Hirose has launched a waterproof wire-to-wire connector with an operating temperature up to 125°C, targeting demanding automotive, agricultural, and construction vehicle applications.
TE Connectivity’s swept elbow backshells for electrical and optic cables offer up to a 20% weight savings in a variety of military and aerospace applications.
NEW RESOURCES
PR Newswire: The Princess and The Platypus Foundation Presents The Princess Diana Museum (PRESS RELEASE). “The largest collection of Princess Diana’s personal historical items in the world currently on display, online 24/7. The only Diana online museum that contains over 1,700 carefully curated iconic, personal and historical artifacts spanning Diana’s lifetime from early childhood through her tragic death. Displayed in a 3D interactive environment, the artifacts depict her incredible life and reveal her enduring legacy.”
Released last month but I missed it. From the US Forest Service: USDA Forest Service Releases Community Wildfire Risk Website. “For the first time, community wildfire risk has been mapped nationwide to help community leaders mitigate risk. The USDA Forest Service today announced the free, interactive, easy-to-use website, Wildfire Risk to Communities. This website is designed to help community leaders nationwide understand how wildfire risk varies across a state, region, or county and allow them to prioritize actions to protect their communities.”
News Medical: New database of 14,000 known macrolactones could support drug discovery and research. “Researchers from North Carolina State University and Collaborations Pharmaceuticals have created a free-to-use database of 14,000 known macrolactones – large molecules used in drug development – which contains information about the molecular characteristics, chemical diversity and biological activities of this structural class.”
TWEAKS AND UPDATES
TechRadar: Forget Google Docs – Microsoft Word’s new re-writing feature is a game-changer. “Smart Compose is a tool for Google Docs that predicts which words and phrases you’ll type and offers to finish them off for you. It’s handy, and can be a real time-saver as it ‘learns’ your writing habits, but Microsoft has now gone one better with a feature for Microsoft Word that can re-write whole sentences for you.”
Google Blog: Four new Google Duo features to help you stay connected. “For the past few weeks, even though I haven’t seen many of my loved ones in person, we’re still keeping in touch. Daily catch-ups with mom, weekend happy hours with friends, a birthday party with people who live all over the country. And it’s all happening on Google Duo, our video calling product. That’s the case for many people these days–in fact, every week, over 10 million new people are signing up for Duo, and in many countries, call minutes have increased by more than ten-fold. Here are a few new features to help you feel close to friends and family even when you’re apart.”
AdWeek: Facebook: Here’s How to Create Your Avatar. “Facebook rolled out Avatars, its take on Bitmoji, in the U.S. this week. This feature allows users to create an avatar of themselves that will be featured in stickers that they can then share in Facebook Stories, comments and more. Our guide will show you how to create your Avatar in the Facebook mobile application.”
AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD
Berkeley Libraries: Fiat Blocks: Students use Minecraft to build UC Berkeley (and its libraries) in stunning detail. “Imagine a place where social distancing isn’t necessary — where you can gather with friends and resume life as normal, as if COVID-19 and the chaos it has wrought were but a distant memory. Such a place actually exists — and, no, it’s not Georgia. Enter Blockeley University, a student-led effort to build, one block at a time, the UC Berkeley campus on Minecraft, the wildly imaginative (and massively popular) video game. In the expertly crafted virtual world, you can walk through Sather Gate, gaze upon the iconic Campanile, encounter campus’s ubiquitous Kiwibots, and spot Berkeley’s famed peregrine falcons. And, even amid the closures, you can soak in the architectural glory of the campus’s libraries.”
The Scotsman: Unlocking the treasures that tell the story of the Highlands. “Highland Objects has been launched to open up the collections of the small independent museums in the Highlands, which are now facing a very uncertain future given the impact of the pandemic and the loss of vistitors from around the world this year. Running online, museums in the Highlands have been asked to put forward their favourite objects with the public to vote on their most loved out of a group of six.
Reuters: Exclusive: Facebook agreed to censor posts after Vietnam slowed traffic – sources. “Facebook’s local servers in Vietnam were taken offline early this year, slowing local traffic to a crawl until it agreed to significantly increase the censorship of ‘anti-state’ posts for local users, two sources at the company told Reuters on Tuesday.”
Greek Reporter: First-Ever Collection Of Cyclades Island Music Compiled by Greek Professor. “A Greek professor is compiling an enormous online archive of historic Cycladic Island music, representing the first-ever systematic study of all the songs known to have been played on these Aegean islands.”
SECURITY & LEGAL
Vice: Viacom Forced Internet Archive to Remove Hundreds of Hours of MTV Broadcasts. “Archivists have uploaded hundreds of hours of MTV VHS recordings from the 1980s and early 1990s to the Internet Archive. The videos have caught the attention of Viacom, which has attempted to have them taken offline.”
MarketWatch: Justice Department, state attorneys general poised to hit Google with antitrust lawsuits: report. “The Justice Department and a group of state attorneys general may file antitrust lawsuits against Alphabet Inc.’s Google as soon as this summer, according to a Wall Street Journal report that published Friday afternoon and cited people familiar with the matter.” Good morning, Internet…
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Wash your hands and stay at home as much as you can. Please be careful. I love you.
NEW RESOURCES – MEDICAL/HEALTH
UNC School of Medicine: Wood helps create, lead international COVID-19 database of people who have blood cancer. “A University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher has helped establish an international database to collect and share information that could help improve care for patients with blood cancer who are positive for COVID-19. The ASH Research Collaborative’s Data Hub launched the COVID-19 Registry for Hematologic Malignancy to capture data on people who test positive for COVID-19 and have been or are being treated for blood cancer.”
The Atlantic: State and Federal Data on COVID-19 Testing Don’t Match Up. “With the new CDC site, the federal government is providing regular testing data again, and for the first time ever, it is doing so on a state-by-state level. But an initial analysis of the CDC’s state-level data finds major discrepancies between what many states are reporting and what the federal government is reporting about them. In Florida, for example, the disparity is enormous. The state government reported on Friday that about 700,000 coronavirus tests have been conducted statewide since the beginning of the outbreak. This count should be authoritative: Governor Ron DeSantis has ordered hospitals and doctors to report their test results to the Florida Department of Health. Yet the CDC reported more than 919,000 tests in the state in that same period. That’s 31 percent more tests than Florida itself seems to think it has conducted.”
PopSugar Fitness: Sweat It Out With Our Intense New Instagram Live Workouts, Premiering All Week Long!. “No space, no equipment, no time? Honestly, no problem. A step-by-step solution: First, to stay on track, add our Instagram Live workout schedule to your Google Calendar. Second, throw on some comfy clothes — that’s the only gear you’ll need. Third, show up in whatever area of your bedroom, living room, garage, or basement you have available. And fourth, head over to @popsugarfitness to join us for a fun, intense, and effective live sweat session!”
NEW RESOURCES – EDUCATION/ENTERTAINMENT
House Beautiful: Stonehenge’s Summer Solstice Event May Be Cancelled, But You Can Watch the Whole Thing on Facebook. “Every year, thousands of visitors flock to Wiltshire, England, and camp out overnight for Stonehenge’s annual summer solstice event — which celebrates the official start of summer. However, this year’s summer solstice, slated to begin at sunset on June 20, 2020 and conclude a little bit after sunrise on June 21, 2020 has been canceled due to COVID-19. While this news might come as a disappointment to many, Stonehenge isn’t letting the longest day of the year go unnoticed. For the first time ever, Stonehenge will be live streaming its entire event.”
Catalyst: For Year 31, Tampa Bay gay film festival goes online. “Stymied like the rest of the performance world by the interminable Covid crisis, the Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival has begun a virtual screening series. Curated by the festival’s new programming chief Derek Horne, TIGLFF Online began Thursday with Laughter in Lockdown, a series of short films – all comedies – from the festival’s last 10 years.” The free short films go away May 20, so check ’em out now.
American Theatre: 3Views Debuts Digital Archive. “3Views was initially intended as a mission-driven journal, to not only broaden the scope of theatre-related writing, but to provide three diverse perspectives on one piece of theatre at a time. With a slew of significant names on deck—Alison Bechdel, Cassie da Costa, Alexander Chee, Eve Ensler, Roxane Gay, John Guare, Jessica Hagedorn, John Lahr, Paul Muldoon, Cynthia Nixon, Mary Louise Parker, Claudia Rankine, James Shapiro, Kathryn Schulz, Zadie Smith, Wally Shawn, Alisa Solomon, Gloria Steinem and Monique Truong—the publication was prepared to launch this spring. However, with theatres now closed and no productions to review, 3Views has shifted its purpose to that of a virtual space where theatre can re-emerge online. Each week, the site will feature three canceled productions; viewers will be able to read script excerpts and production history, watch videos, browse photos, explore designs, and more.”
NEW RESOURCES – STATE-SPECIFIC
NOLA: Released for 1st time: See full list of nursing homes in Louisiana with coronavirus. “The release is the first time in more than six weeks that the state has confirmed which facilities have cases. Since April 1, the state has released only aggregate numbers of infections and deaths in senior complexes, and the total number of facilities with known cases.”
Honolulu Civil Beat: New Website Matches People In Need With People Who Can Help. “There’s an unprecedented urgent need among people who’ve lost their jobs or can’t pay the rent. It’s matched by a swell in the number of people who want to help. But matching charitable organizations with donors who want to fund their initiatives normally doesn’t happen fast. And the whirlpool of needs and resources can be difficult to navigate.”
I am normally only covering state-level resources or greater, but Los Angeles County has almost as many people as my entire state (just over 10 million) so I’m making an exception. ANYWAY. Los Angeles County: Los Angeles County Launches New WiFi Locator Tool to Help Residents Get Online During COVID-19 Pandemic. “Any member of the public can dial 2-1-1 to ask for assistance to get information from this website, or can visit the site directly. The website features a search tool, based on the user’s physical address, to connect them to various Internet related services, such as Internet access services for students, the location of free WiFi spots throughout the County (including free hotspots located in or nearby County libraries and County parks) and contact information for both residential and commercial broadband Internet providers and mobile (cellular) Internet providers serving the address.”
USEFUL STUFF
Mashable: How to use Nextdoor, Facebook, Slack to help neighbors amid coronavirus. “Like so much of the world right now, helping neighbors at this moment is likely going to require moving some activities online. Mashable spoke with Prakash Janakiraman, co-founder and chief architect at Nextdoor, and Naomi Gleit, vice president of product at Facebook, about how to best support neighbors using each platform. They’re not the only digital tools you can use to help neighbors right now — there are likely creative ways to use almost any platform to help others — but some of Janakiraman and Gleit’s updated tools can fulfill specific neighborly tasks.”
SOCIETAL IMPACT
Omaha World-Herald: Smashing eggs, dumping milk: Farmers waste more food than ever. “Dumped milk in Wisconsin. Smashed eggs in Nigeria. Rotting grapes in India. Buried hogs in Minnesota. These disturbing images have stirred outrage around the world. But here’s the surprising part: the world may not actually be wasting more than normal, when a third of global food production ends up in landfills. What’s changing now is that rather than being thrown out by consumers as kitchen waste, an unprecedented amount of food is getting dumped even before making it into grocery stores.”
NBC News: He thought the coronavirus was ‘a fake crisis.’ Then he contracted it and changed his mind.. “A Florida man who thought the coronavirus was ‘a fake crisis’ has changed his mind after he and his wife contracted COVID-19. Brian Hitchens, a rideshare driver who lives in Jupiter, downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus in Facebook posts in March and April.”
The Atlantic: My Brother’s Death Didn’t Have to Happen. “Senator Elizabeth Warren’s oldest brother, Donald Reed Herring, died of COVID-19 in late April, and I heard that she sometimes mentioned this in conversations about policy, though she was reluctant to talk about it publicly. So when I interviewed her for a story about her pandemic-response work (and her prospects of getting picked to be Joe Biden’s running mate), it was only natural to ask how the pandemic had affected her personally.”
Hindustan Times: Onoterusaki Shrine in Japan offers solace to those at home amid coronavirus pandemic lockdown. “Shinto shrines, a go-to place for many Japanese to pray for good health and safety, have largely shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic. But one Tokyo shrine went online for those seeking solace. Onoterusaki Shrine in downtown Tokyo was live-streaming prayers on Twitter during a May 1-10 holiday, allowing those stuck at home to join rituals.”
The 74: WATCH: In This Age of Social Distancing, Class of 2020 Graduations Go Virtual, Mobile and Robotic. “For the roughly 3.7 million seniors in the Class of 2020 spread across more than 24,000 high schools in the United States, graduation ceremonies this spring won’t resemble anything near traditional. What they will look like, though, will run the gamut from drive-in movie-style celebrations to livestreamed commencement exercises to pre-recorded snippets pieced together and viewed online. And they will all come with the same goal: honoring students and creating memories.”
Christie’s: What are museums — and their directors — doing now?. “As the world celebrates International Museums Day, we talk to four directors across the globe about loans and exhibitions, the future of blockbusters, donations, digital innovations, inclusivity, connectivity and ‘the duty to safeguard great art’”
INSTITUTION / CORPORATE / GOVERNMENT
The Guardian: Dutch official advice to single people: find a sex buddy for lockdown. “Single men and women in the Netherlands are being advised to organise a seksbuddy (sex buddy) after criticism of rules dictating that home visitors maintain a 1.5-metre distance from their hosts during the coronavirus lockdown. In a typically open-minded intervention, official guidance from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has been amended to suggest those without a permanent sexual partner come to mutually satisfactory agreements with like-minded individuals.”
The Moscow Times: Russia Pushes Google to Block Report on Low Virus Deaths, Probes NYT and FT. “Russia’s state communications watchdog has demanded that Google block a Russian news website’s article on a Financial Times report about Russia’s possibly undercounted coronavirus deaths. Roskomnadzor, the watchdog, said Thursday it was probing reports by FT and The New York Times, which analyzed official mortality data to investigate whether Russia is undercounting its coronavirus deaths, to establish whether they violated the country’s law against disinformation. It did not say whether it planned to punish the media outlets, as demanded by some Russian officials.”
ProPublica: The Trump Administration Is Rushing Deportations of Migrant Children During Coronavirus. “Their father was missing. Their mother was miles away. Two sisters, ages 8 and 11, were survivors of sexual assault and at risk of deportation. With the nation focused on COVID-19, the U.S. government is rushing the deportations of migrant children.”
The Conservation: International film archives are streaming up a storm during lockdown. Australia’s movie trove isn’t even online. “Film archives began to be established in 1933 as archivists realised films needed to be safeguarded for their own sake, rather than for military or religious purposes. Nitrate film used from the early 1890s through the mid-1950s, and magnetic tape used from the mid-1940s to the early 2000s, cannot survive the test of time. So, in addition to managing storage environments, archives preserve films digitally. Commercial streaming services offer access to films, but they do not ensure this content is stored, saved and contextualised. They are not custodians of history or culture. Archives ensure recordings of the past remain meaningfully embedded in our contemporary life. In a time when the audiovisual is our primary mode of communication, the archive as an institution protecting and championing our shared history is more important than ever.”
ProPublica: Two Coasts. One Virus. How New York Suffered Nearly 10 Times the Number of Deaths as California.. “As of May 15, there were nearly 350,000 COVID-19 cases in New York and more than 27,500 deaths, nearly a third of the nation’s total. The corresponding numbers in California: just under 75,000 cases and slightly more than 3,000 deaths. In New York City, the country’s most populous and densest, there had been just under 20,000 deaths; in San Francisco, the country’s second densest and 13th most populous, there had been 35.”
HEALTH
60 Minutes: The government whistleblower who says the Trump administration’s coronavirus response has cost lives. “Dr. Rick Bright is the highest-ranking government scientist to charge the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been slow and chaotic. He says it has prioritized politics over science, and has cost people their lives. It has cost Dr. Bright his job. In April, he was removed from a top position in the Department of Health and Human Services, and transferred to what he considers a position of less stature and responsibility. Dr. Bright has filed a whistleblower complaint running over 300 pages.”
Washington Post: ‘No offense, but is this a joke?’ Inside the underground market for face masks.. “The international market for desperately needed medical masks is riddled with fraud. Up and down the supply chain, from factories to hospitals, opportunists are benefiting from the chaotic market as prices have quintupled. Rampant price gouging and fraud has provoked dozens of lawsuits and hundreds of cease-and-desist orders, from major mask manufacturers as well as state attorneys general. While profiteers and crooks make their fortunes, medical workers across the United States are rationing masks, recycling them and treating infected patients without them. The federal government has taken steps to address the shortages, but emergency management experts say the efforts were distressingly inadequate. The Trump administration ignored early warnings that it needed to shore up its stockpile of masks and other personal protective equipment and has fallen behind several other Western nations in the race to secure them, documents and interviews show.”
University of Kentucky: Don’t Let COVID-19 Fear Keep You From Seeking Medical Care. “The fear of contracting COVID-19 is keeping many people at home who should be coming to the Emergency Department for life-threatening conditions. Emergency departments, however, have been reorganized to isolate patients with suspected or known COVID-19 to protect those who are not infected. Yet, in the face of the pandemic, hospitalizations for stroke have decreased dramatically all over the world, including in Kentucky. Avoiding or delaying seeking emergent help can have drastic consequences because effective stroke treatments are available, but need to be started soon after the symptoms begin. It is important not to dismiss even transient symptoms because they are a warning that a major stroke may occur over the next hours or days.”
POLITICS
CNN: Obama criticizes leadership on coronavirus response, gives three pieces of advice in virtual commencement addresses. “Former President Barack Obama told college graduates that the ‘folks in charge’ don’t always know what they’re doing in rare public criticism of the Trump administration on Saturday. Obama criticized the handling of the coronavirus pandemic without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, just a week after privately critiquing the administration’s response to the Covid-19 crisis.”
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Wash your hands and stay at home as much as you can. Please be careful. I love you.
NEW RESOURCES – MEDICAL/HEALTH
World Health Organization: Launch of the WHO Academy and the WHO Info mobile applications. “Today, the WHO Academy, World Health Organization’s lifelong learning centre, launched a mobile app designed to enable health workers to expand their life-saving skills to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. The app provides health workers with mobile access to a wealth of COVID-19 knowledge resources, developed by WHO, that include up-to-the-minute guidance, tools, training, and virtual workshops that will help them care for COVID-19 patients and protect themselves.”
Columbia University: COVID-19 Trial Finder Provides Simplified Search Process For COVID-Related Clinical Trials. “Researchers at Columbia University have developed COVID-19 Trial Finder, a simplified method for patients, clinicians and healthy volunteers to search for appropriate COVID-related clinical trials in their general location. This system also allows potential candidates to pre-screen their eligibility for such trials through a set of short medical questions.”\
NEW RESOURCES – LEGAL / SECURITY / PRIVACY / FINANCIAL
KUSI: San Diego teen creates a web app to help find food banks during COVID-19 pandemic. “A San Diego teen recently created a web app where individuals financially struggling from the coronavirus pandemic can find food banks near them. Sebastian Carbonero said he created this app because he personally knew people who are financially struggling and are in the need of food; especially during these harsh times.”
The Next Web: Microsoft open-sources its coronavirus threat data for security researchers. “For the last couple of months, cybercriminals have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to launch a series of attacks on individuals and companies, with a COVID-19 angle. In order to fight these threats, Microsoft has open-sourced its threat knowledge to help the security community build protective solutions for users.”
NEW RESOURCES – OTHER
Footwear News: Crocs Is Giving Away Free Shoes to Essential Workers — Here’s How to Get Them. “Through its ‘Free Pair for Healthcare’ initiative, Crocs has delivered tens of thousands of shoes at no cost to medical professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the clog-maker is expanding its relief efforts to include many other essential workers.”
USEFUL STUFF
Pendle Today: The best online gardening websites and Youtube tutorials for beginners. “With garden centres reopening, people are set to flock to stores to purchase new, seeds, compost, and planters, to help keep their gardens looking pristine. Watching seeds grow, and successfully taming your little slice of nature is extremely fulfilling work and there really is no better way to pass the time, than with a spot of gardening. So if you’re a beginner to the wonderful world of gardening, here’s a list of the best online resources to get you started.”
UPDATES
FDA: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Informs Public About Possible Accuracy Concerns with Abbott ID NOW Point-of-Care Test. “Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting the public to early data that suggest potential inaccurate results from using the Abbott ID NOW point-of-care test to diagnose COVID-19. Specifically, the test may return false negative results.”
Vox: America’s coronavirus testing numbers are really improving — finally. “After an April that some experts described as “wasted,” it looks like America is finally making some real progress on coronavirus testing in May. Over the past couple of weeks, the United States has seen significant improvements not just with the raw number of Covid-19 tests but also with other metrics experts use to gauge the scope of the US’s coronavirus outbreak and its testing capacity.”
SOCIETAL IMPACT
Autosport: WEC News: Virtual Le Mans 24 in association with Motorsport Games announced. “Organised by the FIA World Endurance Championship, Le Mans organisers the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Motorsport Games, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will feature a 50-car entry consisting of LMP2 and GTE machinery, with four-driver teams made up of a mix of professional drivers and Esports racers.”
Los Angeles Times: Cleanup on aisle everywhere: A day in the life of supermarket workers during coronavirus. “For the last few months, grocery stores, deemed essential businesses, have served as public theaters for the traumatized American consumer. Thrust into the role of front-line soldiers amid a war against the coronavirus, employees have had to manage panic attacks, cursing, near-fights and counseling sessions at the checkout stand. They’ve been threatened by customers who are angry about having to wear masks. Some workers have received an hourly bump in appreciation pay. A growing number across the U.S. have become ill. Dozens have died.”
Bloomberg: Frantic Food Banks Use Driverless Cars and Jobless Workers to Survive. “The coronavirus pandemic is forcing food banks across the country to find new ways to feed people — from slaughtering animals to enlisting car dealerships and unemployed restaurant workers to serve homebound clients. With more than 36 million Americans thrown out of work since mid-March, agencies are experiencing a surge in demand not seen since the financial crisis more than a decade ago. In some ways, the pandemic is even more cruel, depriving them of legions of volunteers, and closing the restaurants they rely on for donations.”
New York Daily News: Queens EMS instructors who found themselves on coronavirus front lines as pandemic hit now fear second wave of deadly virus. “COVID-19 war-weary paramedics Kim Benson and Chris Feliciano lived through hell. Now the EMS instructors wonder if it was all just a ‘rough drill’ for the worst yet to come. ‘Not really scared, just apprehensive,’ Benson told the Daily News about a possible rebound. ‘Is it going to happen? I have a feeling it will. It’s kind of like a flu illness, so I wonder if around flu season in the fall it might happen.'”
The Scotsman: Why people are flocking online for Scottish ‘therapy sheep’. “Now, what was already one of Scotland’s most idiosyncratic tourist attractions has devised a bespoke solution to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, allowing people to take part in online meditation sessions alongside three Herdwick sheep.”
Phys .org: Leopards spotted in Pakistan capital’s park as virus clears way. “Leopards, jackals and other creatures living in Islamabad’s tree-covered hills have been enjoying a rare respite from the throngs of hikers and joggers that normally pack the trails. Rangers in the Pakistani capital’s Margalla Hills National Park saw animal activity increase soon after the city was locked down in March to counter the coronavirus.”a
The Register: Beer gut-ted: As many as ’70 million pints’ spoiled during coronavirus pandemic must be destroyed in Britain. “Setting aside the serious consequences of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic – loss of life, economic hardship, rising authoritarianism, and blissfully clear roads – there is a lesser but still troubling development. On Friday, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) let it be known that as many as 70 million pints of British beer will have to be destroyed due to the outbreak.”
CNN: These therapists are using TikTok to help you get through the pandemic. “In one 15-second clip on TikTok, clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Smith can be seen dancing while text encourages people not to compare their isolation to others. In another 60-second video, Smith breaks down five ways to tackle anxiety, including slow breathing techniques. Smith, who also uses Instagram and YouTube, joined TikTok last fall because she didn’t see mental health professionals on the short-form video app, which is popular with teens and known for lighthearted content, comedy and dance routines. She hoped to call attention to simple skills people can use to improve their mental health. That goal has arguably only taken on greater urgency in recent months due to the pandemic.”
INSTITUTION / CORPORATE / GOVERNMENT
Politico: Twitter CEO gives $10M to help prisons battle coronavirus. “Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledged $10 million Monday to help U.S. prisons battle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as inmates living in confined quarters remain particularly vulnerable to the disease. The donation to REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice advocacy group led by CNN analyst Van Jones, will buy 10 million face masks and other personal protective equipment for people who are incarcerated, as well as correctional officers, health care workers and other prison employees.”
NPR: As COVID-19 Fears Grow, 10,000 Prisoners Are Freed From Overcrowded Philippine Jails. “As COVID-19 sweeps through many of the world’s prisons and jails, the Philippine Supreme Court has ordered the release of nearly 10,000 inmates in one of the world’s most congested prison systems. Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta said in the order… that granting bail and releasing indigent prisoners on ‘recognizance’ would help staunch the spread of the novel coronavirus that has infected both prisoners and staff.”
Reuters: As U.S. meat workers fall sick and supplies dwindle, exports to China soar. “U.S. President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to stay open to protect the nation’s food supply even as workers got sick and died. Yet the plants have increasingly been exporting to China while U.S. consumers face shortages, a Reuters analysis of government data showed.”
ABC News: What’s your state’s coronavirus reopening plan?. “As 45 states, plus Puerto Rico, begin easing restrictions to some extent, no state has yet to see a decline in terms of new reported cases for 14 days in a row, according to an ABC News analysis, and questions remain about whether there will be a resurgence of the virus. Here is a look at when stay-at-home orders will be lifted, what each state’s reopening plan looks like, and what phase each state is in in terms of reopening.”
CNET: Amazon to reopen French warehouses after union deal for COVID-19 safety. “Amazon reportedly will reopen six warehouses in France on Tuesday after reaching an agreement with labor unions about how to operate safely in a time during the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus.”
CNN: Amazon insists sharing data on coronavirus cases in its warehouses isn’t useful. “Amazon is famed for its data-driven approach to management and decision-making. It measures worker “rates” to determine productivity; collected extensive local data as part of its search for a second headquarters; takes pains to predict what customers want next based on prior purchases; and frequently issues press releases dense with random stats about product sales. But when it comes to the total number of coronavirus cases in its warehouses, Amazon’s view is, as one executive recently put it, that information isn’t ‘particularly useful.'”
CNET: Rock band Devo selling energy dome face shields for coronavirus protection. “Is any band more prepped for a pandemic than Devo, the surreal, futuristic rockers famed for their yellow jumpsuits and red energy dome helmets? Now the group is selling coronavirus merchandise, including not just themed face masks, but Devo’s iconic red plastic energy dome, complete with clear plastic face shield.”
The Next Web: Uber introduces AI to make sure its drivers wear face masks. “Uber is making face masks mandatory — and will use AI to ensure drivers follow the rules. From Monday, every time drivers go online they’ll have to take a selfie, which a computer vision algorithm will scan to check if they’re wearing a mask.”
Digital Trends: Fitbit is looking to make ventilators for COVID-19 patients. “Wearable device maker Fitbit is looking to join the list of companies that are making ventilators to be used on people infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.”
HEALTH
Engadget: How Instagram’s anti-vaxxers fuel coronavirus conspiracy theories. “Instagram’s efforts to curb health misinformation have done little to stem the flow of conspiracy theories and misinformation about vaccines. The app continues to be a hotbed of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, which often spread without the promised fact-checks and are further fueled by Instagram’s search and recommendation algorithms.”
ProPublica: Superintendent Bragged About VA Review of Short-Staffed Soldiers Home. Two Months Later, 73 Veterans Are Dead.. “State-run veterans homes, which have suffered enormously in the pandemic, fall between the regulatory cracks. The VA disclaims responsibility for them, and its inspections have overlooked issues later identified by other investigators.”
BBC: Psychiatrists fear ‘tsunami’ of mental illness after lockdown. “Psychiatrists are warning of a “tsunami” of mental illness from problems stored up during lockdown. They are particularly concerned that children and older adults are not getting the support they need because of school closures, self-isolation and fear of hospitals. In a survey, psychiatrists reported rises in emergency cases and a drop in routine appointments. They emphasised that mental-health services were still open for business.”
EurekAlert: Using telehealth to transition diabetes inpatients to virtual care during COVID-19. “Data collected over a 15-week period showed that using virtual care to manage diabetes patients in the hospital does not have a negative impact on their glycemic outcomes. This study, aimed at reducing provider and patient exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic, has broader implications for implementing telehealth to diabetes care in remote locations and to limit the transmission of hospital-acquired infections.”
RESEARCH
Science Magazine: Scientists have turned the structure of the coronavirus into music. “You’ve probably seen dozens of images of the novel coronavirus—now responsible for 1 million infections and tens of thousands of deaths. Now, scientists have come up with a way for you to hear it: by translating the structure of its famous spike protein into music.”
Vanity Fair: If 80% of Americans Wore Masks, COVID-19 Infections Would Plummet, New Study Says. “It sounds too good to be true. But a compelling new study and computer model provide fresh evidence for a simple solution to help us emerge from this nightmarish lockdown. The formula? Always social distance in public and, most importantly, wear a mask.”
BBC: Coronavirus: A third of hospital patients develop dangerous blood clots. “Up to 30% of patients who are seriously ill with coronavirus are developing dangerous blood clots, according to medical experts. They say the clots, also known as thrombosis, could be contributing to the number of people dying. Severe inflammation in the lungs – a natural response of the body to the virus – is behind their formation.”
EurekAlert: New device could reduce COVID-19 infection risk and demand for invasive ventilators. “Led by Lawson Health Research Institute, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), University Health Network (UHN) and General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-Canada), researchers have designed a non-invasive ventilation mask that could significantly reduce aerosolization – the production of airborne respiratory droplets that may contain viruses or bacteria – when treating patients with COVID-19. The new device aims to reduce infection risks associated with non-invasive ventilation and lessen the demand for invasive ventilators. It is currently being tested through a clinical trial with patients at LHSC.”
CRIME
BuzzFeed News: Three Teens Have Been Charged With Kicking An Asian Woman In The Face At A Metro Stop. “Officials in Minnesota have arrested three teens after a viral Instagram video showed them allegedly taunting an Asian woman who was alone at a metro stop before kicking her in the face, then running away, laughing. The assault occurred just after midnight on Monday, May 4, at the Green Line light-rail station in St. Paul, Metro Transit spokesperson Howie Padilla told BuzzFeed News Friday night.”
POLITICS
Politico: ‘They are angry’: Pandemic and economic collapse slam Trump across Rust Belt. “The Industrial Midwest was always going to be a battleground in November. The region is now becoming a new front line for Americans’ lives and livelihoods as coronavirus hot spots proliferate and jobless rates spiral. The confluence of a ferocious pandemic, deepening economic turmoil and rising political tensions is more pronounced here than anywhere else in the country. And it sets the stage for a combustible campaign season that is testing President Donald Trump’s efforts to move on and insulate himself from the crisis—and Joe Biden’s ability to blame him for the fallout.”
Washington Post: Top White House advisers, unlike their boss, increasingly worry stimulus spending is costing too much. “Senior Trump administration officials are growing increasingly wary of the massive federal spending to combat the economic downturn and are considering ways to limit the impact of future stimulus efforts on the national debt, according to six administration officials and four external advisers familiar with the matter.”
AP News: Trump eyes older voters in Florida for any sign of faltering. “President Donald Trump’s path to reelection runs through places like Sun City Center, a former cow pasture south of Tampa, Florida, that’s now home to a booming retirement community. But some residents in this conservative swath of America’s premier battleground are growing restless. Irvin Hilts is among them. The 72-year-old retiree voted for Trump in 2016 but has grown frustrated with the tumult surrounding his administration. His support for Trump collapsed entirely amid the coronavirus pandemic, which Hilts blames the president for mishandling.”
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Wash your hands and stay at home as much as you can. Please be careful. I love you.
NEW RESOURCES – EDUCATION/ENTERTAINMENT
The Strad: Classical Encounters goes online this Sunday. “Classical Encounters, the international chamber music festival normally based in the region of The Hague and Leiden, Holland, goes online on Sunday, 17 May. Originally scheduled for 13 -17 May, it will now take place in one day from noon until 6pm, livestreamed on the festival website.”
CNN: See the gardens of famous designers as Britain’s prestigious Chelsea Flower Show goes virtual. “Horticultural enthusiasts will be able to take a virtual tour of award-winning designers’ gardens when Britain’s famous Chelsea Flower Show goes online later this month for the first time in its history. Famous Japanese designer Ishihara Kazuyuki will open his garden — albeit virtually — to green-fingered fans as part of the show, which has closed its doors to the public for the first time since World War Two as a result of the coronavirus crisis.”
AJC: Bond with your children with online Nickelodeon cartoon drawing tutorial. “Nickelodeon has a new way you can enjoy its cartoons that puts the power in your hands — and it could be a great way to bond with your children. The Viacom-owned network recently released a list of drawing tutorials being posted on the video streaming service Twitch throughout the summer.”
KUTV: Retirees, isolated by virus, become DJs for new radio hour. ” Tucked away inside his room at a senior care facility, Bob Coleman knew he couldn’t go out into the world with the coronavirus raging. But he could share with the world his first love — country music. ‘Hello everybody, it’s a bright day in Franklin, Tennessee,’ the 88-year-old Air Force veteran crooned into his microphone. ‘This is Bob Coleman, better known as the “Karaoke Cowboy,” coming to you from Room 3325. … Let’s just jump right into it.’… Coleman is one of several retirees who have turned into DJs for a new online radio hour known as ‘Radio Recliner.'”
NEW RESOURCES – LEGAL / SECURITY / PRIVACY / FINANCIAL
WXYZ: Royal Oak Company helps local small businesses find loans and grants by using zip code. “Roy Lamphier is the CEO of the virtual company making it his mission to help small business owners who have found themselves facing unprecedented hardships. The portal helps to relieve some of the anxiety. In less than five seconds, it breaks down opportunities tailored to you. ‘If it’s a loan, what are the percentages, what are the requirements?” said Lamphier. “And then we have a vetted link to more information for that program.'”
NEW RESOURCES – STATE-SPECIFIC
KNWA (Arkansas): Gov. announces new website for coronavirus testing. ” Finding a COVID-19 testing site in Arkansas just got a lot easier for you. The state has launched a new website with an interactive map that tells you the closest facility you can go to be tested.”
NEW RESOURCES – OTHER
Independent: Online Surname Dictionary Goes Free To Allow Families In Lockdown To Trace Their Ancestry. “Searching your surname on the website could help you shine a light on where your ancestors came from, offering information regarding surnames with English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish origins, in addition to family names from immigrants who have settled in Britain and Ireland since the 16th century. While the website is usually only accessible through subscription services, from 15 May until 21 May the online database is free to use, as part of a collaboration between Oxford University Press and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to mark the UN’s International Day of Families on Friday.”
USEFUL STUFF
Mashable: How to download free ebooks and digital audiobooks from public libraries. “Among the 2,500 library systems the Public Library Association surveyed over the last week of March, 74 percent have expanded their online ebook and audio streaming services. Part of that, some libraries told Mashable, is due to the increase in demand since states issued shelter-in-place orders in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Still, the number and diversity of digital offerings vary from metropolitan to rural libraries and remain limited relative to physical materials — but more on that later. The best thing you can do now is put your name on the waiting list (I know, I know) for all the free ebooks and digital audiobooks you want. Good news: We’re here to tell you everything you need to know about digital lending so you can get the darn thing done already.”
Duke University Libraries: Putting the ‘Global’ Back Into Global Pandemic, Part I. “In order to help foster a more informed and compassionate approach to the current global health crisis, the subject specialists of Duke Libraries’ International and Area Studies Department have decided to devote a series of blog posts to the topic of plagues, epidemics, and pandemics in each of the world regions for which they collect materials and about which they offer reference and library instruction. Our goal is not to provide exhaustive coverage of the topic, but merely to suggest one or two resources—preferably those available online and in English—that each subject specialist has found particularly meaningful or useful in helping him or her to understand the role that infectious diseases have played in the countries, continents, and world areas for which s/he is responsible.”
CNET: Who can be tested for coronavirus right now? Here’s who qualifies. “Testing tells us a few things, whether it’s a nasal swab or an antibody test: It confirms COVID-19 in people who are presumed to have it — that is, they show symptoms. But it also tells us if people who appear asymptomatic are also harboring the virus. If they are, they may spread it unknowingly. This knowledge helps protect vulnerable groups at higher risk of fatality from the COVID-19 disease. Here’s what you need to know about who can get tested for the coronavirus.”
Good Housekeeping: 35 Virtual Field Trips for Kids to Get Them Learning About the World. “While your kids may be stuck inside physically, online tours still give them some access to the rest of the outside world. The same way school has gone digital — with remote homeschooling, live-streamed extra-curricular classes, and learning-at-home portals wherever you look — class trips have moved online, too. These virtual field trips for kids will have them gazing at world-class art, learning about history, discovering science, and even checking out what it’s like in outer space.”
UPDATES
AP: VA says it won’t stop use of unproven drug on vets for now. “Facing growing criticism, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday that it will not halt use of an unproven malaria drug on veterans with COVID-19 but that fewer of its patients are now taking it.”
KATV: ‘We’re not prepared to go into Phase 2’: 130 new cases of COVID-19 in Arkansas. “With 130 new COVID-19 cases reported on Thursday, Arkansas saw one of its biggest jumps in confirmed cases since the virus reached the state in March. There are 928 active cases in the state, with 522 cases in the community, 305 cases in correctional facilities and 101 cases in nursing homes. Of the 130 new cases, 113 come from the community in Union, Pulaski, Craighead, Jefferson, Sharp and St. Francis counties.”
SOCIETAL IMPACT
BuzzFeed News: Quarantine Has Taught Kids On TikTok How To Be Patient And Adult Influencers How To Apologize. “There were two Big
public apologies this week. If you’ve been following and indulging in niche online dramas to keep your mind off the global pandemic, then you know influencer chef Alison Roman and OG YouTuber Colleen Ballinger both issued statements about their controversies.”
Wall Street Journal: Is That a Rooster on My Customer-Support Call? Yes, Blame Coronavirus.. “Thousands of call-center employees in the Philippines and India are working from home, often on the outskirts of urban areas or outside them, during their countries’ coronavirus lockdowns. That has given cows and pigs—but mainly roosters—a chance to chime in.” Kind of here for it honestly.
Philadelphia Inquirer: He gets no sleep collecting the bodies of coronavirus victims: ‘It’s not a job for everyone’. “Preston Griffin never sleeps. Not really. Even when he sneaks a nap, his iPhone, set at maximum volume, is angled on the pillow, brushing his earlobe. He can’t miss the customized ringtone. The first note blares, and Griffin hops up. A funeral home director is on the line. He listens to the scant details. Someone just died in a nursing home. A hospital. A home. The funeral director tells him if the coronavirus was to blame. Sometimes, it’s a mystery.”
INSTITUTION / CORPORATE / GOVERNMENT
New York Times: They Lost Their Jobs. Now They May Have to Leave the U.S.. “Like millions of American workers, an Indian software engineer, a British market researcher and an Iranian architect lost their jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike Americans, they are not entitled to unemployment benefits, despite paying taxes, because they are on foreign work visas. And, if they fail to find similar jobs soon, they must leave the country.”
Mississippi Clarion Register: State health agency says its too busy to tell public which nursing homes have COVID-19 outbreaks. “The Mississippi Department of Health has a list of all the state’s nursing homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, but the agency claims it’s too busy to release it to the public. The Clarion Ledger filed a public records request on April 2 asking for the names of nursing homes with coronavirus outbreaks. In violation of state open records law, the Department of Health did not respond for a month.”
Des Moines Register: If COVID-19 breaks out in an assisted living center, Iowans won’t be alerted “Iowa has reported coronavirus outbreaks at 35 nursing homes, but the state health department would not alert the public if it learned of such an outbreak at an assisted living facility, the department’s deputy director said Thursday. Two advocates for tighter regulations on the industry said later Thursday that the state should notify the public of such outbreaks.”
Center for Public Integrity: As Georgia Reopens, Its Intensive-Care Beds Are Largely Full. “Georgia — one of the first states to reopen its economy — may not have enough hospital beds to treat a new wave of critically ill patients infected with the coronavirus, according to internal federal government documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity. A slide prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for an interagency briefing last week said Georgia’s intensive care unit beds were 79 percent full on May 6, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
HEALTH
The Lancet: Reviving the US CDC. “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen in the USA with 1·3 million cases and an estimated death toll of 80 684 as of May 12. States that were initially the hardest hit, such as New York and New Jersey, have decelerated the rate of infections and deaths after the implementation of 2 months of lockdown. However, the emergence of new outbreaks in Minnesota, where the stay-at-home order is set to lift in mid-May, and Iowa, which did not enact any restrictions on movement or commerce, has prompted pointed new questions about the inconsistent and incoherent national response to the COVID-19 crisis.”
Hindustan Times: Coronavirus could cause 28 million cancelled surgeries globally: Study. “Some 28.4 million planned surgeries could be cancelled or postponed globally due to the new coronavirus pandemic, according to new research warning that huge backlogs risk ‘potentially devastating’ consequences for patients and health systems. The study, published this week in the British Journal of Surgery, modelled the expected number of elective operations that would be put on hold in 190 countries during a 12-week peak of COVID-19 disruption.”
CNBC: Why, in the midst of a U.S. health crisis, there are major challenges for doctors to access patient records. “If you want to solicit a furious stare from a doctor, ask them about their electronic medical record systems. Studies have shown that electronic health records are directly attributable to the growing problem of physician burnout because of the time spent filling out fields in these systems for hours, even after a grueling day of seeing patients. Even more troubling, doctors are still struggling to access medical information about their patients, particularly if that patient was seen at a hospital or clinic that uses a different medical record vendor.”
RESEARCH
Science Magazine: T cells found in COVID-19 patients ‘bode well’ for long-term immunity. “Immune warriors known as T cells help us fight some viruses, but their importance for battling SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been unclear. Now, two studies reveal infected people harbor T cells that target the virus—and may help them recover. Both studies also found some people never infected with SARS-CoV-2 have these cellular defenses, most likely because they were previously infected with other coronaviruses.”
Washington Post: Places without social distancing have 35 times more potential coronavirus spread, study finds. “The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, looked at the policies mandating social distancing, and found that the longer a measure was in effect the slower the daily growth rate of covid-19, the virus’s disease. Researchers from the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Georgia State University looked at confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States between March 1 and April 27, totaling about 1 million reported instances at the time, illustrating ‘the potential danger of exponential spread in the absence of interventions.'”
The Atlantic: How Virginia Juked Its COVID-19 Data. “The United States’ ability to test for the novel coronavirus finally seems to be improving. As recently as late April, the country rarely reported more than 150,000 new test results each day. The U.S. now routinely claims to conduct more than 300,000 tests a day, according to state-level data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic. But these rosy numbers may conceal a problem: A lack of federal guidelines has created huge variation in how states are reporting their COVID-19 data and in what kind of data they provide to the public.”
Georgetown University Medical Center: Automated COVID-19 Research Tracking Tool Wins International Data Challenge. “A new online tool that gathers and organizes COVID-19 research and trending conversations about virus-related research was recognized as the winning professional entry to the COVID-19 Data Challenge from the Pandemic Data Room. The Data Challenge was led by QED Group in partnership with Georgetown University, Medstar Health, Amazon, Tableau, The Reis Group, IDS, Clear Outcomes, Geopoll, Exovera and others. The winning tool, created by John Bohannon of Primer AI, updates every 24 hours, tracking the exponentially growing number of COVID-19 research papers, which topped 13,000 on May 9. It lists research titles of the most cited studies from news outlets and Twitter, along with trending terms, topics and quotes.”
The American Independent: Pennsylvania becomes first state to collect data on LGBTQ coronavirus cases. “Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf will become the first governor to include the LGBTQ community in data the state collects on COVID-19, he announced this week. Wolf said in a press release that the Department of Health has asked for a system modification from the data collection platform it works with, Sara Alert, that would include information on gender identity and sexual orientation.”
POLITICS
New York Times: DeVos Funnels Coronavirus Relief Funds to Favored Private and Religious Schools. ” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is using the $2 trillion coronavirus stabilization law to throw a lifeline to education sectors she has long championed, directing millions of federal dollars intended primarily for public schools and colleges to private and religious schools.”
New York Times: He Saw ‘No Proof’ Closures Would Curb Virus. Now He Has De Blasio’s Trust.. “The head of New York City’s public hospitals pushed to keep the city open in early March. Now the mayor has put him in charge of contact tracing, deepening a rift with the Health Department.”
Bloomberg: Michigan Cancels Legislative Session to Avoid Armed Protesters. “Michigan closed down its capitol in Lansing on Thursday and canceled its legislative session rather than face the possibility of an armed protest and death threats against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.”
BuzzFeed News: JetBlue’s Founder Helped Fund A Stanford Study That Said The Coronavirus Wasn’t That Deadly. “A highly influential coronavirus antibody study was funded in part by David Neeleman, the JetBlue Airways founder and a vocal proponent of the idea that the pandemic isn’t deadly enough to justify continued lockdowns. That’s according to a complaint from an anonymous whistleblower, filed with Stanford University last week and obtained by BuzzFeed News, about the study conducted by the famous scientist John Ioannidis and others. The complaint cites dozens of emails, including exchanges with the airline executive while the study was being conducted.”
CNBC: Private jet company founded by Trump donor gets $27 million bailout. “The company appears to have received the largest grant of any private jet company on the list. The vast majority of the other 96 recipients of government funding or loans on the list are major commercial airlines, regional carriers or support companies. Other large private jet operators such as NetJets are not on the list.”
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