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- COVID-19: Trump declares a national emergency - The Siasat Daily
- PM on mosque attacks anniversary: 'A year on gives us a chance as a nation to reflect' - RNZ
- Coronavirus Testing Goes Mobile in Seattle - The New York Times
- 'I don't take responsibility at all' for lack of coronavirus tests, Trump says - CNBC
- Christchurch's Mayor on the mosque memorial cancellation - RNZ
- COVID-19: Work culture in a viral age - Financial Post
- Live - Everyone travelling to NZ from overseas to self-isolate - RNZ
- What Will 'Blue Bloods' Actress Sami Gayle Do Next? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet
- T-Mobile, Sprint offer unlimited smartphone data as coronavirus contingency - AppleInsider
- US officials shake hands, touch their faces and share a microphone at coronavirus press briefing - CNBC
- Trump Declared a National State Emergency Over Coronavirus. Here's What that Can Do - The New York Times
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| COVID-19: Trump declares a national emergency - The Siasat Daily Posted: 13 Mar 2020 10:56 PM PDT  New York: US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak in the country and reached an agreement with the Democrats on a relief package. More fundsThe national emergency he declared on Friday will make more funds available for fighting the fallout of the disease and cut red tape for finding medical solutions while its symbolism will reflect the seriousness of the situation. Later, both he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that a deal had been reached to pass a relief package to help those after by the pandemic. The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on it Friday night and Republican-majority Senate was expected to approve it on Monday after cancelling its spring recess. The battered stock markets zoomed as Trump declared the national emergency at a White House news conference. After having plummeted by more than 9 per cent on Thursday, the markets gained about the same percentage, most of the uptick coming dramatically while Trump spoke. Trump said the emergency declaration was "to unleash the full power of the federal government" and that up to $50 billion will be available to states and territories to meet the challenge. He said: "I'm urging every state to set up emergency operations centres effective immediately." Trump said that under the emergency the rules would be made flexible to allow doctors and hospitals to deal with the crisis. Health Secretary Alex Azar and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be empowered to waive rules for developing medications and tests and for promoting telemedicine. Coronavirus cases in the USThe declaration came as the number of coronavirus cases in the US hit 1,800 with 41 deaths hitting all aspects of life from the economy and politics to education and entertainment. Although Trump had criticised the relief package proposed by the Democratic Party during the news conference, he tweeted his support for it asserting it includes his "direction" for free coronavirus tests and paid sick leave. Pelosi wrote to her fellow Democrats that they had reached an agreement on the package to be known as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin negotiated the deal on behalf of the Trump administration as the President and the Republican leaders in Congress have bad relations with Pelosi, having traded personal insults. In keeping with the Republican philosophy of involving the private sector, Trump announced several initiatives with corporations while declaring the emergency. Private-public partnershipThe showpiece of the private-public partnership is an initiative with Google that will enable people to screen themselves online to see if they needed a COVID-19 test and if they are a candidate for it where to get it. Trump said that 1,700 engineers will be working on projects with Google. He met with several executives of private companies before the news conference to work out their participation and some of them spoke to the media about their programmes. The retailer Walmart with a large national footprint and others said they will make available their facilities for COVID-19 testing. Trump defended his administration's response to the crisis saying that it was following the procedures in place that were not designed for a crisis like a coronavirus and that changes would be made to deal with similar crises should they arise in the future. Seema Verma, who heads the two separate federal health insurance programmes for senior citizens and for the poor, noted that a lot of the deaths were among older people and said that several new regulations are being put in place to protect those in nursing homes for the elderly. Trump and medical experts with him said that people should undergo tests only when a doctor advises them to take them. He declared the emergency under a 1988 law for funnelling aid to states and local administrations. Unlike in India, a state of emergency in the US does not involve limiting civil rights and it only paves the way for providing funds for dealing with the fallout of the coronavirus and for relaxing laws and regulations to speed up medical response. Senate Republican leader Chuck Schumer has said that under the law known as the Stafford Act $42.6 billion could be immediately available from the Disaster Relief Fund. Trump has been under criticism for his handling of the coronavirus crisis by not responding soon enough or adequately. Schumer and 35 other senators had written to Trump on Wednesday asking him to declare the state of emergency to make the funds available. Might get tested for coronavirus: TrumpTrump said that he may get tested for coronavirus but clarified that he is not taking the test because he has recently been in contact with people who have contracted the virus. This comes after a Brazilian official, who dined and photographed with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence last weekend in Florida has been diagnosed with the coronavirus. Fabio Wajngarten, the press secretary for the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, had met the US President at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Trump said that White House doctors have told him that he does not need to be tested because he is showing no symptoms. Source: With inputs from IANS/ANI Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 09:42PM https://ift.tt/2Qflzxq COVID-19: Trump declares a national emergency - The Siasat Daily Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| PM on mosque attacks anniversary: 'A year on gives us a chance as a nation to reflect' - RNZ Posted: 13 Mar 2020 10:56 PM PDT  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand and its people have fundamentally changed after the Christchurch mosque attacks. Watch Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaking here: Ardern was speaking in Christchurch where she is attending events commemorating the 15 March attacks which claimed the lives of 51 people and injured dozens more. The prime minister said she wanted to acknowledge the Muslim community in New Zealand and the ongoing generosity the community had shown. She said memorials were not traditional in Muslim communities but they acknowledged it was something the public might wish to mark. "A year on gives us a chance as a nation to reflect on changes that have happened." Speaking about the measures taken after the attacks, she said the government moved immediately to ban semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles. She said 60,907 prohibited firearms were removed from circulation. The second tranche of gun legislation was expected to pass in the next weeks or months. Ardern said circulation of videos of terror attacks had far diminished under the Christchurch Call, an agreement to try and eliminate harmful content online. Talking about the victims she said "We looked at every single need and tried to address it". There was also additional funding of $17 million given to the Canterbury DHB for mental health support. "A year on, I feel New Zealand and its people have fundamentally changed," Ardern said. "I can't see how you could have an event like this and not [change]." "The challenge for us will be ensuring in our everyday actions, and every opportunity where we see bullying, harassment, racism, discrimination, calling it out as a nation," she said, "that is when we'll show we each individually have a role to play in making sure that New Zealand has changed fundamentally for the better." On Sunday Ardern will speak at the national remembrance service, Ko Tātou, Tātou We Are One, to mark the anniversary of the attacks. Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy, Dr Hamimah Tuyan, whose husband Zekeriya died after 48 days in intensive care, Imam Alabi Lateef from the Linwood Islamic Centre and Imam Gamal Fouda from Al Noor Mosque will also address the service at Horncastle Arena. Thousands are expected to attend the remembrance service. Canterbury's medical officer of health Doctor Ramon Pink said it was vital those considering attending events followed the latest health advice on Covid-19, and people should stay at home if they are sick. Top stories - Google News March 12, 2020 at 04:44PM https://ift.tt/38NYrwv PM on mosque attacks anniversary: 'A year on gives us a chance as a nation to reflect' - RNZ Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Coronavirus Testing Goes Mobile in Seattle - The New York Times Posted: 13 Mar 2020 10:39 PM PDT SEATTLE — On an overcast day in Seattle, a few dozen medical staff members, students and emergency workers with symptoms of the fast-spreading coronavirus spent their lunch break driving to a parking garage. The UW Medicine's Medical Center Northwest has turned part of the first floor of their four-story parking garage into a mobile testing clinic. Think fast-food drive-through, but instead of getting served a juicy burger, nurses come to take a nasal swab. In about a day, patients find out whether they have the coronavirus. Delays in testing have set back the United States' response to containing the coronavirus, and the mobile clinic that has operated since March 6 is one attempt to identify cases earlier in Seattle, the center of the nation's outbreak. "It's been a crazy couple of weeks," says Dr. Seth Cohen, who is leading the effort and is the medical director of infection prevention at the UW Medical Center. It is difficult to screen a large volume of people for the coronavirus inside a hospital, Dr. Cohen said. The space would need proper ventilation, and patients should not be contained in a waiting area where they could infect one another. Before patients are allowed to enter the drive-through clinic, they must fill out an online survey: Have they been experiencing cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, a runny nose or a sore throat? Did they have a specific exposure or recently travel to any countries with a current travel advisory? Responses are screened, and those who seem to be candidates for testing are offered an appointment. "This is a clinic for people who have symptoms," says Dr. Cohen. At this moment, there is no way for people who are asymptomatic to be screened. Dr. Dan Doherty, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the Seattle Children's Hospital, felt the onset of a cold last Wednesday when he woke up with a sore throat, which then progressed to a low-grade fever and congestion. "I did not have a known exposure, other than being in Seattle," he said. In an abundance of caution, he got an appointment at the mobile clinic on Monday morning.     At the drive-through clinic, Priuses and Subarus become waiting rooms. Patients open their windows just twice during the examination to reduce the chance of transmitting any viruses. Drivers stop first alongside a nurse in full protective gear, who verifies the patients' identities. A second nurse swabs both nostrils and places the swabs in a test tube inside a biohazard bag. "It's kind of like when you get smacked in the nose — but from the inside — and your eyes water," Dr. Doherty said. The samples are kept in a refrigerator until a courier comes to deliver them to the UW virology lab. Nurses then change their protective gear before examining the next patient. All told, it takes about five minutes for the nurses to test one patient, said Dr. Cohen. Within the two-hour testing block on Tuesday, the nurses were able to collect samples from 40 to 50 patients. One man, as he pulled away from the nurses and tents, said to his child in the back seat, "Now we're going to go home," as if they had just picked up lunch.  The virology laboratory — a stone's throw away from Amazon headquarters — has been operating 24 hours a day starting this week, turning what was once a research lab into an round-the-clock center for screening samples for coronavirus. UW Medicine started gearing up in early January, after Dr. Keith Jerome, the head of virology, read about the outbreak in China and knew it was only a matter of time before the virus would show up in the United States. A team of about a dozen researchers started working to develop the capacity to screen hundreds of patient samples for coronavirus. Once they had a patient sample that tested positive for coronavirus, it was all hands on deck: While the process to validate a robust test would ordinarily take several weeks or months, they did it in just three days. "We thought this is probably going to be a wasted effort," Dr. Jerome said. "But you don't want to wait until the last minute to start to prepare." The last time Dr. Jerome got a full night's sleep was over two weeks ago, before the Food and Drug Administration announced on Feb. 29 that academic medical labs could test for coronavirus. "It's been nonstop since then," Dr. Jerome said.    Patient samples ready for testing come in every two hours. The lab receives samples from all over the United States, from Connecticut to California to Alaska. Medical laboratory scientists and clinical laboratory technicians have been working extra hours to assist with the testing. One medical laboratory scientist, Jina Chung, has pulled 15-hour days. Rohit Shankar, another technician, abandoned plans for his vacation next week to Bali, Indonesia, so he could help out. Scientists extract the genetic material from all the patient samples, and load them into 96-well plates for coronavirus screening. Any positive samples are sent to the state for further analysis, and results are also communicated to the necessary hospital or doctors, who then follow-up with patients. Nearly 900 samples were being processed on Tuesday afternoon, and Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant director of the virology lab, said the facility was preparing to handle up to 5,000 daily. "Wow," one laboratory technician said. "And I thought we were busy now." As of Thursday, the mobile clinic had already screened 476 patients, with eight cases testing positive for Covid-19, according to Dr. Cohen, with many more turning out positive for influenza. Although mobile clinics are usually seen as something ephemeral, Dr. Cohen said, "I think we're in this for the long haul." And by that, he means months. "Until there's another way to get people rapidly screened." UW Medicine is looking to set up a second location in the south part of the city. The priority for now is to ramp up the capacity to serve the patients and staff at UW Medicine, rather than serving the general public. A similar mobile clinic in Denver, open to anyone with a doctor's order, had hourslong delays for testing this week. But like hand sanitizer, bread and toilet paper, supplies for testing are running low. "We are running low on the swabs. That's going to be the bottleneck for this clinic," Dr. Cohen said. "But right now we're just trying to test as many people as we can." "Mobile" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 02:15PM https://ift.tt/2WciLFk Coronavirus Testing Goes Mobile in Seattle - The New York Times "Mobile" - Google News https://ift.tt/2P9t7Cg Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| 'I don't take responsibility at all' for lack of coronavirus tests, Trump says - CNBC Posted: 13 Mar 2020 10:26 PM PDT  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump refused to accept any responsibility for the slow rate of coronavirus testing in the United States, saying on Friday that he was "given a set of circumstances" that wasn't meant for the high numbers of potential COVID-19 infections. "What we've done, and one of the reasons people are respecting what we've done, is we've gotten it done very early, and we've also kept a lot of people out," Trump said during a press conference in the Rose Garden. During the briefing, NBC's Kristen Welker asked Trump whether he took responsibility for the testing lag, which one member of his own task force called "a failing." "No, I don't take responsibility at all. Because we were given a — a set of circumstances, and we were given rules, regulations and specifications from a different time. It wasn't meant for this kind of — an event with the kind of numbers that we're talking about," Trump responded. In reality, America's low rate of COVID-19 testing has drawn criticism from health experts around the world, who say the slow rate of testing obscures the actual rate of infection in the United States, which is likely far higher than tests have so far confirmed. During the earliest stages of the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention distributed faulty tests to state and local health departments. Once the flawed tests were discovered and discarded, bureaucratic red tape held up the process of granting exemptions to private labs to make their own tests. As criticism of the Trump administration's coronavirus testing protocol has intensified, and testing in other countries such as South Korea has outpaced the U.S. by orders of magnitude, Trump has sought to shift the blame onto his predecessor, Barack Obama. On Friday, asked about testing rates, Trump brought up the example of the 2009 swine flu, or H1N1 epidemic, in order to criticize Obama and boast of his success. "If you go back to the swine flu, it was nothing like this, they didn't do testing like this, and they lost approximately 14,000 people. They started thinking about testing when it was far too late," Trump said. Former Obama administration official Ron Klain, who managed the 2014 Ebola outbreak, disputed Trump's assessment. "The Obama administration tested 1 million people for H1N1 in the first month after the first US diagnosed case," Klain tweeted on Thursday. "The first US coronavirus case was 50+ days ago. And we haven't event tested 10,000 people yet." This is not the first time Trump has attacked Obama's outbreak response as inadequate, an argument that has political implications as Obama's vice president, Joe Biden, appears increasingly likely to be Trump's 2020 Democratic opponent. "The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we're doing, and we undid that decision a few days ago so that the testing can take place in a much more accurate and rapid fashion," Trump said at a White House meeting with airline executives in early March. "That was a decision we disagreed with. I don't think we would have made it, but for some reason it was made. But we've undone that decision." Yet experts and laboratory trade organizations say there was no "decision," and they don't know what Trump is referring to. "We aren't sure what rule is being referenced," Michelle Forman, a spokeswoman for the Association of Public Health Laboratories, told The Washington Post in early March. "To our knowledge, there were some discussions about laboratory developed test rules but nothing was ever put into place. So we are not aware of anything that changed how LDTs are regulated." Moreover, the rules that govern how testing labs respond to emergencies aren't Obama-era rules at all --- they're George W. Bush-era rules, part of his administration's post-9/11 counterterrorism policy. In 2004, Bush signed into law the Project BioShield Act, which permitted the FDA to issue Emergency Use Authorizations to labs during public health crises. If a lab had a new treatment or test that seemed promising, the FDA would fast-track its approval process. But these details do not appear to have hampered Trump. On Friday, as confirmed U.S. cases topped 1,700, the president again zeroed in on what he said was "a testing problem" that Obama had failed to fix. "For decades theCDC looked at, and studied, its testing system, but did nothing about it," Trump tweeted early Friday morning. "It would always be inadequate and slow for a large scale pandemic, but a pandemic would never happen, they hoped. President Obama made changes that only complicated things further," Trump tweeted. "Their response to H1N1 Swine Flu was a full scale disaster, with thousands dying, and nothing meaningful done to fix the testing problem, until now. The changes have been made and testing will soon happen on a very large scale basis. All Red Tape has been cut, ready to go!" Trump said. Trump didn't specify what "changes" Obama made. According to experts, there weren't any. Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 05:14PM https://ift.tt/2QeUevh 'I don't take responsibility at all' for lack of coronavirus tests, Trump says - CNBC Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Christchurch's Mayor on the mosque memorial cancellation - RNZ Posted: 13 Mar 2020 10:26 PM PDT A major factor in the cancellation of the mosque attack national memorial service in Christchurch was because it was unticketed which would have made it impossible to trace anyone who might later be found to be suffering from Covid-19, government representative Megan Woods says.  Photo: RNZ / Eden Fusitu'a The event was due to be held at 3pm at Horncastle Arena and was expected to attract a large crowd with many travelling from around New Zealand and overseas. Auckland's Remembrance Event for the Christchurch mosque attacks, has also been cancelled. The event was due to take place at Eden Park tomorrow afternoon. A memorial event at one of Wellington's waterside sheds and an exhibition of posters and photos have been called off. Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said the decision was made to cancel the service given the rapidly changing environment around Covid-19. She said people can still reflect on the way the community came together on that tragic day last year and build on the compassion and unity shown in Christchurch, New Zealand and around the world. Dalziel said in cancelling the event we are asking New Zealanders to come together and to reflect on the significance of the impact this has had on the people who were directly affected. She said it was a chance to reflect on the nature of the response and the way people came together with peace and love in their hearts and the way that response became a message to the world. Dalziel said there is an announcement of the Christchurch invitation which the Muslim communities have asked the two women to endorse, which they did readily. Both the imams from Linwood Islamic Centre and Al Noor Mosque spoke yesterday of "the significance of the need to reconnect, to spread peace and to feed others". The Christchurch invitation is something all of us can adhere to and share with others, Dalziel said. Dalziel said consideration is being given to publishing the speeches from the prime minister and others that would have been given had the service gone ahead. "I'm in a position to say that the words can be published and I think publishing them tomorrow would be a way to resolve that. "The cancellation is in response to the Covid-19 virus and it is a sad thing to do, but I think after reflecting on a number of issues, and certainly for me personally it is very hard to meet up with people who have experienced such significant loss in their life and to feel a need not to embrace, to feel the need to stand back and it is the right decision to make and I want to endorse the decision that it is made to cancel it for that reason."  Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel addresses the media conference. Photo: RNZ / Eden Fusitu'a The government, the city council and the community had worked together to reach the cancellation decision. Woods said it's been a difficult decision to make knowing the huge amount of effort put into planning the event and the significance it held for many people. There were two main factors in terms of worries about Covid-19 - one is the large number of people who have travelled from New Zealand and overseas, but also the fact that it is a non-ticketed event and the ability to do community tracing, should there be a need to trace someone later identified with Covid-19. Woods said everyone she has spoken to about the cancellation has had the safety of people at the forefront of their thinking. "The members of the community that I've spoken to since this decision was made all have one thing at the forefront of their mind and that is the safety of everybody in Christchurch, of all New Zealanders and of their own community, so I think they're taking the precautionary approach, and putting people's safety [first] is absolutely fitting," Woods said. She said the event can still be commemorated by the things we do in our everyday lives. "That can be smiling at a person, that can be saying a nice word to somebody, that is actually about us taking what we've learned over the last year in terms of peace and unity and turning that into tangible action." Woods then thanked the community for the constructive discussions that allowed this conclusion. One of the main pieces of advice the government received over the last 24 hours was regarding the nature of the event and the lack of ability to conduct traceability after the event. Woods said New Zealand has largely been able to contain the virus and that's because there's been rigorous tracing of people who have come into contact with the virus. "We were always going to use common sense and be pragmatic as advice came because safety had to be the number one concern." Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has now changed her plans and will not travel to Christchurch tomorrow, Woods said. Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 09:55PM https://ift.tt/33fCl4S Christchurch's Mayor on the mosque memorial cancellation - RNZ Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| COVID-19: Work culture in a viral age - Financial Post Posted: 13 Mar 2020 10:08 PM PDT The mood among Maple Leafs fans at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night in Toronto was borderline anxious. The big screen above centre ice displayed a message during the second intermission, a how-to primer, complete with graphics and blue-and-red-lettered script, on decreasing the risk of getting coronavirus. "Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands," the message stated. There was no mention of avoiding crowds, including a tight cluster of fans, many wearing Leafs sweaters, gathered near the entrance to the home team's dressing room, who were harbouring concerns unrelated to a growing pandemic. In a must-win game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto was reeling, yet still clinging to a 1-1 tie with a period to go. "These guys could really learn something from the Raptors," an usher observed. "The Raptors know how to compete. They know how to close out close games." The NBA closed for business 24 hours later. Twelve hours after that, the Raptors were advised by team medical staff to self-isolate for 14 days. On Thursday, the NHL announced a "pause," amid a global pandemic washing over North America. People are getting sick everywhere, stock markets are cratering, and schools and professional sports leagues are turning out the lights for who knows how long. Terms such as "social distancing" have been added to the popular vocabulary, just as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added himself to the ranks of those under self-quarantine as his spouse, Sophie Grégoire, tested positive for COVID-19.  Uncertainty has become the rule of the day in the face of a constant drip of eye-popping, panic-inducing news that has led to a re-ordering of the way things were, well, seemingly just yesterday. That includes the way we work and interact with colleagues, which is something David Zweig, on a face-to-face basis at least, has been doing a lot less of lately. Public health is paramount, but layered beneath it, in an environment where people are keeping their distance, are traditional notions of work and whether, like a seasonal flu, avoidance becomes just a passing fad or a formative moment, where companies truly rethink the way things traditionally get done. Zweig, a 49-year-old associate professor of organizational behaviour and human resources management at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, was born in the era of rotary-dial phones, televisions with bunny-ear antennas and gas-sucking station wagons. A time when an office job strictly meant being at the office, looking others in the eye, doing handshake deals and maybe getting up to grab a drink from the water cooler and talk about last night's game. In the traditional office arrangement, workers share space. In well-run organizations, they also share a common sense of purpose and culture — an often hard-to-articulate corporate sense of how things get done around here. "Culture is the social glue that holds us all together and gives us a sense of identity in our organization," Zweig said. "Coronavirus could impact the strength of that culture."
  That culture element is perhaps one reason why the idea of teleworking, much ballyhooed by workplace consultants as a corporate cost saver and one that younger workers particularly desire to achieve that elusive work/life balance, hasn't exactly taken off. If, say, workers are all suddenly working remotely and there is no place — be it a lunchroom, coffee shop downstairs, boardroom, neighbour's desk or those corporate box seats at your local NHL arena — to physically gather and talk, not always about work, and create an all-for-one office place vibe, how will workers absorb a common culture? It is a question the senior leaders at Shopify Inc., the Ottawa-headquartered e-commerce darling with 5,000 employees, 4,000 of whom are Canadian-based, are about to find out the answer to. The company characterizes its "people" as "constant learners who thrive on change and seek to have an impact in everything we do." Half of those people already work remotely. The other half, as per recent a corporate directive, will be joining them as of March 16. "We believe working from home is the best option for our employees right now to make sure no one's health and safety is at risk," the company said in a statement.  Trailblazers in the tech space, Shopify declined to answer a question about whether the work-at-home experiment, in a time of crisis, could become the new normal going forward. Instead, it said workers will be connecting with one another through augmented/virtual realities. It cited, as an example, a recent podcast with Tobias Lütke, in which a virtual replica of the chief executive, albeit one with no legs, chats with an interviewer, also legless, from a pair of comfy, virtual-reality chairs. The absence of being physically present at the office could never work for Cliff Trollope, head of enterprise risk services at MNP LLP, a chartered accountancy/business advisory firm. "You got to be able to see the troops," he said. Trollope's need for human connection, and for actually seeing the troops, is understandable: he's a former lieutenant colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces. He did several tours in Bosnia, as well as stints in Cyprus and other global hotspots. Among the lessons he learned was to plan, and plan some more, and always be asking oneself within those planning efforts a host of "what if" questions. What if a patrol, say, comes under fire, or loses its communications, or encounters a hostile crowd? What to do when Plan A goes out the window and Plan B follows soon after? And, now, what to do about COVID-19? "I operate day to day, week to week, on a battle rhythm/cycle that mirrors how the military works," Trollope said. The pandemic, he said, might force companies to change the way they work to be better prepared for existential threats. His office has been flooded with phone calls from jittery clients all week, some with corporate continuity plans in place — that is, a plan to operate in the face of a threat — others without any plan whatsoever.  Among the unique challenges posed by COVID-19 is that the crisis isn't, for example, a Russian hacker compromising a company's internet security. It's about employees everywhere being thrown into internal, deeply personal dialogue/debates. Conversations around what Trollope characterizes as "perceived versus actual risks." Perceived risk, in an environment where the Canada Public Health Agency has pegged the risk associated with COVID-19 to the general population as "low," might involve a healthy, robust Employee A, being utterly terrified of taking the subway to work in Toronto for fear of being exposed to the virus and, through a knock-on effect, exposing his elderly parents to it in North Bay, Ont. Employee A's fears might not be grounded in statistics, but perceived fears still have to be managed for him to be productive at work, especially since not everyone can work at home. Employee B, meanwhile, might be that unlucky sod on the second floor at corporate headquarters, who was in Italy on business prior to the country closing up shop and tests positive for COVID-19, thus presenting her employer with a very real problem. Of course, some companies such as manufacturers depend on employees showing up to work. Others depend on consumers congregating en masse, which becomes difficult if everyone is practising social distance. The chief consequence of a global pandemic for, say, a widget maker, on top of rattling employees, could be the disruption of its global supply chain. If a company's raw goods are single-sourced from Wuhan, China, it could be going out of business. "A pandemic — a human health emergency — is just a variation of a business continuity plan, only it involves people," Trollope said. People with irrational and rational fears, and, lately, entire countries with vast populations under quarantine. "Don't panic," the ex-military officer advises, "but you need to be prepared."
Companies — and people — need a plan, and a back-up plan, and they should never stop planning, not when the situation is fluid, and not even after the current crisis passes since another pandemic, or other threat, is on its way, somewhere over the horizon. "We are going to have this happen again, pandemics, epidemics, they have been around for centuries," said Andrew Morris, an infectious disease specialist at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Morris is a doctor, dad, basketball coach and Toronto Raptors fan. He was relieved to see the lights go out on professional sports leagues. Being a fan involves being a part of a community, and fandom is often a common bond between complete strangers. In this mix, live sports are loaded viral guns. An infected fan with poor hand hygiene might order a beer and some fries, slather on the ketchup, touch this and that on their way to his seats, leaving COVID-19 on surfaces where others might pick it up. Then they all might show up at work the next day.  "The more disease is spreading around, the higher likelihood that vulnerable people are going to be affected," Morris said. "We have a health-care system that is already stretched. We can't handle a situation like what is happening in Italy." Back at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night, the worst-case scenario for Leafs fans would have involved losing to Tampa Bay. But the home team came through, 2-1, in the end. People high-fived as the final buzzer sounded. A few even hugged. Mitch Marner, among the Leafs heroes on a winning night, tossed his stick to a kid in the crowd. Thousands headed for the exits and the streets beyond, bumping shoulders, touching the escalators, heading home to catch a few winks before waking to another workday in a viral age. Financial Post • Email: joconnor@nationalpost.com | Twitter: oconnorwrites "viral" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 05:33PM https://ift.tt/2TP6HIz COVID-19: Work culture in a viral age - Financial Post "viral" - Google News https://ift.tt/2BCxygM Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Live - Everyone travelling to NZ from overseas to self-isolate - RNZ Posted: 13 Mar 2020 09:56 PM PDT As of midnight tomorrow every person arriving in New Zealand apart from those coming from the Pacific islands will have to self- isolate, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. She is addressing the media on coronavirus. Until now, foreign travellers arriving from mainland China and Iran have been banned from entering the country. Travellers from South Korea and Italy have been asked to self-isolate for two weeks on arrival. As of midnight Sunday every person arriving will have to isolate themselves for 14 days, Ardern says. That will mean New Zealand will have the strongest restrictions in the world, she said. She said the measures will be reviewed in 16 days and there will be more measures and advice for self isolation next week. All cruise ships are also being asked to not come to New Zealand until June 30. It does not apply to cargo ships. The prime minister said it is not realistic for New Zealand to only have a handful of Covid-19 cases. However, "New Zealand has today relative to other countries a small number of cases," Ardern said. We have two choices as a nation, Ardern said. One is to let Covid-19 roll on, the other is to go hard on measures to stamp it out. It is in our power to slow it down, she said. New Zealanders' public health comes first and this constitutes an unprecedented time. "Cabinet made far reaching and unprecedented decisions today because these are unprecedented circumstances. As of midnight Sunday every person entering New Zealand, including returning New Zealand citizens and residents, will be required to enter self isolation for 14 days - everybody. "The Pacific are exempted from this measure, they are the only ones. Anyone from this country though will be required to automatically self isolate should they exhibit any Covid-19 symptoms on arrival in New Zealand. All of these restrictions will be reviewed in 16 days' time. "This decision will mean New Zealand will have the widest ranging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world. We are also encouraging New Zealanders to avoid all non-essential travel overseas - this helps reduce the risk of a New Zealander bringing Covid-19 in." In addition to restrictions on air travel, as of midnight today the government is issuing a directive to all cruise ships not to come to New Zealand until at least 30 June at which time the directive will be reviewed - this is for incoming cruise ships. It doesn't apply to cargo ships, marine or air crew, so that sea and air freight can remain open for imports and exports. She wanted to ensure that essential airfreight such as pharmaceuticals could continue to enter the country. "We do not take these decisions lightly, we know these travel restrictions will place a significant strain on the aviation industry and we anticipate some routes will reduce or cease for a period of time."  Jacinda Ardern refers to some of the latest information that is guiding the government's response to Covid-19. Photo: RNZ / Jogai Bhatt The government will work closely with the aviation sector to support it to remain active in New Zealand so it could rebound from restrictions quickly and it would not have significant impacts on the tourism sector, exports and the economy. There's no need for anyone, despite these restrictions, to conduct a run on the supermarket, Ardern said. Support for businesses to be announced on TuesdayThe Finance Minister will announce an economic response including a business continuity package on Tuesday. The Health Minister will also announce further measures and public information campaign. Advice will be released shortly on large events where people will be in close proximity to each other, events where people have travelled from overseas and non-ticketed events. New border exit measures for those travelling to the Pacific will be put in place including no travel for people who have travelled outside of New Zealand in the past 14 days, no travel for close or casual contacts of a confirmed case, no travel for anyone who is a confirmed case and no travel for anyone who is symptomatic. Significantly more people will enter self-isolation as a result of these measures. Health authorities have been asked to step up enforcement of self-isolation through measures such as health checks, Ardern said. "These measures while disruptive are needed to make the space we need as a nation to prepare and manage the spread." Read more about the Covid-19 coronavirus: Earlier today, a sixth case of Covid-19 was confirmed by Waitematā District Health Board, and tomorrow's mosque attack national memorial service in Christchurch was cancelled due to concerns about the coronavirus. Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 09:46PM https://ift.tt/39POi3z Live - Everyone travelling to NZ from overseas to self-isolate - RNZ Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| What Will 'Blue Bloods' Actress Sami Gayle Do Next? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet Posted: 13 Mar 2020 09:44 PM PDT It's not always an easy road to literally grow up while acting on a TV show. This is what happened to Sami Gayle in playing Nicky Reagan on CBS' Blue Bloods. Viewers saw Gayle go from age 14 to 24 within the last decade, which is practically a lifetime for a teenager. Even though she devoted most of those years to acting on Blue Bloods, things are starting to change in her career. For one thing, she now has a college degree (something paralleled with Nicky), plus a successful indie film released this last year. Things are looking bright for Gayle, no matter if fans want her to stick around on Blue Bloods to the end. There's been some insinuation recently she's leaving, but likely not completely. Sami Gayle has done some films during Blue Bloods breaks There hasn't been complete devotion to Blue Bloods on Gayle's part if one includes going to Columbia University in recent years. She managed to work around that by just appearing occasionally in select episodes. Fans even saw Nicky graduate from the same university. During summer breaks, Gayle made six films, beginning with Detachment, starring Adrien Brody. The only other acting Gayle had done beyond Blue Bloods was a small part on As the World Turns, plus a guest appearance on Royal Pains. Once dipping her toe into the cinematic waters, though, she kicked off a string of films between 2011-2014. College appeared to intervene after 2014, hence no movies made for a few years. Well, not until this last year anyway when she co-starred in the Netflix indie film Candy Jar. It was written by her brother (Chad Klitzman) who wrote it with her in mind. The role was exactly what she was looking for: a driven, independent young woman not dependent on relationships. The Nicky Reagan character is moving to San FranciscoIn a recent episode of Blue Bloods, Nicky announces she's moving to San Francisco after her Columbia University graduation. Everyone learned she got a job there and would presumably be used as an exit from the show. Fans have been speculating about whether this is really goodbye for Gayle or if it's just another example of making occasional appearances. So far, Gayle hasn't said anything on social media or to the media about what her intentions are. She may feel concerned about what the reactions would be and wisely decided to stay quiet. Considering she's reportedly very close to the cast, it doesn't make sense she'll be gone forever without occasional cameos. Yet, after Candy Jar, it's clear she wants to do more movies. Her advantage right now is her screenwriter brother who's seemingly able to write roles she wants without having to hunt them down elsewhere. Will Sami Gayle be able to land the best roles for women in Hollywood?It's a little unusual to have a brother write something for their sister. Not that brother-sister creative teams are anything unusual in the history of showbiz. Many examples exist, including Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell being one. Sami Gayle's brother really understood what his sister was looking for, including full knowledge of her personality. With Candy Jar getting relatively good reviews, it seems working with her brother could be Gayle's real showbiz future. At the moment, she appears to be taking a break. Perhaps she and her brother will make another deal with Netflix to do more films, with another appealing female character. Over time, Gayle may start playing some of the smartest cinematic women, creating another dynamo brother/sister team where understanding each other makes all the difference. "Actress" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 06:36PM https://ift.tt/2IHO5Ut What Will 'Blue Bloods' Actress Sami Gayle Do Next? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet "Actress" - Google News https://ift.tt/31HZgDn Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| T-Mobile, Sprint offer unlimited smartphone data as coronavirus contingency - AppleInsider Posted: 13 Mar 2020 09:43 PM PDT T-Mobile and Sprint on Friday announced a slate of measures designed help the public as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, with provisions granting unlimited smartphone data to all subscribers.  All current T-Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile customers with data plans will immediately have unlimited access to the carrier's network for 60 days, the company said. In addition, customers are granted an additional 20GB of mobile hotspot service for the same period and free international calls to Level 3 impacted countries, a list that includes China, Iran, South Korea and 29 European countries. Further, students enrolled in a program that takes advantage of T-Mobile's EmpowerED digital learning program also gets at least 20GB of data per month for 60 days. "Now, more than ever, as school and workplace closures are happening each day, reliable internet connectivity is crucial," T-Mobile said in a post to its webpage, adding, "In these unique circumstances, access to unlimited data is more important than ever." The telecom notes its network is operating at 100% reliability and that measures are in place to respond to any issues that should arise. As for T-Mobile's employees, the company is encouraging work from home options through the end of the month. Others are being offered flexible schedules or additional paid time off for sickness and family support, the carrier said. Sprint on Friday announced nearly identical provisions for its customers, noting customers with international long distance calling plans will next Tuesday receive free international calling rates from the U.S. to Level 3 countries. On Thursday, the carrier will offer free unlimited data and 20GB of mobile hotspot data per month to existing subscribers for a period of 60 days. The same 20GB hotspot allotment will "soon" be doled out to customers who do not currently have the service activated. T-Mobile and Sprint are among the first mobile carriers in the U.S. to provide benefits to customers amid the COVID-19 crisis. Earlier this week, ISPs like AT&T and Comcast suspended broadband data caps. All four major mobile carriers signed the Federal Communications Commission's "Keep Americans Connected Pledge," which calls on telecoms to waive late fees related to the pandemic, not terminate service of those impacted by the virus and open Wi-Fi hotspots to the public. "Mobile" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 06:57PM https://ift.tt/2TM3NnE T-Mobile, Sprint offer unlimited smartphone data as coronavirus contingency - AppleInsider "Mobile" - Google News https://ift.tt/2P9t7Cg Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Posted: 13 Mar 2020 09:26 PM PDT  Brian Cornell, the Chairman and CEO of Target Corporation, reaches out and shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after the president declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2020. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials appeared to disregard recommended health guidelines on preventing the spread of respiratory illnesses Friday by shaking hands, touching their faces and sharing a microphone at a press conference declaring the coronavirus a national emergency. During a live briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House, Trump could be seen shaking hands with multiple executives from major companies, including Target CEO Brian Cornell, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and Walgreens President Richard Ashworth. U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci, and executives also shared a podium where they repeatedly touched the microphone. U.S. officials could also be seen touching their faces. Reporters at the press conference also shared the same microphone. The briefing raised eyebrows for those watching on social media as health officials urge the public to take strong measures to try to stem the outbreak, which has spread across 46 U.S. states. COVID-19 can spread through respiratory droplets that pass when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Whenever someone with the virus coughs or exhales, they release droplets of infected fluid that can land on nearby surfaces like desks, tables or telephones and can infect another person who comes in contact with it. Bruce Greenstein, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of the LHC Group offers President Donald Trump an elbow bump in place of a handshake for safety after the president declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency at a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, March 13, 2020. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Health officials recommend avoiding physical contact while greeting, including shaking hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth since these are areas where the virus can enter your body. They also recommend maintaining at least three feet of distance from yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 05:38PM https://ift.tt/2IL508z US officials shake hands, touch their faces and share a microphone at coronavirus press briefing - CNBC Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Posted: 13 Mar 2020 08:56 PM PDT  WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday signed an emergency declaration over the coronavirus pandemic, unlocking certain government powers to deal with the public health challenge. Here's a breakdown of what that means on a legal and practical level. What is emergency power?It's special authority that a president can unlock and use in exigent circumstances. Congress has enacted more than 100 laws that permit a president to declare that emergencies exist, freeing the government from abiding by some of its usual legal constraints. This flexibility can include permitting the federal government to spend additional funds, including to aid state and local governments, and temporarily lowering legal barriers to certain actions. In some cases, an umbrella law called the National Emergencies Act that regulates how presidents can use exigent power must be invoked to use another, setting up a complex cascade of effects. In public health, emergency power laws include provisions of the Public Health Service Act, the Stafford Act, the Social Security Act and other statutes. How does a Stafford Act emergency work?It frees up federal funds and other resources to help when "federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety." The Stafford Act is the government's main mechanism for responding to major disasters and emergencies. It permits tapping into an account that currently has more than $40 billion, which it could use to do things like buy medical supplies and equipment. If a president grants a declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency can coordinate a response. The act also empowers the president to direct any federal agency to use its personnel, facilities and equipment to support state and local emergency efforts, disseminate public health and safety information, provide public health and safety measures, and distribute supplies like medicine and food. While the Stafford Act is more often activated in cases of major disasters that cause property damage, like hurricanes and floods, it has also been used in public health emergencies. In 2000, President Bill Clinton used it to cover mosquito control operations in New Jersey and New York during the outbreak of the West Nile virus. Wasn't there already an emergency determination?Yes, but it was under a less sweeping law. On Jan. 31, Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of Health and Human Services, determined that an emergency existed under the Public Health Service Act. The determination made it easier for state and local health departments to temporarily reassign personnel whose salaries were funded through federal public health programs, freeing them from regular duties to help respond to the pandemic. What about the Social Security Act?Mr. Trump's move will also unlock extra powers under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act aimed at making it easier to get medical supplies and doctors and nurses where they are needed most. The provision permits waiving requirements in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program that normally apply. The waivers include payment limitations on using out-of-network providers, certain certification requirements and a federal mandate that doctors be licensed in the state in which they are practicing. At his news conference, Mr. Trump gave an example of "telehealth," or letting doctors in one state consult online with patients in another state. The waiver power under the Social Security Act requires both a determination under the Public Health Service Act by the health and human services secretary and a presidential declaration under either the Stafford Act or the National Emergencies Act. In 2009, President Barack Obama declared a national emergency — under the latter law rather than using the Stafford Act — in part to unlock Section 1135 powers as part of the government's response to the H1N1 epidemic, also known as the swine flu. Is this different from the emergency Trump declared over the border wall?Yes, at least as a matter of policy substance and politics. Serious commentators agree that the coronavirus pandemic presents a true emergency and fits within the intent of Congress in creating national emergency powers laws. But Mr. Trump's claim that an emergency existed at the border that could be solved by a wall was widely disputed. Mr. Trump's coronavirus emergency declaration, in contrast to his Mexico border wall declaration, fit the purpose of emergency powers laws, said Elizabeth Goitein, a co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. She oversaw a study in 2018 of presidential emergency powers. "In contrast to the situation at the border wall, which was in no way an emergency and the president's declaration went against Congress's will," she said, "this is a situation where we face a true emergency and members of Congress have actually been encouraging the president to take this action." Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 07:37PM https://ift.tt/38UWz5n Trump Declared a National State Emergency Over Coronavirus. Here's What that Can Do - The New York Times Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Ndidi should think twice about potential Arsenal transfer - Goal.com Posted: 13 Mar 2020 08:42 PM PDT Leicester City have been one of the exceptional stories in the Premier League this season, and at this stage, it would surprise no one if they ultimately clinched Champions League qualification for the 2020-21 season. In a campaign where some of the traditional Premier League powerhouses have failed to impress, the Foxes have largely managed to play free-flowing, attacking football that has sent their opponents scampering for cover at its best, whilst taking them flying up the table. Sporting a team that boasts of top talents like Jamie Vardy, who is currently atop the league's goalscoring charts with 19 goals, and other attacking gems like Harvey Barnes, James Maddison to name a few, fans have firmly taken note of the Foxes' rise up the standings. There are many contenders for the team's most important player, but while the free-flowing football attracts the most attention, the form of Wilfried Ndidi at the base of the midfield cannot be understated. The Nigeria midfielder has forged a solid reputation for himself in the heart of the park, going by how he usually drifts across the middle of the pitch, just behind the more creative players, sniffing out danger as it arises in their wake and putting out fires one after the other.
 The former Genk star has made 3.96 tackles as well as 2.65 interceptions per game so far this term, ranking second-best in those metrics behind teammate Ricardo Pereira and Diego Rico, respectively. It was no surprise when Ndidi's absence from the team due to injury further highlighted his importance. With results dipping, his injury had threatened to scuttle the Foxes' impressive season, with Rodgers struggling to replace his key man with the likes of Hamza Choudhury. When Ndidi did return, the impact was clear, and he was again influential as the Foxes strolled to an easy 4-0 victory at the King Power Stadium. Before that encounter, Rodgers' troops welcomed back the former Genk star for their FA Cup meeting with Birmingham City, which ended 1-0 to the East Midlanders. Inevitably, various reports in the last winter transfer window linked the midfield enforcer with Arsenal.
 With the Gunners' struggling for form, and a team that is always crying out for players in his mould, it was only a matter of time. Even though Mikel Arteta has managed to improve the performance of the team since his employment, a player like Ndidi is going to bolster his options in midfield. However, convincing the Nigerian international to abandon the ongoing footballing project at Belvoir Drive for the eerily desolate Emirates Stadium may prove a tough ask. The three-time Premier League champions haven't played in the continent's most prestigious showpiece since 2016-17 and have had to make do with the Europa League in the last three campaigns. While Leicester appear well placed to reach the Champions League next season, the same cannot be said of Arsenal. The Gunners currently lie ninth, still needing results to go their way to stand any chance of playing any sort of European football next season. Leaving the promising situation of being a key player in a team where he is enjoying his best football under the tutelage of Rodgers, whilst competing against the best teams in Europe's premier club competition, might just prove too alluring for the young midfielder. Would it really be a step forward in Ndidi's career for him to swap Champions League football with Leicester for Arsenal? "Goal" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 11:24AM https://ift.tt/38SCtIB Ndidi should think twice about potential Arsenal transfer - Goal.com "Goal" - Google News https://ift.tt/35TEe8t Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| 伊坂幸太郎の最高峰エンターテインメント小説！ 凄腕の殺し屋“兜”が――実は恐妻家！？『ＡＸ アックス』 | 「レビュー（本・小説）」 - カドブン Posted: 13 Mar 2020 08:19 PM PDT  文庫巻末に収録されている「解説」を特別公開！ 伊坂幸太郎は死の不安を書く作家だ。 口にする機会は少ないが、皆がそれを抱えて生きている。いや、生きるということ自体が、死の気配から目を逸らし続ける行為と等しいと言ってもいい。 背後に迫る死の影に、誰も気がつかないふりをしている。だが、ときどき伊坂は振り向いて、それが自分の後ろにいることを確かめようとする。恐怖映画に悲鳴を上げる子供が、指の隙間から画面を観るのをやめられないように。怖がりは、確認したがりでもあるのだ。 死が怖いからこそ、伊坂はその死を主題にした小説を書くのだと私は考えている。 『ＡＸ』の単行本版は二〇一七年七月二十八日に発売された。二〇〇四年の『グラスホッパー』、二〇一〇年の『マリアビートル』（いずれも現・角川文庫）に続く、殺し屋が主要人物として登場する小説の第三弾である。それまでは書き下ろしの長篇だったが、本作は初めて連作短篇集形式になった。前二作がバッタ（グラスホッパー）、テントウムシ（マリアビートル）と題名に昆虫の名前が使われていたのに対し、本作では「ＡＸ」、つまり斧という道具になっている。これは第一話のタイトルだ（初出：「小説 野性時代」二〇一二年一月号）。おや、と思って同話を読むとすぐに種明かしがある。主人公の兜が息子と交わす会話が「 「でもそのことわざは、カマキリもその気になれば、一発かませるぞ、という意味合いではないんだろ」 「どちらかといえば、はかない抵抗という意味だ」 伊坂は一作ごとに異なる技巧を凝らす作家で、本作でもさまざまな手が試されている。今書いた蟷螂の斧のやりとりもその一つだ。読者は本のどこかでこの会話をもう一度思い出すことになるだろう。忘れたころに戻ってくるブーメラン、という伏線の技巧は伊坂が二〇〇七年の『ゴールデンスランバー』（現・新潮文庫）で極めたものだ。 『ＡＸ』では前二作に登場した殺し屋たちの消息が語られる。『グラスホッパー』の解説にも書いた通り、伊坂にはもともと、事故死に見せかけて人を消す殺し屋が多数出てくる小説という構想があったのだという。さまざまな殺し技を考えたが、物語として書くことを考えて、人を事故死させる押し屋、説得して相手に死を選ばせる自殺屋、ナイフ使いの三人だけが残った。これが『グラスホッパー』で、押し屋こと 続く『マリアビートル』にも檸檬と蜜柑なるコンビや、てんとう虫と呼ばれるツキのない殺し屋が登場する。頻繁に視点人物が入れ替わる三人称多視点の文体は伊坂作品ではおなじみだが、この連作では誰が章の主役なのかが印鑑で示される趣向が採用されている。「槿」「天道虫」といったハンコが章の頭に押されるのだ。注意深く読むと、この印鑑にはもう一つの仕掛けが隠されていることがわかる。前作『マリアビートル』では気づかなかった方も、ぜひ本書で確認してもらいたい。 さきほど主人公を兜と書いたが、本名ではなく通り名である。カブトムシからとられたもので、最初は伊坂がクワガタムシが好きなところから大鍬という名だったという。彼の本名は三宅であることが、第三話の「Ｃｒａｙｏｎ」（初出：「小説 野性時代」二〇一四年二月号）でわかる。殺し屋の本名が明かされるのは、これが初めてだ。 既に書いた通り『ＡＸ』は初の連作短篇集だが、もう一つ異なる点がある。前二作が殺し屋が暗躍する事態に巻き込まれた一般人の恐怖を描いたスリラーだったのに対し、本作ではその殺し屋自身が主役なのである。兜の表の顔は会社員だ。偽装ではなく、ちゃんと文房具メーカーの会社員として働いている。家に帰れば克巳という高校生の息子がいる普通の父親でもある。普通と違うのは彼が並外れた恐妻家だという点か。解説から目を通す習慣のある方は、とりあえずここで表題作の冒頭数ページだけでもお目通し願いたい。熟睡している妻を物音で起こすのが怖いから夜食は魚肉ソーセージに限る、と力説している人物。それが我らが主人公の兜なのだ。これでも腕利きの殺し屋である。 『ＡＸ』への影響関係は定かではないが、読むと連想せざるをえないのが伊坂自身も愛読者だと表明しているアメリカの作家、ローレンス・ブロックの〈殺し屋ケラー〉シリーズだ。依頼を受ければどこへでも出張していき、獲物を始末して帰ってくるという殺し屋を主人公にした連作で、ブロックが一九九四年から断続的に発表していた短篇が一九九八年に『殺し屋』という作品集としてまとまった。日本での翻訳も同年である（二見文庫ザ・ミステリ・コレクション）。このケラーの姿が、私には兜と重なって見えるのだ。 ケラーの連作では、淡々と日々を過ごす主人公が突如 本書でも、同種の演出によって非情さが強調されている。たとえば第一話では、息子の進路相談に駆けつけるために、兜がそそくさと標的を殺して高校に急行する。この境目のなさが肝で、殺人による死と家族の重大な行事という生に属する事柄が一続きで描かれる。ホームドラマが演じられている中に突然侵入してきた殺し屋、という違和感が忘れがたい印象を残すのである。 『グラスホッパー』は無機質な殺し屋が跋扈する世界を描いて不条理観の溢れるスリラーとなった。これは第二長篇『ラッシュライフ』（二〇〇二年。現・新潮文庫）から始まって、やがてディストピア小説『モダンタイムス』（二〇〇八年。現・講談社文庫）で結実する、現代人の抱える漠然とした不安を主題とする小説の系譜にも連なる作品である。次の『マリアビートル』は、話の舞台を東北新幹線という密閉空間の中に限定したアクション小説で、前作とはがらりと風合いが異なる。近い作風を求めるならば、アメリカの作家ドナルド・Ｅ・ウェストレイクの影響が感じられるスラップスティックな犯罪小説『陽気なギャングが地球を回す』（二〇〇三年。現・祥伝社文庫）か。また、作中には法で罰することが難しい極悪人が登場するが、これも伊坂の作品にはよく出てくるタイプの敵役で、『死神の浮力』（二〇一三年。現・文春文庫）などが連想される。 殺し屋の出てくる小説といっても、毎回風合いは異なるのである。家族小説と犯罪小説の合体が試みられたのが第三作である『ＡＸ』で、その結果として接合面にいる兜という主人公の個性が際立って見えることになった。父親であり夫である兜と殺し屋の兜という二つの顔は、本来一人で併せ持つことが難しく、かけ離れたものだ。話が進むにしたがって 最初に書いたように伊坂は死の不安を描く作家だ。同時に伊坂には、家族という生のつながりを描く作家という一面もあり、この二つは根底でつながっていると私は考える。家族という要素が小説の前面に出てきた最初は二〇〇三年の『重力ピエロ』（現・新潮文庫）だ。同作では主人公と弟の関係を通じて、血のつながりだけが家族なのか、という問いかけが行われる。後に『オー！ファーザー』（二〇一〇年。現・新潮文庫）でも同じように伊坂は家族の多様性を題材にするが、自分という存在は個として完結したものではなく、他者との関係を通じて時間軸上に広がっている、という認識が伊坂作品には見えることが多い。その最も小さな単位が家族なのだ。 年代記の形式で書かれた『あるキング』（二〇〇九年。現・新潮文庫／徳間文庫）は、その単位自体を題材にした小説である。家族小説ではないが、まったく関係ない出来事の因果がまわりまわって意外な結果を呼ぶ『ＳＯＳの猿』（二〇〇九年。現・中公文庫）や『ＰＫ』（二〇一二年。現・講談社文庫）などにも背景に同種の思考を読み取れる。時間軸上に自分の延長が残っている間は、自分は終わらず、孤独ではないのだ。そう考えることが、死への不安に対抗するための根拠となる。 実は殺し屋の男を主人公とする『ＡＸ』にも、そうした要素が備わっているのである。引き裂かれた自己を持つ男が、家族を通じて本来の自分は何かを考える小説なのだ。 本書の執筆期間には、中断期間がある。「ＡＸ」、「ＢＥＥ」（初出：宝島社刊『しあわせなミステリー』二〇一二年四月刊。二〇一四年三月に『ほっこりミステリー』と改題して宝島社文庫）、「Ｃｒａｙｏｎ」の三作が書かれた後、「ＥＸＩＴ」「ＦＩＮＥ」の二話が書き下ろされて単行本が二〇一七年に出るまで、三年空いているのだ。これは、伊坂が当初の予定を変更したためである。収録作の頭文字を並べるとＡＢＣＥＦとなって不自然であることにお気づきだろう。本来は「Ｄｒｉｖｅ」という一篇が予定されていたのである。 「小説 野性時代」の二〇一五年十一月号に「Ｄｒｉｖｅ／イントロ」と題された作品が掲載されている。これは兜が家族と房総半島にドライブ旅行に出かける途中で殺し屋の仕事をこなさなければならなくなるという出だしで、最終的には妻や子供に気づかれないようにして任務を遂行する、という構想だったようだ。作品には斧田という害虫駆除業を営む人物が登場する。名前からすると重要な役割を担っていた可能性があるが、今となっては、作者の意図は知りようもない。 当時のインタビューによれば阿部和重との合作『キャプテンサンダーボルト』（二〇一四年。現・文春文庫）と『火星に住むつもりかい？』（二〇一五年。現・光文社文庫）を発表した後で燃え尽き症候群のようになってしまい、「Ｄｒｉｖｅ」を続けられなくなってしまったのだという。この話を最後に持ってきて単行本化するという目論見が崩れたが、代わりに「ＥＸＩＴ」「ＦＩＮＥ」の二篇で物語をしめくくるという案が浮上した。そのきっかけになったのは新海誠監督の映画『君の名は。』だったというからおもしろい。構造を分解してみると、『君の名は。』には本書と重要な共通項がある。できれば「ＦＩＮＥ」まで読んだ後、映画を観直してみていただきたい。 書き下ろされた二篇で印象的なのは「ＥＸＩＴ」に古山高麗男『プレオー （編注：4月30日までの期間限定で「Drive」の全文を公開しております→伊坂幸太郎、幻の〈殺し屋シリーズ〉未完中編「Drive」、期間限定試し読み①） 書きたいことはまだまだあるが、そろそろお暇の頃合いである。二〇一七年の伊坂は、七月に本作を上梓したあと、九月に書き下ろしで『ホワイトラビット』（新潮社）を出した。作者とは『ラッシュライフ』以来の長い付き合いとなる、泥棒・黒澤を主人公にした企み溢れる長篇である。また、十月には初の絵本『クリスマスを探偵と』（河出書房新社）も発表している。成果に満ちた一年であったし、兜という読者の心に忘れられない記憶を残す主人公を書き切ったことで充実感もあったのではないか。 この解説を書くために『ＡＸ』をまた読み返した。誰の人生にも小さな幸せが訪れることはある。それを書いた小説でもあるんだな、と思いながら何度目かになる再読を終えた。 ▶伊坂幸太郎『ＡＸ アックス』特設サイト（https://promo.kadokawa.co.jp/ax/） "エンターテインメント" - Google ニュース March 13, 2020 at 08:07PM https://ift.tt/3cXKYFF 伊坂幸太郎の最高峰エンターテインメント小説！ 凄腕の殺し屋"兜"が――実は恐妻家！？『ＡＸ アックス』 | 「レビュー（本・小説）」 - カドブン "エンターテインメント" - Google ニュース https://ift.tt/2W81riD Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| What to do now that President Trump suspended student loan interest payments - CNBC Posted: 13 Mar 2020 07:56 PM PDT  Amid calls for relief for student loan borrowers during the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump announced Friday that the government will waive interest payments on federal student loans for the foreseeable future. "I've waived interest on all student loans held by federal government agencies, and that will be until further notice," Trump said as part of a national emergency declaration. Exactly which loans apply under this waiver is unclear, and the White House has not released an executive order as of 5:00 p.m. ET Friday. It is also unclear whether the interest will continue to accrue during the postponement period and need to be repaid later. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier Friday that the administration was considering pausing payments as well. Still make payments if you canIf you're still working and your finances have yet to be impacted by recent events, it's best to keep making payments on time, says Elaine Rubin, senior contributor and communications specialist at Edvisors. "Waiving interest doesn't waive the requirement to make your monthly payments — additional guidance or clarification would be needed from the government," she says. And if you aren't facing financial hardship, Rubin says to use the situation to your advantage. "It may be the time to aggressively attack your student loans," she says. "If you aren't being charged interest, this is an opportunity to make an impact on your student loan balance." Other optionsThat said, if you do experience economic hardship or unemployment, you may be able to defer your federal student loan payments as a last resort. Interest never accrues on your subsidized federal loans during an economic hardship deferment, and payments will be postponed. Just know that if you are on the path to student loan forgiveness, a deferment will put you off track. You may also be eligible for an income-driven repayment plan, which can lower your payments now. Some borrowers pay nothing. "Placing your loan in a deferment or forbearance can be done over the phone," says Rubin. "If you are not well enough to have the conversation, you can make the phone call with a trusted individual. Your loan servicer will likely just need authorization from you to speak to a third party on your behalf." Some private lenders also allow temporary deferments in certain cases. If you have consistently made your payments on time, call your loan provider and ask what options are available to you during difficult times. Check out: The best credit cards of 2020 could earn you over $1,000 in 5 years Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 02:15PM https://ift.tt/3cZ3bCU What to do now that President Trump suspended student loan interest payments - CNBC Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| US summons Chinese ambassador over coronavirus conspiracy theory - CNN Posted: 13 Mar 2020 07:56 PM PDT That claim was publicly promoted by China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Thursday, who pointed to remarks made by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention l director Robert Redfield as proof of a growing conspiracy theory that the coronavirus did not originate in central China, as previously thought, and may have been brought there by the US Army.  "CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!" Zhao tweeted to his more than 300,000 followers. Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai was summoned to the State Department shortly after Zhao's comments were posted online. During Friday's meeting, Stilwell gave a very "stern representation" of the facts to the Chinese ambassador, who was "very defensive," a senior State Department official told CNN. Stilwell did not issue any threats, but the two diplomats had a frank diplomatic discourse, the official said. Tensions have been brewing for weeks between Washington and Beijing over who is to blame for the coronavirus outbreak. China continues to deny that the virus originated there while top US officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have pointed the finger directly at Beijing. Just last week, Pompeo referred to the disease as the "Wuhan virus." President Donald Trump called it a "foreign virus" during his address to the nation this week. The State Department believes that China is seeking to deflect criticism for its role in "starting a global pandemic and not telling the world," the official told CNN, adding that spreading conspiracy theories is dangerous and ridiculous.  On Friday, Stilwell sought to put the Chinese government on notice that the US will not tolerate the comments they have been making in seeing to deflect blame for coronavirus, which have not been limited to Zhao's tweet on Thursday. Earlier Friday, Zhao's fellow Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said there were "varied opinions" on the origin of the virus in the international community. "China always considers this a scientific question, which should be addressed in a scientific and professional manner," he said, avoiding questions on whether Zhao's tweet represented the Chinese government's official position. The country's top infectious disease expert and government health officials have also cast doubt on where the virus originated. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has become increasingly aggressive in its criticism directed at China despite Trump's initial praise for Beijing's handling of the outbreak. Earlier this week, President Trump's National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien blasted the Chinese government for their response to the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, saying they "covered up" the outbreak and "probably" cost the world "two months to respond." "There's lots of open source reporting from China, from Chinese nationals that the doctors involved were either silenced or, or put in isolation or that sort of thing so word of this virus could not get out," O'Brien told a crowd at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. "If we had those and been able to sequence the virus and had the cooperation necessary from the Chinese, had a WHO team been on the ground, had a CDC team which we'd offered been on the ground, I think we could've dramatically curtailed what happened both in China and what's now happening across the world," he continued. Other US officials close to Trump, including incoming chief of staff Mark Meadows have labeled it as the "China virus," despite objections from the CDC director who told lawmakers he agreed it was "absolutely wrong" to do so. Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 12:48PM https://ift.tt/33l9Rqn US summons Chinese ambassador over coronavirus conspiracy theory - CNN Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| T-Mobile provides unlimited data on all plans for 60 days during coronavirus spread - CNET Posted: 13 Mar 2020 07:32 PM PDT  For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website. T-Mobile will provide unlimited smartphone data across all mobile plans for current customers for the next 60 days during the spread of the novel coronavirus. This includes T-Mobile and Metro customers. The company will also be providing an additional 20GB of its mobile hotspot service for the next 60 days, and is offering free international calls to any Level 3-impacted nations worldwide. "Now, more than ever, as school and workplace closures are happening each day, reliable internet connectivity is crucial," T-Mobile said in a blog post Friday afternoon. The carrier is increasing its data allowance for free to schools and students who use its EmpowerED digital learning programs, providing 20GB of data per month for the next 60 days. T-Mobile added that its network is operating at 100% reliability. AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are also waiving late fees and providing unlimited data. Those carriers, plus T-Mobile and Sprint, all signed the FCC's pledge to not terminate residential or small business services for those who can't pay bills during the coronavirus pandemic; waiving late fees; and opening their Wi-Fi hotspots to all Americans for the next 60 days.  Watch this: Pandemic: Here's what's changed about the coronavirus 5:54 "Mobile" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 03:14PM https://ift.tt/2TNHzBJ T-Mobile provides unlimited data on all plans for 60 days during coronavirus spread - CNET "Mobile" - Google News https://ift.tt/2P9t7Cg Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Trump's speech won't erase his bumbling response on coronavirus - WTVA Posted: 13 Mar 2020 06:56 PM PDT Speaking to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday night, President Donald Trump put on his serious face. In a televised address, the president finally seemed to acknowledge the severity of the coronavirus threat to the nation and outlined steps his administration plans to take in the weeks ahead. These included a 30-day ban on travel for foreign nationals from Europe to the United States (excluding Britain), as well as economic relief for workers and small businesses. The President offered some recommendations for citizens trying to avoid contracting the coronavirus—he appears to have finally listened to the experts who have been calling for a stronger response. The address is a stark contrast to the long list of statements the president has made on the issue up until now, which have defied the facts. He has insisted, for example, that there were enough tests available all over the country for anyone to get tested anytime, and that the number of cases was dwindling. These things were not true. He has gone against the words of his own medical officials and left the country in a fog of Trumpian disinformation. He has primarily spoken about the pandemic in terms of providing economic stimuli that could mitigate its effects, rather than offering a plan for containing the spread of the disease. Even as this pandemic has gotten worse, the administration has held firm to its demand to cut funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Trump's words won't erase the bumbling response to the disease's spread, and this has been a major problem for those Americans citizens who don't have confidence in the president -- who himself is the face of our federal government. If there were such a thing as presidential malpractice, his response to coronavirus would be it: He has treated it as an extension of his general disregard for Washington, the city in which he governs. As New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on CNN after the address, what President Trump did not offer to viewers was a defense of government, a promise of what the government would do, and a plan for government action. President Trump, who governs as a Republican in the age of conservatism, is incapable of delivering this message. As Governor Cuomo told his CNN-host brother Chris, "It's government baby." The bottom line is that in times of crisis Americans need their government. Without a strong government we would never have made it through a host of difficult times that confronted the nation over the years. During periods of economic hardship, Americans have relied on federal policies. This was true in the Great Depression in the 1930s, when unemployment reached 25%. As President Franklin Roosevelt and the Democratic Congress created a massive number of programs to help the country survive hardship and to revitalize crucial sectors like banking and farming, where the bottom had completely fallen out. When financial and housing markets collapsed in 2008, a conservative Republican president, George W. Bush, worked with Democrats to push through a massive bailout of the banking industry and achieve stability. When Americans have attempted to resolve chronic societal crises, government has been a standard solution. As elderly Americans were unable to obtain adequate health care protection before the 1960s, lacking adequate insurance to cover the cost of hospitals and physicians, they only found relief in 1965 when Congress created Medicare and Medicaid. Social injustice crises have long led marginalized Americans to ask the government for help. As industrial workers in factories tried to organize to protect their rights on the shop floor, they only found the strength that they needed when Congress created the National Labor Relations Board in 1935, a federal body that legitimated and regulating unions. When Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights advocates took to the streets to protest racial segregation and disenfranchisement, their voices culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Americans who suffered from physical disabilities finally saw their lives change after President George H.W. Bush worked with a Democratic Congress to enact the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. When there are natural disasters, we have looked to government. In 1968, Congress created the Federal Insurance Administration. The Federal Emergency Management Administration, which formally got underway in 1979, has been one of the most important government bodies assisting in cleanup and rescue efforts. Public health crises are always major moments that reveal how necessary government is to Americans. Since its creation in 1946, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been the main source for information on outbreaks and tracking their spread. In 1962, the CDC was credited with helping to eradicate smallpox. When the Reagan administration finally responded to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, after too many years when President Ronald Reagan refused to deal with the disease or even utter its name, it was Surgeon General C. Everett Koop's public information campaign that aimed to teach Americans safe sex. In the years after, regulatory moves to accelerate FDA drug approval were extraordinarily important to beginning the process of containing the crisis. President George W. Bush's PEPFAR program, which sent billons to Africa to combat the spread of AIDS, was considered to be one of his most important successes. During the Ebola crisis in 2014-2016, President Barack Obama adroitly managed government resources and mobilized top expertise to help bring the situation under control. "Right now, the world has the responsibility to act, to step up and to do more. The United States of America intends to do more," he said, in remarks at the CDC in 2014. And when there are major challenges overseas—such as the rise of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s—we depend on a robust wartime mobilization to fight any threat to democracy and to undertake a full mobilization at home. In the 1940s, President Roosevelt mobilized industry to produce the munitions needed to fight the war and managed the economy on the home front to avoid inflation. After 9/11, government surveillance was important to gathering information about terrorist networks. Great presidents understand that they are the face of the federal government; the words they use are hugely consequential in crisis. At a time that banks were collapsing in 1933, President Roosevelt's Fireside Chat address on the radio helped citizens achieve some sense of calm. After John F. Kennedy's tragic assassination in November 1963, Lyndon Johnson offered stirring words, saying "Let us continue." After the space shuttle Challenger exploded in midair, killing all aboard, including a schoolteacher, President Reagan offered the nation solace in a stirring address in 1986. So now as the nation suffers through a pandemic, with lives turned upside down and financial markets in virtual freefall, the country is once again looking to the government to provide a response and so far, disappointed to see what's there. It seems nearly impossible that President Trump will be able to bolster much of the nation's confidence in the ability of the government to handle the situation—his record of callous indirection and his seeming lack of comprehension of real danger faced by regular people is too long and too damaging. But other parts of Washington can step in to fill the void: Congressional Democrats, who have been struggling to restore order in our capital, and Republicans who have remained silent as the President has strained our institutions. Governors like Cuomo and Jay Inslee in Washington state are on the front-lines of this battle, and their states can serve as "laboratories of democracy," as Louis Brandeis once said. It was not surprising to see a surge of support for Joe Biden during the last two weeks of the Democratic primary season, as his long experience in the Senate and service as vice president demonstrate his life-long commitment, regardless of his flaws, to the institution that Americans need most right now as we make our way through this public health crisis: the government. Top stories - Google News March 11, 2020 at 09:40PM https://ift.tt/2IMrlTe Trump's speech won't erase his bumbling response on coronavirus - WTVA Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Viral virus video highlights COVID-19 panic shopping in Windsor - Windsor Star Posted: 13 Mar 2020 06:38 PM PDT "We estimated 10 or 11 per cent of the population would panic-buy, and they're doing that right now — but it'll soon pass," said Charlebois, senior director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax and known as The Food Professor. "The food industry has learned a lot, including from the auto sector, about modern supply chains — they've invested heavily," he said. "There shouldn't be any concerns about food … and prices."  So relax, shoppers, Canada's supply of food and toilet paper appears secure — no need to storm local grocery stores and clear out shelves. But there is a chance of danger, Charlebois warns. If the border between Canada and United States were to suddenly close, the way the Trump administration has temporarily halted travel from continental Europe, "that could be a nightmarish scenario," he said. At this time of year, about 80 per cent of all fresh produce on Canadian store shelves either originates in the U.S. or transits through the U.S., said Charlebois. "What the (U.S.) president did on Tuesday against Europe was, frankly, shocking. I'm just hoping cooler heads prevail." "viral" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 06:25PM https://ift.tt/39SYbO0 Viral virus video highlights COVID-19 panic shopping in Windsor - Windsor Star "viral" - Google News https://ift.tt/2BCxygM Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Posted: 13 Mar 2020 06:26 PM PDT  Google and its parent company Alphabet are working on a website for coronavirus testing, according the internal materials viewed by CNBC and an announcement by President Donald Trump on Friday. Trump said during a press conference announcing a state of emergency due to the coronavirus that Google has 1,700 engineers working on the effort now. The screening website from Google will be where people can fill out a questionnaire and learn how they can get a test for the coronavirus, government officials said during the press conference. The website will have options to learn about risk factors and symptoms of coronavirus. Pichai, in an internal memo sent Thursday that was viewed by CNBC, said employees asked about whether the company could help in COVID-19 testing efforts. "Yesterday at TGIF, someone had a question about whether Verily could assist in the effort to test people for the COVID-19. I know we are all looking for ways to help right now, so I checked in with their team to see if they could use support from Google and our other bets for a new effort being planned," Pichai said. "The good news is that a planning effort is underway to use the expertise in life sciences and clinical research of Verily in partnership with Google to aid in the COVID-19 testing effort in the U.S." Verily is Alphabet's life sciences company. Pichai said the company is working with governing officials to direct vulnerable patients to its Project Baseline website. It wasn't immediately clear whether this was the same website mentioned by President Donald Trump. "As more test kits become available, the planners are looking to develop a pathway for public health and healthcare agencies to direct people to our Baseline website, where individuals who are at higher risk can be directed to testing sites based on the latest guidance from public health authorities," Pichai said in the memo. Project Baseline, which says it's "collaborating to build the next generation of healthcare tools and services" is an initiative that maps health data points used in clinical research. That research is used in collaboration with other researchers, clinicians, engineers, designers and volunteers, according to Baseline's website. The company-wide memo comes as Google employees — along with others in the tech industry — voice their concern about the virus and what their employer is doing to help the rapidly-spreading COVID-19 outbreak. This week, the company ordered nearly all of its global employees to work from home, including its more than 100,000 North American employees. CNBC found that a Google employee in its Bangalore, India, office tested positive for the COVID-19 Thursday and is in quarantine. Google did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The company later said on Twitter it is developing a triage tool it will deploy near its Mountain View headquarters in California. It did not make any additional comments related to the president's remarks. "We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing," Google's communications team tweeted Friday afternoon following the president's press conference. "Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time." "We appreciate the support of government officials and industry partners and thank the Google engineers who have volunteered to be part of this effort," it continued. The Verge and Wired both reported that Google was caught off-guard by Trump's announcement, and that Verily had originally intended to roll the tool out only for health care workers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Verily is already developing a small, body-worn temperature patch that transmits data to a phone application for early diagnosis of flu-like sicknesses, Pichai said in a blog post earlier this week. The World Health Organization this week declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. As of Friday, the outbreak has caused more than 5,000 deaths and 135,000 confirmed cases globally, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. However, not everyone with symptoms have access to the limited testing kits. "Verily is part of the Alphabet family and could use our help in the coming days and weeks to respond as quickly as possible to the rapidly evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic," Pichai said in the memo. Top stories - Google News March 13, 2020 at 05:55PM https://ift.tt/3aQQEPZ Google is making a coronavirus information site to help find testing as more kits become available - CNBC Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| China’s first confirmed Covid-19 case traced back to November 17 - South China Morning Post Posted: 13 Mar 2020 05:56 PM PDT [unable to retrieve full-text content]
Top stories - Google News March 12, 2020 at 11:12PM https://ift.tt/38Lqdtv China's first confirmed Covid-19 case traced back to November 17 - South China Morning Post Top stories - Google News https://ift.tt/2FLTecc Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| Racist White Man Turns Cherry Red After Being Called ‘Boy’ In Viral Video - News One Posted: 13 Mar 2020 05:38 PM PDT  Source: Arman Zhenikeyev / Getty It should be no surprise that racism continues to run deep in this country on a macro and micro level. One viral video is showing how white racists can't take a dose of their own medicine when it comes to condescending remarks. The clip, which has gone viral on Twitter, shows a white man in a suburb spewing racist language only to be triggered even more when he's called "boy." The video was posted by Twitter user @2monthslaterr and it starts with the man behind the camera asking "You called me the N-word?" to which the riled up white man in a robe responds, "That's what you are motherfu**er." The white man then continues towards a house as if he is preparing to go inside while still aiming expletives at the cameraman. Meanwhile a white woman in curlers seems to try and calm down the man in the robe, saying, "I don't want the police here." Meanwhile, the cameraman goes on to say, "I got your address" and then speaks out the disgruntled man's address. "I got you saying the N-word boy I got you," says the camera man. It was the "boy" part that completely set the white man off. "Boy?! You're a ni**er motherfu**er." The man in the robe then proceeds to make his way back towards the house while repeatedly calling the cameraman the N-word. When the camera man gets closer, the man in the robe rushes towards him, saying, "I told you to get off my driveway. Ima knock the fu** out of you." The cameraman responds with "old man you cannot hurt me" to which the man in the robe threatens, "Sh*t Ima go get my gun." The video was posted to Twitter on Thursday and as of Friday it's received over 1 million views. You can check it out below. Warning, it includes various expletives. Since then, people on social media have commented on the video comparing the racist white man to movie characters such as Peter Pettigrew from the "Harry Potter" franchise and Mayor Augustus Maywho from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". The racist video is the latest to go viral over the past year. One from October of last year involved a Black teen being called the N-word by a white woman after he threw his gum wrapper on the ground. "I thought she was going to attack us," he said. "The lady was telling me, 'Just pick it up,' real loud and just yelling and everything, crazy." In January of this year, a CEO of a fertilizer company in Tennessee was also caught on camera calling his Uber driver the N-word. He was fired from his position after the video went viral. SEE ALSO: Black Women Slammed And Choked By Miami Officers During Spring Break How Coronavirus Affects Black People: Civil Rights Groups Call Out Racial Health Disparities NewsOne RadioOur staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen..."viral" - Google News March 13, 2020 at 02:10PM https://ift.tt/2vkDxHD Racist White Man Turns Cherry Red After Being Called 'Boy' In Viral Video - News One "viral" - Google News https://ift.tt/2BCxygM Shoes Man Tutorial Pos News Update Meme Update Korean Entertainment News Japan News Update  |
| 『AKIRA』4Kリマスター、4月3日からIMAX上映決定！ - シネマトゥデイ Posted: 13 Mar 2020 08:36 AM PDT 『AKIRA』4Kリマスター、4月3日からIMAX上映決定！ - シネマトゥデイ  大友克洋が監督した長編アニメーション『AKIRA』（1988）の4Kリマスター版が、4月3日より、全国36の劇場でIMAX上映されることが明らかになった。 「AKIRA」は、第3次世界大戦による新型爆弾の投下から復興しつつある、2019年のネオ東京が舞台の大ヒットコミックが原作。原作者である大友監督の手で1988年に映画化され、伝説のアニメとして、現在も世界中のクリエイターに影響を与え続けている。作品の舞台となった2019年には、新アニメ化プロジェクトも発表された。 IMAX上映が実施される4Kリマスターは、本編を35mmマスターポジフィルムから4Kスキャン・4Kリマスターを施し、音楽監督の山城祥二のもと、5.1ch音源のリミックスを実施した決定版。今月開催予定だった「東京アニメアワードフェスティバル2020」のオープニング作品として劇場上映されるはずだったが、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大の影響で全プログラムが中止となっており、今回の上映は、二度とない貴重な機会になりそうだ。 上映は、現在日本にIMAXが導入されている全36館で実施される。また、4月24日からは、Ultra HD Blu-rayとBlu-rayどちらでもリマスター映像を楽しめる「AKIRA 4Kリマスターセット」が発売。特典ディスクには、4Kリマスターの音に迫った新規制作のドキュメンタリー「AKIRA SOUND MAKING 2019」の長尺バージョンが収録されており、この映像の通常版が3月28日に TOKYO MX で放送される。（編集部・入倉功一） 2020-03-13 15:33:44Z https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNpbmVtYXRvZGF5LmpwL25ld3MvTjAxMTQ2NzTSATFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaW5lbWF0b2RheS5qcC9uZXdzL04wMTE0Njc0LmFtcC5odG1s?oc=5  |
| Southwest Florida venues, theaters step up precautions to protect from coronavirus - News-Press Posted: 13 Mar 2020 06:59 AM PDT Southwest Florida venues, theaters step up precautions to protect from coronavirus - News-Press CLOSE  Artis—Naples usher Jean Kmon scans ticket during a demonstration Naples Daily News This story has been updated. Artis-Naples announced late Thursday it was canceling all of its scheduled events through April 12 . For a list of canceled and postponed events, click HERE. They're breaking out the hand sanitizer and doubling up on bathroom soap. They're urging sick employees and customers to stay home. They're using scanners to check in theater tickets — or just looking at the ticket instead of actually touching it. And some local venues are going even further when it comes to protecting people from the new coronavirus and COVID-19. Starting Saturday, Broadway Palm dinner theater won't let you serve yourself food in the buffet line, for example. And the Alliance for the Arts has stopped recycling its theater programs after shows — one of many changes happening there. "We're all working hard to do our part," said Lydia Black, executive director for the Alliance in Fort Myers. "I am enormously proud of our team's proactive and thoughtful approach to our community's health, safety and well-being." In Naples: Coronavirus disrupts venues' schedules; Artis—Naples cancels all events up to April 12 As COVID-19 fears grow nationwide, theaters and venues in Southwest Florida are taking extraordinary measures to calm their customers and keep everyone safe. Some major events have been canceled or postponed, and more announcements are coming every day. That includes comedian Adam Sandler's March 12 show at Hertz Arena, the Naples St. Patrick's Day Parade this Saturday, The Naples Players' ongoing production of "Bye Bye Birdie" starting March 17, The News-Press's Storytellers Project event March 24 in Cape Coral and Artis—Naples canceling all March events. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has urged organizers to cancel or postpone all "mass gatherings" for the next 30 days. But for many smaller events and local venues, they all have the same message: The show must go on. Most local venues say they're moving forward with their scheduled concerts, plays and other events. They're just being extra-careful. More: What events in Southwest Florida are canceled, postponed because of the coronavirus? More: Coronavirus threat increases cleaning at Southwest Florida International Airport At Florida Repertory Theatre, that means cleaning counters, door knobs and bathrooms more frequently, and making sure all employees and volunteers wash their hands regularly. That goes for theater patrons, too, said Florida Rep's artistic director, Greg Longenhagen, in a video posted Monday on the theater's Facebook page. "Just wash those hands," Longenhagen said. "And if you do feel sick, just please stay home." Then he added, on a hopeful note: "I think, as a community, we're gonna get through this." Most venues say they've been cleaning and disinfecting more regularly, encouraging sick patrons and employees to stay home, and watching the situation closely to see if any more changes are needed. "We have been part of calls hosted by the Florida Department of Health that included Governor DeSantis," said Broadway Palm owner Will Prather in an email sent to the theater's customers Thursday. "And we are getting the most up-to-date information and suggestions from the CDC. "My team and I are taking this situation very seriously and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to make some significant changes to our operation until further notice." More: In the Know: How is coronavirus affecting tourism and business in Southwest Florida? Those changes include having gloved servers handing food to patrons in the hot-buffet line, using paper instead of reusable table linens, and having door greeters open the doors for customers as they enter the building. "Please be assured that we are monitoring the situation very closely, and we are prepared to alter these procedures further should the condition warrant," Prather said in the email. "As they say, the show must go on." Here are some of the other changes and precautions happening at local venues (Note: Hertz Arena and the movie theater chains Regal, Marquee Cinemas and AMC didn't respond to requests for comment): Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center: The downtown Fort Myers arts hub has put out more hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes throughout the building, especially in high-traffic areas such as the art galleries, said president/CEO Jim Griffth in an email sent to patrons Tuesday. "Additionally, our custodial staff is routinely disinfecting commonly touched surfaces, including doorknobs, handrails, and elevator keypads." Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall: The theater already has hand sanitizer stations throughout the building, said General Manager Scott Saxon, along with a "stringent schedule of cleaning and disinfecting the entire facility after each performance." But now they're paying even more attention to cleaning and sanitizing counters, railings, door handles, seat arms and other high-traffic areas. All shows are planned to go on as scheduled, Saxon said, but any changes will be announced through the media and on the website bbmannpah.com. Artis—Naples: The Naples venue announced late Thursday it was canceling all of its scheduled events through April 12. It had posted the steps it's taken to combat the virus on its website. That includes more frequent disinfecting of commonly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, door handles and elevator keypads. In addition, Artis—Naples has been using handheld equipment to scan patrons' tickets for at least four years (something Mann Hall, Hertz Arena and other venues do, as well). All the patron needs to do is show the bar code on the ticket — no touching required. Southwest Florida Event Center: Co-owner Jennifer Shanahan says they're monitoring the situation daily but haven't made any changes yet. "We are in constant communication with agents and tour managers and will only do what is best for our community members and visiting artists." Alliance for the Arts: Most events are going on as planned at the Fort Myers arts hub, with the exception of the 2020 Artist Studio & House Tour, where people visit the homes and studios of local artists. "The Tour was scheduled to take place in individuals' homes at the end of the month," says executive director Black. "We decided to postpone, as a precaution, and in the best interest of our artists and the community." The Alliance started implementing many changes Saturday in response to the coronavirus. Those changes include:
Cultural Park Theater: The Cape Coral community theater has been following CDC guidelines on the coronavirus, said executive director Michael Moran. That includes wiping down the chairs after each show, making sure ushers wash their hands frequently, keeping the bathrooms well stocked with hand soap, and posting signs encouraging people to do things such as coughing into their elbows. "We're just trying to keep our patrons safe and the theater open at the same time," Moran said. "We want everybody to be careful, but we also don't want to go into hysterics." Gulfshore Playhouse: Access to the Norris Community Center is being limited to one door each on the handicapped-access and the Eighth Avenue entrance to keep surface contacts to a minimum. Disinfecting wipes and tissues have been placed throughout the building as well as hand sanitizer dispensers. Also, patrons will be asked to show their tickets to ushers rather than hand them over. Founder/Artistic Director Kristen Coury said it's unsettling directing rehearsals for a play that may never make it to the stage if the COVID-19 situation becomes critical. "The Lion in Winter" is set to open for previews March 26. "We're watching the situation every day," Coury said. — Harriet Heithaus contributed to this article. Connect with this reporter: Charles Runnells (Facebook), @charlesrunnells (Twitter), @crunnells1 (Instagram) Read or Share this story: https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2020/03/12/coronavirus-florida-fort-myers-naples-entertainment-venues-theaters-step-up-precautions/5030434002/ 2020-03-13 13:30:36Z https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2020/03/12/coronavirus-florida-fort-myers-naples-entertainment-venues-theaters-step-up-precautions/5030434002/  |
| Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson share update after coronavirus diagnosis - CNN Posted: 13 Mar 2020 06:35 AM PDT Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson share update after coronavirus diagnosis - CNN [unable to retrieve full-text content]
2020-03-13 13:25:43Z https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNubi5jb20vMjAyMC8wMy8xMy9lbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50L3RvbS1oYW5rcy1yaXRhLXdpbHNvbi1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy11cGRhdGUvaW5kZXguaHRtbNIBZGh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmNubi5jb20vY25uLzIwMjAvMDMvMTMvZW50ZXJ0YWlubWVudC90b20taGFua3Mtcml0YS13aWxzb24tY29yb25hdmlydXMtdXBkYXRlL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw?oc=5  |
| Disney theme parks, American landmarks close amid coronavirus - ABC News Posted: 13 Mar 2020 06:35 AM PDT Disney theme parks, American landmarks close amid coronavirus - ABC News [unable to retrieve full-text content]
2020-03-13 11:43:07Z https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiK2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9TGl6bmo4Z09UQlnSAQA?oc=5  |
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