thedenverpost--2020-12-19--Staff shortages, extended lockdowns in coronavirus-ridden Colorado prisons create “tenuous” situatio

Staff shortages, extended lockdowns in coronavirus-ridden Colorado prisons create “tenuous” situations

A combination of extended lockdowns , short staffing and rising anxiety about COVID-19 has created a situation in Colorado ’ s prisons that the director of the state ’ s prisons called “ tenuous ” and that has outraged inmates ’ families .
Prisoners are fed substandard meals — sometimes as little as two slices of bread , a piece of bologna , and an apple — and sometimes are not able to access showers for days at a time , eight families and a former guard said .
Staffing is stretched thin as guards fall ill and hundreds are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some inmates go weeks without stepping outside .
“ He just feels so less than human , ” said Krystal Griffiths , whose fiancé is incarcerated at the Buena Vista prison .
And a change to the state ’ s vaccination priorities means conditions might not change for months .
While a draft plan placed inmates in the second phase of vaccinations , Colorado leaders later eliminated incarcerated people from any priority groups .
Instead , they will be vaccinated in the same order as the general population , depending on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that contradicts the recommendation of the American Medical Association and the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice , a national group led by former U.S. attorneys general .
“ They don ’ t have to be No .
1 , ” said Dr. Charles Lee , president-elect of the American College of Correctional Physicians .
“ But don ’ t make them number 10 .
Their punishment for whatever they did is loss of freedom , not absence of care.
” The state ’ s decision comes as the number of outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climb .
More than 6,200 prisoners in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 since March .
Jails and prisons make up eight of the state ’ s 10 largest active outbreaks .
Seventeen men in the care of the prison system have died of COVID-19 .
The rate of infection has led the Department of Corrections to scramble to fill positions when hundreds of staff are on leave at a time due to COVID-19 .
The department has asked retired corrections officers to fill in .
Tensions have been high among staff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from each other , said Jamie Amaral , a former corrections officer at the Sterling prison who quit in September .
“ The division that we had been trying so hard to break down between inmates and staff just grew , ” she said .
“ Staff became angry at the inmates and inmates were irritated with staff because they couldn ’ t get answers .
That was really tragic to see , to see that break down.
” Prisoners are at a higher risk of catching COVID-19 and dying or suffering serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They can not socially distance themselves inside a prison and share bathrooms and sleeping spaces .
They are often low-income people who have had poor , or nonexistent , health care their entire lives and several underlying conditions .
Dean Williams , executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections , acknowledged at a legislative hearing Tuesday that Colorado ’ s inmates were at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 .
But when asked about the department ’ s opinion on the state ’ s vaccine plan , department spokeswoman Annie Skinner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDOC staff and inmates will receive the vaccine when it is made available.
” Colorado ’ s current plan is similar to those of 10 other states — Alaska , Arkansas , Florida , Kansas , Michigan , Oregon , South Carolina , South Dakota , Texas and Wisconsin — that do not specifically mention incarcerated people , an analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative found .
At least 26 other states specifically planned to give inmates vaccines in either the first or second phase of supplies .
As of Dec. 8 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection of the state and federal prison systems , according to news outlet The Marshall Project .
Inmates ’ families who spoke to The Denver Post had a wide variety of opinions on when their loved ones should be vaccinated .
Some feared the vaccination would be forced on their loved ones .
Others argued prisoners should be prioritized because they can not practice social distancing .
Several said their loved one already had the virus so the vaccine seemed less pressing than other concerns , like making sure inmates were getting enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sterling in the spring , guards took over the kitchen duties usually performed by prisoners .
That ’ s when the food became wretched , Amaral said .
“ They were literally getting a slice of cheese , a slice of bologna , soggy pieces of bread , a juice packet , just things like that , ” Amaral said .
“ The food was not enough to feed a 12-year-old .
I would not eat it myself.
” Families of several inmates described similar meals , like a dinner of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orange and a boiled egg .
“ These are grown men , they ’ re getting like kindergarten meals , ” said Felicia Alvarez , whose 29-year-old son is incarcerated at Sterling .
Skinner , the corrections spokeswoman , acknowledged that prison staff runs the kitchens when inmate workers can not but said meals “ are meeting the nutritional requirements and are served at proper temperatures in accordance with food safety guidelines.
” Williams said during a hearing Tuesday in front of the state legislature ’ s Joint Budget Committee that the extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on inmates .
He commended staff for working during a dangerous pandemic and said there has not yet been any dramatic change in inmate behavior due to the changes .
He said the prisons were safe , though situations remain “ tenuous.
” “ This is the opposite of everything we have committed ourselves to as a department in terms of advancing humanity and normalizing prisons for better results , ” Williams said during the hearing .
“ That ’ s been a difficult part of this.
” Families of incarcerated men reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shower for up to three days at a time .
Others have not been outdoors for weeks or months .
Griffiths said her fiancé had not been outside since August .
The mental health toll of the lack of food , connection and sunlight along with constantly living in fear of the virus is going to take a serious , long-term toll on inmates ’ mental health , families said .
“ They ’ re messing with the mental well being of our loved ones , ” said Raeleen Woodbury , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You can not take a human being , not give them proper food , not give them outside time , not give them visits , and expect them to be healthy rational people.
” In the first half of December , between 381 and 531 Department of Corrections staff members were on leave each day due to COVID-19 diagnoses or a need to quarantine .
That , coupled with about 107 unfilled frontline positions , meant that the prisons were strapped for crucial staffing , according to documents submitted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Joint Budgetary Committee .
Prisons have subsequently been at “ minimum staffing levels ” and employees are working extended hours , according to the documents .
To compensate , the department approached retired correctional officers to come back to work part-time , hiring expensive contract medical workers and temporarily assigning parole officers to work in the prisons .
The department declined two requests from The Denver Post to interview Williams .
Department officials pointed to their extensive testing — more than 116,000 tests had been administered to inmates as of Thursday — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Workers in the prison receive rapid tests daily , Skinner said , along with weekly non-rapid testing .
The department also hired an epidemiologist and a COVID-19 response manager on a temporary basis to coordinate testing , cohorting and treatment .
“ The pandemic has really challenged this department on every front , ” Williams said during the hearing .
“ There ’ s no overstating that , that ’ s just the facts .
”

A combination of extended lockdowns, short staffing and rising anxiety about COVID-19 has created a situation in Colorado’s prisons that the director of the state’s prisons called “tenuous” and that has outraged inmates’ families.
Prisoners are fed substandard meals — sometimes as little as two slices of bread, a piece of bologna, and an apple — and sometimes are not able to access showers for days at a time, eight families and a former guard said. Staffing is stretched thin as guards fall ill and hundreds are placed on leave on a given day. Some inmates go weeks without stepping outside.
“He just feels so less than human,” said Krystal Griffiths, whose fiancé is incarcerated at the Buena Vista prison.
And a change to the state’s vaccination priorities means conditions might not change for months.
While a draft plan placed inmates in the second phase of vaccinations, Colorado leaders later eliminated incarcerated people from any priority groups. Instead, they will be vaccinated in the same order as the general population, depending on their age and medical history, a decision that contradicts the recommendation of the American Medical Association and the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, a national group led by former U.S. attorneys general.
“They don’t have to be No. 1,” said Dr. Charles Lee, president-elect of the American College of Correctional Physicians. “But don’t make them number 10. Their punishment for whatever they did is loss of freedom, not absence of care.”
The state’s decision comes as the number of outbreaks in Colorado’s prisons continues to climb. More than 6,200 prisoners in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 since March. Jails and prisons make up eight of the state’s 10 largest active outbreaks. Seventeen men in the care of the prison system have died of COVID-19.
The rate of infection has led the Department of Corrections to scramble to fill positions when hundreds of staff are on leave at a time due to COVID-19. The department has asked retired corrections officers to fill in. Tensions have been high among staff and inmates, who fear catching the virus from each other, said Jamie Amaral, a former corrections officer at the Sterling prison who quit in September.
“The division that we had been trying so hard to break down between inmates and staff just grew,” she said. “Staff became angry at the inmates and inmates were irritated with staff because they couldn’t get answers. That was really tragic to see, to see that break down.”
Shift in vaccine plan
Prisoners are at a higher risk of catching COVID-19 and dying or suffering serious symptoms for several reasons, Lee said. They cannot socially distance themselves inside a prison and share bathrooms and sleeping spaces. They are often low-income people who have had poor, or nonexistent, health care their entire lives and several underlying conditions.
Dean Williams, executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, acknowledged at a legislative hearing Tuesday that Colorado’s inmates were at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. But when asked about the department’s opinion on the state’s vaccine plan, department spokeswoman Annie Skinner said in an email that “CDOC staff and inmates will receive the vaccine when it is made available.”
Colorado’s current plan is similar to those of 10 other states — Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin — that do not specifically mention incarcerated people, an analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative found. At least 26 other states specifically planned to give inmates vaccines in either the first or second phase of supplies. As of Dec. 8, Colorado had the ninth-highest rate of COVID-19 infection of the state and federal prison systems, according to news outlet The Marshall Project.
Inmates’ families who spoke to The Denver Post had a wide variety of opinions on when their loved ones should be vaccinated. Some feared the vaccination would be forced on their loved ones. Others argued prisoners should be prioritized because they cannot practice social distancing. Several said their loved one already had the virus so the vaccine seemed less pressing than other concerns, like making sure inmates were getting enough food.
“Kindergarten meals”
When inmates went on lockdown in Sterling in the spring, guards took over the kitchen duties usually performed by prisoners. That’s when the food became wretched, Amaral said.
“They were literally getting a slice of cheese, a slice of bologna, soggy pieces of bread, a juice packet, just things like that,” Amaral said. “The food was not enough to feed a 12-year-old. I would not eat it myself.”
Families of several inmates described similar meals, like a dinner of one tortilla, bell pepper pieces, an orange and a boiled egg.
“These are grown men, they’re getting like kindergarten meals,” said Felicia Alvarez, whose 29-year-old son is incarcerated at Sterling.
Skinner, the corrections spokeswoman, acknowledged that prison staff runs the kitchens when inmate workers cannot but said meals “are meeting the nutritional requirements and are served at proper temperatures in accordance with food safety guidelines.”
Williams said during a hearing Tuesday in front of the state legislature’s Joint Budget Committee that the extended periods of confinement have taken a toll on inmates. He commended staff for working during a dangerous pandemic and said there has not yet been any dramatic change in inmate behavior due to the changes. He said the prisons were safe, though situations remain “tenuous.”
“This is the opposite of everything we have committed ourselves to as a department in terms of advancing humanity and normalizing prisons for better results,” Williams said during the hearing. “That’s been a difficult part of this.”
Families of incarcerated men reported their loved ones sometimes did not get to shower for up to three days at a time. Others have not been outdoors for weeks or months. Griffiths said her fiancé had not been outside since August.
The mental health toll of the lack of food, connection and sunlight along with constantly living in fear of the virus is going to take a serious, long-term toll on inmates’ mental health, families said.
“They’re messing with the mental well being of our loved ones,” said Raeleen Woodbury, whose son is incarcerated at the Sterling prison. “You cannot take a human being, not give them proper food, not give them outside time, not give them visits, and expect them to be healthy rational people.”
Stretching staffing
In the first half of December, between 381 and 531 Department of Corrections staff members were on leave each day due to COVID-19 diagnoses or a need to quarantine. That, coupled with about 107 unfilled frontline positions, meant that the prisons were strapped for crucial staffing, according to documents submitted by the Department of Corrections to the legislature’s Joint Budgetary Committee.
Prisons have subsequently been at “minimum staffing levels” and employees are working extended hours, according to the documents. To compensate, the department approached retired correctional officers to come back to work part-time, hiring expensive contract medical workers and temporarily assigning parole officers to work in the prisons.
The department declined two requests from The Denver Post to interview Williams.
Department officials pointed to their extensive testing — more than 116,000 tests had been administered to inmates as of Thursday — as an important accomplishment during the hearing. Workers in the prison receive rapid tests daily, Skinner said, along with weekly non-rapid testing. The department also hired an epidemiologist and a COVID-19 response manager on a temporary basis to coordinate testing, cohorting and treatment.
“The pandemic has really challenged this department on every front,” Williams said during the hearing. “There’s no overstating that, that’s just the facts.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-19--FAQ: What Coloradans need to know about COVID-19 vaccines

More than nine months into the pandemic , the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Colorado this week — and within hours hospitals began injecting doses into the arms of staffers who work most closely with virus-stricken patients .
The arrival of the vaccine , developed by Pfizer , ushered in a new phase in public health officials ’ fight against the novel coronavirus .
However , vaccine supply is severely limited and distribution across Colorado and the rest of the nation is expected to take months .
Colorado ’ s health department has detailed the broad outlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets vaccinated and in what order , and while the state released a draft vaccination-distribution plan in October , there ’ s not yet a finalized document .
Many questions still remain about who will get the next doses , and in what order , once this winter ’ s Phase 1 is finished , and how members of the general public will be able to get their shots once enough vaccine is available .
Here are answers to questions about the vaccine and how Colorado ’ s distribution will work : How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine supply is expected to be severely limited when it first becomes available .
The state health department received 46,800 doses of Pfizer ’ s vaccine in the first batch early this week .
Colorado ’ s second order of the Pfizer vaccine , due to arrive this week , had been expected to total 56,550 doses , but was reduced 30 % by the federal Operation Warp Speed distribution program .
Now , the state is expecting 39,780 doses in that second Pfizer shipment .
But the impact of that reduction is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovered many of the Pfizer vials contain six doses of the vaccine , rather than the five states were told to expect .
If each vial only contained five doses , Colorado ’ s next shipment would only be enough for 33,150 people , meaning at least 6,000 fewer people could receive their first of two shots that week .
If Colorado had received the full original allotment of 11,310 vials in the second shipment and got six doses out of each , rather than five , it would have had enough for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health and Environment has also ordered 95,600 doses of Moderna ’ s vaccine — which received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday — to arrive this week .
Colorado is slated to receive 1.69 % — a percentage that is based on population — of available vaccine in weekly batches , and the state said Friday that it ’ s been informed by Operation Warp Speed that it will receive the same size allocation each week .
Both Pfizer ’ s and Moderna ’ s vaccines require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who will get the first shots ?
The state health department is distributing COVID-19 vaccines in three phases because of constrained supply of the shots .
Under revised framework released by the agency this month , health care workers in closest contact with coronavirus patients and people who live and work in long-term care facilities , such as nursing homes , will receive the first doses .
Hospitals across the state began administering the shots to employees this week .
While supplies are limited , the state is prioritizing protecting medical workers most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to develop severe symptoms or die for the disease .
In making recommendations on who should receive vaccine first , the goal is to save the most lives , end the pandemic and maintain critical societal functions , said Dr. Anuj Mehta , a pulmonary and critical care physician at Denver Health and National Jewish Health .
A critical societal function ranges from maintaining health care services — which can both save lives and end the pandemic — to protecting the food supply chain , he said .
“ The recommendations that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong ethical principles , ” said Mehta , who advised the state on its draft vaccination plan .
“ Obviously we want to save as many lives as possible.
” The next group of people to receive the vaccine in the first phase , which is expected to last through winter , are : other health care workers ; people that work in home health , hospice and dental practices ; and first responders , such as paramedics , correctional workers , police and funeral service workers , according to the framework .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not know how many people will be covered in each phase of the vaccination plan .
In Colorado , there are 114,000 residents and staff at long-term care facilities .
There are also about 331,000 health care workers that will be covered in the first two phases .
The second phase of distribution — which the state expects to enter into by spring — is more vague than the first phase when it comes to prioritization and covers a very large segment of the population .
The people expected to receive the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Individuals with underlying heath conditions , such as obesity , diabetes , chronic lung disease , heart disease , chronic kidney disease or cancer , or are immunocompromised • People who interact directly with the public , such as school staff and grocery store workers • People who work in high-density settings , such as farms and meatpacking plants , or serve people living in high-density settings • Any health care workers not covered in Phase 1 The state health department has not announced how the groups of people in the second phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency prioritized those living in congregate settings , such as jails and shelters , with essential workers and before those with underlying health conditions .
Notably , those in congregate settings — including prisoners — are no longer specifically mentioned in the framework .
Jill Hunsaker Ryan , executive director of the state health department , has said that the agency is waiting for guidance from the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices before prioritizing any of the groups within Phase 2 .
The panel makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department revised its framework , it altered it to more closely align with the panel ’ s recommendation that health care workers and nursing home residents should be the first to receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccine .
The second phase is expected to cover such a large portion of the population that by the point it ’ s underway vaccine supply will be more readily available .
While the health department doesn ’ t have estimates on how many people will be included in this phase under the revised plan , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Phase 2 would include more than 3 million residents .
Does the state prioritize any other group ?
No .
The state health department ’ s plan does not say whether other key populations , including pregnant women , children and military personnel , will receive a higher prioritization before the vaccine is made available to the general public in the summer .
While Colorado ’ s draft plan acknowledges that people of color have become sick and died from COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate , it does not say how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except that they will be covered when the state prioritizes essential workers and those at high-risk of severe disease .
This is because people of color are more likely to work public-facing jobs or have underlying health conditions .
Members of the Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe also are not prioritized in the health department ’ s draft vaccination plan nor its revised framework .
Adrianne Maddux , executive director of the Denver Indian Health and Family Services , said the Denver clinic was asked to choose between getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Indian Health Services and decided on Indian Health Services .
Under the Indian Health Services umbrella , the Denver clinic falls under the Albuquerque area to pick up the vaccine .
“ We can ’ t just go down the road to pick it up , ” Maddux said .
“ As we speak , we are waiting to hear when we can go pick it up from our providers , and we have two staff on alert .
The minute they get the call , they ’ re going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up.
” When does the general public get the vaccine ?
There won ’ t be much vaccine supply initially so the state health department estimates it will be at least until summer before anyone between the ages of 18 and 64 who doesn ’ t have high-risk health conditions or an essential job can get the vaccine .
This could change if vaccine supplies becomes more widely available earlier or it could take longer if there are distribution issues .
Can children get the COVID-19 vaccine ?
Pfizer ’ s vaccine is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 .
And if approved , Moderna ’ s vaccine will only be available to those 18 years and older .
Studies for both of these vaccines are starting to look at how effective and safe they are in children , but it will take several more months before researchers know more about how they perform in people as young as 12 , said Dr. Jessica Cataldi , a pediatrician at Children ’ s Hospital Colorado who specializes in infectious diseases .
“ We want to make sure that the vaccines are safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune systems , ” she said .
Does the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines mean I can finally throw away my mask and stop social distancing ?
No .
Initially , public health officials expect there to be a very limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines and it is expected to take months to distribute them across the U.S .
Even those who get the initial doses of vaccine should keep wearing masks and social distancing .
This is because it ’ s still not known whether the shots can prevent a person from spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mehta , the physician with Denver Health and National Jewish , said .
“ Vaccines are not going to be the smoking gun we all want them to be , ” he said .
How do I know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe ?
When a Denver Post reporter asked Dr. Anthony Fauci about why people can trust that any COVID-19 vaccine is safe , he said that the clinical trials were done in tens of thousands of people .
And the results of the vaccine trials were monitored by group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , statistician and ethicists — not the federal government nor the pharmaceutical company , said Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
“ I think if every health care worker realizes how transparent and independent the process is they will feel much more comfortable about getting vaccinated , ” Fauci said .
Next , a company developing a vaccine presents the results to the FDA , which has more scientists examine the data before issuing an emergency use authorization , Fauci said .
“ So even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those regular steps have been followed , ” added Cataldi .
“ It really shows the power of having so many scientists around the world working on the same thing.
” What about side effects and allergies ?
For Pfizer ’ s vaccine , the most common side effect includes pain at the injection site .
Other people may have body aches , fatigue , headaches and fever , Cataldi said .
The side effects often show up in the first couple of days , but are most common after the second dose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects is because it ’ s part of the body creating an immune response .
It is not possible for someone to get COVID-19 from the vaccine , Cataldi said .
A small number of people in the United Kingdom and at least one person in the U.S. had severe allergic reactions to the vaccine .
“ We ’ re working to get more information about which part of the vaccine folks are responding to , ” Cataldi said .
People who have a severe allergy to or have had an anaphylaxis reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be cautious and talk to their doctor to make sure they can get the vaccine , she said .
“ People have allergic reactions to other vaccines from time to time , ” Cataldi said .
“ It ’ s very rare ” The vaccine should not be a problem for people with allergies to food , animals , the environment , oral medicines or seasonal allergies , she said .
Pfizer ’ s vaccine uses messenger RNA , or mRNA , technology .
What does that mean ?
This means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ code that goes into cells and gives them a message to produce a protein that will spark an immune response to the novel coronavirus ’ spike protein , Cataldi said .
mRNA does not interact with a person ’ s DNA , she said .
This technology is also unlike other vaccines that use a weak or dead strain of a virus .
What is the threshold for “ herd immunity ” for COVID-19 ?
Herd immunity occurs when enough people are protected from a disease that a community is no longer susceptible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Public Health estimates that to reach this threshold for COVID-19 , 70 % of people in the state need immunity through vaccines , since there ’ s no guarantee that having COVID-19 once means you won ’ t get it again .
“ Because this virus is new , we don ’ t know how long natural immunity might last , ” said a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health and Environment in an email .
“ Some early evidence — based on a small sample size of people — seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last very long and is estimated at around 90 days.
” How will Colorado ship and store Pfizer ’ s COVID-19 vaccine ?
Pfizer ’ s shots present a unique challenge because they have to be stored at an ultra-cold temperatures .
The vaccine supply that recently arrived came in thermal containers packed with dry ice .
The boxes can be replenished but they can only be opened twice a day .
The boxes will be shipped directly to hospitals and local public health agencies via FedEx in doses ranging from 975 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first shipment of vaccine are locations that have ultra-cold freezers that can store the shots at -103 degrees Fahrenheit .
The vaccine can also be stored in a refrigerator at temperatures between 35.6 and 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit , but it will only last for five days .
Before the shot is administered it is diluted with saline , making at least five doses of vaccine per vial .
There are nine hubs in Colorado will break down the orders into fewer quantities for smaller hospitals that don ’ t have an ultra-cold freezer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by couriers and the Colorado National Guard .
For example , Vail Health , one of the hubs , received 975 doses of Pfizer ’ s vaccine on Dec. 15 .
Only 365 doses are for the hospital .
The rest will go to Eagle County Public Health and Aspen Valley Hospital , according to a news release .
How will I get the vaccine ?
In the first phase , most people will receive the vaccine through their employer or a local public health agency .
Those living and working in long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will receive their vaccines via Walgreens and CVS .
The companies have an agreement with the CDC and will receive a portion of the state ’ s vaccine allocation .
It is not yet clear how the vaccine will be administered to those in the second and third phases .
How much will it cost to get a COVID-19 vaccine ?
Both private and government insurers — such as Medicare and Medicaid — will cover the cost of getting the shots to protect against the novel coronavirus .
And people without insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the state health department ’ s website .

More than nine months into the pandemic, the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Colorado this week — and within hours hospitals began injecting doses into the arms of staffers who work most closely with virus-stricken patients.
The arrival of the vaccine, developed by Pfizer, ushered in a new phase in public health officials’ fight against the novel coronavirus. However, vaccine supply is severely limited and distribution across Colorado and the rest of the nation is expected to take months.
Colorado’s health department has detailed the broad outlines of a three-phased approach to prioritizing who gets vaccinated and in what order, and while the state released a draft vaccination-distribution plan in October, there’s not yet a finalized document.
Many questions still remain about who will get the next doses, and in what order, once this winter’s Phase 1 is finished, and how members of the general public will be able to get their shots once enough vaccine is available.
Here are answers to questions about the vaccine and how Colorado’s distribution will work:
How many doses will Colorado get?
COVID-19 vaccine supply is expected to be severely limited when it first becomes available. The state health department received 46,800 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine in the first batch early this week.
Colorado’s second order of the Pfizer vaccine, due to arrive this week, had been expected to total 56,550 doses, but was reduced 30% by the federal Operation Warp Speed distribution program. Now, the state is expecting 39,780 doses in that second Pfizer shipment.
But the impact of that reduction is blunted somewhat because it’s been discovered many of the Pfizer vials contain six doses of the vaccine, rather than the five states were told to expect. If each vial only contained five doses, Colorado’s next shipment would only be enough for 33,150 people, meaning at least 6,000 fewer people could receive their first of two shots that week.
If Colorado had received the full original allotment of 11,310 vials in the second shipment and got six doses out of each, rather than five, it would have had enough for 67,860 people.
The Department of Public Health and Environment has also ordered 95,600 doses of Moderna’s vaccine — which received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday — to arrive this week.
Colorado is slated to receive 1.69% — a percentage that is based on population — of available vaccine in weekly batches, and the state said Friday that it’s been informed by Operation Warp Speed that it will receive the same size allocation each week.
Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines require two doses taken several weeks apart.
Who will get the first shots?
The state health department is distributing COVID-19 vaccines in three phases because of constrained supply of the shots.
Under revised framework released by the agency this month, health care workers in closest contact with coronavirus patients and people who live and work in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, will receive the first doses.
Hospitals across the state began administering the shots to employees this week.
While supplies are limited, the state is prioritizing protecting medical workers most at risk of exposure and people more likely to develop severe symptoms or die for the disease.
In making recommendations on who should receive vaccine first, the goal is to save the most lives, end the pandemic and maintain critical societal functions, said Dr. Anuj Mehta, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Denver Health and National Jewish Health.
A critical societal function ranges from maintaining health care services — which can both save lives and end the pandemic — to protecting the food supply chain, he said.
“The recommendations that we made were made on some really strong ethical principles,” said Mehta, who advised the state on its draft vaccination plan. “Obviously we want to save as many lives as possible.”
The next group of people to receive the vaccine in the first phase, which is expected to last through winter, are: other health care workers; people that work in home health, hospice and dental practices; and first responders, such as paramedics, correctional workers, police and funeral service workers, according to the framework.
The Department of Public Health and Environment does not know how many people will be covered in each phase of the vaccination plan. In Colorado, there are 114,000 residents and staff at long-term care facilities. There are also about 331,000 health care workers that will be covered in the first two phases.
Who’s next?
The second phase of distribution — which the state expects to enter into by spring — is more vague than the first phase when it comes to prioritization and covers a very large segment of the population.
The people expected to receive the vaccine in Phase 2 are:
Anyone 65 and older
Individuals with underlying heath conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, chronic lung disease, heart disease, chronic kidney disease or cancer, or are immunocompromised
People who interact directly with the public, such as school staff and grocery store workers
People who work in high-density settings, such as farms and meatpacking plants, or serve people living in high-density settings
Any health care workers not covered in Phase 1
Adults who received a placebo during a COVID-19 vaccine trial
The state health department has not announced how the groups of people in the second phase will be prioritized. Previously, the agency prioritized those living in congregate settings, such as jails and shelters, with essential workers and before those with underlying health conditions. Notably, those in congregate settings — including prisoners — are no longer specifically mentioned in the framework.
Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the state health department, has said that the agency is waiting for guidance from the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices before prioritizing any of the groups within Phase 2. The panel makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When the state health department revised its framework, it altered it to more closely align with the panel’s recommendation that health care workers and nursing home residents should be the first to receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The second phase is expected to cover such a large portion of the population that by the point it’s underway vaccine supply will be more readily available.
While the health department doesn’t have estimates on how many people will be included in this phase under the revised plan, the state’s initial draft plan estimated that Phase 2 would include more than 3 million residents.
Does the state prioritize any other group?
No. The state health department’s plan does not say whether other key populations, including pregnant women, children and military personnel, will receive a higher prioritization before the vaccine is made available to the general public in the summer.
While Colorado’s draft plan acknowledges that people of color have become sick and died from COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate, it does not say how it will ensure that they are vaccinated except that they will be covered when the state prioritizes essential workers and those at high-risk of severe disease.
This is because people of color are more likely to work public-facing jobs or have underlying health conditions.
Members of the Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe also are not prioritized in the health department’s draft vaccination plan nor its revised framework.
Adrianne Maddux, executive director of the Denver Indian Health and Family Services, said the Denver clinic was asked to choose between getting the COVID-19 vaccine through the state or through Indian Health Services and decided on Indian Health Services.
Under the Indian Health Services umbrella, the Denver clinic falls under the Albuquerque area to pick up the vaccine.
“We can’t just go down the road to pick it up,” Maddux said. “As we speak, we are waiting to hear when we can go pick it up from our providers, and we have two staff on alert. The minute they get the call, they’re going to be headed down to Albuquerque to pick it up.”
When does the general public get the vaccine?
There won’t be much vaccine supply initially so the state health department estimates it will be at least until summer before anyone between the ages of 18 and 64 who doesn’t have high-risk health conditions or an essential job can get the vaccine.
This could change if vaccine supplies becomes more widely available earlier or it could take longer if there are distribution issues.
Can children get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Pfizer’s vaccine is only authorized for people as young as 16. And if approved, Moderna’s vaccine will only be available to those 18 years and older.
Studies for both of these vaccines are starting to look at how effective and safe they are in children, but it will take several more months before researchers know more about how they perform in people as young as 12, said Dr. Jessica Cataldi, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Colorado who specializes in infectious diseases.
“We want to make sure that the vaccines are safe for kids because kids do have different immune systems,” she said.
Does the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines mean I can finally throw away my mask and stop social distancing?
No. Initially, public health officials expect there to be a very limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines and it is expected to take months to distribute them across the U.S.
Even those who get the initial doses of vaccine should keep wearing masks and social distancing. This is because it’s still not known whether the shots can prevent a person from spreading the disease while not having symptoms themselves, Mehta, the physician with Denver Health and National Jewish, said.
“Vaccines are not going to be the smoking gun we all want them to be,” he said.
How do I know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe?
When a Denver Post reporter asked Dr. Anthony Fauci about why people can trust that any COVID-19 vaccine is safe, he said that the clinical trials were done in tens of thousands of people.
And the results of the vaccine trials were monitored by group of scientists, clinicians, immunologists, virologists, statistician and ethicists — not the federal government nor the pharmaceutical company, said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“I think if every health care worker realizes how transparent and independent the process is they will feel much more comfortable about getting vaccinated,” Fauci said.
Next, a company developing a vaccine presents the results to the FDA, which has more scientists examine the data before issuing an emergency use authorization, Fauci said.
“So even though it seems fast, all of those regular steps have been followed,” added Cataldi. “It really shows the power of having so many scientists around the world working on the same thing.”
What about side effects and allergies?
For Pfizer’s vaccine, the most common side effect includes pain at the injection site. Other people may have body aches, fatigue, headaches and fever, Cataldi said.
The side effects often show up in the first couple of days, but are most common after the second dose. The reason why there are side effects is because it’s part of the body creating an immune response.
It is not possible for someone to get COVID-19 from the vaccine, Cataldi said.
A small number of people in the United Kingdom and at least one person in the U.S. had severe allergic reactions to the vaccine.
“We’re working to get more information about which part of the vaccine folks are responding to,” Cataldi said.
People who have a severe allergy to or have had an anaphylaxis reaction to a vaccine or another injected medicine should be cautious and talk to their doctor to make sure they can get the vaccine, she said.
“People have allergic reactions to other vaccines from time to time,” Cataldi said. “It’s very rare”
The vaccine should not be a problem for people with allergies to food, animals, the environment, oral medicines or seasonal allergies, she said.
Pfizer’s vaccine uses messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology. What does that mean?
This means that the vaccine uses a piece of genetic code that goes into cells and gives them a message to produce a protein that will spark an immune response to the novel coronavirus’ spike protein, Cataldi said.
mRNA does not interact with a person’s DNA, she said.
This technology is also unlike other vaccines that use a weak or dead strain of a virus.
What is the threshold for “herd immunity” for COVID-19?
Herd immunity occurs when enough people are protected from a disease that a community is no longer susceptible to an outbreak.
The Colorado School of Public Health estimates that to reach this threshold for COVID-19, 70% of people in the state need immunity through vaccines, since there’s no guarantee that having COVID-19 once means you won’t get it again.
“Because this virus is new, we don’t know how long natural immunity might last,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health and Environment in an email. “Some early evidence — based on a small sample size of people — seems to suggest that natural immunity may not last very long and is estimated at around 90 days.”
How will Colorado ship and store Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine?
Pfizer’s shots present a unique challenge because they have to be stored at an ultra-cold temperatures.
The vaccine supply that recently arrived came in thermal containers packed with dry ice. The boxes can be replenished but they can only be opened twice a day.
The boxes will be shipped directly to hospitals and local public health agencies via FedEx in doses ranging from 975 to 4,875.
The providers that received the first shipment of vaccine are locations that have ultra-cold freezers that can store the shots at -103 degrees Fahrenheit.
The vaccine can also be stored in a refrigerator at temperatures between 35.6 and 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit, but it will only last for five days. Before the shot is administered it is diluted with saline, making at least five doses of vaccine per vial.
There are nine hubs in Colorado will break down the orders into fewer quantities for smaller hospitals that don’t have an ultra-cold freezer. The smaller boxes will be delivered by couriers and the Colorado National Guard.
For example, Vail Health, one of the hubs, received 975 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine on Dec. 15. Only 365 doses are for the hospital. The rest will go to Eagle County Public Health and Aspen Valley Hospital, according to a news release.
How will I get the vaccine?
In the first phase, most people will receive the vaccine through their employer or a local public health agency.
Those living and working in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, will receive their vaccines via Walgreens and CVS. The companies have an agreement with the CDC and will receive a portion of the state’s vaccine allocation.
It is not yet clear how the vaccine will be administered to those in the second and third phases.
How much will it cost to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Both private and government insurers — such as Medicare and Medicaid — will cover the cost of getting the shots to protect against the novel coronavirus.
And people without insurance will get the shots for free, according to the state health department’s website.


thedenverpost--2020-12-19--Swift backlash for Brazil students targeting misinformation

RIO DE JANEIRO — Before dawn on Dec. 1 , Leonardo de Carvalho Leal prepared to leave his family behind in the Brazilian city of Ponta Grossa , in Parana state .
His mother overwhelmed him with goodbyes and gifted him a bracelet she said had brought her luck .
He fiddled with it on his wrist the entire ride to the airport , unsure when he might see her again .
“ Maybe I was blaming myself a bit , for leaving so many people vulnerable , ” he said in a video interview with The Associated Press , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departure .
“ But what I did was right.
” Leal and his girlfriend of six years , Mayara Stelle — both 22-year-old law students — this year created a Twitter account with its stated mission to call out Brazilian websites for spreading “ hate speech and Fake News , ” and torpedoing those sites ’ advertising revenue .
They garnered 410,000 followers , more than the number of residents in their midsize city .
They also mustered a legion of enemies .
Vitriol poured in , directed toward their account , Sleeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon to be revealed after a ruling against Twitter , they expect they will be personally targeted , for lawsuits or worse .
Fearing their families would be caught in the barrage because they had often accessed the account at their parents ’ homes , they say , is why they left their lives behind and are choosing to make their identities known to The Associated Press and Folha de S.Paulo , Brazil ’ s biggest newspaper .
The AP observed them accessing and using the Sleeping Giants Brazil account , and checked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identification cards .
“ Those threats that say , ‘ I ’ m going to kill you , ’ or , ‘ I ’ m offering 100,000 reais ( $ 20,000 ) for the head of the profile ’ s owner , ’ will now be directed at Mayara and Leo , ” Stelle said from a city outside Sao Paulo .
“ This is a decision to protect our families and control exposure to show we ’ re common people , like anyone else who can have an idea .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things.
” This year , Brazil has been awash in misinformation about the pandemic , egged on by dubious claims from President Jair Bolsonaro .
It marks the continuation of a digital battle in Latin America ’ s biggest country , with each side in the polarized nation seeking to portray itself as “ owner of the truth , ” as an expression in Portuguese goes .
Pursuit of Sleeping Giants Brazil is part of a growing trend over the last several years to instrumentalize the judiciary against those who train fire on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolsonaro ’ s administration , according to Taís Gasparian .
A partner at law firm Rodrigues Barbosa , Mac Dowell de Figueiredo , who has worked with media and free speech for decades .
Often the alleged offenses may be covered by rights of free speech or press freedom .
This year , that has included a writer , a cartoonist and a beach volleyball player .
Sleeping Giants Brazil followed the playbook of its U.S. predecessor , which after Donald Trump ’ s 2016 presidential victory alerted companies to the fact their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breitbart News , a platform that critics have repeatedly accused of running racist , xenophobic and sexist content .
Companies ’ ads were often automatically placed through Google , and they decamped en masse upon learning of risk to their brands .
Video that surfaced in mid-2019 showed Breitbart ’ s former executive chairman Steve Bannon saying Sleeping Giants had cost the organization 90 % of its ad revenue .
The number of Sleeping Giants Brazil ’ s followers surpassed that of the U.S. handle as it toppled one ad after another .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Online , a conservative website based in southern Brazil .
The site ’ s content has repeatedly been debunked by fact-checking organizations , and a preliminary technical report shows “ it is one of the big disseminators of false news in our country , ” said lawmaker Lídice da Mata , the rapporteur of Congress ’ ongoing investigation into misinformation , in a written response to AP questions .
Scores of advertisers in Brazil — among them Dell , McDonald ’ s , Facebook and Domino ’ s Pizza — have responded publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likeminded Twitter users about their ads appearing on Jornal da Cidade , saying that they would remove them because of the site ’ s content , or already had .
State-run Bank of Brazil did the same , prompting a swift rebuke from Bolsonaro ’ s son and his communications secretary , who said on Twitter that independent journalism is important .
Jornal da Cidade claimed reputational and financial damages and sued Twitter , demanding the platform turn over data associated with the Sleeping Giants Brazil account that could identify its users .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ account ’ s IP addresses , according to a person with knowledge of the case , who isn ’ t authorized to speak publicly .
Twitter said in an emailed statement that it “ vigorously fought this case through several different appeals ” and will continue to defend free speech and privacy rights .
Jornal da Cidade editor José Tolentino declined an interview request , and referred The AP to the law office representing him .
His lawyer , Simone Custódio , declined an interview request and didn ’ t answer questions sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying they will await the right time to comment publicly in observance of their client ’ s best interests .
“ The cowardly attacks against Jornal da Cidade Online hide people , businesses and entities that certainly act in their desired attempt to install left-wing radicalism in Brazil or other even more sordid interests , ” read an editorial it published on Dec. 4 .
The site has repeatedly denied spreading misinformation .
Danilo Doneda , a lawyer who specializes in data protection , told The AP that Brazilians are guaranteed freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peculiarity of prohibiting anonymity .
Doneda , a member of the government ’ s newly-formed data protection council , likens Sleeping Giants Brazil to the pen name of an author known to his or her publishecr .
“ Twitter can gather the elements , technically , to reach these people , so it ’ s a pseudonym , not anonymity , ” Doneda said .
Others have faced legal repercussions using their names .
Writer J.P. Cuenca has been hit with more than 140 lawsuits in 21 Brazilian states since he composed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer , Fernando Hideo .
The tweet , which appeared to call for violence against Bolsonaro and evangelical pastors , was a Brazilian spin on a historical quotation .
Federal police interrogated cartoonist Renato Aroeira in July after depicting Bolsonaro as transforming a red cross representing hospitals into a swastika ; the president had recently called on his social media followers to enter hospitals and film whether they were in fact overburdened with COVID-19 patients .
And beach volleyball player Carol Solberg shouted “ Out , Bolsonaro !
” during an on-court interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ; a sports court warned her she could face a fine of up to $ 20,000 and a six-game suspension if she spoke out again .
Polarization has taken root since Brazil ’ s sprawling Car Wash investigation that kicked off in 2014 and exposed rampant corruption , followed by President Dilma Rousseff ’ s impeachment .
The reason was violation of Brazil ’ s budget laws , but her Workers ’ Party ascribed removal to political motives .
Into that political divide strode Bolsonaro , a fringe lawmaker claiming he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation , put God and country above all else , loosen gun controls and banish left-wing politics .
His 2018 campaign was turbocharged by social media and messaging app WhatsApp .
Media reported that executives had bankrolled blast messages on WhatsApp — much of which contained content deemed false by fact-checkers — and in doing so potentially broke campaign finance laws .
It spurred Congress to launch its investigation into misinformation spread before the election .
One of the businessmen named in a story was Luciano Hang , a Bolsonaro booster and department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bright green suits with yellow ties — the colors of Brazil ’ s flag .
He denied the assertions and sued the story author Patrícia Campos Mello , one of the nation ’ s more prominent journalists , and Folha de S.Paulo .
A judge this month ruled in his favor and ordered payment of 100,000 reais .
The paper and Campos Mello will appeal to a higher court , according to Gasparian , the lawyer representing them .
Throughout , Bolsonaro has denigrated mainstream media , often calling them “ fake news.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ debunked , sexually charged allegation about Campos Mello , who last year won the International Press Freedom Award after coverage of his campaign .
Sympathetic conservative websites have consistently cheered him on .
One is Jornal da Cidade , which the Atlantic Council ’ s Digital Forensic Research Lab ( DFRLab ) characterized as a pro-Bolsonaro site .
Its editorial stance is explicit in its suit against Twitter , saying editor Tolentino has sought “ to highlight the current federal administration ’ s fight to govern the country , despite the groundless accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Stelle successfully petitioned Dell to remove its ads from Jornal da Cidade , Tolentino published a text saying Sleeping Giants ’ followers were “ all frustrated , spiteful , criminal and envious leftists , ” and that his site receives more than one million visits daily .
It has 1.5 million followers on Facebook , where its posts about COVID-19 significantly outperformed those from traditional media outlets , particularly ones politicizing the health crisis , according to a DFRLab report in May .
Sleeping Giants Brazil targeted Jornal da Cidade early on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus-related content .
That has included touting chloroquine to fight COVID-19 , an anti-malarial drug that Bolsonaro trumpeted despite a growing body of evidence that it is ineffective against the disease .
In April , Congress extended its probe to investigate misinformation about the pandemic .
The site published a story with the headline : “ A catastrophic analysis about the vaccines against the Chinese virus : ‘ They interfere directly in genetic material.
’ ” It was debunked by two separate fact-checking groups , Agencia Lupa and Comprova , but not before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jornal da Cidade replaced the story with a correction , which has garnered less than 3 % as many interactions .
And ahead of this year ’ s municipal elections , Jornal da Cidade hosted six of the 10 most-shared links on Facebook that encouraged Brazilians to believe in ballot fraud and election manipulation , according to a study published Nov. 10 by the department of public policy analysis at the Getulio Vargas Foundation , a university .
Cristina Tardáguila , associate director of the International Fact-Checking Network and founder of Agencia Lupa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in not providing transparency and focusing efforts on one side of the political spectrum , which hurt credibility and handed ammunition to opponents .
“ There was a certain naivete in thinking they ’ d be carried on the shoulders of the people , but Brazilians are ultra-polarized , ” Tardáguila said .
“ Half the people wanted to do that , but half wanted to kill them , destroy them.
” She added she worried that the judiciary didn ’ t take into account the very real physical risk that the account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP reviewed more than 10 physical threats made publicly on Twitter .
Jornal da Cidade hasn ’ t incited any violence against them .
Leal and Stelle aren ’ t sticking around to see if threats are mere bluster from keyboard warriors .
They ’ re moving to their new home — the location of which they declined to disclose – where they intend to keep working .
Da Mata , rapporteur for Congress ’ investigation , called Sleeping Giants Brazil “ truly important work , an initiative that helps combat disinformation as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one of the sites Sleeping Giants Brazil went after .
Congresswoman Carla Zambelli , a close ally of Bolsonaro ’ s , in August called on everyone who was targeted to sue for civil and criminal charges .
Leal and Stelle say they know their struggle is only beginning .
“ We tried to prepare as much as possible for this .
We ’ re betting everything on this project , ” Leal said .
“ Demonetization of fake news means dealing with the worst of the internet : racists , xenophobes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment you take the money away from these people , they never forget .
”

RIO DE JANEIRO — Before dawn on Dec. 1, Leonardo de Carvalho Leal prepared to leave his family behind in the Brazilian city of Ponta Grossa, in Parana state. His mother overwhelmed him with goodbyes and gifted him a bracelet she said had brought her luck. He fiddled with it on his wrist the entire ride to the airport, unsure when he might see her again.
“Maybe I was blaming myself a bit, for leaving so many people vulnerable,” he said in a video interview with The Associated Press, with tears welling as he recalled his departure. “But what I did was right.”
Leal and his girlfriend of six years, Mayara Stelle — both 22-year-old law students — this year created a Twitter account with its stated mission to call out Brazilian websites for spreading “hate speech and Fake News,” and torpedoing those sites’ advertising revenue. They garnered 410,000 followers, more than the number of residents in their midsize city.
They also mustered a legion of enemies. Vitriol poured in, directed toward their account, Sleeping Giants Brazil. Believing their identities are soon to be revealed after a ruling against Twitter, they expect they will be personally targeted, for lawsuits or worse.
Fearing their families would be caught in the barrage because they had often accessed the account at their parents’ homes, they say, is why they left their lives behind and are choosing to make their identities known to The Associated Press and Folha de S.Paulo, Brazil’s biggest newspaper. The AP observed them accessing and using the Sleeping Giants Brazil account, and checked the names they provided against their government-issued identification cards.
“Those threats that say, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ or, ‘I’m offering 100,000 reais ($20,000) for the head of the profile’s owner,’ will now be directed at Mayara and Leo,” Stelle said from a city outside Sao Paulo. “This is a decision to protect our families and control exposure to show we’re common people, like anyone else who can have an idea. And that idea can be brilliant, can change things.”
This year, Brazil has been awash in misinformation about the pandemic, egged on by dubious claims from President Jair Bolsonaro. It marks the continuation of a digital battle in Latin America’s biggest country, with each side in the polarized nation seeking to portray itself as “owner of the truth,” as an expression in Portuguese goes.
Pursuit of Sleeping Giants Brazil is part of a growing trend over the last several years to instrumentalize the judiciary against those who train fire on conservative media outlets, interest groups and Bolsonaro’s administration, according to Taís Gasparian. A partner at law firm Rodrigues Barbosa, Mac Dowell de Figueiredo, who has worked with media and free speech for decades. Often the alleged offenses may be covered by rights of free speech or press freedom. This year, that has included a writer, a cartoonist and a beach volleyball player.
Sleeping Giants Brazil followed the playbook of its U.S. predecessor, which after Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory alerted companies to the fact their ads were appearing on websites such as Breitbart News, a platform that critics have repeatedly accused of running racist, xenophobic and sexist content. Companies’ ads were often automatically placed through Google, and they decamped en masse upon learning of risk to their brands. Video that surfaced in mid-2019 showed Breitbart’s former executive chairman Steve Bannon saying Sleeping Giants had cost the organization 90% of its ad revenue.
The number of Sleeping Giants Brazil’s followers surpassed that of the U.S. handle as it toppled one ad after another. A top target was Jornal da Cidade Online, a conservative website based in southern Brazil. The site’s content has repeatedly been debunked by fact-checking organizations, and a preliminary technical report shows “it is one of the big disseminators of false news in our country,” said lawmaker Lídice da Mata, the rapporteur of Congress’ ongoing investigation into misinformation, in a written response to AP questions.
Scores of advertisers in Brazil — among them Dell, McDonald’s, Facebook and Domino’s Pizza — have responded publicly to alerts from Sleeping Giants Brazil and likeminded Twitter users about their ads appearing on Jornal da Cidade, saying that they would remove them because of the site’s content, or already had. State-run Bank of Brazil did the same, prompting a swift rebuke from Bolsonaro’s son and his communications secretary, who said on Twitter that independent journalism is important.
Jornal da Cidade claimed reputational and financial damages and sued Twitter, demanding the platform turn over data associated with the Sleeping Giants Brazil account that could identify its users. Twitter recently provided the court with the account’s IP addresses, according to a person with knowledge of the case, who isn’t authorized to speak publicly. Twitter said in an emailed statement that it “vigorously fought this case through several different appeals” and will continue to defend free speech and privacy rights.
Jornal da Cidade editor José Tolentino declined an interview request, and referred The AP to the law office representing him. His lawyer, Simone Custódio, declined an interview request and didn’t answer questions sent by email about the case, instead saying they will await the right time to comment publicly in observance of their client’s best interests.
“The cowardly attacks against Jornal da Cidade Online hide people, businesses and entities that certainly act in their desired attempt to install left-wing radicalism in Brazil or other even more sordid interests,” read an editorial it published on Dec. 4. The site has repeatedly denied spreading misinformation.
Danilo Doneda, a lawyer who specializes in data protection, told The AP that Brazilians are guaranteed freedom of expression, but the constitution has the peculiarity of prohibiting anonymity. Doneda, a member of the government’s newly-formed data protection council, likens Sleeping Giants Brazil to the pen name of an author known to his or her publishecr.
“Twitter can gather the elements, technically, to reach these people, so it’s a pseudonym, not anonymity,” Doneda said.
Others have faced legal repercussions using their names.
Writer J.P. Cuenca has been hit with more than 140 lawsuits in 21 Brazilian states since he composed a tweet in June, according to his lawyer, Fernando Hideo. The tweet, which appeared to call for violence against Bolsonaro and evangelical pastors, was a Brazilian spin on a historical quotation.
Federal police interrogated cartoonist Renato Aroeira in July after depicting Bolsonaro as transforming a red cross representing hospitals into a swastika; the president had recently called on his social media followers to enter hospitals and film whether they were in fact overburdened with COVID-19 patients. And beach volleyball player Carol Solberg shouted “Out, Bolsonaro!” during an on-court interview on Sept. 20 in Rio de Janeiro state; a sports court warned her she could face a fine of up to $20,000 and a six-game suspension if she spoke out again.
Polarization has taken root since Brazil’s sprawling Car Wash investigation that kicked off in 2014 and exposed rampant corruption, followed by President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment. The reason was violation of Brazil’s budget laws, but her Workers’ Party ascribed removal to political motives.
Into that political divide strode Bolsonaro, a fringe lawmaker claiming he would restore law and order to the beleaguered nation, put God and country above all else, loosen gun controls and banish left-wing politics.
His 2018 campaign was turbocharged by social media and messaging app WhatsApp. Media reported that executives had bankrolled blast messages on WhatsApp — much of which contained content deemed false by fact-checkers — and in doing so potentially broke campaign finance laws. It spurred Congress to launch its investigation into misinformation spread before the election.
One of the businessmen named in a story was Luciano Hang, a Bolsonaro booster and department store tycoon with a penchant for wearing bright green suits with yellow ties — the colors of Brazil’s flag. He denied the assertions and sued the story author Patrícia Campos Mello, one of the nation’s more prominent journalists, and Folha de S.Paulo. A judge this month ruled in his favor and ordered payment of 100,000 reais. The paper and Campos Mello will appeal to a higher court, according to Gasparian, the lawyer representing them.
Throughout, Bolsonaro has denigrated mainstream media, often calling them “fake news.” In February, he repeated a debunked, sexually charged allegation about Campos Mello, who last year won the International Press Freedom Award after coverage of his campaign.
Sympathetic conservative websites have consistently cheered him on. One is Jornal da Cidade, which the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) characterized as a pro-Bolsonaro site. Its editorial stance is explicit in its suit against Twitter, saying editor Tolentino has sought “to highlight the current federal administration’s fight to govern the country, despite the groundless accusations it is suffering publicly.”
When Leal and Stelle successfully petitioned Dell to remove its ads from Jornal da Cidade, Tolentino published a text saying Sleeping Giants’ followers were “all frustrated, spiteful, criminal and envious leftists,” and that his site receives more than one million visits daily. It has 1.5 million followers on Facebook, where its posts about COVID-19 significantly outperformed those from traditional media outlets, particularly ones politicizing the health crisis, according to a DFRLab report in May.
Sleeping Giants Brazil targeted Jornal da Cidade early on, Stelle said, because of its coronavirus-related content. That has included touting chloroquine to fight COVID-19, an anti-malarial drug that Bolsonaro trumpeted despite a growing body of evidence that it is ineffective against the disease. In April, Congress extended its probe to investigate misinformation about the pandemic.
The site published a story with the headline: “A catastrophic analysis about the vaccines against the Chinese virus: ‘They interfere directly in genetic material.’” It was debunked by two separate fact-checking groups, Agencia Lupa and Comprova, but not before racking up 191,000 interactions on Facebook. Jornal da Cidade replaced the story with a correction, which has garnered less than 3% as many interactions.
And ahead of this year’s municipal elections, Jornal da Cidade hosted six of the 10 most-shared links on Facebook that encouraged Brazilians to believe in ballot fraud and election manipulation, according to a study published Nov. 10 by the department of public policy analysis at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university.
Cristina Tardáguila, associate director of the International Fact-Checking Network and founder of Agencia Lupa, said Sleeping Giants Brazil was naive in not providing transparency and focusing efforts on one side of the political spectrum, which hurt credibility and handed ammunition to opponents.
“There was a certain naivete in thinking they’d be carried on the shoulders of the people, but Brazilians are ultra-polarized,” Tardáguila said. “Half the people wanted to do that, but half wanted to kill them, destroy them.”
She added she worried that the judiciary didn’t take into account the very real physical risk that the account’s administrators could face. The AP reviewed more than 10 physical threats made publicly on Twitter. Jornal da Cidade hasn’t incited any violence against them.
Leal and Stelle aren’t sticking around to see if threats are mere bluster from keyboard warriors. They’re moving to their new home — the location of which they declined to disclose – where they intend to keep working.
Da Mata, rapporteur for Congress’ investigation, called Sleeping Giants Brazil “truly important work, an initiative that helps combat disinformation as a whole.”
Jornal da Cidade is just one of the sites Sleeping Giants Brazil went after. Congresswoman Carla Zambelli, a close ally of Bolsonaro’s, in August called on everyone who was targeted to sue for civil and criminal charges.
Leal and Stelle say they know their struggle is only beginning.
“We tried to prepare as much as possible for this. We’re betting everything on this project,” Leal said. “Demonetization of fake news means dealing with the worst of the internet: racists, xenophobes, and so on. From the moment you take the money away from these people, they never forget.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-19--How to spot fake shopping sites and avoid being scammed

NEW YORK — Ben Black bought what he thought was a well-priced drone online .
But the drone never showed up , the site stopped responding to his emails and he never got his $ 100 back .
“ I ’ m pissed I got caught in it , ” says Black , who lives in Westminster .
Online shopping scams , such as the one Black fell for , are on the rise as thieves take advantage of the surge of people flocking to the internet during the pandemic .
They do it by creating slick-looking websites pretending to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and anything else in high demand .
To lure you onto the sites , scammers pay for ads on Facebook , Google and other websites .
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says it received a record number of reports from people losing money to online shopping scams in April and May , mostly from people being tricked into paying for face masks , disinfectant wipes and other pandemic-related supplies that never arrived .
So far this year , the FTC has received more than 37,000 reports of online shopping fraud , amounting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number has been increasing every year since 2015 , amounting to a $ 420 million in losses .
The best way to not get scammed is to be aware of the tactics and know what to look for .
Here are some tips : If you ’ re on a website you ’ ve never used before , do an online search of the company ’ s name along with the words “ scam ” or “ review.
” Check the site ’ s social media pages for any complaints from customers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Scam Tracker , which lets you search company names and read any complaints .
Another thing you should do : Read the site ’ s “ About Us ” page .
Misspellings or sentences that don ’ t make sense are red flags .
Place extra scrutiny on sites you find through social media ads , which are a common way to lure people in .
Sometimes the ads are based on products you ’ ve been searching for online .
For example , if you ’ ve been looking for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get their site on your Facebook timeline with a picture of the toy you ’ ve been wanting to buy .
Another way shoppers get tricked is by sites that falsely say they have products in stock that are sold out almost everywhere else .
Last month , for example , the FTC moved to shutdown 25 sites that tricked people into paying for Clorox and Lysol wipes , only to never receive them .
Scammers do the same during the holidays , saying that they have hard-to-find video game consoles or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good to be true , it probably is , says Better Business Bureau spokeswoman Katherine Hutt .
Scammers offer lower prices on hot products knowing that shoppers will find them hard to resist .
If you are scammed Call your credit card company to dispute the charges and try to get a refund .
You can also report the site on the Better Business Bureau and FTC websites , which could help others from being scammed .

NEW YORK — Ben Black bought what he thought was a well-priced drone online. But the drone never showed up, the site stopped responding to his emails and he never got his $100 back.
He was scammed.
“I’m pissed I got caught in it,” says Black, who lives in Westminster.
Online shopping scams, such as the one Black fell for, are on the rise as thieves take advantage of the surge of people flocking to the internet during the pandemic. They do it by creating slick-looking websites pretending to sell gadgets, toys, cleaning supplies and anything else in high demand. To lure you onto the sites, scammers pay for ads on Facebook, Google and other websites.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says it received a record number of reports from people losing money to online shopping scams in April and May, mostly from people being tricked into paying for face masks, disinfectant wipes and other pandemic-related supplies that never arrived. So far this year, the FTC has received more than 37,000 reports of online shopping fraud, amounting to $27 million in losses. The number has been increasing every year since 2015, amounting to a $420 million in losses.
The best way to not get scammed is to be aware of the tactics and know what to look for. Here are some tips:
Research the site
If you’re on a website you’ve never used before, do an online search of the company’s name along with the words “scam” or “review.” Check the site’s social media pages for any complaints from customers. And try the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker, which lets you search company names and read any complaints. Another thing you should do: Read the site’s “About Us” page. Misspellings or sentences that don’t make sense are red flags.
Be wary of online ads
Place extra scrutiny on sites you find through social media ads, which are a common way to lure people in. Sometimes the ads are based on products you’ve been searching for online. For example, if you’ve been looking for a certain toy, scammers can buy ads to get their site on your Facebook timeline with a picture of the toy you’ve been wanting to buy.
Be suspicious of hard-to-find products
Another way shoppers get tricked is by sites that falsely say they have products in stock that are sold out almost everywhere else. Last month, for example, the FTC moved to shutdown 25 sites that tricked people into paying for Clorox and Lysol wipes, only to never receive them. Scammers do the same during the holidays, saying that they have hard-to-find video game consoles or toys.
Don’t fall for price
If the price is too good to be true, it probably is, says Better Business Bureau spokeswoman Katherine Hutt. Scammers offer lower prices on hot products knowing that shoppers will find them hard to resist.
If you are scammed
Call your credit card company to dispute the charges and try to get a refund. You can also report the site on the Better Business Bureau and FTC websites, which could help others from being scammed.


thedenverpost--2020-12-19--On Edge: Colorado’s behavioral health chief opens up about his own severe depression

Some words fail us , and for Robert Werthwein , “ depression ” is one of them .
The 41-year-old director of Colorado ’ s Behavioral Health Office prefers to say “ everything turned to complete ( expletive ) ” when his identical twin , Ryan , died of a brain tumor a week before their 15th birthdays .
“ It may sound like an oxymoron to say I was numb , yet overwhelmed with pain at the same time , but that ’ s how I lived for 11 or 12 years.
” Throughout that time , Werthwein says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bad grade or a break-up — destroyed him .
He was not good enough , wasn ’ t doing enough with his life or capable of being happy , he ’ d tell himself .
He started chugging cough syrup , and then whatever he could find in his parents ’ liquor cabinet .
He kept drinking to make it through college and a PhD program in child psychology .
He would see fellow students smiling and laughing with each other , but figured they must have been faking it or unaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , miserable place.
” Werthwein remembers the feeling of dread crawling under his skin .
He would stare at his arms , imagining it worming through his veins .
He ’ d try scratching it away , but it didn ’ t stop , keeping him awake for days on end until he either slept or hallucinated that he was sleeping , shadows appearing somewhere between the reality and unreality of his bedroom .
“ At the time , in high school , I believed those shapes were coming to help me die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I give up .
I ’ m done.
’ ” He also remembers sitting on his bed as a teenager holding a Sharpie in one hand and a knife in the other , marking the spot where he would stab himself in the chest .
He spent hours talking himself into it , then out of it whenever his mother ’ s footsteps reminded him she could not bear losing another son .
And so for many years , well into his mid-20s , he daydreamed about more acceptable , even heroic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inhalation from rescuing someone from a fire , for example , or stepping in front of a sniper ’ s bullet .
Soon after his brother died , his mother took him to a psychiatrist whom Werthwein nearly punched for suggesting the family was remembering his brother Ryan as more saintly than he really was .
Werthwein walked out on that doctor and would walk out on others through the years , convinced that he deserved to suffer .
It wasn ’ t until Werthwein was 26 , well into the therapy required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started learning to cope with the illness that runs in his family .
His epiphany , as he calls it , didn ’ t come with a burst of happiness .
Rather , it came with a daily dose of an antidepressant , consistent , twice-a-week therapy sessions and acceptance that he is genetically coded with an illness that can be managed , if not cured .
“ I remember feeling ( terrible ) one morning and deciding not to put a value statement on it or tell myself I was bad or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it on my own .
I just accepted that I was going to feel it that day , though not necessarily the next day or next year , and not let it overcome me , ” he says .
“ That was life-changing .
That ’ s when I started getting out of thoughts I was going to die.
” It has been three years since Werthwein was appointed Colorado ’ s behavioral health chief , responsible for overseeing the state ’ s two inpatient hospitals and dozens of community mental health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — both in the state ’ s data and on people ’ s faces — that COVID has put Coloradans on edge more than ever .
The responsibility can feel overwhelming and depressive thoughts creep in some days more than others .
But his job gives him purpose , and that purpose fuels him , he says , and he is “ unwilling to be a failure.
” Werthwein has been especially struck by the number of people , especially young men , who have confided in him lately that they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues , friends or relatives will judge them as weak .
“ This whole thing about people thinking they need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps , this reluctance to come forward ( and ) ask for help , it ’ s asinine , ” he says .
“ This stigma needs to stop.
” This story is part of the ongoing series On Edge , intended to foster conversation about mental health in Colorado .
It is brought to you by COLab , the Colorado News Collaborative .
Reach Susan @ @ @ @ @

Some words fail us, and for Robert Werthwein, “depression” is one of them.
The 41-year-old director of Colorado’s Behavioral Health Office prefers to say “everything turned to complete (expletive)” when his identical twin, Ryan, died of a brain tumor a week before their 15th birthdays.
“It may sound like an oxymoron to say I was numb, yet overwhelmed with pain at the same time, but that’s how I lived for 11 or 12 years.”
Throughout that time, Werthwein says every disappointment or abandonment — be it a bad grade or a break-up — destroyed him. He was not good enough, wasn’t doing enough with his life or capable of being happy, he’d tell himself. He started chugging cough syrup, and then whatever he could find in his parents’ liquor cabinet. He kept drinking to make it through college and a PhD program in child psychology. He would see fellow students smiling and laughing with each other, but figured they must have been faking it or unaware that the world was a “horrible, miserable place.”
Werthwein remembers the feeling of dread crawling under his skin. He would stare at his arms, imagining it worming through his veins. He’d try scratching it away, but it didn’t stop, keeping him awake for days on end until he either slept or hallucinated that he was sleeping, shadows appearing somewhere between the reality and unreality of his bedroom.
“At the time, in high school, I believed those shapes were coming to help me die. I remember feeling like ‘OK, I give up. I’m done.’”
He also remembers sitting on his bed as a teenager holding a Sharpie in one hand and a knife in the other, marking the spot where he would stab himself in the chest. He spent hours talking himself into it, then out of it whenever his mother’s footsteps reminded him she could not bear losing another son. And so for many years, well into his mid-20s, he daydreamed about more acceptable, even heroic ways to die: Too much smoke inhalation from rescuing someone from a fire, for example, or stepping in front of a sniper’s bullet.
Soon after his brother died, his mother took him to a psychiatrist whom Werthwein nearly punched for suggesting the family was remembering his brother Ryan as more saintly than he really was. Werthwein walked out on that doctor and would walk out on others through the years, convinced that he deserved to suffer.
It wasn’t until Werthwein was 26, well into the therapy required in his PhD program, that he started learning to cope with the illness that runs in his family. His epiphany, as he calls it, didn’t come with a burst of happiness. Rather, it came with a daily dose of an antidepressant, consistent, twice-a-week therapy sessions and acceptance that he is genetically coded with an illness that can be managed, if not cured.
“I remember feeling (terrible) one morning and deciding not to put a value statement on it or tell myself I was bad or not smart or strong enough to overcome it on my own. I just accepted that I was going to feel it that day, though not necessarily the next day or next year, and not let it overcome me,” he says. “That was life-changing. That’s when I started getting out of thoughts I was going to die.”
It has been three years since Werthwein was appointed Colorado’s behavioral health chief, responsible for overseeing the state’s two inpatient hospitals and dozens of community mental health and substance use programs. He can see — both in the state’s data and on people’s faces — that COVID has put Coloradans on edge more than ever. The responsibility can feel overwhelming and depressive thoughts creep in some days more than others. But his job gives him purpose, and that purpose fuels him, he says, and he is “unwilling to be a failure.”
“This is my life’s work.”
Werthwein has been especially struck by the number of people, especially young men, who have confided in him lately that they’ve been concealing COVID-related depression for fear that colleagues, friends or relatives will judge them as weak.
“This whole thing about people thinking they need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, this reluctance to come forward (and) ask for help, it’s asinine,” he says. “This stigma needs to stop.”
This story is part of the ongoing series On Edge, intended to foster conversation about mental health in Colorado. It is brought to you by COLab, the Colorado News Collaborative. Reach Susan Greene at susan@colabnews.co


thedenverpost--2020-12-19--Colorado company makes progress toward the “holy grail” of electric transportation

A Colorado company is reporting new developments in what an industry representative calls the “ holy grail ” of the evolution of electric vehicles — a solid state battery .
Solid Power in Louisville said it has produced an automotive-scale battery , a step toward replacing the lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles today .
Solid Power ’ s next-generation battery is about the size of an iPad .
Doug Campbell , Solid Power co-founder and CEO , said it could be used as a building block for an electric vehicle battery pack .
“ By and large , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state batteries have the highest potential to displace lithium ion as the high-performance battery of choice for electric vehicles , ” Campbell said .
But while the research into solid state batteries has been positive , people want to know when they ’ ll be ready to run electric vehicles , Campbell said .
“ When people criticize the solid state battery , they say , ‘ Hey , that ’ s great data , but it ’ s a postage-stamp-sized battery .
It ’ s tiny , ' ” Campbell said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , automotive-scale cells .
Well , we are now doing that.
” Solid Power , started in 2012 , uses a manufacturing process that is compatible with the standard process used in the production of lithium ion batteries .
However , a solid state battery uses solid materials , such as ceramic or polymers , instead of a liquid to carry the charge from one electrode to another .
The advantages of solid state batteries include faster charging time and more power .
They also don ’ t have the same safety concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ When the lithium ion short circuits , the cell has a tendency to catch on fire because of the volatile , flammable liquid.
” Vehicles with lithium ion batteries are safe , but the engineering to do that adds to the cost , Campbell said .
“ If you can simplify your battery pack , ” he added , “ you can bring down the cost of the battery pack , which is the most expensive component of an electric vehicle.
” Besides eliminating the flammable liquid , using solid material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing the energy density and power .
But the liquid makes connecting between the two electrodes easier , so the challenge is doing that with a solid material on a commercial scale , said Dan Blondal , CEO of Nano One , a technology company in Vancouver , British Columbia .
“ I think the folks at Solid Power have demonstrated that in spades .
They ’ ve taken a very practical approach to their technology and they ’ ve found ways to mass produce ( cells ) using existing methods , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials that can be used in lithium ion batteries .
Blondal said a number of companies are working on commercializing solid state batteries for electric vehicles .
“ It ’ s kind of the holy grail.
” Solid Power has partnerships with BMW and Ford to jointly develop solid state batteries .
The company said its investors include Samsung , Hyundai , Ford , Volta Energy Technologies and Solvay .
Solid Power plans to start the process in early 2022 to have its technology qualified for automotive use

A Colorado company is reporting new developments in what an industry representative calls the “holy grail” of the evolution of electric vehicles — a solid state battery.
Solid Power in Louisville said it has produced an automotive-scale battery, a step toward replacing the lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles today.
Solid Power’s next-generation battery is about the size of an iPad. Doug Campbell, Solid Power co-founder and CEO, said it could be used as a building block for an electric vehicle battery pack.
“By and large, the transportation industry has concluded that solid state batteries have the highest potential to displace lithium ion as the high-performance battery of choice for electric vehicles,” Campbell said.
But while the research into solid state batteries has been positive, people want to know when they’ll be ready to run electric vehicles, Campbell said.
“When people criticize the solid state battery, they say, ‘Hey, that’s great data, but it’s a postage-stamp-sized battery. It’s tiny,'” Campbell said. “No one ever produces big cells, automotive-scale cells. Well, we are now doing that.”
Solid Power, started in 2012, uses a manufacturing process that is compatible with the standard process used in the production of lithium ion batteries.
However, a solid state battery uses solid materials, such as ceramic or polymers, instead of a liquid to carry the charge from one electrode to another. The advantages of solid state batteries include faster charging time and more energy density, which means greater range of mileage.
They also don’t have the same safety concerns as lithium ion batteries, Campbell said. “When the lithium ion short circuits, the cell has a tendency to catch on fire because of the volatile, flammable liquid.”
Vehicles with lithium ion batteries are safe, but the engineering to do that adds to the cost, Campbell said.
“If you can simplify your battery pack,” he added, “you can bring down the cost of the battery pack, which is the most expensive component of an electric vehicle.”
Besides eliminating the flammable liquid, using solid material allows the battery to be thinner, increasing the energy density and power. But the liquid makes connecting between the two electrodes easier, so the challenge is doing that with a solid material on a commercial scale, said Dan Blondal, CEO of Nano One, a technology company in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“I think the folks at Solid Power have demonstrated that in spades. They’ve taken a very practical approach to their technology and they’ve found ways to mass produce (cells) using existing methods,” said Blondal, whose company makes cathode materials that can be used in lithium ion batteries.
Blondal said a number of companies are working on commercializing solid state batteries for electric vehicles. “It’s kind of the holy grail.”
Solid Power has partnerships with BMW and Ford to jointly develop solid state batteries. The company said its investors include Samsung, Hyundai, Ford, Volta Energy Technologies and Solvay.
Solid Power plans to start the process in early 2022 to have its technology qualified for automotive use