buzzfeed--2020-05-05--News O'Clock: Josh Gondelman Is Nice, And So Is Harry Potter Reading Harry Potter

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Check out the full episode transcript here : Casey Rackham : The White House sees U.S. daily coronavirus deaths doubling by June .
I heard you like Harry Potter , so we 've got Harry Potter reading Harry Potter so you can Harry Potter while you Harry Potter .
And Josh Gondelman , stand-up comedian and fellow podcast host , is here to tell us how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a plague .
CR : And I 'm Casey Rackham .
Welcome to News o'Clock .
HB : Casey , before we dive in , how are you and your roommates doing these days ?
Because we 've been inside for a minute .
CR : Okay , so last night my roommates and I , we were watching a movie and we were like , we literally just stopped the movie in the middle because we were just so tired of watching movies and we pulled out the Game of Life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actual board game , the Game of Life , with the little pegs .
CR : Yeah , the Game of life .
And I have n't played that game in like 15 years .
My parents are cleaning out the garage right now .
So I went over in a safe social distancing way and picked it up .
And it has no rules inside and we could n't find the exact rules online because there 's so many different versions of the game .
So we just kind of like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just rolled the dice , lived your life .
CR : I mean like highlights of it , I really did n't see any advantage to going to college instead of starting my career right away , so real world out there .
Two , apparently extremely fertile , I had four children .
HB : Congratulations to you and your brood .
Oh man .
CR : Oh , this was the best part .
At the end , so do you remember those little life titles and at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's worth money and it tells you why you got them ?
CR : I just want to tell you like the span of things , it went from me winning $ 100,000 for winning a dance contest , to me , winning $ 250,000 for becoming president .
HB : Congratulations .
Holy cow , the life you lived in the Game of Life is enviable for sure .
Man , I might have to rethink my stance on board games , which is currently , no .
CR : Oh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I literally have like 15 of them right next to me , I love them .
HB : I get too involved .
I love the rules too much .
I 'm not a fun board game person is the problem I feel like .
HB : Well , first I have to learn all of the rules so I will hold up the game and then once the game is going I will be very competitive , so I better not , better not .
All right , it 's time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the three things you need to know today .
Number one , new internal projection from the White House show deaths rising through June even as states move to reopen .
Trump and allies have pushed for reopening , but models by the coronavirus task force pulled together by FEMA show the daily death total reached about 3,000 on June 1st .
According to an internal document that the New York Times got , a 70 % increase from the current number of about 1,750 .
Also about 200,000 new cases daily , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at UDub , which the White House has been leaning on for how low is death rate prediction has been , has altered their model and is now estimating that there will be nearly 135,000 deaths in the U.S. through at the beginning of August .
IHME says it made that change based on rising mobility in most U.S. states , as well as the fact that 31 states will be easing social distancing measures by May 11th .
CR : I mean , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm seriously just at the point that the numbers are just so much higher for everything that is said ever about coronavirus .
And it 's scary too because this Friday California 's starting their first phase of reopening and I mean , I do n't know about everyone else , but I will not be a part of that first wave .
I am not leaving .
HB : You are not alone in that .
A recent poll showed that about 80 % of Americans are on your side , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they 're like , I do n't know about that , chief .
Okay , number two , Pfizer has started human trials for coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. Pfizer has been working with a German company called BioNTech to develop a vaccine since March and they 've already done some small scale trials in Germany .
They 're trying to develop a special version of a messenger protein called RNA that would , in theory , train the body into fighting off the coronavirus .
The trials will involve multiple volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one way the company has hoped to compress the amount of time required .
If they can gather enough proof of success , the vaccine could be approved for emergency use by the FDA as early as September .
CR : All of this sounds semi-positive to me in terms of like all the other vaccines and testing that 's been going on because at least like at the beginning of all this , it was like , we 're not going to see anything until 2021 .
So it 's just like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed up a little bit .
HB : Right , fingers crossed here , not going to bank on it , but fingers crossed .
And number three , there appears to be a new problem in Russia , doctors falling out of windows after criticizing the state 's coronavirus response .
So this is a weird one published on Buzzfeed News from journalist Chris Miller and like all things Russia should be taken with a grain of salt .
That said , Alexander Shulepov is a doctor with an ambulance unit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a video griping about the lack of protective gear available and how Shulepov was forced to work after being diagnosed with coronavirus himself .
He later recanted that story which made people go , um ?
But 10 days after he published it , he fell out of a second story window and fractured his skull .
He 's currently in critical condition .
Two other doctors were n't as lucky .
One fell from a fifth story window , the other from a window at the hospital where she was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is aroused suspicions in Russia where it 's not uncommon to find yourself plummeting , should you be too public in your criticism .
CR : That 's just truly insane .
I mean three makes a pattern , we all know that right ?
Three makes a pattern .
HB : Three makes a pattern , so good luck to all the doctors in Russia where , as of right now , they 're still saying that cases are fine , we 're chill here , things do n't sound very chill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's time for today 's Good News , Bad News .
This is where I treat us all to some of the most aww and most , oh my God , no stories from around the internet .
Good news .
I know we talk about Harry Potter a lot , but now we have Harry himself reading out loud the first chapter of the first book , which is amazing .
Harry Potter 's reading to me , Hayes , he 's reading it to me .
HB : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : So the Wizarding World , the official HB website posted a video today of Daniel Radcliffe with a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone , or the Sorcerer 's Stone reciting the words that launched an empire .
Daniel Radcliffe : Mr. and Mrs. Dursley , of number Four Privet Drive , were proud to say that they were perfectly normal , thank you very much .
They were the last people that you 'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious , because they just did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings , which made drills .
CR : Radcliffe does an incredible job with his performance .
He does n't lean too much into doing voices , but you can tell that he 's thinking about it when he does Hagrid 's lines .
DR : `` Borrowed it , Professor Dumbledore , sir , '' said the giant , climbing off the motorcycle as he spoke .
`` Young Sirius Black lent it to me .
I 've got him , sir . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this video besides , literal Harry Potter reading to everyone is that they put fan art from the kids into it .
And Daniel Radcliffe is n't going to be the only person doing these readings .
They 're going to have more famous people reading the rest of the book , all 17 of the chapters , which will be posted a Wizardingworld.com .
And if you do n't want to watch this on video , it 's on Spotify .
That 's what I was listening to it on before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No , this is great .
He nails it .
It looks like too , I think he does it in one take , unless they put that fan art in to cover up like him pausing .
CR : I 'd believe it .
I just picture him sitting in a super comfy chair in the corner of his home and just like soothing us all .
Yeah , but I also really like his voice is like , I think his Mr. Dursley was really good .
But I also appreciated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do a Mrs. Dursley , because that could go horribly wrong if you 're not a trained voice actor .
HB : He could have gone the way of Ronan Farrow reading out Catch and Kill .
Sorry Ronan , you did great but we all know those voices were dodgy .
Who do you want to hear as the famous people reading this book ?
HB : Oh my heart , whoa , strong , so strong .
I ca n't think of anything I want more in world right now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CR : And now it 's time for bad news that I wish was n't bad .
So we may still get this current season of The Bachelorette , but at what cost ?
Filming for Clare 's season at the Bachelor mansion in L.A. was cut short in March by the coronavirus virus outbreak .
And then host Chris Harrison told Entertainment Tonight that the show was considering moving the series to allow for taping to start back up .
He said , `` Who knows what is going on , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to a state that has their stuff together and we can shoot . ''
Then he added , `` Maybe we 're doing this in Texas , I do n't know , but right now we are just waiting and seeing where we can do this safely until we can do it the right way . ''
CR : Harrison also mentioned the idea that everyone , including contestants and crew could be quarantined on set wherever they wind up .
Okay , so now I want this Bachelorette season as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't want them to compromise it .
Especially because we 're dealing with the oldest bachelorette they 've had at 38 years old .
And it 's just like already we know they 're recasting because the people that they originally cast were a little bit too young .
And so now they 're looking for some older people to join the show .
And it 's just kind of like , I get that like people want to put content out there , we need content , studios need to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like , it 's such an iconic franchise that it 's like I still want it to be up to its quality of what it always is .
HB : Right and it would be really weird if they decided to like suddenly shift gears and it 's all Zoom dates , like all Zoom dates period .
And you got to cook separately in your own kitchens and that 's one of the dates you won with the Bachelorette .
I 'm guessing that 's how this works .
CR : You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be good for them .
I always do talk about like at what point will the Bachelor , Bachelorette not exist anymore ?
Is the show going to last forever or is there going to be a time in society when we 're like , ah , we do n't want this anymore and it 's not performing as well .
In which case if they do do the Zoom dates , I guess it 'd be more like The Circle on Netflix , which has an insane following , it did so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do need to start changing what the times .
While we ponder the future of the Bachelor franchise , we have a short break .
When we come back , we 're talking to Josh Gondelman , stay right there .
HB : Welcome back .
It 's time for Say More .
CR : Things are just really , really weird right now , which can make it hard to be nice to each other or find things funny .
So when someone manages to be both nice and funny right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
HB : Today we 're talking with writer , comedian , T.V .
producer , podcast host , and one of the kindest people on Twitter , Josh Gondelman .
Welcome , Josh .
Josh Gondelman : Thank you so much .
What a swell intro .
I feel like the internet 's listeners , they 're like John Krasinski , come on , please be John Krasinski .
HB : We nearly had him , but you were right at the top of the list , right behind him .
JG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or whatever under John Krasinski as a guest , I 'm very flattered .
Just another Massachusetts legend .
HB : Josh , you 're doing so much right now .
You 've got a book out .
You 've launched a new podcast called Make My Day .
You 're producing on the number one show in late night .
What is it like for you as a white man finding success in comedy these days ?
JG : Honestly , it feels terrific .
I will not engage you in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sincerity to say that I know not from anyone else 's experience , but honestly , I 'm very thrilled and flattered , and understand the privilege of like getting to work in all these exciting capacities .
And like , getting to publish a book , working for Desus & Mero and having this podcast out .
I 'm immensely grateful for these opportunities .
CR : For people who do n't follow you on Twitter , one of the things that you often do is offer up pep talks to people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all start for you ?
JG : It came from me feeling in kind of like a low bummery place about my own career .
This is probably like seven years ago .
And I was just scrolling through Twitter , as you do just ingesting kind of information toxins through your eyeballs to your brain .
And I was like , I wish somebody would say something nice to me , which is , that 's like a pathetic thought .
But I was like , if however many followers I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to say something nice to me .
So maybe if I offered to do something nice for other people it would feel the same .
It would be kind of like a net exchange of low grade goodness and it worked .
JG : Several people reached out and I gave a few pep talks and it just feels like a nice thing to do if I 'm up late at night or on the road doing stand-up , which is a thing you used to be able to do .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city to city- HB : Back in the before times .
JG : Yeah , yeah , yeah .
It 's weird that the current state of global dismay is such the opposite of Cormac McCarthy 's The Road , right ?
We always picture people like rambling from city to city , cannibalism , but it 's exactly opposite .
It 's nobody going anywhere .
HB : It 's stay at home cannibalism .
It 's all Alex Jones eating people .
JG : Right .
Think globally , cannibalize locally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CR : Okay , so of all the pep talks you 've given , are there any like requests that really stand out or any pep talks that you 've given ?
JG : Oh , that 's such a good question .
I think there 's a lot , especially in the past four or so years have just kind of been like , this world , it 's so hard , which I agree with .
And I think a key to a good pep talk is to not deny that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my standard response or like the general realm of my response is like , the world is really hard and bad in a lot of ways but lots of people are trying really hard to make it better .
And you can both benefit from the good work of those people and be one of them yourself .
I think that is like the strongest truest thing to say and that is like an increasingly popular request or acknowledgement that people give me .
Just like , everything feels so bad .
HB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you 've been working on Showtime 's Desus & Mero for a minute now .
Those two have a pretty particular vocabulary , very heavy on the Bronx .
Has that affected the way that you speak at all ?
JG : It is a little bit .
There are like certain adjectives that I think I lean on a little more heavily .
Like something being like , wild as opposed to like ridiculous or bananas or whatever .
The most impactful slang from the show for me is just like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The drawn out , like just wow .
JG : Yeah , the drawn out like , wow , wow .
There 's like a really great gif of both ...
I think there 's gifs of both of them doing it and those have become my most used gifs as well .
Eclipsing even Kevin Garnett 's anything is possible scream after the Celtics won the 2008 finals .
HB : What was it like switching over to their show from Last Week Tonight ?
Was there much of a transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your brain ?
JG : It is a lot different .
I mean the jobs themselves are kind of 180 degrees different in terms of the production style and my responsibilities , which is really exciting to me .
I had such a great experience working for John Oliver and writing for Last Week Tonight for a number of years .
It was a really , really wonderful place and I learned so much .
And now being at Desus & Mero , I 'm applying those skills but also growing a totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John , there was so much emphasis placed on like getting the wording of the writing exactly right because he 's going to read it out of the teleprompter timed out to the second .
So that the show is deliverable to HBO .
I mean there are times where he would do it in one take , basically .
JG : And now at Desus & Mero , a big difference is like they improvise so much .
So , so much of the show is sculpted after the recording .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tighten things up a little bit or to make sure just things look right .
And I 'm a part of that , which is really exciting .
But it is like fully 180 degrees different .
CR : Okay .
So I feel like we 're all struggling at least a little bit during this pandemic and you 're known as one of the nicest people on the internet .
Has all of this , everything , made that more of a struggle ?
JG : There 's definitely a sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outgoing that is tough to ignore and tough to work around and avoid .
But I also think the need for compassion and generosity is so foregrounded in this present moment .
I 'm trying to be really mindful of that , which is I think , it is hard not to be .
There 's so many people who are suffering from illness or are out of work and seeing that all the time , I think there are just constant reminders of the need to be kind and gentle .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exhausted by everything , my life and then the world , it feels constantly like it would be ridiculous for me to get short tempered at this point .
CR : Yeah , I feel like that 's a really important mindset to have .
And then on your podcast , Make My Day , comedians try to spin the day 's crappy headlines into something positive , which is great and what we all need right now .
What are some of the best spins someone 's given to you so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's been so fun .
So we 've gone away a little bit from specific news headlines and have gone instead into just like the feeling of the moment .
So we played a game called , What Could Be Better , with my first guest Akilah Hughes .
And she talked about whose ghosts she would want to haunt her while she 's in quarantine .
And she just went on this long hilarious roundabout how she thinks Brittany Murphy 's ghost would be like a great companion and she would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own apartment and stuff .
And the second episode with Miel Bredouw , the whole spin of the episode was , look , there are no music festivals this year , so let 's redesign music festivals from the ground up so that they 're better .
Like let 's talk about ... was so funny and optimistic and wonderful .
HB : What was your biggest decision there for like redesigning music festivals ?
What are you getting rid of ?
JG : The crowd .
Her first thing was it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location and it 's going to cap out at 200 people .
And also there would be dogs and each dog counts for two people .
JG : Which I think she innovated brilliantly .
HB : That 's just science right there .
JG : Yeah , that is science .
A dog often is as good to have around as two people .
HB : So tell us Josh , other than empty music festivals , what 's the thing you 're looking forward to the most once this pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JG : Oh , I 'm just really looking forward to visiting family and friends .
I think that for me has been the hardest part because I 've had , again , the real good luck to be like working full time from home and I 've gotten a little anxious about the idea of getting back on the subway to go to work when the quarantine conditions start lifting .
But just the idea of getting to go see my parents back in Massachusetts or meeting up with friends just for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of getting to around outside without a mask on feels really luxurious at this point .
CR : So with Mother 's Day this weekend , we 're asking people who come on , how they 're planning on spending it , what are your family 's plans ?
JG : My sister and I are going to have a Zoom call with my parents , with my mom and dad .
I think what that involves is a pre-celebration of teaching my mom how to use Zoom .
Which I think she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is very charming .
And then , I do n't know when this is coming out but I also know that my mom does n't listen to a lot of podcasts .
HB : It 's coming out today so don't- JG : Okay , that 's all right , I 'll blow it anyway .
If you hear this , do n't tell my mom .
I got my mom ( bleep ) gift certificate just because I figured if she and my dad are going to be in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might as well have some like nice new summery ( bleep ) or like cozy hunkering down inside in the evening ( bleep ) .
CR : Oh , a perfect gift .
And also I want to wish you so much luck on teaching your mom Zoom because I was Zooming with my mom for an hour and every five minutes I 'd have to be like , I can only see half your face , can you move the camera ?
JG : What are you seeing ?
It 's so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom Passover Seder with my wife 's family and it was like varying degrees of success and visibility .
CR : Oh my God , I can only imagine .
JG : But it was very nice .
I mean I 'm grateful for the ... also for the technology to be able to connect to people remotely .
I 'm also not a big FaceTime person and so I 've been trying to talk people down to just regular voice phone calls all the time .
They 'll be like , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'll be like , `` What if we do n't FaceTime but at 7:00 ? ''
HB : What if you just hear my voice ?
How about that ?
And then I do n't have to do anything to my face , how about that ?
JG : You can just look at your favorite picture of me .
HB : Go Google right now .
JG : Yeah , I 'm just going to send professional headshots to everyone who wants to talk to me on the phone .
HB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for joining us .
If folks want to hear more from you , where should they look ?
JG : Oh my goodness .
So I 'm on Twitter and Instagram at Josh Gondelman , JoshGondelman.com for my comedy albums and my book , my essay collection which came out in September , Nice Try : Stories Of Best Intentions and Mixed Results .
And the podcast , Make My Day is out every Tuesday , you can subscribe wherever you subscribe to podcasts .
And I think it 's like a really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that it feels like it is , it can exist in this moment without kind of like wallowing in the worst parts of it .
So like hopefully people can enjoy it in this kind of like current climate without feeling like , oh we 're really staring right into the void here .
HB : I mean we find that so relatable here at News o'Clock .
Josh , thank you so much .
JG : Thank you so much , this was really a pleasure and I appreciate your taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's time for The List , because if you know Buzzfeed at all , you know how much we love lists .
And today we 're looking at four things it 's bonkers that most Americans do n't know about Mexico .
HB : Because it 's Cinco de Mayo and folks in the U.S. are still out here thinking it 's Mexican Independence Day while doing bad accents .
CR : Oof , so put down the fake mustache and sombrero , Karen , it 's not fucking funny .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's bonkers that more people do n't know about Mexico , Mexico City is technically the oldest city in North America .
It was founded by the Aztecs over 600 years ago and has been inhabited ever since .
Take that Boston .
HB : Number two .
For a brief moment , Mexico had an Austrian foreign emperor , Napoleon , the third of France put Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph in charge of the country in 1864 .
Making a Maximilian the First of Mexico .
He did not last long though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years later and executed by a firing squad .
CR : Number three .
The meteor that likely killed the dinosaurs landed in Mexico 65 million years ago .
Scientists first ID'ed the spot in the Yucatan Peninsula back in the '90s .
And turns out , that was just totally the worst place you 'd want a meteor to land if you 're the dinosaurs .
HB : And number four , Mexico has an official dog and it 's called the Xoloitzcuintle .
It 's been called the Mexican hairless dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region for literally thousands of years .
Fun fact , it 's actually not related to the Chinese Crested , which a lot of people assume but Xolo is spelled with an X and that 's often included in children 's ABC books .
CR : Okay , I want to go back to just talking about all these Karens out there because you know what else I 'm really tired of- CR : Not just on Cinco de Mayo , but just like , I 've seen a fair amount online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people on their bachelorette parties that are just like , they 're just a lot of white people just wearing sombreros .
And it 's just like , how is that the theme of your bachelorette party ?
HB : I mean honestly it just fits the theme of too many people out there who think to themselves , boy , you know what I want to do today ?
Get drunk and culturally appropriate .
That 's my day , all right .
Okay , we have time for one more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cage .
HB : Yes , for those of you who have n't heard , Variety announced yesterday that Oscar winner , Nick Cage will be portraying Joe Exotic in a scripted series on CBS .
It 's going to be his first regular T.V .
role and I can not even picture this much chaotic energy on CBS .
CR : I know , on CBS .
When I saw this headline , I was like , what ?
How , how ?
I just do n't understand .
People like Dax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be Tiger King . ''
And I was like , okay , that makes sense to me .
And now all of a sudden Nicholas Cage comes out of nowhere .
And I 'm like , okay , this is happening .
HB : I have so many questions .
So according to Variety , the series will quote live in the lion 's den with Joe , explore how he became Joe Exotic and how he lost himself to a character of his own creation , which when you put it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
My question is , is this a comedy or a drama ?
I have no idea what this show is .
CR : Yeah , I do n't think anyone knows .
And what 's so interesting is , I did n't know this before , but this was already in talks to happen before this whole Netflix show came out .
So it 's just like people were very ready to make this Tiger King content .
HB : Does this mean they 're actually going to put Nicholas Cage on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , can I be there because I really want to see this .
Am I imagining that Nicholas Cage has this also weird like stage magic thing ?
Because I can very clearly picture him with a Siegfried and Roy style tiger .
And I feel like it 's just an evolution .
CR : I can 100 % picture that .
I have to say I like assume they 're going to be using real tigers , but like after watching that documentary , I do n't want them to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very definite thing of like , after each episode I 'm going to need like five minutes proving to me that the tigers were taken cared of really , really well .
That 's what I need right now .
HB : Oh absolutely .
Oh , like when we were kids in the '90s and all of the action shows had that little PSA at the end like , do n't actually punch people , kids .
We need that but for the tigers to show that they 're healthy , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicholas Cage .
Just the range on this man .
CR : I know , his range is insane , but I also want to say going back to like , if it 's going to be a comedy or a drama , I mean it 's probably definitely going to be a comedy .
Although , the reality of it 's going to be sad .
But it 's because the creator of it , I believe is the creator of American Vandal- CR : ... on Netflix , which was hilarious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parody of sorts .
HB : Of sorts is the thing that gets to me .
Also , does Nicholas Cage know that it 's supposed to be a parody of sorts or is he going to be completely serious .
Also , really quickly , Nicholas Cage , Coppola family member , which we do n't talk about enough .
The fact that he is literally the Francis Ford and Sophia , he can just go and get a bottle from the family vineyard whenever he wants .
CR : Also is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottle for my wine area too .
HB : It 's not the same .
CR : Me and Nick are- HB : It 's not the same .
CR : I also love how much you love famous families .
CR : That is one of my favorite facts about you .
HB : I do , I just love the weird acclimation of power that nobody talks about .
CR : No , I 'm with you .
HB : Okay , final point .
What we need to know is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the show in any way , shape or form ?
Will she be mentioned ?
Will she show up as a cameo ?
These are the things I question .
CR : I think she 'll be mentioned , but oh man , I do n't think she 's showing up .
Especially after she was tricked being on not Jimmy Fallon 's show when she thought it was Jimmy Fallon 's show .
I just do n't think she wants anything to do with anyone anymore .
HB : All right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing this out via the parody of Nicholas Cage done by Danny Pudi playing Abed on Community .
HB : That 's it for today .
Join us tomorrow for more good news , bad news and probably way , way less Nicholas Cage .
CR : And remember , cowbell is not a doctor recommended prescription for COVID related fevers .
HB : Be sure to subscribe News , o'Clock on the iHeart radio app , Apple podcasts or wherever you go for your sound stories .
CR : And please take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a review .
It helps us figure out what you like about the show versus what you love about the show .
And be sure to tell your friends about us .
Then set your alarms , so you never miss an episode of News o'Clock .

You can listen to today's episode above! Another option: check it out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Check out the full episode transcript here:
Casey Rackham: The White House sees U.S. daily coronavirus deaths doubling by June. I heard you like Harry Potter, so we've got Harry Potter reading Harry Potter so you can Harry Potter while you Harry Potter. And Josh Gondelman, stand-up comedian and fellow podcast host, is here to tell us how he stays so nice in the middle of a plague.
Hayes Brown: The date? May 5th, 2020.
CR: The time? News o'Clock.
HB: Hello, friends. I'm Hayes Brown.
CR: And I'm Casey Rackham. Welcome to News o'Clock.
HB: Casey, before we dive in, how are you and your roommates doing these days? Because we've been inside for a minute.
CR: Okay, so last night my roommates and I, we were watching a movie and we were like, we literally just stopped the movie in the middle because we were just so tired of watching movies and we pulled out the Game of Life.
HB: Wait, wait, the actual board game, the Game of Life, with the little pegs.
CR: Yeah, the Game of life. And I haven't played that game in like 15 years. My parents are cleaning out the garage right now. So I went over in a safe social distancing way and picked it up. And it has no rules inside and we couldn't find the exact rules online because there's so many different versions of the game. So we just kind of like, we figured it out-
HB: Just rolled the dice, lived your life.
CR: I mean like highlights of it, I really didn't see any advantage to going to college instead of starting my career right away, so real world out there. Two, apparently extremely fertile, I had four children.
HB: Congratulations to you and your brood. Oh man.
CR: Oh, this was the best part. At the end, so do you remember those little life titles and at the end of the thing you flip them over and it's worth money and it tells you why you got them?
HB: Yes.
CR: I just want to tell you like the span of things, it went from me winning $100,000 for winning a dance contest, to me, winning $250,000 for becoming president.
HB: Congratulations. Holy cow, the life you lived in the Game of Life is enviable for sure. Man, I might have to rethink my stance on board games, which is currently, no.
CR: Oh my God, I love board games. I literally have like 15 of them right next to me, I love them.
HB: I get too involved. I love the rules too much. I'm not a fun board game person is the problem I feel like.
CR: I got you.
HB: Well, first I have to learn all of the rules so I will hold up the game and then once the game is going I will be very competitive, so I better not, better not. All right, it's time for the Corona Update. Here are the three things you need to know today. Number one, new internal projection from the White House show deaths rising through June even as states move to reopen. Trump and allies have pushed for reopening, but models by the coronavirus task force pulled together by FEMA show the daily death total reached about 3,000 on June 1st. According to an internal document that the New York Times got, a 70% increase from the current number of about 1,750. Also about 200,000 new cases daily, which is a lot.
HB: Meanwhile, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at UDub, which the White House has been leaning on for how low is death rate prediction has been, has altered their model and is now estimating that there will be nearly 135,000 deaths in the U.S. through at the beginning of August. IHME says it made that change based on rising mobility in most U.S. states, as well as the fact that 31 states will be easing social distancing measures by May 11th.
CR: I mean, with these like daily updates, I'm seriously just at the point that the numbers are just so much higher for everything that is said ever about coronavirus. And it's scary too because this Friday California's starting their first phase of reopening and I mean, I don't know about everyone else, but I will not be a part of that first wave. I am not leaving.
HB: You are not alone in that. A recent poll showed that about 80% of Americans are on your side, that even as things are beginning to reopen, they're like, I don't know about that, chief. Okay, number two, Pfizer has started human trials for coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. Pfizer has been working with a German company called BioNTech to develop a vaccine since March and they've already done some small scale trials in Germany. They're trying to develop a special version of a messenger protein called RNA that would, in theory, train the body into fighting off the coronavirus. The trials will involve multiple volunteer candidates moving in parallel, which is one way the company has hoped to compress the amount of time required. If they can gather enough proof of success, the vaccine could be approved for emergency use by the FDA as early as September.
CR: All of this sounds semi-positive to me in terms of like all the other vaccines and testing that's been going on because at least like at the beginning of all this, it was like, we're not going to see anything until 2021. So it's just like hopeful at least that that might be pushed up a little bit.
HB: Right, fingers crossed here, not going to bank on it, but fingers crossed. And number three, there appears to be a new problem in Russia, doctors falling out of windows after criticizing the state's coronavirus response. So this is a weird one published on Buzzfeed News from journalist Chris Miller and like all things Russia should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, Alexander Shulepov is a doctor with an ambulance unit in Western Russia. He and a colleague published a video griping about the lack of protective gear available and how Shulepov was forced to work after being diagnosed with coronavirus himself. He later recanted that story which made people go, um? But 10 days after he published it, he fell out of a second story window and fractured his skull. He's currently in critical condition. Two other doctors weren't as lucky. One fell from a fifth story window, the other from a window at the hospital where she was being treated for COVID-19 in Moscow. This is aroused suspicions in Russia where it's not uncommon to find yourself plummeting, should you be too public in your criticism.
CR: That's just truly insane. I mean three makes a pattern, we all know that right? Three makes a pattern.
HB: Three makes a pattern, so good luck to all the doctors in Russia where, as of right now, they're still saying that cases are fine, we're chill here, things don't sound very chill.
CR: Oof, all right. It's time for today's Good News, Bad News. This is where I treat us all to some of the most aww and most, oh my God, no stories from around the internet. Good news. I know we talk about Harry Potter a lot, but now we have Harry himself reading out loud the first chapter of the first book, which is amazing. Harry Potter's reading to me, Hayes, he's reading it to me.
HB: The child in you like glowing.
CR: So the Wizarding World, the official HB website posted a video today of Daniel Radcliffe with a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, or the Sorcerer's Stone reciting the words that launched an empire.
Daniel Radcliffe: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number Four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people that you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.
CR: Radcliffe does an incredible job with his performance. He doesn't lean too much into doing voices, but you can tell that he's thinking about it when he does Hagrid's lines.
DR: "Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."
CR: And then the best part about this video besides, literal Harry Potter reading to everyone is that they put fan art from the kids into it. And Daniel Radcliffe isn't going to be the only person doing these readings. They're going to have more famous people reading the rest of the book, all 17 of the chapters, which will be posted a Wizardingworld.com. And if you don't want to watch this on video, it's on Spotify. That's what I was listening to it on before.
HB: Hey, nice. No, this is great. He nails it. It looks like too, I think he does it in one take, unless they put that fan art in to cover up like him pausing.
CR: I'd believe it. I just picture him sitting in a super comfy chair in the corner of his home and just like soothing us all. Yeah, but I also really like his voice is like, I think his Mr. Dursley was really good. But I also appreciated that he wasn't like trying to do a Mrs. Dursley, because that could go horribly wrong if you're not a trained voice actor.
HB: He could have gone the way of Ronan Farrow reading out Catch and Kill. Sorry Ronan, you did great but we all know those voices were dodgy. Who do you want to hear as the famous people reading this book?
CR: Oh definitely, Maggie Smith.
HB: Oh my God.
CR: Maggie Smith is my answer.
HB: Oh my heart, whoa, strong, so strong. I can't think of anything I want more in world right now. So no, sold, done.
CR: And now it's time for bad news that I wish wasn't bad. So we may still get this current season of The Bachelorette, but at what cost? Filming for Clare's season at the Bachelor mansion in L.A. was cut short in March by the coronavirus virus outbreak. And then host Chris Harrison told Entertainment Tonight that the show was considering moving the series to allow for taping to start back up. He said, "Who knows what is going on, so maybe we leave. Maybe we have to go to a state that has their stuff together and we can shoot." Then he added, "Maybe we're doing this in Texas, I don't know, but right now we are just waiting and seeing where we can do this safely until we can do it the right way."
CR: Harrison also mentioned the idea that everyone, including contestants and crew could be quarantined on set wherever they wind up. Okay, so now I want this Bachelorette season as much as anyone, but I really don't want them to compromise it. Especially because we're dealing with the oldest bachelorette they've had at 38 years old. And it's just like already we know they're recasting because the people that they originally cast were a little bit too young. And so now they're looking for some older people to join the show. And it's just kind of like, I get that like people want to put content out there, we need content, studios need to make their television shows. But I'm like, it's such an iconic franchise that it's like I still want it to be up to its quality of what it always is.
HB: Right and it would be really weird if they decided to like suddenly shift gears and it's all Zoom dates, like all Zoom dates period. And you got to cook separately in your own kitchens and that's one of the dates you won with the Bachelorette. I'm guessing that's how this works.
CR: You know what, honestly maybe that would be good for them. I always do talk about like at what point will the Bachelor, Bachelorette not exist anymore? Is the show going to last forever or is there going to be a time in society when we're like, ah, we don't want this anymore and it's not performing as well. In which case if they do do the Zoom dates, I guess it'd be more like The Circle on Netflix, which has an insane following, it did so well. You know what, maybe they do need to start changing what the times. While we ponder the future of the Bachelor franchise, we have a short break. When we come back, we're talking to Josh Gondelman, stay right there.
HB: Welcome back. It's time for Say More.
CR: Things are just really, really weird right now, which can make it hard to be nice to each other or find things funny. So when someone manages to be both nice and funny right now, it kind of stands out.
HB: Today we're talking with writer, comedian, T.V. producer, podcast host, and one of the kindest people on Twitter, Josh Gondelman. Welcome, Josh.
Josh Gondelman: Thank you so much. What a swell intro. I feel like the internet's listeners, they're like John Krasinski, come on, please be John Krasinski.
HB: We nearly had him, but you were right at the top of the list, right behind him.
JG: If I'm a number two or whatever under John Krasinski as a guest, I'm very flattered. Just another Massachusetts legend.
HB: Josh, you're doing so much right now. You've got a book out. You've launched a new podcast called Make My Day. You're producing on the number one show in late night. What is it like for you as a white man finding success in comedy these days?
JG: Honestly, it feels terrific. I will not engage you in the trap of your question, but with sincerity to say that I know not from anyone else's experience, but honestly, I'm very thrilled and flattered, and understand the privilege of like getting to work in all these exciting capacities. And like, getting to publish a book, working for Desus & Mero and having this podcast out. I'm immensely grateful for these opportunities.
CR: For people who don't follow you on Twitter, one of the things that you often do is offer up pep talks to people who need them. How did that all start for you?
JG: It came from me feeling in kind of like a low bummery place about my own career. This is probably like seven years ago. And I was just scrolling through Twitter, as you do just ingesting kind of information toxins through your eyeballs to your brain. And I was like, I wish somebody would say something nice to me, which is, that's like a pathetic thought. But I was like, if however many followers I have, I don't need that many people to say something nice to me. So maybe if I offered to do something nice for other people it would feel the same. It would be kind of like a net exchange of low grade goodness and it worked.
JG: Several people reached out and I gave a few pep talks and it just feels like a nice thing to do if I'm up late at night or on the road doing stand-up, which is a thing you used to be able to do. You used to be able to travel from city to city-
HB: Back in the before times.
JG: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's weird that the current state of global dismay is such the opposite of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, right? We always picture people like rambling from city to city, cannibalism, but it's exactly opposite. It's nobody going anywhere.
HB: It's stay at home cannibalism. It's all Alex Jones eating people.
JG: Right. Think globally, cannibalize locally, that's what it is.
CR: Okay, so of all the pep talks you've given, are there any like requests that really stand out or any pep talks that you've given?
JG: Oh, that's such a good question. I think there's a lot, especially in the past four or so years have just kind of been like, this world, it's so hard, which I agree with. And I think a key to a good pep talk is to not deny that there is a problem. And I my standard response or like the general realm of my response is like, the world is really hard and bad in a lot of ways but lots of people are trying really hard to make it better. And you can both benefit from the good work of those people and be one of them yourself. I think that is like the strongest truest thing to say and that is like an increasingly popular request or acknowledgement that people give me. Just like, everything feels so bad.
HB: Like we said at the top, you've been working on Showtime's Desus & Mero for a minute now. Those two have a pretty particular vocabulary, very heavy on the Bronx. Has that affected the way that you speak at all?
JG: It is a little bit. There are like certain adjectives that I think I lean on a little more heavily. Like something being like, wild as opposed to like ridiculous or bananas or whatever. The most impactful slang from the show for me is just like the powerful like, wow.
HB: The drawn out, like just wow.
JG: Yeah, the drawn out like, wow, wow. There's like a really great gif of both ... I think there's gifs of both of them doing it and those have become my most used gifs as well. Eclipsing even Kevin Garnett's anything is possible scream after the Celtics won the 2008 finals.
HB: What was it like switching over to their show from Last Week Tonight? Was there much of a transition period for you, like switching over your brain?
JG: It is a lot different. I mean the jobs themselves are kind of 180 degrees different in terms of the production style and my responsibilities, which is really exciting to me. I had such a great experience working for John Oliver and writing for Last Week Tonight for a number of years. It was a really, really wonderful place and I learned so much. And now being at Desus & Mero, I'm applying those skills but also growing a totally different set of skills. Where for John, there was so much emphasis placed on like getting the wording of the writing exactly right because he's going to read it out of the teleprompter timed out to the second. So that the show is deliverable to HBO. I mean there are times where he would do it in one take, basically.
JG: And now at Desus & Mero, a big difference is like they improvise so much. So, so much of the show is sculpted after the recording. So there's so much done in edit to tighten things up a little bit or to make sure just things look right. And I'm a part of that, which is really exciting. But it is like fully 180 degrees different.
CR: Okay. So I feel like we're all struggling at least a little bit during this pandemic and you're known as one of the nicest people on the internet. Has all of this, everything, made that more of a struggle?
JG: There's definitely a sense of stress and fatigue, incoming and outgoing that is tough to ignore and tough to work around and avoid. But I also think the need for compassion and generosity is so foregrounded in this present moment. I'm trying to be really mindful of that, which is I think, it is hard not to be. There's so many people who are suffering from illness or are out of work and seeing that all the time, I think there are just constant reminders of the need to be kind and gentle. So as much as I'm like frazzled and exhausted by everything, my life and then the world, it feels constantly like it would be ridiculous for me to get short tempered at this point.
CR: Yeah, I feel like that's a really important mindset to have. And then on your podcast, Make My Day, comedians try to spin the day's crappy headlines into something positive, which is great and what we all need right now. What are some of the best spins someone's given to you so far?
JG: Oh, it's been so fun. So we've gone away a little bit from specific news headlines and have gone instead into just like the feeling of the moment. So we played a game called, What Could Be Better, with my first guest Akilah Hughes. And she talked about whose ghosts she would want to haunt her while she's in quarantine. And she just went on this long hilarious roundabout how she thinks Brittany Murphy's ghost would be like a great companion and she would have a really great makeover montage in her own apartment and stuff. And the second episode with Miel Bredouw, the whole spin of the episode was, look, there are no music festivals this year, so let's redesign music festivals from the ground up so that they're better. Like let's talk about ...was so funny and optimistic and wonderful.
HB: What was your biggest decision there for like redesigning music festivals? What are you getting rid of?
JG: The crowd. Her first thing was it's going to be in a remote Scandinavian location and it's going to cap out at 200 people. And also there would be dogs and each dog counts for two people.
CR: Okay.
JG: Which I think she innovated brilliantly.
CR: I love that.
HB: That's just science right there.
JG: Yeah, that is science. A dog often is as good to have around as two people.
HB: So tell us Josh, other than empty music festivals, what's the thing you're looking forward to the most once this pandemic is hopefully in the rear view mirror?
JG: Oh, I'm just really looking forward to visiting family and friends. I think that for me has been the hardest part because I've had, again, the real good luck to be like working full time from home and I've gotten a little anxious about the idea of getting back on the subway to go to work when the quarantine conditions start lifting. But just the idea of getting to go see my parents back in Massachusetts or meeting up with friends just for coffee is so nice. The idea of getting to around outside without a mask on feels really luxurious at this point.
CR: So with Mother's Day this weekend, we're asking people who come on, how they're planning on spending it, what are your family's plans?
JG: My sister and I are going to have a Zoom call with my parents, with my mom and dad. I think what that involves is a pre-celebration of teaching my mom how to use Zoom. Which I think she's done once for her book club, which is very charming. And then, I don't know when this is coming out but I also know that my mom doesn't listen to a lot of podcasts.
HB: It's coming out today so don't-
JG: Okay, that's all right, I'll blow it anyway. If you hear this, don't tell my mom. I got my mom (bleep) gift certificate just because I figured if she and my dad are going to be in the house for a little while, she might as well have some like nice new summery (bleep) or like cozy hunkering down inside in the evening (bleep).
CR: Oh, a perfect gift. And also I want to wish you so much luck on teaching your mom Zoom because I was Zooming with my mom for an hour and every five minutes I'd have to be like, I can only see half your face, can you move the camera?
JG: What are you seeing? It's so fun. I mean we did a Zoom Passover Seder with my wife's family and it was like varying degrees of success and visibility.
CR: Oh my God, I can only imagine.
JG: But it was very nice. I mean I'm grateful for the ... also for the technology to be able to connect to people remotely. I'm also not a big FaceTime person and so I've been trying to talk people down to just regular voice phone calls all the time. They'll be like, "Can you FaceTime at 6:00? And I'll be like, "What if we don't FaceTime but at 7:00?"
HB: What if you just hear my voice? How about that? And then I don't have to do anything to my face, how about that?
JG: You can just look at your favorite picture of me.
HB: Go Google right now.
JG: Yeah, I'm just going to send professional headshots to everyone who wants to talk to me on the phone.
HB: Josh, thank you so much for joining us. If folks want to hear more from you, where should they look?
JG: Oh my goodness. So I'm on Twitter and Instagram at Josh Gondelman, JoshGondelman.com for my comedy albums and my book, my essay collection which came out in September, Nice Try: Stories Of Best Intentions and Mixed Results. And the podcast, Make My Day is out every Tuesday, you can subscribe wherever you subscribe to podcasts. And I think it's like a really fun, nice time and my hope is that it feels like it is, it can exist in this moment without kind of like wallowing in the worst parts of it. So like hopefully people can enjoy it in this kind of like current climate without feeling like, oh we're really staring right into the void here.
HB: I mean we find that so relatable here at News o'Clock. Josh, thank you so much.
JG: Thank you so much, this was really a pleasure and I appreciate your taking the time to chat.
CR: It's time for The List, because if you know Buzzfeed at all, you know how much we love lists. And today we're looking at four things it's bonkers that most Americans don't know about Mexico.
HB: Because it's Cinco de Mayo and folks in the U.S. are still out here thinking it's Mexican Independence Day while doing bad accents.
CR: Oof, so put down the fake mustache and sombrero, Karen, it's not fucking funny. All right, number one thing, it's bonkers that more people don't know about Mexico, Mexico City is technically the oldest city in North America. It was founded by the Aztecs over 600 years ago and has been inhabited ever since. Take that Boston.
HB: Number two. For a brief moment, Mexico had an Austrian foreign emperor, Napoleon, the third of France put Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph in charge of the country in 1864. Making a Maximilian the First of Mexico. He did not last long though, and was ultimately ousted from power three years later and executed by a firing squad.
CR: Number three. The meteor that likely killed the dinosaurs landed in Mexico 65 million years ago. Scientists first ID'ed the spot in the Yucatan Peninsula back in the '90s. And turns out, that was just totally the worst place you'd want a meteor to land if you're the dinosaurs.
HB: And number four, Mexico has an official dog and it's called the Xoloitzcuintle. It's been called the Mexican hairless dog as well and has been popular in the region for literally thousands of years. Fun fact, it's actually not related to the Chinese Crested, which a lot of people assume but Xolo is spelled with an X and that's often included in children's ABC books.
CR: Okay, I want to go back to just talking about all these Karens out there because you know what else I'm really tired of-
HB: What?
CR: Not just on Cinco de Mayo, but just like, I've seen a fair amount online, usually Facebook, not Instagram, of people on their bachelorette parties that are just like, they're just a lot of white people just wearing sombreros. And it's just like, how is that the theme of your bachelorette party?
HB: I mean honestly it just fits the theme of too many people out there who think to themselves, boy, you know what I want to do today? Get drunk and culturally appropriate. That's my day, all right. Okay, we have time for one more thing and today that thing is Nicholas Cage.
CR: Nicholas Tiger King Cage.
HB: Yes, for those of you who haven't heard, Variety announced yesterday that Oscar winner, Nick Cage will be portraying Joe Exotic in a scripted series on CBS. It's going to be his first regular T.V. role and I cannot even picture this much chaotic energy on CBS.
CR: I know, on CBS. When I saw this headline, I was like, what? How, how? I just don't understand. People like Dax Shepard were like, "I want to be Tiger King." And I was like, okay, that makes sense to me. And now all of a sudden Nicholas Cage comes out of nowhere. And I'm like, okay, this is happening.
HB: I have so many questions. So according to Variety, the series will quote live in the lion's den with Joe, explore how he became Joe Exotic and how he lost himself to a character of his own creation, which when you put it that way is perfect Nick Cage Material. My question is, is this a comedy or a drama? I have no idea what this show is.
CR: Yeah, I don't think anyone knows. And what's so interesting is, I didn't know this before, but this was already in talks to happen before this whole Netflix show came out. So it's just like people were very ready to make this Tiger King content.
HB: Does this mean they're actually going to put Nicholas Cage on set with real tigers? And if so, can I be there because I really want to see this. Am I imagining that Nicholas Cage has this also weird like stage magic thing? Because I can very clearly picture him with a Siegfried and Roy style tiger. And I feel like it's just an evolution.
CR: I can 100% picture that. I have to say I like assume they're going to be using real tigers, but like after watching that documentary, I don't want them to use real tigers. And it's this very definite thing of like, after each episode I'm going to need like five minutes proving to me that the tigers were taken cared of really, really well. That's what I need right now.
HB: Oh absolutely. Oh, like when we were kids in the '90s and all of the action shows had that little PSA at the end like, don't actually punch people, kids. We need that but for the tigers to show that they're healthy, they're happy, they have not eaten Nicholas Cage. Just the range on this man.
CR: I know, his range is insane, but I also want to say going back to like, if it's going to be a comedy or a drama, I mean it's probably definitely going to be a comedy. Although, the reality of it's going to be sad. But it's because the creator of it, I believe is the creator of American Vandal-
HB: That's right.
CR: ... on Netflix, which was hilarious. So I think it's a parody of sorts.
HB: Of sorts is the thing that gets to me. Also, does Nicholas Cage know that it's supposed to be a parody of sorts or is he going to be completely serious. Also, really quickly, Nicholas Cage, Coppola family member, which we don't talk about enough. The fact that he is literally the Francis Ford and Sophia, he can just go and get a bottle from the family vineyard whenever he wants.
CR: Also is, I can just get you a bottle for my wine area too.
HB: It's not the same.
CR: Me and Nick are-
HB: It's not the same.
CR: I also love how much you love famous families.
HB: I really do.
CR: That is one of my favorite facts about you.
HB: I do, I just love the weird acclimation of power that nobody talks about.
CR: No, I'm with you.
HB: Okay, final point. What we need to know is will Carole Baskin and be a part of the show in any way, shape or form? Will she be mentioned? Will she show up as a cameo? These are the things I question.
CR: I think she'll be mentioned, but oh man, I don't think she's showing up. Especially after she was tricked being on not Jimmy Fallon's show when she thought it was Jimmy Fallon's show. I just don't think she wants anything to do with anyone anymore.
HB: All right, and I will end this by playing this out via the parody of Nicholas Cage done by Danny Pudi playing Abed on Community.
Danny Pudi: I'm a cat, I'm a sexy cat.
HB: That's it for today. Join us tomorrow for more good news, bad news and probably way, way less Nicholas Cage.
CR: And remember, cowbell is not a doctor recommended prescription for COVID related fevers.
HB: Be sure to subscribe News, o'Clock on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you go for your sound stories.
CR: And please take the time to leave us a rating and a review. It helps us figure out what you like about the show versus what you love about the show. And be sure to tell your friends about us. Then set your alarms, so you never miss an episode of News o'Clock.


buzzfeed--2020-03-17--This Bus Driver Is Worried He Might Have COVID-19. His Bosses Gave Him A Bottle Of Hand Sanitiser.

I spoke to a manager and they said just keep cleaning your hands .
People are always coughing and sneezing on buses .
One of my colleagues had to tell someone to cover their nose while they ’ re sneezing .
We ’ ve got people leaning over at us asking ‘ Does this bus go to wherever ?
’ and I ’ m leaning back saying to myself ‘ You don ’ t have to get right in my face ’ .
And then they get offended .
The [ Opal Card ] tap-and-go is right near the driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waving them on and off all day .
A union rep told me a lot of the drivers are concerned , but the standard response [ from management ] is that we ’ re following the advice of New South Wales Health .
I give them one thing — we get a bottle of hand sanitiser that we can refill at the depot , so they ’ re doing what they can there , they are following NSW Health recommendations , but this isn ’ t enough .
Are they doing everything they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplace , and the passengers a safe form of transport ?
What if I have got it , and now I ’ m spreading it around like the plague ?
We have young people , old people , all ages on the buses . ''
What is it like doing your job in the coronavirus outbreak ?
Email lane.sainty @ buzzfeed.com if you 'd like to share your story .

I spoke to a manager and they said just keep cleaning your hands. People are always coughing and sneezing on buses. One of my colleagues had to tell someone to cover their nose while they’re sneezing. We’ve got people leaning over at us asking ‘Does this bus go to wherever?’ and I’m leaning back saying to myself ‘You don’t have to get right in my face’. And then they get offended. The [Opal Card] tap-and-go is right near the driver, and you’ve got people waving them on and off all day.
A union rep told me a lot of the drivers are concerned, but the standard response [from management] is that we’re following the advice of New South Wales Health. I give them one thing — we get a bottle of hand sanitiser that we can refill at the depot, so they’re doing what they can there, they are following NSW Health recommendations, but this isn’t enough.
Are they doing everything they can to provide me with a safe workplace, and the passengers a safe form of transport? What if I have got it, and now I’m spreading it around like the plague? We have young people, old people, all ages on the buses."
What is it like doing your job in the coronavirus outbreak? Email lane.sainty@buzzfeed.com if you'd like to share your story.


buzzfeed--2020-04-23--So, Francesca And Harry From "Too Hot To Handle" Plan To Get Married And Have Kids

And , Harry added , they 're still living apart — him in LA and her in Canada — but @ @ @ @ @ other due to the coronavirus pandemic has just made their relationship even stronger .
`` @ @ @ @ @ probably going to be a few months [ until I see her ] , '' @ @ @ @ @ At that point , I 'll probably be completely driven up the wall .
So @ @ @ @ @ I 'll be wanting to put babies in her , and I 'll be wanting @ @ @ @ @

Admittedly, the show is absolute nonsense — but it's also exactly the kind of nonsense we all need to binge-watch right now, so the likelihood is you've watched all eight episodes and are wondering what the cast are up to now.


buzzfeed--2020-04-18--A New Law Will End Gender Recognition. Now Trans People Are Speaking Out.

But the UK government is not seeking to snuff out the legal existence of transgender people .
Malovics talks about Britain enthusiastically , gratefully even , and delivers the following line as if to say “ only ” .
“ I can count , maybe not on one hand but on two hands , how many times I ’ ve been hurt or discriminated [ against here ] .
And that ’ s a massive difference.
” She describes what it is like on her annual trips back home to see her family .
“ I lose my self-confidence immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel nervous .
Like , ‘ Oh my god , who ’ s going to hurt me ?
Who ’ s going to punch me in the face ?
Who ’ s going to say something bad ?
’ It ’ s always there.
” The reason for Malovics ’ fear when returning to Hungary is the same reason she fears for her future now : Despite living and presenting as a woman , her passport and ID only show her former name and gender .
By the time she applied in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is now , she feels , no hope of ever having documents that reflect who she is .
So every time she returns home , and every moment she is in public when any official could ask to see her papers , she — and others in her situation — is at risk .
“ That ’ s the main concern , ” she says , of friends back home .
“ All of them are afraid of these documents being changed ; that the government will allow all officials to read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a violation of law.
” The burgeoning awareness of transgender people in Hungary since 2016 has so far mostly increased hostility , she says .
It is a typical trajectory for minorities ; a little knowledge of whom by the majority can often mean danger .
The aggression , she says , is particularly directed at those who do not pass as cisgender .
“ They ’ re targeted and humiliated , verbally and physically attacked.
” “ I ’ m really scared ; I live in the UK right now but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m angry and I am sad ; I could cry .
These people [ the Hungarian government ] think I ’ m a freak , a danger , that I ’ m someone who has to be eliminated .
And it ’ s not just me , it ’ s everyone else who is like me .
I ’ m really concerned about what ’ s going to happen with all those people who live in Hungary because many of them are already saying they ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their intentions on social media .
Malovics invokes a typical comment : “ I just can ’ t deal with this and it ’ s better if I just end my life.
” Others are saying they will delay transitioning ; that it is too dangerous to begin now .
Those who have already begun , says Malovics , “ will have to live in fear of being hurt and will have to be grateful if that hurt is verbal.
” The choices being considered are either not transitioning , suicide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
But even the first of these is not living , she says ; it ’ s “ wearing a mask all your life ” .
The anguish being expressed is met with anger because of the pandemic , she says .
“ Many people are like , ‘ This is your biggest concern during this time — what is happening with transgender issues ?
’ Nobody cares .
Everyone ’ s getting mad at trans individuals trying to defend themselves.
” This , she believes , was part of the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brilliantly deployed tactic to quash resistance and sympathy .
International institutions such as the European Union — of which Hungary is a member — remain similarly muted amid the wider crisis .
But the Hungarian government , says Dombos from the LGBTQ rights group the Hatter Society , is pursuing this law partly blindly .
“ I don ’ t think they recognise how big an issue this is both in terms of its relevance for trans people or how clear the international human rights norms are on this issue , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Rights ( ECHR ) made clear the legal position of transgender people 18 years ago .
The Goodwin v United Kingdom case — in which a trans woman ’ s right to privacy , marriage , and family life was deemed to have been violated by the lack of legal gender recognition — formed a foundational precedent upon which supplementary protections grew : trans people must be allowed to change the gender on their birth certificate ( and therefore passport ) .
“ This is not debated anymore in [ European ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With Hungary 's anti-trans law expected to pass in early May , the only hope of overturning it is in the ECHR , Dombos said .
But there are already 23 legal challenges to Hungary ’ s suspension of legal recognition , which have not yet been heard .
The entire process is likely to take many years .
“ Some of these 23 applications [ date ] back to 2017 and there ’ s still no binding decision , ” says Dombos .
Ultimately , he thinks , there can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no question that the ECHR would find a violation.
” By then , he says , innumerable lives could have been ruined .
In the meantime , there is work being done behind the scenes , by human rights groups such as the Hatter Society , as well as through diplomatic channels .
All of which pose a quandary that has increasingly beset EU states and other organisations since Orban took office in 2010 : how best to respond to the creeping authoritarian moves of a member state ’ s prime minister ?

But the UK government is not seeking to snuff out the legal existence of transgender people. Malovics talks about Britain enthusiastically, gratefully even, and delivers the following line as if to say “only”.
“I can count, maybe not on one hand but on two hands, how many times I’ve been hurt or discriminated [against here]. And that’s a massive difference.” She describes what it is like on her annual trips back home to see her family. “I lose my self-confidence immediately. Even at the airport, I feel nervous. Like, ‘Oh my god, who’s going to hurt me? Who’s going to punch me in the face? Who’s going to say something bad?’ It’s always there.”
The reason for Malovics’ fear when returning to Hungary is the same reason she fears for her future now: Despite living and presenting as a woman, her passport and ID only show her former name and gender. By the time she applied in 2018, the suspension was in place. There is now, she feels, no hope of ever having documents that reflect who she is. So every time she returns home, and every moment she is in public when any official could ask to see her papers, she — and others in her situation — is at risk.
“That’s the main concern,” she says, of friends back home. “All of them are afraid of these documents being changed; that the government will allow all officials to read their sensitive information. It’s a violation of law.”
The burgeoning awareness of transgender people in Hungary since 2016 has so far mostly increased hostility, she says. It is a typical trajectory for minorities; a little knowledge of whom by the majority can often mean danger. The aggression, she says, is particularly directed at those who do not pass as cisgender. “They’re targeted and humiliated, verbally and physically attacked.”
“I’m really scared; I live in the UK right now but it still affects me,” she says. “I’m angry and I am sad; I could cry. These people [the Hungarian government] think I’m a freak, a danger, that I’m someone who has to be eliminated. And it’s not just me, it’s everyone else who is like me. I’m really concerned about what’s going to happen with all those people who live in Hungary because many of them are already saying they’re going to end their lives.”
Some have written of their intentions on social media. Malovics invokes a typical comment: “I just can’t deal with this and it’s better if I just end my life.” Others are saying they will delay transitioning; that it is too dangerous to begin now. Those who have already begun, says Malovics, “will have to live in fear of being hurt and will have to be grateful if that hurt is verbal.” The choices being considered are either not transitioning, suicide, or emigration — if they have the money. But even the first of these is not living, she says; it’s “wearing a mask all your life”.
The anguish being expressed is met with anger because of the pandemic, she says. “Many people are like, ‘This is your biggest concern during this time — what is happening with transgender issues?’ Nobody cares. Everyone’s getting mad at trans individuals trying to defend themselves.” This, she believes, was part of the reason for the timing of the bill; a brilliantly deployed tactic to quash resistance and sympathy.
International institutions such as the European Union — of which Hungary is a member — remain similarly muted amid the wider crisis. But the Hungarian government, says Dombos from the LGBTQ rights group the Hatter Society, is pursuing this law partly blindly.
“I don’t think they recognise how big an issue this is both in terms of its relevance for trans people or how clear the international human rights norms are on this issue,” he says.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) made clear the legal position of transgender people 18 years ago. The Goodwin v United Kingdom case — in which a trans woman’s right to privacy, marriage, and family life was deemed to have been violated by the lack of legal gender recognition — formed a foundational precedent upon which supplementary protections grew: trans people must be allowed to change the gender on their birth certificate (and therefore passport).
“This is not debated anymore in [European] international human rights,” says Dombos.
With Hungary's anti-trans law expected to pass in early May, the only hope of overturning it is in the ECHR, Dombos said. But there are already 23 legal challenges to Hungary’s suspension of legal recognition, which have not yet been heard. The entire process is likely to take many years. “Some of these 23 applications [date] back to 2017 and there’s still no binding decision,” says Dombos. Ultimately, he thinks, there can be only one outcome. “We have no question that the ECHR would find a violation.” By then, he says, innumerable lives could have been ruined.
In the meantime, there is work being done behind the scenes, by human rights groups such as the Hatter Society, as well as through diplomatic channels. All of which pose a quandary that has increasingly beset EU states and other organisations since Orban took office in 2010: how best to respond to the creeping authoritarian moves of a member state’s prime minister?


buzzfeed--2020-04-23--These British Pub Owners Say They Won’t Survive The Lockdown If Landlords Continue To Demand Rent

British pub owners are calling out their landlords for continuing to demand rent despite their inability to trade during the coronavirus lockdown .
Amid concerns some pubs wo n't survive the pandemic 's economic fallout , dozens of pub owners have shared the challenges they ’ re facing as a direct result of landlords continuing to charge them , using the hashtag # NoPubNoRent .
Along with a now-viral clip posted on Twitter , Gary Murphy , owner of the Mitre in Barnet , wrote : “ Four weeks with a closed pub and I now owe Greene King £8,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year and the taxpayer is currently paying for their furloughed staff.
” In a statement to BuzzFeed News , Greene King , the UK 's largest pub retailer and brewer , said it would be “ deferring rent ” for its tenants and leased partners while pubs remain closed , with the hopes of removing any immediate “ cash flow concerns ” — but pub owners say this isn ’ t the right course of action .
The company said it was in the process of launching a Partner Support Fund , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its 975 tied tenants that would allow them to access financial support on rent and further support when they are able to reopen `` after they have utilised all relevant government schemes '' .
Murphy told BuzzFeed News : “ Deferral is not a real solution , because if we 're closed for three months , that means I for example will owe £24,000 to restart my business , which is a huge debt .
If we 're closed for six months , then of course I will owe £48,000 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with restrictions on movement and all the rest of it , so trade is going to be down .
And we 're going into this reopening with a huge debt , which will be very hard to pay .
We 're single businessmen and women , and we do n't have the money to do it.
” The former civil servant , who switched careers 12 years ago to run the north London pub , said that as a final resort he would be prepared to legally challenge the rental demands .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal argument to say that the rent is n't due because we 're not allowed to trade and the tenancies that we have are completely based upon trading .
Greene King will not engage in that debate in any way whatsoever .
“ Legal action is very expensive and risky , [ but ] I am definitely considering it .
I 'm working with a group of tenants , pooling together and challenging it as a group , but my preference is to ... engage sensibly.
” A Greene King spokesperson said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legal requirements of a commercial landlord/tenant relationship and do not recognise Mr Murphy 's assertions on this front . ''

British pub owners are calling out their landlords for continuing to demand rent despite their inability to trade during the coronavirus lockdown.
Amid concerns some pubs won't survive the pandemic's economic fallout, dozens of pub owners have shared the challenges they’re facing as a direct result of landlords continuing to charge them, using the hashtag #NoPubNoRent.
Along with a now-viral clip posted on Twitter, Gary Murphy, owner of the Mitre in Barnet, wrote: “Four weeks with a closed pub and I now owe Greene King £8,000 in rent. Greene King made £246.9m last year and the taxpayer is currently paying for their furloughed staff.”
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Greene King, the UK's largest pub retailer and brewer, said it would be “deferring rent” for its tenants and leased partners while pubs remain closed, with the hopes of removing any immediate “cash flow concerns” — but pub owners say this isn’t the right course of action.
The company said it was in the process of launching a Partner Support Fund, an initiative that it would make available to its 975 tied tenants that would allow them to access financial support on rent and further support when they are able to reopen "after they have utilised all relevant government schemes".
Murphy told BuzzFeed News: “Deferral is not a real solution, because if we're closed for three months, that means I for example will owe £24,000 to restart my business, which is a huge debt. If we're closed for six months, then of course I will owe £48,000.
“We are facing a huge downturn, with restrictions on movement and all the rest of it, so trade is going to be down. And we're going into this reopening with a huge debt, which will be very hard to pay. We're single businessmen and women, and we don't have the money to do it.”
The former civil servant, who switched careers 12 years ago to run the north London pub, said that as a final resort he would be prepared to legally challenge the rental demands.
He said: “There is a strong legal argument to say that the rent isn't due because we're not allowed to trade and the tenancies that we have are completely based upon trading. Greene King will not engage in that debate in any way whatsoever.
“Legal action is very expensive and risky, [but] I am definitely considering it. I'm working with a group of tenants, pooling together and challenging it as a group, but my preference is to ... engage sensibly.”
A Greene King spokesperson said: "We remain entirely compliant with all the legal requirements of a commercial landlord/tenant relationship and do not recognise Mr Murphy's assertions on this front."


buzzfeed--2020-04-23--A Lot Of Muslims Are Relating To This TikTok About A Group Of Friends Who Won't Be Able To Meet Up T

A Lot Of Muslims Are Relating To This TikTok About A Group Of Friends Who Won't Be Able To Meet Up This Ramadan For The First Time In Six Years

@ Kyoxjin told BuzzFeed News the usual Ramadan for him goes beyond iftar .
He said : `` It 's the thing I look forward to most during the month with my friends , but we also go out to eat to break our fast and sometimes if we 're still outside , we 'll open our fast somewhere too .
`` We play football regularly before iftar , and there 's even times when we 'll go to the gym during the night between breaking our fast and opening it again .
`` Ramadan in that sense is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , along with the extended hours we can meet up during the morning , day and night .
Everything about it just feels different to a regular month .
`` The iftar itself is a chance for all the smaller groups to come together and have a good time . ''
He said when they were together , they 'd play a variety of games together while catching up with each other as some of them had n't been able to meet up during the rest of the year .
`` Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one side of the room playing PS4 , and the other side of the room playing Mafia , and everyone will alternate these two activities . ''
For friends who ca n't make it , they make a list and drive to each of their homes to give them baklawa .
`` We allocate them into different areas of London and spend a day driving around and dropping Baklawa to their houses .
To sum up I would [ say ] Ramadan is an escape for us from the rest of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who we have n't seen during the year . ''

@Kyoxjin told BuzzFeed News the usual Ramadan for him goes beyond iftar. He said: "It's the thing I look forward to most during the month with my friends, but we also go out to eat to break our fast and sometimes if we're still outside, we'll open our fast somewhere too.
"We play football regularly before iftar, and there's even times when we'll go to the gym during the night between breaking our fast and opening it again.
"Ramadan in that sense is the feeling of being part of a Muslim community, along with the extended hours we can meet up during the morning, day and night. Everything about it just feels different to a regular month.
"The iftar itself is a chance for all the smaller groups to come together and have a good time."
He said when they were together, they'd play a variety of games together while catching up with each other as some of them hadn't been able to meet up during the rest of the year.
"Most of the time, we'll have one side of the room playing PS4, and the other side of the room playing Mafia, and everyone will alternate these two activities." For friends who can't make it, they make a list and drive to each of their homes to give them baklawa.
"We allocate them into different areas of London and spend a day driving around and dropping Baklawa to their houses. To sum up I would [say] Ramadan is an escape for us from the rest of the year, especially when we can see people who we haven't seen during the year."


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--An Anti-Vaxxer Group Has Been Warned For Using The World Health Organisation Logo On A Press Release

According to social media analytics tool Crowdtangle , Facebook users have liked , reacted to , or shared posts linking to the press release at least 34,000 times .
WHO communications officer Laura Keenan told BuzzFeed News that AVN 's press release contradicted the organisation 's strong support for vaccination .
`` A common tactic for anti-vaccination activists is to misuse or take statements out of context , as part of a systematic attempt to discredit vaccines , '' she said .
The AVN 's press release selectively quotes experts speaking at the Global Vaccine Safety Summit to falsely suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety or effectiveness of vaccines .
The Vaccine Confidence Project 's professor Heidi Larson delivered an address at the summit on Dec. 2 , which made the case for improving communication strategies — including a call to engage with anti-vaxxers — to improve uptake of vaccines .
But AVN used sections of her address to make the opposite case .
A quote about how doctors are n't adequately prepared to communicate about vaccines is , in the press release , twisted into a false claim about how medical professionals are not properly trained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter , AVN removed the screenshot of the WHO website and included information about the WHO ’ s correspondence in the press release .
But the screenshot of the WHO website has now been replaced with a photograph of the letter , which also features WHO ’ s name and logo .
`` We agreed to [ take the screenshot down ] , '' the website reads .
`` We are responding to them and will share all correspondence as we send and receive it .
Please stay tuned and keep sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' AVN also wrote that the press release went viral `` because it told the truth about vaccination '' and doubled down on its claims about what was said at the WHO summit .
The WHO is widely recognised as the world 's leading health authority with expertise on vaccines .
Facebook is showing users information from WHO first when they search for terms related to COVID-19 to combat misinformation about the virus .

According to social media analytics tool Crowdtangle, Facebook users have liked, reacted to, or shared posts linking to the press release at least 34,000 times.
WHO communications officer Laura Keenan told BuzzFeed News that AVN's press release contradicted the organisation's strong support for vaccination.
"A common tactic for anti-vaccination activists is to misuse or take statements out of context, as part of a systematic attempt to discredit vaccines," she said.
The AVN's press release selectively quotes experts speaking at the Global Vaccine Safety Summit to falsely suggest that the science is unclear about the safety or effectiveness of vaccines.
The Vaccine Confidence Project's professor Heidi Larson delivered an address at the summit on Dec. 2, which made the case for improving communication strategies — including a call to engage with anti-vaxxers — to improve uptake of vaccines.
But AVN used sections of her address to make the opposite case. A quote about how doctors aren't adequately prepared to communicate about vaccines is, in the press release, twisted into a false claim about how medical professionals are not properly trained when it comes to vaccines.
Following the letter, AVN removed the screenshot of the WHO website and included information about the WHO’s correspondence in the press release. But the screenshot of the WHO website has now been replaced with a photograph of the letter, which also features WHO’s name and logo.
"We agreed to [take the screenshot down]," the website reads. "We are responding to them and will share all correspondence as we send and receive it. Please stay tuned and keep sharing this with the media and others."
AVN also wrote that the press release went viral "because it told the truth about vaccination" and doubled down on its claims about what was said at the WHO summit.
The WHO is widely recognised as the world's leading health authority with expertise on vaccines. Facebook is showing users information from WHO first when they search for terms related to COVID-19 to combat misinformation about the virus.


buzzfeed--2020-03-19--One In 12 People Infected By The Coronavirus In Italy So Far Have Been Health Workers

One in twelve people infected by the novel coronavirus in Italy so far have been health workers , according to new figures that come as frontline hospital staff in other countries , including the US and Britain , raise the alarm over serious shortages of the protective equipment they need to treat patients with the virus .
Analysis published by the Italian National Institute of Health , ISS , revealed that of 35,713 COVID-19 cases in Italy , 2,898 have been health workers .
The institute , which is the leading scientific body of the Italian National Health Service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this does not necessarily mean they all caught the disease on the front line — but reports from across Italy have shone a light on the massive burden that the coronavirus is placing on health workers .
Two weeks ago the World Health Organisation warned that `` severe and mounting disruption '' to the global supply of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) was putting lives at risk and leaving nurses and doctors dangerously ill-equipped .
Health care workers rely on PPE to protect themselves and their patients from the highly contagious disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been fully met .
In the US , doctors and nurses told BuzzFeed News how they were facing frightening shortages of masks .
And in the UK , the British Medical Association ( BMA ) , the doctors ’ union , said some medics had been forced to go to DIY stores and even building sites to buy masks because none were available at work .
They also said some staff who did have hospital-grade masks had not had them test-fitted ahead of treating patients , which was crucial for the masks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Independent it was just 24 hours away from running out of the personal protective equipment that was vital to keep its frontline staff safeguarded — despite claims from the UK prime minister on Wednesday that Britain had “ stockpiles ” of the kit .
In Italy , the head of the doctors ' guild of the city of Bergamo told an Italian newspaper this week that a quarter of its primary care doctors are ill or in quarantine .

One in twelve people infected by the novel coronavirus in Italy so far have been health workers, according to new figures that come as frontline hospital staff in other countries, including the US and Britain, raise the alarm over serious shortages of the protective equipment they need to treat patients with the virus.
Analysis published by the Italian National Institute of Health, ISS, revealed that of 35,713 COVID-19 cases in Italy, 2,898 have been health workers.
The institute, which is the leading scientific body of the Italian National Health Service, notes that the data indicates profession and this does not necessarily mean they all caught the disease on the front line — but reports from across Italy have shone a light on the massive burden that the coronavirus is placing on health workers.
Two weeks ago the World Health Organisation warned that "severe and mounting disruption" to the global supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) was putting lives at risk and leaving nurses and doctors dangerously ill-equipped. Health care workers rely on PPE to protect themselves and their patients from the highly contagious disease.
That warning appears to not have been fully met.
In the US, doctors and nurses told BuzzFeed News how they were facing frightening shortages of masks.
And in the UK, the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union, said some medics had been forced to go to DIY stores and even building sites to buy masks because none were available at work.
They also said some staff who did have hospital-grade masks had not had them test-fitted ahead of treating patients, which was crucial for the masks to provide protection.
One NHS hospital told the Independent it was just 24 hours away from running out of the personal protective equipment that was vital to keep its frontline staff safeguarded — despite claims from the UK prime minister on Wednesday that Britain had “stockpiles” of the kit.
In Italy, the head of the doctors' guild of the city of Bergamo told an Italian newspaper this week that a quarter of its primary care doctors are ill or in quarantine.


buzzfeed--2020-02-19--This Man's Facebook Page Was Blocked For Spreading False Information About The Coronavirus

In a first , Facebook has blocked access to a Facebook page for Singaporean users , due to a government order under the country 's controversial fake news law .
A Facebook spokesperson announced last night that it would restrict access to the States Times Review Facebook page , but hit out against the Singaporean government 's use of the new Protection From Online Falsehoods And Manipulation ( POFMA ) Act .
`` We believe orders like this are disproportionate and contradict the government 's claim that POFMA would not be used as a censorship tool , '' a Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've repeatedly highlighted this law 's potential for overreach and we 're deeply concerned about the precedent this sets for the stifling of freedom of expression in Singapore . ''
States Times Review is run by Singaporean citizen and Australian resident Alex Tan .
Tan started the page in 2015 and uses it to publish anti-government news and commentary to the page 's 54,000 followers .
BuzzFeed News previously reported that Tan was the first person to have a `` correction '' placed on a post by Facebook under the POFMA Act .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr S. Iswaran instructed the country 's POFMA office to issue Facebook a disabling notice on Feb. 17 after the States Times Review page failed to respond to an order earlier this week .
`` The States Times Review Facebook page has repeatedly conveyed falsehoods and not complied with any of the POFMA directions that it has been served with , '' he wrote .
On Feb. 15 , the page was designated as a `` declared online location '' by the government — again , a first — after Tan shared multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Tan had been issued with and ignored three correction directions .
The declaration required the States Times Review Facebook page to feature a notice that it was a declared online location that has a `` history of communicating falsehoods '' .
The order also made it an offence to make money off the page and prohibited anyone from giving financial support to the page .
But following the disabling notice on Feb. 17 and Facebook taking action , the page is now blocked altogether in Singapore .
Despite all this , Tan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Facebook ] has done well , '' Tan told BuzzFeed News in a message .
`` I have also achieved what I intended which is exposing the hypocrisy of the Singaporean government .
I believe I won . ''
Tan believes that the order exposes the government 's claims that the POFMA Act wo n't be used to censor dissent .
He also disputes that his most recent flagged post contains falsehoods .
`` People will now know words from the regime ca n't be trusted .
Legalised corruption is very real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Prior to Facebook 's decision , Tan had attempted to circumvent the law by changing the page 's URL , requesting to change the page 's name , and advising his audience to change their browser 's DNS settings .
Once BuzzFeed News showed him Facebook 's statement , Tan said he planned to start up a new page that he hoped would n't be subject to the order .
`` Hah thanks .
I will be busy from here on .
New page from zero , '' he wrote @

In a first, Facebook has blocked access to a Facebook page for Singaporean users, due to a government order under the country's controversial fake news law.
A Facebook spokesperson announced last night that it would restrict access to the States Times Review Facebook page, but hit out against the Singaporean government's use of the new Protection From Online Falsehoods And Manipulation (POFMA) Act.
"We believe orders like this are disproportionate and contradict the government's claim that POFMA would not be used as a censorship tool," a Facebook spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. "We've repeatedly highlighted this law's potential for overreach and we're deeply concerned about the precedent this sets for the stifling of freedom of expression in Singapore."
States Times Review is run by Singaporean citizen and Australian resident Alex Tan. Tan started the page in 2015 and uses it to publish anti-government news and commentary to the page's 54,000 followers.
BuzzFeed News previously reported that Tan was the first person to have a "correction" placed on a post by Facebook under the POFMA Act.
Singapore's minister for communications and information Mr S. Iswaran instructed the country's POFMA office to issue Facebook a disabling notice on Feb. 17 after the States Times Review page failed to respond to an order earlier this week.
"The States Times Review Facebook page has repeatedly conveyed falsehoods and not complied with any of the POFMA directions that it has been served with," he wrote.
On Feb. 15, the page was designated as a "declared online location" by the government — again, a first — after Tan shared multiple falsehoods about coronavirus. The declaration came after Tan had been issued with and ignored three correction directions.
The declaration required the States Times Review Facebook page to feature a notice that it was a declared online location that has a "history of communicating falsehoods". The order also made it an offence to make money off the page and prohibited anyone from giving financial support to the page.
But following the disabling notice on Feb. 17 and Facebook taking action, the page is now blocked altogether in Singapore.
Despite all this, Tan is pleased with the outcome.
"[Facebook] has done well," Tan told BuzzFeed News in a message. "I have also achieved what I intended which is exposing the hypocrisy of the Singaporean government. I believe I won."
Tan believes that the order exposes the government's claims that the POFMA Act won't be used to censor dissent. He also disputes that his most recent flagged post contains falsehoods.
"People will now know words from the regime can't be trusted. Legalised corruption is very real, even in a democracy," he said.
Prior to Facebook's decision, Tan had attempted to circumvent the law by changing the page's URL, requesting to change the page's name, and advising his audience to change their browser's DNS settings.
Once BuzzFeed News showed him Facebook's statement, Tan said he planned to start up a new page that he hoped wouldn't be subject to the order.
"Hah thanks. I will be busy from here on. New page from zero," he wrote.