding a counterprotest against anti-lockdown demonstrators in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday. Across the street, hundreds of ReOpen NC protesters crowded together for the third time in as many weeks, once again demanding that Gov. Roy Cooper (D) reopen the state’s economy during the coronavirus pandemic ― the dire warnings of public health officials be damned. Cooper announced last week that the state’s stay-at-home order had been extended into May. These protesters carried signs promoting debunked conspiracy theories about COVID-19, which has already infected over 1 million people and killed over 57,000 in the U.S. alone. There have been over 9,500 reported cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina, according to state health officials, resulting in over 340 deaths. One of ReOpen NC’s lead organizers, Audrey Whitlock, revealed this week that she had tested positive for the coronavirus. The protesters also heckled and harassed the health care workers ― front-line workers in the fight against both COVID-19 and a right-wing campaign to downplay the dangers of the virus ― who remained silent and stoic. “My grandma taught me not to argue with a fool because onlookers can’t tell who’s who,” Amber Brown, a nurse from Kernersville who attended the protest, told HuffPost over the phone Tuesday. Jade Wilson Health care workers at their counterprotest across from the “ReOpen NC” rally in Raleigh. “They’re putting me and my family at risk,” Sekia Royall, who works in nutrition services at O’Berry Hospital in Goldsboro, said in a press release. “My daughter and I both have pre-existing conditions, and if someone gets the virus at our facility, it will spread like wildfire,” she said. “For some of our patients it could be fatal.” Carrie Shropshire, a medical student at Campbell University in Raleigh, joined the health care workers protesting Tuesday. “We take an oath to ‘do no harm,’ and these protesters are literally causing harm,” she said in the press release. Shropshire also tweeted that some anti-lockdown protesters yelled at her and her fellow health workers Tuesday, asking if they are citizens. “The people who are trying to reopen our state to infection and death want to know if we are American,” Shropshire tweeted. As people screamed at them, our health care workers stood in silence defending our state. This is courage and composure in it's purest form.#HealthWorkersDefendNC pic.twitter.com/VCBHAUHE5S — Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) April 28, 2020 The ReOpen NC protests are just a few of the many “reopen” demonstrations that have taken place across the country in recent weeks. They’re often attended by heavily armed militias and other extremists, and many are organized, in part, by groups with ties to right-wing billionaires including Charles Koch and Robert Mercer. The anti-lockdown protesters — who are largely supportive of President Donald Trump and who view the economic impact of the pandemic as worse than the pandemic itself — are not representative of the majority of the country. A recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that only 22% of Americans support the anti-lockdown protests. Most Americans support stay-at-home orders and the continued closure of nonessential businesses. The poll found that a majority of Republicans also oppose the protests, even though Trump and Fox News have expressed support for them. Jade Wilson Health care workers staging a counterprotest at the ReOpen NC rally on Tuesday. Cris Batista Many of the protesters at the ReOpen NC rally did not wear protective equipment such as masks. Brown, the nurse from Kernersville, stood in opposition to the anti-lockdown protest in Raleigh last week too, where she was heckled over her weight. “I am, and will always be, a nurse,” Brown tweeted from the demonstration Tuesday. “I carry each patient with me in my heart and it is for them that I take a stand. It’s why I was out here last week to speak out against reopening North Carolina. It’s why I’m out here again today.” She also posted a video showing anti-lockdown protesters marching around without wearing masks. “A thing about this virus: Many who die from it can’t have their loved ones hold their hands in their last moments,” Brown tweeted. “I’ve held people’s hands while they’ve passed because no one should die alone. The more these reckless protests happen, the more people will.” A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus

7 Valorant streams » TalkEsport

Twitch announced today that, they have updated its guidelines to stop streamers from replaying Twitch VODs for 24-hour streams. 📢 We’ve heard concerns about creators continuously streaming VODs while tagging the channel as "Live" to farm Valorant Drops. This harms the integrity of our Drops Program so we’ve updated our Community Guidelines to clarify that cheating any Twitch rewards system is prohibited. — Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) April 28, 2020 This follows when VALORANT streamers started exploiting the Twitch drop system to gain viewers by streaming 24/7 and broadcasting VODs as “live” content. “We’ve heard concerns about creators continuously streaming VODs while tagging the channel as ‘Live’ to farm Valorant Drops,” Twitch said. “This harms the integrity of our Drops Program so we’ve updated our Community Guidelines to clarify that cheating any Twitch rewards system is prohibited.” Valorant director commended this move from twitch, He said, “Twitch has been a great ally in helping us ship our beta, and they are continuing to support the best efforts to ensure drops stay fair,” Recently Valorant surpassed 200 million hours watched since its launch, following this the community had started to question the “hours watched” for Valorant.

Vegan Restaurant Week - Vegan Restaurants Offering Takeout and Delivery

It's vegan restaurant week in Philly! Here are some restaurants offering deals and specials: Dock St Brewery $$ Brewery Contact: (215) 726-2337 Address: 701 S 50th St, Philadelphia, PA 19143 / 2118 Washington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19146 Delivery or pickup: Pick up only: West / South . Reviews: Google: 4.3 (320 reviews) Yelp: 4 (551 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4 (74 reviews) Order a DIY vegan pizza kit! Two 10” pizza doughs, tomato sauce, vegan cheese (Violife), caramelized onions, mushrooms for $17. Pumpkin $$ American Deal: 3 courses for $35 AND Vegan Restaurant Week menu 4 for $45. Contact: (215) 545-4448 Address: 1713 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19146 Delivery or pickup: Pickup or delivery - call restaurant. Reviews: Google: 4.6 (184 reviews) Yelp: 4 (405 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4.5 (137 reviews) Bar Bombon $$ Vegan Latin American restaurant Contact: (267) 606-6612 Address: 133 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Delivery or pickup: Pickup, delivery via doordash.com , seamless.com , trycaviar.com , grubhub.com or call restaurant for curbside pickup. Reviews: Google: 4.6 (870 reviews) Yelp: 4 (605 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4.5 (97 reviews) Vegan dinner for 2 special - 2x 3 courses for $49. Helm $$ New American Deal: 3 courses for $25 Contact: (215) 309-2211 Address: 1303 N 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122 Delivery or pickup: Pickup and delivery to South Philly. 7:00pm pickup outside of stateside. Text 856-906-8451, email helmphilly@gmail.com, or call 215-309-2211. Get orders in as early as possible. Spots limited. Reviews: Google: 4.6 (167 reviews) Yelp: 4.5 (221 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4.5 (49 reviews) Restaurants with vegan options offering takeout and delivery: Martha $$ Bar Contact: (215) 867-8881 Address: 2113 E York St, Philadelphia, PA 19125 Delivery or pickup: Order for delivery or pickup via website . Reviews: Google: 4.6 (363 reviews) Yelp: 4 (120 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4.5 (12 reviews) Tattooed Mom $ Bar Contact: (215) 238-9880 Address: 530 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Delivery or pickup: Call for pickup, delivery via Doordash . Reviews: Google: 4.6 (1858 reviews) Yelp: 4 (670 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4.5 (83 reviews) Triangle Tavern $$ Bar Contact: (215) 800-1992 Address: 1338 S 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Delivery or pickup: Call for pickup, delivery via Caviar . Reviews: Google: 4.5 (483 reviews) Yelp: 4 (189 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4 (36 reviews) LUHV VEGAN DELI $$ Vegan restaurant Contact: (267) 758-5779 Address: 51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Delivery or pickup: Delivery via Caviar . Reviews: Google: 4.6 (64 reviews) Yelp: 4.5 (80 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4 (6 reviews) Bareburger $$ Hamburger restaurant Contact: (215) 627-2273 Address: 1109 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19101 Delivery or pickup: Pickup, delivery via bareburger.com , seamless.com , grubhub.com , trycaviar.com , doordash.com . Reviews: Google: 4.4 (988 reviews) Yelp: 4 (589 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4 (95 reviews) Su Xing House $ Chinese restaurant Contact: (215) 564-1419 Address: 1508 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19102 Delivery or pickup: Call for pickup, delivery via suxinghousephilly.com , postmates.com . Reviews: Google: 4.5 (425 reviews) Yelp: 4 (398 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4.5 (77 reviews) American Sardine Bar $$ Gastropub Contact: (215) 334-2337 Address: 1800 Federal St, Philadelphia, PA 19146 Delivery or pickup: Pickup and delivery via Toasttab , delivery via Caviar . Reviews: Google: 4.5 (600 reviews) Yelp: 4 (342 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4 (26 reviews) Second District Brewing Company $$ Brewery Contact: (215) 575-5900 Address: 1939 S Bancroft St, Philadelphia, PA 19145 Delivery or pickup: Pickup only via Toasttab . Reviews: Google: 4.6 (189 reviews) Yelp: 4 (99 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4 (8 reviews) Nourish $$ Vegan restaurant Contact: (267) 761-9242 Address: 650 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Delivery or pickup: Pickup, delivery via grubhub.com , seamless.com . Reviews: Google: 4.7 (19 reviews) Yelp: 5 (6 reviews) Little Man's Juice Bar and Grill Juice shop and vegan grill Contact: (215) 338-4520 Address: 4218 Princeton Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19135 Delivery or pickup: Pickup, delivery via seamless.com , grubhub.com , doordash.com . Reviews: Google: 4.7 (95 reviews) Yelp: 4.5 (10 reviews) Cafe Ynez $ Mexican restaurant Contact: (215) 278-7579 Address: 2025 Washington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19146 Delivery or pickup: Pickup, delivery via eatstreet.com , trycaviar.com , seamless.com , grubhub.com , doordash.com . Reviews: Google: 4.5 (284 reviews) Yelp: 4 (252 reviews) Tripadvisor: 4 (17 reviews) 20th Street Pizza $$ Vegan pizza restaurant Contact: (215) 398-5748 Address: 108 S 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Delivery or pickup: Pickup via Toasttab , delivery via grubhub.com , trycaviar.com , doordash.com , seamless.com . Reviews: Google: 4.8 (110 reviews) Yelp: 4.5 (42 reviews) Tripadvisor: 5 (3 reviews) Queen and Rook Cafe $$ Vegan Restaurant Contact: (215) 995-0043 Address: 607 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Delivery or pickup: For food take-out / pick-up, (or delivery of retail games), please call 215-995-0043. Delivery via trycaviar.com , postmates.com , grubhub.com , seamless.com . Reviews: Google: 4.9 (126 reviews) Yelp: 4.5 (34 reviews) Tomo Sushi & Ramen $$ Sushi restaurant Contact: (267) 519-0209 Address: 228 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Delivery or pickup: Call for pickup, delivery via trycaviar.com , doordash.com . Reviews: Google: 4.7 (207 reviews) Yelp: 4.5 (126 reviews) Tripadvisor: 5 (12 reviews)

Duda Santana relied on donations from fellow UFC fighters to survive during COVID-19 pandemic

Duda Santana finally has food in her refrigerator again. The UFC bantamweight revealed in a heartbreaking interview to Combate that she was running out of food at home since her entire family wasn’t able to work due to the coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro. Santana shares a house with her mother, six siblings, and her four-year-old daughter at the City of God favela, and had no money to buy groceries. When UFC lightweight Alan Patrick read that story online, he decided to act. “Nuguette” told MMA Fighting he knew Santana and her family and felt he had to do something. Patrick shared the link on a WhatsApp group with almost 80 UFC fighters hoping to gather donations for their fellow UFC athlete. Former light heavyweight title contender Glover Teixeira was the first to raise his hand and offer support, Patrick says, followed by Amanda Ribas, Anderson dos Santos and Raphael Pessoa. “I helped ‘Cowboyzinha’ because I’ve been in her situation before,” Patrick said. “I know how it feels to be hungry, to share a house with several siblings and not have anything to eat. We know ‘Cowboyzinha’ and her family are victims of the system. The system doesn’t let you acquire knowledge and grow as a person. “Thank God and thank to sports she was able to achieve something and get to the world’s biggest promotion, but everybody in Brazil thinks like, ‘boom, your problems are over’ if you’re signed by the UFC.” Patrick, who used to shine shoes in the streets of Brasilia as a kid, went onto criticize the UFC’s office in Brazil for not taking the lead and helping Santana and other fighters who may be in a similar situation. “It’s embarrassing not for me, but for the organization in Brazil,” he said. “They could have thought, ‘no, let me do this.’ I started the campaign and talked to other UFC fighters. ‘Are we going to see this story and not do nothing while our friend starves?’ Doing for someone what others have done for me in the past is priceless.” Dos Santos, who like Santana hasn’t entered the UFC cage in almost a year, decided to contribute even though he’s not a wealthy fighter after just two octagon appearances. “We get emotional with a story like that from a fellow fighter,” dos Santos said. “Some fighters got together and, even though we’re all going through difficult times, we made the donation.” The donations came in last week and a “happy, emotional and thankful” Santana quickly went to the supermarket to buy food for her entire family, she told MMA Fighting. Money came at the right time, especially after “Cowboyzinha” had to pull out from a planned clash with Sarah Alpar before the global pandemic eventually forced the promotion to cancel the entire May 2 show. “We’re broke like everyone else,” Santana said. “It’s complicated. I depend on the fight and the win, and I was counting on the money. We work hard and train hard every day to fight, so it’s a bit frustrating. That’s the word, we get frustrated.” For now, “Cowboyzinha” and her mother are trying to secure R$ 600 ($105 dollars) as part of the Brazilian government’s emergency salary plan. Santana’s UFC show money is $10,000, and winning a fight would mean double in her pocket. Yet, she wouldn’t be able to compete in the United States until the embassies are open once again. “That would be a relief,” Santana responded when asked what a $10,000 check would represent to her family. “We would be relieved for a whole year. We would be able to level up a little bit. Well, $10,000… Damn! My last fight I bought a TV and other things I didn’t have at home. UFC’s purse is a relief.” “Cowboyzinha” (3-1) wants to compete and volunteered to be part of one of the first “Fight Island” cards expected for June, but admits she’s afraid to go outside while COVID-19 continues to take lives. “I want to fight, but I think it will take a bit [until I get offered a fight],” said Santana, who lost her Octagon debut to Bea Malecki on June 2019. “[Coronavirus] worries me. I’ll tell you this, I’m scared of this virus. I just heard that a friend of a friend, someone we know, just died. He was 28 and very healthy. That scares you. “But I want to fight. Tell Dana White to give me an opportunity so I can put on a show [laughs].”

An island in lockdown: 'We'll come back stronger'

The Isle of Mull in the west of Scotland has been in lockdown and closed to visitors for several weeks, and non-residents have been warned not to travel to the Highlands and Islands. But despite being heavily reliant on tourism, this close-knit community believes that they can come out of this crisis stronger. Filmmakers Daisy Walsh and Tom Martienssen have been self- isolating on Mull, and have sent us this report. They used social distancing protocols during production.

1 in 7 Americans wouldn’t seek coronavirus treatment because it probably costs too much

The U.S. can’t afford to see this happen if it wants to fight the coronavirus epidemic. The CDC has urged people to call their doctors or local health departments if they develop probable COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and a dry cough, a vital move to get people tested and tracki the spread of the virus before the economy can reopen. But one in seven Americans say in a new West Health and Gallup poll that they would avoid seeking medical care if they experienced these key symptoms because they’re afraid of the financial cost of treating the disease. Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults between April 1-14, 2020 as part of an ongoing study to get public opinion on the cost of healthcare. And 14% of respondents said they would skip getting medical help if they or a family member had a cough and a fever because of concerns about the cost of care. What’s more, almost one in 10 (9%) would still avoid getting medical help even if they suspected themselves of explicitly having the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and not just exhibiting similar symptoms. Related:Watch out for these 6 new coronavirus symptoms This worry about the cost of treating COVID-19 fell along clear socioeconomic lines. The groups most likely to avoid care included more than 20% of adults who were under 30, non-white, had a high school education or less, and made under $40,000 a year. Gallup noted that certain socioeconomic groups are generally less willing to seek out medical care because they simply can’t afford it: Black and Hispanic-Americans are less likely to have health insurance than non-Hispanic whites, for example, and lower-income households are more influenced by cost when considering whether to follow their doctors’ orders. This aligns with a Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted in March, which found that more than one-third (36%) of respondents were worried about being able to afford testing or treatment — and two-thirds of those who didn’t have health insurance expressed concern about the cost of treatment and testing. Congress recently passed the Families First relief act to make coronavirus testing free, however. And most of America’s major health insurers have agreed to waive co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs for coronavirus tests. But being treated for COVID-19 could be an entirely different story, costing up to $20,000, according to a recent analysis by Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker. It found that even people with health insurance through their employer could pay more than $1,300 in out-of-pocket costs if they’re hospitalized with a severe case of COVID-19. What’s more, some stories about steep COVID-19-related medical bills have spread, such as a Miami man who reportedly racked up $3,270 in hospital charges when he was tested after a work trip to China, or a Pennsylvania man who set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for $3,918 in surprise bills after he was evacuated from China and quarantined with his three-year-old daughter. Read more:How much does coronavirus treatment cost? Getting tested is now free, but treatment could cost up to $20,000 Last month, Vice President Mike Pence assured that “there will be no surprise billing,” however. The IRS also announced that high-deductible health plans can cover coronavirus-related testing and treatment. Many people are in no condition for sky-high medical bills at the moment. After all, a record 26 million Americans are out of work due to coronavirus-tied layoffs. While the government has set aside $290 billion put aside for direct payments to individuals to help them cope with the pandemic, one in three Americans fear the first stimulus checks won’t sustain them for even a month. Most already say that they need a second relief check to make ends meet. The economic stimulus payments are available up to $1,200 for individuals earning less than $99,000, and $2,400 for married couples making less than $198,000. Read more:84% of Americans say they need another stimulus check Gallup notes that seeking care when showing COVID-19 symptoms or when someone suspects they may have been infected by the virus is a critical part of combatting the outbreak, as increased testing is key to reopening the economy. The White House is planning to double coronavirus testing in May in an effort to get states to start lifting their lockdown restrictions and reopen their economies. Stay up-to-date with MarketWatch’s coronavirus coverage here.

Farmer's Markets planning to open with COVID-19 precautions

Iowa's Governor cleared the way for Farmers' Markets in Iowa to open but many of those markets are still working to adjust to restrictions for COVID-19. Those restrictions include limiting vendors to sell only farm and produce products - no arts and crafts or food meant to be eaten on site. Markets also cannot offer common seating areas and no entertainment allowed. Coralville's Farmer's Market announced it plans to open on May 18th. To do that, the city says it will rearrange the layout to increase spacing between vendors, adding hand sanitizer stations, marking off 6-feet distances for customers and encouraging touchless pay options. They are also encouraging a drive-up option. Iowa City says its markets are delayed until at least July but it is offering an online option starting May 9th. Iowa City says some of its vendors will offer their produce and goods online. Users will be able to shop at multiple vendors, pay online and schedule a pick-up. The online option also lets the city accept SNAP, or food stamp, benefits. Dubuque announced it will open up farmers markets on May 16th but warned that is subject to change as staff work to meet COVID-19 restrictions. "As always, our main focus is to connect customers with vendors while maintaining health and safety guidelines," the market wrote on Facebook. "We have also created a digital directory of participating vendors that can be found on our Facebook page and Farmers Market website." Cedar Rapids popular Downtown Farmer's Market is still scheduled to start June 6th. It has not announced yet how the Governor's order might change that plan. It had already cancelled plans for a May 23rd market.

UPDATE: COVID-19 Unlikely to Disappear; Expected to Return Each Year, Claim Chinese Researchers

Chinese scientists have recently discussed a new Coronavirus claim. They said that SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to be eradicated in the world. Worse, this disease may possibly return each year in every country like "seasonal flu." Virus may return every year like 'seasonal flu,' claim Chinese scientists Bloomberg reported that some of the top Chinese scientists have claimed that the virus will unlikely disappear in the infected places. Worse, the virus could return in waves each year due to the massive number of asymptomatic patients-- not yet being recorded and tested. Interestingly, SARS-CoV- 2 is way different from its close cousins like SARS or MERS. Aside from the asymptomatic carriers, the virus is not easily detected since wide testing is not yet applied worldwide. In SARS, for example, the disease will likely stop circulating once a patient undergoes quarantine. Unfortunately, this is not the same as Coronavirus. Once the number of asymptomatic patients-- undetected and untested-- continues to increase, the possibility of the virus to be easily eradicated is still a long shot. "This is very likely to be an epidemic that co-exists with humans for a long time, becomes seasonal and is sustained within human bodies," said Jin Qi, director of the Institute of Pathogen Biology at China's top medical research institute, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. United States Dr. Fauci: "We may never return to normal" Sadly, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, already said that "going back to the normal" before the outbreak, is a still strong possibility if the virus will not be contained, once and for all. "When we get back to normal, we will go back to the point where we can function as a society," he said. He continued, "If you want to get back to pre-coronavirus, that might not ever happen in the sense that the threat is there." Heat may help on removing Coronavirus, say U.S. officials Chinese experts also debunked the latest theory of some top U.S. officials. Last week, officials said that summer might help on easing the spread of Coronavirus since heat exposure slows down the virus. "Coronavirus dies at a much more rapid pace when exposed to sunlight and humidity," said Bill Bryan, the head of the science and technology directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, during the White House briefing. "The virus dies the quickest in direct sunlight. Isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus in 30 seconds." Unfortunately, Chinese experts found no evidence in terms of this claim. "The virus is heat-sensitive, but that's when it's exposed to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, and the weather is never going to get that hot," said Wang Guiqiang, head of the infectious diseases department of Peking University First Hospital. "So globally, even during the summer, the chance of cases going down significantly is small." ALSO READ: COVID-19: 6 New Symptoms Associated With Coronavirus Revealed by CDC ⓒ 2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Video: It Looks Like Joe Biden Fall Asleep During Live Town Hall With Hillary Clinton – Right Journalism

Hillary Clinton endorsed Joe Biden’s White House bid on Tuesday, continuing Democrats’ efforts to coalesce around the former vice president as he takes on President Donald Trump. Clinton made her announcement during a Biden campaign town hall to discuss the coronavirus and its effect on women. Without mentioning Trump by name, Clinton assailed the Republican president’s handling of the pandemic and hailed Biden’s experience and temperament in comparison. Biden, as a former vice president and six-term senator, “has been preparing for this moment his entire life,” Clinton said. “This is a moment when we need a leader, a president like Joe Biden.” But it seems that sleepy Joe wasn’t excited to listen to Hillary’s boring speech. Video below: Y’all keep trying to act like everything is ok with Joe Biden while he’s fucking falling asleep listening to Hillary Clinton! #StillWithHer #InYourDreams pic.twitter.com/SqQVNdAo0S — Rodgney Gray (@RGray12112) April 28, 2020 More videos: Hillary Clinton puts Joe Biden to sleep while she endorses him 🤣 pic.twitter.com/0V0JF0ybsM — ELLY MAYE BLANCO➕➕➕ (@Ellysa_Maye) April 28, 2020 Biden may have been reading his notes in this situation, if he did then the note said: Joe, stay awake…KAG! Editor”s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are the views of the author and do not necessarily express the views of Right Journalism. Please share this article wherever you can. It is the only way we can work around their censorship and ensure people receive news about issues that Democrats and the mainstream media suppress.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren want to ban big mergers during the coronavirus pandemic

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will introduce legislation to stop mergers of large companies during the coronavirus pandemic, the lawmakers said on Tuesday. The "Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act" would ban large mergers until the FTC says small businesses and workers "are no longer under severe financial distress" from the pandemic. The progressive lawmakers' bicameral effort comes after David Cicilline, the House Antitrust Subcommittee chair, called for a similar ban on mergers. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are planning to introduce a bill to stop mergers of large companies during the coronavirus pandemic, the lawmakers said on Tuesday. The "Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act" would ban large mergers until the Federal Trade Commission "determines that small businesses, workers, and consumers are no longer under severe financial distress," the lawmakers said in a statement. The legislation, first reported by NBC News, would define large companies as businesses with over $100 million in revenue or market capitalization; private equity companies, hedge funds, or companies majority-owned by them; businesses that have a patent on coronavirus-related products, like personal protective equipment; or transactions otherwise required to be reported to the FTC. "As we fight to save livelihoods and lives during the coronavirus pandemic, giant corporations and private equity vultures are just waiting for a chance to gobble up struggling small businesses and increase their power through predatory mergers," Warren said in a statement. "Antitrust agencies have already admitted their capacity to review mergers is reduced by the crisis," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Meanwhile, reports say that Rite Aid, private equity and other big businesses are actively looking to scoop up smaller businesses and consolidate industry for their gains. These companies should be using their cash reserves to help their employees not to acquire more power." FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips said M&A activity overall has "dramatically" decreased due to the coronavirus, and shutting down mergers entirely "doesn't make a lot of sense." Speaking on CNBC on Tuesday, he said there has been "absolutely no ramp down in enforcement," and that the agency is carefully monitoring mergers in the healthcare industry. The progressive lawmakers' effort comes after Rep. David Cicilline, head of the influential House Antitrust Subcommittee, said that a wider ban on mergers should be added to the next coronavirus relief package, fearing the pandemic could spur a "buying spree" among companies. While the legislation from either set of lawmakers would likely face opposition in the Republican-led Senate, it signals a growing push in Congress for antitrust regulation over concerns that companies could take advantage of the pandemic. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican, said on Tuesday that antitrust concerns over Amazon's data practices could be especially urgent because of the coronavirus.

Wet’suwet’en agree to sign deal with B.C., Ottawa on rights and title, despite Coastal GasLink pipeline dispute

The agreement will test new waters when it comes to the settling of Indigenous territorial claims, but will not resolve the long-standing pipeline conflict After two months of deliberation, the Wet’suwet’en have agreed to sign a landmark document with the provincial and federal governments that could change the future of Indigenous rights and title negotiations in B.C. “The Wet’suwet’en People have reached consensus and have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding between the federal government and province of B.C. to resume the full management of our yintahs [traditional territory] using our governance system,” Hereditary Chief Smogelgem tweeted on Saturday. Details of the memorandum have been kept confidential, but a March 1 joint statement released by the province of B.C., the federal government and the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs noted that, if ratified, the agreement would “implement [Wet’suwet’en] title on an expedited basis.” That statement also noted the memo would not resolve outstanding conflict concerning the pipeline: “All parties at the table recognize that the differences relating to the [Coastal GasLink] project remain.” But while the clans have agreed to sign the memorandum, the Gidimt’en clan released a statement on Monday saying the agreement doesn’t go far enough. “Along with thousands of our supporters across Turtle Island, we hoped that these discussions could end the conflict on the ground in Wet’suwet’en territory,” the Gidimt’en clan said in the statement. “Although this is a step in the right direction, [Coastal GasLink] continues to trespass on Wet’suwet’en territory in direct violation of the eviction order enforced by the Hereditary Chiefs.” The statement noted the success or failure of the agreement, which has yet to be formally ratified with the province and the federal government, would be determined “within the next few months.” “Until then, we continue to oppose this project and demand that [Coastal GasLink] and RCMP get out and stay out of Wet’suwet’en yintah,” the statement concludes. The memorandum was developed after a heated territorial dispute broke out in Wet’suwet’en territory concerning the construction of the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline, destined to transport fracked gas from northeast B.C. to LNG export facilities in Kitimat. Enforcing a court-ordered injunction, the RCMP raided Wet’suwet’en encampments along the route of the pipeline, arresting chiefs, matriarchs and their supporters. Related: In photos: Wet’suwet’en matriarchs arrested as RCMP enforce Coastal GasLink pipeline injunction The provincial and federal government both declined to provide comment on the Wet’suwet’en announcement, telling The Narwhal in separate emails there would be “more to say in the coming days.” Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs finalized the draft agreement on Feb. 29 with Scott Fraser, B.C. minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, and Carolyn Bennett, federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, who said they’d return to ratify the memorandum if all the clans agreed to it. It is unclear if Wet’suwet’en Peoples still need to vote on the memorandum before it is ratified with the province and federal government. The Narwhal reached out to three Wet’suwet’en chiefs, Chief Na’Moks, Chief Smogelgem and Chief Hagwilnegh, and the Gidimt’en clan but did not receive a response in time for publication. Coastal GasLink construction remains ongoing amid the pandemic despite growing concerns that its work camps could facilitate the spread of the virus within remote communities. A new way forward for land claims? Just two short months ago, the conflict on Wet’suwet’en territory dominated national headlines. The Wet’suwet’en traditional territory comprises 22,000 square kilometres in central B.C. The Coastal GasLink pipeline crosses Wet’suwet’en territory and, although approved by the province, was vocally opposed by Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs. The pre-dawn raids in February on the Wet’suwet’en camps by the RCMP, armed with tactical weapons and police dogs, sparked outrage and protest across the country by Wet’suwet’en supporters, many of whom occupied the B.C. legislature. Widespread solidarity actions led to the federal and provincial governments agreeing to sit down with hereditary chiefs to resolve outstanding legal issues around Wet’suwet’en rights and title. The conflict stoked national debate about the significance of Indigenous title claims, particularly in B.C. where the majority of the province is unceded land with unresolved territorial claims. Against Canada’s own legal requirements, many of those territorial claims have been treated as non-existent, with unceded land considered Crown land. Traditionally, land title claims are negotiated through modern-day treaties or, as in the case of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation, are fought within the courts. Some call this Canada’s “prove it” approach. Rather than acknowledging Indigenous rights and title to begin with, which exist according to both Indigenous law and Canadian law, First Nations are forced to prove it in court. Related: How the Wet’suwet’en crisis could have played out differently This approach puts “the burden of proof on Indigenous nations to ‘prove’ to state institutions that their pre-existing title and governance exist in order for that title to apply,” wrote Eugene Kung and Gavin Smith, two staff lawyers from West Coast Environmental Law. In the 1997 Delgamuukw decision, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan Peoples had never surrendered their land or had their title extinguished. The decision recognized Aboriginal title and the right to actively manage the land and benefit economically from its use, but found that such title must be proven in the courts. The decision also ruled Aboriginal title is a communally-held right that the province does not have the power to extinguish. The Wet’suwe’ten and Gitxsan were invited to return to court to formally resolve their territorial claim, but that did not happen. Under this new memorandum of understanding, it’s possible they won’t have to. Lawyer Jack Woodward, who drafted Section 35 of the Constitution which enshrines Indigenous rights and has represented numerous First Nations in landmark cases, said until the agreement is public it’s difficult to tell what the ramifications may be. “It proves that blockades make news, and news gets politicians into the action,” he told The Narwhal. “But whether that results in a better or worse agreement I don’t know, we don’t know, because we haven’t seen the agreement.” Agreement not in exchange for pipeline consent While the memorandum of understanding is meant to create a path to negotiate Wet’suwet’en rights and title, it did not resolve the battle over the Coastal GasLink project. Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs remain opposed to the project, while the B.C. and federal governments were clear they remained committed to the pipeline. The pipeline project is central to the province’s years-long effort to develop an LNG export industry. In particular the pipeline will feed the LNG Canada project, which will turn fracked gas from the province’s northeast into liquified natural gas for export to Asia. The NDP government offered millions in direct and indirect subsidies to corporations behind LNG Canada. In February, Premier John Horgan said cancelling the Coastal GasLink pipeline was “not an option.” Like what you’re reading? Sign up for The Narwhal’s free newsletter. Freda Huson stands in ceremony while police enforce an injunction against opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline in February, 2020. An RCMP helicopter can be seen overhead. Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal

A Statement of the SSPX concerning a Church Militant Media Campaign

The Society is committed to transparency and it exercises transparency in an appropriate manner and, as far as possible, while avoiding prejudicing the rights of those involved, starting with the victims. Justice is dispensed impartially and according to the rules of law, not before a “media court” that exclusively investigates charges and distils its information with the aim of dividing or destroying, and by multiplying false and malicious insinuations. The articles that have been published mix and match real facts with false or unbelievable accusations, in an abhorrent manner. Their authors ignore both ecclesiastical and civil legal procedures. They conduct a trial against the accused without regard to the presumption of innocence, the basic verification of facts and the rights of the defense. In support of its alleged proofs, Church Militant produces several scandals that have occurred in Europe, mostly using truncated accounts taken from newspapers or blogs. However, all these cases have been dealt with by both ecclesiastical and civil authorities, and these cases have all been judged and closed. The Society has always collaborated with the legal authorities and has never been complicit in any “sympathy” towards persons accused of acts that are morally reprehensible. Church Militant also refrains from stating that most of the members of the Society who have committed offences have been expelled from the Society or have been subject to exemplary punishments. Some, who refused to submit to them, preferred to leave the Society. The U.S. District has a protection plan in place and strives to fulfill its mission to families and souls. It will not be deflected by a smear campaign that exploits cases that are highly regrettable and reprehensible and, although rare, are still too numerous. In the interest of transparency, the Society of Saint Pius X wished to reiterate the fundamental points of its policy in this matter: For several years now, it has put in place preventive measures in the selection and training of candidates for the priesthood, as well as in the recruitment of personnel for the institutions under its care. The Society deeply regrets that some of its members may have engaged in serious misconduct and, in the worst cases, criminal or delinquent behavior. It is a blemish on the Catholic priesthood, on the Church, and on the work of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. However, that does not mean that the Society encourages them, that it protects them, or, even less, that it covers for them. On the contrary, it strives each time, according to the seriousness of the cases, to sanction them and to deal with them, according to the rules of justice, having first of all concern for the victims. It uses the measures provided for by the laws of the Church, which foresee various kinds of sanctions, such as deprivation of office, times of probation and penance, restrictions or prohibitions of apostolate, suspension a divinis, reduction ad missam, resignation or dismissal, and even laicization, if necessary. These measures are taken at the end of canonical procedures, which can take some time and are covered by the secrecy of judicial inquiries and deliberations of the courts – a secrecy required by Church law. For the most serious cases, which could constitute crimes or felonies, it collaborates with the civil authorities, either by warning them or by sharing the elements in its possession. It offers the victims assistance, encourages them to file complaints with the civil authorities – and not on social networks or websites – and accompanies them as far as possible. It informs the civil authorities of cases that require it, in accordance with the legislation of the various countries. However, the Society has experienced several cases of false accusations by unbalanced or self-seeking persons. For this reason, these delicate matters, which have received excessive media attention, call for prudence so that justice can be dispensed serenely, in all truth and charity. Certainly, as in every human judgement, an ecclesiastical superior can draw conclusions or take measures which sin either by excess or by defect. But this risk of error, from which no one is exempt, does not mean that one seeks to cover up, or on the contrary, to destroy a guilty party. The Society of Saint Pius X assures the victims of its support and prayers for the reparation for the harm done to them. Furthermore, it prays for those who are unjustly accused, even when they are not members of the Society. Finally, she does not exclude from her prayers the guilty ones themselves, because she is convinced that Redemption is always possible for them – even if the media are not interested in it. For the Society is convinced that this corresponds to the spirit of the Catholic Church, our Mother, and to the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who warned us that the chaff would be mixed with the wheat until the end of time. The Society entrusts itself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that She may preserve us from all evil and that these trials may serve for the greater good of souls. April 28, 2020 According to the dispositions of the protocols in force in the Society, the District Superior will institute an Independent Review Board on a permanent basis.

7 ways to preserve tomatoes – 1K Recipes!

Summer is the height of tomato season. It’s the best time to enjoy a big juicy slice of tomato on your sandwich, or a fresh Caprese salad with tangy balsamic vinaigrette. But what about eating tomatoes the rest of the year? Summer is the time to stock up on these red beauties and preserve their perfect taste for later. Here are seven simple ways to save your tomatoes and use them all year round. 1. Dry tomatoes in the oven You don’t need a dehydrator to make scrumptious dried tomatoes. Here’s how to dry tomatoes in the oven from The Kitchn. Remove the pulp and core from the tomatoes, then season. Place the seasoned tomatoes directly on the racks and bake at 200°F (93 C) for 4 to 6 hours, or until the edges are shriveled. Cool then store in jars covered with olive oil. These will keep in the refrigerator for 2 months. 2. Freeze tomatoes Using quart-sized freezer bags, Mamal Diane stores peeled and quartered tomatoes in the freezer. Her summer harvest won’t go to waste, and the smaller bags are perfect for portioning and fit well in a standard freezer. Be sure to remove any air from the bags before freezing. To quickly peel tomatoes, try this easy method shared by Kate on The Domestic Front. Cut an ‘x’ into the bottom of the tomato, but not too deep. You want to break the skin, but not through the fleshy meat. Submerge it in boiling water for about 20 seconds. Once cooled, you will be able to easily peel the skin away. 3. Make tomato jam Once peeled, Kate makes delicious jam from her tomatoes. That’s right, tomato jam. Using lemon to brighten the flavor, this unique jam is sure to be a breakfast treat. Get the full instructions on The Domestic Front. 4. Can tomatoes Pass the Cereal says when you use this canning method, “the tomatoes don’t get mushy but instead stay as fresh as when you put them in the jars.” She places cubed tomatoes in tightly sealed jars, but here’s the twist: The jars go into a cool oven (no preheating!) then set the oven to 275°F (135 C) and leave for 75 minutes. Remove and let cool on a rack. You will hear the tell-tale “pop” of the lids as the jars cool. 5. Make tomato chips If you have a dehydrator, you probably already use it to make any number of homemade treats. Now you can add tomato chips to your arsenal. Southern Plate shares a recipe for a simple tomato chips seasoned with salt and dried basil. Tomato chips makes a flavorful and healthy alternative to potato chips. Get the full instructions here. 6. Make tomato paste Tomato paste is a staple ingredient in anything from soups to chili. If you are a fan of the rich flavor tomato paste adds to your favorite recipes, try this method for making your own tomato paste from The Kitchn. Though the process of distilling all that flavor into a paste can seem daunting, the fruits of your labor can be jarred or stored in the freezer for up to 9 months – just in time to make your next batch. 7. Make five minute salsa There’s nothing better tasting and easier to make than salsa! Try a simple five minute salsa. My Frugal Adventures shares her favorite basic salsa recipe that includes tomato (of course), onion, cilantro, cayenne pepper, serrano pepper, lime, salt and garlic. Put your food processor to task and in no time you’ll have fresh salsa.

Sandy Rios Defends Trump’s Disinfectant ‘Injection’ Suggestion

American Family Association governmental affairs director Sandy Rios defended President Donald Trump’s​ comments ​that Americans could possibly inject disinfectant to fight ​the coronavirus​. Rios, a ​weekday​ religious-right radio broadcaster, began the Monday broadcast of “Sandy Rios in the Morning” attacking members of the press who have questioned and criticized Trump after he suggested at a press briefing Thursday that an “injection” of disinfectant could be used to treat people diagnosed with coronavirus. (Trump claimed the next day he made the suggestion to reporters sarcastically “just to see what would happen.”) “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” Trump said. “As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.” Trump also suggested that UV light could somehow be shone inside the body to fight the virus. “So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful, light—and I think you said that hasn’t been checked, but you’re going to test it — and then I said suppose you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way,” he said. In response to Trump’s comments, the makers of Lysol issued a statement discouraging people from doing what the president suggested. The company stated, “As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route).” Health professionals urged Americans not to ingest disinfectants. But Rios was determined to defend Trump’s comments, regardless. Rios told her listeners that she had been watching a television series about ultra-wealthy businessmen who helped shape the development of large portions of America, such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. Rios said one of the uniting themes of the “great minds” in the series ​was their “ability to see things that other people couldn’t see.” Rios questioned whether any of the reporters criticizing Trump had been with an inventor who was thinking up new solutions to a problem. “Ironically, it occurred to me that often when the president says something like that and they quickly accuse him—‘He’s crazy! He’s out of his mind! How could he say that?’—often, well let’s see, it just turns out to be true,” Rios said. ​Rios then attempted to back up Trump’s remarks ​on UV light by pointing to findings that UV light can kill viruses on surfaces–but scientists suggest its use on inanimate objects, not people, and warn it would be dangerous to expose the human body to UV light. Nevertheless, Rios defended Trump’s intellect. “The president is not, as a matter of fact, crazy at all. He’s crazy like a fox. He’s very smart, and he knows so many more things than those 20​, 30-year-old [reporters], maybe 40​ … he might just know more than they know, but they will never admit it,” Rios said​. “They just, they pounce like vultures on a piece of red meat.”

Bitcoin ‘stock-to-flow’ model predicts bullish price outcome post halving

In brief Stock-to-flow is a ratio that measures a commodity’s outstanding stock against fresh market inflows. For Bitcoin, this model has been used to predict astronomical price rises following the upcoming third Bitcoin halving. While some Bitcoiners cling to this model as mathematical proof that “number go up,” others are certain that the halving is already “priced in.” Is the price of Bitcoin hard coded to pump every four years? Some market analysts believe so. It’s a theory that stems from Bitcoin’s so-called “stock-to-flow” model—an economic concept that is more commonly used to measure abundance (or availability) of precious metals such as gold and silver. The theory is centered around the Bitcoin halving, set for mid-May, which will see Bitcoin’s mining rewards cut down the middle and therefore slow down the supply of Bitcoin and create greater scarcity. And the latest stock-to-flow model from its originators in the crypto world, PlanB, is predicting that the price of Bitcoin will skyrocket to $288,000 by 2024. But even as some Bitcoin holders literally buy into this model, other analysts argue that Bitcoin’s price, like every other market asset, is driven by fundamentals and market demand. So who’s right? A heated debate Bitcoin’s design is rooted in mathematical certainty: the supply is hard-capped at 21 million, the inflation rate is predictable, and the network has built-in mechanisms such as the mining difficulty adjustment to manage how quickly new Bitcoins enter the ecosystem. In Bitcoin, code is law. And perhaps the most important law is the one that controls Bitcoin’s inflation rate: the halving, which is set for May 12. On this date, the amount of Bitcoin entering circulation every block will be cut in half, causing what amounts to a small supply shock. Stock-to-flow advocates point to the two prior halvings which saw Bitcoin’s price rip through its previous all-time-highs, and use gold and silver’s own stock-to-flow models as a touchstone. Stock to flow refers to the outstanding supply of a commodity (stock) when measured against how quickly new supply of that commodity enters the market. While stock to flow as an economic concept is nothing new, it was more or less unknown in the world of Bitcoin until one anonymous quant ran the numbers. PlanB published “Modeling Bitcoin's Value with Scarcity” a little over a year ago, the seminal article in a blossoming theory that has captured the imagination of Bitcoin’s faithful. The article’s thesis, which sums up the stock-to-flow impact on Bitcoin’s price, is fairly simple. In PlanB’s words: “this hypothesis … is that scarcity, as measured by S2F, directly drives value.” Put another way, Bicoin’s scarcity is just as calculated as any other metric if we factor in Bitcoin’s outstanding stock to the incoming flow. Tracking blockchain and market trends from the earliest available data, PlanB uses the number of blocks each month and the value of each subsidy to calculate Bitcoin’s stock-to-flow rate. “Bitcoin currently has a stock of 17.5m coins and supply of 0.7m/yr = SF 25,” according to PlanB’s model. Put differently, this means that it would take 25 years for miners to mine enough Bitcoin during the current issuance to match Bitcoin’s outstanding stock. This figure would put Bitcoin in the good company of its physical analogs, gold and silver, according to PlanB. Using the same formula, the stock-to-flow values of gold and silver are 62 and 22, respectively. PlanB claims that gold and silver, in fact, corroborate this hypothesis, because their own stock-to-flow charts and price trajectories follow Bitcoin’s step-for-step. Source: Modeling Bitcoin’s Value With Scarcity Stock to flow vs. efficient market hypothesis When the next halving occurs, Bitcoin’s stock to flow will be up there with gold’s as its inflation rate will then drop below gold’s own (~1.3 percent vs 1.6 percent). PlanB’s post says that Bitcoin’s stock-to-flow value will double from 25 to 50 when the supply is cut in half, which will incentivize hoarding as Bitcoin becomes more scarce, hence the price rise. On the other hand, critics of the stock-to-flow model, such as Coin Metrics co-founder Nic Carter, argue that this predictive model is akin to reading the stars for signs. Instead, Carter points to the efficient market hypothesis, a market phenomenon wherein an asset’s price should reflect all available information. “Markets don’t wait for (knowable) events to happen—they anticipate them,” Carter argued in a blog post earlier this year. “This means, if a weather forecast predicts that a hurricane will emerge and wipe out sugarcane plantations next week, speculators will bid up the price of sugar today, anticipating the supply shock.” All things being transparent on the Bitcoin network, the halving should be priced in and not have the explicit effect that PlanB believes it will, according to this counter theory. With Bitcoin’s third halving fast approaching, we’ll get our answer soon enough.

Dozens of Hippies Stuck at Festival in Panama Due to Coronavirus Realize Collectivist Utopia is Actually “Hell”

Dozens of hippies who got stuck at a festival in Panama due to coronavirus realized that the collectivist utopia they sought after is actually “hell” as they bicker over food and territory. One doesn’t want to laugh too much at their misfortune, but dear God, this is funny. The Tribal Gathering Festival, billed as “paradise on earth,” was supposed to end on March 15, but 40 western hippies remain trapped at the site because Panama announced a national emergency due to COVID-19 and placed them under quarantine. A subsequent ban on all entry and departure flights now means the hippies are likely to be stuck in “paradise” until the end of May. A VICE documentary short about their plight shows attendees complaining about how they are “stuck in hell” as they struggle with bad weather and major sewage issues at the campsite. “At first it was like a paradise, but when you are locked in, it’s not paradise any more,” one attendee said. VICE reports that the festival was “designed to be a temporary paradise where people from western cities could learn from indigenous communities about how to rebalance society and live in symbiosis with the earth.” However, any sense of communitarian oneness appears to have been washed away as attendees bicker and fight over food and territory. “Don’t try to steal our food, I’ll get really upset with you,” one organizer tells the rest of the crowd. “And remember where you are, you’re in my fucking manor,” he adds. “I’ve been camping on a beach for 80 days!” said Doug Francisco, who led Extinction Rebellion climate change activists last year. “While the festival was still going on, the police came in and tried to shut it down.” Food, cleaning products and tobacco is all in short supply, with some hippies having to do manual labor to stay fed. Attendees decided to visit the festival at the end of February despite serious government warnings against international travel and the expectation, which was obvious by that time, that coronavirus would devastate flight routes. “While the situation is terrible, of course, it has also become extremely comical,” reports the District Herald. “The hippies are now being forced to live in their theoretical utopia — and they aren’t having the amazing time that they imagined.” SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: Follow on Twitter: Follow @PrisonPlanet ——————————————————————————————————————— My voice is being silenced by free speech-hating Silicon Valley behemoths who want me disappeared forever. It is CRUCIAL that you support me. Please sign up for the free newsletter here. Donate to me on SubscribeStar here. Support my sponsor – Turbo Force – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown. ——————————————————————————————————————— The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!

Maduro Names Drug Kingpin to Run State Oil Company

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has named Tareck El Aissami, a powerful drug kingpin, to head up the socialist government-controlled oil ministry. He also named Asdrubal Chavez, cousin of Hugo Chavez, to run the state-run oil giant PDVSA. Venezuela sits atop an ocean of oil with the largest proven reserves in the world. But production has declined 65 percent over the last two years, causing massive shortages of gasoline. Previously, the director of PDVSA and oil minister was Gen. Manuel Quevedo, a Maduro loyalist with not much else to recommend him. Chavez previously ran the PDVSA subsidiary of Citgo, but resigned when he was unable to get a U.S. visa. At least he knows something about the oil industry. The new oil minister, El Aissami, is an experienced criminal and not much else. Fox News: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently added El Aissami to its list of 10 most-wanted fugitives. He was sanctioned in 2017 as allegedly being a major drug trafficker and then was indicted two years later on allegations of violating those sanctions. A key adviser to Maduro, El Aissami, 45, has served previously as vice president and most recently [as] minister of industry. El Aissami is among dozens of Maduro allies sanctioned by Washington, while Chávez has not been targeted by the Trump administration with financial measures. El Aissami is a perfect crony for Maduro and will now attempt to loot what’s left of the Venezuelan oil ministry. El Aissami was indicted for the second time by a U.S. federal court last month for being part of the alleged narcoterrorist conspiracy alongside Maduro. Authorities offered a $10 million bounty for information leading to El Aissami’s arrest and $15 million for Maduro’s arrest. Despite having the world’s largest oil reserves, Venezuela’s political and social crisis continues to deepen, as the U.S. and a coalition of nearly 60 nations press Maduro to stand down. Those nations recognize opposition politician Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president, arguing that Maduro’s election in 2018 was a sham because the most popular opposition candidates were banned from running. Maduro’s choice has caused some speculation that he may be looking for an exit from his nightmare sometime soon. Appointing a crony whose credentials to run the oil industry are suspect suggests that El Aissami was put there for some other reason besides boosting oil production. In Maduro’s kleptocracy, El Aissami is now in a good position to rake in a lot of cash to ease his and Maduro’s retirement. He’s certainly not there to boost production of oil. Bombshell special report that details how globalists plan to destroy America. The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!

UF considers how to reopen for the fall semester

The University of Florida may reopen for the fall semester depending on how the coronavirus pandemic unfolds in the coming months, but it won’t be a return to the pre-coronavirus normal. “Gainesville is a small city. If we don’t bring our students back in fall, you could see bankruptcies everywhere,” said UF Trustee Mori Hosseini said. “We’re going to do everything we can to bring our students back. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do it, but we will not do it at the cost of lives — staff, students or faculty.” The proposed plan, discussed during a Tuesday Board of Trustees meeting, is to push back the start of the semester by a week to Aug. 31, so students would not show up en masse and start spreading the virus. “This is turning on the faucet, not opening the floodgates,” said Dr. David Nelson, UF’s senior vice president for health affairs. He later added, “The data clearly indicates there is a reopening opportunity is here, but a return to normal, the previous normal, isn’t possible.” Nelson outlined a phased reopening plan. Low-risk faculty and staff would be the first to head back to campus, then graduate students, followed by other employees. Undergraduate students would be the last to arrive. They would show up in waves, with every student being tested for the virus. From there, the university would only test people exhibiting symptoms. “That would allow us to start with a clean slate,” he said. UF has coronavirus tests that return results in about two hours, which will allow officials to diagnose students and trace their contacts quickly enough to prevent a large-scale outbreak on campus. Nelson said the university has the capacity to bring students back between 500 and 1,000 at a time. UF is one of the largest single-campus universities in the country, with an undergraduate population over 35,000. Nelson also detailed some of the modeling informing the university’s decision. He said opening non-essential businesses and having about 50% of workers head back, while keeping schools closed, would produce similar results as keeping the stay-at-home order in place. Widespread, rapid testing could further improve the outlook, allowing schools to open. “If you can test people and you can trace them, we can open up society in theory and probably continue down the back side of the trend,” he said. “If you’re just able to nail 20-40 percent of the people who have it — we know we can hit 40 percent” Hitting the test and trace metrics would essential, mainly due to the virus’ spread being lower than expected thus far. “The good news is Florida barely got touched in the first wave. The estimate is about 2% of our population was touched by the virus,” Nelson said, adding that leaves much of the state “open for the second wave.” The trustee meeting also touched on the financial hit the university has taken in recent weeks. Refunds issued for student fees, meal plans, housing and parking passes are approaching $19 million. UF Health’s budget gap is expected to reach $60 million — optimistically. The shortfall could be as high as $125 million, according to UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez.

Ohio Supreme Court Declines to Consider Whether Lower Courts May Create Barriers to Lawsuits

Akron, Ohio—Today, the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in a case challenging Akron’s refusal to allow Sage Lewis and The Homeless Charity to operate a homeless community on private commercial property. In appealing the permit denial, Sage’s attorneys sent the court documents to the city’s attorney. However, the Ninth District Court of Appeals ruled last year that the documents needed to be sent to the City Council itself, rather than the City Council’s attorney. Even though no law provides for this outcome and the city was in fact on notice that it had been sued, the Ninth District has created an artificial barrier to people looking to the courts to protect their rights. “The Ohio Supreme Court eventually needs to reject this judge-made rule that prevents people from defending their rights in court,” said IJ Senior Attorney Jeff Rowes. “Rather than making the City of Akron defend its decision on the merits, the courts dismissed this case for reasons that have no practical significance.” The result in Ohio reflects a longstanding problem across the country, as governments and courts invoke procedural technicalities to avoid reviewing the actual issues. Courts are relying on these procedural escape mechanisms to avoid addressing weighty constitutional matters. “Informing the city’s attorney of a lawsuit has the exact same effect as informing a city agency, and pretending otherwise ignores reality,” Rowes continued. “While I am disappointed the Ohio Supreme Court isn’t taking this case, I’m determined to continue to fight and ultimately have a court answer whether the Constitution protects my right to shelter people in need on my private property,” said Lewis. And the fight continues. After Akron denied the conditional-use permit, the city issued Sage a notice of violation, and he applied for a variance from the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals, which denied the request. That decision is currently on appeal at the Summit County Court of Common Pleas and will enable Sage and IJ to address the key constitutional questions. “We will continue to fight on behalf of Sage and The Homeless Charity to protect their constitutional rights to provide a low-cost, private-sector alternative for addressing homelessness. Good Samaritans have used their land to shelter the neediest since ancient times, and we will not stop defending Sage and the charity’s right to do so,” said IJ Attorney Diana Simpson.

Christian Nationalist David Lane Portrays ‘Reopen’ Calls as Righteous Resistance

Religious-right supporters of President Donald Trump have been adding their voices to the right-wing protests calling on governors to “reopen” states by easing restrictions on businesses and public gatherings, while deflecting responsibility for the spread of the virus and the economic consequences away from Trump. Christian nationalist political operative David Lane joined the fray in over the weekend in a column for Charisma decrying “unelected government bureaucrats, selected ‘experts,’ doomsday soothsayers, computer models and a frenzied media” for what he characterized as “overreach” in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Lane devoted much of his column to reprinting something written April 18 by Steve Riggle, a Houston, Texas-based pastor. Unlike many of the right-wing protests, which initially targeted Democratic governors, Riggle had harsh words for the very conservative governor of Texas, Greg Abbott: Liberate Texas now. Time to reopen Texas. We have been patient, even though every projection of the impact of the coronavirus has been grossly wrong. We were told to flatten the curve because there was no cure, even though a very small number actually die from the virus in comparison with the population and other diseases and causes of death we live with on a daily basis. Now, over 22,000,000 people have lost their jobs in one month … and there is more economic fallout to follow [for example, 43% can’t afford to go more than one month without a paycheck, and 24% have less than $250 in their bank accounts preceding payday.] In our county, in the same time period, we had five coronavirus-related deaths and 15 suicides. We waited for our governor to tell us he was ending the restrictions that have ruined our economy and our livelihoods. Instead, he made an announcement about an announcement and appointed a task force to further delay getting everyone back to work when he could have restored everything with a stroke of his pen. Since our governor put the restrictions in place by his edict, he should have simply removed them with some guidelines by the same process. Shockingly, his big action was to tell those struggling with mental and emotional health issues to go to the state parks with a mask on rather than opening the churches and suggesting they seek help there. He also decided to allow some elective surgeries since the hospital systems in Texas are losing money because so few are actually in the hospital. And he allowed retail businesses to open up for curbside shopping. … He didn’t say where the change rooms were, presumably in your car or on the sidewalk. Enough of the ridiculous! Riggle wrote that Texas should be opened up based on five words and assertions: We have Rights; we are Americans who have a Constitution and a Bill of Rights. We are Rational. Consider the following facts from the Texas DSHS website as of April 17: Population of Texas: 29,000,000 (29 million). Tested for COVID-19: 169,536 (.0055 or half of 1%). Positive for COVID-19: 17,371 (.0006 or 6/100 of 1%). Hospitalized for COVID: 1,522 (.00005 or 5/1000 of 1%). Deaths due to COVID: 428 (.000014 or 1/1000 of 1%). [Editor’s note: Texas updates its state statistics here.] You could read the data and interpret it that ‘protecting some’ has actually become ‘needlessly punishing all.’ We take Risks. We are Texans who stand tall and realize that life has some risks. That should be our choice, not the mandate of the state attempting to protect us from perceived harm. We understand Responsibilities. We are citizens who will do the responsible thing. Those who are at risk should stay home. Those who are afraid should stay home. We will Resist, because it is our right to do so. We are free people. Unless an overwhelming number of people let our officials know that we are done with their mandates and edicts we will continue to be controlled by them. Lane repeats a story told by Riggle that imagines people being in Heaven and hearing the biblical figures of Moses, David, and Gideon regale people with tales of their faith and feats of courage—and then asks listeners what they will say when it is their turn. “Out of 6,000 years of recorded history God has placed us here, in 2020,” wrote Lane. “This is our time … What story are we going to tell?”

Pope Francis creates foundation to promote John Paul I’s teachings

.- Pope Francis has instituted a Vatican foundation to promote the thought and teachings of Venerable John Paul I, who was pope for 33 days in 1978. The John Paul I foundation was formally established with a papal rescript Feb. 17, according to the April 28 Vatican announcement. According to a note signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the foundation’s purpose “is to promote and disseminate awareness of the thought, works, and example of Pope John Paul I.” Often called “the smiling pope,” John Paul I died unexpectedly on Sept. 28, 1978 after just 33 days in office. A priority of his short pontificate was carrying forward the work of the Second Vatican Council. But even before he was elected Pope John Paul I, Albino Luciani was known for his humility, his emphasis on spiritual poverty, and his dedication to teaching the faith in an understandable manner. He was declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2017. With the February rescript, Francis nominated Cardinal Parolin president of the John Paul I Foundation, which is based within the Secretariat of State. In an article in L’Osservatore Romano April 28, Parolin wrote that “Pope John Paul I was and remains a reference point in the history of the universal Church, the importance of which – as St. John Paul II pointed out – is inversely proportional to the duration of his very short pontificate.” The new foundation, Parolin said, “can dutifully fulfill the task not only of protecting all the heritage of John Paul I’s writings and work, but also of encouraging the systematic study and dissemination of his thought and spirituality. All the more motivated by the consideration of how his figure and message are extraordinarily current.” As the foundation’s president, Parolin nominated the six members of the administrative council, which will have a five-year term, among them Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy. Catholic Italian journalist Stefania Falasca was named vice president of the foundation. Falasca is vice-postulator of John Paul I’s cause for canonization and a leading scholar on his life. In a 2017 interview, Falasca told CNA that St. Pope Paul VI, Luciani’s predecessor, considered the then-cardinal to be “one of the most advanced theologians of the time.” Luciani, she said, had “an ease of language” in his writing, which was coupled with “a solid theological preparation.” In 2008, on the 30th anniversary of John Paul I’s death, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, when the apostle writes: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” Benedict said this biblical text brought to mind John Paul I, who chose the same episcopal motto as St. Charles Borromeo: Humilitas. John Paul I’s simplicity, according to Benedict, “was a means of solid and fruitful instruction, which, thanks to the gift of an excellent memory and vast culture, was enriched by numerous citations of church and secular authors.”

Taurus Armas (TASA4) vai fazer o revólver mais barato do mundo; ações sobem

Taurus Armas (TASA4) vai fazer o revólver mais barato do mundo; ações sobem Taurus Armas ( BOV:TASA4 ), uma das principais fabricantes de armas leves do mundo, recebeu dois importantes recursos para impulsionar o projeto “Excelência Revólver”, que pretende produzir o revólver mais barato do mundo. São dois novos centros de usinagem horizontais que vão fabricar as armações, componente fundamental de uma arma. As ações da empresa chegaram a subir 4% com a máxima em R$ 3,88 na abertura do pregão desta segunda-feira. Os centros de usinagem horizontais proporcionam economia de tempo e aumento da produtividade, quando comparados aos centros de usinagem verticais. Características como a troca de ferramentas de corte em menos de 2 segundos e rotações de até 20.000 rpm garantem qualidade e precisão das peças usinadas. Segundo o presidente da companhia, Salesio Nuhs, com os novos maquinários, a Taurus ( BOV:TASA3 ) iniciará a produção de revólveres em um novo conceito de produção, muito mais moderno, com alta qualidade e eficiência, proporcionando maior valor agregado ao consumidor final e excelente custo-benefício. Este é o propósito do projeto “Excelência Revólver”, criado pela Taurus para produzir revólveres de baixo custo, com elevado volume de produção e alta qualidade. A empresa está redesenhando sua operação e investindo no aumento da automação do processo de fabricação, visando manter e ampliar a liderança mundial na produção de revólveres. “Mais investimentos e equipamentos estão previstos para o 2º semestre de 2020, para que em 2021 a Taurus já esteja produzindo o revólver mais barato do mundo”, afirma Nuhs. A Taurus vai divulgar o resultado do 1T20 no dia 14 de maio. A ADVFN fará a cobertura completa da temporada de balanço das empresas do 1T20. Fonte: LRCA Defense Consulting

To our family of valued store guests, There is no doubt that COVID-19 has brought tremendous change to our lives, and yet each day we see the resiliency of our associates, store guests and other essential workers answering the call to meet our communities’ collective needs. For some, this means serving on the front lines. For others, providing behind-the-scenes services to keep our communities running. For all, it is following prevention, social distancing and safety measures to help contain the spread of the virus. This week, we are asking for your continued support to ensure the safety of the communities where we live, work and serve. Beginning April 27, we are requiring our store guests and associates wear face masks or face coverings while in our retail stores, unless they have a medical condition which prohibits them from doing so. We are also requiring these measures for all our distribution center and service center associates, truck drivers and vendors who enter our facilities. This requirement will remain in effect until we are notified by officials that such precautions are no longer necessary. For several weeks, SpartanNash has been encouraging our associates to wear face coverings as well as conducting daily onsite health screenings at all locations to ensure associates are symptom-free as they begin their workday or shift. Going forward, during the health screening, associates will have the opportunity to receive their company-provided facemask or update the health screener that they have their own face mask/covering. We recognize this change may be difficult for some, but we trust our store guests and associates will do the right thing out of the safety and best interest for all. It is impossible to fully express the depth of my gratitude and how proud I am for the commitment everyone is making during these most uncertain and unprecedented times. For more than 100 years, our company has been a trusted provider of grocery products, and we take this responsibility very seriously. I have no doubt that we will prevail together throughout this pandemic. Thank you for your continued trust in our company. Dennis Eidson Interim President and CEO SpartanNash A full list of SpartanNash COVID-19 initiatives is listed on spartannash.com

We Need Unionized Jobs, Not Crumbs of Charity

Our new issue, “After Bernie,” is out now. Our questions are simple: what did Bernie accomplish, why did he fail, what is his legacy, and how should we continue the struggle for democratic socialism? Get a discounted print subscription today ! Review of Why You Should Be a Trade Unionist by Len McCluskey (Verso 2020). Today’s world is rife with inequality and injustice — something the recent coronavirus outbreak has simply made plain to see. From the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health care staff, to warehouse employees forced to keep working in unsafe conditions, it is workers on the front lines who are carrying the risk — with employers and governments showing a deplorable lack of concern for their safety. As capitalist states attempt to overcome a virus that threatens us all, we see how ordinary people’s lives are deemed less valuable than those of the better off. Yet at the same time, we can see that it is workers who are keeping the system moving. Faced with the COVID-19 outbreak, it is workers who care for the elderly and disabled, drive the buses, stack supermarket shelves, and make sure our hospitals are safe and clean. Some may want to confer patronizing titles and medals — in the British case, calling on us to pay tribute to health workers by literally clapping outside our front doors. But genuine appreciation would mean extending our solidarity to workers’ fight for dignity in their workplaces. This is why we need trade unions — the means by which workers can come together to win what we deserve. This is the case made by the Unite union’s general secretary, Len McCluskey, in his recent book Why You Should be a Trade Unionist . While written before both the COVID-19 outbreak and December’s UK general election, McCluskey’s argument stands strong in this current crisis. It shows how working people can stand up for ourselves despite all that’s being thrown at us — and build an enduring power. Solidarity, Not Charity Indeed, this crisis particularly illustrates why workers need power of our own — and not to rely on the charity of the wealthy. The case of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is indicative — who, stock prices suggest, stands to be a major financial beneficiary of the outbreak. Showing off his philanthropy, he donated $100 million to American food banks. But at the same time, even as Amazon accelerates hiring through the crisis, the company refuses to pay sick leave unless workers test positive for the virus. This is just one of many cases exposing the limits of charity — something quite different from the solidarity promoted by trade unionism. And, as McCluskey argues, trade union culture also has a wider meaning. Being involved in your trade union forces you to engage with your colleague and neighbor, to have difficult conversations, and to believe in the fundamental good of humanity. While social media can become a talking shop, or a place where little reflection is required, union organizing requires ideas to be put into action, for political strategy to be explained clearly, and for conflicting opinions to be listened to. This is especially important in today’s climate, where many workers find themselves without a voice and without a sense of collective identity. Reflecting upon his own entry into the trade union movement, Len McCluskey writes of his time working on the Liverpool docks. Shortly before his arrival, the docks had been a notoriously precarious place to work — with many workers employed casually and living without security of income or in their lives more generally. As he notes, it was members of the Transport and General Workers’ Union (T&G) who fought and won the outlawing of precarious employment practices for dockers, improving pay and quality of life for the workers involved. By the time McCluskey started on the docks, trade unionism was enshrined there, with all the workers belonging to the union — meaning that the bosses were forced to listen to an organized workforce. This underlines a central argument of McCluskey’s book: that rights we take for granted today — the right to join a union, to vote, and to basic workplace standards — were not gifted from above, but rather won only through the hard work of our class. Standing Together Across the world, work is defined by its lack of dignified conditions, and very few workplaces with a proud trade-union culture remain. Indeed, the majority of private-sector workers in most countries are not members of a trade union or protected by collective agreements. When faced with a crisis like COVID-19, workers have no means to respond without collectivizing their grievances — and this is exactly what many of them have been doing. We see this among workers in the service and leisure industries, hit hard by workplace closures due to social distancing. In my own country, Scotland, the hospitality industry — where zero-hours contracts and low pay are common — has faced mass layoffs and loss of pay affecting a multitude of workers. Yet workers have been fighting back. Following a letter sent from the workers with the support of Unite, both SEC and G1 Group — Scotland’s two largest hospitality employers — have been forced to reinstate 630 and 2,000 workers respectively. Across Britain, workers at Carluccio’s, Compass Hospitality, Caesars Entertainment, and Grosvenor Casinos have also won reinstatement and major concessions as part of Unite’s campaign in the hospitality sector. Workers at Cineworld, with the support of union BECTU, have also collectivized to demand their reinstatement and furloughing, and workers at the Wetherspoons pub chain forced a major U-turn from their employer with the aid of the BFAWU. In the care sector, where many workers have struggled to procure access to personal protective equipment, joint intervention from the GMB, UNISON, and Unite unions forced the Scottish government to support their right to adequate safety equipment. There are countless more examples of workers fighting back in this crisis, but the message is clear — unions are the means in which workers can win the respect they deserve. Who Are Unions For? But what does the future hold, in a world where trade union power has declined? Two things are clear: those without a trade union desperately need one, and workers are hungry for more power. A recent report by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) found that for precarious workers, the feeling of a lack of control over their lives was just as important as the issue of low pay. Following intense debates over Brexit and Scottish independence, it shouldn’t be a surprise that many workers long to take back control in this sense as well. This isn’t something the Left should shy away from: workers’ control is what we’re about. As work has changed, so has the working class. Today, it is majority female, with migrants, people of color, and young people relatively overrepresented. While we may all want to expand industries — or, as McCluskey writes, to “build things here again” — this situation is simply not possible under Tory rule; and in the meantime, the service sector, alongside care and logistics, is only set to expand. These are the new mass factories, and like any workplace, the workers need to be unionized. COVID-19 has proved that those who provide services are just as important to life as we know it as those who work in more traditionally unionized workplaces like car factories or oil rigs. Yet there is no new “normal.” While we may campaign for a Green New Deal or a just ecological transition, in order to win these arguments, we must restore the link from union political departments to the concerns of the shop floor. As life inevitably becomes more chaotic in the shadow of an impending climate crisis, as well as the threat of automation, the only answer is to become rooted in our communities — and to be able to listen to our neighbors. Even despite recent political disappointments to the Left, we should remember that workers have the power to overcome a multitude of obstacles. Being a trade unionist means believing that we are all worth something and that our movement has to look outward to everyone, not just those who already agree with us. Rebuilding the Left must, therefore, begin with organized labor. Trade unions can give workers a collective class confidence — the power to stand up to bosses, politicians, and governments. As we transition back into our workplaces — whenever and however disrupted this might be — our movement must empower those workers who have collectivized for the first time. With the help of our movement, these new members can become leaders and union reps, and they can establish their own branches, but only if they are supported and encouraged to do so. Writing in his book, McCluskey rightfully critiques a purely “servicing” approach to trade unionism. Often critiqued from the Left, servicing is a model where existing union members are serviced at the expense of organizing new workplaces. Proponents of this strategy may liken trade union membership to an insurance policy, arguing that members will join a union if they get their money’s worth, and this philosophy is responsible for unions literally providing insurance services to members, such as life and car insurance. Of course, the servicing and representation of individual members is an important part of how trade unions function — but much of this work can and should be taken on by the lay membership. To stay relevant, we need to organize. While we must consolidate pockets of industrial power we already have, failure to penetrate into new workplaces will mean the managed decline of trade union power.

Essential list of useful R packages for data scientists

I have written couple of blog posts on R packages (here | here ) and this blog post is sort of a preset of all the most needed packages for data science, statistical usage and every-day usage with R. Among thousand of R packages available on CRAN (with all the mirror sites) or Github and any developer’s repository. Many useful functions are available in many different R packages, many of the same functionalities also in different packages, so it all boils down to user preferences and work, that one decides to use particular package. From the perspective of a statistician and data scientist, I will cover the essential and major packages in sections. And by no means, this is not a definite list, and only a personal preference. 1. Loading and importing data Loading and read data into R environment is most likely one of the first steps if not the most important. Data is the fuel. Breaking it into the further sections, reading data from binary files, from ODBC drivers and from SQL databases. 1.1. Importing from binary files # Reading from SAS and SPSS install.packages("Hmisc", dependencies = TRUE) # Reading from Stata, Systat and Weka install.packages("foreign", dependencies = TRUE) # Reading from KNIME install.packages(c("protr","foreign"), dependencies = TRUE) # Reading from EXCEL install.packages(c("readxl","xlsx"), dependencies = TRUE) # Reading from TXT, CSV install.packages(c("csv","readr","tidyverse"), dependencies = TRUE) # Reading from JSON install.packages(c("jsonLite","rjson","RJSONIO","jsonvalidate"), dependencies = TRUE) # Reading from AVRO install.packages("sparkavro", dependencies = TRUE) # Reading from Parquet file install.packages("arrow", dependencies = TRUE) devtools::install_github("apache/arrow/r") # Reading from XML install.packages("XML", dependencies = TRUE) 1.2. Importing from ODBC This will cover most of the used work for ODBC drives: install.packages(c("odbc", "RODBC"), dependencies = TRUE) 1.3. Importing from SQL Databases Accessing SQL database with a particular package can also have great benefits when pulling data from database into R data frame. In addition, I have added some useful R packages that will help you query data in R much easier (RSQL) or even directly write SQL Statements (sqldf) and other great features. #Microsoft MSSQL Server install.packages(c("mssqlR", "RODBC"), dependencies = TRUE) #MySQL install.packages(c("RMySQL","dbConnect"), dependencies = TRUE) #PostgreSQL install.packages(c("postGIStools","RPostgreSQL"), dependencies = TRUE) #Oracle install.packages(c("ODBC"), dependencies = TRUE) #Amazon install.packages(c("RRedshiftSQL"), dependencies = TRUE) #SQL Lite install.packages(c("RSQLite","sqliter","dbflobr"), dependencies = TRUE) #General SQL packages install.packages(c("RSQL","sqldf","poplite","queryparser"), dependencies = TRUE) 2. Manipulating Data Data Engineering, data copying, data wrangling and data manipulating data is the very next task in the journey. 2.1. Cleaning data Data cleaning is essential for cleaning out all the outliers, NULL, N/A values, wrong values, doing imputation or replacing them, checking up frequencies and descriptive and applying different single- , bi-, and multi-variate statistical analysis to tackle this issue. The list is by no means the complete list, but can be a good starting point: install.packages(c("janitor","outliers","missForest","frequency","Amelia", "diffobj","mice","VIM","Bioconductor","mi", "wrangle"), dependencies = TRUE) 2.2. Dealing with R data types and formats Working with correct data types and knowing your ways around handling formatting of your data-set can be overlooked and yet important. List of the must have packages: install.packages(c("stringr","lubridate","glue", "scales","hablar","readr"), dependencies = TRUE) 2.3. Wrangling, subseting and aggregating data There are many packages available to do the task of wrangling, engineering and aggregating, especially {base} R package should not be overlooked, since it offers a lot of great and powerful features. But following is a list of those most widely used in the R community and easy to maneuver data: install.packages(c("dplyr","tidyverse","purr","magrittr", "data.table","plyr","tidyr","tibble", "reshape2"), dependencies = TRUE) 3. Statistical tests and Sampling Data 3.1. Statistical tests Many of the statistical tests (Shapiro, T-test, Wilcox, equality, …) are available in base and stats package that are available with R engine. Which is great, because primarily R is a statistical language, and many of the tests are already included. But adding additional packages, that I have used: install.packages(c("stats","ggpubr","lme4","MASS","car"), dependencies = TRUE) 3.2. Data Sampling Data sampling, working with samples and population, working with inference, weights, and type of statistical data sampling can be find in these brilliant packages, also including those that are great for surveying data. install.packages(c("sampling","icarus","sampler","SamplingStrata", "survey","laeken","stratification","simPop"), dependencies = TRUE) 4. Statistical Analysis Regarding of type of the variable, type of the analysis, and results a statistician wants to get, there are list of packages that should be part of daily R environment, when it comes to statistical analysis. 4.1. Regression Analysis Frankly, one of the most important analysis install.packages(c("stats","Lars","caret","survival","gam","glmnet", "quantreg","sgd","BLR","MASS","car","mlogit","earth", "faraway","nortest","lmtest","nlme","splines", "sem","WLS","OLS","pls","2SLS","3SLS","tree","rpart"), dependencies = TRUE) 4.2. Analysis of variance Distribution and and data dispersion is core to understanding the data. Many of the tests for variance are already built-in in R engine (package stats), but here are also some, that might be useful for analyzing variance. install.packages(c("caret","rio","car","MASS","FuzzyNumbers", "stats","ez"), dependencies = TRUE) 4.3. Multivariate analysis Using more than two variables is considered multi-variate analysis. Excluding regression analysis and analysis of variance (between 2+ variables), since it is introduced in section 4.1., covering statistical analysis with working on many variables like factor analysis, principal axis component, canonical analysis, discrete analysis, and others: install.packages(c("psych","CCA","CCP","MASS","icapca","gvlma","smacof", "MVN","rpca","gpca","EFA.MRFA","MFAg","MVar","fabMix", "fad","spBFA","cate","mnlfa","CSFA","GFA","lmds","SPCALDA", "semds", "superMDS", "vcd", "vcdExtra"), dependencies = TRUE) 4.4. Classification and Clustering Based on different type of clustering and classification, there are many packages to cover both. Some of the essential packages for clustering: install.packages(c("fpc","cluster","treeClust","e1071","NbClust","skmeans", "kml","compHclust","protoclust","pvclust","genie", "tclust", "ClusterR","dbscan","CEC","GMCM","EMCluster","randomLCA", "MOCCA","factoextra",poLCA), dependencies = TRUE) and for classification: install.packages("tree", "e1071") 4.5. Analysis of Time-series Analysing time series and time-serie type of data will be done easier with the following packages: install.packages(c("ts","zoo","xts","timeSeries","tsModel", "TSMining", "TSA","fma","fpp2","fpp3","tsfa","TSdist","TSclust","feasts", "MTS", "dse","sazedR","kza","fable","forecast","tseries", "nnfor","quantmod"), dependencies = TRUE) 4.6. Network analysis Analyzing networks is also part of statistical analysis. And some of the relevant packages: install.packages(c("fastnet","tsna","sna","networkR","InteractiveIGraph", "SemNeT","igraph","NetworkToolbox","dyads", "staTools","CINNA"), dependencies = TRUE) 4.7. Analysis of text Besides analyzing open text, once can analyse any kind of text, including the word corpus, the semantics and many more. Couple of starting packages: install.packages(c("tm","tau","koRpus","lexicon","sylly","textir", "textmineR","MediaNews", "lsa","SemNeT","ngram","ngramrr", "corpustools","udpipe","textstem", "tidytext","text2vec"), dependencies = TRUE) 5. Machine Learning R has variety of good machine learning packages that are powerfull and give you the full Machine Learning cycle. Breaking down the sections by it’s natural way. 5.1. Building and validating the models Once you build one or more models, after comparing the results of each models, it is also important to validate the models against the test or any other datasets. Here are powerfull packages to do model validation. install.packages(c("tree", "e1071","crossval","caret","rpart","bcv", "klaR","EnsembleCV","gencve","cvAUC","CVThresh", "cvTools","dcv","cvms","blockCV"), dependencies = TRUE) 5.2. Random forests packages sdfs install.packages(c("randomForest","grf","ipred","party","randomForestSRC", "grf","BART","Boruta","LTRCtrees","REEMtree","refr", "binomialRF","superml"), dependencies = TRUE) 5.3. Regression type (regression, boosting, Gradient descent) algoritms packages Regression type of machine learning algorithm are many, with additional boosting or gradient. Some of very usable packages: install.packages(c("earth", "gbm","GAMBoost", "GMMBoost", "bst","superml", "sboost"), dependencies = TRUE) 5.4. Classification algorithms Classifying problems have many of the packages and many are also great for machine learning cases. Handful. install.packages(c("rpart", "tree", "C50", "RWeka","klar", "e1071", "kernlab","svmpath","superml","sboost"), dependencies = TRUE) 5.5. Neural networks There are many types of Neural networks and many of different packages will give you all types of NN. Only couple of very useful R packages to tackle the neural networks. install.packages(c("nnet","gnn","rnn","spnn","brnn","RSNNS","AMORE", "simpleNeural","ANN2","yap","yager","deep","neuralnet", "nnfor","TeachNet"), dependencies = TRUE) 5.6. Deep Learning R had embraced deep learning and many of the powerfull SDK and packages have been converted to R, making it very usable for R developers and R machine learning community. install.packages(c("deepnet","RcppDL","tensorflow","h2o","kerasR", "deepNN", "Buddle","automl"), dependencies = TRUE) 5.7. Reinforcement Learning Reinforcement learning is gaining popularity and more and more packages are being developered in R as well. Some of the very userful packages: devtools::install_github("nproellochs/ReinforcementLearning") install.packages(c("RLT","ReinforcementLearning","MDPtoolbox"), dependencies = TRUE) 5.8. Model interpretability and explainability Results of machine learning models can be a black-box. Many of the packages are dealing to have black-box more like “glass box”, making the models more understandable, interpretable and explainable. Very powerfull packages to do just that for many different machine learning algorithms. install.packages(c("lime","localModel","iml","EIX","flashlight", "interpret","outliertree","breakDown"), dependencies = TRUE) 6. Visualisation Visualisation of the data is not only the final step to understanding the data, but can also bring clarity to interpretation and buidling the mental model around the data. Couple of packages, that will help boost the visualization: install.packages(c("ggvis","htmlwidgets","maps","sunburstR", "lattice", "predict3d","rgl","rglwidget","plot3Drgl","ggmap","ggplot2","plotly", "RColorBrewer","dygraphs","canvasXpress","qgraph","moveVis","ggcharts", "igraph","visNetwork","visreg", "VIM", "sjPlot", "plotKML", "squash", "statVisual", "mlr3viz", "klaR","DiagrammeR","pavo","rasterVis", "timelineR","DataViz","d3r","d3heatmap","dashboard" "highcharter", "rbokeh"), dependencies = TRUE) 7. Web Scraping Many R packages are specificly designed to scrape (harvest) data from particular website, API or archive. Here are only couple of very generic: install.packages(c("rvest","Rcrawler","ralger","scrapeR"), dependencies = TRUE) 8. Documents and books organisation Organizing your documents (file, code, packages, diagrams, pictures) in readable document and have it as a dashboard or book view, there are couple of packages for this purpose: install.packages(c("devtools","usethis","roxygen2","knitr", "rmarkdown","flexdashboard","Shiny", "xtable","httr","profvis"), dependencies = TRUE) Wrap up The R script for loading and installing the packages is available at Github. Make sure to check the Github repository for latest list updates. And as always, feel free to fork the code or commit updates, add essentials packages to list, comment, improve and agree or disagree. You can also run the following command to install all of the packages in a single run: install.packages(c("Hmisc","foreign","protr","readxl","xlsx", "csv","readr","tidyverse","jsonLite","rjson", "RJSONIO","jsonvalidate","sparkavro","arrow","feather", "XML","odbc","RODBC","mssqlR","RMySQL", "dbConnect","postGIStools","RPostgreSQL","ODBC", "RSQLite","sqliter","dbflobr","RSQL","sqldf", "poplite","queryparser","influxdbr","janitor","outliers", "missForest","frequency","Amelia","diffobj","mice", "VIM","Bioconductor","mi","wrangle","mitools", "stringr","lubridate","glue","scales","hablar", "dplyr","purr","magrittr","data.table","plyr", "tidyr","tibble","reshape2","stats","Lars", "caret","survival","gam","glmnet","quantreg", "sgd","BLR","MASS","car","mlogit","RRedshiftSQL", "earth","faraway","nortest","lmtest","nlme", "splines","sem","WLS","OLS","pls", "2SLS","3SLS","tree","rpart","rio", "FuzzyNumbers","ez","psych","CCA","CCP", "icapca","gvlma","smacof","MVN","rpca", "gpca","EFA.MRFA","MFAg","MVar","fabMix", "fad","spBFA","cate","mnlfa","CSFA", "GFA","lmds","SPCALDA","semds","superMDS", "vcd","vcdExtra","ks","rrcov","eRm", "MNP","bayesm","ltm","fpc","cluster", "treeClust","e1071","NbClust","skmeans","kml", "compHclust","protoclust","pvclust","genie","tclust", "ClusterR","dbscan","CEC","GMCM","EMCluster", "randomLCA","MOCCA","factoextra","poLCA","ts", "zoo","xts","timeSeries","tsModel","TSMining", "TSA","fma","fpp2","fpp3","tsfa", "TSdist","TSclust","feasts","MTS","dse", "sazedR","kza","fable","forecast","tseries", "nnfor","quantmod","fastnet","tsna","sna", "networkR","InteractiveIGraph","SemNeT","igraph", "dyads","staTools","CINNA","tm","tau","NetworkToolbox" "koRpus","lexicon","sylly","textir","textmineR", "MediaNews","lsa","ngram","ngramrr","corpustools", "udpipe","textstem","tidytext","text2vec","crossval", "bcv","klaR","EnsembleCV","gencve","cvAUC", "CVThresh","cvTools","dcv","cvms","blockCV", "randomForest","grf","ipred","party","randomForestSRC", "BART","Boruta","LTRCtrees","REEMtree","refr", "binomialRF","superml","gbm","GAMBoost","GMMBoost", "bst","sboost","C50","RWeka","klar", "kernlab","svmpath","nnet","gnn","rnn", "spnn","brnn","RSNNS","AMORE","simpleNeural", "ANN2","yap","yager","deep","neuralnet", "TeachNet","deepnet","RcppDL","tensorflow","h2o", "kerasR","deepNN","Buddle","automl","RLT", "ReinforcementLearning","MDPtoolbox","lime","localModel", "iml","EIX","flashlight","interpret","outliertree", "dockerfiler","azuremlsdk","sparklyr","cloudml","ggvis", "htmlwidgets","maps","sunburstR","lattice","predict3d", "rgl","rglwidget","plot3Drgl","ggmap","ggplot2", "plotly","RColorBrewer","dygraphs","canvasXpress","qgraph", "moveVis","ggcharts","visNetwork","visreg","sjPlot", "plotKML","squash","statVisual","mlr3viz","DiagrammeR", "pavo","rasterVis","timelineR","DataViz","d3r","breakDown", "d3heatmap","dashboard","highcharter","rbokeh","rvest", "Rcrawler","ralger","scrapeR","devtools","usethis", "roxygen2","knitr","rmarkdown","flexdashboard","Shiny", "xtable","httr","profvis"), dependencies = TRUE) Happy R-ing. 🙂

LA County Will Mail A Ballot To All 5.4 Million Registered Voters For The November Election

Never miss a morning briefing, subscribe today to get our A.M. newsletter delivered to your inbox. L.A. County officials released some disturbing data yesterday: Communities with high levels of poverty have three times the rate of death from COVID-19 as communities with low levels of poverty. Specifically, in high poverty areas, the death rate is 16.9 people per 100,000. In areas with very low poverty, the death rate is 5.5 per 100,000. We may all be in this together, but it’s clear we aren’t all paying the same price — or taking the same precautions. That was underscored in a major way this weekend by the images of people crammed together on Orange County beaches -- despite the fact that social distancing was in effect. The pictures were met with disdain from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said that such behavior will only set the state back from re-opening. OC officials also weren’t happy, and the Newport Beach City Council is considering closing the beaches back down. But we should all be troubled by the images. The median household income in Newport Beach is $122,709, and just 6.6% of residents live in poverty, which is far below the state average. Based on what we know so far, the area likely isn’t being hit as hard by the pandemic. But we also know that any transmission within those beach crowds may spread to less well-off communities, where the death toll could be high. So, if you care about your neighbors, raise your hand -- and with your other hand, put down that beach towel. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning. — Jessica P. Ogilvie Coming Up Today, April 28 Libby Denkmann covers the L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting, including a vote on whether to mandate mail-in ballots for the November election. The Los Angeles Unified School District is handing out millions of free meals every week. Carla Javier looks at each step of the planning, packaging and distribution process -- and how the district will pay for a program that's projected to cost $78 million. (Don’t miss the great video of the process on the story from our visual journalist Chava Sanchez.) California's Economic Development Department will finally allow gig workers and other self-employed people to apply for unemployment insurance starting Tuesday, April 28. David Wagner breaks down what people can expect. New data shows that the majority of health care workers who have died in L.A. County worked in skilled nursing facilities, reports Jackie Fortiér. The rapid spread of the virus through the staff of nursing homes has led to the California National Guard plugging those staffing holes. Kyle Stokes covers the California Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance’s 2-part hearing looking at the impact of COVID-19. Never miss an LAist story. Sign up for our daily newsletters. The Past 24 Hours In LA L.A., California, The World: There are at least 20,417 coronavirus cases and 942 deaths in L.A. County. There are nearly 44,844 cases and over 1,750 deaths in California. Worldwide, there are over 3 million cases and more than 210,000 deaths. COVID-19 In The Courts: ICE was supposed to start reducing the population of a San Bernardino County processing center, but a federal appeals court temporarily halted the order. California officials have been ordered to address a lawsuit that demands the state dramatically reduce the population in county jails and juvenile halls. The 2020 Census: L.A.'s congressional district lines could be reshaped. The slow-growing 27th District in the San Gabriel Valley, one of the districts in the country where Asian Americans make up a plurality, is looking particularly vulnerable. Open, Close, Open?: Newport Beach is considering closing their beaches once again on weekends for the next three weeks. L.A. could start taking baby steps toward normalcy in the next two to six weeks, Mayor Garcetti told us today — with caveats. Long Beach is thinking along the same lines. LAUSD campuses will not reopen until a “robust system of testing and contact tracing” is in place, said the superintendent. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is weeks, not months from starting to reopen — unless people keep ignoring social distancing guidelines at beaches or other public places. Cleaning Up: The five-year cleanup of a lead-contamination zone is a story of confusion, shifting goalposts, missed deadlines and bloated budgets. The county is going to start using an institute in Monterey Park to disinfect up to 30,000 N95 masks a day. Money In The Time Of... : A state program helps workers keep their jobs — but the archaic application process (snail mail?) might leave employers in the dark. Some community health clinics are OK for now, thanks to government loans. L.A. County’s CEO unveiled a new recommended 2020-21 budget, but nearly everything in it is subject to change. A Los Angeles law firm is suing the biggest banks in the country over their alleged mishandling of federal coronavirus stimulus loans for small businesses. California Kids: No LAUSD student will fail this semester, and they’ll all receive at least the grade they got when schools closed down. Food And Arts: Coronavirus hasn't stopped MacArthur Park's street food vendors — or the investigators trying to shut them down. At least three L.A. restaurants — one of them the century-old Musso & Frank — have sued their insurance companies for denying coronavirus-related claims. TV and film production dropped drastically in the first quarter of the year. Get your online events list here, including living paintings, Hamilton and home and scripts written by school kids and read by celebs. Final Good-Byes: Ian Whitcomb, who died earlier this month at 78, was a one-hit wonder who went on to have an eclectic life and career (including hosting a KPCC music show in the 1990s). We remember him fondly. Your Moment Of Zen Investigative reporter Aaron Mendelson captured a marbled sky at sunset on Sunday. (Aaron Mendelson / LAist) Help Us Cover Your Community Got something you’ve always wanted to know about Southern California and the people who call it home? Is there an issue you want us to cover? Ask us anything . Have a tip about news on which we should dig deeper? Let us know . The news cycle moves fast. Some stories don't pan out. Others get added. Consider this today's first draft, and check LAist.com for updates on these stories and more. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Five ways that Trump is undermining environmental protections under the cover of coronavirus

The US Environmental Protection Agency is chipping away at the legal justification for power-plant emissions standards.Credit: Dane Rhys/Bloomberg via Getty The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) turns 50 this year, but scientists and environmentalists see little reason to celebrate. In the middle of a global pandemic that is making world leaders scramble to protect citizens and restart economies, the agency’s leadership is pressing forward with controversial efforts to roll back environmental regulations and fundamentally alter the way in which science is used to craft policy. In the past month alone, the agency has dialled down regulations on automobile emissions and fuel efficiency put in place under former president Barack Obama; it has weakened rules on mercury and other pollutants emitted by power plants; and it has shied away from strengthening standards to reduce fine-particle air pollution. “This is an extremely aggressive agenda,” says Betsy Southerland, who spent more than three decades as an EPA official before retiring in protest against the current administration’s policies in 2017. By Southerland’s latest tally, the EPA has targeted more than 80 rules for revision or elimination in just over three years, without providing any evidence that the underlying science has changed. But she and many others think that this is just the beginning of a regulatory overhaul that could hamstring future administrations’ attempts to craft health and environmental safeguards. Here, Nature looks at three recent decisions and two pending policy changes that could have a lasting impact. Two rollbacks on emissions At the end of March, President Donald Trump's administration finalized a plan to scale back targets for automobile-emissions reductions from 5% per year to 1.5%, a change that the EPA acknowledges could result in an extra 867 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere by vehicles sold over the next decade. Air pollution science under siege at US environment agency In mid-April, the EPA released another rule, targeting Obama-era mercury-emissions standards for power plants. Although the agency left the original regulatory limits in place, it adjusted how the rules’ costs and benefits are calculated, weakening their economic justification. The original price tag reported for the 2011 regulation took into account health benefits from a reduction in particulate matter that would accompany cuts to mercury emissions. Taking these out of the equation makes the rule seem more expensive, says David Spence, a political scientist and law scholar at the University of Texas at Austin. It also sets a precedent that could undermine the mercury rule and others. Planned inaction on particulates Even more alarming, public-health experts say, was a decision on fine-particle pollution that EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler announced in mid-April. In that case, the EPA went against the advice of its own staff and many academic scientists by leaving the current standards in place — in spite of evidence that reducing such pollution could save thousands of lives each year1. In a report issued last September, EPA staff charged with reviewing the literature cited epidemiological and other evidence that would support cutting the maximum allowed average level of fine particulate matter from 12 micrograms per cubic metre of air to between 8 and 10. The regulatory process that prevented that change was tipped toward the interests of polluters from the outset, with little to no independent scientific oversight, says Christopher Frey, an environmental engineer at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Frey formerly chaired the EPA’s scientific advisory committee on clean air, and was a member of a review panel for the issue that was disbanded in October 2018. “Rather than focusing on protecting public health, EPA is on a misguided mission to protect the profits of regulated industries,” Frey says. “But it’s all based on a lot of misconceptions and assumptions rather than facts or evidence.” Climate vs coronavirus: Why massive stimulus plans could represent missed opportunities The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has been shown2 to have a higher death toll in communities affected by air pollution. Two changes to the rules of engagement Looking ahead, it could become even more difficult to bring health data and other evidence to the policymaking table if the EPA moves forward with a pair of proposals that would alter how science is used and evaluated at the agency. First is a “transparency” rule that could restrict the use of public-health studies — including much of the epidemiological research that the agency has used to set particulate-pollution standards in the past. A draft proposal states that if underlying data and models are not publicly available — which is often the case for private health-care data — the EPA could give them less weight or exclude them from consideration entirely when setting standards and conducting scientific assessments. The EPA released a supplemental proposal to the rule in March, providing additional options for how to implement the rule and expanding its application to cover all research used to support agency rules. After an outcry from scientists and environmentalists who have accused the agency of pushing through the rules while the public is focused on the coronavirus crisis, the EPA extended the public comment period by one month, to 18 May. Precisely how the rule would work remains unclear, but scientists and public-health advocates say that the latest changes do not solve the fundamental problem, which is that the rule could effectively sideline mainstream epidemiological research and undermine public-health regulations. “It’s headed in the wrong direction, and it would apply to pretty much all of EPA’s major work,” says Michael Halpern, deputy director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group in Cambridge, Massachusetts. US EPA science advisers question ‘secret science’ rule on data transparency A second proposal, currently pending review at the White House, would change how the agency evaluates the costs and benefits of environmental and public-health regulations, much as it did in its re-evaluation of the mercury-emissions standards. Many experts think that the proposed guidance — which could be released in the next few months — will seek to reduce the consideration of incidental and indirect benefits from proposed rules. Taken together, the cost–benefit guidance and the transparency rules could help the Trump administration to justify removing regulations, and could hamper regulatory efforts by future administrations. These and other EPA decisions will inevitably be challenged in court, but scientists and environmentalists say that provides little solace. “They are rolling back progress, and we are losing time,” Halpern says. Southerland watched multiple administrations come and go during her time at the EPA, and says the scale and speed of the Trump administration's assault on science-based regulations is unprecedented. In many cases, the EPA’s leaders aren’t even presenting new evidence to justify their decisions, she says. “That’s why they can move so fast: they just say, ‘We no longer agree with the science and the facts.’”

Complicaciones neurológicas por coronavirus y COVID-19 : Neurología.com

Vea nuestros másteres [REV NEUROL 2020;70:311-322] Introducción. Estudios clínicos y experimentales han demostrado que la familia de los coronavirus tiene un cierto tropismo por el sistema nervioso central. Siete tipos de coronavirus pueden contagiar al ser humano. Desarrollo. Los coronavirus no siempre permanecen confinados en el tracto respiratorio, y en determinadas condiciones pueden invadir el sistema nervioso central y causar patologías neurológicas. La capacidad potencial de neuroinvasión está bien documentada en la mayor parte de los coronavirus humanos (OC-43, 229E, MERS y SARS) y en algunos coronavirus animales (coronavirus de la encefalomielitis hemaglutinante porcina). Se han descrito síntomas neurológicos en pacientes afectos por COVID-19, como cefalea, mareo, mialgias y anosmia, así como casos de encefalopatía, encefalitis, encefalopatía necrotizante hemorrágica, ictus, crisis epilépticas, rabdomiólisis y síndrome de Guillain-Barré, asociados a la infección por el SARS-CoV-2. Conclusiones. Futuros estudios epidemiológicos y registros de casos deben elucidar la incidencia real de estas complicaciones neurológicas, sus mecanismos patogénicos y sus opciones terapéuticas. Introducción Coronavirus Epidemiología y vías de transmisión Estructura y replicación Manifestaciones clínicas Tabla I. Frecuencia de síntomas asociados a la COVID-19 (n = 1.099 pacientes). Adaptado de [15]. Tos 68% Fatiga 38% Producción de esputo 34% Disnea 19% Mialgias/artralgias 15% Cefalea 14% Dolor de garganta 14% Escalofríos 12% Congestión nasal 5% Náusea-vómitos 5% Diarrea 4% Inyección conjuntival 1% Tabla II. Características del síndrome de tormenta de citocinas. Síndrome hiperinflamatorio agudo Hipercitocinemia fulminante y letal Habitualmente desencadenado por infecciones víricas Presente en el 4% de los casos de sepsis Síntomas cardinales Fiebre persistente Citopenia Hiperferritinemia Afectación pulmonar y síndrome respiratorio agudo grave al menos en el 50% de los casos Complicaciones neurológicas Plausibilidad biológica extrapolada de la afectación del SNC por otros virus respiratorios. Evidencia de daño neurológico por coronavirus en otras especies. Modelos animales de infección del SNC por coronavirus humanos. Existencia de complicaciones neurológicas por otros coronavirus. Pacientes con COVID-19 que han presentado manifestaciones neurológicas. Infecciones del sistema nervioso central por otros virus respiratorios Coronavirus patógenos que afectan a otras especies Modelos animales e in vitro de infección del sistema nervioso central por coronavirus humanos Complicaciones neurológicas por otros coronavirus humanos 2 Complicaciones neurológicas asociadas a COVID-19 Mecanismos patogénicos inciertos Rutas de propagación: diseminación hematógena frente a transferencia transináptica 2 2 Regulación del receptor de la enzima conversora de la angiotensina II Otros factores: hipoxia, daño neurológico inmunomediado Implicaciones neurológicas de una infección persistente Implicaciones para el diagnóstico y el tratamiento Discusión Tabla III. Pacientes con alto riesgo de padecer COVID-19 grave a los que se recomienda el distanciamiento social y medidas adicionales de protección y autoaislamiento (shielding). Adaptado de [66]. Pacientes que han recibido un trasplante de órgano Pacientes con cáncer en tratamiento quimioterápico Pacientes con cáncer de pulmón que han recibido o reciben radioterapia radical Enfermedad linfoproliferativa, como leucemia, linfoma o mieloma en cualquier fase de tratamiento Pacientes en tratamientos biológicos o con anticuerpos monoclonales contra el cáncer Pacientes que reciben otras terapias para el cáncer y que afectan al sistema inmune, como inhibidores de las proteincinasas Pacientes que han recibido un trasplante de médula ósea o de células madres en los últimos seis meses, o que todavía están recibiendo fármacos inmunosupresores Enfermedad pulmonar crónica grave: fibrosis quística, asma grave, enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica grave Enfermedades raras y errores innatos del metabolismo Pacientes homocigotos con anemia de células falciformes Enfermedad pulmonar intersticial; sarcoidosis Pacientes que reciben tratamientos inmunosupresores que aumentan significativamente el riesgo de infección a Embarazadas con enfermedad cardíaca grave, sea congénita o adquirida a Aspecto relevante en neurología. Tabla IV. Posibles complicaciones neurológicas que se deben evaluar en estudios epidemiológicos de la COVID-19 Encefalopatía y otras complicaciones del sistema nervioso central (crisis, delirios) en el contexto de una infección sistémica o una insuficiencia respiratoria asociada a la COVID-19 Infección del sistema nervioso central Encefalitis/meningitis aguda Encefalomielitis Mielitis transversa aguda Síndromes (posiblemente) inmunomediados Mononeuritis/afectación de los pares craneales Síndrome de Guillain-Barré y variantes (Miller Fisher) Mielitis transversa postinfecciosa Encefalomielitis aguda diseminada Encefalomielitis necrotizante Cerebelitis aguda Parkinsonismo postencefalítico Síndrome de fatiga crónica post-COVID-19 Complicaciones neurológicas asociadas a tormenta de citocinas Complicaciones cerebrovasculares Ataque isquémico transitorio Ictus isquémico Ictus hemorrágico Complicaciones neuromusculares Mialgia Rabdomiólisis Complicaciones neurooftalmológicas Conclusiones Bibliografía Neurological complications of coronavirus and COVID-19 Introduction. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that the coronavirus family has a certain tropism for the central nervous system. Seven types of coronavirus can infect humans. Development. Coronaviruses are not always confined to the respiratory tract, and under certain conditions they can invade the central nervous system and cause neurological pathologies. The potential for neuroinvasion is well documented in most human coronaviruses (OC-43, 229E, MERS and SARS) and in some animal coronaviruses (porcine haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis coronavirus). Neurological symptoms have been reported in patients affected by COVID-19, such as headache, dizziness, myalgia and anosmia, as well as cases of encephalopathy, encephalitis, necrotising haemorrhagic encephalopathy, stroke, epileptic seizures, rhabdomyolysis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions. Future epidemiological studies and case records should elucidate the real incidence of these neurological complications, their pathogenic mechanisms and their therapeutic options. Key words. Coronavirus. COVID-19. Encephalitis. Encephalopathy. Neurotropism. SARS-CoV-2. SARS. © 2020 Revista de Neurología En diciembre de 2019 se inició un brote epidémico de neumonía de origen viral en la ciudad china de Wuhan asociado a un nuevo coronavirus, que se llamó virus de Wuhan o nuevo coronavirus 2019 [ 1 ]. Lo que inicialmente fue un brote epidémico local, se ha transformado en una pandemia global de inciertas y trágicas consecuencias. En febrero de 2020, se estableció una denominación taxonómica oficial para el nuevo virus: ‘coronavirus (CoV) tipo 2 asociado al síndrome respiratorio agudo grave (SARS)’ (SARS-CoV-2), y a la enfermedad que causa, COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). La Organización Mundial de la Salud declaró la epidemia como urgencia de salud pública de interés internacional el 30 de enero de 2020, y, posteriormente, como pandemia global [ 2 ].En este artículo se revisan los datos disponibles sobre las complicaciones neurológicas de los coronavirus en general y del SARS-CoV-2 en particular. Para ello se realizó una búsqueda en PubMed (7 de abril de 2020) con los descriptores COVID-19 (2.863 artículos), SARS-CoV-2 (1.089 artículos) y sus combinaciones con el término complicaciones neurológicas (15 y siete artículos, respectivamente).Los coronavirus son virus encapsulados y tienen uno de los genomas más grandes entre los virus ARN de cadena única y sentido positivo, con una longitud que oscila entre 26 y 32 kilobases. El término ‘coronavirus’ se debe al peculiar aspecto en forma de corona de su envoltura, visible por microscopia electrónica, que está rodeada por glucoproteínas de membrana en forma de espícula. Los coronavirus pertenecen a la subfamilia Orthocoronavirinae, familia Coronaviridae, orden Nidovirales. La familia Coronaviridae está constituida por cuatro géneros, llamados alfa, beta, delta y gammacoronavirus [ 3 ].Los coronavirus son agentes causales de patologías respiratorias, hepáticas, intestinales y, ocasionalmente, neurológicas. Tienen una amplia distribución en la naturaleza y pueden afectar al ser humano y otras especies (aves y mamíferos, incluyendo murciélagos, felinos y roedores) y al ganado porcino [ 3 ]. Además del SARS-CoV-2, otros seis coronavirus infectan al ser humano: alfacoronavirus 229E y NL63, y betacoronavirus HKU1, OC43, coronavirus asociado al síndrome respiratorio agudo grave (SARS-CoV) y coronavirus asociado al síndrome respiratorio de Oriente Medio (MERS-CoV). Los coronavirus tienen una diversidad genética notable y una capacidad de recombinarse elevada; ello explica el salto interespecie de los coronavirus emergentes que han afectado al ser humano en las últimas décadas [ 4 ].Las primeras cepas de coronavirus humanos se identificaron en la década de los sesenta. Antes de la aparición del SARS, tan sólo se conocían varias cepas de alfa (229E) y betacoronavirus (OC43).El SARS-CoV se detectó en Guangdong, sureste de China, y causó una pandemia entre 2002 y 2003 con más de 8.000 casos confirmados y 774 muertes en 37 países. El murciélago Rhinolophus fue el reservorio en el que se detectaron anticuerpos positivos anti-SARS-CoV. El reservorio intermedio fue la civeta, desde la que el virus saltó al ser humano. El cuadro inicial fue un síndrome viral, seguido por síntomas respiratorios (tos y disnea), que en un 20% se complicaban con un SARS. Algunos pacientes presentaron fallo multiorgánico. La mortalidad fue del 10% [ 5 ].El MERS-CoV se detectó por primera vez en Oriente Medio (Jordania y Arabia Saudí) en 2012 y hubo 2.500 casos confirmados y 858 muertes. El cuadro clínico fue un síndrome respiratorio que podía complicarse con SARS, síntomas gastrointestinales y fallo renal. El MERS-CoV se originó en murciélagos de las especies Pipistrellus y Perimyotis, y a su vez se transmitió al camello (reservorio intermedio) y, mediante transmisión zoonótica, al ser humano. En Arabia Saudí sucedió una importante transmisión nosocomial en diversos hospitales y se infectó numeroso personal sanitario y familiares de pacientes. En el brote de Corea del Sur de 2015, hubo una transmisión más eficiente entre personas [ 6 ].Los coronavirus humanos 229E, OC43, NL63 y HKU1 son endémicos mundialmente y responsables del 15-30% de las infecciones del tracto respiratorio superior, rinitis, laringitis y faringitis, así co­mo de las otitis. En ocasiones, pueden causar infecciones más graves, como bronquitis, bronquiolitis, exacerbación de asma o SARS. Los brotes asociados al MERS-CoV y al SARS-CoV 1 y 2 han causado una elevada mortalidad en grupos de población más vulnerable, como ancianos y personas inmunodeprimidas o con enfermedades graves [ 6 ].El SARS-CoV-2 se transmite por vía respiratoria mediante pequeñas gotitas que se dispersan uno o dos metros al hablar o toser. En hospitales y recintos cerrados pueden formarse aerosoles, de mayor tamaño, con una capacidad de contagio mayor, en los que el virus perdura varias horas. La transmisión por fómites es posible, ya que permanece viable en superficies lisas durante un período indeterminado. Estudios experimentales han mostrado que el SARS-CoV-2 persiste 24 horas en cartones y 72 horas en superficies de acero inoxidable y plástico [ 7 ]. El SARS-CoV-2 se ha detectado en secreciones pulmonares, sangre, heces, saliva y orina de personas infectadas.El SARS-CoV-2 es un betacoronavirus que contiene en su interior una cadena única positiva de ARN. Su envoltura, cuyo diámetro oscila entre 60 y 140 nm, le confiere una morfología redondeada o elíptica. Su genoma contiene elementos específicos que facilitan la replicación del virus y la formación de proteínas esenciales estructurales. El genoma completo se ha aislado de nueve enfermos de Wuhan y consta de un ARN de cadena única de 29.903 pares de bases que guarda una estrecha relación (88%) con dos betacoronavirus aislados en murciélagos [ 8 ]. Estudios filogenéticos sugieren que los murciélagos fueron huésped original y reservorio [ 9 ]. La secuenciación genómica del SARS-CoV-2 comparte una homología del 96,2 y el 89%, respectivamente, con los coronavirus RaTG13 y ZXC21 del murciélago, y un 82% con el SARS-CoV. El SARS-CoV-2 saltó al ser humano a través de un huésped intermedio, probablemente el pangolín. Su genoma tiene un número variable de marcos de lectura abierta (ORF, del inglés: open reading frame), que son secuencias de ARN comprendidas entre dos codones, uno de inicio de la traducción y otro de terminación. El de mayor tamaño se llama ORF 1a/b y codifica dos poliproteínas llamadas pp1a y pp1b. El resto de los ORF codifica otras proteínas accesorias y estructurales [ 8 ]. El genoma restante codifica cuatro proteínas estructurales que son necesarias para el ensamblaje y la capacidad infecciosa del SARS-CoV-2: glucoproteína S de superficie, proteína E de envoltura, proteína M de membrana y proteína N de nucleocápside, así como otras proteínas accesorias que interfieren con la respuesta inmune. La glucoproteína S está situada en la superficie externa de la envoltura y conforma una estructura tridimensional en el ‘dominio que se liga al receptor’ de la célula huésped que facilita el anclaje del virus. Consta de dos subunidades: S1, que determina el tropismo por el receptor específico; y S2, que interviene en el proceso de fusión de las membranas celular y viral [ 10 ].El SARS-CoV-2 se fija al receptor de la enzima conversora de la angiotensina II (ECA2) e invade las células que expresan dicho receptor [ 11 ]. El receptor de la ECA2 está presente en neumocitos del tracto respiratorio inferior, que son la diana principal, las células del endotelio vascular, el riñón y el músculo liso. El residuo 394 de la glutamina del dominio que se liga al receptor es reconocido por el residuo lisina 31 del receptor de la ECA2 [ 12 ]. Tras la unión, se produce un cambio conformacional de la proteína S que facilita la fusión de la envoltura del SARS-CoV-2 con la membrana de la célula infectada y la entrada del ARN genómico al compartimento intracelular. El dominio de ligazón al receptor del SARS-CoV-2 es estructuralmente similar al del SARS-CoV.Una vez en el interior celular, se activa un proceso de traducción de poliproteínas, que, a su vez, se escinden por proteólisis en proteínas menores hasta formar una serie de proteínas no estructurales del complejo transcriptasa-replicasa viral. Se trata de un proceso muy dinámico en el que, después, las ARN-polimerasas sintetizan ARN mensajeros subgenómicos, que a su vez se traducirán en proteínas víricas. El ensamblaje final del ARN genómico y proteínas víricas esenciales en viriones se realiza en el retículo endoplásmico y el aparato de Golgi. Los viriones son transportados en vesículas y finalmente liberados pa­ra infectar a otras células en un nuevo ciclo [ 13 ].El período medio de incubación es de cinco días (rango medio: 3-7, con un máximo de 14 días). Durante la fase de replicación viral, que dura varios días, los sujetos pueden presentar síntomas leves consecuencia del efecto del virus y de la respuesta inmune innata. La afectación de las vías respiratorias bajas sucede cuando el sistema inmune no consigue frenar la propagación y replicación del virus y los síntomas respiratorios surgen a consecuencia del efecto citopático sobre las células del pulmón [ 14 ].Las principales manifestaciones clínicas de la COVID-19 son fiebre, tos seca, disnea y estrés respiratorio agudo. Sin embargo, muchos sujetos infectados pueden ser asintomáticos o presentar síntomas leves, como cefalea, tos no productiva, fatiga, mialgias y anosmia. En la tabla I se recoge la frecuencia de los síntomas de una serie de 1.099 pacientes ingresados con SARS-CoV-2 en Wuhan [ 15 ]. Algunos pacientes pueden padecer un SARS una semana después de iniciados los síntomas y puede ser mortal. La mortalidad global se estima en un 8% y se debe a insuficiencia respiratoria con hipoxia o fallo multiorgánico.El sistema inmune adquirido actúa en un segundo momento y la carga viral del SARS-CoV-2 se reduce, pero en algunos pacientes se ha observado una reacción sistémica hiperinflamatoria grave, que se ha denominado tormenta de citocinas, y que recuerda al síndrome de linfohistiocitosis hemofagocítica desencadenado por otras infecciones virales (Tabla II) [ 16 ].Pacientes ancianos o con enfermedades graves son el grupo de población más vulnerable. La hipertensión arterial (24%), la diabetes mellitus (16%), la cardiopatía isquémica (6%), la patología cerebrovascular (2,3%) y la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (3,5%) son las comorbilidades más frecuentes en las formas graves de COVID-19 [ 15 ].Los virus respiratorios pueden penetrar en el sistema nervioso central (SNC) (neuroinvasión), afectar tanto a neuronas como a células gliales (propiedad conocida como neurotropismo) e inducir diversas patologías neurológicas (neurovirulencia) [ 17 ]. La hipótesis sobre las propiedades de neuroinvasión y neurovirulencia del SARS-CoV-2 se basa en la siguiente evidencia:Las infecciones víricas del sistema respiratorio constituyen un problema de salud pública. Los virus respiratorios que afectan al ser humano con mayor frecuencia son el de la gripe, el ortopneumovirus (virus respiratorio sincitial), el metaneumovirus humano y el coronavirus. Todos ellos se han asociado con diversas manifestaciones neurológicas en personas que padecieron una enfermedad respiratoria grave [ 18 ]. El virus respiratorio sincitial puede causar encefalitis, crisis epilépticas, cerebelitis y ataxia, y se ha detectado en el líquido cefalorraquídeo. Los virus Hendra y Nepah, de la familia Paramyxoviridae, son agentes causantes de una neumonía grave y pueden causar encefalitis. El virus de la gripe puede afectar al SNC y se ha descrito una amplia variedad de complicaciones neurológicas, que incluyen meningitis, encefalitis, encefalopatía necrotizante, mielitis y síndrome de Guillain-Barré (SGB), entre otras [ 18 ].Diversos coronavirus pueden infectar al ganado y a aves (coronavirus respiratorio porcino, virus de la encefalomielitis hemaglutinante porcina, coronavirus bovino y virus de la bronquitis infecciosa aviar), cánidos (coronavirus respiratorio canino) y felinos (coronavirus felino). Se han descrito complicaciones neurológicas (meningitis y afectación de la médula espinal) en gatos infectados con una cepa virulenta de coronavirus felino que se ha aislado en tejido cerebral [ 19 20 ]. El virus de la encefalomielitis hemaglutinante porcina comparte un 91% de homología con el coronavirus humano OC43 y es capaz de invadir el cerebro porcino. Se ha aislado del cerebro de lechones que padecieron encefalomielitis. La inoculación del virus de la encefalomielitis hemaglutinante porcina en la región buconasal originó una infección de las células epiteliales del tracto respiratorio y del intestino delgado, y posteriormente alcanzó el SNC mediante propagación neuronal retrógrada por los nervios periféricos [ 20 21 ]. El virus de la encefalomielitis hemaglutinante porcina afecta primero a la mucosa nasal, las amígdalas, los pulmones y el intestino delgado en lechones, y desde allí se propaga retrógradamente por los nervios periféricos a las neuronas del bulbo raquídeo responsables del peristaltismo del tracto digestivo, causando vómitos. El virus de la hepatitis del ratón es una subespecie del coronavirus murino, cuyas cepas JHM y A59 tienen un claro neurotropismo, e induce una enfermedad desmielinizante que se asemeja a la esclerosis múltiple [ 20 ].Arbour et al demostraron hace 20 años que los coronavirus humanos OC43 y 229E son capaces de inducir una infección tanto aguda como persistente en linajes de células neuronales, oligodendrocitos y neuroglía humanos [ 22 24 ]. El coronavirus humano OC43 ha mostrado ser neuroinvasivo y causar parálisis flácida y desmielinización en modelos animales [ 25 ]. En ratones susceptibles, el coronavirus OC43 se disemina desde el bulbo olfatorio hasta el tronco del encéfalo y la médula espinal. El ARN del CoV-OC43 se ha detectado durante un año en el SNC de ratones que padecieron una encefalitis inducida por este virus. En el modelo murino, el coronavirus OC43 tiene un tropismo selectivo por las neuronas y es capaz de usar el sistema de transporte axonal como medio de propagación neurona a neurona [ 17 ]. Tanto la difusión pasiva de partículas virales como el transporte axonal son estrategias de propagación neurona-neurona observadas en cultivos celulares [ 26 ]. La infección por el SARS-CoV puede causar muerte neuronal en el ratón transgénico para el receptor humano de la ECA2 [ 27 ]. En este modelo animal, el SARS-CoV penetró en el SNC por el bulbo olfatorio y la infección se extendió por vía transneuronal a otras regiones del cerebro.Entre los diversos coronavirus humanos, al menos 229E, OC43 y SARS-CoV tienen capacidad neuro­invasiva demostrada, ya que se ha detectado ARN viral o ácidos nucleicos en el cerebro humano [ 20 ]. Un caso de encefalitis mortal por coronavirus OC43 [ 28 ] se ha descrito en un lactante de 12 meses que padecía inmunodeficiencia combinada grave. El diagnóstico se realizó mediante técnicas de secuenciación de ARN y reacción en cadena de la polimerasa-transcriptasa reversa (PCR-TR) en muestras de biopsia cerebral. El estudio inmunohistoquímico del cerebro mostró una reacción prominente de la microglía, infiltrados de linfocitos T y detección de la nucleocápside del coronavirus OC43 en las neuronas. Se ha publicado el caso de un adolescente de 15 años que padeció una encefalomielitis aguda diseminada asociada a coronavirus OC43 [ 29 ]. La resonancia mostró áreas de desmielinización en la sustancia blanca subcortical, el cerebelo y la médula espinal. El coronavirus OC43 se detectó en el líquido cefalorraquídeo y en secreciones de la nasofaringe mediante técnica de PCR. En la fase de convalecencia tres semanas después, los anticuerpos anti-OC43 en el suero aumentaron de 1:160 (fase aguda) a 1:640.El SARS-CoV puede causar encefalitis, ictus isquémico y polineuropatía en pacientes afectos de SARS [ 30 ]. Se ha detectado ARN vírico en el líquido cefalorraquídeo de un paciente que padeció encefalitis [ 31 ]. Crisis epilépticas pueden ser la primera manifestación de encefalitis por SARS-CoV en pacientes con SARS [ 32 ]. Un estudio de necropsia de ocho pacientes que fallecieron por SARS-CoV confirmó la infección de neuronas en la corteza y en el hipotálamo [ 33 ], y secuencias genómicas del SARS-CoV se detectaron en todos los casos mediante PCR-TR.El MERS-CoV puede causar encefalomielitis y vasculitis. Arabi et al publicaron una serie de tres pacientes que padecieron alteración del nivel de conciencia, desde confusión a coma, ataxia y déficit motor multifocal. La resonancia de encéfalo mostró lesiones hiperintensas bilaterales en secuencias en Ten la sustancia blanca, en áreas subcorticales de los lóbulos frontal, parietal y temporal, en los ganglios basales y el cuerpo calloso. En dos pacientes, el líquido cefalorraquídeo evidenció un aumento de proteínas. Los tres pacientes tenían en común la afectación grave de múltiples órganos (pulmones, riñones y sistema cardiovascular), y linfocitopenia con disminución de linfocitos B y T [ 34 ]. Otras complicaciones neurológicas descritas durante la infección por MERS-CoV son SGB, encefalitis del tronco del encéfalo [ 35 ], y hemorragia cerebral en el contexto de trombocitopenia y coagulación intravascular diseminada [ 36 ]. En un estudio retrospectivo de 70 pacientes con MERS de Arabia Saudí, el 8,6% padeció crisis convulsivas [ 37 ]. En una serie de 23 casos de MERS-CoV, se describieron cuatro pacientes con SGB; la latencia de los síntomas neurológicos fue entre siete y 26 días tras la aparición de los síntomas pulmonares. Un caso de SGB asociado a una coinfección por coronavirus 229E y OC43 se ha descrito en un paciente pediátrico [ 38 ].La incidencia de las complicaciones neurológicas por SARS-CoV-2 se desconoce. Los pacientes con COVID-19 grave tienen una mayor probabilidad de presentar síntomas neurológicos que los que tienen formas leves. Estudios de necropsia han mostrado la presencia de edema cerebral y degeneración neuronal en pacientes fallecidos con COVID-19 [ 39 ].Cefalea, mialgias, mareo y fatiga son los síntomas inespecíficos más frecuentemente descritos. En un estudio retrospectivo de 214 pacientes ingresados con COVID-19 en un hospital de Wuhan, el 36,4% presentó algún tipo de manifestación neurológica, que fue categorizada como afectación del SNC (24,8%), periférico (10,7%) y musculoesquelético (10,7%) [ 40 ]. Los síntomas neurológicos más comunes fueron mareo (36 casos), cefalea (28 casos), hipogeusia (12 casos) e hiposmia (5 casos). Los síntomas neurológicos fueron más frecuentes en pacientes graves de COVID-19 (45,5% frente a 30%).La cefalea es el síntoma más común en personas afectas de COVID-19 en China. En la serie de Guan et al [ 15 ] de más de 1.000 enfermos de COVID-19, el 13,6% relataba cefalea (el 15% en las formas graves). La intensidad de la cefalea se describe como leve, aun cuando los detalles clínicos son incompletos. En estos estudios no se menciona si los pacientes tenían historia previa de cefalea primaria (migraña) o signos meníngeos. En la serie de Guan et al, el 15% de los pacientes relataba mialgias, un 13,7% presentaba niveles elevados de creatincinasa (el 19% en los casos graves), y se citan dos casos de rabdomiólisis (0,2%) en pacientes con COVID-19 no grave. También se ha descrito rabdomiólisis, aumento de la creatincinasa y fallo múltiple de órganos como complicación tardía de la COVID-19 [ 41 ].La anosmia y, secundariamente, los trastornos del gusto parecen ser muy prevalentes en personas con COVID-19, incluso en ausencia de síntomas nasales, y pueden aparecer de modo súbito [ 42 ]. La prevalencia de disfunción olfativa y gustativa se ha analizado en un registro de casos de 12 hospitales europeos. Un total de 417 pacientes con COVID-19 leve a moderado completó el estudio. Los pacientes respondieron cuestionarios de alteración del gusto y olfato basados en la encuesta de examen nutricional y de la salud, y la versión corta del cuestionario de trastornos olfativos. Los síntomas más frecuentes relatados fueron tos, mialgia y pérdida de apetito. Un 85,6% y un 88% de los pacientes describieron trastornos del olfato y del gusto, respectivamente, y la disfunción olfativa fue el síntoma inicial en el 12%. El 18% de los pacientes no presentaba rinorrea ni obstrucción nasal, pero en este subgrupo el 80% tenía anosmia o hiposmia [ 43 ].La encefalopatía es un síndrome de disfunción cerebral transitoria que se manifiesta como una afectación aguda o subaguda del nivel de consciencia. El riesgo de padecer un estado mental alterado asociado a la COVID-19 es mayor en personas de edad avanzada o con deterioro cognitivo previo, así como en las que presenten factores de riesgo vascular (hipertensión) y comorbilidades previas [ 40 44 ]. Pacientes con daño neurológico previo y síntomas respiratorios agudos tienen un riesgo mayor de sufrir una encefalopatía como síntoma inicial de la COVID-19. Los pacientes con COVID-19 sufren hipoxia grave, que es un factor de riesgo de encefalopatía [ 15 ]. En el estudio de Mao et al, el 15% de los pacientes con COVID-19 grave presentó alteración del nivel de conciencia, y tan sólo un 2,4% en las formas leves [ 40 ]. La encefalopatía asociada a la COVID-19 puede deberse a causas tóxicas y metabólicas, y al efecto de la hipoxia o los fármacos. Otro mecanismo indirecto asociado es la presencia de crisis subclínicas. Se ha descrito un caso con COVID-19 que presentó un cuadro encefalopático, incapaz de seguir órdenes verbales. El electroencefalograma evidenció ondas lentas de modo difuso en la región temporal bilateral [ 44 ]. Los hallazgos patológicos son edema cerebral en ausencia de inflamación del líquido cefalorraquídeo. Se ha detectado edema cerebral en necropsias de pacientes fallecidos por COVID-19 [ 39 ]. El tratamiento es sintomático e incluye control de la fiebre, tratamiento de la hipoxia o el uso de medicación antiepiléptica.El SARS-COV-2 debería incluirse en el diagnóstico diferencial de encefalitis junto con otros virus neurótropos, como la familia del herpes simple, el de la varicela zóster o el virus del Nilo occidental, entre otros. Los síntomas de encefalitis incluyen fiebre, cefalea, crisis epilépticas, trastornos conductuales y alteración del nivel de conciencia. Un diagnóstico precoz es determinante para asegurar la supervivencia, ya que estos síntomas pueden también suceder en pacientes con COVID-19 con neumonía e hipoxia grave. Se ha publicado un caso de encefalitis en una paciente de 56 años de Wuhan, que fue diagnosticada de COVID-19 en enero de 2020 [ 45 ]. La paciente fue ingresada en una unidad de cuidados intensivos y presentó disminución del nivel de conciencia, por lo que se realizó una TC cerebral, que fue normal. El diagnóstico de encefalitis se confirmó al aislarse el SARS-CoV-2 en el líquido cefalorraquídeo mediante técnicas de secuenciación genómica [ 46 ]. Se ha descrito un segundo caso de meningoencefalitis en un varón japonés de 24 años con síntomas de COVID-19, que presentó crisis epilépticas generalizadas y disminución del nivel de conciencia. El ARN del SARS-CoV-2 no se detectó en la nasofaringe, pero sí en el líquido cefalorraquídeo mediante PCR-TR. El análisis del líquido cefalorraquídeo evidenció 12 células/µL (10 mononucleares y dos polimorfonucleares). En la resonancia de encéfalo se observaron áreas hiperintensas en el ventrículo lateral derecho, la región mesial del lóbulo temporal y el hipocampo [ 47 ]. El paciente precisó ventilación mecánica invasiva debido a la neumonía y a las múltiples crisis generalizadas que presentó.Se ha publicado un caso de encefalopatía necrotizante aguda hemorrágica en una paciente afecta de COVID-19 que presentaba síntomas de fiebre, tos y alteración del estado mental. El diagnóstico se realizó mediante detección de SARS-CoV-2 por PCR-TR en una muestra nasofaríngea. La TC cerebral detectó un área hipodensa simétrica y bilateral en el núcleo talámico medial. La resonancia mostró lesiones hemorrágicas que realzaban tras la administración de contraste, de disposición multifocal y simétricas, en forma anular en ambos tálamos, la ínsula y la región medial de los lóbulos temporales [ 48 ]. La encefalopatía necrotizante aguda, aun cuando es relativamente rara, es una complicación descrita en algunas infecciones víricas, incluyendo el virus de la gripe. Los autores postulan que su patogénesis guar­daría relación con el síndrome de la tormenta de citocinas que se ha descrito por la COVID-19 [ 16 ].Se ha descrito un caso de SGB asociado con la infección por SARS-CoV-2 en una paciente de 62 años que presentó debilidad motora en las extremidades inferiores, y síntomas clínicos de COVID-19 con fiebre y tos seca una semana después. El estudio del líquido cefalorraquídeo evidenció aumento de proteínas (124 mg/dL) y ausencia de células. El examen neurofisiológico reveló un aumento de las latencias distales y ausencia de ondas F, lo que apunta a una forma de SGB desmielinizante. Los autores sugieren que la paciente estaba infectada por SARS-CoV-2 al inicio de los síntomas del SGB, ya que tenía linfopenia y trombocitopenia. Sin embargo, no puede excluirse que la paciente haya presentado por coincidencia síntomas de COVID-19 y SGB [ 49 ].Los pacientes ancianos con factores de riesgo vascular parecen tener un riesgo mayor de presentar complicaciones cerebrovasculares cuando desarrollan COVID-19 que las personas más jóvenes sin comorbilidades [ 50 ]. En un estudio retrospectivo de 221 pacientes con COVID-19 de Wuhan, 11 (5%) presentaron ictus isquémico; uno (0,5%), trombosis cerebral de los senos venosos; y uno (0,5%), una hemorragia cerebral. Los factores de riesgo de sufrir un ictus fueron: edad avanzada (edad media: 71,6 años), padecer COVID-19 grave, tener una historia previa de hipertensión, diabetes o enfermedad cerebrovascular, o tener una respuesta inflamatoria y procoagulante marcada (aumento de la proteína C reactiva y el dímero D, respectivamente) [ 50 ]. La mortalidad fue del 38%. En la serie de Mao et al se describen cinco pacientes con ictus (un 80% isquémicos), que tenían formas graves de COVID-19, con aumento de los niveles del dímero D, trombocitopenia y afectación múltiple de órganos [ 40 ]. En cuanto a la fisiopatogénesis, es conocido que el SARS-CoV-2 se liga a los receptores de la ECA2 en las células del endotelio, lo que puede provocar un aumento de la presión arterial. El incremento de la presión arterial, junto con la presencia de trombocitopenia y trastornos de la coagulación, es un factor que puede contribuir al aumento del riesgo de ictus tanto isquémico como hemorrágico en pacientes con COVID-19. El síndrome de tormenta de citocinas puede ser otro factor de riesgo de enfermedad cerebrovascular.Diversos mecanismos patogénicos se han propuesto para explicar las complicaciones neurológicas de la COVID-19.La invasión directa del SNC, por vía hematógena o por vía linfática, y la diseminación retrógrada desde las terminales nerviosas periféricas son teóricamente posibles [ 51 ] y podrían suceder tanto en la fase de inicio como en la tardía de la COVID-19. Actualmente se desconoce la ruta exacta por la que el SARS-CoV-2 podría penetrar en el SNC [ 52 ]. Los coronavirus pueden causar disrupción del epitelio nasal, y, en ciertas circunstancias que todavía no se comprenden bien, podrían atravesar la barrera epitelial y alcanzar la corriente sanguínea o el sistema linfático y propagarse a otros tejidos, incluyendo el SNC.La ruta transináptica retrógrada desde las terminaciones nerviosas periféricas es biológicamente plausible. Aunque el bulbo olfatorio es bastante eficiente para controlar la invasión viral, algunos coronavirus parecen ser capaces de penetrar en el SNC a través de la lámina cribiforme del etmoides. La transferencia transináptica está bien documentada para el coronavirus de la encefalomielitis hemaglutinante porcina y el virus de la bronquitis aviar [ 52 ].Li et al sugieren una posible vía retrógrada para el SARS-CoV-2 a través de los mecanorreceptores y quimiorreceptores localizados en el pulmón y tracto respiratorio, ya que el núcleo del tracto solitario recibe información sensorial desde esa localización. Según esta hipótesis, la disfunción de los centros de control cardiorrespiratorios del bulbo raquídeo agravaría el SARS y podría causar el fallecimiento [ 52 ]. Turtle no apoya la hipótesis neurógena del fallo respiratorio y argumenta que los pacientes con neumonía por COVID-19 desarrollan hipoxia y fallo respiratorio de tipo 1 con niveles bajos de COy aumento de la frecuencia respiratoria. Estos pacientes pueden respirar espontáneamente, pero con gran dificultad y aumento del esfuerzo respiratorio. En cambio, un fallo respiratorio de origen neurológico se manifestaría con una reducción de la frecuencia respiratoria, niveles bajos de oxígeno y altos de CO(fallo respiratorio de tipo 2) y presencia de otros síntomas neurológicos [ 53 ]. Son necesarios estudios histopatológicos, virológicos e inmunohistoquímicos que demuestren si existe un tropismo específico y daño neurológico de los centros cerebrales de control respiratorio por el SARS-CoV-2.El receptor de la ECA2 facilita la invasión celular por el SARS-CoV-2 y su rápida replicación [ 11 ]. La depleción del receptor de la ECA2 de la membrana celular hace que los efectos dañinos de la angiotensina II se multipliquen y, en consecuencia, que se produzca un deterioro agudo de la función pulmonar. La regulación a la baja del receptor de la ECA2 podría poner en riesgo a la población hipertensa y diabética con COVID-19 debido al aumento de la angiotensina II. Una hipótesis pendiente de confirmar postula que el empleo de los inhibidores de la ECA, habitualmente usados en dichos pacientes, conduciría a un aumento de la expresión de ECA2, lo que haría a las células más vulnerables a la infección por SARS-CoV-2. En un estudio sobre factores de riesgo de mortalidad en la COVID-19, el 40% de los fallecidos tenía algún tipo de comorbilidad y la hipertensión arterial (30%) era la más común, seguida de la diabetes (19%) y la enfermedad coronaria (8%) [ 54 ]. La neurovirulencia del SARS-CoV2 podría guardar relación con el grado de expresión del receptor de la ECA2 en el SNC. El receptor de la ECA2 se expresa en las células endoteliales, por lo que es necesario investigar más a fondo su papel en la etiopatogénesis del ictus asociado a la COVID-19. El virus podría interaccionar en la microcirculación cerebral mediante la proteína de espícula S con los receptores de la ECA2 expresados en el endotelio capilar, infectar a las células del endotelio y replicarse en su interior, y, una vez causado daño endotelial, propagarse a las neuronas [ 51 ].El SARS-CoV-2 se replica y prolifera en los neumocitos y causa un exudado inflamatorio intersticial y alveolar difuso, y en las formas más graves, la formación de membranas; por ello, el intercambio gaseoso en los alvéolos se afecta de un modo muy pronunciado [ 55 ]. La hipoxia induce un metabolismo anaeróbico en las células del SNC, edema celular e intersticial, e isquemia y vasodilatación en la circulación cerebral. En este contexto, pueden suceder síncopes, crisis anóxicas e ictus [ 55 ]. La respuesta inmune por parte del huésped también puede tener algún papel. Algunos pacientes con COVID-19 han fallecido por un síndrome hiperinflamatorio (tormenta de citocinas) y fallo multiorgánico [ 16 ]. Los coronavirus tienen capacidad para infectar los macrófagos, la astroglía y la microglía, y experimentos en líneas celulares han mostrado que las células gliales son capaces de secretar factores proinflamatorios, como interleucina 6, interleucina 12, interleucina 15 y factor de necrosis tumoral alfa, tras la infección por coronavirus [ 18 ].¿Es posible que los coronavirus persistan en células residentes del SNC y puedan ser cofactores relacionados con exacerbaciones clínicas o con el desarrollo de manifestaciones neurológicas a largo plazo en sujetos genéticamente predispuestos? Diversos coronavirus se han identificado mediante técnicas serológicas en una gran variedad de patologías neurológicas, como la enfermedad de Parkinson, la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica, la esclerosis múltiple y la neuritis óptica [ 56 59 ]. Los coronavirus 229E, 293 y OC43 se han aislado del líquido cefalorraquídeo y el cerebro de pacientes con esclerosis múltiple. Se ha descrito una prevalencia significativamente mayor de coronavirus OC43 en el cerebro de pacientes con esclerosis múltiple que en un grupo control [ 57 59 ]. A raíz de estos hallazgos, se propuso que una infección persistente por coronavirus podría ser un factor etiopatogénico en ciertas enfermedades neurológicas. La respuesta inmune tras la infección podría participar en la inducción o exacerbación de brotes de esclerosis múltiple en individuos susceptibles [ 17 ].La exposición a coronavirus humanos podría constituir un factor de riesgo para ciertas enfermedades psiquiátricas. Un estudio de casos y controles mostró una prevalencia mayor de reactividad inmunológica para los coronavirus HKU1 y NL63 en pacientes con recientes síntomas psicóticos que en el grupo control [ 60 ]. El significado de estos hallazgos dista de elucidarse, ya que la exposición a estos virus respiratorios es muy prevalente a lo largo de la vida de los individuos y su verdadero papel en la etiopatogénesis de estas patologías se desconoce.Los aspectos relacionados con el grado de respuesta inmune, el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de la COVID-19 necesitan ser evaluados en profundidad en investigaciones futuras. La respuesta de anticuerpos sigue un patrón típico, y los anticuerpos IgM desaparecen pasadas 12 semanas de la infección, mientras que los anticuerpos IgG específicos antiproteína viral S y N persisten un tiempo más prolongado, por lo que desempeñan un papel protector. El diagnóstico clínico de la COVID-19 se basa en la historia epidemiológica, las manifestaciones clínicas y la confirmación de la exposición al SARS-CoV-2. En el contexto actual, debe plantearse el diagnóstico de COVID-19 en toda persona que presente fiebre, tos seca, fatiga y disnea. La técnica de PCR-TR en tiempo real y las técnicas de secuenciación genómica son las dos pruebas empleadas para confirmar el diagnóstico de COVID-19. El aislamiento y el cultivo del virus en la sangre y la secuenciación del genoma completo están limitados en la práctica clínica debido al alto coste y a la necesidad de tecnología. Por ello, las técnicas de PCR-TR en tiempo real se han convertido en las más rápidas y eficientes para detectar el SARS-CoV-2 en la nasofaringe y las secreciones respiratorias [ 51 ]. La universidad de Hong-Kong y el Centro de Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas chino recomendaron el uso de primers específicos para las regiones ORF1 y N del SARS-CoV-2 mediante PCR-RT. Esta técnica tiene una alta especificidad, aunque su sensibilidad es del 50-79% en función del tipo de muestra, el tiempo desde el inicio de los síntomas y el número de especímenes clínicos recolectados. La capacidad de detección del SARS-CoV-2 debe mejorarse, ya que se han descrito casos de falsos negativos [ 61 ]. En la actualidad se están desarrollando sistemas de detección de antígenos virales y de anticuerpos. La sensibilidad de la técnica de ELISA IgG antiproteína N para el SARS-CoV fue del 94,7% y superior a la de ELISA IgG anti-S (59,9%) [ 62 ].En la actualidad no existe un tratamiento antiviral que haya demostrado eficacia para curar la COVID-19. Análogos de la adenosina, como el remdesivir, que actúan sobre la polimerasa dependiente del ARN y bloquean la síntesis de ARN viral, son fármacos prometedores para tratar infecciones por virus ARN. Otros análogos de nucleótidos en proceso de evaluación son el favipiravir, la ribavirina y el galidesivir. La cloroquina y la hidroxicloroquina pueden inhibir efectivamente el SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. La eficacia de la terapia con suero de sujetos en fase de convalecencia, rico en anticuerpos anti-SARS-CoV-2, está en fase de estudio. Otras opciones terapéuticas incluyen anticuerpos monoclonales específicos que se liguen al dominio unión-receptor del SARS-CoV-2 y anticuerpos que bloqueen la acción de interleucinas inflamatorias (como el tocilizumab) [ 63 ]. La Organización Mundial de la Salud ha iniciado el ensayo clínico SOLIDARITY con el fin de evaluar la eficacia de diversos fármacos para tratar la COVID-19.Finalmente, diversas vacunas están en fase de análisis e incluyen virus atenuados vivos, virus inactivados, uso de ADN recombinante y vacunas basadas en proteínas y subunidades específicas del SARS-CoV-2. Hasta el momento en que estas opciones terapéuticas estén disponibles, las principales medidas son la prevención, el aislamiento y el distanciamiento social, medidas higiénicas de lavado de manos y el empleo de mascarillas para grupos de riesgo.Las descripciones iniciales de personas que padecen COVID-19 y que presentan síntomas neurológicos plantean importantes cuestiones. En primer lugar, cuáles son los mecanismos patogénicos que subyacen tras el daño neurológico, si guardan relación con factores específicos individuales del huésped o si se deben a factores asociados con neurovirulencia y neurotropismo del SARS-CoV-2. Algunos síntomas, co­mo la cefalea, son manifestaciones inespecíficas de la infección viral por SARS-CoV-2, pero en algunos casos podrían orientar a ciertas patologías más graves, como meningitis o encefalitis. El grado real de neurotropismo del SARS-CoV-2 todavía debe elucidarse; debe demostrarse la presencia de SARS-CoV-2 en el líquido cefalorraquídeo de pacientes que padezcan COVID-19 y encefalitis, y realizar análisis y secuenciación del virus en muestras de tejido cerebral en necropsias. En el contexto de la actual epidemia, puede haber limitaciones pa­ra la realización de una resonancia o una punción lumbar a un paciente con COVID-19 con manifestaciones neurológicas o con estado mental alterado. Pacientes que presenten COVID-19 y alteración del nivel de conciencia deberían recibir asistencia neurológica apropiada y someterse a exámenes neurológicos, incluyendo estudios de neuroimagen, electroencefalograma y líquido cefalorraquídeo, cuando sean apropiados.Los datos de encefalitis asociadas con otros coronavirus sugieren que la presencia de linfopenia puede ser un factor de riesgo en sujetos inmunodeprimidos. Pacientes con cáncer, enfermedades sistémicas autoinmunes o en tratamiento inmunodepresor son grupos de riesgo padecer COVID-19 y complicaciones neurológicas. En el ámbito de la neurología, el tratamiento de patologías como neurosarcoidosis, polimiositis, vasculitis cerebral, neuromielitis óptica, miastenia grave o esclerosis múltiple cobra especial relevancia, ya que las personas que padecen estas enfermedades pueden estar tomando corticoides o una amplia gama de tratamientos inmunosupresores y biológicos. Los neurólogos y las sociedades científicas pertinentes deben elaborar planes y guías de prevención de la exposición al virus y reevaluar las dosis y los ciclos de tratamiento para estas enfermedades durante la era de la COVID-19. Recientemente, el Grupo de Enfermedades Desmielinizantes de la Comunidad de Madrid ha revisado las indicaciones para mantener o modificar los tratamientos inmunomoduladores e inmunosupresores en la esclerosis múltiple en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19 [ 64 ]. En Escocia, se ha desarrollado un plan de contingencia para identificar a los pacientes neurológicos en tratamiento inmunosupresor y en riesgo añadido de COVID-19. El distanciamiento social (shielding) se recomienda para proteger a las poblaciones vulnerables de la COVID-19 y evitar su contagio (Tabla III). Se recomiendan medidas proactivas de contacto con los pacientes mediante telemedicina, consultas telefónicas y en línea, y envío de material educativo e informativo para los pacientes [ 65 66 ].La calidad de las series de casos sobre la COVID-19 y la afectación del SNC es importante. Con fines epidemiológicos y de investigación, se recomienda el modelo propuesto para categorizar las complicaciones neurológicas de otros virus neurotropos [ 67 68 ] (Tabla IV).Finalmente, es necesario plantear una visión global sobre la COVID-19 en el ámbito de la neuroinfección. Se desconoce el modo en el cual el SARS-CoV-2 puede afectar a la expresión clínica de otras coinfecciones víricas, bacterianas o parasitarias en el SNC. En regiones tropicales específicas, puede darse una cocirculación del SARS-CoV-2 con los virus del dengue, chikungunya, Zika o encefalitis japonesa. Puede suceder coinfección y cocirculación de los virus de la gripe, enterovirus y herpes junto con el SARS-CoV2 en un ámbito global. El impacto de la COVID-19 en pacientes que padecen infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana o enfermedades parasitarias crónicas, como la malaria, la esquistosomiasis, la neurocisticercosis, la tuberculosis, la meningitis crónica o simplemente la desnutrición, se desconoce.Factores virales (mutaciones en genes específicos que aumenten la virulencia del SARS-CoV-2) y factores asociados al huésped (edad avanzada, comorbilidades, inmunosupresión), así como la interacción entre virus y huésped, son las condiciones adecuadas que pueden explicar el diferente nivel de neurotropismo, invasión del SNC y neurovirulencia del SARS-CoV-2 en el ser humano. La incidencia real de las complicaciones neurológicas y su tipo y gravedad son inciertos, por lo que futuros estudios epidemiológicos y de investigación deben aclarar estas lagunas de nuestro conocimiento actual. 1. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J, et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. 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Saskatoon city council making cuts, dipping into reserves but say no tax hike

The City of Saskatoon is making cuts to expenses and dipping into reserve funds to keep essential services going during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are no plans for a tax hike. The city is looking at a budget deficit of about $32 million by the end of 2020, even after money saving measures and cuts have been implemented. "Relief from the federal and/or provincial governments could assist in filling the gap. If relief is not provided, the city must find a way to balance the budget at year-end," said Kerry Tarasoff, chief financial officer, in a report to council. Municipal governments are bound by provincial legislation, the Cities Act, to post balanced budgets on an annual basis. Any deficit from 2020 would be added onto the bill in 2021. Tarasoff wrote that budgets are balanced in those situations by raising property taxes. Council voted near unanimously — with one dissent from Coun. Darren Hill — at Monday's meeting to various cash-saving measures. The city says "most" water projects with lead line replacements will be deferred until later in the year or even the next. Construction planned for 2020 will continue on as scheduled. Mayor Charlie Clark said in a press release that will be about $390 million worth of "financial activity." The street sweeping program will start later than usual but will run on a monthly schedule. Hiring will be reduced, unless essential and approved by the general manager. All measures taken will save the city about $9.5 million. The Canadian Federation of Municipalities has requested a municipal relief package for cities in the range of $10 billion to $15 billion dollars to maintain essential services.

Bastrop County judge lifts face covering mandate, urges continued use amid coronavirus

Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape on Monday canceled his directive that required residents to wear face coverings in public shortly after Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order eliminating local enforcement of such requirements as part of his plan to reopen Texas businesses. On Monday, during a briefing of his new order which will allow many businesses across Texas to reopen their doors on a limited basis on Friday, Abbott said that though he strongly recommends residents wear face coverings, it is not a mandate. He said his order superseded local government requirements and barred cities and counties from imposing penalties or fines to anyone who chooses not to wear a face covering. Pape’s April 8 directive that required residents to wear face coverings in public included provisions for anyone caught violating the order of up to 180 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000. "Although no longer required under local or state law, as your county judge and director of emergency management for Bastrop County, I strongly encourage all Bastrop County residents to continue to wear face coverings in public places where social distancing cannot be consistently maintained," Pape said Monday. "This small inconvenience can help in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our county." The lifting of the local mandate was enacted as positive cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, grew to 62 in Bastrop County on Monday. As of Tuesday morning, Bastrop County has had two deaths associated with COVID-19 and 11 residents have recovered from the virus, according to county data. Most COVID-19 cases in the county involve people between the ages of 50-59. Thirteen people with the virus are 30-39, 12 are 40-49, 10 are 60-69, six are 20-29, three are 70-79, two are 10-19, and one is at least 80. Thirty-nine people who have the virus live in the unincorporated areas of the county, 20 live in Elgin, two in Bastrop and one in Smithville, according to the county’s latest data. "Please protect yourself and others from the spread of this deadly virus," Pape said. "These next few weeks are critical to flattening the curve and getting Texas fully open for business and back to the freedoms we all enjoy." As of Monday, the county had conducted 269 COVID-19 tests at its community test site at Mayfest Park in Bastrop, which opened March 24 and is closed to the public. Only people who are referred by a doctor are eligible for testing at this site. Last week the county conducted 154 tests at random to residents at eight different locations across the county as part of a local study to determine the percentage of possible asymptomatic individuals that may not know they’re infected with COVID-19 and are out in public possibly infecting others, Emergency Management Deputy Director Chris Files said. "Random testing is done so there is a better understanding of the pattern and spread of COVID-19 in the county," Bastrop County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said last week, emphasizing that the testing is a way to determine how widespread the virus is and an important tool in mitigating its spread. Files told county commissioners on Monday that a preliminary report by an epidemiologist on this study should be available by the end of the week. Monday was the 43rd day the county’s Emergency Operations Center, which includes representatives from each city, was active in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saskatoon city councillors vote to draft bylaw on conversion therapy

Councillors have voted in favour of writing a bylaw that would ban any business within city limits from practicing conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is a practice that aims to change an individual's sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender, which means identifying with the sex assigned to them at birth. The therapy has been widely criticized by experts as ineffective and harmful. At a regular council meeting on Monday, councillors voted 11-2 in favour of the motion. Councillor Randy Donauer opposed the motion, saying he was concerned that they were voting on the issue without hearing from experts first, and were straying outside the city's regular mandate. "I don't think anybody should be subjected to anything that violates their rights and that persecutes them, and so I sympathize with that," said Donauer. "But it's never been in the purview of municipalities to regulate the provision of counselling services, the provision of health care services or the provision of religion." This spring, proponents of the ban argued that any city-led legislation was important, as it showed the civic government was against the procedure. A number of cities across Canada have already enacted similar bans, including Vancouver, Edmonton and Lethbridge. In March, the federal government tabled legislation to make conversion therapy illegal. The bill would make it illegal to profit from the therapy and would stop the use of conversion therapy on minors.

Jerry Krause, in an unfinished memoir on Michael Jordan's Bulls, reflects on Dennis Rodman and his personality

Jerry Krause, the late Bulls general manager, may not receive a lot of the public recognition, but he played an integral part in forming a loaded roster that helped bring Chicago six titles in the 1990s. Krause was the one that found Phil Jackson and identified him as the right leader to help the Bulls reach their potential as a team. He also traded for Dennis Rodman in October of 1995, which was viewed as an extremely controversial move at the time. Adding Rodman was the ultimate risk/reward move for the Bulls. If things went well, Rodman could provide Chicago with some much-needed rebounding while the organization chased more championships. However, it the situation went south, the possibility of Rodman becoming a locker room cancer was one that Krause had to consider. In hindsight, it's clear that Krause made the right move there. In addition to recognizing Rodman's ample on-court talent and understanding how that talent could be harnessed to help the Bulls chase championships, Krause was also apparently pretty fond of Rodman as a person, and he felt that the man know as "The Worm" was largely misunderstood by the masses. Krause detailed some of his feelings for Rodman in an unreleased and unfinished memoir. Here's an excerpt from the memoir, courtesy of NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson: If God gave me the ability to construct the perfect rebounder, I'd want quick feet on a tall, wide-shouldered frame, strong-legged, good hands, quick jumper and a mean streak that never shut down ... In other words, I'd want Dennis Rodman, the best rebounder I've ever seen. Sure, I'd look at Paul Silas first and then Charles Oakley. But eventually I'd settle on Rodman and then put him on the floor for 45 minutes a game for a bunch of years and enjoy. ... If you're a skeptic, you'll say, 'Rodman was nuts, a showman, not a player, a disgrace to the game, a non-scorer who only could rebound, a player who habitually wore out his welcome and moved on.' If you're an optimist, you'll say, 'He was a little goofy but in a positive way, a master at a skill that's crucial to winning games, a guy who learned to play the team game.' If you're me, you'd say that he was a great team player, one of the most intelligent basketball players ever, a 6-foot-8-inch player with the ability to defend anybody from 6-2 guards to 7-2 centers. He was a player who in three years for us never hurt anybody but himself. He was a kind, giving person, a human being who learned what it took to make money and took advantage of it --which last time I looked was called the American way. Dennis is basically a simple person, with few real wishes and desires. Give him love and affection, be honest with him, provide him with some security and give him enough room to roam and he'll go to war for you. Hurt him by not showing him you care and he'll rear back like a cornered animal, trying not to hurt you but to get away from you and go off someplace and heal his wounds ... The tattoos and the hair color and the cross-dressing stunts are not the real Dennis I know. They were just a way for him to separate from the pack. To me, he was simply one of the most fundamentally sound players I've ever been around. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen both had their own issues with Krause, but Rodman didn't necessarily share the same sentiment as his teammates. Rodman, on a recent appearance on ESPN's "First Take," revealed that he didn't get involved with matters of the front office, and thus his relationship with Krause remained respectful. "Jerry Krause, it's a difficult thing," Rodman said. "I never got involved with the front office at all ... I never really got into the politics of it, I never asked Michael or Scottie: 'What is the reason you guys are so bitter towards management?' I never asked those guys that, but after a couple years, I figured out where it all came from. "For me, I was just more there for the ride, pretty much," he said. "I wanted to win championships with these guys. I would go to war for these guys any time of the day ... It was just sad the fact that we could have come back and won a fourth championship very easily." Krause is often portrayed as a villain, and the main reason that the Bulls disbanded in 1998. While there is some truth to that, Krause certainly had his own side of the story; a side that has gone largely unheard. However, with the recharged interest in all things Jordan and the Bulls due to "The Last Dance" documentary, perhaps we will get to learn more about Krause in the form of more memoir excerpts.

800 Workers at a Pork Plant Get Covid-19: The Company Is Responsible

Smithfield employs 3,700 people at its plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The plant slaughters 19,500 pigs a day — 5 percent of U.S. pork. Most of the workers are immigrants from Ethiopia, Mexico, South Sudan, Honduras, Myanmar, Somalia, Guatemala, and other poor countries. Inevitably workers must pass within one foot of hundreds of colleagues in the hallways, locker rooms, cafeterias, and cutting lines. The same conditions have spurred Covid-19 outbreaks at meat plants from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. 801 workers at the Sioux Falls plant have tested positive, together with 206 people close to them. The outbreak has killed Agustín Rodríguez Martínez, aged 64, an employee with two decades of experience originally from El Salvador, and Craig Allen Franken, 61, who worked for Smithfield his entire adult life. The company knew of its first infection on March 24 or earlier. The virus spread exponentially for several weeks. Ahead of Easter Sunday and Monday (April 12-13), Smithfield promised to “completely shutter” to sanitize and put up cardboard and plastic sheet dividers. This would not end transmission, as potentially hundreds of staff were already carrying the virus. But even during this “shutdown,” many cars were seen in the parking lot. The mayor admits that the company lied, and the local AFL-CIO alleges the plant ran 60 percent production. On Easter, with 238 known infections, Smithfield finally agreed to shut down indefinitely after a request from the mayor and the governor. Yet the company insisted on waiting three more days to actually halt production. Smithfield denied contributing to the outbreak, saying it took a “very proactive approach.” Relying on racism, the company blamed workers for getting themselves sick. A spokesperson said the outbreak was so severe because of the plant’s “large immigrant population,” claming “Living circumstances in certain cultures are different than they are with your traditional American family.” They slandered the workers as dirty, ignorant, and untrustworthy with help from governor Kristi Noem, who claimed, “99 percent of what’s going on today wasn’t happening inside the facility. It was more at home, where these employees were going home and spreading some of the virus” by living too close together. One sick worker, Michael Bul Gayo Gatluak, 22 and originally from South Sudan, says, “With how we work on the line, I would say I got sick because of them not taking safety measures.” His job is “really, really close” to other workers chopping fresh-killed pigs. “The job is so heavy. You have to breathe so hard.” In early March, union officials requested masks, overcoats, entrance checking for fevers, and less crowding in 500-capacity cafeterias. But Smithfield waited on most safety measures until early April. Only April 6 did they start checking for fevers. Instead of protective masks, they gave out beard nets. Smithfield concealed infections with a policy of informing only employees whose work stations were in the same area as a person who tested positive. The fact that workers are required to move around was willfully ignored. One worker who tested positive said, “I clearly would have gotten it at the factory. This week I have worked on three different floors. I’ve eaten in two different cafeterias … I’ve been walking through the whole place.” Employees from the eighth floor of the plant were quarantined, but everyone else was told to keep working. What Is Really Going On? Average plant wages are around $16 an hour. Smithfield never raised them. Instead, they offered $500 to employees who could go all of April without an unapproved day off. The company says their “Responsibility Bonuses” show their “immense gratefulness” to employees “for their selfless sacrifices.” Meanwhile, the local Argus Leader wrote union members wanted essential-worker hazard pay, which “would be considered hourly compensation about 1.5 or two times their normal pay.” One worker said, “I feel like they’re bribing us with [the bonus] to come to work sick. That’s how you know they don’t care.” Both Sioux Falls workers killed by Covid-19 were in their sixties. It is unconscionable that they were still working. All meatpackers over 50 should be on paid leave. Agustín Rodríguez, 64, had a rough job sawing the legs off dead pigs. He mopped floors with a fever shortly before he was hospitalized. When CEO Kenneth Sullivan closed the plant, he claimed, “We have continued to run our facilities for one reason: to sustain our nation’s food supply.” This is an effort to sweep Smithfield’s abuses under the rug, as if the company were operating for public benefit. This patriotic propaganda that all Americans are in it together is like a drug to keep workers from getting organized. The major union in the industry, including at Smithfield, is the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW). What union leaders have done is ultimately troubling. Can Workers Fight? Local AFL-CIO president Kooper Caraway has publicly said management delayed safety action as long as possible for profit. But while some workers were demanding a two-week shutdown, Caraway told the Argus Leader that was unrealistic because the government considers the plant essential. He suggested the union would be happy with minimal safety measures: “Even if 10 people get exposed in a day rather than 11. If you can implement a program where even one or two less people get exposed during a shift, that’s one or two less people.” Of course reducing infections is good, but suggesting workers would be satisfied if the company allowed 90% of the contagion to continue is horrifying. The response of UFCW leadership was worse. As the disease was exploding, they told the Argus Leader, “We applaud [Smithfield’s] decision to temporarily close the plant [over Easter weekend] to push for an even safer work environment.” What does “even safer” mean in this context? The union bureaucracy has taken weak action elsewhere. In Pennsylvania, the UFCW negotiated $2 hazard pay for two months with Cargill Meat — the same pandemic premium Amazon gave workers without a union. In Nebraska, the UFCW negotiated $4 hazard pay for one month with meat giant JBS. The union has said nothing about forcing companies to send older workers home with pay, even though a 70-year-old shop steward and a 78-year-old grandfather working at JBS plants were killed by Covid-19. Smithfield workers were promised only two weeks of shutdown pay. For many, this compensation is half their normal paycheck because they routinely put in 66 hour weeks — overtime that costs exhaustion and chronic pain. Union officials endeavor to cooperate with the meat companies. An Iowa UFCW president actually suggested it might be impossible for plants to move workers a full six feet apart and told the Des Moines Register, “We can’t stop the plants. If we stop the plants from running, we stop feeding the country. We want to do everything we can to make sure the employees are safe to keep the plant running.” Every part of this explanation directly overlaps with what the Smithfield CEO said. Unfortunately, it amounts to accepting the company’s excuses. They claim that workers who do hard physical labor, waking up at 4 a.m. and often working six days a week for years, would be guilty of taking food away from the people and hurting America if they dared to fight for their human needs. But nothing is said about the company raking in profits and even murdering workers to increase them. Smithfield’s parent company W.H. Group, which slaughters around 30 million pigs per year in plants in both the United States and China, saw its profits skyrocket by about one third in 2019 to $1.38 billion. It is disturbing that UFCW officials do not bring up these soaring profits in their response to the outbreaks. Reuters published a report on the corporation’s financial success in late March. The head of W.H. Group had touted to the media that it got through the pandemic in China with very limited impact on production. It is true that many Smithfield workers are reasonably afraid for their jobs and want to keep working. A 25-year-old employee explained, “I have a lot of bills. My baby’s coming soon — I have to work.” At the same time, he was afraid of infecting his pregnant wife. His spouse, a former employee, said bitterly, “Smithfield— they don’t care about employees. They only care about their money.” Workers are pressured in these two painful directions. Nonetheless, work can mean solidarity. Before Smithfield even checked temperatures, there was a “sick-out” strike without union support by 800 to 1,000 workers at a JBS meat factory in Colorado. Hundreds of workers also called in sick days at a Nebraska JBS plant. Trade union leaders won’t even whisper the word “strike” when thousands of workers are thinking about it. They are limiting themselves to polite requests. We need a workers’ movement that asks who controls the factory, that threatens to disrupt the bosses’ profits, and that allows workers to use their immense power — this could change the meat industry and the world.