theverge--2020-08-17--Real-life advice on parenting during a pandemic

Being a parent is not easy at the best of times — and these are definitely not the best of times .
It was hard enough trying to keep kids happy , healthy , and busy during a summer where they might be stuck at home , isolated from their friends and grandparents , and missing experiences like camp or family trips .
Now school is starting , and kids ( and parents ) have to deal with going to school during a pandemic or trying to learn remotely .
We asked some of the parents who work at Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coping with the needs of their kids and with their own stress from trying to be the best parent possible under these circumstances .
Here are their answers .
As a family with four kids ( nine , seven , and four years old & six months old ) and two full-time working parents , we found that a daily schedule with a mix of activities was really helpful in structuring our days .
For the summer , we put together a weekday schedule that includes a mix of academic , creative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on track without us parents having to monitor the time , we set up an Alexa “ routine ” using our Amazon Echo .
It ’ s set to automatically announce a handful of activities throughout the day , and the kids know that they have to clean up before they move on to the next thing .
This has really helped keep the kids busy and active , and it let us focus on work .
I no longer have to respond to constant requests for screentime or cajole them to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be reading in the morning and they know that screentime is coming up in the afternoon .
“ We put together a weekday schedule that includes a mix of academic , creative , and fun activities.
” We used this same system when we transitioned to distance learning in March , and I plan on using it again when the kids return to distance learning in September .
We ’ ll set up a routine for school time with periodic breaks for meals and outside play and reminders for each kid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no more pressure on us parents to remember it all for them !
Who knew that cordless headphones would make such a difference in my kid ’ s comfort while on video calls ?
Not me !
But we switched to Bluetooth headphones and the number of times the kid walked away and dragged the computer and everything else on the table with it has gone down from 836 times per week to zero .
Amazing .
Additionally , requests for “ Mom , can you get me X ?
” have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever end ) because she can “ get up and get it yourself , you can still hear your call.
” Thank you , technology .
“ Who knew that cordless headphones would make such a difference in my kid ’ s comfort while on video calls ?
” Also , some basic interior design changes across the house have come a long way in helping the kiddo be more self-sufficient while I ’ m doing other things .
Frequently used items such as craft materials , glue , tools , paper , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she can help herself .
This has helped lower her dependency on me throughout the day and also gives her more freedom to just start things when she feels like it .
Snacks , plates , cups , and utensils have also moved to the lower cabinets in the kitchen so she can help herself .
While the overall organization of things in the house is not my ideal , it is kid-optimized now and it has helped keep everyone more comfortable and less stressed out about being hands-on all of the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energetic seven-year-old and five-year-old , we have lots of small tips for getting through this pandemic .
None of them have been that helpful .
The most valuable thing I could share that has helped our family is to lower the bar .
As parents in a pre-pandemic world , we put tremendous amounts of pressure on ourselves to make sure our kids were getting the best education / socialization / parenting possible .
What did that look like ?
Lots of playdates , extracurricular activities , camps , limiting screentime , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic hit , not only did these things disappear , but we felt panic at all the “ losses ” our kids were experiencing .
What would happen if we let our kids watch too much TV ?
What would happen if they didn ’ t get to socialize ?
Would they fall behind in school ?
In the beginning , that led to us overdoing it with Zooms and our own time taken from very busy schedules to fill in the gaps .
It was exhausting — and , more importantly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] lost in ‘ development , ’ they gained in having parents who were not exhausted and overwhelmed.
” As the spring came to an end , we decided to lower the bar .
We relaxed our screentime rules .
Our daily outing became a walk in the park , and no specific activities were planned on most days when we were busy with work .
We decided to rent a house for a month by the beach and let them bum around without camp or Zoom school .
No swim lessons or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played video games , and hung out at the beach all day .
And it ’ s been great .
Whatever they lost in “ development , ” they gained in having parents who were not exhausted and overwhelmed .
As the summer comes to a close , we are hoping to take this no-pressure attitude into the school year and hope it helps us navigate what will be an unusual and difficult year .
Our son will be a junior in high school this year , and we have just given in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not going to be typical in any way .
His school is going to try a hybrid model — two days in school in small pods , the rest remote — and we ’ re pretty apprehensive about it .
Even the teenager doesn ’ t think it ’ s going to last long , but he wants to at least try it .
They went all remote in the spring , and at that time , it seemed like schools were getting guidance from the state , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts are all just winging it .
“ There ’ s only so much we can control.
” And I guess winging it is sort of what we ’ ve done over the summer .
Our son basically became nocturnal , staying up late to game with his friends , and we really didn ’ t push back on it .
We were strict in other ways , though , saying no to visits with friends we didn ’ t think were a great idea .
I ’ d say getting comfortable with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hardest part of parenting in a pandemic , but there ’ s only so much we can control .
If we can wing it with the small things , it does make the bigger decisions a little easier .
Our daughter will be entering first grade .
Last school year when we moved to distance learning , I ran and bought every organizational thing from The Container Store — every subject into a neat little home — and propped her up in front of her computer while offering her rewards .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more Montessori and self-directed approach .
We hope she is in a classroom with a teacher for at least two days a week ; the other days , I will set things up like math puzzles or reading words and let her go to what interests her when it interests her .
“ Interactive toys will be a welcomed break from screentime.
” I also have adjusted how I interact with her about things and make a more mindful approach to explaining things .
Like at the farmers market , where we count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bingo while driving — things I would not have thought to do before .
Our biggest investment for back to school this year is a good printer that actually works — all those freakin ’ elementary school worksheets !
We are also investing in a lot more toys to get the wiggles out , like a Nugget or indoor climbing tools .
Last spring , we all had serious cabin fever and the kids didn ’ t have the right tools to get their bodies moving .
In between Zoom sessions , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break from screentime .
Do what you can and hope for the best We have three kids ( seven , six , and four years old ) .
Our oldest , who was in second grade , was the only one with remote “ school ” this past spring .
When summer break first started , we were pretty lax , but there was a lot of squabbling and listlessness , and we knew we had to change things .
We decided to develop a loose schedule , modeled off the work periods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the morning when they can choose more “ academic ” activities , some outside time , lunch , then another work period for more creative art activities .
As they are on the younger side , we ’ ve mostly focused on reading — which they love — writing , and math .
My oldest , in particular , always needs to know what ’ s happening next , so developing a routine adds consistency that helps us all get through the day .
The older two kept a “ coronavirus journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day .
We ’ ve also been doing a lot of “ Pokémon school.
” The kids are really into the card game , which is great , as it facilitates addition , subtraction , and multiplication , as well as strategic thinking .
“ We decided to develop a loose schedule , modeled off the work periods in Montessori.
” As we look toward the new school year , we are anxious about the remote-only option .
We would have chosen remote over in-person if given a choice , yet we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective remote learning will be for our third- and first-grader .
With one child who is easily distracted and another performing well above grade level , how will teachers be able to address their unique needs from a screen with 25+ other children ?
While we don ’ t know the schedule yet , it seems like most schools are planning on synchronous learning for big chunks of the day , which seems unlikely to succeed , especially with younger children .
Additionally , we are worried about their social development .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push her socially , something she provides for her younger siblings .
Our first-grader will be new to the school ; I can not imagine how difficult it will be to develop friendships remotely .
We firmly believe putting the health of the children and teachers first is the most important thing , but we ultimately know that remote school will otherwise be to the detriment of the children .
We ’ ll do what we can and hope for the best .
I have twins who are rising kindergarteners and were very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So when we decided to choose virtual schooling , I focused on building some excitement for them just like I would have if they were starting school in normal circumstances , like letting them choose their own school supplies , backpacks , etc .
Since I know they will be on hours of video calls , I have set up workstations for them that are child-sized and adjustable , hoping that they will be able to be more engaged and focused if they are comfortable .
I have also tried to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in different zones of our living area so they can have a change of scenery if necessary .
This requires stocking up on power strips , extension cords , and wireless everything .
“ I focused on building some excitement for them just like I would have if they were starting school in normal circumstances.
” I also try to place food , cups , bowls , and utensils where they can access them easily and premake a lot of grab-and-go snacks for them to help themselves between meals .
Creating spaces that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long way toward easing my anxieties as a parent while allowing them to build independence and autonomy .
Something I have yet to set up , but would like to , is a defined area near their desks where I can display their kindergarten artwork and activities so they can be excited and proud about the things they learn throughout the year .
Don ’ t beat yourself up too much One of the most important things I ’ ve learned about myself during this pandemic is that I ’ m a poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m also a poor substitute for a substitute teacher , to be honest .
My attempts to teach my five-year-old to read over these past few months — sight-word flashcards , Bob Books , songs to build phonemic awareness — have been scattershot and have yielded poor results .
I fear that I ’ m inadvertently teaching her to hate reading .
But my wife assures me that I ’ m actually doing a great job .
The pandemic has made it extremely difficult , if not impossible , to see the forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s said “ Slow down ” or “ Lower your expectations ” or “ Don ’ t beat yourself up too much , ” I say amen .
Back in March , still reeling from the closure of schools , we did what everyone else did .
We wrote out schedules , we traded off shifts , we knuckled down with the expectation that by the fall , things would be back to normal .
And of course , we got played .
We tried the virtual pre-K classes , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the experience was largely overwhelming for my daughter .
Too many kids trying to talk all at the same time .
The teachers tried their hardest , but it was an impossible situation .
Since then , my attitude has morphed from plucky optimism to exhausted , unshowered defeat to now something that resembles the old adage , “ This too shall pass.
” “ The screen is our best friend and our worst enemy.
” My wife and I have basically thrown in the towel on getting any work done during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the faces of either our five-year-old or three-year-old — or both .
The screen is our best friend and our worst enemy .
It is the alpha and omega .
I ’ ve read the research and skimmed the essays about other parents worried about turning their kids into iPad zombies .
But there are parents who are dealing with far more pressing problems , so I try to keep that in mind as my kid presses play on the next video from YouTube ’ s Ryan ’ s World .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So it goes .
This too shall pass .
Don ’ t beat yourself up too much .
I just keep repeating those cliches like a religious mantra and crossing my fingers that our school district can sustain the hybrid model ( some in-person classes , mostly virtual ) it set out for itself .
Otherwise , I may need to fully detach from reality in order to prevent an emotional breakdown .

Part of / The Verge’s Back to School Special
Being a parent is not easy at the best of times — and these are definitely not the best of times. It was hard enough trying to keep kids happy, healthy, and busy during a summer where they might be stuck at home, isolated from their friends and grandparents, and missing experiences like camp or family trips. Now school is starting, and kids (and parents) have to deal with going to school during a pandemic or trying to learn remotely.
We asked some of the parents who work at Vox Media to report on how they are coping with the needs of their kids and with their own stress from trying to be the best parent possible under these circumstances. Here are their answers.
An Alexa routine
As a family with four kids (nine, seven, and four years old & six months old) and two full-time working parents, we found that a daily schedule with a mix of activities was really helpful in structuring our days. For the summer, we put together a weekday schedule that includes a mix of academic, creative, and fun activities. To keep them on track without us parents having to monitor the time, we set up an Alexa “routine” using our Amazon Echo. It’s set to automatically announce a handful of activities throughout the day, and the kids know that they have to clean up before they move on to the next thing. This has really helped keep the kids busy and active, and it let us focus on work. I no longer have to respond to constant requests for screentime or cajole them to do some reading — I know they’ll be reading in the morning and they know that screentime is coming up in the afternoon.
“We put together a weekday schedule that includes a mix of academic, creative, and fun activities.”
We used this same system when we transitioned to distance learning in March, and I plan on using it again when the kids return to distance learning in September. We’ll set up a routine for school time with periodic breaks for meals and outside play and reminders for each kid to log in for their Zoom meetings — no more pressure on us parents to remember it all for them!
Allie Gillebo
Concert studio designer
Basic interior design changes
Who knew that cordless headphones would make such a difference in my kid’s comfort while on video calls? Not me! But we switched to Bluetooth headphones and the number of times the kid walked away and dragged the computer and everything else on the table with it has gone down from 836 times per week to zero. Amazing. Additionally, requests for “Mom, can you get me X?” have also gone down (though that will never ever end) because she can “get up and get it yourself, you can still hear your call.” Thank you, technology.
“Who knew that cordless headphones would make such a difference in my kid’s comfort while on video calls?”
Also, some basic interior design changes across the house have come a long way in helping the kiddo be more self-sufficient while I’m doing other things. Frequently used items such as craft materials, glue, tools, paper, and cardboard are all within reach so she can help herself. This has helped lower her dependency on me throughout the day and also gives her more freedom to just start things when she feels like it. Snacks, plates, cups, and utensils have also moved to the lower cabinets in the kitchen so she can help herself. While the overall organization of things in the house is not my ideal, it is kid-optimized now and it has helped keep everyone more comfortable and less stressed out about being hands-on all of the time.
Livia Labate
Principal product manager, Chorus
Lower the bar
As a family with a very energetic seven-year-old and five-year-old, we have lots of small tips for getting through this pandemic. None of them have been that helpful. The most valuable thing I could share that has helped our family is to lower the bar. As parents in a pre-pandemic world, we put tremendous amounts of pressure on ourselves to make sure our kids were getting the best education / socialization / parenting possible. What did that look like? Lots of playdates, extracurricular activities, camps, limiting screentime, and the list goes on. As the pandemic hit, not only did these things disappear, but we felt panic at all the “losses” our kids were experiencing. What would happen if we let our kids watch too much TV? What would happen if they didn’t get to socialize? Would they fall behind in school? In the beginning, that led to us overdoing it with Zooms and our own time taken from very busy schedules to fill in the gaps. It was exhausting — and, more importantly, unsustainable.
“Whatever [the kids] lost in ‘development,’ they gained in having parents who were not exhausted and overwhelmed.”
As the spring came to an end, we decided to lower the bar. We relaxed our screentime rules. Our daily outing became a walk in the park, and no specific activities were planned on most days when we were busy with work. We decided to rent a house for a month by the beach and let them bum around without camp or Zoom school. No swim lessons or academic enrichments. They watched TV, played video games, and hung out at the beach all day. And it’s been great. Whatever they lost in “development,” they gained in having parents who were not exhausted and overwhelmed. As the summer comes to a close, we are hoping to take this no-pressure attitude into the school year and hope it helps us navigate what will be an unusual and difficult year.
Esther Cohen
Social media manager, The Verge
Winging it
Our son will be a junior in high school this year, and we have just given in to the idea that whatever happens, it’s not going to be typical in any way. His school is going to try a hybrid model — two days in school in small pods, the rest remote — and we’re pretty apprehensive about it. Even the teenager doesn’t think it’s going to last long, but he wants to at least try it. They went all remote in the spring, and at that time, it seemed like schools were getting guidance from the state, at least. Now, it seems like school districts are all just winging it.
“There’s only so much we can control.”
And I guess winging it is sort of what we’ve done over the summer. Our son basically became nocturnal, staying up late to game with his friends, and we really didn’t push back on it. We were strict in other ways, though, saying no to visits with friends we didn’t think were a great idea. I’d say getting comfortable with the idea of winging it has been the hardest part of parenting in a pandemic, but there’s only so much we can control. If we can wing it with the small things, it does make the bigger decisions a little easier.
Kim Lyons
Weekend editor, The Verge
A self-directed approach
Our daughter will be entering first grade. Last school year when we moved to distance learning, I ran and bought every organizational thing from The Container Store — every subject into a neat little home — and propped her up in front of her computer while offering her rewards. This year, we are taking the much more Montessori and self-directed approach. We hope she is in a classroom with a teacher for at least two days a week; the other days, I will set things up like math puzzles or reading words and let her go to what interests her when it interests her.
“Interactive toys will be a welcomed break from screentime.”
I also have adjusted how I interact with her about things and make a more mindful approach to explaining things. Like at the farmers market, where we count out our change or play rhyming car bingo while driving — things I would not have thought to do before. Our biggest investment for back to school this year is a good printer that actually works — all those freakin’ elementary school worksheets! We are also investing in a lot more toys to get the wiggles out, like a Nugget or indoor climbing tools. Last spring, we all had serious cabin fever and the kids didn’t have the right tools to get their bodies moving. In between Zoom sessions, I think interactive toys will be a welcomed break from screentime.
Heather Savatta
Concert solutions
Do what you can and hope for the best
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We have three kids (seven, six, and four years old). Our oldest, who was in second grade, was the only one with remote “school” this past spring. When summer break first started, we were pretty lax, but there was a lot of squabbling and listlessness, and we knew we had to change things. We decided to develop a loose schedule, modeled off the work periods in Montessori: a couple of hours in the morning when they can choose more “academic” activities, some outside time, lunch, then another work period for more creative art activities. As they are on the younger side, we’ve mostly focused on reading — which they love — writing, and math. My oldest, in particular, always needs to know what’s happening next, so developing a routine adds consistency that helps us all get through the day. The older two kept a “coronavirus journal” that they had to write in every day. We’ve also been doing a lot of “Pokémon school.” The kids are really into the card game, which is great, as it facilitates addition, subtraction, and multiplication, as well as strategic thinking.
“We decided to develop a loose schedule, modeled off the work periods in Montessori.”
As we look toward the new school year, we are anxious about the remote-only option. We would have chosen remote over in-person if given a choice, yet we’re worried about how engaging and effective remote learning will be for our third- and first-grader. With one child who is easily distracted and another performing well above grade level, how will teachers be able to address their unique needs from a screen with 25+ other children? While we don’t know the schedule yet, it seems like most schools are planning on synchronous learning for big chunks of the day, which seems unlikely to succeed, especially with younger children.
Additionally, we are worried about their social development. Our oldest doesn’t have anyone to push her socially, something she provides for her younger siblings. Our first-grader will be new to the school; I cannot imagine how difficult it will be to develop friendships remotely. We firmly believe putting the health of the children and teachers first is the most important thing, but we ultimately know that remote school will otherwise be to the detriment of the children. We’ll do what we can and hope for the best.
Jory Ruscio
Engineering manager, data
Creating accessible spaces
I have twins who are rising kindergarteners and were very excited to start full-time school in person. So when we decided to choose virtual schooling, I focused on building some excitement for them just like I would have if they were starting school in normal circumstances, like letting them choose their own school supplies, backpacks, etc.
Since I know they will be on hours of video calls, I have set up workstations for them that are child-sized and adjustable, hoping that they will be able to be more engaged and focused if they are comfortable. I have also tried to create additional spaces suitable for schoolwork and crafts in different zones of our living area so they can have a change of scenery if necessary. This requires stocking up on power strips, extension cords, and wireless everything.
“I focused on building some excitement for them just like I would have if they were starting school in normal circumstances.”
I also try to place food, cups, bowls, and utensils where they can access them easily and premake a lot of grab-and-go snacks for them to help themselves between meals. Creating spaces that are accessible for my kids goes a long way toward easing my anxieties as a parent while allowing them to build independence and autonomy.
Something I have yet to set up, but would like to, is a defined area near their desks where I can display their kindergarten artwork and activities so they can be excited and proud about the things they learn throughout the year.
Melissa Young
Engineering manager, revenue product
Don’t beat yourself up too much
One of the most important things I’ve learned about myself during this pandemic is that I’m a poor substitute for a teacher. I’m also a poor substitute for a substitute teacher, to be honest. My attempts to teach my five-year-old to read over these past few months — sight-word flashcards, Bob Books, songs to build phonemic awareness — have been scattershot and have yielded poor results. I fear that I’m inadvertently teaching her to hate reading. But my wife assures me that I’m actually doing a great job. The pandemic has made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to see the forest for the trees.
So for everyone who’s said “Slow down” or “Lower your expectations” or “Don’t beat yourself up too much,” I say amen. Back in March, still reeling from the closure of schools, we did what everyone else did. We wrote out schedules, we traded off shifts, we knuckled down with the expectation that by the fall, things would be back to normal. And of course, we got played.
We tried the virtual pre-K classes, but the video quality was often bad and the experience was largely overwhelming for my daughter. Too many kids trying to talk all at the same time. The teachers tried their hardest, but it was an impossible situation. Since then, my attitude has morphed from plucky optimism to exhausted, unshowered defeat to now something that resembles the old adage, “This too shall pass.”
“The screen is our best friend and our worst enemy.”
My wife and I have basically thrown in the towel on getting any work done during the day without sticking a screen in front of the faces of either our five-year-old or three-year-old — or both. The screen is our best friend and our worst enemy. It is the alpha and omega. I’ve read the research and skimmed the essays about other parents worried about turning their kids into iPad zombies. But there are parents who are dealing with far more pressing problems, so I try to keep that in mind as my kid presses play on the next video from YouTube’s Ryan’s World. (I freaking hate that kid.)
So it goes. This too shall pass. Don’t beat yourself up too much. I just keep repeating those cliches like a religious mantra and crossing my fingers that our school district can sustain the hybrid model (some in-person classes, mostly virtual) it set out for itself. Otherwise, I may need to fully detach from reality in order to prevent an emotional breakdown.


theverge--2020-08-17--College towns brace for a new wave of COVID-19

Sierra Imwalle , a real estate agent in Ann Arbor , Michigan , is taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously .
When she shows houses to clients , she takes precautions : masks , distance , hand sanitizer .
She ’ s avoiding the denser , usually crowded downtown area and steering clear of restaurants .
Other people in Ann Arbor are also sticking to public health recommendations , she says .
They ’ re wearing masks and following stay-at-home orders .
“ We ’ ve done a really good job maintaining a low number of cases , ” she says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town .
Downtown brushes up against the campus of the University of Michigan , a sprawling research university that enrolls just under 50,000 students each year .
It ’ s home to Michigan Stadium ( nickname : the Big House ) , the largest stadium in the United States , which can seat over 100,000 people .
The university plans to welcome its students back to campus for the fall semester , with classes starting on August 31st .
Most classes will be offered online , but residence and dining halls are opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow social distancing guidelines and mandating that they wear masks , but only students in on-campus housing ( usually under a third of the student body ) will have to get tests before they return .
Michigan joins hundreds of other colleges and universities around the country that are planning for an in-person or partially in-person fall semester .
As students drive and fly from their hometowns back to campus , inevitably , some will carry the coronavirus with them , says Sheldon Jacobson , a professor of computer science at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in data-driven risk assessment .
“ Colleges and universities just are not designed for social distancing , it ’ s not in the DNA of institutions of higher learning to keep people apart .
We bring them together , ” he says .
When outbreaks happen , they won ’ t stay on campus .
Students rent apartments , go to grocery stores , and clog up the tables at restaurants .
Professors and staffers live in town and send their kids to public schools .
But most college and university reopening plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on their students , Jacobson says .
They don ’ t talk as much about the people who live next door .
People who live in Ann Arbor are worried .
They know that there isn ’ t an easy decision here .
The University of Michigan makes the city of Ann Arbor what it is , and everyone is connected to it in some way .
They ’ re pretty sure , though , that the influx of students will mean more COVID-19 cases in their community .
“ There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hard work and the sacrifices we ’ ve had to make will end up not being worth as much , ” Imwalle told The Verge .
It ’ s always a big event in Ann Arbor when students come back to campus in the fall , says Tom Crawford , the interim city administrator .
“ It really changes the whole pace of life we have here , ” he says .
“ It has an economic impact , it has a social impact — it ’ s a major thing.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , even though Crawford is still not sure what portion of the student body will end up coming back to Ann Arbor .
Regardless of the numbers , their return is a risk , and he ’ s concerned about the way it will change the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city .
“ I believe that college towns are the place to watch for the virus right now , ” he says .
“ Universities draw people from all over .
It ’ s a new phase.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the place to watch for the virus right now ” That phase is showing up in models tracking the course of the pandemic across the US .
The Children ’ s Hospital of Pennsylvania ( CHOP ) PolicyLab has a model that tracks and projects the spread of COVID-19 in hundreds of counties across the country .
“ What ’ s really worrisome right now is many college towns are already — even as they just start to repopulate — showing significant evidence of increased transmission , ” says David Rubin , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college towns stand out in the projections , Rubin says .
South Bend , home to the University of Notre Dame , jumps out from the rest of Indiana .
Clarke County , Georgia is a red flag — it ’ s where the University of Georgia , which already has hundreds of cases , is located .
The university is in Athens , which is already out of ICU beds .
Some of the struggling Michigan counties are the ones where Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are located , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July , there had already been 6,600 cases of COVID-19 linked back to college campuses , according to The New York Times .
“ I ’ m worried about what I ’ m already seeing , ” Rubin says .
“ What happens when they fully repopulate ?
” Outbreaks at small colleges in mid-sized cities , or even big universities in bigger cities , may not have an effect on their local community ’ s coronavirus transmission , Jacobson says .
Their student bodies are a relatively small proportion of the town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in small towns could have an impact .
Jacobson works for a university with 50,000 students in a city with around 100,000 residents .
Ann Arbor is about the same : around 120,000 residents and 50,000 students .
“ The ratio of the students coming in to the residents is sufficiently large that it tilts the scale to having community transmission , ” Jacobson says .
“ There is not a testing strategy that I ’ ve identified that makes any sense that could actually slow transmission ” Most of the college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably won ’ t be able to keep outbreaks in check .
“ There is not a testing strategy that I ’ ve identified that makes any sense that could actually slow transmission , ” Rubin says .
Screening for symptoms would not be enough to catch cases among students living on a college campus , a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded .
The study found that , in order to keep the coronavirus under control , the students would need to get tested every two days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ann Arbor and hardly know the campus is there .
If you keep away from downtown and don ’ t go to the grocery store close to campus , the students can stay pretty invisible , Marty Lewis says .
“ Yet , at the same time , there ’ s no denying that Ann Arbor is what it is because of the university ’ s presence , ” he says .
Lewis is an alum and is a superintendent for a general contractor .
“ The university has pretty much been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , ” he says .
Sierra Imwalle has a lot of clients who work for the university .
Another local , Trisha York , is a nurse at Michigan Medicine , the university ’ s health center , and her husband has a small business in town — it depends on the students .
There ’ s probably an economic benefit in the town to the students coming back .
“ But is it worth the risk ?
I don ’ t see that , ” Lewis says .
York says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People are coming from all over the country , ” she says .
She ’ s seen news reports — in some parts of the US , wearing a mask is less common than it is in Ann Arbor .
“ If they bring that kind of attitude with them , that concerns me.
” She doesn ’ t trust that students will follow the same rules in town that the residents have been sticking to .
Colleges and universities can mandate that students wear masks and take certain precautions on campus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control what they do when they head into town .
Administrators can set rules for dorms , but they don ’ t have as much oversight of students who live in apartments or houses off campus .
At the University of Michigan , around 30,000 students live in off-campus housing .
“ The university does not govern what happens off campus .
They can only do so much , ” says Juan Marquez , medical director in Washtenaw County , which contains Ann Arbor .
The county health department has been working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they might do in response to any large parties or gatherings .
They ’ re worried about bars : in the nearby East Lansing , home to Michigan State University , a college bar was the source of nearly 200 COVID-19 cases .
They ’ re already getting complaints about student gatherings from members of the community .
Ann Arbor city administrator Crawford , like the health department , is thinking about student social gatherings .
Student housing in town is also at the top of mind , he says — there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple students in one unit .
The biggest health risks will be social activities and living arrangements .
“ There ’ s a lot of discussion right now around how we can allow students to be students , but have it be in a healthy way at this unusual time , ” Crawford says .
It doesn ’ t seem possible to Jacob Itkin , a sophomore at the University of Michigan .
Itkin is from Ann Arbor and is planning on living at home with his parents while he takes classes online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already aren ’ t wearing masks .
“ In classes you can sort of control people , but outside of school , people are going to go out and do regular things , ” he says .
“ It seems like it ’ s going to be a big mess.
” “ It seems like it ’ s going to be a big mess ” Similar conversations are happening in college towns all around the country .
The town council in Mansfield , Connecticut , home to the University of Connecticut , authorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in town in direct response to students ’ return ( they still have to be approved by the state ) .
“ Wesleyan is a big house-party , dorm-party school , ” he told the Hartford Courant .
“ And those could be incubators for this virus if people are not smart about it.
” Fearing they could become a new viral hotspot , the Orange County , North Carolina health department recommended that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill move to online-only education .
Community members told the health department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ return , a spokesperson told The Chronicle of Higher Education .
The university decided not to follow that recommendation .
Less than a week after classes started , there were already four clusters of COVID-19 in student housing .
If the coronavirus starts to spread on campuses and in college towns , it could strain the resources of local public health departments .
Washtenaw County has a limited number of contact tracers , and the number of students returning could challenge their capacity .
The university has a handful of case investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Marquez says .
The extra help could ease the county ’ s burden to an extent .
The university ’ s contact tracers have ties with the university dorms , food services , and transportation , but it may not be enough in the event of an outbreak .
The county health department still plays a role in every new COVID-19 case , student or not .
If the coronavirus starts to spread on campuses and in college towns , it could strain the resources of local public health departments .
Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduate students pointed to the limited local resources as a major concern in an open letter calling for the university to delay in-person instruction .
“ The likely outbreak caused by the concentration of faculty , staff , and students will further strain critical community resources like ICU beds and medical personnel , ” it reads .
When outbreaks happen on campuses , universities and colleges seem to be ready to blame their students for breaking the rules , wrote epidemiologist Julia Marcus and psychiatrist Jessica Gold in The Atlantic .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be charged with shouldering the burden of their community ’ s health .
“ Students are being set up to take the fall when the plans fail , ” they said .
“ Universities have no business reopening if they can ’ t provide a healthy environment for students , faculty , and staff.
” Back in Ann Arbor , Crawford is in regular communication with the University of Michigan .
Over the next few weeks , he says , they ’ re going to roll out messaging for both students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s director of community relations is in regular contact with Ann Arbor officials , university spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told The Verge in an email .
Fitzgerald said representatives from the university are meeting with local business leaders , as well .
He pointed to the website where the University of Michigan has been posting its plans for the fall .
Lewis , though , hasn ’ t found that information easily accessible .
He doesn ’ t feel like the university has reached out to the community , even if they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s frustrated by what he sees as a lack of communication .
“ I don ’ t see any evidence that the university has done any kind of good outreach to say , ‘ Here ’ s our plan , ’ ” he says .
There isn ’ t a local , daily newspaper in Ann Arbor anymore , he says .
He thinks that might be the reason why he hasn ’ t seen relevant information about the university ’ s plans .
While conversations may be happening behind the scenes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think the safety of the town plays a big part in the University of Michigan ’ s thinking .
“ If they cared , they probably wouldn ’ t be bringing students back , ” he says .
“ It ’ s that simple .
If it wasn ’ t just about getting more money.
” The University of Michigan ’ s plans for the fall semester center on the student body and on the campus environment .
That ’ s the focus of any college or university : the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The frequently asked questions page covers the use of face coverings on campus , dining hall protocols , and parents weekend .
It doesn ’ t mention the residents of the town of Ann Arbor .
That ’ s been the constant theme of return-to-campus plans , Jacobson , the risk assessment expert , says .
Of all the return-to-campus plans he ’ s reviewed , very few mention the local town .
Most colleges and universities aren ’ t talking publicly about their conversations with mayors or their partnerships with nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t really have a voice to the degree that they need to , ” he says .
“ The towns don ’ t really have a voice to the degree that they need to ” That disconnect during the pandemic could exacerbate tensions between college towns and the institutions that are their backbone .
If there aren ’ t major outbreaks associated with the school , the relationship with the local community might stay about the same .
If the pandemic starts to accelerate , though , things could deteriorate .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those kinds of incidents occur , ” Jacobson says .
Ann Arbor is in a relatively good spot .
So far , the state of Michigan managed the pandemic fairly well .
The county has lower levels of transmission to start the school year than many other college towns , including South Bend , Indiana , home of rival Notre Dame .
And normally , people in Ann Arbor have a fairly good relationship with the University of Michigan .
“ It ’ s a love-hate relationship .
You take the bad with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the locals , says .
Even if there is an outbreak , she doesn ’ t think things would sour .
She expects people would be more concerned about taking care of the kids .
“ I could see some people feeling resentful — probably not towards the kids , although it might come out that way , but to the university for maybe not doing more to make sure it didn ’ t spread , ” York says .
“ It ’ s just such a complicated thing.
” Imwalle agrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame anyone , and she knows there aren ’ t any good answers .
“ It ’ s a lose-lose .
No matter how you slice it.
” She ’ d been thinking about going to a restaurant in town , though , and seeing how it felt .
“ The closer we get to the student ’ s coming back , I think I may just wait and see .
”

Part of / The Verge’s Back to School Special
Sierra Imwalle, a real estate agent in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. When she shows houses to clients, she takes precautions: masks, distance, hand sanitizer. She’s avoiding the denser, usually crowded downtown area and steering clear of restaurants.
Other people in Ann Arbor are also sticking to public health recommendations, she says. They’re wearing masks and following stay-at-home orders. “We’ve done a really good job maintaining a low number of cases,” she says.
But Ann Arbor is a college town. Downtown brushes up against the campus of the University of Michigan, a sprawling research university that enrolls just under 50,000 students each year. It’s home to Michigan Stadium (nickname: the Big House), the largest stadium in the United States, which can seat over 100,000 people.
The university plans to welcome its students back to campus for the fall semester, with classes starting on August 31st. Most classes will be offered online, but residence and dining halls are opening. The school is encouraging students to follow social distancing guidelines and mandating that they wear masks, but only students in on-campus housing (usually under a third of the student body) will have to get tests before they return.
Michigan joins hundreds of other colleges and universities around the country that are planning for an in-person or partially in-person fall semester. As students drive and fly from their hometowns back to campus, inevitably, some will carry the coronavirus with them, says Sheldon Jacobson, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an expert in data-driven risk assessment. “Colleges and universities just are not designed for social distancing, it’s not in the DNA of institutions of higher learning to keep people apart. We bring them together,” he says.
When outbreaks happen, they won’t stay on campus. Students rent apartments, go to grocery stores, and clog up the tables at restaurants. Professors and staffers live in town and send their kids to public schools. But most college and university reopening plans, even the best ones, are focused on their students, Jacobson says. They don’t talk as much about the people who live next door.
People who live in Ann Arbor are worried. They know that there isn’t an easy decision here. The University of Michigan makes the city of Ann Arbor what it is, and everyone is connected to it in some way. They’re pretty sure, though, that the influx of students will mean more COVID-19 cases in their community.
“There is a bit of concern that all of the hard work and the sacrifices we’ve had to make will end up not being worth as much,” Imwalle told The Verge.
Photo by Found Image Holdings / Corbis via Getty Images
It’s always a big event in Ann Arbor when students come back to campus in the fall, says Tom Crawford, the interim city administrator. “It really changes the whole pace of life we have here,” he says. “It has an economic impact, it has a social impact — it’s a major thing.” That’ll be even more true this year, even though Crawford is still not sure what portion of the student body will end up coming back to Ann Arbor. Regardless of the numbers, their return is a risk, and he’s concerned about the way it will change the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.
“I believe that college towns are the place to watch for the virus right now,” he says. “Universities draw people from all over. It’s a new phase.”
“I believe that college towns are the place to watch for the virus right now”
That phase is showing up in models tracking the course of the pandemic across the US. The Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) PolicyLab has a model that tracks and projects the spread of COVID-19 in hundreds of counties across the country. “What’s really worrisome right now is many college towns are already — even as they just start to repopulate — showing significant evidence of increased transmission,” says David Rubin, the director of the PolicyLab.
Counties with college towns stand out in the projections, Rubin says. South Bend, home to the University of Notre Dame, jumps out from the rest of Indiana. Clarke County, Georgia is a red flag — it’s where the University of Georgia, which already has hundreds of cases, is located. The university is in Athens, which is already out of ICU beds. Some of the struggling Michigan counties are the ones where Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are located, Rubin says. By the end of July, there had already been 6,600 cases of COVID-19 linked back to college campuses, according to The New York Times.
“I’m worried about what I’m already seeing,” Rubin says. “What happens when they fully repopulate?”
Outbreaks at small colleges in mid-sized cities, or even big universities in bigger cities, may not have an effect on their local community’s coronavirus transmission, Jacobson says. Their student bodies are a relatively small proportion of the town population. But larger colleges and universities based in small towns could have an impact. Jacobson works for a university with 50,000 students in a city with around 100,000 residents. Ann Arbor is about the same: around 120,000 residents and 50,000 students.
“The ratio of the students coming in to the residents is sufficiently large that it tilts the scale to having community transmission,” Jacobson says.
“There is not a testing strategy that I’ve identified that makes any sense that could actually slow transmission”
Most of the college and university reopening plans in the US probably won’t be able to keep outbreaks in check. “There is not a testing strategy that I’ve identified that makes any sense that could actually slow transmission,” Rubin says. Screening for symptoms would not be enough to catch cases among students living on a college campus, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded. The study found that, in order to keep the coronavirus under control, the students would need to get tested every two days.
It’s technically possible to live in Ann Arbor and hardly know the campus is there. If you keep away from downtown and don’t go to the grocery store close to campus, the students can stay pretty invisible, Marty Lewis says. “Yet, at the same time, there’s no denying that Ann Arbor is what it is because of the university’s presence,” he says.
Lewis is an alum and is a superintendent for a general contractor. “The university has pretty much been my only client for the last eight years,” he says. Sierra Imwalle has a lot of clients who work for the university. Another local, Trisha York, is a nurse at Michigan Medicine, the university’s health center, and her husband has a small business in town — it depends on the students.
There’s probably an economic benefit in the town to the students coming back. “But is it worth the risk? I don’t see that,” Lewis says.
York says she’s worried about masks. “People are coming from all over the country,” she says. She’s seen news reports — in some parts of the US, wearing a mask is less common than it is in Ann Arbor. “If they bring that kind of attitude with them, that concerns me.” She doesn’t trust that students will follow the same rules in town that the residents have been sticking to.
Colleges and universities can mandate that students wear masks and take certain precautions on campus, but it’s much harder to control what they do when they head into town. Administrators can set rules for dorms, but they don’t have as much oversight of students who live in apartments or houses off campus. At the University of Michigan, around 30,000 students live in off-campus housing.
The University of Michigan Medical Center Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
“The university does not govern what happens off campus. They can only do so much,” says Juan Marquez, medical director in Washtenaw County, which contains Ann Arbor.
The county health department has been working with the university since the spring to coordinate what they might do in response to any large parties or gatherings. They’re worried about bars: in the nearby East Lansing, home to Michigan State University, a college bar was the source of nearly 200 COVID-19 cases. They’re already getting complaints about student gatherings from members of the community.
Ann Arbor city administrator Crawford, like the health department, is thinking about student social gatherings. Student housing in town is also at the top of mind, he says — there are dozens of apartments and houses with multiple students in one unit. The biggest health risks will be social activities and living arrangements. “There’s a lot of discussion right now around how we can allow students to be students, but have it be in a healthy way at this unusual time,” Crawford says.
It doesn’t seem possible to Jacob Itkin, a sophomore at the University of Michigan. Itkin is from Ann Arbor and is planning on living at home with his parents while he takes classes online. People who are back on campus already aren’t wearing masks. “In classes you can sort of control people, but outside of school, people are going to go out and do regular things,” he says. “It seems like it’s going to be a big mess.”
“It seems like it’s going to be a big mess”
Similar conversations are happening in college towns all around the country. The town council in Mansfield, Connecticut, home to the University of Connecticut, authorized new limits on the size of gatherings in town in direct response to students’ return (they still have to be approved by the state). “Wesleyan is a big house-party, dorm-party school,” he told the Hartford Courant. “And those could be incubators for this virus if people are not smart about it.”
Fearing they could become a new viral hotspot, the Orange County, North Carolina health department recommended that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill move to online-only education. Community members told the health department that they were concerned about the students’ return, a spokesperson told The Chronicle of Higher Education. The university decided not to follow that recommendation. Less than a week after classes started, there were already four clusters of COVID-19 in student housing.
If the coronavirus starts to spread on campuses and in college towns, it could strain the resources of local public health departments. Washtenaw County has a limited number of contact tracers, and the number of students returning could challenge their capacity. The university has a handful of case investigators that can handle contact tracing for students, Marquez says. The extra help could ease the county’s burden to an extent. The university’s contact tracers have ties with the university dorms, food services, and transportation, but it may not be enough in the event of an outbreak. The county health department still plays a role in every new COVID-19 case, student or not.
If the coronavirus starts to spread on campuses and in college towns, it could strain the resources of local public health departments.
Arizona State University professors, staffers, and graduate students pointed to the limited local resources as a major concern in an open letter calling for the university to delay in-person instruction. “The likely outbreak caused by the concentration of faculty, staff, and students will further strain critical community resources like ICU beds and medical personnel,” it reads.
When outbreaks happen on campuses, universities and colleges seem to be ready to blame their students for breaking the rules, wrote epidemiologist Julia Marcus and psychiatrist Jessica Gold in The Atlantic. It’s a bad strategy — students shouldn’t be charged with shouldering the burden of their community’s health. “Students are being set up to take the fall when the plans fail,” they said. “Universities have no business reopening if they can’t provide a healthy environment for students, faculty, and staff.”
Back in Ann Arbor, Crawford is in regular communication with the University of Michigan. Over the next few weeks, he says, they’re going to roll out messaging for both students and the local community. The university’s director of community relations is in regular contact with Ann Arbor officials, university spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told The Verge in an email. Fitzgerald said representatives from the university are meeting with local business leaders, as well. He pointed to the website where the University of Michigan has been posting its plans for the fall.
Lewis, though, hasn’t found that information easily accessible. He doesn’t feel like the university has reached out to the community, even if they are talking with town leaders, and he’s frustrated by what he sees as a lack of communication. “I don’t see any evidence that the university has done any kind of good outreach to say, ‘Here’s our plan,’” he says. There isn’t a local, daily newspaper in Ann Arbor anymore, he says. He thinks that might be the reason why he hasn’t seen relevant information about the university’s plans.
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While conversations may be happening behind the scenes, Itkin, the sophomore, doesn’t think the safety of the town plays a big part in the University of Michigan’s thinking. “If they cared, they probably wouldn’t be bringing students back,” he says. “It’s that simple. If it wasn’t just about getting more money.”
The University of Michigan’s plans for the fall semester center on the student body and on the campus environment. That’s the focus of any college or university: the people who are formally a part of it. The frequently asked questions page covers the use of face coverings on campus, dining hall protocols, and parents weekend. It doesn’t mention the residents of the town of Ann Arbor.
That’s been the constant theme of return-to-campus plans, Jacobson, the risk assessment expert, says. Of all the return-to-campus plans he’s reviewed, very few mention the local town. Most colleges and universities aren’t talking publicly about their conversations with mayors or their partnerships with nearby hospitals. “The towns don’t really have a voice to the degree that they need to,” he says.
“The towns don’t really have a voice to the degree that they need to”
That disconnect during the pandemic could exacerbate tensions between college towns and the institutions that are their backbone. If there aren’t major outbreaks associated with the school, the relationship with the local community might stay about the same. If the pandemic starts to accelerate, though, things could deteriorate. “It’s hard to shake, if those kinds of incidents occur,” Jacobson says.
Ann Arbor is in a relatively good spot. So far, the state of Michigan managed the pandemic fairly well. The county has lower levels of transmission to start the school year than many other college towns, including South Bend, Indiana, home of rival Notre Dame. And normally, people in Ann Arbor have a fairly good relationship with the University of Michigan. “It’s a love-hate relationship. You take the bad with the good,” York, one of the locals, says. Even if there is an outbreak, she doesn’t think things would sour. She expects people would be more concerned about taking care of the kids.
“I could see some people feeling resentful — probably not towards the kids, although it might come out that way, but to the university for maybe not doing more to make sure it didn’t spread,” York says. “It’s just such a complicated thing.”


theverge--2020-08-17--Google lobbies Australian users against plans to make it pay for news

Google has published an open letter about a newly proposed government regulation that would compel it to pay media outlets for news content .
Australians visiting their local Google homepage are presented with an ominous pop-up which warns that “ the way Aussies use Google is at risk ” and “ their search experience will be hurt by new regulation.
” It ’ s a bold lobbying move that puts Google ’ s arguments against the change in front of millions of Australians .
Australia ’ s consumer watchdog pushed back , saying the letter “ contains misinformation , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector is essential to a well-functioning democracy.
” Australia ’ s proposed News Media Bargaining Code law , which is currently in draft and targets Facebook alongside Google , follows a 2019 inquiry in Australia that found the tech giant to be taking a disproportionately large share of online advertising revenue , even though much of their content came from media organizations .
Since then , the news and media industry have been hit hard by the pandemic .
The Guardian reports that over a hundred local newspapers in Australia have had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or stop printing as advertising revenue has fallen .
“ We need to let you know about new Government regulation , ” reads the letter linked from the pop-up from Google Australia ’ s Managing Director Mel Silva .
Silva argues that the proposed regulation will lead to a “ dramatically worse Google Search and YouTube , could lead to your data being handed over to big news businesses , and would put the free services you use at risk in Australia.
” Google ’ s arguments include a claim that the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to news publishers by giving them information they could use to boost their rankings compared to the competition .
The proposed law would mean tech companies have to advise media organization about algorithm changes affecting their rankings .
But only larger media companies are guaranteed to get this information .
The Guardian reports that eligible media companies must meet various requirements including having revenues exceeding $ 150,000 a year , and must have a certain focus on the Australian market .
Google also says that the law could put user data at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do everything we possibly can to get this proposal changed ” The letter was met with pushback from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ( ACCC ) , the competition watchdog behind the proposed law .
The proposed rules “ will address a significant bargaining power imbalance between Australian news media businesses and Google and Facebook ” it said .
“ Google will not be required to share any additional user data with Australian news businesses unless it chooses to do so , ” the ACCC said .
It added that the code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its services like Google Search and YouTube .
Google ’ s letter says that the company has previously offered to pay for news content as part of an initiative announced back in June .
Under the plans , Google partnered with publishers in Germany , Australia , and Brazil to pay for news content for a “ new news experience ” due to launch later this year .
However , The Financial Times reports that the plans have since been paused in Australia as a result of the proposed law .
The initiatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected .
Google did not respond to The Verge ’ s question about the status of the initiative .
“ We ’ re going to do everything we possibly can to get this proposal changed , ” Google ’ s letter concludes .
The company hasn ’ t been afraid to rally support from its millions of users in the past .
In 2018 , it showed notices on YouTube about the EU ’ s copyright proposal .
Google has also withdrawn services entirely in certain countries due to new regulations .
Back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google News service in Spain after it was asked to pay for the news snippets it displayed .
This isn ’ t the first time Google has publicly responded to the proposed Australian regulations .
Back in May it published a blog post titled “ A fact-based discussion about news online ” in which it said that it didn ’ t run ads on Google News or the news results tab on Google Search , and that news-related queries make up a small percentage of total Google searches in the country .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page views to Australian news publishers .
Update August 17th , 6:21AM ET : Article updated with fuller statement from ACCC .

Google has published an open letter about a newly proposed government regulation that would compel it to pay media outlets for news content. Australians visiting their local Google homepage are presented with an ominous pop-up which warns that “the way Aussies use Google is at risk” and “their search experience will be hurt by new regulation.” It’s a bold lobbying move that puts Google’s arguments against the change in front of millions of Australians.
Australia’s consumer watchdog pushed back, saying the letter “contains misinformation,” adding that “a healthy news media sector is essential to a well-functioning democracy.”
Australia’s proposed News Media Bargaining Code law, which is currently in draft and targets Facebook alongside Google, follows a 2019 inquiry in Australia that found the tech giant to be taking a disproportionately large share of online advertising revenue, even though much of their content came from media organizations. Since then, the news and media industry have been hit hard by the pandemic. The Guardian reports that over a hundred local newspapers in Australia have had to lay off journalists and either shut down or stop printing as advertising revenue has fallen.
An ominous warning is being shown to Google’s users in Australia. Screenshot: Google.com.au
“We need to let you know about new Government regulation,” reads the letter linked from the pop-up from Google Australia’s Managing Director Mel Silva. Silva argues that the proposed regulation will lead to a “dramatically worse Google Search and YouTube, could lead to your data being handed over to big news businesses, and would put the free services you use at risk in Australia.”
Google’s arguments include a claim that the law would give an “unfair advantage” to news publishers by giving them information they could use to boost their rankings compared to the competition. The proposed law would mean tech companies have to advise media organization about algorithm changes affecting their rankings. But only larger media companies are guaranteed to get this information. The Guardian reports that eligible media companies must meet various requirements including having revenues exceeding $150,000 a year, and must have a certain focus on the Australian market. Google also says that the law could put user data at risk.
“We’re going to do everything we possibly can to get this proposal changed”
The letter was met with pushback from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the competition watchdog behind the proposed law. The proposed rules “will address a significant bargaining power imbalance between Australian news media businesses and Google and Facebook” it said.
“Google will not be required to share any additional user data with Australian news businesses unless it chooses to do so,” the ACCC said. It added that the code would not require Google to charge for its services like Google Search and YouTube.
Google’s letter says that the company has previously offered to pay for news content as part of an initiative announced back in June. Under the plans, Google partnered with publishers in Germany, Australia, and Brazil to pay for news content for a “new news experience” due to launch later this year. However, The Financial Times reports that the plans have since been paused in Australia as a result of the proposed law. The initiatives in Brazil and Germany are reportedly not affected. Google did not respond to The Verge’s question about the status of the initiative.
“We’re going to do everything we possibly can to get this proposal changed,” Google’s letter concludes. The company hasn’t been afraid to rally support from its millions of users in the past. In 2018, it showed notices on YouTube about the EU’s copyright proposal.
Google has also withdrawn services entirely in certain countries due to new regulations. Back in 2014, it shut down its Google News service in Spain after it was asked to pay for the news snippets it displayed.
This isn’t the first time Google has publicly responded to the proposed Australian regulations. Back in May it published a blog post titled “A fact-based discussion about news online” in which it said that it didn’t run ads on Google News or the news results tab on Google Search, and that news-related queries make up a small percentage of total Google searches in the country. It also said that it drives millions of page views to Australian news publishers.


theverge--2020-08-17--Google is trying to test a secret 6GHz network in 17 different states

Google is trying to secretly test a 6GHz network in 17 different states , according to a batch of FCC filings spotted by Business Insider .
But exactly what Google is trying to test is unclear .
Here ’ s a few things we do know .
Google wants to experiment with 6GHz spectrum to “ produce technical information relevant to the utility of these frequencies for providing reliable broadband connections.
” The company also says it expects the experiments to take place over 24 months , and has asked permission to do the tests in 26 cities and towns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , Colorado , Florida , Georgia , Illinois , Iowa , Kansas , Nebraska , Nevada , New York , North Carolina , Oklahoma , Oregon , Texas , Utah , and Virginia .
There ’ s a lot of possibilities for what Google could want to be testing with that spectrum Beyond that , there ’ s not a lot we can tell from these documents — and there are a lot of possibilities for what Google might want with that 6GHz spectrum .
The “ providing reliable broadband connections ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiment with some kind of home internet service — perhaps a potential future offering under the Google Fiber Webpass banner .
But Google could have other uses for that 6GHz spectrum as well .
Only recently did the FCC approve a plot of unlicensed 6GHz spectrum , and any number of things could take advantage of that .
Wi-Fi 6E routers might run at 6GHz , as could vehicle-to-vehicle communication , and the latest 5G specifications suggest unlicensed 6GHz spectrum could even be used for 5G cellular networks .
Google ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s called unlicensed spectrum for a reason .
The thing to know about 6GHz is that it ’ s expected to allow for faster and more reliable connections — it can carry more bandwidth than the 2.4GHz or 5GHz connections you might already be familiar with , and there could be less wireless interference between devices as well .
But just like 5GHz Wi-Fi offers shorter range than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi , it ’ s likely that 6GHz networks will have shorter range still .
We don ’ t know what Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the filings tell us Google is hoping to use that newly-opened 6GHz spectrum for some sort of “ secret commercially valuable plan , ” and we ’ re pretty curious what that might be .

Google is trying to secretly test a 6GHz network in 17 different states, according to a batch of FCC filings spotted by Business Insider. But exactly what Google is trying to test is unclear.
Here’s a few things we do know. Google wants to experiment with 6GHz spectrum to “produce technical information relevant to the utility of these frequencies for providing reliable broadband connections.” The company also says it expects the experiments to take place over 24 months, and has asked permission to do the tests in 26 cities and towns across 17 states — including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
There’s a lot of possibilities for what Google could want to be testing with that spectrum
Beyond that, there’s not a lot we can tell from these documents — and there are a lot of possibilities for what Google might want with that 6GHz spectrum. The “providing reliable broadband connections” language could suggest that Google wants to experiment with some kind of home internet service — perhaps a potential future offering under the Google Fiber Webpass banner.
But Google could have other uses for that 6GHz spectrum as well. Only recently did the FCC approve a plot of unlicensed 6GHz spectrum, and any number of things could take advantage of that. Wi-Fi 6E routers might run at 6GHz, as could vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and the latest 5G specifications suggest unlicensed 6GHz spectrum could even be used for 5G cellular networks. Google’s not limited to existing ideas, though — it’s called unlicensed spectrum for a reason.
The thing to know about 6GHz is that it’s expected to allow for faster and more reliable connections — it can carry more bandwidth than the 2.4GHz or 5GHz connections you might already be familiar with, and there could be less wireless interference between devices as well. But just like 5GHz Wi-Fi offers shorter range than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, it’s likely that 6GHz networks will have shorter range still.


theverge--2020-08-17--Microsoft’s ‘can’t uninstall Microsoft Edge’ support page is hilariously telling

Look , I ’ m sure that the new Microsoft Edge is a fantastic web browser .
I ’ m looking forward to trying it someday .
But Microsoft , I have a piece of advice for you : if so very many Windows users are googling “ Can ’ t uninstall Microsoft Edge ” that you feel the need to utterly own that search result by making it the title of your FAQ ... maybe just don ’ t force it on Windows users to begin with ?
Here ’ s a screenshot of the new support page , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not saying Microsoft shouldn ’ t have updated users to the new version of Edge , particularly after today ’ s announcement that Internet Explorer and legacy Edge will be fully phased out exactly one year from now .
Continued security updates are important !
But instead of telling users what effectively boils down to “ you can ’ t uninstall it because we decided not to let you , ” perhaps Microsoft could take a hint and give users what they apparently want .
Here ’ s how Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” has evolved in recent months : By the way , you apparently can still get rid of the new Edge .
( Strange how Microsoft ’ s page omits that . )
You ’ ll just have to be comfortable with a few shell commands .

Look, I’m sure that the new Microsoft Edge is a fantastic web browser. I’m looking forward to trying it someday.
But Microsoft, I have a piece of advice for you: if so very many Windows users are googling “Can’t uninstall Microsoft Edge” that you feel the need to utterly own that search result by making it the title of your FAQ... maybe just don’t force it on Windows users to begin with?
Here’s a screenshot of the new support page, for posterity:
To be clear, I’m not saying Microsoft shouldn’t have updated users to the new version of Edge, particularly after today’s announcement that Internet Explorer and legacy Edge will be fully phased out exactly one year from now. Continued security updates are important!
But instead of telling users what effectively boils down to “you can’t uninstall it because we decided not to let you,” perhaps Microsoft could take a hint and give users what they apparently want. Here’s how Google search volume for “uninstall Microsoft Edge” has evolved in recent months:


theverge--2020-08-17--Google Chrome will try to stop you from typing into risky text boxes

See that little “ closed lock ” icon in your web browser , right next to the URL ?
That means you ’ re browsing via HTTPS , encrypting your traffic so third parties can ’ t spy on most of the information you ’ re sending .
But secure-looking HTTPS websites can still house insecure HTTP forms for you to fill in your passwords and other personal data — and Google is planning to do something about that in Chrome 86 , coming this October ( via 9to5Google ) .
Primarily , you ’ ll get a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google ’ s official blog post .
The first will look something like this : And if you try to submit your information anyway , you ’ ll get a second “ are you sure ?
” -style warning : Google ’ s also disabling autofill on these so-called “ mixed forms , ” so the fact that your password managers and auto-complete keyboards don ’ t automatically drop in the text should be a third form of warning .
Google previously tried to alert users to this issue by removing the lock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the company says “ users found this experience unclear and it did not effectively communicate the risks associated with submitting data in insecure forms.
” To which I say : no kidding .
Tell me the truth : when I asked you to look at the lock icon at the top of this post , how long had it been since the last time you ’ d bothered to do so ?
Chrome also added DNS-over-HTTPS in Chrome 83 , which you can read a little more about here .

See that little “closed lock” icon in your web browser, right next to the URL? That means you’re browsing via HTTPS, encrypting your traffic so third parties can’t spy on most of the information you’re sending. But secure-looking HTTPS websites can still house insecure HTTP forms for you to fill in your passwords and other personal data — and Google is planning to do something about that in Chrome 86, coming this October (via 9to5Google).
Primarily, you’ll get a couple of big, bold warnings, according to Google’s official blog post. The first will look something like this:
And if you try to submit your information anyway, you’ll get a second “are you sure?”-style warning:
Google’s also disabling autofill on these so-called “mixed forms,” so the fact that your password managers and auto-complete keyboards don’t automatically drop in the text should be a third form of warning.
Google previously tried to alert users to this issue by removing the lock icon when it detected an HTTP form, but the company says “users found this experience unclear and it did not effectively communicate the risks associated with submitting data in insecure forms.”
To which I say: no kidding. Tell me the truth: when I asked you to look at the lock icon at the top of this post, how long had it been since the last time you’d bothered to do so?


theverge--2020-08-17--Chrome for Android will now label ‘fast pages’ and may eventually rank them higher in search

Chrome for Android will begin adding “ fast page ” labels to the context menus of pages it considers high-quality , Google announced Monday .
The company says the labels will be based on signals from its Core Web Vitals metrics , which keep track of user experience , including page load time , responsiveness , and how stable content is while it loads .
Right now , there ’ s only one way to tell : if you long-press a link before visiting a page , you ’ ll get that “ fast page ” label if it meets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a “ fast page ” might get ranked higher in Google search as well .
Google tells The Verge that those same Core Web Vitals metrics are among the criteria that will eventually be considered in search rankings .
In the blog post announcing the labels , Google says that “ optimizing for the Core Web Vitals may require some investments in improving page quality , ” suggesting that developers may want to pay attention if they want to stay on top of Google search .
The company says it has updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet those page quality goals .
Google also has its own AMP ( Accelerated Mobile Pages ) format , which it previously pushed to make the mobile web faster , but this may be another way of achieving the same goal .
Revenue from search is a big moneymaker for Google parent company Alphabet ; despite a dip in revenue year over year , in the second quarter of 2020 , search brought in $ 21.3 billion of its $ 38.3 billion in revenue .
These “ fast page ” labels will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chrome 85 , but if devs really want to see it in action before then , Google has instructions on how to enable the feature .

Chrome for Android will begin adding “fast page” labels to the context menus of pages it considers high-quality, Google announced Monday. The company says the labels will be based on signals from its Core Web Vitals metrics, which keep track of user experience, including page load time, responsiveness, and how stable content is while it loads.
Right now, there’s only one way to tell: if you long-press a link before visiting a page, you’ll get that “fast page” label if it meets Google’s standards.
But ultimately, a “fast page” might get ranked higher in Google search as well. Google tells The Verge that those same Core Web Vitals metrics are among the criteria that will eventually be considered in search rankings.
In the blog post announcing the labels, Google says that “optimizing for the Core Web Vitals may require some investments in improving page quality,” suggesting that developers may want to pay attention if they want to stay on top of Google search. The company says it has updated its developer tools with recommendations for how to meet those page quality goals. Google also has its own AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) format, which it previously pushed to make the mobile web faster, but this may be another way of achieving the same goal.
Revenue from search is a big moneymaker for Google parent company Alphabet; despite a dip in revenue year over year, in the second quarter of 2020, search brought in $21.3 billion of its $38.3 billion in revenue.


theverge--2020-08-17--How to watch the Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday night online .
The coronavirus pandemic forced the Democrats to can their initial plans of an in-person event in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , to formally nominate former Vice President Joe Biden as the party ’ s nominee for president .
But they ’ re still planning to throw an event featuring prominent speakers , politicians , and musical guests for four nights this week .
When is it ?
The convention will run from 9PM to 11PM ET from Monday through Thursday , and you can watch all of the speakers on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I watch it ?
The official live stream of the event will be available on the DNC ’ s website , but you ’ ll be able to catch it on Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , and Twitch as well .
It will also be made available on Apple TV , Roku , and Amazon Fire TV , and you can find the stream by searching for “ 2020 DNC.
” ABC , CBS , NBC , and Fox News will air the last hour of the convention from 10PM to 11PM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and PBS will carry the full two hours each night this week .
If you ’ d rather just listen to the convention , you can ask your Alexa device to play it as well .
Just say , “ Alexa , play the Democratic National Convention.
” Spotify will be rounding up speeches at the DNC and the Republican National Convention in playlists for people to listen to at the end of each convention day as well .
Monday ’ s lineup : Sen. Amy Klobuchar , Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gretchen Whitmer , Rep. Jim Clyburn , Convention Chairman Bennie Thompson , Rep. Gwen Moore , Sen. Doug Jones , Sen. Bernie Sanders , and former first lady Michelle Obama , with performances by Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges Tuesday ’ s lineup : former acting US Attorney General Sally Yates , Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer , former Secretary of State John Kerry , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester , former President Bill Clinton , Dr. Jill Biden Wednesday ’ s lineup : Sen. Elizabeth Warren , House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Hillary Clinton , Gov .
Tony Evers , Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham , former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , Sen. Kamala Harris , former President Barack Obama , with performances by Billie Eilish and Jennifer Hudson Thursday ’ s lineup : Sen. Cory Booker , Pete Buttigieg , Gov .
Gavin Newsom , Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , Sen. Tammy Baldwin , Sen. Chris Coons , Andrew Yang , Vice President Joe Biden , with a performance by The Chicks

The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday night online. The coronavirus pandemic forced the Democrats to can their initial plans of an in-person event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to formally nominate former Vice President Joe Biden as the party’s nominee for president. But they’re still planning to throw an event featuring prominent speakers, politicians, and musical guests for four nights this week.
When is it?
The convention will run from 9PM to 11PM ET from Monday through Thursday, and you can watch all of the speakers on a variety of different platforms.
How do I watch it?
The official live stream of the event will be available on the DNC’s website, but you’ll be able to catch it on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch as well. It will also be made available on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, and you can find the stream by searching for “2020 DNC.”
ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News will air the last hour of the convention from 10PM to 11PM, and C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC, and PBS will carry the full two hours each night this week.
If you’d rather just listen to the convention, you can ask your Alexa device to play it as well. Just say, “Alexa, play the Democratic National Convention.” Spotify will be rounding up speeches at the DNC and the Republican National Convention in playlists for people to listen to at the end of each convention day as well.
Who’s speaking?
Monday’s lineup: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Jim Clyburn, Convention Chairman Bennie Thompson, Rep. Gwen Moore, Sen. Doug Jones, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former first lady Michelle Obama, with performances by Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges
Tuesday’s lineup: former acting US Attorney General Sally Yates, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, former President Bill Clinton, Dr. Jill Biden
Wednesday’s lineup: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Gov. Tony Evers, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Sen. Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama, with performances by Billie Eilish and Jennifer Hudson
Thursday’s lineup: Sen. Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Sen. Chris Coons, Andrew Yang, Vice President Joe Biden, with a performance by The Chicks


theverge--2020-08-17--Apple will now give customers an entire year to buy extended warranty for products

Apple is yet again making changes to the window of time customers have to buy its AppleCare+ extended warranty for the iPhone , iPad , Mac , and other products .
According to Bloomberg , the company has stretched the eligibility for AppleCare+ to an entire year after the purchase of whatever device you ’ re covering .
Retail staff and customer support staff were informed of the change on Monday , though Apple ’ s website still doesn ’ t reflect any update .
Mac buyers used to have a year-long window to make a decision about buying Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company added accidental damage coverage to the plans , that timeframe tightened to 60 days .
Apple has gone back and forth on how long iPhone customers have , alternating between a year and the current 60 days more than once .
So if you didn ’ t get the extended warranty with your iPhone 11 last September , you ’ ve now got a fresh opportunity to lengthen coverage — and repairs are much cheaper when you ’ ve got AppleCare+ .
Some Apple stores had already been trialing the extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported last year .
When purchased up front , AppleCare+ provides one additional year of warranty coverage for iPhones and iPads and two added years for Mac , plus covers accidental damage .
( There ’ s always a deductible for physical damage regardless of product . )
AppleCare+ is also available for Apple Watch , AirPods and Beats headphones , HomePod , the Pro Display XDR , and iPod touch .
Apple has said that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected AppleCare+ demand as consumers rethink their spending during an economic downturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further boost the company ’ s services business .
If you ’ re purchasing AppleCare+ for a device you already own , you ’ ll need to get it screened either at an Apple store or through a diagnostics test if you order over the phone .

Apple is yet again making changes to the window of time customers have to buy its AppleCare+ extended warranty for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other products. According to Bloomberg, the company has stretched the eligibility for AppleCare+ to an entire year after the purchase of whatever device you’re covering. Retail staff and customer support staff were informed of the change on Monday, though Apple’s website still doesn’t reflect any update.
Mac buyers used to have a year-long window to make a decision about buying Apple’s extended warranty, but when the company added accidental damage coverage to the plans, that timeframe tightened to 60 days. Apple has gone back and forth on how long iPhone customers have, alternating between a year and the current 60 days more than once. So if you didn’t get the extended warranty with your iPhone 11 last September, you’ve now got a fresh opportunity to lengthen coverage — and repairs are much cheaper when you’ve got AppleCare+.
Some Apple stores had already been trialing the extended timeframe for buying AppleCare+, as MacRumors reported last year.
When purchased up front, AppleCare+ provides one additional year of warranty coverage for iPhones and iPads and two added years for Mac, plus covers accidental damage. (There’s always a deductible for physical damage regardless of product.) AppleCare+ is also available for Apple Watch, AirPods and Beats headphones, HomePod, the Pro Display XDR, and iPod touch. Apple has said that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected AppleCare+ demand as consumers rethink their spending during an economic downturn. Giving them more time could help further boost the company’s services business.


theverge--2020-08-17--Peacock’s new original show continues NBC’s obsession with disappearing planes

How many times will NBC create a TV show featuring an airplane that mysteriously disappears in an attempt to copy the success of Lost ?
If the trailer for the upcoming Peacock original series Departure is anything to go by , the answer is “ at least three times in less than a decade.
” Departure , a six-episode miniseries set to be released on September 17th , tells the story of passenger plane Flight 716 , which “ shockingly ” vanishes midflight , causing a team of investigators to try to unravel the conspiracy before another plane disappears .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you ’ ve been watching network television for the last decade and a half .
In 2004 , Lost debuted on ABC , telling the story of Oceanic Airline Flight 815 , which vanishes into thin air during a routine flight and crashes on a mysterious tropical island , kicking off a massively successful flashback-reliant , conspiracy-laden TV series that would rule pop culture for years .
Lost ended in May 2010 , and the following season , NBC was already looking to pick up the audience with The Event , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — presumably by total coincidence — ends its first episode with Avias Airways Flight 514 vanishing into thin air .
Despite its similarities to Lost ’ s “ neither show nor tell ” approach when it came to actually explaining its mysteries , The Event only lasted a single season before getting canceled .
But NBC wasn ’ t done delving into the oddly specific sub-genre of “ plane suddenly vanishes , kicking off a vast conspiracy.
” In 2018 , the network debuted Manifest , which tells the story of Montego Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ) vanishes midflight , only to reappear years later , kicking off more questions and supernatural mysteries .
Manifest was recently renewed for a third season back in June , meaning NBC will be the proud owner of two completely unrelated airplane disappearance conspiracy shows , airing concurrently .
In defense of NBC , Departure appears to be taking a departure from the network ’ s previous vanishing plane shows and taking a more grounded approach to the concept .
The series appears to be pinning the missing flight on a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event caused by powerful aliens or unexplained forces .
That said , if it turns out that Flight 828 ’ s disappearance was caused by an energy portal that took the passengers to a tropical island that also doubles as a convoluted metaphor for purgatory , don ’ t say I didn ’ t warn you .

How many times will NBC create a TV show featuring an airplane that mysteriously disappears in an attempt to copy the success of Lost? If the trailer for the upcoming Peacock original series Departure is anything to go by, the answer is “at least three times in less than a decade.”
Departure, a six-episode miniseries set to be released on September 17th, tells the story of passenger plane Flight 716, which “shockingly” vanishes midflight, causing a team of investigators to try to unravel the conspiracy before another plane disappears. It may also sound a little familiar if you’ve been watching network television for the last decade and a half.
In 2004, Lost debuted on ABC, telling the story of Oceanic Airline Flight 815, which vanishes into thin air during a routine flight and crashes on a mysterious tropical island, kicking off a massively successful flashback-reliant, conspiracy-laden TV series that would rule pop culture for years.
Lost ended in May 2010, and the following season, NBC was already looking to pick up the audience with The Event, a similarly flashback-reliant, conspiracy-laden TV series that — presumably by total coincidence — ends its first episode with Avias Airways Flight 514 vanishing into thin air. Despite its similarities to Lost’s “neither show nor tell” approach when it came to actually explaining its mysteries, The Event only lasted a single season before getting canceled.
These are all different shows.
But NBC wasn’t done delving into the oddly specific sub-genre of “plane suddenly vanishes, kicking off a vast conspiracy.” In 2018, the network debuted Manifest, which tells the story of Montego Air Flight 828, which (you guessed it) vanishes midflight, only to reappear years later, kicking off more questions and supernatural mysteries. Manifest was recently renewed for a third season back in June, meaning NBC will be the proud owner of two completely unrelated airplane disappearance conspiracy shows, airing concurrently.
In defense of NBC, Departure appears to be taking a departure from the network’s previous vanishing plane shows and taking a more grounded approach to the concept. The series appears to be pinning the missing flight on a more conventional terrorist attack, not a supernatural event caused by powerful aliens or unexplained forces.


theverge--2020-08-17--Dr Disrespect is writing a memoir, and here’s hoping for mullet tips

Surely you know Dr Disrespect : the mustached , mullet-wearing streamer who also happens to be the “ most famous , dominant gamer in the history of the world.
” Perhaps you also want to know how he grew his sick mullet and stache ?
Well , soon you can : he ’ s writing a memoir .
Violence .
Speed .
Momentum .
will arrive on March 30th , 2021 .
The book is said to include thoughts from Doc about what it ’ s like being the greatest gamer in history , while also sharing “ never-before-told stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most importantly , Doc will finally have the opportunity to tell us how , at a young but obviously still mustachioed age , he became the “ two-time , consecutive years , back-to-back , 1993-1994 Blockbuster video game champion.
” Speaking of Blockbuster , did you know it still exists , and it ’ s holding COVID slumber parties ?
In reality , the book is just Herschel “ Guy ” Beahm ’ s latest attempt to jump-start his expanded media empire .
Last year , he inked a deal to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character .
Dr Disrespect recently returned to streaming earlier this month after he was banned from Twitch .
You probably shouldn ’ t expect the book to explain why he was banned .
We still have no idea , and it ’ s pretty clear no one — not Beahm , not Disrespect , and not Twitch — wants to talk about it .

Surely you know Dr Disrespect: the mustached, mullet-wearing streamer who also happens to be the “most famous, dominant gamer in the history of the world.” Perhaps you also want to know how he grew his sick mullet and stache? Well, soon you can: he’s writing a memoir.
Violence. Speed. Momentum. will arrive on March 30th, 2021. The book is said to include thoughts from Doc about what it’s like being the greatest gamer in history, while also sharing “never-before-told stories” about his career as a streamer. Most importantly, Doc will finally have the opportunity to tell us how, at a young but obviously still mustachioed age, he became the “two-time, consecutive years, back-to-back, 1993-1994 Blockbuster video game champion.” Speaking of Blockbuster, did you know it still exists, and it’s holding COVID slumber parties?


theverge--2020-08-17--The world’s last Blockbuster is now open for slumber parties

If you ’ re a resident of Deschutes County , Oregon , you could host a slumber party in the world ’ s last remaining Blockbuster video store .
The Blockbuster is located in Bend , Oregon , and households of up to four people can book it for one of three available nights : September 18th , 19th , or 20th .
Booking opens today at 1PM PT / 4PM ET .
According to the Airbnb listing , a stay will cost $ 4 per night .
Spending a night in the last vestige of an obsolete franchise may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this actually looks pretty cool .
The store manager , Sandi Harding , has decked the place out with a fold-out sofa , a beanbag chair , snacks , a TV set , and ( of course ) a VHS player .
Renters will have access to the store ’ s full selection of movies and are encouraged to wear “ your favorite 90s denim.
” If you can ’ t snag a slot , don ’ t worry .
The living room setup will be available for the general public to check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited time ” after sleepovers have concluded .

If you’re a resident of Deschutes County, Oregon, you could host a slumber party in the world’s last remaining Blockbuster video store.
The Blockbuster is located in Bend, Oregon, and households of up to four people can book it for one of three available nights: September 18th, 19th, or 20th. Booking opens today at 1PM PT / 4PM ET. According to the Airbnb listing, a stay will cost $4 per night.
Spending a night in the last vestige of an obsolete franchise may sound like a morbid affair, but this actually looks pretty cool. The store manager, Sandi Harding, has decked the place out with a fold-out sofa, a beanbag chair, snacks, a TV set, and (of course) a VHS player. Renters will have access to the store’s full selection of movies and are encouraged to wear “your favorite 90s denim.”