buzzfeednews--2020-05-14--Sen. Richard Burr, Who Is Under Investigation For Selling Stocks After A Coronavirus Briefing, Is St

Sen. Richard Burr, Who Is Under Investigation For Selling Stocks After A Coronavirus Briefing, Is Stepping Down From A Key Committee Post

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WASHINGTON — A powerful Republican senator who is under federal investigation for selling stocks after receiving private briefings on the coronavirus outbreak is stepping down as the leader of the committee that oversees the nation ’ s spy agencies .
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr , the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee , will leave the position Friday , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Sen .
Burr contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee during the pendency of the investigation , ” McConnell said Thursday .
“ We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow.
” The announcement comes a day after FBI agents served Burr with a search warrant and seized a cellphone that belonged to him at his DC-area home , the Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant escalation in the federal probe of Burr ’ s stock activities in the weeks before the coronavirus outbreak decimated US markets .
In February , he unloaded between $ 628,000 and $ 1.72 million in stocks as he was receiving regular private briefings about the virus .
In March , when ProPublica first revealed the stock sales , Burr said he `` relied solely on public news reports '' to guide his stock activity and asked the Senate Ethics Committee to review the issue .
But since then , the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission have been scrutinizing the sales .
Members of Congress are banned from using the non-public information they glean as lawmakers to inform stock transactions .
Burr has served as chair of the committee — which partially oversees the FBI — since 2015 , and has served as a member for more than a decade ( which he will continue to do ) .
He told reporters on Thursday that he didn ’ t want to “ become a distraction to the committee work — a committee that ’ s really , really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought this was the best thing to do , ” he said .
Burr isn ’ t the only senator to face scrutiny over recent stock sales .
Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler , a Republican who joined the Senate in January , has faced backlash for selling millions in stocks the same day all senators received a private briefing about the coronavirus outbreak .
And like Burr , California Sen. Dianne Feinstein , a former chair of the Intelligence Committee and current member , has been asked to provide information to federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed on Thursday .
She reported selling stocks in a biotechnology company in late January , but has said she ’ s “ held all assets in a blind trust of which I have no control.
” “ Senator Feinstein was asked some basic questions by law enforcement about her husband ’ s stock transactions , as I think all offices in the initial story were , ” a spokesperson said in a statement .
“ She was happy to voluntarily answer those questions to set the record straight and provided additional documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband ’ s transactions .
There have been no follow up actions on this issue .
”

WASHINGTON — A powerful Republican senator who is under federal investigation for selling stocks after receiving private briefings on the coronavirus outbreak is stepping down as the leader of the committee that oversees the nation’s spy agencies.
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, will leave the position Friday, according to a statement from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“Sen. Burr contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee during the pendency of the investigation,” McConnell said Thursday. “We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow.”
The announcement comes a day after FBI agents served Burr with a search warrant and seized a cellphone that belonged to him at his DC-area home, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The search warrant represented a significant escalation in the federal probe of Burr’s stock activities in the weeks before the coronavirus outbreak decimated US markets. In February, he unloaded between $628,000 and $1.72 million in stocks as he was receiving regular private briefings about the virus. In March, when ProPublica first revealed the stock sales, Burr said he "relied solely on public news reports" to guide his stock activity and asked the Senate Ethics Committee to review the issue. But since then, the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have been scrutinizing the sales. Members of Congress are banned from using the non-public information they glean as lawmakers to inform stock transactions.
Burr has served as chair of the committee — which partially oversees the FBI — since 2015, and has served as a member for more than a decade (which he will continue to do). He told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t want to “become a distraction to the committee work — a committee that’s really, really important to the national security.”
“I thought this was the best thing to do,” he said.
Burr isn’t the only senator to face scrutiny over recent stock sales. Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican who joined the Senate in January, has faced backlash for selling millions in stocks the same day all senators received a private briefing about the coronavirus outbreak.
And like Burr, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a former chair of the Intelligence Committee and current member, has been asked to provide information to federal agents about stock sales, her office confirmed on Thursday. She reported selling stocks in a biotechnology company in late January, but has said she’s “held all assets in a blind trust of which I have no control.”
“Senator Feinstein was asked some basic questions by law enforcement about her husband’s stock transactions, as I think all offices in the initial story were,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “She was happy to voluntarily answer those questions to set the record straight and provided additional documents to show she had no involvement in her husband’s transactions. There have been no follow up actions on this issue.”


buzzfeednews--2020-04-22--An ER Doctor’s Diary Of Three Brutal Weeks Fighting COVID-19

I ’ m an emergency doctor working in Manhattan at two NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals .
I celebrated my 40th birthday during the peak of COVID-19 at a time when more than 150 patients were coming through our doors every day , more than 2,300 were already admitted , and more than 700 were in intensive care units system-wide .
Things wouldn ’ t start to level off until the following week .
I spent the night before my birthday in the thick of the fight , one in a string of long night shifts that now blend together in a haze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me exhausted and unsure how long we could keep this up .
Along with all the birthday wishes came many questions about how I was faring and what I ’ d been seeing on the ground .
When you are so entrenched in the battle , it is easy to forget that most people never get a glimpse of what we are seeing every day .
To help bridge that divide , I am sharing my journal entries from the past few weeks .
Stay in .
Stay safe .
Stay healthy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ peacetime , most of those we intubate are chronically ill , or profoundly confused , or unconscious and unaware of the world around them .
COVID-19 has changed the equation .
Most of my patients now remain awake and alert until the end .
These days , the ER is permeated with frank conversations about death and dying and what a chance to live entails .
It is a hard thing to tell a healthy and functional person who felt fine and well six days ago that they may be dead in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressive they want us to be .
A chance to live comes with the risk of pain and dependence on life support .
The alternative is the guarantee of an imminent but peaceful death .
I have never had more harrowing , more brutally honest , more meaningful , more exhausting conversations in my life .
Complete strangers open up to you in profound ways during such times , and you can only hope both your expertise and your humanity serve them well .
For those I intubate , those who choose intubation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final stare .
After all the words are spoken , the decisions made , the medications drawn , the bed positioned , and the tubes and drips and ventilators readied , there is a final stare .
It is a stare of intention .
It is a moment of humanity .
It is a shared space , a hallowed space , the final moment of someone ’ s awareness , possibly forever .
It is a space where fear and hope mingle , where autonomy fades into trust , uncertainty into acceptance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed firmly in your gloved hands .
It ’ s brief , and you ’ re busy , and time is essential , but you find a few seconds to share this breath .
That stare lasts a moment .
That stare lasts a lifetime .
And the eyes stay with you .
I am asleep before a long night shift .
I awake to the sound of cheers and yells .
To hooting and hollering .
To the clanging of cowbells and the banging of drums .
They yell and shout and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from rooftops and ground floors and all the windows and balconies in between .
It wakes me up .
I am scared shitless .
I think the building is on fire .
I run around panicked and confused for several minutes .
Why do the fire sirens sound like drums and cowbells ?
Do I even have a fire escape ?
?
WTF is going on ?
?
Oh .
Ohhhhhhh .
OK .
I get it now .
My heart is still racing , but now I ’ m grinning .
Thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Oxygen rounds ” is a new term we have become all too familiar with .
I have a hospital full of medications — antibiotics and antivirals and sedatives and vasopressors and steroids and opiates .
But the only truly effective medicine we have is oxygen .
We blow it at high flow rates into people ’ s mouths and nostrils , a crutch to help the lungs that are struggling and staggering .
And it ’ s in shorter supply than I ’ d like .
It flows forever from spigots on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times more patients than spigots and even fewer rooms , so an ever-increasing number of patients on stretchers line hallways , farther and farther from the spigots on the walls .
We place portable tanks next to stretchers , but the tanks run out and we can ’ t refill them fast enough .
Once per hour , sometimes twice , I walk the halls , hunting for gauges that are approaching empty and hoping the cabinet holds a replacement .
Invariably I find empty ones and hope it hasn ’ t been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue .
It ’ s no one ’ s fault .
It ’ s everyone ’ s fault .
It ’ s COVID ’ s fault .
And there just aren ’ t enough eyes and hands to keep up .
I mutter a promise to check three times in the next hour .
I pull a stepladder from the utility closet and string plastic connector lines from end to end to end , threading them from wall spigots through corrugated ceiling tiles to drop down above patients ’ heads in the hallway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tank .
It ’ s hard to tell which knob goes to whom , but at least it doesn ’ t run out .
It ’ s a strange time when a stepladder becomes a more useful tool than a stethoscope .
I admitted four of my colleagues today .
Four of them .
They had the usual symptoms : a week or so of cough and chills , fever and body aches , fatigue and loss of smell .
They stayed at home and took Tylenol and sipped chicken soup and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from .
They stayed inside and washed their hands and waited to feel better .
But better never came .
The cough worsened , they had trouble walking around their home without getting winded , and they knew all too well what that meant — so they came , each of them , not knowing the others were doing the same .
I ’ m in a room with four chairs housing four colleagues with oxygen flowing into their four noses .
I ’ m used to seeing strangers — people I care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but strangers still .
With them , I can maintain a detached distance .
This is different .
These are my friends and colleagues .
These are the people I suit up with and go to battle beside .
This is my team .
I ’ ve had harrowing experiences beside them for years .
They keep me sane and effective and capable .
Together we ’ ve saved lives and lost lives and everything in between .
But now they are on the other side of the curtain .
Their coughs hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my fear .
I check on them to the point of harassment , can ’ t help it , can ’ t fix it .
I can ’ t cure them , can only support .
Can only stand beside them and hope .
They try to reassure me , a strange role reversal that belies their strength .
I well up with a deep respect .
I well up with tears .
The front line really feels like the front today .
The makers are my favorite people this week .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face shield .
It was 3 a.m. and we had run out .
There were simply more intubations than face shields , and we had burned through the stash .
But a patient came in and was suffocating in their own lungs and needed a breathing tube — so they got one , and they got one from me , and I did not have the proper armor .
Today , I stand in a room with hundreds and hundreds of face shields .
They are pulled hot off the 3D printers like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arranged on tables by volunteers who add elastic bands and snap together visors to complete the ensemble .
In the background , the gentle hum of a dozen printers working around the clock is an echo of the thousands of engineers and designers , tailors and manufacturers , cooks and delivery workers and writers all contributing to the cause .
Each shield is a person protected .
Each volunteer is a soldier in the fight .
I feel less alone .
Oxygen means something different in this new reality .
In peacetime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad .
An oxygen level below 95 % for someone wearing a non-rebreather face mask is terrifying .
That ’ s a no-brainer .
That gets fixed quickly or they get intubated .
But everything is different now .
We hang face masks of oxygen on people with 85–90 % saturations for days .
They are on the edge of the cliff with one foot dangling , and there they stay .
Will they inevitably fall off ?
Are we helping or merely delaying ?
No one knows .
Ventilators are in short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ICU docs are tired .
We ’ re all tired .
So we temporize , hoping a few will sneak by and not get intubated , hoping someone doesn ’ t fall off the cliff when we aren ’ t looking .
The monitors don ’ t help .
They are all beeping and blaring all the time from every direction , the background music of a pandemic .
They only tell us what we know : Everyone is sick .
Only our eyes and experience can help us now .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check the cliff edges .
All hands were on deck today .
Elective surgeries have been canceled , and the surgeons and anesthesiologists and neurologists and orthopedists and urologists and rehab specialists and pediatricians have been deputized as ER and ICU docs .
Attending urologists and shoulder surgeons are rounding with ICU teams , adjusting ventilators , and drawing blood gases .
Pediatricians are seeing adult patients and monitoring oxygen levels .
Outpatient docs are working in tents in front of the ER to decompress the volume .
General surgeons are going from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in central IV lines and arterial lines on our sickest patients .
Anesthesiologists are running in to intubate .
It remains busy .
It remains overrun with sickness and suffering .
But today we have more help .
Today we have reinforcements .
Today we feel like one big army devoted to one fight .
Today it feels like maybe , just maybe , we can keep up .
Today I ’ m a palliative care doc .
This man is not doing well .
This man needs intubation to survive .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s healthy .
He ’ s dying .
His oxygen is very low .
His respiratory rate is very high .
He ’ s getting tired .
He ’ s suffocating in his own body .
He needs to be intubated .
He doesn ’ t want to be intubated .
He doesn ’ t want to be on a machine .
We ask if we can help call his family to say goodbye .
He looks at us , puzzled , somehow still not fully understanding .
“ Se @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fin.
” This is the end .
He gets it .
He ’ s stoic despite the tears .
He ’ s strong .
If this disease attacked character instead of lungs , he would have a fighting chance .
We set up a video call with his family .
He says goodbye .
They say they love him in a dozen different ways .
He touches the screen .
A digital handhold in a pandemic age .
We make him comfortable .
He ’ s still drowning , but he can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you before his eyes close .
I can ’ t help but wonder if he would have survived had he been intubated .
The odds say no .
The sense of defeat within me screams maybe .
I try to remind myself this is what he wanted , that this is for the best .
I quickly forget .
I give out more juice and blankets than I ever have .
In peacetime , the ER is busy , always busy — but most people are not dying .
Very few are dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively dying .
The scourge of COVID-19 has rewritten those rules .
Everyone in the ER tonight is too sick to go home .
Many are dying .
Many will never leave the hospital .
Many will never have a meal or a juice box again .
In peacetime , I often can ’ t be bothered to bring someone juice .
It ’ s not a priority .
Tonight , anyone asking gets juice .
Even those not asking get juice .
Often it ’ s the only comfort I can provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brief distraction from the fear .
It may be the last juice they ever drink .
Some nights , it ’ s the best medicine I have .
We had a patient tonight who impaled her hand with a crochet needle .
Right through her hand .
Simple stuff for us .
Easy to take care of .
Three of us ran over .
Two more than were necessary .
An orthopedist playing ICU doc was walking by .
He ran over .
He was excited .
We were all excited .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ something we could fix .
We did it together , eight hands to do the job of two .
We removed the needle , held it up like a trophy , washed it off , and gave it back .
Our patient smiled , said thank you , and went home in one piece .
It was the best we ’ d felt in days .
My colleagues are tired .
The patients keep coming .
The ER is wall-to-wall misery and mayhem .
Only five people died on me today .
Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to varying degrees and at various rates .
The ER is a cross section of the disease : The well who will stay well .
The well who will come back much worse .
The sick who are stable .
The sick who are crashing .
It ’ s all around us .
It keeps coming in through the front door .
It keeps coming in through the ambulance bay .
And my colleagues are tired .
We give oxygen .
Everyone staying gets oxygen .
Needs oxygen .
We try antibiotics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This week we use steroids .
This week we limit IV fluids .
This week we give blood thinners .
Does anything work ?
Are we saving anyone , or just supporting them as they go along a path predetermined by the virus coursing through their insides ?
Is the inevitable inevitable ?
Some days , we just feel like spectators , front-row observers going through the necessary scenes of a play whose final act has already been written .
So much death .
So much dying .
And my colleagues are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And yet , somehow , for some reason , I find there ’ s no place I ’ d rather be .
I leave the ER , the sun has come up , and I walk around enjoying its warm tendrils .
It ’ s quiet .
Stores are shuttered , streets are empty , and sidewalks are bare .
It seems peaceful .
It ’ s an illusion .
But I appreciate it .
Time to go home .
Time to recharge .
Tired won ’ t last forever .
COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is still plenty of fight in us .
●

The eyes stay with you. In peacetime, most of those we intubate are chronically ill, or profoundly confused, or unconscious and unaware of the world around them. COVID-19 has changed the equation. Most of my patients now remain awake and alert until the end. These days, the ER is permeated with frank conversations about death and dying and what a chance to live entails. It is a hard thing to tell a healthy and functional person who felt fine and well six days ago that they may be dead in a day or two and humbly ask how aggressive they want us to be. A chance to live comes with the risk of pain and dependence on life support. The alternative is the guarantee of an imminent but peaceful death. I have never had more harrowing, more brutally honest, more meaningful, more exhausting conversations in my life. Complete strangers open up to you in profound ways during such times, and you can only hope both your expertise and your humanity serve them well.
For those I intubate, those who choose intubation, I often find myself having a final stare. After all the words are spoken, the decisions made, the medications drawn, the bed positioned, and the tubes and drips and ventilators readied, there is a final stare. It is a stare of intention. It is a moment of humanity. It is a shared space, a hallowed space, the final moment of someone’s awareness, possibly forever. It is a space where fear and hope mingle, where autonomy fades into trust, uncertainty into acceptance, and all the patient has left is placed firmly in your gloved hands. It’s brief, and you’re busy, and time is essential, but you find a few seconds to share this breath. That stare lasts a moment. That stare lasts a lifetime. And the eyes stay with you.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-22--“The City Lost An Icon”: He Promoted The Voices Of Black Detroiters Before He Died Of Coronavirus

Marlowe Stoudamire devoted his life to making sure that Detroiters reached their full potential .
Stoudamire was an entrepreneur who worked in many fields throughout his career — at a major hospital , as a business consultant , and as a developer of a prize-winning historical exhibition .
His driving passion throughout this work , said his friends and colleagues , was to build up the community and promote the talent of black Detroiters .
`` He saw you before you saw yourself , ” said Eric Thomas .
Thomas , who was 11 years younger than Stoudamire , became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw him as “ in between a father figure , a big brother , and a business partner.
” Thomas , who now holds a job as “ chief storyteller ” on the City of Detroit ’ s communications team , said Stoudamire was always finding ways to help people like him get ahead .
“ Marlowe is a champion for young Detroiters , particularly black Detroiters.
” Stoudamire died on March 24 of COVID-19 , the Henry Ford Health System confirmed to BuzzFeed News through a spokesperson .
He was 43 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was called Roster Detroit .
It began as a project on his Facebook page in February 2019 , where he ’ d write profiles of black Detroiters with big potential .
He started the initiative after Amazon reportedly rejected Detroit ’ s bid to house the company ’ s new headquarters because it believed the city didn ’ t have enough talent , according to the Detroit News .
“ Marlowe was like , ‘ What the hell , man !
’ ” said Brian Bono , who became Stoudamire ’ s partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially focused on raising the profiles of black men , Bono said , because he wanted to encourage a culture of men lifting each other up .
But the project eventually became so broad that they planned to turn it into a business , connecting talented Detroiters with work .
“ Right away he was getting DMs from different companies with opportunities around Detroit , ” Bono said .
“ Marlowe ’ s dream was always about other people .
We never talked about making the next Facebook or another app — it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stoudamire grew up in a rough neighborhood on Detroit ’ s east side and remained devoted to the area even as his career took him all over the world .
He was a proud graduate of Detroit ’ s Cass Technical High School , a magnet high school that helped launch many successful Detroiters , and he stayed in the city for college at Wayne State University .
One of his first jobs was building international partnerships for the Henry Ford Health System , and then he became chief of staff at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stoudamire was tapped in 2016 to spearhead a major project by the Detroit Historical Society to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 uprising among black Detroiters against decades of institutional racism .
Stoudamire brought essential bridge-building skills to this project , said the Historical Society ’ s Rebecca Salminen Witt .

Marlowe Stoudamire devoted his life to making sure that Detroiters reached their full potential.
Stoudamire was an entrepreneur who worked in many fields throughout his career — at a major hospital, as a business consultant, and as a developer of a prize-winning historical exhibition. His driving passion throughout this work, said his friends and colleagues, was to build up the community and promote the talent of black Detroiters.
"He saw you before you saw yourself,” said Eric Thomas. Thomas, who was 11 years younger than Stoudamire, became close to him several years ago and saw him as “in between a father figure, a big brother, and a business partner.” Thomas, who now holds a job as “chief storyteller” on the City of Detroit’s communications team, said Stoudamire was always finding ways to help people like him get ahead. “Marlowe is a champion for young Detroiters, particularly black Detroiters.”
Stoudamire died on March 24 of COVID-19, the Henry Ford Health System confirmed to BuzzFeed News through a spokesperson. He was 43.
One of Stoudamire’s emblematic project was called Roster Detroit. It began as a project on his Facebook page in February 2019, where he’d write profiles of black Detroiters with big potential. He started the initiative after Amazon reportedly rejected Detroit’s bid to house the company’s new headquarters because it believed the city didn’t have enough talent, according to the Detroit News.
“Marlowe was like, ‘What the hell, man!’” said Brian Bono, who became Stoudamire’s partner on the Roster Detroit project. Stoudamire initially focused on raising the profiles of black men, Bono said, because he wanted to encourage a culture of men lifting each other up. But the project eventually became so broad that they planned to turn it into a business, connecting talented Detroiters with work.
“Right away he was getting DMs from different companies with opportunities around Detroit,” Bono said. “Marlowe’s dream was always about other people. We never talked about making the next Facebook or another app — it was always rooted in helping people.”
Stoudamire grew up in a rough neighborhood on Detroit’s east side and remained devoted to the area even as his career took him all over the world. He was a proud graduate of Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, a magnet high school that helped launch many successful Detroiters, and he stayed in the city for college at Wayne State University. One of his first jobs was building international partnerships for the Henry Ford Health System, and then he became chief of staff at a foundation focused on education in Detroit.
Stoudamire was tapped in 2016 to spearhead a major project by the Detroit Historical Society to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 uprising among black Detroiters against decades of institutional racism. Stoudamire brought essential bridge-building skills to this project, said the Historical Society’s Rebecca Salminen Witt.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-22--Iran-Linked Accounts Tried To Flood Twitter With Pro-California Independence Tweets During The Coron

Iran-Linked Accounts Tried To Flood Twitter With Pro-California Independence Tweets During The Coronavirus Pandemic

A sign with the word `` Calexit '' is held during the Women 's March in Los Angeles , Jan. 21 , 2017 .
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
LONDON — As the coronavirus pandemic brought death and misery across the US , a group of Iran-linked Twitter and Instagram accounts aggressively pushed for California to secede from the United States .
Marc Owen Jones , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Qatar , analyzed thousands of posts and found evidence of coordinated activity that he says is intended to sow discord and unrest in the US at a perceived time of weakness .
Jones analyzed some 16,000 tweets , including replies and retweets , from more than 8,000 accounts using the hashtag # calexit , mostly on April 6 and 7 .
Based on his analysis , he told BuzzFeed News there is strong evidence of inauthentic activity , including that 8 % of the accounts sending the tweets were created in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accounts were created in January — it may seem like a lifetime ago now , but at the start of 2020 it looked like tensions between the US and Iran could escalate into full-blown conflict , after a US airstrike killed Qassem Soleimani , Iran ’ s country ’ s most powerful military leader at the time .
Jones said he believes the reason for the campaign is the same as many state-sponsored disinformation campaigns active since November 2016 — to sow discord among Americans .
Russia has been accused of trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Brexit , although UK intelligence agencies found no evidence that Russia had influenced the outcome of the referendum .
On April 6 , Marcus Ruiz Evans , the president of Yes California , posted a “ message to the Islamic Republic of Iran ” on YouTube , saying a future independent California would have a foreign policy distinct from that of the US .
The accounts Jones tracked on Twitter and Instagram did not specifically mention the coronavirus , but he said the subtext was clear .
“ Any campaign like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ When there ’ s an opportunity or a perception that a society is vulnerable to polarization , then these campaigns will exploit that.
” “ Coronavirus is a hugely political instrument , ” he added .
“ It ’ s been instrumentalized by all sides , all political colors.
” If you 're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
Asked how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News the company “ proactively monitors Twitter to identify attempts at platform manipulation and mitigate them.
” “ If we identify campaigns on our service that we can reliably attribute to state-backed activity , either domestic or foreign-led , we will disclose them , ” the spokesperson said .
Supporters of Californian independence — or Calexit in social media shorthand — argue that the state is one of the world ’ s largest economies and has a variety of domestic and foreign policy interests distinct from the US .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ group called Yes California , whose leaders have faced questions over links with Russia — cofounder Louis J. Marinelli is based in Moscow .
Though it ’ s mostly described as a fringe movement , it ’ s unclear how popular the idea of an independent California really is — one Reuters poll in 2017 found that as many as 1 in 3 people in the state supported a “ peaceful withdrawal ” from the US .
Calexit has been a favorite topic of both Iranian and Russian internet trolls in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections in 2016 , social media accounts with ties to Russia helped push the hashtag # calexit to the top of Twitter ’ s trending list , according to a BBC report .
“ The M.O .
now is to have a bunch of accounts together tweeting vociferously on a topic , ” Jones said .
“ It ’ s a troll farm or an informal network of loyalists .
”

LONDON — As the coronavirus pandemic brought death and misery across the US, a group of Iran-linked Twitter and Instagram accounts aggressively pushed for California to secede from the United States.
Marc Owen Jones, a professor of Middle Eastern studies in Doha, Qatar, analyzed thousands of posts and found evidence of coordinated activity that he says is intended to sow discord and unrest in the US at a perceived time of weakness.
Jones analyzed some 16,000 tweets, including replies and retweets, from more than 8,000 accounts using the hashtag #calexit, mostly on April 6 and 7.
Based on his analysis, he told BuzzFeed News there is strong evidence of inauthentic activity, including that 8% of the accounts sending the tweets were created in early April. Meanwhile, 10% of the accounts were created in January — it may seem like a lifetime ago now, but at the start of 2020 it looked like tensions between the US and Iran could escalate into full-blown conflict, after a US airstrike killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s country’s most powerful military leader at the time.
Jones said he believes the reason for the campaign is the same as many state-sponsored disinformation campaigns active since November 2016 — to sow discord among Americans. Russia has been accused of trying to interfere in Catalonia's independence referendum and Brexit, although UK intelligence agencies found no evidence that Russia had influenced the outcome of the referendum.
On April 6, Marcus Ruiz Evans, the president of Yes California, posted a “message to the Islamic Republic of Iran” on YouTube, saying a future independent California would have a foreign policy distinct from that of the US.
The accounts Jones tracked on Twitter and Instagram did not specifically mention the coronavirus, but he said the subtext was clear.
“Any campaign like this seeks to exploit existing political tensions,” he said. “When there’s an opportunity or a perception that a society is vulnerable to polarization, then these campaigns will exploit that.”
“Coronavirus is a hugely political instrument,” he added. “It’s been instrumentalized by all sides, all political colors.”
If you're someone who is seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
Asked how the platform is addressing disinformation campaigns, a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News the company “proactively monitors Twitter to identify attempts at platform manipulation and mitigate them.”
“If we identify campaigns on our service that we can reliably attribute to state-backed activity, either domestic or foreign-led, we will disclose them,” the spokesperson said.
Supporters of Californian independence — or Calexit in social media shorthand — argue that the state is one of the world’s largest economies and has a variety of domestic and foreign policy interests distinct from the US. The current movement is led by a group called Yes California, whose leaders have faced questions over links with Russia — cofounder Louis J. Marinelli is based in Moscow.
Though it’s mostly described as a fringe movement, it’s unclear how popular the idea of an independent California really is — one Reuters poll in 2017 found that as many as 1 in 3 people in the state supported a “peaceful withdrawal” from the US.
Calexit has been a favorite topic of both Iranian and Russian internet trolls in the past. On the night of the US elections in 2016, social media accounts with ties to Russia helped push the hashtag #calexit to the top of Twitter’s trending list, according to a BBC report.
“The M.O. now is to have a bunch of accounts together tweeting vociferously on a topic,” Jones said. “It’s a troll farm or an informal network of loyalists.”


buzzfeednews--2020-04-21--The Tool Was Supposed To Predict Crime. Now Los Angeles Police Say They Are Dumping It.

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The Los Angeles Police Department announced today it would be ending its use of PredPol ’ s predictive policing tool — which the company claims uses artificial intelligence to predict crime , but which critics have called `` fundamentally flawed . ''
An LAPD memo dated April 15 quoted Police Chief Michel R. Moore saying that the police department would stop using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of concerns that activists have raised but because of financial constraints due to COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
`` The city 's financial crisis , coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic , has resulted in the immediate freeze of new contractual agreements and 'belt-tightening ' instructions by the Mayor to all city departments for all further expenditures , '' the memo said .
`` Therefore , the Department will immediately discontinue the use of PredPol and its associated reports . ''
Hamid Khan , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coalition , an activist group , said he believes the group ’ s organizing prompted the LAPD to stop using PredPol , not the COVID-19 outbreak .
`` Predictive policing has roundly been discredited , ” Khan told BuzzFeed News .
“ This [ decision ] was clearly [ the result of ] the organizing that was done .
This was clearly the community rising up.
” Activist groups like Stop LAPD Spying have petitioned for the de-escalation of policing in the city , including the discontinuation of PredPol .
The LAPD ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strategic Extraction and Restoration ” zones last April , which mapped crime hot spots and sent police to those locations , even if a crime had n't happened there .
In October , Stop LAPD Spying organized a group of 450 academics to sign a letter that rejected the thinking behind PredPol ’ s algorithm .
The LAPD ’ s decision to discontinue the use of PredPol is a turnabout for the agency , which was one of its early adopters and signed a contract with the company in 2011 .
The LAPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but internal audits obtained by news outlet MuckRock last year suggested the agency has struggled to measure PredPol ’ s effect on crime — or prove that it works .
PredPol has claimed its algorithms could predict crime in 500-by-500-foot city plots — and that by sending police to these areas , it could help prevent crimes before they happen .
Police departments around the country have found that a compelling proposition , and agencies from California , Washington , Utah , and Georgia have signed up to test it .

The Los Angeles Police Department announced today it would be ending its use of PredPol’s predictive policing tool — which the company claims uses artificial intelligence to predict crime, but which critics have called "fundamentally flawed."
An LAPD memo dated April 15 quoted Police Chief Michel R. Moore saying that the police department would stop using the software, effective immediately, not because of concerns that activists have raised but because of financial constraints due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
"The city's financial crisis, coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in the immediate freeze of new contractual agreements and 'belt-tightening' instructions by the Mayor to all city departments for all further expenditures," the memo said. "Therefore, the Department will immediately discontinue the use of PredPol and its associated reports."
Hamid Khan, a campaign coordinator with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, an activist group, said he believes the group’s organizing prompted the LAPD to stop using PredPol, not the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Predictive policing has roundly been discredited,” Khan told BuzzFeed News. “This [decision] was clearly [the result of] the organizing that was done. This was clearly the community rising up.”
Activist groups like Stop LAPD Spying have petitioned for the de-escalation of policing in the city, including the discontinuation of PredPol. The LAPD ended its use of “Los Angeles’ Strategic Extraction and Restoration” zones last April, which mapped crime hot spots and sent police to those locations, even if a crime hadn't happened there. In October, Stop LAPD Spying organized a group of 450 academics to sign a letter that rejected the thinking behind PredPol’s algorithm.
The LAPD’s decision to discontinue the use of PredPol is a turnabout for the agency, which was one of its early adopters and signed a contract with the company in 2011. The LAPD hasn’t yet explained the move, but internal audits obtained by news outlet MuckRock last year suggested the agency has struggled to measure PredPol’s effect on crime — or prove that it works.
PredPol has claimed its algorithms could predict crime in 500-by-500-foot city plots — and that by sending police to these areas, it could help prevent crimes before they happen. Police departments around the country have found that a compelling proposition, and agencies from California, Washington, Utah, and Georgia have signed up to test it.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-24--Trump Touted Chloroquine As A Possible Coronavirus Treatment. Now She Can't Find The Drug For Her Au

Trump Touted Chloroquine As A Possible Coronavirus Treatment. Now She Can't Find The Drug For Her Autoimmune Disease.

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When she does n't take two small tablets of hydroxychloroquine every day , the pain and fatigue of Sharon Greenstein 's autoimmune disease become too much to do even the basic things of daily life .
`` I ca n't function , '' she told BuzzFeed News .
`` I ca n't work .
I ca n't do daily activities .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , Greenstein was diagnosed with Sjögren 's syndrome , a disease where the immune system attacks its own body .
Since then , she 's been prescribed hydroxychloroquine , a drug that 's also been used to treat malaria , lupus , and rheumatoid arthritis .
But after President Donald Trump announced last week that the drug could be a `` game-changer '' as a treatment for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , a surge of demand hit pharmacies and manufacturers .
Reports of people purchasing the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to surface , including a Phoenix man who died after he took a version used for fish tanks .
( The use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19 continues to be studied , and doctors are recommending no one use it in any form to self-medicate . )
When Greenstein , who lives in California 's Bay Area , went to her local pharmacy Friday to renew her prescription , she was told she would n't be able to get her refill until Monday .
When she called Monday , she was told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her prescription at all .
`` I was told that not only was there none available anywhere , but they did n't know when they were going to get any more , '' she said .
On Monday , the FDA told BuzzFeed News it was working with manufacturers to look at their supplies of the drug and the demand from patients who rely on it .
It 's still unclear when more of the drug will become available for patients like Greenstein .
After speaking with her pharmacy on Monday , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to purchase a bottle of Plaquenil , the brand-name version of her prescription , which was priced at about $ 2,000 and not covered by her insurance .
With the help of a relative , Greenstein found a manufacturer 's coupon that brought the price down to $ 664 .
She paid the price — 44 times her typical copay of $ 15 — and expects the bottle will last her about a month .
`` I could do that one time , but there will be people who will be bankrupted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ca n't do it at all . ''

When she doesn't take two small tablets of hydroxychloroquine every day, the pain and fatigue of Sharon Greenstein's autoimmune disease become too much to do even the basic things of daily life.
"I can't function," she told BuzzFeed News. "I can't work. I can't do daily activities. I feel pretty sick."
About 25 years ago, Greenstein was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, a disease where the immune system attacks its own body. Since then, she's been prescribed hydroxychloroquine, a drug that's also been used to treat malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
But after President Donald Trump announced last week that the drug could be a "game-changer" as a treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, a surge of demand hit pharmacies and manufacturers. Reports of people purchasing the drug and other products containing chloroquine to self-medicate began to surface, including a Phoenix man who died after he took a version used for fish tanks. (The use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19 continues to be studied, and doctors are recommending no one use it in any form to self-medicate.)
When Greenstein, who lives in California's Bay Area, went to her local pharmacy Friday to renew her prescription, she was told she wouldn't be able to get her refill until Monday. When she called Monday, she was told they wouldn't be able to fill her prescription at all.
"I was told that not only was there none available anywhere, but they didn't know when they were going to get any more," she said.
On Monday, the FDA told BuzzFeed News it was working with manufacturers to look at their supplies of the drug and the demand from patients who rely on it. It's still unclear when more of the drug will become available for patients like Greenstein.
After speaking with her pharmacy on Monday, she said the only option she had was to purchase a bottle of Plaquenil, the brand-name version of her prescription, which was priced at about $2,000 and not covered by her insurance. With the help of a relative, Greenstein found a manufacturer's coupon that brought the price down to $664.
She paid the price — 44 times her typical copay of $15 — and expects the bottle will last her about a month.
"I could do that one time, but there will be people who will be bankrupted by this," she said. "They can't do it at all."


buzzfeednews--2020-03-24--These Charts Help Explain Why The Coronavirus Has Been More Deadly In Certain Countries

Experts don ’ t yet have a full explanation , but the age breakdown of countries ’ populations and their capacity to deliver care to critically ill people will be crucial in the coming weeks and months .
The chart plots the number of deaths on a logarithmic scale , which makes the difference between 10 and 100 take up the same height on the chart as the difference between 100 and 1,000 .
This turns the steeply rising curves of rapidly growing epidemics into straighter lines — making it easier to compare their trajectories .
The lines for each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ day zero ” is when a country reported 10 deaths .
If a line flattens out it suggests that the epidemic is starting to come under control .
There were also differences in the slope of the lines at the start , with the death tolls in the US and particularly in South Korea rising more slowly than in most of the other countries shown .
In the early stages of the US outbreak , experts warned that these trajectories could change .
“ I think it ’ s too early in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusive insights from the mortality trajectories , ” Thomas Tsai , a health policy researcher at Brigham and Women ’ s Hospital in Boston , told BuzzFeed News by email on March 17 , or day 13 for the US on the chart above .
“ Until more data are available , relying on social distancing to prevent transmission appears to be the most effective public health strategy.
” The US trajectory later steepened and crossed those for leading European countries , which began to flatten earlier in the course of their epidemics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories of the differences in the initial death toll trajectories have to do with the ages of people who were infected and the fact that the US health care system — for all its failings and inefficiencies — has more critical care beds for people who are seriously ill .
But there is no room for complacency : If the number of new cases builds up too quickly , even US intensive care units will be unable to cope .
If there are not enough critical care beds to handle the demand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lown Institute , a health care think tank in Brookline , Massachusetts , “ the best critical care in the world is not going to move the needle.
” As the pandemic has continued , the trajectories for total confirmed cases in different countries have diverged .
On this chart , day zero for each country is set at when the confirmed case count exceeded 500 .
As the chart shows , the early growth in confirmed cases was similar from country to country , indicating that the same basic pattern of exponential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the virus took hold .
But the US trajectory for cases steepened from about day 10 after states , led by New York , started significantly ramping up testing .
Cases are still being undercounted , and the extent of the undercount varies widely from country to country .
The clear standout on this chart is the line for South Korea , which from about day 10 started to flatten out .
Experts agree that the country ’ s response to the epidemic has been a model for others to follow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rolled out widespread testing , tracked the contacts of known cases , and enforced strict quarantines on people who tested positive for the virus .
As a result , South Korea has for now limited its outbreak without having to tell badly affected regions to shelter in place or put the entire nation on lockdown .
Experts also have a good idea of why the death toll , shown in the first chart , has been rising slowly in South Korea .
Its largest cluster of cases occurred in the congregation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where an infected woman known as “ patient 31 ” attended two services in February .
Shincheonji churchgoers were mostly young .
That ’ s important , because a study of more than 72,000 cases from China has shown that the virus is more fatal among the elderly .
Just 0.2 % of Chinese patients in their twenties died of COVID-19 , compared to 8 % of those in their seventies and almost 15 % of those in their eighties .
In a Medium post published March 13 , economist Andreas Backhaus of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brussels compared the age distribution of COVID-19 patients in South Korea and Italy .
In South Korea , almost 30 % of patients were in their twenties and just 3 % in their eighties .
In Italy , where there was widespread infection of an older population , less than 4 % were in their twenties and more than 19 % in their eighties .
But that still leaves the mystery of why the US ’ s death toll initially grew more slowly than those of other countries .
One possibility is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical care than those in many other nations .
Comparisons among the health care systems of different countries , which rank the US poorly compared to leading European nations , typically measure their efficiency at delivering all kinds of care .
The US system is notoriously expensive and access to primary care is patchy .
But it excels at providing high-tech , intensive care for severely ill patients .
“ US rescue care and acute care is maybe the best in the world , ” David Hamer , a specialist in global health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told BuzzFeed News .

The chart plots the number of deaths on a logarithmic scale, which makes the difference between 10 and 100 take up the same height on the chart as the difference between 100 and 1,000. This turns the steeply rising curves of rapidly growing epidemics into straighter lines — making it easier to compare their trajectories. The lines for each country have also been aligned so that “day zero” is when a country reported 10 deaths.
If a line flattens out it suggests that the epidemic is starting to come under control. There were also differences in the slope of the lines at the start, with the death tolls in the US and particularly in South Korea rising more slowly than in most of the other countries shown.
In the early stages of the US outbreak, experts warned that these trajectories could change. “I think it’s too early in the course in most countries to draw conclusive insights from the mortality trajectories,” Thomas Tsai, a health policy researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told BuzzFeed News by email on March 17, or day 13 for the US on the chart above. “Until more data are available, relying on social distancing to prevent transmission appears to be the most effective public health strategy.”
The US trajectory later steepened and crossed those for leading European countries, which began to flatten earlier in the course of their epidemics after instituting nationwide lockdowns.
Two leading theories of the differences in the initial death toll trajectories have to do with the ages of people who were infected and the fact that the US health care system — for all its failings and inefficiencies — has more critical care beds for people who are seriously ill.
But there is no room for complacency: If the number of new cases builds up too quickly, even US intensive care units will be unable to cope. If there are not enough critical care beds to handle the demand, said Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a health care think tank in Brookline, Massachusetts, “the best critical care in the world is not going to move the needle.”
As the pandemic has continued, the trajectories for total confirmed cases in different countries have diverged.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-23--Conservative Media’s New Coronavirus Plan: Reopen The Country, No Matter Who Dies

`` WE CAN NOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.
” The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
On Sunday , Turning Point USA ’ s Charlie Kirk appeared on Fox News and offered an idea to the channel ’ s 3.5 million-member audience : Reopen states with lower infection rates while leaving more heavily infected areas in quarantine .
“ So what I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus and more national unity about assisting those areas , and also relieving some of the quarantine and allowing the American entrepreneur to be liberated , ” Kirk said .
There ’ s clearly an appetite for this kind of thinking , some Americans appear to be ignoring social distancing warnings .
A Staten Island couple held a wedding on Sunday , shrugging off a New York state ban on “ nonessential ’ ’ public gatherings .
Countries have closed their borders and gone into lockdown , the global economy has ground to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surged in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
But it ’ s been just 12 days since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic , barely a month since the disease caused its first death on American soil .
Most governments are using May 1 as a tentative date when the world can start back up again .
The reality of another month inside , at least , is beginning to sink in for people .
Online , a certain desperation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corners of the American right wing , people have begun asking an unsettling question : “ What if mitigation doesn ’ t work ?
” And there are three threads that are slowly converging , like a meme , to congeal into a dangerous answer — reopen the economy , no matter who might die as a result .
First , some right-wing media , business leaders , tech entrepreneurs , and prominent conspiracists are becoming bolder about wanting to “ move on ” and go back to work .
Second , conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become infected for a preordained reason — like the idea they could be part of a global pedophile ring .
And third , governments around the world , including the United States , are experimenting with ways to track people who are infected using surveillance technology .
The pandemic ’ s most immediate impact is that it has effectively closed down the physical world , forcing the majority of the earth ’ s population to rely almost wholly on the digital one .
And at the center of this new realm is Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissected second by second .
A new class of coronavirus influencers has risen up , incentivized by Twitter ’ s need for constant content and its lack of fact-checking , peer review , or nuance .
While there 's plenty of verified information available , it 's often shifting and subject to update and can at times create the substrate of confusion and anxiety on which rumors thrive .
So when bogus coronavirus theories bubble up , they are embraced by some as fact — shady Bill Gates laboratories , Chinese bioweapons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hair dryer into your mouth to cure yourself .
Which means , right now , with enough retweets even the silliest of these ideas can become someone 's vision of reality .
One of the first business leaders to publicly advocate for this was MicroStrategy cofounder Michael J. Saylor last Monday .
Saylor emailed a 3,000-word note to employees , with the subject line “ My Thoughts , ” which was viewed by the Guardian , railed against social distancing and instead suggested that it would make more sense to “ quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compromised people who no longer need to work or get educated.
” “ It is soul-stealing and debilitating to embrace the notion of social distancing & economic hibernation , ” Saylor wrote .
“ In the absolutely worse case , the overall life expectancy worldwide would click down by a few weeks.
” “ Americans need to know the date when this will end , ” Fox News host Laura Ingraham tweeted last week .
“ The uncertainty for businesses , parents and kids is just not sustainable.
” Tom Fitton , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch , also publicly called on the Trump administration last week to “ reopen '' America .
Over the weekend , Fox News hosts latched on to a Medium post .
This time Laura Ingraham , Bret Baier , and Brit Hume all shared a viral and now-deleted Medium post titled “ Evidence over hysteria—COVID-19 , ” by a Silicon Valley technologist Aaron Ginn .
The post has since been republished on ZeroHedge .
The anchors praised the piece and imploring their followers to read it .
Hume called it “ smart analysis.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Hilton dedicated an entire segment to “ flattening the curve , not the economy.
” Hilton raged against the economic shutdown in the wake of COVID-19 .
“ Dr .
Fauci [ director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ] says he 's fine with overreacting , ” Hilton said .
“ Well , that 's easy for him to say .
He 'll still have a job at the end of this , whatever happens.
” On Monday , John Cardillo , a reporter for the conservative publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus outbreak had “ peaked.
” “ Anecdotally anyway , there ’ s a rumbling among doctors that this has peaked , ” Cardillo wrote .
“ Democrats need America to have European social problems to push European socialism here .
But we won ’ t , this wo n't do to us what it did to them , and that drives Dems and the MSM insane.
” And the right-wing news site Washington Examiner on Monday published an editorial arguing the same thing , titled “ We Need a Plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University and host of the podcast This Week in Virology , told BuzzFeed News that there isn ’ t even enough testing being done to know who is actually infected , which would make any plan to keep infection hot spots locked down completely infeasible .
“ If you just lock down who have clinical symptoms , ” he said , “ it 's not going to do a damn thing.
” Racaniello said he understands the desire to not completely obliterate the economy , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process .
A recent study from Imperial College London estimated mitigation efforts would need to continue for at least 18 months to prevent millions of deaths .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo is already talking about a possible nine months of mitigation ahead of us .
Relaxed social distancing in Hong Kong is believed to have caused a second spike in cases this week .
“ For god ’ s sake , do people really not have any patience in this country ?
” he said .
“ It was finite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here.
” It ’ s worth noting , though , that this sort of survival-of-the-fittest response is similar to how some members of the pro-Trump QAnon movement are reacting to the outbreak .
Q followers , who believe that Trump is waging a secret war against the deep state , have been largely divided about how COVID-19 fits into their sprawling , nonsensical conspiracy theory .
At first , they theorized the virus was a bioweapon created by Bill Gates .
Then , following some remarks from Rush Limbaugh , a sizable contingent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus was actually a deep state hoax meant to discredit Trump .
But in the past week , a new consensus has emerged .
QAnon followers have created “ the list , ” a document that tracks celebrities who have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 .
They theorize that famous actors like Idris Elba and Tom Hanks testing positive for the coronavirus is proof that the virus specifically targets members of the supposed global criminal conspiracy against Trump .
In a text post that is circulating in huge numbers across Facebook groups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks ago by Q follower Maryam Henein , the coronavirus outbreak and its aftermath will allow Trump and his allies to arrest all the members of a massive liberal elite pedophile cabal made up of CEOs , celebrities , and liberal politicians .
QAnon efforts to track those who are infected in some ways mirror the paranoia felt across the country right now about who gets sick and why .
You can see it in Nextdoor posts theorizing that the coronavirus has spread because people aren ’ t vegan or aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil .
There ’ s a desire to make sense of this chaotic pandemic , and social media helps to satisfy it .
This dovetails with early government efforts to track the spread of the infection .
Countries like Israel , Italy , and Austria are working with telecommunications networks to use anonymized location data to track people in infection hot spots and monitor whether citizens are breaking stay-in-place orders .
Hong Kong has deployed electronic bracelets for those who test positive for the virus .
India is experimenting with stamping people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t wash off .
Last week , US companies like Facebook or Google began discussing how to track infection hot spots using anonymized location data .
There is growing despondency that we don ’ t have an immediate solution to the global pandemic , and many on Twitter , both from Silicon Valley or the American right wing , bizarrely think they ’ ve come up with solutions worthy of discussion .

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus. To help keep this news free, become a member and sign up for our newsletter, Outbreak Today.
On Sunday, Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk appeared on Fox News and offered an idea to the channel’s 3.5 million-member audience: Reopen states with lower infection rates while leaving more heavily infected areas in quarantine.
“So what I’d like to see is an even heavier focus and more national unity about assisting those areas, and also relieving some of the quarantine and allowing the American entrepreneur to be liberated,” Kirk said.
There’s clearly an appetite for this kind of thinking, some Americans appear to be ignoring social distancing warnings. A Staten Island couple held a wedding on Sunday, shrugging off a New York state ban on “nonessential’’ public gatherings.
Countries have closed their borders and gone into lockdown, the global economy has ground to a halt, and internet traffic has surged in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
But it’s been just 12 days since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, barely a month since the disease caused its first death on American soil. Most governments are using May 1 as a tentative date when the world can start back up again. The reality of another month inside, at least, is beginning to sink in for people.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-17--Companies That Are Absolutely Not Small Businesses Are Getting Millions Of Dollars In Small Business

Companies That Are Absolutely Not Small Businesses Are Getting Millions Of Dollars In Small Business Loans

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To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
A federal crisis fund of $ 350 billion established to keep small businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic ran out this week , leaving thousands of companies waiting desperately for help .
But several giant companies with hundreds of stores , thousands of employees , and whose executives make millions announced they 'd received the maximum possible payouts under the small business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line as soon as the window opened for this program and took a lot of resources away from those small business owners where this was their only option , '' Holly Wade , director of research with the National Federation of Independent Business ( NFIB ) lobby group , told BuzzFeed News .
Sandwich maker Potbelly and Ruth 's Chris Steak House successfully obtained loans worth $ 10 million and $ 20 million , respectively , according to filings this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) .
Taco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores across the country and is owned by parent company Fiesta Restaurant Group , also received a $ 10 million loan .
All loans were from JP Morgan bank but will be backed by the US government as part of the $ 2 trillion Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act , or CARES Act .
The act provided up to $ 350 billion in loans to businesses with 500 employees or less for payroll purposes .
But the law provided some flexibility to restaurant and hotel groups by stating they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no more than 500 workers at a single location .
Under the Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) , the government will forgive the loans if the money is used on payroll , rent , or utilities — and workers are n't laid off .
Potbelly , Ruth 's , and Fiesta Restaurant Group are publicly traded companies so their SEC filings were made public , but private companies do not have to disclose any loans .
Potbelly 's chief people officer , Matt Revord , told BuzzFeed News in a statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financially support the employees in our shops .
Congress specifically qualified restaurants for the PPP loan program because restaurant workers are vital to our economy.
” In the very same SEC filing that revealed its PPP loan , Potbelly announced it had promoted Steven W. Cirulis to the roles of chief financial officer and chief strategy officer , paying him a $ 425,000 yearly salary , which has been temporarily reduced by 25 % due to the pandemic .
Just for signing on , Cirulis was awarded a $ 100,000 bonus and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 60 % of his base salary .
In 2018 , Potbelly CEO Alan Johnson received more than $ 1.6 million in salary and bonuses .
The company owns more than 400 stores in the US .

A federal crisis fund of $350 billion established to keep small businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic ran out this week, leaving thousands of companies waiting desperately for help.
But several giant companies with hundreds of stores, thousands of employees, and whose executives make millions announced they'd received the maximum possible payouts under the small business program.
"Unfortunately, they were in line as soon as the window opened for this program and took a lot of resources away from those small business owners where this was their only option," Holly Wade, director of research with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) lobby group, told BuzzFeed News.
Sandwich maker Potbelly and Ruth's Chris Steak House successfully obtained loans worth $10 million and $20 million, respectively, according to filings this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Taco Cabana, which has at least 164 stores across the country and is owned by parent company Fiesta Restaurant Group, also received a $10 million loan.
All loans were from JP Morgan bank but will be backed by the US government as part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. The act provided up to $350 billion in loans to businesses with 500 employees or less for payroll purposes.
But the law provided some flexibility to restaurant and hotel groups by stating they could apply as long as they had no more than 500 workers at a single location.
Under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the government will forgive the loans if the money is used on payroll, rent, or utilities — and workers aren't laid off.
Potbelly, Ruth's, and Fiesta Restaurant Group are publicly traded companies so their SEC filings were made public, but private companies do not have to disclose any loans.
Potbelly's chief people officer, Matt Revord, told BuzzFeed News in a statement, "Every penny will be used to financially support the employees in our shops. Congress specifically qualified restaurants for the PPP loan program because restaurant workers are vital to our economy.”
In the very same SEC filing that revealed its PPP loan, Potbelly announced it had promoted Steven W. Cirulis to the roles of chief financial officer and chief strategy officer, paying him a $425,000 yearly salary, which has been temporarily reduced by 25% due to the pandemic. Just for signing on, Cirulis was awarded a $100,000 bonus and will be eligible for a year-end bonus worth up to 60% of his base salary.
In 2018, Potbelly CEO Alan Johnson received more than $1.6 million in salary and bonuses. The company owns more than 400 stores in the US.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-14--Apparently Lawyers In Florida Are Zooming Into Court Hearings Shirtless And From Bed

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At least one male attorney showed up to a recent virtual Zoom court hearing shirtless to represent his client , while another attorney was still in bed , under the covers — prompting a Florida judge to remind attorneys , although they are telecommuting , to `` treat court hearings as court hearings . ''
`` We 've seen many lawyers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern for ill-grooming , in bedrooms with the master bed in the background , '' Broward County Judge Dennis Bailey , who sits on the board of the Weston Bar Association , wrote in a message to lawyers .
`` And putting on a beach cover-up wo n't cover up you 're poolside in a bathing suit . ''
The rebuke came as Broward County courts , like others across the country , adjust to the quick transition from in-person hearings to virtual hearings because of the coronavirus pandemic .
To keep up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , multiple jurisdictions have resorted to services like Zoom to hold court hearings while communities remain under stay-at-home orders .
But in the letter to attorneys , Bailey cautioned lawyers that the casual nature that some people adopt during work-related Zoom meetings does not apply to the courtroom — even if it is a virtual one .
`` The judges would appreciate it if the lawyers and their clients keep in mind these Zoom hearings are just that : hearings , '' Bailey wrote .
`` They are not casual phone conversations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ court hearings that are normally held in person have proved to be a challenge for courts .
In his open letter to lawyers , Bailey also pointed out that attorneys need to send exhibits in advance , to coordinate with third-party witnesses for swearing-in on camera , and to adjust to the fact that Zoom meetings might take longer because of technical glitches or a lag in video and audio .
`` Often , lawyers are not looking at their screens but down at their files , their outlines and notes , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not see the judge is hollering 'Stop !
Stop ! '
because an objection has been made and the audio stays with the witness rather than obeying the judge , '' he wrote .
`` If all this sounds like a challenge , it is . ''
And though the virtual hearings have proved to be a challenge , the judge asked lawyers to work as best they can to make the current system work , for the time being .
`` At the end of the day , we conduct these hearings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're running on one of those miniature spare tires we pulled from the trunk rather than a 'real ' tire , '' he wrote .
`` We 'll get there , but it may get a little bumpy along the way . ''

At least one male attorney showed up to a recent virtual Zoom court hearing shirtless to represent his client, while another attorney was still in bed, under the covers — prompting a Florida judge to remind attorneys, although they are telecommuting, to "treat court hearings as court hearings."
"We've seen many lawyers in casual shirts and blouses, with no concern for ill-grooming, in bedrooms with the master bed in the background," Broward County Judge Dennis Bailey, who sits on the board of the Weston Bar Association, wrote in a message to lawyers. "And putting on a beach cover-up won't cover up you're poolside in a bathing suit."
The rebuke came as Broward County courts, like others across the country, adjust to the quick transition from in-person hearings to virtual hearings because of the coronavirus pandemic.
To keep up with the legal obligation of court hearings, multiple jurisdictions have resorted to services like Zoom to hold court hearings while communities remain under stay-at-home orders.
But in the letter to attorneys, Bailey cautioned lawyers that the casual nature that some people adopt during work-related Zoom meetings does not apply to the courtroom — even if it is a virtual one.
"The judges would appreciate it if the lawyers and their clients keep in mind these Zoom hearings are just that: hearings," Bailey wrote. "They are not casual phone conversations."
Using Zoom or other applications for court hearings that are normally held in person have proved to be a challenge for courts. In his open letter to lawyers, Bailey also pointed out that attorneys need to send exhibits in advance, to coordinate with third-party witnesses for swearing-in on camera, and to adjust to the fact that Zoom meetings might take longer because of technical glitches or a lag in video and audio.
"Often, lawyers are not looking at their screens but down at their files, their outlines and notes, or simply out the window, and cannot see the judge is hollering 'Stop! Stop!' because an objection has been made and the audio stays with the witness rather than obeying the judge," he wrote. "If all this sounds like a challenge, it is."
And though the virtual hearings have proved to be a challenge, the judge asked lawyers to work as best they can to make the current system work, for the time being.
"At the end of the day, we conduct these hearings as best we can, knowing we're running on one of those miniature spare tires we pulled from the trunk rather than a 'real' tire," he wrote. "We'll get there, but it may get a little bumpy along the way."


buzzfeednews--2020-04-10--Why The Coronavirus Is Killing Black Americans At Outsize Rates Across The US

“ You can ’ t drive a bus or wash dishes on Zoom , ” said one doctor .
“ These are people we count on to do essential jobs , and they are going unprotected.
” In Milwaukee , Chicago , New Orleans , and all over the nation , the coronavirus pandemic has thrown the long-running racial divide in the health of Americans into stark relief , seen in the outsize numbers of deaths among black populations in hard-hit cities and regions .
“ Health disparities have always existed for the African American community , ” Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said at the White House on Tuesday , responding to a flurry of news reports of black patients dying in larger-than-expected numbers .
“ Here again with the crisis , how it ’ s shining a bright light on how unacceptable that is because , yet again , when you have a situation like the coronavirus , they are suffering disproportionately.
” For a variety of reasons , including a greater likelihood of working jobs that put them on the frontline , decreased access to health care that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and crowded living conditions that facilitates the virus spread , the coronavirus has been especially brutal in black communities .
Lawmakers from both parties are now calling on US health officials to release racial data on novel coronavirus cases and deaths nationwide , pointing to dramatic differences in hotspots across the country .
On Wednesday , the heads of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus , and Congressional Black Caucus , called on Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and CDC Director Robert Redfield to release and analyze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scott , a South Carolina Republican , making a similar request on Tuesday .
“ In recent days , a number of concerning reports have emerged , suggesting COVID-19 has had a particularly harmful impact on communities of color , ” Scott wrote in his letter .
A week earlier , a group of House Democrats made a similar request , spurred by reports of more than a third of cases in Milwaukee striking black residents .
“ It ’ s hard to tease apart all the threads , and ultimately they all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” physician Janet Seabrook of Community HealthNet Health Centers in Gary , Indiana , told BuzzFeed News .
“ What we are seeing is not surprising , and it really comes down to a lack of resources and lack of health care delivering the numbers we are seeing right now.
” As of Thursday , there have been more than 454,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus across the US and almost 16,000 deaths .
The racial disparity accompanying the US outbreak of the pandemic illuminates the medical challenges that black communities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latinos and Native Americans , face every day : “ You can ’ t drive a bus or wash dishes on Zoom , ” Oscar Alleyne , a public health expert with the National Association of County and City Health Officials told BuzzFeed News .
“ These are people we count on to do essential jobs , and they are going unprotected.
” A lot of the people most at risk for catching the novel coronavirus are the ones in service jobs who can ’ t avoid contact with the public , exemplified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died this month from coronavirus complications after he made a video that went viral in March discussing people coughing on his bus .
“ People of color are often working in service jobs , cashiers , nursing , home health aides .
These aren ’ t jobs you can phone in , ” said Seabrook .
Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows black people work a disproportionate number of jobs as health care and personal care assistants , for example .
Such jobs lead to exposure with potentially sick people , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t wearing hospital-grade protective gear .
“ Someone has to do these jobs , but people in service jobs just have a higher risk , ” said Seabrook .
These are people more likely to take cold medicine to knock down a fever and head to a job they can ’ t afford to lose .
Even before social distancing orders in states nationwide led to the staggering unemployment claims with millions now out of work , the unemployment rate for blacks was already higher , at 6.7 % , against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means they have less freedom to just quit their job .
And black people have less savings , with the median worker having only 9.5 % of the median wealth that whites did in 2016 , which means they have little to survive on if they did quit .
That means putting off a doctor ’ s visit if paying for food or rent comes first , said Alleyne .
“ We ’ d really like to see more [ coronavirus ] data from more cities overall , but poverty is generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They are far more likely to be taking mass transit to get to work because they are less likely to have a car , ” said Alleyne .
“ That ’ s also a risk.
” At the White House briefing , Fauci worried about greater rates of high-risk illnesses among black people , saying , “ The diabetes , hypertension , the obesity , the asthma — those are the kinds of things that wind them up in the ICU and ultimately give him a higher death rate.
” Health experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reduced access to health care among black people , with 11 % uninsured against the national rate of 7 % in 2017 , as well as higher rates of obesity .
“ I am worried about the Deep South when I look at where this is going and where we will be looking next , ” said Seabrook .
Many black Americans in the South live in states that did not expand insurance after the passage of Obamacare at the start of the last decade .
The region coincides with the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where there is a 50 % higher risk of a deadly stroke , compared to the rest of the country , and an even higher risk for black people living there .
The observation is linked in studies to higher rates of diabetes , heart disease , and smoking , as well as less access to health care in general .
Physicians in Virginia have already complained about a lack of coronavirus testing in black communities during the pandemic , where missing a few cases in states that have cut public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an unchecked outbreak .
For example : Albany , Georgia , is still struggling with an outbreak tied to a single infected person attending a funeral .
In the city , 1 in 90 people have been infected .
Approximately 90 % of the fatalities in Albany by March 30 had been in the city ’ s black community , according to the New York Times .
“ I ’ m seeing patients who live with grandparents , who sleep in rooms with bunk beds , ” said Seabrook .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have a guest room to isolate you in .
It ’ s very difficult.
” Black and Latino families live in crowded multigenerational homes at much higher rates ( 26 % and 27 % , respectively ) than white families ( 16 % ) , according to the Pew Research Center .
More than 60 million Americans live in multigenerational homes , where young asymptomatic people might put their older relatives at risk .
Worries about this scenario drove a lot of school closings , despite the lower risk to the young @ @ @ @

“Someone has to do these jobs, but people in service jobs just have a higher risk,” said Seabrook. These are people more likely to take cold medicine to knock down a fever and head to a job they can’t afford to lose.
Even before social distancing orders in states nationwide led to the staggering unemployment claims with millions now out of work, the unemployment rate for blacks was already higher, at 6.7%, against 4% for whites in March, which means they have less freedom to just quit their job.
And black people have less savings, with the median worker having only 9.5% of the median wealth that whites did in 2016, which means they have little to survive on if they did quit. That means putting off a doctor’s visit if paying for food or rent comes first, said Alleyne. “We’d really like to see more [coronavirus] data from more cities overall, but poverty is generally a risk factor in health care.”
“They are far more likely to be taking mass transit to get to work because they are less likely to have a car,” said Alleyne. “That’s also a risk.”
Worse Health
At the White House briefing, Fauci worried about greater rates of high-risk illnesses among black people, saying, “The diabetes, hypertension, the obesity, the asthma — those are the kinds of things that wind them up in the ICU and ultimately give him a higher death rate.”
Health experts say such preexisting conditions are widely linked to reduced access to health care among black people, with 11% uninsured against the national rate of 7% in 2017, as well as higher rates of obesity.
“I am worried about the Deep South when I look at where this is going and where we will be looking next,” said Seabrook. Many black Americans in the South live in states that did not expand insurance after the passage of Obamacare at the start of the last decade. The region coincides with the “Stroke Belt” across the southeastern US, where there is a 50% higher risk of a deadly stroke, compared to the rest of the country, and an even higher risk for black people living there. The observation is linked in studies to higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and smoking, as well as less access to health care in general.
Physicians in Virginia have already complained about a lack of coronavirus testing in black communities during the pandemic, where missing a few cases in states that have cut public health agencies’ budgets for decades could lead to an unchecked outbreak. For example: Albany, Georgia, is still struggling with an outbreak tied to a single infected person attending a funeral. In the city, 1 in 90 people have been infected. Approximately 90% of the fatalities in Albany by March 30 had been in the city’s black community, according to the New York Times.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-10--Apple And Google Are Teaming Up To Track The Spread Of The Coronavirus

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Tech giants Apple and Google announced on Friday that they would partner on the development of software and an operating system update to help with contact tracing efforts during the coronavirus pandemic .
The partnership will be rolled out in two stages , according to the announcement .
First , the companies will release application programming interfaces ( APIs ) compatible with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would allow public health authorities to create apps that would alert people if they ’ ve come in contact with someone who 'd contracted COVID-19 .
These apps will use Bluetooth instead of geolocation to help protect user privacy , and the companies say they will not gather personal identifying information .
Once downloaded , the apps will scan for other users in close proximity and remember that encounter .
If a user of the app reports being sick with the coronavirus , anyone who has come into contact with that user @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us at Apple and Google believe there has never been a more important moment to work together to solve one of the world ’ s most pressing problems , ” the announcement said .
According to the announcement , the second stage of the partnership will be built into the operating system itself , forgoing the need to download any apps but still requiring users to opt in .
Apple and Google didn ’ t provide an exact timeline for the second stage , saying only that it ’ s going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health officials globally have identified the importance of contact tracing — tracking down who may have come into contact with an infected individual .
The UK , France , and Germany are reportedly also working on similar initiatives .
It ’ s not clear whether the Google and Apple solution will be rolled out globally or only in the US .
According to reporting from the BBC , President Donald Trump is expected to give the initiative his approval at his daily coronavirus briefing on Friday , April 10 .
The tech giants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps in an attempt to be transparent about how these solutions will work .
Apple has also worked with the CDC to release another app with general guidance and best practices surrounding the coronavirus pandemic .
Apple users can now also ask Siri , the built-in voice assistant , questions like “ How do I know if I have the coronavirus ?
”

Tech giants Apple and Google announced on Friday that they would partner on the development of software and an operating system update to help with contact tracing efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.
The partnership will be rolled out in two stages, according to the announcement. First, the companies will release application programming interfaces (APIs) compatible with both the iOS and Android operating systems that would allow public health authorities to create apps that would alert people if they’ve come in contact with someone who'd contracted COVID-19.
These apps will use Bluetooth instead of geolocation to help protect user privacy, and the companies say they will not gather personal identifying information. Once downloaded, the apps will scan for other users in close proximity and remember that encounter. If a user of the app reports being sick with the coronavirus, anyone who has come into contact with that user will be alerted.
“All of us at Apple and Google believe there has never been a more important moment to work together to solve one of the world’s most pressing problems,” the announcement said.
According to the announcement, the second stage of the partnership will be built into the operating system itself, forgoing the need to download any apps but still requiring users to opt in. Apple and Google didn’t provide an exact timeline for the second stage, saying only that it’s going to be released “in the coming months.”
Health officials globally have identified the importance of contact tracing — tracking down who may have come into contact with an infected individual. The UK, France, and Germany are reportedly also working on similar initiatives. It’s not clear whether the Google and Apple solution will be rolled out globally or only in the US. According to reporting from the BBC, President Donald Trump is expected to give the initiative his approval at his daily coronavirus briefing on Friday, April 10.
The tech giants have also released extensive documentation for the apps in an attempt to be transparent about how these solutions will work. Apple has also worked with the CDC to release another app with general guidance and best practices surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Apple users can now also ask Siri, the built-in voice assistant, questions like “How do I know if I have the coronavirus?”


buzzfeednews--2020-04-10--These Babies Have Little Face Shields On To Protect Them From The Coronavirus

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To help @ @ @ @ @ become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
They 've @ @ @ @ @ gripped by a viral pandemic that they know nothing about — but that does n't @ @ @ @ @ protection .
Babies born at a hospital in Thailand have been fitted with special plastic @ @ @ @ @ from contamination from the coronavirus .
The masks are designed to stop any droplets with @ @ @ @ @ sneezes from reaching the baby 's face .
In a statement on Facebook , staff @ @ @ @ @ in the capital of Bangkok said the masks were being used `` because safety is @ @ @ @ @ most . ''
Photos from the maternity ward on Thursday showed nurses wearing surgical masks @ @ @ @ @ white blankets and wearing the mini visors .

They've been born into a world gripped by a viral pandemic that they know nothing about — but that doesn't mean they don't need protection.
Babies born at a hospital in Thailand have been fitted with special plastic face shields to protect them from contamination from the coronavirus.
The masks are designed to stop any droplets with the virus from coughs or sneezes from reaching the baby's face.
In a statement on Facebook, staff at the Praram 9 Hospital in the capital of Bangkok said the masks were being used "because safety is what we care about the most."
Photos from the maternity ward on Thursday showed nurses wearing surgical masks cradling the newborns wrapped in white blankets and wearing the mini visors.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-10--Nevertheless, The Mundane Daily Hashtags Of Twitter Persisted

Even during the pandemic , # MondayMotivation and # FridayFeeling are among the top trends on Twitter .
As a pandemic ravages the globe and the economy plummets like Dan Cortese in spandex shorts and a bungee cord , we are all desperately looking for some form of stability and normalcy .
Luckily , you , a chronically online person , do not have to look far to find this tiny shred of pre-COVID-19 life that grounds us back in our base humanity .
Just fire up Twitter before 10 a.m. and check the trending topics — chances are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hashtags trend each morning : # MotivationMonday , # ThursdayThoughts , # FridayFeeling .
Despite the news , these meaningless growth hack hashtags manage to stay consistently at the top of Twitter ’ s trending topics .
# MotivationMonday may be the one enduring institution we have — unkillable , like a cockroach after a nuclear holocaust .
These days-of-the-week hashtags have a few layers .
The first is straightforward : # MondayMotivation is a photo or aphorism that might inspire you to get out there and tackle your week .
A UFC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example .
Motivating !
The next layer is brand accounts or other types of institutions that want to maintain an active Twitter presence , but don ’ t have important things to tweet every day .
Take , for instance , the Indiana University football team , which would have bupkes going on right now even without the pandemic , tweeting out an old clip of the coach giving a motivational speech .
Then there are the shameless growth hackers , who attach the hashtag to irrelevant tweets simply in hopes they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose Twitter bio reads “ Premier Twitter Master to CEOs , Entertainers , Influencers & Thought Leaders ; We Build Strategic Twitter Followings.
” He boasts over 608K followers , but he follows 598K himself .
His # MondayMotivation is a GIF of a leopard , which he has also hashtagged # caturday .
( Tradition dictates Caturday is Saturday , because , you know…it rhymes . )
Hall is a master of the daily hashtags .
He often does about three per day , typically random viral-ish GIFs or videos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clip .
“ I recommend the use of ‘ daily ’ hashtags earlier in the day when a trending for the day hasn ’ t been strongly set , ” Hall told BuzzFeed News .
“ We have seen a steady 10 % to 15 % increase in an individual tweet 's numbers when they are used .
They are particularly useful for attracting new eyes to an account .
During the coronavirus this number has jumped to nearly 20 % .
” A rep for Twitter said that daily active users are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may account for some of the increase Hall has seen .
Most interestingly , the Twitter spokesperson said that DMs were up 30 % since March 6 .
This is not to say that everyone who uses these hashtags is a craven growth hacker , just posting chum to get followers .
Journalist and author Mark Rees , who has written about paranormal activity in Wales , told BuzzFeed News that he often participates in daily hashtags , but also other more niche ones where he posts informative content on topics where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are also some really good specialist hashtags as well , and # FolkloreThursday is a particular favorite , ” Rees told BuzzFeed News .
“ It 's virus-free , and every week is a different feel-good topic — this week it 's life , light , and renewal .
Others include # ShakespeareSunday and # FairyTaleTuesday.
” Rees said he does find that using days-of-the-week hashtags can help his tweets reach a broader audience , but “ that does n't necessarily mean more interaction though — they still have to be good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food blogger , readily admits she uses these hashtags to reach a broader audience .
“ I use the daily hashtags to gain tweet views on important messages , ” she told BuzzFeed News .
For example , she used # TuesdayThoughts to tweet a graphic image of a dead pig killed for meat .
That she ’ s willing to bend the rules on the true relevance of the hashtag isn ’ t totally surprising , if you consider she also tagged a video of mushroom pasta with # COVID-19 .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been no recent uptick in the use of these daily hashtags .
However , the platform is planning on refining one aspect — differentiating them from tweets about the pandemic .
These daily hashtag trends are often used at the same time as COVID-19 hashtags or even in tweets about the pandemic , so sometimes they get labeled in the Trends module as COVID-19 related , which is confusing .
In a follow-up , Pavela told BuzzFeed News the COVID-19 label had been removed from Trending because it was leading to confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay at home , not seeing friends or colleagues , or much of anyone , Twitter feels like a vital tether to the Real World — or at least other humans .
At its best , Twitter is a crucial source of breaking information ( at its worst , breeding ground for misinformation or half-baked information ) , as well as a joyful place for humor , or a way to connect on an emotional level to other humans .
More than one friend has told me they have cried upon reading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Twitter has made valiant efforts over the last three years to clean up the swamp of harassment and hate that defined it in 2016 , and in many ways no longer resembles the free-for-all of shit it once was ( Double the characters !
Hearts instead of stars ! )
.
And yet , these mundane and useless daily hashtags , which have no news or entertainment value , have thrived on New Twitter .
It ’ s almost a comfort to know that no matter how much you may think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about some topic , way more people are using some dumbshit # ThursdayThoughts hashtag in a sad quest to eke out another follower or two .
Now THAT ’ s a # FridayThought .

As a pandemic ravages the globe and the economy plummets like Dan Cortese in spandex shorts and a bungee cord, we are all desperately looking for some form of stability and normalcy.
Luckily, you, a chronically online person, do not have to look far to find this tiny shred of pre-COVID-19 life that grounds us back in our base humanity. Just fire up Twitter before 10 a.m. and check the trending topics — chances are you will see the most banal and useless hashtags trend each morning: #MotivationMonday, #ThursdayThoughts, #FridayFeeling.
Despite the news, these meaningless growth hack hashtags manage to stay consistently at the top of Twitter’s trending topics. #MotivationMonday may be the one enduring institution we have — unkillable, like a cockroach after a nuclear holocaust.
These days-of-the-week hashtags have a few layers. The first is straightforward: #MondayMotivation is a photo or aphorism that might inspire you to get out there and tackle your week. A UFC athlete posting about his workout, for example. Motivating!